Via Michael Silence, we learn of Knoxville’s Gentlemen’s Top Cuts. Seems someone thought that it would be a good idea to have a salon with scantily clad women cut men’s hair (duh!). They have a lot of pics there and they have a blog with pics and video.
Hell, I might start going. And it’s not for the scantily clad women. See, read their services. They offer something I’ve not seen done in years: the pre-haircut and post-haircut shampoo! And, you know, the neck massage. But, seriously, I get a cut and get hair all over and am itchy all day because at some point recently, stylists stopped doing the shampoo thing. That is why they’ll succeed. Well, that and the scantily-clad women.
Throughout the whole bit (that I listened to, anyway), not one person called in in support of more gun control.
Today, that changed. Dave Foulk (who has a blog) was basically stating that, in light of recent events, that if people wanted to be armed for self-defense reasons they should be. Even at church. He noted how the recent school shooting in Israel and the Colorado shooting a bit back and how armed good guys stopped them. (note to Dave: there are several instances of that occurring).
And then, for the first time, someone who was anti-gun called in. A guy named Nathan. Nathan, taking his plays directly from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Ownership play book, did everything we’ve come to expect from anti-gunners, including:
Calling us extremist, paranoid and delusional – Yes, our extremist position that is supported by the majority in this country. Our extremist position that had lead to 48 states passing concealed carry laws. And our extremist position that politicians pander to. Note that no one is seeking the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Ownership’s endorsement. But they want NRA’s because gun owners vote.
He also said there were no cases of church shootings. The host should have asked him if even read the news.
He also pulled the classic of changing Foulk’s argument from if people wanted to be armed for self-defense reasons they should be to you want to arm everyone. It’s easy to address an argument no one’s making, I guess.
Several callers phoned in to say Nathan was wrong.
Then, David called. He started right into Ravenwood’s Law and used wild west metaphors, which we know are inaccurate in addition to being stupid. Then he went into conspiracies about Israel and how Arabic Sultans (his words) bought our media. Oy!
I love when the antis open their mouths. They do our work for us.
A prominent Knoxville defense lawyer who fought to shed light on back-door governmental deal-making has since January been fending off a secret move to bar him from practicing law in federal courts, the News Sentinel learned Thursday.
U.S. District Chief Judge Curtis L. Collier in January filed under seal proceedings to strip attorney Herbert S. Moncier of his right to practice law in federal courts in the Eastern District of Tennessee, a move that if successful likely would take from him the ability to handle federal cases nationwide.
And people wonder why when the locals think of their politicians they think of shady back room deals.
Authorities this morning said a 16-year-old Knoxville boy was killed during a weekend home break-in that prompted a gun battle inside the residence.
Jamodd Mack died in the 2:24 a.m. Saturday break-in at 1304 Iredell Ave., said Knoxville Police Department spokesman Darrell DeBusk.
Mack and another person allegedly forced their way into the home through a back door, DeBusk said. Inside the home, Mack, who was armed with a handgun, was fired upon by a man who was visiting the woman who lives in the house, DeBusk.
THE MARCH MEETING WILL BE HELD ON TUESDAY EVENING MARCH 4, 2008
Our guest speaker is Sgt. Keith DeBow from Knoxville Police Department, training academy. The subject will be the revised training for officers regarding persons with carry permits and advice for those who have carry permits in dealing with police officers. This is a follow-up to the incident that Trevor Putnam spoke about to our group at our December 2007 TFA Chapter Meeting.
This is your chance to find out what information is being given to the Knoxville Police as it does directly affect all of us that have carry permits. It is in our best interest to know both the law and what the rules of engagement are for the local police. Although this may affect only KPD officers, the information we receive may well assist us if we are confronted by LEO’s from other agencies.
Jack Lail: Boss Hogg couldn’t survive bloggers buzz
A snippet:
A bit of background and I’ll be brief. In Knoxville, Tenn., politics is played the Good Ole’ Boy way. Think Boss Hogg from TV’s The Dukes of Hazzard and its fictional Hazzard County, Georgia.
