13 Questions for Benni
-Sometimes politics starts at home...
Anyone who ever reads this (rarely updated) blog knows that politics is of great interest to me. At least, it used to be.
Frankly, I’m frustrated with the various GOP scandals (and the proportion to which they’ve been blown). I’m absolutely LIVID over their unwillingness to do anything I elected them to do (such as curb spending). What is the purpose of controlling all branches of the Federal Government if you’re going to tie yourself in knots bending over backwards for the opposition party? I’d almost like to see the Democrats take the house this next election. Why not? The Republicans certainly aren’t using it.
BUT…as I bemoaned my new-found apathy towards politics, a lovely ray of light shown down in the form of Ben Elliott.
Mr. Elliott (or Benni, as he apparently calls himself) has purchased 2 businesses (restaurants) within 1 mile of my home and is opening up two more. In a community the size of mine, this is a pretty major, and certainly visible, change.
Regrettably, one of the two restaurants he purchased was one that my Lovely and Talented Wife and I liked and went to occasionally. Soon after the change in ownership, we were told by a friend (the one who actually introduced us to the place) that she and her husband would no longer be patronizing the joint. Apparently, in trying to build a rapport with his new customers, Benni introduced himself to this couple and began a dialogue which eventually shifted from polite conversation to political beliefs. To Benni’s detriment, he began spouting some of his liberal views to a conservative who makes me look like a Senator from Massachusetts.
The wife and I didn’t heed our friend’s advice, however. We decided to give it a try for ourselves. Our dinner that evening (with the daughter and mother-in-law in tow) turned out to be very poor…not because of political debate with the owner but because of sub-par food and only slightly better service. We made a vow that we would not frequent anymore of Benni’s establishments because, in the course of two weeks, he managed to take a joint we liked and ruined it.
I would like to say that I didn’t think about Benni again, but, because his name is on 4 different signs within a mile of my house, it’s kinda hard not to. Something irked me and I decided to do a little Google search. Found his myspace page as well as a couple blog posts about him and some of his new-found buddies in the Cherokee County Republican Party. Some of the info I found on him is, to put it mildly, disconcerting but was little more than hearsay. I have, however, found a more complete profile of Benni from the Cherokee Ledger.
I’ll merely link to the article rather than post it in it’s entirety, but here it is in a nutshell.
Ben Elliott, a 24 year-old entrepreneur who has already filed a $3 million bankruptcy, has moved into Cherokee Country and started buying businesses with plans to buy/start more. He donated over $32,000 to Democrats in the beginning of this year but has since seen the light, switched his party affiliation to the GOP and has given another $28,000+ to them. He bought the Woodstock PD a new $9,000 police dog and is contributing to other charitable organizations.
He has sought political office in Atlanta as a Democrat and, when that bid failed, picked up and moved to Cherokee County. He is wooing the Cherokee County Republican Party with fundraisers, lots of cash and opening up his restaurant for Party meetings in an effort to garner support from said Party when he announces his run for office in 2008.
“I don’t think I left the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party left me,” said Elliott, adding he is “a fiscal business conservative.”
One thing not referenced in the article (as it had yet to happen) was that Benni has also purchased his own Cherokee County newspaper.
Overall, this article is not bad in that it scratches the surface, but there is a great deal of follow-up which is needed. I personally have the following questions:
1. How does a 25 year-old with a $3 million bankruptcy to his name amass such a fortune in less than 3 years to open up (or buy) multiple businesses and shell out $60,000+ in political donations in only a few months? If no fortune was amassed, where did the loans come from?
2. Did you make certain that your creditors from your bankruptcy were made whole (not settled with, mind you, but MADE WHOLE) before you started buying new businesses and contributing tens of thousands of dollars to political parties?
3. What does the qualifier “business” in “fiscal business conservative” mean?
4. Why Cherokee County? Why Georgia? Why are we in South Cherokee so lucky?
5. For what reason does Towne Lake and Woodstock reap all of the benefits from a resident of Canton?
6. How does someone with true political convictions go from giving tens of thousands of dollars to Democrats to giving tens of thousands of dollars to Republicans virtually overnight?
7. Would you classify someone who did a complete 180 degree turn on their beliefs in the pursuit of power, fame or money a whore?
8. Was your “good friend” Mark Taylor pissed when he found out that you co-sponsored a fundraiser for his opponent which reaped 4 times what you contributed to Taylor earlier this year?
9. Do you believe that the people of Cherokee County are so stupid that they would elect someone purely based on name recognition? (Acually, don’t answer that. I think I already know the answer...)
10. As a son of the South, does the word “carpetbagger” bring up any negative connotations?
11. Would your suspicions be aroused if some kid came into your tight-knit little community, throwing around money like a drunken sailor and rubbing elbows with the majority political party?
12. What are the adjacencies between the restaurant business, auto marketing/credit and the newspaper business?
13. What would the loss be to Cherokee County (in terms of jobs, revenue, etc) if bankruptcy were to be filed by a very young entrepreneur whose business plan appeared to consist of little more than “buy everything in sight”?
One more item of concern (other than the aforementioned downward spiral of one of the business you owned) is that the newspaper you bought contained a front page blurb announcing that the great Lewis Grizzard will be featured in the paper. Personally, I’ve always gotten a kick out of the guy but, considering he’s been dead for over 12 years, I’m not sure his writing will be terribly current. Who’s next? Erma Bombeck?
Over time, I’m sure there will be many more questions…especially as we see what Benni buys next.
