$95Gs For Chip: Forrester Clarifies Internal TNDP Controversies
Posted on February 13, 2009 at 10:37 amChip Forrester responds to a report citing anonymous sources saying that he had attempted to replace the party’s Finance Chair after that chair had attempted to cut his pay in relation to his predecessor:
It would have been nice to have the courtesy of a chance to respond to all of this prior to publishing this piece but since I did not have that opportunity, let me take a moment to help clarify this situation.
Since becoming chair, I have tried my best to be open and accessible about the Party and my actions at the Party. Since I was not give the courtesy of a phone call, let me address this specific situation.
It is customary for the new Chair of the Party to appoint new members to the Standing Committees once elected.
Will Cheek has served as Finance Committee chair for a number of years in addition to serving on the executive committee and as member of the Democratic National Committee. It has been my long held belief that leadership opportunities for members of the state executive committee should be spread among the committee. When elected Chair, I felt that naming a new Chair of that particular committee would allow me to offer an additional leadership opportunity to a member of the executive committee.
Prior to making that decision, I reached out to Metro Councilman Jerry Maynard who serves on the state executive committee and was a previous Deputy Chair under Chairman Bob Tuke’s administration, to discuss the idea of him chairing that committee. I felt that it was important to continue to elevate African-American leaders to key positions on the executive committee and since Jerry was already a member of Finance Committee that he would be an excellent chair.
Unfortunately, I had been given an outdated set of TNDP by-laws, which prior to 2006 gave the chair this authority. In 2006 they had been amended to have the Finance Committee chair serve until January of the next year. The thought behind the 2006 by-law amendment was that the new chair would benefit from the financial continuity of the current Finance Committee chair.
As chair of the Finance Committee in 2007, Will Cheek had negotiated Gray Sasser’s contract and salary and he and I entered into similar negotiations as he had done under the previous chair. In his fiduciary role as Finance Committee chair, it is his duty to husband the Party’s financial resources.
After discussions over the past week or so, he and I have agreed on a recommendation to the Finance Committee of a compensation package that has an annual salary of $95,000. This will be brought to the full Finance Committee in the near future and he and I are confident that the committee will unanimously accept this recommendation.
I hope this clarifies the specifics of this issue.
Comments
29 Responses to “$95Gs For Chip: Forrester Clarifies Internal TNDP Controversies”
First of all, have we verified that this is indeed Chip, because god knows the trolls will question its authenticity. Did anyone make a phone call?
Translation: Woods was right. Chipper unsuccessfully tried to replace his finance committee chair, and that finance committee chair cut his salary.
Sounds like some Chipinsta owe Woods an apology.
First of all, have we verified that this is indeed Chip, because god knows the trolls will question its authenticity. Did anyone make a phone call.
It is Mr. Forrester. I contacted him as soon as I saw the Woods post and this statement was emailed to me as well as being posted in the comments at Pith.
I’m sure Mr. Woods and his “Anonymous Sources” will be going out for drinks tonight to celebrate the sudden demise of their collective credibility.
As if they need an excuse, vibinc.
The next quetion is: “Will Mr. Cheek now step down since he knows the Chair prefers someone else for his job?” Tune in later for additional developments.
Kleinheider, don’t ever doubt me again.
Am I missing something? Vibinc and Mike are declaring victory. Chipper confirmed everything in the Scene piece. If this piece is true, doesn’t it cast an aura of truth on the other pieces?
Woods was right again. Good job, Jeff.
I’m not declaring anything other than Jeffrey’s journalistic ethics are in question as is the credibility of anonymous trolls.
Whatever happened to civilized discourse? Could this type of humiliating rhetoric be associated with the dumbing down of the American intellect due to over exposure to TV and less exposure to the magic of READING? Just a thought.
Is it just me or does Chip’s defense sound tortured and convoluted? Talk about clumsy. Is this the kind of nimble repartee and rapid response we should expect on the campaign trail? If so, we’re dead.
I am sorry that an educated response strikes you as being tortured and convoluted. I can not go to lower levels of communication because i choose not to and why should myself and others who support the party do so either to appease a few ravel rousers?
Maybe the new chairman of the TNDP should not spend as much time reading the blogs and simply put his head down and raise some money.