County organization charts read like family trees. Paid county employees hold county elected offices. Meetings are mere formalities for decisions made in used car lots.
Controversies break out among fighting factions aligned with politicos who control dollars and patronage, but rarely ripple out as interests to the average citizen.
And the voters? Don’t raise taxes and keep the schools open and most couldn’t tell you who represents them and couldn’t care less.
Republicans repudiated the officials directly involved in the year-long political upheaval in Knox County on Tuesday, turning out all but two of those who had opposition in the county primary.
Last January the state’s Supreme Court ruled that term limits approved by the county’s voters more than a dozen years ago — and essentially ignored — were valid. The court also clarified that the county has a charter form of government; this means that if its structure no longer suits you, dear people, you have the right to change it.
So empowered, the people began to wonder. Is it time this county of 400,000 adjust to being more suburban than rural? Does it need 19, count ’em, 19 county commissioners? Could various political fiefdoms — the county clerk, the property assessor, the register of deeds — be broken up by having those elected positions appointed by the county mayor instead?
This is good to:
At curtain’s close, the 12 appointments included the son of one outgoing commissioner, the wife of another outgoing commissioner, the father of a sitting commissioner, a top aide to the politically muscular sheriff, and a businessman who years earlier had come out on the wrong end of a sexual harassment suit. It seems a catfish could have been appointed if properly connected.
When I got to to the building, I stood across the street with my wide angle (to fit the huge structure in the frame) and put the camera to my face. And after a few clicks of the shutter, I hear this man yelling at me, “Ma’am! Ma’am! You can’t photos here!!!” It was the security guard, and he was running down the stairs towards me. I immediately put my camera down by my side and ran across the street to the guard. I asked him what the problem was, and he suddenly went into a tirade about post 9/11 laws prohibiting the photography and videography of any federal properties. He went off about terrorism and national security and then threatened me with two years in the penitentiary for possessing images of federal property. I had to delete my photographs or else I would get two years in jail.
The trooper who pulled over local porn starlet Barbie Cummings and, despite getting a little something, decided to write a ticket anyway, has been sentenced to probation.
Knoxville police are coming across more high-capacity weapons.
Lt. Greg Hoskins says he finds one last week particularly disturbing.
“On December 23rd we stopped a car with four teens inside, one just 15 years old. They had a semi automatic assault rifle, they had several handguns and magazines for those handguns,” said Hoskins.
He says there have been several similar situations.
“We have traffic stops and find rounds or magazines or weapons in cars where there is a group of people in the car.”
In the past, he says police would find someone with a handgun that might hold 8 to 10 rounds, now they are facing assault weapons capable of holding 100 rounds in a single magazine.
“The guys that shoot these high capacity weapons just spray them in all directions and that is obviously an extreme danger wherever this happens,” said Hoskins.
We do? I disagree:
Hoskins says people who carry such weapons are a major threat to police and the public.
I am? I carried a full size 9mm for years. Now, I carry a compact 45. Does it make me less dangerous?
I realize, of course, the cops are talking about potential criminals and not average CCW holders. But they should at least say that.
In Knoxville, a man shot a burglar with an extensive criminal record as he was fleeing. Seems the burglar kicked in the door while a 13 year-old was at home.
Officers haven’t filed any charges against Harry Smith, 58. Smith, who has a gun permit, shot Coffey once in the head with a revolver as Coffey ran from the house at 103 Copeland Road, Dooley said.
Shooting someone as they are fleeing is, generally, a no-no despite whatever public service it may have been. Also, in Tennessee we don’t have gun permits, which seem to imply a permit for ownership. We do have handgun carry permits, which is likely what they meant.
Update: In comments, MarkF points out that the burglar was ‘fleeing’ toward a grandmother. If by ‘fleeing’, they mean running towards, then that changes the scenario substantially.
