The Truth About Teresa: Vol. 1, No. 13

November 30, 2010.  Columbus, Georgia.

The day began grey, windy and cold.  It turned black early in the afternoon as the rain came and blew in every direction.  To put it simply, it was a miserable day.

What an appropriate setting for the election of Teresa Tomlinson as Mayor of Columbus. 

Tomlinson reacted to the news of her election with the trademark humility we have pointed to throughout the history of TTAT.  Her simple statement? 

“We have today changed the face of politics in Columbus, Georgia”

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Some 17,000 citizens of Columbus, a city of 190,000+, elected Mrs. Tomlinson.  8% of the total population voted for Mrs. Tomlinson.  Put in the most favorable light, approximately 15% of registered voters cast ballots for Mrs. Tomlinson yesterday.  Just as the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States did not change fundamental political realities, nor has the election of Mrs. Tomlinson changed Columbus.

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A cursory review of the results by precinct shows Zeph Baker was the choice of voters south of Macon Road.  Baker carried the following precincts:  Carver/Mack, St. John/Belvedere, Victory Independent, Mt. Pilgrim, Faith Tabernacle and Fort/Waddell.  Tomlinson carried First African and Rothschild. 

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Tomlinson’s victory actually lay in her success in majority white precincts, which she carried by an average in excess of 80 percent.  We at TTAT leave it to other commentators as to what this says about the willingness of white voters to cast a ballot for a black man for Mayor in 2010, but clearly Tomlinson’s victory relied on the traditional path–running a large margin in North Columbus while minimizing the bleeding to the South.  So her first pronouncement as Mayor-Elect that she has changed the face of politics in Columbus is demonstrably false.

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There are several controversies which are developing even 24 hours after the election.  We at TTAT will continue to monitor these as they develop and report as appropriate.

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Until then we remain committed to,

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TTAT

The Truth About Teresa: Vol. 1, No. 12

We at TTAT heard Mrs. Tomlinson on WTVM saying how much she missed us. Don’t worry Teresa, we are back with another installment of TTAT.

Several important truths that need to be aired before you cast that all important vote tomorrow, Wednesday or next Tuesday.

First, you need to know that at multiple public forums Mrs. Tomlinson has declared that the property tax freeze in Columbus is “an entitlement” and that it needs to be “sunset”. Well Mrs. Tomlinson, many of us who have owned our homes for 30 years and paid our mortgages don’t think the tax freeze is welfare. We have earned relief from more government taxes. So make no mistake about it–TERESA TOMLINSON WILL SEEK TO RAISE YOUR PROPERTY TAXES IF SHE IS ELECTED. Zeph Baker, Mrs. Tomlinson’s opponent, has stated definitively that he will not touch the tax freeze.

As we think about the holiday season that is almost upon us, TTAT can think of one important way that Mrs. Tomlinson is like Santa Claus: she is making a list and probably checking it more than twice. The list? A comprehensive listing of those with the temerity to have opposed Mrs. Tomlinson’s mayoral bid. Does she plan to go after those who opposed her? Absolutely. TTAT received word that even Paul Olson has not been immune to Mrs. Tomlinson’s ham-handed antics–that people close to her threatened Mr. Olson’s livelihood, the florist business he owns with his wife. These threats came on the eve of a press conference where Mr. Olson was due to endorse Mrs. Tomlinson’s opponent, Zeph Baker.

Mrs. Tomlinson is one who keeps score and is looking to settle up as soon as this election is behind her.

Make no mistake about it dear readers, Mrs. Tomlinson is an unapologetic liberal–she supports abortion on demand and has provided financial support to liberal Democrats all over the country. She does not accept dissenting points of view and is incapable of forging coalitions necessary to govern the Consolidated Government. She is building and maintaining an enemies list. She is not looking to be Mayor of all of Columbus but rather to instead promote the central planning, government as panacea form of liberalism shared by a small minority of latte-swilling, big government liberals.

No self respecting conservative voter can vote in good conscience for Teresa Tomlinson. Despite her lawyered, carefully parsed answers to questions at forums her record is clear for anyone that cares to examine it.

