For Additional Information Contact:

Gene Lewis, Chair
MCDP Executive Committee
931 645-9159 home
931 801-6209 cell

The logo of the Correctional Corporation of America

In 1997 the Tennessee branch of the AFL-CIO made an agreement with the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) to support the privatization of Tennessee’s state prison system. This opened the door for Tennessee’s prison labor being used to compete with private industry.  Currently the highest-paying prisoner in Tennessee earns 50 cents an hour to produce jeans for K Mart and JC Penney, among other things.

Of all the states, Tennessee unions should have been the last ones to support prison labor. The reason lies more than a century in the past, in the days following the end of slavery.

Worse than Slavery

Use of convict labor in Southern industrialization prompted criticism

With the end of the Civil War, employers all over the south were confronted by the reality of the end of free labor. They appealed to their state representatives for help and their representatives responded by finding a pool of free labor previously untapped – prisoners. It was called Convict Leasing. The prisoners would work for companies during the day outside of prison, and then return to their cells at night. Neglect, brutality, and abuse of the prisoners were rampant, as was official corruption. The conditions were so harsh that prisoners rarely survived longer than 10 years, but everyone was making money from it (except for the prisoners, of course) so the system remained.

In fact the system was so successful that there was a need for more labor. In many states simple assault carried sentences of seven and eight years of hard labor. Larceny could get you twenty years in prison. Stealing five dollars worth of goods could net you twelve months. Even the theft of a rail fence could put you in prison stripes.

Of course, this reality wasn’t true for everyone (read: white people). If it was then there would be a political backlash. Instead these inhumane laws fell disproportionately on the recently freed black community.

Image of a Cumberland Plateau coal miner, 1875, from the TSLA Blue Book Collection, RG

At Tennessee’s main prison in Nashville, African-Americans represented 33 percent of the prisoners in October of 1865. In 1866 Tennessee passed it’s convict leasing law. By 1869, 64% of the prison was African-American, and it kept climbing in the following years. The benefits of this new slavery fell on a select few – the rich. Poor whites workers found themselves at a disadvantage in this system when their interests conflicted with the upper-class.

In January 1871, free white miners in Tracy City struck for higher wages against the Tennessee Coal and Iron Company (TCI). TCI brought in convict labor as strikebreakers. The strike ultimately failed and was broken.

By 1889, TCI was contracting, or sub-contracting out 60 percent of all of Tennessee’s prison population for over $100,000 a year. Strikebreaking of this sort would pop up several more times in the following twenty years. Whenever the miners tried to organize for better wages and working conditions, the companies would use the threat of convict labor. In the words of TCI company vice-president A. S. Colyar, “an effective club to hold over the heads of free laborers.”

This stalemate ended in 1891.

The New South Rebellion

“Kill a man, get another; kill a mule, buy another.”
- a familiar phrase in the mines the convicts worked

In 1866, right around the end of the War between the States, coal began to be mined in an area of Anderson County known as Coal Creek. By 1870 this sparsely populated area contained 10 businesses, three of them saloons.

Governor John Buchanan

In 1890 John P. Buchanan become governor of Tennessee with the Farmers’ Alliance and Laborers’ Union party.

This labor-friendly political environment emboldened the miners of Coal Creek Valley to make two demands. One demand was the end of company script. The miners wanted to be paid in cash rather than being forced to pay for overpriced goods at the company store. The other demand was to be able to elect their own checkweighmen – the specialist who weighed the coal the miner produced, and thus determined the miner’s wages – rather than the checkweighmen the company hires.

Since state law already barred scrip payment and company-hired checkweighmen, most of the coal companies agreed to these demands. However, the Tennessee Coal Mining Company (TCMC) rejected the demands, and on April 1, 1891, they shut down their mine near Briceville. Two months later they demanded the miners agree to a yellow-dog contract before working in the mine. The miners refused.

The Coal Creek Mine

On July 5, TCMC reopened the mine with convict labor. The company had torn down several houses in order to build the stockade for the prisoners. On Bastille Day, 300 armed miners surrounded the Briceville stockade. After the guards surrendered without a fight, the 40 convicts and the guards were marched to Coal Creek where they were loaded onto a train and sent to Knoxville. The miners then sent a telegram to Governor Buchanan, stating their actions were taken to defend their property and wages, and asked for his intervention. The Governor responded by accompanying three state militia companies, and the prisoners, back to Briceville.