So says Michael Silence. I don’t really have an issue with the number of Tasers. Rather, I take issue with the fact police tend to use them when it’s not necessary.
An animal shelter board today refused to recommend changes in Knoxville and Knox County ordinances that would treat pit bull dogs different from other breeds.
Ten members of the board of directors for the Young-Williams Animal Shelter met for more than two hours today to review possible recommended changes in ordinances concerning dogs to city and county legislative bodies. While the board unanimously agreed that the city and county ordinances concerning dogs should be similar, they rejected the concept of a breed specific regulation.
Knox County Commission passes Recall Amendment on First Reading
A little history was made last night as the Knox County Commission passed on first reading the Recall Amendment. What makes this unusual is that Charter Amendments are done either by County Commission or by a Charter Review Committee.
But this amendment to the County Charter was actually started by a group of Knox County citizens. The idea began in the comment section of the Knoxville News Sentinel. The comments section had only been in the Internet version of the News Sentinel for a few months. While not exactly a blog, people began to use it as a blog having long discussions about matters concerning local government.
Commenter Brian Paone wrote one day he would start a website for the Recall Amendment. He did, and soon an entire group of people including the founders of the Wheel Tax petition were on board. Starting in early October Paone’s group was seen everywhere on local television, the News Sentinel, blogs, and on radio. Commissioners Lumpy Lambert and Mark Harmon co-sponsored a resolution to hear the Recall Amendment in County Commission. County Mayor Mike Ragsdale signed the petition as did Tennessee State Senator Tim Burchett and Representative Bill Dunn.
When approved on second reading the Recall Amendment to the Knox County Charter will be placed on the August 2008 ballot and the people will have a vote. Score one for the citizens. Maybe the Internet will be a valuable tool in keeping local government in check?
Sen. Tim Burchett advocates breed specific legislation
State Sen. Tim Burchett wants to enact breed specific legislation mandating that pit bulls be spayed or neutered. The senator was also on the talk radio this morning saying that such programs in California have been successful. Unfortunately, such programs don’t exist in California as state law there prohibits breed specific legislation. It’s one area that Cali actually does correctly.
And breed specific laws are generally pointless for a variety of reasons, including:
Some breeds are hard to identify (pit bulls, for instance, refers to a class of dog and not a specific breed)
If a breed is regulated, people will just switch breeds
The factors that contribute to dog attacks occur irrespective of breed (see here and here). Those factors are, generally, the reproductive status of the animal (at least Burchett gets that part right); an animal that is not properly restrained; chained animals become defensive; and unsupervised pets and kids.
Recall Amendment leader Brian Paone of Knox County’s 4th District said, “The people aren’t going away on this one, if they won’t deal with it we will.”
That is leadership. That is what Knox County needs right now.
Mr. Paone’s group has contacted all of the Knox County Commissioners, County Mayor Mike Ragsdale, Law Director John Owings, and the Knox County Election Commission.
The message is very clear. The people demand leadership. If County Commission and the County Mayor cannot provide that leadership then the people will.
Yet sadly, or should I say typically, the response has been underwhelming; of the remaining 11 County Commissions only two have said they will support the request that Knox County Commission vote to approve the Recall Amendment. One Commissioner, Paul Pinkston, is opposed to the amendment and the other Commissioners are “undecided”.
Some of the excuses are quite pitiful. Commissioner R. Larry Smith said he, “has misgivings about how recall might be used in close elections.” Smith doesn’t even understand the amendment. Craig Leuthold says he will not discuss the Recall Amendment outside of a public meeting. Is he confused about the Sunshine Law or just afraid to confront the question? Commissioner Mike Hammond, who some think will run for County Mayor in 2010, is concerned about other districts having say in recall of district representatives. So will Commissioner Hammond now be recusing himself from all votes not in his District?
That is pitiful. The exact opposite of leadership. I agree with Brian Paone, lead, follow, or get out of the way.