The voters of Columbus are going to need to look past race and look to which of the Mayoral candidates will keep taxes low, let the free market operate rather than try to centrally plan our economy from the Government Center and which will only utilize lawyers as a last resort for City business rather than as a guinea pig for exotic legal theories to enrich Plaintiff’s lawyers. The choice is clear–the choice is not Mrs. Tomlinson.

The Truth About Teresa: Vol. 1, No. 11

The Liberal Mindset

One of the more dangerous flaws a leader can have is to be unable to accept that an opposing point of view can have merit and should be considered in setting policy or an agenda.

Teresa Tomlinson demonstrated with her public comments following the failure of her initiative to implement Tax Allocation Districts in Columbus that she had a real hostility toward her opposition that offered the only reasons one might be against her position is that one is angry or ignorant.

From the Columbus Ledger’s coverage following the referendum in which the TAD failed:

“It became a great excuse,” she said. “I believe that there was apparently a large amount of people who I don’t know if they didn’t want to understand it because they were angry. I think they were angry at the wrong people.”

“There’s just this negativism hanging over this city,” she said.

“We’re going to have to shake that and move forward. There’s a small, persistent, vocal group who wants to maintain turmoil through the manipulation of emotion. That’s a very dangerous thing.”

So as you can see Mrs. Tomlinson attributes her opponent’s ignorance and anger as the reason for their opposition.  Further she slams the opposition as manipulators–inherently dishonest.

Compare that to Barack Obama’s statement regarding middle America voters who expressed discomfort with liberal policies:

“And it’s not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy toward people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”

Are you beginning to get the picture here?  Can you see the danger of electing a Mayor who dismisses any opposition as ignorant, angry and hateful?  Wouldn’t Columbus be better served by a Mayor who wanted to at least listen to all sides of a debate before taking a position?

We will keep asking questions like this until Mrs. Tomlinson sees fit to silence this site as she has evidently silenced two of her former rivals in the Mayoral campaign.

Until next time we remain committed to,

TTAT

57 Percent

That is the percentage of voters who, after the $200,000 spent on Mrs. Tomlinson’s campaign, said no to her for Mayor.

Mrs. Tomlinson publicly declared that, “We are the only campaign that can win this election outright – WITHOUT a run-off!”. Don’t believe us? It is still on her website:
http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Debates–Commercials-and-Winning-the-Race-.html?soid=1102932850871&aid=BFMu9sFCkXw

Shockingly, the mainstream media has spun her 43% showing as a victory instead of the spectacular failure that it was, from the expectation of her own campaign!

So after spending $200,000 and failing to win on November 2, Mrs. Tomlinson is hoping you don’t let your friends know the truth about her:

That she paid herself $80,000 a year for a part-time job at Midtown, Inc. after pledging not to take a salary.

That she has given literally tens of thousands of dollars to far-left candidates from Harry Reid to Barack Obama.

That she has supported the radical, pro-abortion group EMILY’s List.

That she herself is supported by the Democratic Party and Union Bosses like the I.B.E.W.

She has pledged to make her administration about using City government to drive economic growth to depressed areas. Didn’t the whole world learn that central planning of the economy by the government is a failed strategy during the Cold War?

She still refuses to release financial records during her tenure at Midtown–making her pledge to audit City government ring hollow.

After all her denials and lawyered responses, the truth can be summed up in a simple picture:

If you elect TT, you can’t say you weren’t warned.

We will back soon,

TTAT

The Truth About Teresa: Vol. 1 No. 10

Here are some final thoughts to consider about Mrs. Tomlinson as you weigh your vote for Tuesday.

Mrs. Tomlinson, while quick to offer some half-true, lawyered responses to initial postings on this website initially, has refused to respond to questions raised about her qualifications to be Mayor of Columbus.

Fact: Tomlinson has supported far left Democrats for years and only gave token sums to a handful of Republicans in the last 24 months.

Fact: Tomlinson is a strong supporter of EMILY’s List that supports taxpayer funded abortion on demand.

Fact: Tomlinson received hundreds of dollars from Unions and the Democratic Party in her quest to become Mayor of Columbus.

Fact: After pledging not to take a salary as Executive Director of Midtown, Inc., Tomlinson paid herself $80,000 per year just two years later for what she said herself was a “part-time” job.