Anyone who ever reads this (rarely updated) blog knows that politics is of great interest to me. At least, it used to be.
Frankly, I’m frustrated with the various GOP scandals (and the proportion to which they’ve been blown). I’m absolutely LIVID over their unwillingness to do anything I elected them to do (such as curb spending). What is the purpose of controlling all branches of the Federal Government if you’re going to tie yourself in knots bending over backwards for the opposition party? I’d almost like to see the Democrats take the house this next election. Why not? The Republicans certainly aren’t using it.
BUT…as I bemoaned my new-found apathy towards politics, a lovely ray of light shown down in the form of Ben Elliott.
Mr. Elliott (or Benni, as he apparently calls himself) has purchased 2 businesses (restaurants) within 1 mile of my home and is opening up two more. In a community the size of mine, this is a pretty major, and certainly visible, change.
Regrettably, one of the two restaurants he purchased was one that my Lovely and Talented Wife and I liked and went to occasionally. Soon after the change in ownership, we were told by a friend (the one who actually introduced us to the place) that she and her husband would no longer be patronizing the joint. Apparently, in trying to build a rapport with his new customers, Benni introduced himself to this couple and began a dialogue which eventually shifted from polite conversation to political beliefs. To Benni’s detriment, he began spouting some of his liberal views to a conservative who makes me look like a Senator from Massachusetts.
The wife and I didn’t heed our friend’s advice, however. We decided to give it a try for ourselves. Our dinner that evening (with the daughter and mother-in-law in tow) turned out to be very poor…not because of political debate with the owner but because of sub-par food and only slightly better service. We made a vow that we would not frequent anymore of Benni’s establishments because, in the course of two weeks, he managed to take a joint we liked and ruined it.
I would like to say that I didn’t think about Benni again, but, because his name is on 4 different signs within a mile of my house, it’s kinda hard not to. Something irked me and I decided to do a little Google search. Found his myspace page as well as a couple blog posts about him and some of his new-found buddies in the Cherokee County Republican Party. Some of the info I found on him is, to put it mildly, disconcerting but was little more than hearsay. I have, however, found a more complete profile of Benni from the Cherokee Ledger.
I’ll merely link to the article rather than post it in it’s entirety, but here it is in a nutshell.
Ben Elliott, a 24 year-old entrepreneur who has already filed a $3 million bankruptcy, has moved into Cherokee Country and started buying businesses with plans to buy/start more. He donated over $32,000 to Democrats in the beginning of this year but has since seen the light, switched his party affiliation to the GOP and has given another $28,000+ to them. He bought the Woodstock PD a new $9,000 police dog and is contributing to other charitable organizations.
He has sought political office in Atlanta as a Democrat and, when that bid failed, picked up and moved to Cherokee County. He is wooing the Cherokee County Republican Party with fundraisers, lots of cash and opening up his restaurant for Party meetings in an effort to garner support from said Party when he announces his run for office in 2008.
“I don’t think I left the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party left me,” said Elliott, adding he is “a fiscal business conservative.”
One thing not referenced in the article (as it had yet to happen) was that Benni has also purchased his own Cherokee County newspaper.
Overall, this article is not bad in that it scratches the surface, but there is a great deal of follow-up which is needed. I personally have the following questions:
1. How does a 25 year-old with a $3 million bankruptcy to his name amass such a fortune in less than 3 years to open up (or buy) multiple businesses and shell out $60,000+ in political donations in only a few months? If no fortune was amassed, where did the loans come from?
2. Did you make certain that your creditors from your bankruptcy were made whole (not settled with, mind you, but MADE WHOLE) before you started buying new businesses and contributing tens of thousands of dollars to political parties?
3. What does the qualifier “business” in “fiscal business conservative” mean?
4. Why Cherokee County? Why Georgia? Why are we in South Cherokee so lucky?
5. For what reason does Towne Lake and Woodstock reap all of the benefits from a resident of Canton?
6. How does someone with true political convictions go from giving tens of thousands of dollars to Democrats to giving tens of thousands of dollars to Republicans virtually overnight?
7. Would you classify someone who did a complete 180 degree turn on their beliefs in the pursuit of power, fame or money a whore?
8. Was your “good friend” Mark Taylor pissed when he found out that you co-sponsored a fundraiser for his opponent which reaped 4 times what you contributed to Taylor earlier this year?
9. Do you believe that the people of Cherokee County are so stupid that they would elect someone purely based on name recognition? (Acually, don’t answer that. I think I already know the answer...)
10. As a son of the South, does the word “carpetbagger” bring up any negative connotations?
11. Would your suspicions be aroused if some kid came into your tight-knit little community, throwing around money like a drunken sailor and rubbing elbows with the majority political party?
12. What are the adjacencies between the restaurant business, auto marketing/credit and the newspaper business?
13. What would the loss be to Cherokee County (in terms of jobs, revenue, etc) if bankruptcy were to be filed by a very young entrepreneur whose business plan appeared to consist of little more than “buy everything in sight”?
One more item of concern (other than the aforementioned downward spiral of one of the business you owned) is that the newspaper you bought contained a front page blurb announcing that the great Lewis Grizzard will be featured in the paper. Personally, I’ve always gotten a kick out of the guy but, considering he’s been dead for over 12 years, I’m not sure his writing will be terribly current. Who’s next? Erma Bombeck?
Over time, I’m sure there will be many more questions…especially as we see what Benni buys next.
posted by Big Bad Dad at 5:12 PM
1 comments