Free miners waiting at Thistle Switch near Fraterville for the arrival of Governor Buchanan on July 16, 1891

At Thistle Switch several hundred angry miners confronted the governor. He assured them he was a champion of labor, but as governor he was obligated to enforce state contracts. He didn’t mention the state laws concerning cash wages and checkweighmen. The governor left 107 militiamen to guard the stockade and fled the area.

On the morning of July 20, 2,000 armed miners again surrounded the Briceville stockade. Their numbers had been bolstered by union miners from surrounding regions, including Kentucky, which had removed their own convicts from mines several years earlier.

The militia, seeing the futility of resistance, surrendered. Once again the convicts and guards were marched to Coal Creek and put on a train back to Knoxville. The miners then marched to the nearby Knoxville Iron Company mine, which also used convict labor. Just like at Briceville, the guards surrendered and they were all put on a train to Knoxville.

The following day the governor met with a committee of local leaders friendly to the miners, especially United Mine Workers organizer William Webb. He convinced them to agree to a 60-day truce while he called for a special session of the legislature where he recommended the convict leasing law be repealed. The miners agreed.  Much to the chagrin of the miners, the only action the legislature took was to make it a felony to interfere with the leasing system. A court challenge of the system was also defeated in October.  On October 28, 1891, the committee representing the miners resigned and denounced the legislature. The path to violence was now open.

The Coal Creek War

The Coal Creek War

On October 31, a large group of armed miners surrounded, and then burned down the convict stockade at Briceville. The prisoners were supplied with food and civilian clothing and then turned loose into the surrounding woods after being urged not to commit any more crimes. The Knoxville Iron Company stockade was also seized that day, and several company buildings were destroyed in the process. All told 300 prisoners were released by the miners. On November 2, another prison stockade at the Cumberland mine in Oliver Springs was burned and another 153 prisoners were released. Another truce was negotiated which allowed the return of the convicts to Coal Creek and Oliver Springs, but not to Briceville (TCMC president B.A. Jenkins had grown disenchanted with convict labor).

The state dispatched an 84 man militia detatchment under the command of J. Keller Anderson. Anderson constructed Fort Anderson, equip with a gatling gun, atop “Militia Hill” to guard the stockade at Coal Creek. The convicts returned on January 31, 1892.

Looking up at Militia Hill

In the following months miners and soldiers at Coal Creek shot at each other indiscriminately. Both sides blamed the other.

The Revolt Spreads

The use of convict labor, and the violence associated with it, had given the practice a bad name. Most coal companies were moving away from convict labor, with one major exception – TCI.  When Cumberland Coal decided against using convict labor at the Oliver Springs mine, TCI purchased the mine lease. TCI then began minimizing the use of free labor.

On August 13, 1892, free miners tore down the stockade at Tracy City and freed hundreds of convicts. On August 15, convicts from the TCI stockade at Innman were also freed.  On August 17, a group of miners attacked the TCI stockade at Oliver Springs, but were beaten back by the guards. However, the miners regouped and enlarged their numbers. The guards then surrendered. The stockade was burnt down and the convicts and guards were put on a train to Nashville.

Coal Creek in 1899

The following day in Coal Creek, militia commander Anderson was captured by the striking miners. The miners then sent a demand to Fort Anderson’s second-in-command, Lieutenant Perry Fyffe, to surrender. When Fyffe refused the miners charged the fort and a fierce firefight ensued. The miners failed to capture the fort, but two militiamen were killed by snipers.

Governor Buchanan declared martial law in the Coal Creek region. He dispatched 583 militiamen under the command of General Samuel T. Carnes. He also ordered sheriffs in effected counties to organize posse.  Most of the sheriffs ignored the command, however volunteers in Knoxville organized themselves and marched on Coal Creek to relieve Fort Anderson. As the volunteers descended Walden Ridge they were ambushed by a group of miners and two of the volunteers were killed. The rest fled back to where they came.

Carnes arrived on August 19 and quickly restored order. He negotiated the release of Anderson, and then conducted a sweep of the entire Coal Creek region.  Carnes arrested hundreds of miners, which in effect ended the Coal Creek War.

Aftermath

The Coal Creek Mine in Tennessee

Some 300 miners were put on trial, but the jurors only convicted two – D.B. Monroe and S.A. Moore, for conspiracy. Neither of which served more than a year in prison. Most of the violence associated with convict labor was spent, although there was a failed attack on a stockade in Tracy City in 1893. Buchanan was attacked by both miners and mine owners for indecisiveness. He failed to win his party’s nomination for governor in 1892. The legislature proved more willing to address the subject of convict leasing in their 1893 session. They agreed to construct a new state penitentiary and abolish convict leasing at the expiration of the lease contract in 1896.