Wow, the Chipinista have gone into a panicked frenzy. I’m sorry, AHughes, what are you talking about? S-Town, why are you still obsessing about trolls? We’re talking about the truth of a Nashville Scene piece, truth that has been confirmed by Chipper. For your own sake, you had best get off the trolls and focus on the downward spiral of your party. Chipper is carrying out vendettas against executive committee members and I’ve yet to see any evidence that he is raising money. Seems to me that his focus is not where it should be.
No references to warm, soft cow cheese in that last harangue, Heatseeker. You’re slipping.
S-Town, wtf???? It’s your party. If you want to play around and let it disintegrate, go for it. I don’t give a shit. Aren’t you going to at least acknowledge the carnage?
You know, I am no fan of Forrester’s. I think he is a disaster. But that being said, all this chatter is useless.
Let the proof be in the results. Let’s just see how his fundraising goes; there will be an FEC report soon enough. Let’s see how Jackson Day goes. Let’s see when and if he hires a staff, keeps the headquarters, makes an impact of any kind on state politics.
I agree with the things Harrison and others have said, but I think we need to say “enough” on this debate on Chip and his effectiveness or lack of it. I don’t know what it is accomplishing.
In a few months, we’ll see who is right about all of this and who is not. After all, it won’t be subject to subjective standards. Success or failure will be easy to see.
Did anyone else notice that Chipper argued new chairman appooint new committees but that Cheek has been Finance Committee chair for several chairman in a row? In other words, replacing Cheek is out of the norm. Sounds like a vendetta to me.
At least we won’t be hearing about Chip’s $120,000 salary any more…
On this week’s “Inside Politics,” Forrester said that politics has nothing to do with ethics. He also agreed with the statement that advancing the interests of the Democratic Party is all that matters.
No, Freddie, you’ll hear about the fact that 20% of the money TNDP expects to raise will go to Chipper. The Scene piece said they expect to raise $500,000 this year. Forrester will be paid $95,000. That’s right at 20%.
If you ask me, that’s a rip off. Can you imagine how we would all raise hell if the CEO of a non-profit took 20% of its contributions? Think about it. Say the CEO of the March of Dimes took 20% of the organization’s contributions. We’d hang him in the town square.
But you Democrats are willing to pay your chairman, who most of the people in the know think has very limited fundraising potential, 20% of your contributions? That’s crazy.
You’ll also hear how the Chipinista raised half of Chipper’s salary for this month. That’s right. You’re paying the guy $8,000 a month.
Two things just occurred to me. First: Chip basically admitted to an incompetent move (leaning on the wrong set of bylaws) right out of the box. Way to get that first foot planted firmly, Chip! Second: Did anyone else notice he used the term “husband” financial resources? What is he, a large animal vet?
I don’t have cable. Can anyone fill me in on Chip’s appearance on Inside Politics last night? Heatseeker: What is your reporting on it?
“Inside Politics”
Synopsis: Nolan tore Chip’s head off. To begin, Chip looked awful, pasty faced, oversized suit, unruly hair that needed a cutting.
When Nolan asked him about the widespread concern over his questionable fundraising ability, he sputtered and replied that he had been party treasurer for four years. Interesting that Chip claims the treasurer is an insider when he thinks it benefits him and then claims the treasurer has no authority when it benefits him, like when he criticizes the Dem’s failed campaigns.
The worst moment came when Nolan asked Chip to explain why Dems weren’t being hypocritical by voting for Kent Williams. After all, they had just last year run a state senator out of their party for voting for a Repub lt. governor. Again, Chip sputtered and said, “This is politics, Pat.”
“Ethics and morals don’t apply in politics?” Nolan responded.
“No.” Chip answered and then tried to explain that voting for Williams kept Mumpower out of power, which was good, and Dems got committee chairmanships.
“So anything that keeps Democrats in power is right?” Nolan asked.
Chip agreed.
It was a very disturbing interview. This guy is totally incompetent.
Damn. That sounds worse than any of us ever would have imagined. I’m almost feeling sorry for the guy. Almost.
What is “Inside Politics”?
I just re-read Forrester’s statement. So he promised this guy Maynard a committee chair for his vote. What other deals did he cut?
So, Will Cheek is 1) an Executive Committee member, 2) Finance chair, and 3) DNC member? Sounds like Will Cheek has a lot of cards to play. Has anyone sought a statement from Cheek? Has Cheek responded?
Good questions. Has anyone gotten Cheek’s side of the story?