This Is What the TimesDaily is Good For

 

To us, the recent ballot screw-up in Lauderdale is one of the biggest stories in Shoals history so far this century. Most people don't care. The TimesDaily has hardly mentioned it. This is what one of our Lauderdale County friends has said:

The ballot screw up had to have happened at the top level. Clearly someone did not pay attention to the new maps and left entire neighborhoods in their old district. Now whether intentional or accidental, who can say? If legislators can hand pick their districts to win, anything is possible. 

Interestingly, the two biggest polling places, St. James and Atlas COC were affected the most. 

Then there’s the issue of people getting the wrong ballot given to them. All good and well if you picked it up, but most folks probably did not. I have no idea how you would even begin to prove that mess, unless you analyzed the ballots given out and to whom, and frankly, I think it’s too late to do anything anyway if major irregularities were found. Our local press certainly made it clear they did NOT want sunlight on this issue, so most folks are clueless as to what’s happened. 

On the Pettus/Black/Melson issue, how tragic that many in our community feel that we don’t have candidates to vote FOR but rather lesser of two evils to pick from instead

Who wants power in Lauderdale? Obviously those who control the Ag Center. Is that what some of this was about? It's certainly possible. How is that bilious green elephant coming along?

On a similar note, how is Inspiration Landing progressing? We've heard grass is four feet tall all around the infamous Slag music venue. Whoever technically owns the property won't even keep it mowed.

Our prediction there is that construction may start on some private homes when material costs come down. Even that's a big maybe. Did John Elkington think that people from all over the U.S. would flock to Sheffield?

"Hey, hon, I got the company jet this weekend. Where shall we go? L.A., Austin, New Orleans? Oh, I know. Let's go to Sheffield."

Similarly, no festival organizers are going to exclaim: "Aren't we tired of Nashville? Let's have our big do on the outskirts of Florence next year."

85% of the citizens don't care, 10% want in on it, and the remaining 5% just aren't enough to correct the local illegal situations.