About Garrett Johnson

Garrett Johnson is a free-lance writer who’s been published in the San Francisco Independent. He is a political activist, economics enthusiast, history buff, and a frequent contributor to such blogs such as the Daily Kos and Economic Populist. In his spare time he is an IT Specialist, beer drinker, pool player, backpacker, and all-around geek. This article is republished here with the generous permission of the author.

Tenn. NAACP State Conference Delegates to Legislative Day On The Hill 2009

The NAACP, Clarksville Branch #5582, participated in the Annual NAACP Legislative Day On the Hill. This year’s observance  celebrates the NAACP’s 100th Anniversary as branch delegates from across the state converged on the State Capitol and Legislative Plaza to confer with state legislators and sit in on committee meetings. Legislative officials came to the House Chambers to greet, welcome and acknowledge the annual event and the organization’s historic anniversary. Over 250-plus delegates and supporters filled the House of Representatives Chambers and visitors galleries to participate in and document the historic event.

Rep. Kent Williams, R-Carter County, Speaker of the House welcomes delegates to House Chambers

The day’s agenda was presided over by Tennessee State NAACP Conference President Gloria Sweet-Love. Officers of the State Conference and staff registered delegates and directed the day’s events and training. State government officials and officers welcomed the assembled delegates with warm accolades and recognition of the organization’s anniversary. Speaker of the House Kent Williams was the first state official to render greetings and welcome to the assembled representatives. He informed the group that Rep. Joe Armstrong had just returned to Memphis because his father had suffered a heart attack. The Speaker said he himself would be Memphis in the coming week to meet with local officials there. He declared that “Tennessee is not a red state or a blue state. I do not represent any one part of the state. We are one state.”

Rep. Larry Turner, Secretary of the Democratic Caucus, urged the delegates to meet with their respective legislators and they them know they are here to represent all the people. I hope you will call and write them and let them know that.”

Hardaman County NAACP Youth/College Delegation Contingent

Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey next addressed the assemblage and acknowledged the significance of the NAACP’s legacy and the achievement of its 100th anniversary. He linked that achievement with he himself being the first Republican Lt. Governor in Tennessee in 140 years. Youth and College State Conference President Monet Brown welcomed the youth contingent of the delegates to the hollowed halls of state government. Of the three hundred fifty-plus assemblage, fully one-third were youth/college-aged members and supporters.

Other speakers who addressed the assemblage included State Representative John D. DeBerry, Chair of the Tennessee Black Caucus, declared that “America is stronger because of the NAACP.’ He  told the group that, “God provides. We must possess, and that “the NAACP is paramount to our passing our pride onto our young people.” He reminded the group, “NAACP will be an effective leadership entity” in the twenty-first century.

Beverly Watts, Director of the Tennessee Human Rights Commission, said the commission looks forward to working with the NAACP. She told delegates that a bill had just been introduced to extend the commission for ten years. She asked delegates to lobby their respective legislators to support this extension.

A. J. Stallings, Political Director for the AFL-CIO, gave special thanks to the Tennessee State NAACP Conference and its Labor and Industry Director, Marilyn Brown. Jerry Lee, President of the AFL-CIO Labor Counci, acknowledged the assistance and support the AFL-CIO has received from the NAACP over the past years in struggles to improve standards and opportunities for Tennessee workers.

Joseph Clark Jr., Natl Staff Council, AFL-CIO

Joseph Clark, Jr., National Staff Council of the AFL-CIO, spoke of the effort to gather two thousand letters from average Tennesseans to be delivered to Tennessee Senator Bob Corker, letting him know that his declared opposition to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is not the sentiment or will of his constituents. Senator Corker had declared that he felt the economic recession’s downturn wasn’t as severe as characterized by President Obama and didn’t warrant any rash actions as such those being proposed by President Obama. He had specifically spoken out against federal assistance the automotive industry despite have significant automotive enterprises in eastern and middle Tennessee, which would be directly affected by any drastic shakeout of the Big Three Automotive Giants of the American automotive industry. Clark told the delegates that  there would be an action calling attention to the plight of working people in Tennessee. “This is a time we have to work collectively.”