File this under consumer counseling. Why do business with bullies?
Pilot Corp. is suing the city of Loudon for the right to build a travel center at the intersection of state Highway 72 and Interstate 75.
The suit filed in Loudon County Chancery Court seeks to overturn the Loudon Board of Zoning Appeals denial of Knoxville-based Pilot’s request for exception to a 2005 ordinance prohibiting the building of truck stops within city limits.
The suit also asks the court to declare the current zoning ordinance vague, to approve use of the land as a travel center and to award Pilot its costs including attorney’s fees.
“Pilot expended significant resources and monies in acquiring rights to the real property based on the plain language of the City of Loudon zoning ordinance” and “representation of its agents” the suit claims.
In accordance with Tenn. Code Ann. §8-44-106(c) the Knox County Commission and its members are permanently enjoined from further violation of Tenn. Code Ann. §8-44-101, et. seq.. More precisely the Knox County Commission and its members are enjoined from engaging in any chance meetings, informal assemblages or electronic communications consisting of, or between, two or more members of the Knox County Commission for purposes of deciding or deliberating public business in circumvention of the spirit or requirements of the Open Meetings Act.
Unlike the majority of states, Tennessee’s Open Meetings Act provides for no penalties against those violating the act. However, a violation of this injunction which will become effective at 12.01 p.m., Friday, October 5, 2007, may result in a prosecution for criminal contempt which, if proved, could result in punishments of imprisonment for a period not to exceed ten (10) days and/or a fine of fifty dollars ($50.00) for each violation.
The challenge is for County Commission to live up to its recent commitment to insure better government. Paone wants County Commission to create a resolution in November to place a recall referendum on the ballot to amend the Knox County Charter to include a recall provision.
The promise to Commission is that if they choose not to pass the resolution for recall Paone and the citizens of Knox County will take the matter into their own hands with a petition drive.
So do you think County Commission will pass a resolution for recall?
Neither do I. Why not get started today? You can download the petition here. Have people sign in ink and hand deliver the petitions to the Knox County Election Commission at the Knox County Courthouse, #218, 300 Main St. in downtown Knoxville.
Herb Moncier’s tactics in the Sunshine lawsuit closing
I am watching on television the Sunshine lawsuit closing from Herb Moncier. Moncier is using a computer with pictures of Knox County Commissioners and former Commissioners. Each photo has been photoshopped to show cartoon balloons filed with quotes from prior testimony.
I am surprised that Chancellor Fansler has allowed this. It makes his court look like a farce. But on the other hand it is a powerful tool for Moncier to humiliate those Commissioners. These are still photos so some of the facial expressions really make these people look dumb.
Moncier has just made the claim, “They stole your government.” Moncier is even making the Knoxville News Sentinel reporters look foolish. I am surprised Rick Hollow doesn’t have a problem with this cute tactic. It must be difficult to be on the same side of the table with Herb Moncier.
This is on now on Comcast cable channel 21 and Charter cable channel 10.
As I wrote in a comment in this post the Knoxville Police Department needs more and better training for its police officers. We expect them to not only enforce the law but to understand the law.
Chief’s letter, more training follow officer’s confusion, threat of arrest
Trevor Putnam knew the gun laws. The officer who stopped him didn’t.
“When I told him that I hadn’t done anything, he said he’d find a reason to put me in jail,” said Putnam, 24, who works with guns every day as vice president of Coal Creek Armory in West Knoxville.
“It’s not that I have a problem with police officers. I deal with police officers nationwide from Arizona to Maine every day. But I lost my confidence in a legal right that I knew I had.”
Knoxville police officers will get a refresher course on the state’s gun permit laws after an officer who didn’t know the law stopped, frisked and threatened to arrest Putnam for legally carrying a gun inside a Wal-Mart this summer.
And then upon, reading it, discovered that they failed to address two of the four items made in my complaint, the immediate physical handling of myself by the officer, and his subsequent claim that he would find a reason for me to go to jail that night, even though the letter states that they have both the audio and visual recordings of the incident. So, I decided that since they had utterly failed to address these issues, it was a screened, partial, obscured resolution.
