The more I look at Heath Shuler's development's swap of dock rights from one property it owns to another and the additional fees he paid TVA in order to do so, the more I think it is totally above board. My associates have done exactly the same thing with TVA and it is a common arrangement. Not only that, since it brings additional property value to Roane County, we Roane Countian's should be applauding the deal.

The topper is the additional cost to Shuler's company that will stop one of our smaller islands in Watts Bar Lake from eroding away. These islands are important rookeries for several species of wading birds.

This turns out to be nothing more than election year tactics, where Shuler's Republican opponent is trying to make a completely above board and common business transaction seem like something is wrong. Shame on us for falling for tactics like this.

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