Pastor Stacy Rector, Exec. Director, TCASK

Stacy Rector, executive director of Tennessee Coalition Against State Killing (TCASK), came to the podium as well. Acknowledging the history of the NAACP and its being founded to halt lynching of Black men in the South, she spoke of TCASK’s work to repeal the death penalty in Tennessee.

Rector pointed out that studies have shown that the Tennessee death penalty law lacks fairness, cost benefit on return, and most importantly, it lacks accuracy. TCASK seeks a moratorium on the death penalty in Tennessee.

Rep. Johnnie Shaw, past Chair Tenn. Black Caucus greets delegates

Rep. Johnnie W. Shaw, past Chair of the Tennessee Black Caucus, greeted the delegates and thanked them for coming to Legislative Plaza. He told the delegates to call their congressional leaders and tell them to support the stimulus plan. “We need that money. We need it.” He has introduced a bill to modify the current laws that restore voting rights to ex-felons. Under his proposal, convictions would be expunged for lesser serious crimes. He also has a bill that supports small minority businesses by removing the steep bonding issues that currently blocks small enterprises from pursuing larger contracting opportunities. The legislation would waive those bonding issues for small business. He stated that, “The State of Tennessee should do business with its citizens.”

President Sweet-Love outlined the Tennessee NAACP State Conference Priorities:

1. Repeal Work At Will laws.
2. Increase minimum wage to a Liveable Wage level.
3. Health Care for all, colo-rectal cancer screenings must be covered by insurance plans.
4. Moratorium on the death penalty.
5. Make Environmental Justice an issue in Tennessee.
6. Revise HOPE scholarship retention standards.
7. Eliminate requirement of child support status verification from ex-felon voter restoration law.
8. Oppose Auto Title Predatory Loans.

President Sweet-Love introduced the youngest delegate, young Master Caleb Bradford, four -years-old, an NAACP member since he was six-weeks-old, and her grandson. She also introduced Shelby County Mayor Will Spencer to the delegates. Spencer is only the second African American to be elected county mayor in Tennessee. Memphis Branch Executive Director Johnnie Turner instructed the delegates on how to conduct their meeting with legislators.

Conference delegates seated in TN House Chambers

Rep. Joe Towns brought greetings to the delegates and said, “It’s good to see you here in Nashville. We have to address issues of ex-felon reintroduction into society. Getting a high school diploma or GED and securing employment are paramount issues to successful re-integration into society as productive members of society.” Rep. Towns urged the delegates to attend a  rally calling for “Support for Working Families in Tennessee.” The conference then recessed to allow the delegates to begin their rounds of meetings with legislators and have lunch.

The Clarksville Branch delegation had previously contacted all members of the Montgomery County Legislative Delegation to arrange appointments. Senator Tim Barnes and Representative Joe Pitts both  confirmed the appointments. However Representatives  Curtis Johnson and Phillip Johnson failed to acknowledge the communications and made no provision for any appointments.  Neither were  available for even a brief meeting. Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey assured all conference delegates that their respective representatives were well aware of their presence on the Hill and would be available to meet with them.

In meetings with Rep. Pitts and Senator Barnes, the delegation discussed their position on (1) the minimum wage become a livable wage, (2) health care for all (universal health care), (3) moratorium/repeal of the death penalty, (4) increasing the number of minority students maintaining their HOPE scholarships, (5) assertive application and enforcement of environmental justice, (6) reform of predatory auto title loans in Tennessee, and (7) state recognition of Tennessee Native Americans. These issues were discussed in addition to the priorities raised in the House Chambers.

The Clarksville delegation additionally sat in on two committee meetings and toured Legislative Plaza to become familiar with its accommodations and offices.  Following these activities, the delegation returned to the House Chambers for the afternoon session which was to feature an address by Governor Bredesen.

TN Gov. Phil Bredesen with State Conf. Pres. Gloria Sweet-Love

President Sweet-Love reconvened the conference for the afternoon session and introduced the governor. Gov. Bredesen gave the delegates a warm welcome, stating, “It’s always good to the people in their house.” In his address, he repeated several primary points of his “State of the State” speech. Economic development and growth are key to the stability and future growth of this state. This will be the means whereby the people of Tennessee will best anchor their individual prosperity and that of the state as a whole. “The importance of higher education has never been more obvious. There is an undeniable need for more Tennesseans to have college diplomas. ” As the location of Hemlock Semiconductor in Tennessee signals the state ’s shift into a leading position  in the ‘Green Technology’ industry, higher education degrees will be paramount for our people to secure the advantages this new technology will present.