He also notes:
My girlfriend and I gave an interview to the Knox News Sentinel today, regarding the incomplete nature of the KPD’s response, and the reporter heading the story will be examining the file and the tapes for himself tomorrow(Friday).
Their determination was that the officer in question violated the departmental regulations regarding “knowledge of laws and regulations and courtesy”. This occured due to the officer’s confusion about the law in his previous state of police employment, Ohio, (I’ve gotta try that sometime, “I’m sorry, your honor, I thought I was in Ohio.”) where open carry is prohibited.
The official action(s) taken are:
- A written reprimand for the officer, “which reprimand carries with it certain inter-departmental consequences beyond just a notation in their personnel file.”
- Remedial training in TN Handgun Carry Permit law, and in dealing with the public.
- All KPD officers will be undergoing refresher training on Tennessee Handgun Carry Permit law during the next in-service training session.
- An apology from the Chief of Police, Sterling Owen.
Good.
Update: Turns out the officer doesn’t seem know the laws of his former state as open carry is legal in Ohio. Thanks to gattsuru.
Some time today between 5:00 to 6:30 PM Knox County Commission will convene in a special session for the results of the travel audit of Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale and his staff. This is one of the most serious and potentially criminal audits the Mayor and his staff face.
Last week on the hour long WBIR special “Knox County Files” Knox County Law Director John Owings said he would file an ouster suit if criminal activities were disclosed in any of the five audits being performed on Knox County government. You can watch that hour long special here.
Things have changed a great deal in the past few months. Paul Pinkston opened the kimono with his questions of P-card abuse and theft. WBIR unleashed Kay Watson for some of the most impressive investigative journalism seen in a very long time in Knox County. Private citizen Lewis Cosby made sure he was heard in last months Knox County Commission meeting. His audit of Knox County government brought over 100 questions that have yet to be answered. Read the rest of this entry »
The “I have a tear” speech from Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale
By now most people in Knox County and the surrounding counties have learned of the incredible turnaround that happened in the Knox County Commission meeting on Monday. Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale gave his best Bill Clinton “I have a tear” speech complete with pained emotion and the carefully picked words, “Let’s pull it back together. Let’s get some things done. We’ll work with you. We’ll work with Mr. Cosby. We’ll do the best we can.”
Mayor Ragsdale then inexplicably took all of the good will he had just made and forever destroyed it with one word. As concerned taxpayer Lewis Cosby was speaking at the podium in the Public Forum Mayor Ragsdale turned his head to Cosby and softly said, “Showboat.” Cosby and the audience was stunned. Cosby turned to Ragsdale and asked, “A showboat, what did you just say?” Then Cosby shook his head in disgust and said “Incredible.”
You can see the entire episode on YouTube Channel Nine or on the WBIR website. Most people believe it is not possible for Mayor Ragsdale to run for Governor. Yet three years is a long time.
This matter seems to warrant some discussion. It involves pit bulls, which have been the subject in a number of cities. I sometimes feel sorry for responsible pit bull breeders and owners who treat their dogs with proper care. These dogs are more aggressive by nature, but so are other breeds.
Sorta yes, mostly no. Dogs commonly referred to as pit bulls (pit bull is not a breed but a class of dogs) have it in their nature to more aggressive to other dogs. They are less inclined to be aggressive toward humans unless such aggression is encouraged in the animal. The dogs have a history in dog fighting (hence their aggression to dogs) and, in a fight, the humans had to maintain control so the dogs were bred to be tolerant of humans.
