“I know you’re not supposed to address the negative stuff, but… I haven’t received a target letter from the FBI or anyone else. Here at 8:30, my wife may start to wonder where I am, but aside from that nobody else is looking for me.”

- Shelby County Commissioner Bruce Thompson rejects several rumors surrounding his decision to withdraw his re-election bid.

Thompson was one of several speakers at last night’s meeting of the East Shelby Republican Club, along with fellow Commissioner David Lillard and perennial Senate District 29 candidate Terry Roland.

A second bit of drama arose when the two commissioners were asked to describe what might be their thought process if the special election in District 29 were to be voided by the Tennessee Legislature and they were charged with finding a temporary replacement. Both commissioners said they would look at all the facts and circumstances and give the matter serious consideration.

Roland then rose to make a comment that he would not expect or desire special treatment from his friends on the commission should the issue come before them.

Thompson was originally scheduled to speak on the issue of prison privatization. He said three factors should be considered in favor of contracting out management of the jail: 1. Savings from construction costs, 2. savings from inflated county wages for jailers and 3. the likelihood of an incompetent Sherriff eventually succeeding Mark Luttrell.

Lillard spoke on why he thinks Shelby County has too many polling places and detailed the costs and challenges associated with keeping and staffing as many as we have now. Lillard said he has considered purchasing fewer new voting machines than was requested, thereby to force the county to streamline its polling centers.

The club also heard from a spokesman for a group of Korean War veterans who are raising funds to build and place a monument in Overton Park.