TN Gov. Bredesen and the TN Conf. & Branch Presidents celebrate the NAACP's 100th Anniversary

Following the governor’s address, President Sweet-love called for all branch presidents to assemble in the Capitol Legislative Lobby to pose with the governor and the 100th Anniversary cake. Then the entire delgation gathered on the western steps of the capitol for the annual “Day on the Hill” commemoration group picture. After the picture taking, delegates returned to Legislative Lobby for refreshments and cake, thus concluding the 2009 Tennessee NAACP Legislative Day On The Hill.

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And, unlike Wurzelbacher, he’s a licensed plumber.

Joe Moenck, a plumber in Zumbrota, Minn., is a member of Plumbers and Pipe Fitters (UA) Local 6—which, like all building and construction trades unions, has high professional standards for its members—such as making sure they hold a license to practice their craft.

Moenck was dismayed to see McCain repeatedly trot out “Joe the Plumber” during this week’s presidential debate with Sen. Barack Obama. Says Moenck:

“I felt that when John McCain was talking about Joe the Plumber, I didn’t feel that that was sincere. He didn’t mention the middle class in the last two debates at all. It upset me that he brought this up strictly because he had to, because his ratings are low among the middle class. I don’t think he believes what he said, but he knows his support is low there and said that strictly for the ratings, as a campaign strategy.”

When “Joe the Plumber” Wurzelbacher met Obama in Toledo on Sunday, Wurzelbacher expressed concern about being taxed on earnings of $280,000 per year should he ever start a small plumbing business.

But, as Moenck can tell you, hard workers like him in the building trades aren’t paid anywhere near $250,000 a year. For Moenck—and even for Wurzelbacher, who right now makes far less than his dream salary—Obama’s tax plan would mean a decrease in taxes by more than $1,200 a year—more than under McCain’s tax plan. And should Wurzelbacher ever pull in $250,000, he’d only pay a few hundred dollar more in taxes under Obama’s plan. Not a deal-breaker for a guy thinking of starting a small business.

Wurzelbacher also has a bit of an agenda. He’s a member of the Associated Builders & Contractors, a nonunion trade group that has endorsed McCain.

So, in addition to Moenck, we’d like to introduce McCain to a few other real Joe the plumbers.

There’s Joe Gutzwiller, a licensed plumber in Indianapolis and member of UA Local 440. Gutzwiller shares a lot in common with Moenck, including seeing through McCain’s pretensions of support for America’s middle class.

“I heard the one about health care, where McCain wants to tax our benefits, and I just think he’s looking out for bigger businesses and corporations leaving middle class people out of the whole picture.

“I think Obama is actually trying to help out middle class people who are feeling the effect of our economy. From what I’ve seen in the debates, he’s trying to prevent future problems and give the middle class a tax break to help stimulate the economy.”

And then there’s Joe Tatum in Virginia, who’s been a licensed plumber for 35 years after apprenticing with UA Local 10.

“McCain thinks we make over $200,000. I don’t make anywhere close to that. If I did, I could retire now instead of waiting ’til I’m 62.”

Over in Colorado, Joe Martinez, a plumber and member of UA Local 3, has this to say:

“John McCain doesn’t understand working families and I don’t understand how any plumber can vote for John McCain. He’s just not in touch with the working man at all.”

And there’s Joe Vicena, a member of UA Local 75 in Milwaukee, who sees McCain as continuing the same disastrous economic policies as George W. Bush.

“Our jobs are being sent overseas, people are losing their pensions and their 401(k)s, and the stock market is tanking. We need change in a positive manner. McCain is not the person to do it.  He is absolutely not the person.  Me and my family can’t take four more minutes, much less four more years, of the missteps and mis-policies we’ve had the past eight.”

Moenck, Gutzwiller, Tatum, Martinez and Vicena agree with their union that Obama is the best choice for America’s plumbers—and all middle-class workers—because, as under Bush, McCain’s economic policy would benefit the wealthiest and flush the rest of us down the tank. As Moenck puts it:

“If the middle class doesn’t have money to call Joe the Plumber, Joe the Plumber’s not gonna be in business very long.”

About the Author

This is a cross-post from the Firedoglake blog in partnership with the author Tula Connell, AFL-CIO managing editor. The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly known as the AFL-CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States made up of 56 national and international unions including Canadian together representing more than 10 million workers. This organization gave Barack Obama one of his biggest Union endorsements.