Also, and I hate to break it to folks, but bully type dogs often make horrible watchdogs. Their curiosity will probably get the better of them (assuming they awake from their slumber) and they’ll often sneak around to investigate things. That’s what my dog does. True story from a friend is that someone was trying to come through the window of his house. The dog, apparently, sat patiently and quietly by the window waiting for the intruder to enter. Once the intruder did enter, there wasn’t a sound other than the intruder trying to get out and cussing because a dog had clamped on his heiny. Said burglar was later caught at a hospital when he was getting his tail stitched up. The dog never barked. Watchdogs alert by barking more than defending their castle with force. A poodle makes a fine watch dog.
My politically incorrect dog is probably scary looking:
And he’s got big gnarly teeth. But watchdog, he is not. That’s what the alarm is for. However, if there was any escalation of violence in my home, rest-assured he’d be there doing his damnedest to put an end to it. I have no doubt he’d take a bullet for anyone in the family but, barring a physical altercation, he’d probably just watch. Anyway, enough of that. A few things of note about the incident:
Unsurprisingly, the dog was an unaltered male (which is the case in most dog bites, particularly fatal ones)
The dog was tethered, which, in addition to being bad pet ownership, also tends to make dogs more aggressive.
Why did the police get so close to the restrained dog? Seems to me it could have been avoided by simply not going near the dog. Other than that, I tend to concur with Aunt B:
If your dog bites a police officer, chances are that your dog is going to get shot. That’s unfortunate, but that’s a fact of life. If you don’t want your dog to get shot by the police or you want to have a credible way to dispute the police officer’s account of what happened, keep your dogs in the house where you can control them and witness the police’s behavior.
Finally, the local press has driven me to talk about the recent shenanigans in Knoxville. Seems the elected officials are calling for a do-over in light of a lawsuit by the News Sentinel that says the commissioners have done it wrong and potentially broken the law. It’s funny. I didn’t realize that Knoxville was being run by the quarterback and head of the cheer leading squad from back when I was in seventh grade. Seems Buffy and Tad are, like, totally talking about each other and stuff. And like, ya know, it’s all confusing.
Personally, I think if they broke the law, they should all be arrested. But then, they’re better than you and me so that won’t happen.
It seems the best course of action is to audit all departments under the control of the Knox County Mayor’s office along with all non-profits that receive money from Knox County government.
Nothing else can restore faith in Knox County government.
For some time citizens of Knox County have wondered if County Mayor Mike Ragsdale was the Emperor with no clothes. No matter what kind of mistake was made on the western end of the sixth floor of the City County Building or how serious that mistake is, it is always passed off as some trivial issue such as a bookkeeping mistake or clerical error. The news is always given by an underling and along with a positive quote from the County Mayor.
One Knox County taxpayer has had enough. Lewis Cosby called and talked with the County Mayor on the Hallerin Hill radio program on WNOX and questioned the Mayor Ragsdale for several minutes about the P-Card (purchasing credit card) abuse from the Mayor and his staff as well as the travel expenses for the Mayor, his Chief of Staff Mike Arms, Senior Communications Director Dwight Van de Vate and Chief Financial Officer John Werner. Mayor Ragsdale was very positive and upbeat. When Lewis Cosby asked the Mayor if a person could examine the P-Card statements and receipts Mayor Ragsdale said, “Come on up anytime, I’ve never met you, I like to have a chance to talk to you, swing by someday.”
WBIR reports that Lewis Cosby did exactly that. In a television interview with WBIR Mr. Cosby, a former CPA who at one time audited Knox County government, expressed his shock with what he had found. Lewis Cosby said, “In all my career, these records as to expenditures and lack of documentation is some of the worst I have ever seen. Records are missing, receipts are missing, entire statements for certain people are missing.”
Lewis Cosby compiled a list of 59 questions about the P-Cards plus more about the Hospitality Account. Mr. Cosby says the Hospitality Account is negative and has been negative for two years. He can’t understand why the Mayor kept spending.
Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale has had a very rough 24 hours. On the Sunday talk shows the County Mayor was the subject of much speculation concerning whether he could finish the remaining three years of his term. On “Inside Tennessee” panelist and prominent local attorney Don Bosch said Ragsdale’s term would be remembered as “The Lobster that ate Knoxville.” If you have not heard the lobster story more about it here and here.
