Good on Mark Harmon for standing up to that condescending prick, who was basically telling Harmon there is a back-hallway means to go about these things, and he needs to start playing along. The slime factor in "you catch more flies with honey..." is pretty high, too. I mean, these guys are just transparent about their contempt for the public and any questioning of their machine style politics.

Lessons from video:

Harmon isn't your ordinary private citizen addressing the commission. He knows it, and they know it.

"polished, factual and impassioned presentation"

Nobody likes to be lectured to. Even if you feel impassioned about your cause, there are ways to go about it that are only intended to attract attention, and there are ways to go about it to get things changed.

I'm having a hard time figuring out what Dr. Harmon's intentions were in that regard.

Interesting that some here in comments are turning the discussion into on of Harmon's behavior - just like Bowman did.

There are two real issues here: a)whether or not Belle Morris should have been closed (which I didn't hear anybody on that video clip addressing - did the EC ever get around to that?), and b) how a public official, in his official capacity, was extremely rude and belittling to a citizen.

As I said before, there's no excuse for that kind of behavior, no matter how annoyed Bowman may have been at Harmon.

The republican fly fetishish seems to believe that the way he would do things is the only correct way. He seems to not be amenable to learning from calm well-intentioned instruction. My guess is that he wants a spanking. Probably from a 2nd grade-teacher-looking individual. I think that sick bastard should be removed from any position that involves him having responsibility for public money or any that result in public money in his pocket.

At least, that is the public version of what I think.

...and I was shocked. Not only by the tone and the rudeness toward a citizen petitioning for redress of grievances, but by the failure of the other members of the board to rebuke Bowman for his behavior.

FWIW

AT the EC meeting last week, after the agenda items, Cliff Rodgers gave a power point presentation with photos of both Belle Morris and Larry Cox. He described the events that led to their decision, the voice mail message that led him to go check out Belle Morris and Larry Cox. He noted how many steps it took at each voting place to get to the voting machines, Belle Morris is a bigger facility and required more steps. He basically said that the decision was made because Cox was just a better facility.

Mark did his presentation and it was afterward, during the question/answer session with Mark still at the podium, that Bowman started his very agitated attack on Mark, who only challenged him when Bowman either said something factually incorrect or a personal attack.

I do think that the difference in video quality gives a false impression. The one of Mark was done a better camera than the older camera I used that is really intended for still shots. I could not get any closer to them because there were two video cameras from two of the local stations right next to me. So on the video of the EC, specifically Bowman, the sound is not as clear as that of Mark.

Without sounding like a cliche, you really had to be there to see the exchange to understand why Mark shot back at Bowman the way he did. Bowman was really angry about this whole issue becoming such a big story and he was going to get his pound of flesh from Mark while he had the chance.

Later in the meeting when it got around to the vote on Belle Morris, Hagaerty and Bowman did lots of pontificating on why they will just have to vote no on this issue.

I still find it amusing that Bowman was pissed about what "those neighborhood listservs and blogs" were saying about him. He really hated the press conference held at Belle Morris that brought their decision so much attention.

If Rodgers or Frith had come to the neighborhood groups or our Commissioner and Councilman BEFORE the decision, as Greg McKay would have done, this probably would have ended very differently.

One point that is worth mentioning again is that the person that left the voice mail message for Rodgers is not handicapped nor does he, to my knowledge, help someone who is disabled to the voting site. And when does an entire voting site and precinct get eliminated on one voice mail "complaint?"

Do we "KNOW THE NAME OF THE PERSON!" who made the complaint? For their protection, I hope Harmon doesn't give the name of the librarian.

I agree with posters above the real issue seemed secondary to attacking Harmon.

BTW - the aggressors couldn't have missed the cameras. Which means one of two things; they didn't care, or worse, this is them on their best behavior. If the latter, I'd hate to hear how a "private" meeting would sound.

Everyone knows the name of the person who made the complaint, he is a North Hills resident, although we have no idea of the actual nature of is voice mail.

Mark has no intention of finding the name of the librarian much less releasing their name to the EC. Speaking for my husband who is otherwise engaged with classes starting right now.

Twice turned down invitations to meet with Commission as a body. Said they would meet with Commissioners individually (and quietly, I'm sure).

Asking EC to re-open Belle Morris:
McKenzie, Broyles, Smith,

Hammond, Shouse, Brown- no

Briggs, Anders, Norman passed

...we've just learned from Tennessee Citizen Action that the electronic poll books in Davidson County were set to default to the Republican Primary in the August 2 election.

(link...)