Citing unease over political activity, Bristol Councilman Shumaker quits chamber of commerce

BRISTOL, Tenn. – Councilman David Shumaker said Thursday he resigned from the Bristol Chamber of Commerce because of unease over its political activity – including opposition to health-care reform – but he strongly denied allegations in an anonymous flier that he angrily confronted Chamber President Lisa Meadows during a recent meeting.

“It astounds me, it absolutely shocks me to death, because it just isn’t true,” Shumaker said of the unsigned flier circulating around Bristol.
Incorrectly referring to Shumaker as Bristol’s mayor, the flier alleges he “had a screaming hissy fit” after recently “storming into the office” of Meadows.

Shumaker confirmed he dropped his chamber membership after meeting Wednesday with Meadows and several board members. “But it was done with not a single voice raised, never, ever by me or anyone else,” Shumaker said. “I’m just truly stunned by the total inaccuracy of what’s being [distributed] about my decision.”

Meadows said Thursday that her group had no role in creating or circulating the anonymous flier about Shumaker quitting the chamber.  “I don’t know anything about it,” she said.

Meadows also agreed with Shumaker that no angry confrontation took place when he quit at Wednesday’s board session – nor during a private meeting she had with him in October, when Shumaker first raised concerns that the chamber was becoming too involved in political issues.

“I wouldn’t say our meetings were full of rage, not at all,” Meadows said. “It had been very professional, between two sides who just have different views.”

A Democrat, Shumaker said he’d become increasingly weary of reading statements from the national U.S. Chamber of Commerce that bashed legislative efforts by Democrats in Washington and openly opposed Creigh Deeds, the unsuccessful Democratic candidate for Virginia governor.
“I couldn’t help thinking, ‘Wow, why are they spending millions of dollars to play around in politics?,’ ” Shumaker said.
He said he reached his end point when the Bristol Chamber of Commerce recently joined others in urging local U.S. Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Abingdon, to vote against a House health-care reform proposal, one also backed by President Obama.
Under that intense pressure, Boucher defied his fellow Democrats and opposed the House proposal, which was narrowly approved.

“When I met with the chamber board, I just told them I didn’t feel comfortable with that sort of political activity and that I was quitting,” Shumaker said. “I said it was just an individual decision by an individual member. But were there any screaming fits, angry words, anything like that? No, gosh no.”

Meadows said while she respected Shumaker’s decision, the chamber played its rightful role in urging Boucher to oppose the health-care proposal.
“What the chamber is all about is supporting things that are pro-business,” Meadows said. “We aren’t opposed to health-care reform. But our concern about [the recent health-care proposal] was what it would do to the rural hospitals in our area, and all of our businesses, too.”

Meadows dismissed the controversy over Shumaker’s resignation and, particularly, the anonymous flier attacking him.

“I really don’t know why it’s considered news,” she said. “It didn’t come from here. We had nothing to do with it.”