Special guests include Kim McMillan, former Majority Leader, Tennessee House of Representatives; Joe Pitts, Tennessee State Representative (District 67); Wade Mundy, Communications Director, Tennessee State Democratic Party; and Jerry Lee, Tennessee AFL-CIO Union President.

This event is open to the public with a suggested donation of $10 and up. RSVP at the local Clarksville for Obama website.

For additional information, call 931-378-1999.

Signing in for the day's event

Democrats from five counties flocked to the Hand Farm in Montgomery for the annual “Labor Day” barbecue and party rally. The event, which is coordinated by the Montgomery County Democratic Party and held each year on the first Saturday after the national holiday, is designed to celebrate Labor in the form of unions and workers. It jumpstarts the “politicking” that will dominate the ensuing two months before the 2008 Presidential election. Participating counties included Montgomery as the host county, with Cheatham, Robertson, Davidson and Williamson Counties throwing their support to the event.

Kim McMillan, the first woman elected as majority leader of the State House of Representatives, emcee’d the event, which presented an array of guest speakers including Congressman Lincoln Davis of Tennessee’s 4th District, Gray Sasser, Chairman of the state Democratic Party; Tennessee AFL-CIO President Jerry Lee; State AFL-CIO Organizing Director Stuart Acuff; U.S. Senate Candidate Bob Tuke; and U.S. 7th Congressional District Candidate Randy Morris.

Intent on the Message

Opening ceremonies included the Nashville Firefighters Color Guard, the singing of the National Anthem, an Invocation by Jerry Maynard, and the presentation of an award to Lt. Governor John Wilder.

Honorary Celebration Chairs were filled by Congressmen John Tanner, Bart Gordon and Jim Cooper, Senator Jo Ann Graves and Representative Joe Pitts.

The days festivities included the traditional all-you-can-eat chicken barbecue. Candidates and organizations either had booths or were visiting bootha and taking the time to speak with constituents. The first local distribution of Obama yard signs began at this event, with Clarksville For Obama campaigners assembling the signs throughout the day.

This event was first present in 1996 as a Unity Dinner that attracted several hundred attendees. In 1998 it became the Truman Day Celebration, and in 1999, having outgrown its original site of the Jaycee Building, the celebration moved to the Hand Farm.  Six years ago the event evolved yet again to the Middle Tennessee Labor Day Celebration.  It is the only such event in Tennessee celebrating Labor Day, Labor Unions, and the working men and women of Tennessee.

Photos by Bill Larson

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With former Lt. Governor as guest speaker, Tim Barnes launched his campaign for the Tennessee State Senate District 22 seat with enthusiasm and high energy. The Machinists Union Hall was filled with over 130 enthusiastic supporters. Wilder spoke the need for a person committed to being a statesman, being true to the interests of the people. He told the supporters that Tim Barnes is that person. He further stated that there is a strong need for Tim’s integrity and commitment in the Senate. He reminded the audience that there is a time for bi-partisanship and a time to stand with the party. Ending with his standard rally call, “Let the Senate Be the Senate!” he urged the crowd, “Put this young man in the Senate!”

State Rep. Joe Pitts introduced former Lt. Governor Wilder. Following Wilder, Kim Smith, Barnes’ campaign manager, acknowledged the support of the Machinist Union to the campaign.

Machinist Union representatives and AFL-CIO officials presented campaign donation checks. Barnes thanked the union officials for their support but told the gathering that he is in this fight for them.

“This senate seat is not the exclusive property of any one individual. It doesn’t belong to any particular person. It belongs to you, the people of District 22!”

He told of several instances where people told him of incumbent Senator Kurita warning that she had accumulated a massive war chest and that should he challenge her, he would be in for a beating. Barnes characterizes this kind of talk as arrogance, an attempt at intimidation and responded, “Bring it on!” In response, the crowd erupted in cheers of “Time for Tim! Time for Tim!”

Barnes told the group that people will be hearing similar claims from both candidates of concern for the people’s issues. He pointed that while Senator Kurita boasts about the passage of the HOPE Scholarship Retention Reform legislation, she voted against its passage in the Senate. She boasts about passage of Home Health Care Reform, but she failed to vote for it in the Senate. Barnes pledged to remain true to his commitment to pursue the electorate’s issues, not his own personal agenda.

Refreshments included barbecue pulled pork, baked beans, sweet vinegar coleslaw and assorted soft drinks. Supporters found volunteer sign-up sheets, T-shirts, lawn signs on hand, and cash donations were briskly exchanged.

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