Fact: Tomlinson has pledged to end the property tax freeze on homesteads, calling the tax freeze an “entitlement”

Fact: Other than ending the tax freeze, Tomlinson’s only stated goal as Mayor is to “drive development into Columbus” and has said that “government must resolve market anomalies” when it comes to economic development in Columbus. There is a word for government directed economic planning–maybe you can help us remember what that word is?

Fact: While Tomlinson touts her record as Executive Director of Midtown, Inc. and has separately demanded for efficiency audits of city government, she refuses to disclose financial records for Midtown, Inc. that would demonstrate whether or not she was a good manager there.

Fact: Tomlinson claims to have negotiated contracts on behalf of the City, saving “millions” when there is no public record of her ever being employed by the City to negotiate contracts or to do anything else for that matter.

Fact: Tomlinson claims she has a “bridge building” capability to overcome the racial divide in Columbus. This, despite the fact that Tomlinson has spent hundreds of dollars supporting The Courier newspaper which recently compared the CEO of the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce to a member of the KKK. Shockingly, Tomlinson has also accepted the endorsement of this newspaper, which in almost every issue seeks to foment racial tension. Further, Tomlinson as a trial lawyer has been trained to battle out disputes in court, not mediating them behind closed doors with stakeholders.

Mrs. Tomlinson is probably well meaning, but is woefully unqualified to be Mayor or to hold a position of public trust for these and other reasons. We at TTAT hope that we have been able to in some small way shed a light on these issues to inform the voting public. We expect this effort will continue through November 30.

Until then we remain,

TTAT

The Truth About Teresa: Vol. 1 No. 9

It was to be the final push to put Teresa Tomlinson over the top on November 2.  A dual endorsement from Robert Wright and Rep. Calvin Smyre on the eve of the election.

But tonight sources close to the Tomlinson campaign are letting supporters know the expected endorsements will not be forthcoming. Why?  Smyre, a shrewd politician if nothing else, has recognized the dynamics of the Mayor’s race no longer make a Tomlinson endorsement a safe bet. Smyre has been burned before when he endorsed the wrong candidate for Mayor in 2006–a mistake he does not intend to repeat.

The disturbing revelations of Tomlinson’s tenure at Midtown, repeated missteps by her campaign staff and the stronger than expected campaign of Zeph Baker have combined to make the outcome of this race anyone’s guess.

We are checking into allegations of illegal campaigning that we hope to bring you tomorrow. Until then we remain,

TTAT

The Truth About Teresa: Vol. 1 No. 8 (Secret Smear Campaign)

With all of the whining and crying from the Teresa Tomlinson campaign about “negative attacks” (read: telling uncomfortable truths about Teresa Tomlinson) you would think that they would never stoop to base negative attacks on other candidates for Mayor. You would be wrong.

TTAT has received a shocking email authored by Tomlinson campaign manager Tollie Strode making unsubstantiated allegations about Zeph Baker. The text of the email as we received it follows:

From: tstrode_idsc@knology.net
Date: Sun, 24 Oct 2010 16:32:27 -0400
To:
ReplyTo: tstrode_idsc@knology.net
Subject: FOLLOW-UP: PERSONAL & CONFIDENTIAL – The Columbus DO NOT TRUST LIST!

Dear Friends,
 
Thank you for the outpouring of support and encouragement in response to my confidential e-mail to you about the e-mail sent by Vincent Watkins (political consultant) to Dan Menefee (campaign manager) and Zeph Baker (candidate for mayor) on behalf of the Zeph Baker for Mayor campaign.
 
I’m please to see that most of you understood my point and have taken a stand against the evil ignorance displayed by the Baker Camp’s proxy. Believe me when I say that you’ve clearly demonstrated to me that you will not stand for the tactics of personal destruction represented by the e-mail.  The e-mail is akin to Black-on-Black crime, the same mindset that enables our children to destroy each other because they disagree or have a beef.   It’s time for that ignorance to end.
  
