Finger in Every Pie

After getting the royal run-around from the agency which disperses the funds for heating assistance, winterizing, etc., I received a short, to-the-point, form letter stating that I didn't qualify. Now, I may not have brought you up to date but here's what happened.

The energy assistance and the winterizing programs are handled separately. My intake session was repeatedly delayed by a computer crash which took two weeks to repair. QUESTION: How do you run an office with the computer on the blink for 2 weeks? When I finally came in for the session, I also brought the forms for the heating program, with all the required data. This was dutifully taken and put away. So then I get a letter stating that I had until a certain date to provide the Covington office with the information for the heating assistance program. Of course, it had been sitting in my mail box and the deadline had long passed. No problem, right? I had left it in the Ripley office on September 11th, well before the requested date.

Feeling pretty good about that, I called the Covington office and spoke to the woman in charge who, promptly and emphatically, stated that she didn't have it. ALL of her forms are placed in a locked box and delivered to her. Is that a polite way of telling me that I was lying? Tried calling the Ripley office; line was busy. No problem, I left early and swung through. Hellooo! I left these forms and the Covington office says that they don't have them. Great surprise. How could that be? A voice from the back wonders were they actually received? Oh, yes...a quick check of the log proved that an entry was made on September 11th. "Well, don't worry. We're having a meeting there on Monday and will get back to you."

So a week later, I make the call. "I haven't heard from you." Oh, she said just send proof of income and that will suffice. Okaaay. So I fax it over. A week later, I get a notice that I don't qualify. Now listen, chi'ren. I should have received special dispensation just because they ******d up.

Irate Missy did a little digging and guess what I found? The executive director of this organization is doing quite well. Got himself quite a little empire down here.

He is a graduate of Covington High School class of 1974, and the University of Tennessee at Martin class of 1977. He worked on his master’s degree at Memphis State University. He received a B.A. Divinity, from Arkansas Institute of Biblical Studies. Currently, he is the pastor of Hickory Grove Baptist Church in Brownsville, TN; he is co-owner and licensed funeral director and embalmer of Barlow Funeral Home in Covington, TN; he is also a Tipton County Commissioner and presently chairman of the Finance and Administration Commission. He currently serves on the State Health Planning Advisory Board. In 1996, he was appointed by the Speaker of the House to serve on the Judicial Evaluation Committee.

Additional committees he has served on are Foster Care Board, Recreation Committee, Industrial Board, Chamber of Commerce, Drug Free Tennessee, and Tennessee County Commissioners Board of Directors; he is a former member of Tipton County Hospital Board of Trustees, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas Development Board, and Tipton County Executive Democrat Committee. Projects and activities include Chairman, Bluff City Funeral Directors Association, Regional Vice-President, Tennessee Funeral Directors & Mortician Association, Advisory Committee, Tri-County Federal Savings and Loan Association, U.S. Census Committee, Tipton County Branch N.A.A.C.P., Rural West Tennessee Advisory Council, Frazier Alumni Association, U.T. Martin Alumni Association, Evening Star Lodge, #62, Master Mason, and Tipton County Fine Arts Council.

He began his career as Assistant Credit Manager at Julius Lewis Department Store in Memphis, TN. In 1978, he went on to become a loan officer at Union Planters National Bank. He began in the Tax Enforcement Division for the Tennessee Department of Revenue in 1983 and worked as a Field Representative for sixteen years. He became transportation director for Delta HRA in October 1999, and in July 2002 he became Executive Director.

Yep, doing quite well. Now, I wouldn't begin to accuse him of anything underhanded because I've never met the man or even spoken to him...but his staff? Yeah, I can accuse you. And next time, I'll hide my car.