The biggest surprise was when the head of the Tennessee Conservative Union, Lloyd Daugherty, called for Mayor Ragsdale to resign on Gene Patterson’s show “Tennessee This Week.” Frank Cagle, columnist for the Metro Pulse said the Mayor would not step down voluntarily but might not have a choice if the on going audits turned up more fraudulent charges on county credit cards. Those words would be prophetic in less than 12 hours.
In today’s Halls Shopper News Sandra Clark rates the Ragsdale administration and gives a grade of F in the department of “Making Government better every day.” Sandra Clark writes, “Starting with Tyler Harber flashing his badge at the Copper Cellar and ending with disclosures of P-Card spending yet to come … Ragsdale’s management is a casebook study of what not to do. He made bad hires and supervised them poorly. He handed out purchase cards with little oversight. He divided the world into two groups – friends and enemies. Now the town is laughing about lobster lunches, Princess cruises and the liquor fund. In our land of Oz, Ragsdale is not a wizard, just a little fellow behind a curtain with an expensive suit and two press agents.”
Just when it seemed it could not be a worse 24 hour period Sandra Clark breaks a new story that the County Mayor himself used a county credit card for a medical procedure co-pay. For a colonoscopy of all things. This caused the Mayor’s Communications Director Dwight Van de Vate to have to send an emergency memo on a Sunday night to County Commission members explaining the “mistake”. How does anyone use a Knox County credit card for a medical co-pay? What other mistakes are there?
People want to know when we will get to the bottom of this. As the audits turn up new information on almost a daily basis the office of the County Mayor has become a rudderless ship. Who will be the next to call for the County Mayor to stand down?
How convenient. After five years of being the chief cheerleader for the County Mayor now the editorial staff of the News Sentinel wakes up and smells the coffee. This occurs after some serious investigative journalism from WBIR television in Knoxville which has accounted for the resignations of three people very close to the County Mayor. To the Sentinel’s credit reporter Scott Barker has also followed the story closely.
Better late than never but the question does arise, what took so long? Knox County Commissioner Paul Pinkston spoke with WNOX’s Hallerin Hill Tuesday morning and suggested that the Mayor’s office had wined and dined various members of the local press in Knoxville to gain favor. Pinkston also opined that columns concerning the Mayor written in the Knoxville News Sentinel appeared to have been written by Mayor Ragsdale’s right hand man Dwight Van de Vate, the Communications Director for the Mayor. You can hear Commissioner Pinkston’s interview with Hallerin Hill here.
As everyone awaits the audits of the troubled P-cards there is apprehension about the audits of the privately funded “Hospitality fund” which is used for entertainment. Will this audit prove that there was an effort to garner favor with the local press by expensive meals and drinks?
The Ragsdale comedy express keeps giving. The latest victim to be thrown under the Ragsdale bus is Knox County Finance Director John Werner. At latest count that makes at least three victims under that bus. Tyler Harber, Requitta Bone, and now John Werner.
Mr. Werner has already repaid Knox County $2,256.86. Supposedly many of the charges going toward work-related meals that included the purchase of alcoholic beverages at official events and conferences. As the County Finance Director John Werner was responsible for auditing work related expenses. The buck has to stop somewhere.
But were there outrageous charges to Knox County for food items at local restaurants that had no foundation?
You could say that. In today’s Knoxville News Sentinel Scott Barker reports that Mayor Ragsdale’s executive administrative assistant Margie Loyd, former Knox County Commissioner Diane Jordan and a friend of Diane Jordan’s dined at Regas Restaurant and rang up bill for lunch of $227.56 including a 14.6% tip. The only thing this group was frugal on. One of the three ordered roast turkey and dressing for a relatively modest $10.95 but the other two ordered the lobster. But wait there is more, they also ordered two more lobster tails to go at $37.98 apiece.
