There is an isolated county deep in the hills of Tennessee. Population of about 6,800, mostly related people who can claim just about anyone as a member of the family, 98.0% White, 0.4% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.1% of some other race and 1.1% of two or more races. 0.2% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race) and red as red can be. Estimates range from 17-50% illiteracy rate. Not exactly the typical demographics of the rest of the US, but an interesting study none-the-less. It's not the only place like it.
For many, many years, the residents were mostly farmers. Good hardworking folks with a fiercely strong work ethic. Tobacco being the largest cash crop with the remainder of the work week being devoted to subsistence farming. The hilly, rocky land isn't really good for much else. Sunday and Wednesday afternoons were always devoted to church. Back during the G.W. Bush administration, the Fair and Equitable Tobacco Reform Act created the Tobacco Transition Payment Program (TTPP, otherwise known as the "Tobacco Buyout"), which was formalized by the USDA in February 2005. Basically in exchange for people giving up their tobacco allotments, which was a rather complex system controlling the amount each person/parcel of land was allowed to grow, the government would give them a check each year for the next 10yrs. The government then handed the allotments over to the big corporate entities and put all the farmers out of cash based work. The checks were around how much they would have made off the tobacco anyhow. Everyone jumped on it. The tobacco fields are gone. The tobacco allotments no longer are attached to the property, decreasing the value of the real estate. The last of the checks were received last year. Did anyone complain or see anything coming? Surprisingly no. Their beloved republican party, that allows and actually encourages Crusades for Christ on school property, during school hours, allowing student to leave class to attend, can do no wrong. It's not likely they will put two and two together either when they look around and see one of the highest unemployment rates in the country and a massive drug problem on their hands, a murder rate that has risen to more than zero and anything not chained down, stolen. It's just the way it is. There were Make America Great signs as far as the eye can see.
Not surprisingly, there are no democratic primaries during local elections. However, there is often a bit of competition among the republicans during the local and state elections. Federal elections are a no-brainer. Every once in a great while, an independent will throw their hat in or else there will be a brave democrat running for a state office. That's where things get interesting. That's where the fresh twenty dollar bills come in.
I guess you outta know a little more history though in order to understand it. The mayor had been the mayor for what seems like forever. Will probably be the mayor again too. He also sits on just about every city and county board there is and also served as a county commissioner. No one ever ran against him and after all, being on the beer board, he owns the only package store in town. Everyone knows him on a personal level. Never knew anyone who trusts him but that's evidently beside the point. The sheriff is his good buddy. His cousin is the general sessions judge. Nobody thought twice about it. There's another family that pretty much has always run the county government and has even sent a member to the state level. Has anything changed in the last 100yrs or so? Not really. It's just the way it is.
Here's how it works. The county has a surprisingly high level of voter turnout for elections. You drive past any polling place and they are packed. So is the parking lot of the package store, even though no alcohol can be sold on election day. You can rent a video though. If you run a business in town, you better be ready cause the fresh twenty dollar bills are starting to flow like water. Take a guess where they're coming from.
Somehow, TBI got wind of it.
Kingsport Times News, August 30, 2016
www.timesnews.net/...
"As a first-time offender, Rhea was granted judicial diversion, which means that if he completes the conditions of his probation, his convictions can be expunged.
The conditions set out in the plea agreement state that Rhea must also resign his mayoral and Hancock County Commission seats immediately; he must serve as a poll monitor at the next election and report any voter fraud to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation; and he cannot actively campaign or publicly support any candidate for public office until the term of his probation is complete.
Rhea, 68, and co-defendant Lowell Ray King, 66, both of Sneedville, were indicted this past February by a Hancock County grand jury on two counts each of Class C felony voter bribery.
They faced a possible sentence of 3-6 years.
On Monday, both appeared in Hawkins County Criminal Court before special appointed prosecutors Barry Staubus and Teresa Nelson and special appointed Judge Thomas Wright.
Rhea was represented by former Judge Kindall Lawson, while King was represented by Rogersville attorney Mark Stapleton.
King was not eligible for judicial diversion and was sentenced to three years of probation.
Investigators reportedly discovered that between July 30, 2014 and August 7, 2014, Rhea and King paid or offered to pay money to two voters if the voters would support Hancock County Sheriff Doug Seal."
Oh, there was also a $250 fine each that this particular article fails to mention. Pretty cheap campaigning method if you asked me. The twenty dollar bills still flow. Welcome to the poor, and poorly educated lower class where a fresh twenty dollar bill still means an awful lot.