As a reminder, here is what preceded the pictures of 17 pictures of distinguished members of our community who gave glowing testimonials in support of Teresa Tomlinson
 
“Subject: The Columbus DO NOT TRUST LIST!
The credulous People of Color who have sold out to the incredible Teresa Tomlinson
Vincent
The Watkins Group”
 
Conversely, the following are samples of the many responses I received from those of you who took exception to the irresponsible chastising of our community members for making their choice to support Teresa Tomlinson:
 
A Loving Mother Writes “As an individual who was straddling the fence about my vote, I certainly do not and will not support these tactics from the Baker camp. These sorts of actions are exactly what I’m afraid of in the event he was voted as mayor. Having the audacity to publicly ostracize these persons simply because they boldly and confidently took a stance (which is the precise right our forefathers and foremothers died for) supporting their candidate of choice, completely disgusts me.”
 
A Woman Of Distinguished Character Writes “The decision to use the terms and include my name on “The Baker Hit List”, for me, is extreme, sinister, and threatening. For someone to become so desperate, and feel the need to resort to the use of such tactics and language, reveals a lack of character, integrity, maturity, and professionalism. It seriously dilutes the perceived strength of a campaign strategy, confirming a lack of substance … To insinuate that because I am Black, my vote should automatically be cast for someone simply because he or she is Black, is an insult to my level of intelligence. Possessing a mind-set such as this is incredibly adolescent. Campaign rhetoric, campaign ads, gender, nor race, are tools I choose to utilize when making such an important decision. RESEARCH is my tool of choice. I am my own woman, who is fully capable of drawing her own conclusions, based on the results of that research.”
 
I offered an opportunity for the Baker Camp to respond.  They have not responded. No surprise.  I was expecting them to try and ride this out by ignoring it.  Consequently, as promised, I’m proceeding in a very deliberate fashion to keep this discussion focused on the core issue that we face as a community … HOW SHOULD WE TREAT ONE ANOTHER WHEN WE DISAGREE?
 
FIRST:  For your consideration, you may find the content of their e-mail and my response at this website. LINK: http://grou.ps/columbusgeorgia/blogs/item/letter-to-the-baker-camp-for-review-only.  I’ve omitted the addresses of the Baker Supporters receiving the e-mails to ensure that they are not affected by the consequences of the Baker Camp’s ill advised action.  (NOTE: The selected passages above were in response to my e-mail to Watkins, Menefee, and Baker about their original e-mail).
 
SECOND:  As referenced in my e-mail to the Baker Camp, I’ve attached for your review and consideration a letter received by the Tomlinson For Mayor office about Zeph Baker.  I advised the Tomlinson Campaign to not use this information as a tool to gain votes in the campaign.   I felt that the community deserved a Mayor that stood above the pettiness of personal destruction.  I continue to hold this position.  However, I’m providing it to you in response to a request for the letter’s content.  When you read it, it will be clear that the Teresa Tomlinson For Mayor campaign has remained focused on the issues even when we’ve had very powerful and credible information with which to undermine Mr. Baker’s credibility.
 
THIRD:  At the same web site, you will find a video of a gentleman that came to us with a complaint about Mr. Baker during the summer.  He was brave enough to share his story about an experience with Mr. Baker which alarmed him.   LINK: http://grou.ps/columbusgeorgia/videos/1704751.  The Tomlinson Campaign did not use this information against Mr. Baker because, again, we wanted to keep this race focused on the important issues facing our community.  However, this citizen’s complaint serves as an important point about what we were being told about Mr. Baker’s conduct.  Many of the signs in yards were forced on residents. 
 
We did not use the video.  I only offer it now because I want you to see the proof of my intent to not engage in the politics of personal destruction.  We had very credible information, but it was immaterial to our decision about who should be the Mayor of Columbus. 
 
With all of this in mind, I want for you to consider our options.  Either we can let this descend into an emotional discussion with allegations being tossed around, or we can have a constructive dialogue about how we (as African Americans) should treat and respect each other.  Our disrespect for each other has been on a decline for a long time and I’m ready for it to end.   This issue initiated by the Baker Camp’s e-mail must be confronted, not tolerated, and we should move forward in a spirit of love and respect for each other.
 
Furthermore, we should lead the charge for a society which operates based on respect for differences and offers “the least of us” this respect.  If anyone knows , African-Americans understand well the tragedy and the horrors of the alternative, intolerance.  We absolutely should be the first to actively address it within our own community, whether the instigator is a Preacher or the victim is a homeless person on the street.
 
For this I pray and I request your support.
 
Tollie Strode, Jr.
Campaign Manager
Teresa Tomlinson 2010