Yes, to go.
On Thursday Mayor Ragsdale transferred Margie Loyd to the Community Services Department.
Scott Barker reports on the Werner resignation, “Ragsdale wouldn’t say whether he asked Werner to resign. “I accepted his resignation,” the mayor said twice when directly asked if he demanded that Werner quit.”
It is not known why Werner resigned or was ask to resign. This all happened after Mayor Ragsdale appeared on the Hallerin Hill radio program on WNOX in Knoxville Thursday morning. Mayor Ragsdale seemed especially concerned with a caller who asked pointed questions about whether Knox County performed adequate audits of travel expenses.
More discussion at KnoxViews and WBIR. If you work on the sixth floor of the City County building keep an eye out for that bus.
But Obey lashed out at both the NRA, which failed to endorse him in his most recent race despite his pro-gun rights record, and Bloomberg. He said the mayor’s representatives came to his office and threatened to run television ads attacking him.”
Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s aides threatened to run negative ads against House Appropriations Committee chairman David Obey if pro-gun legislation opposed by the mayor was passed in that committee, Obey claimed yesterday. The mayor’s office denied the charge.
Speaking during a committee session, Obey (D-Wis.) said Bloomberg aides told his staff that TV ads painting him as anti-law enforcement would be run in his district if the provision, known as the Tiahrt Amendment, restricting police use of federal gun checks, was passed.
“The Mayor’s staff came into my office, and rather than discuss the merits, they simply did what so many bullies do … they threatened to run ads in my district if I didn’t bow to their wishes,” Obey said according to a transcript provided by his staff.
Oldsmans Township, NJ Mayor Harry Moore has resigned his membership from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s anti-gun coalition, continuing the trend of mayors jaded by Bloomberg’s focus on gun control rather than crime control.
“I applaud Mayor Harry Moore for having the courage to quit this anti-gun coalition once he recognized Mike Bloomberg true intentions,” said Chris W. Cox, National Rifle Association (NRA)’s chief lobbyist. “Mayors across the country have come to realize the coalition is nothing more than a front group for gun control.”
Over at KnoxViews there is a discussion about Knoxville School Board member Robert Bratton who has been accused of sexual harassment. Local media coverage of this can be seen at WATE, WBIR, and in the Knoxville News Sentinel.
The charges are serious but what I wondered about is how long it would take for people to accuse the accuser. It didn’t take very long. In less than twelve hours people have questioned the credibility of this woman in order to defend their favorite politician. I don’t see anything in the twoletters this women wrote complaining about the instances of sexual harassment that raise doubt as to her credibility.
What is it with denial and favorite sons? This seems Clintonesque. Wouldn’t the smart thing be to wait until more facts are known? It seems very early for conspiracy theories. And people wonder why it is so difficult to come forward when sexual harassment occurs.
So, I’m not happy about Knoxville’s red light cameras for a couple of reasons. Sure, people will say if you don’t break the law, then you have nothing to fear. But, if that’s the case, why stop there? Put them in my house, I might be breaking the law now. So, I got to thinking (dangerous, I know) about how to get rid of these things. I don’t mean like they do in England where they throw a gasoline soaked tire around them and set them on fire. I mean, a way to get the city to realize the error of their ways without the violence and destruction. About the only thing I can come up with is simply not patronizing the businesses around intersections where the cameras are. Now, I just need to convince 400,000 Knoxvillians to do the same.
They snagged me or the Mrs. this past week. $50 for running a red light we didn’t know we ran. I looked it over and, unlike other cases, it actually was our vehicle. I read the bottom and it basically said something to the effect of:
Under penalty of perjury, I have reviewed . . .
And the officer signed it affirming a violation had occurred. I guess that explains their quick response to Tam since, through carelessness, said officer had perjured him or her self in that case.
Carmel, Indiana Mayor Jim Brainard is the most recent addition to a list of the nation’s mayors to resign from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s anti-gun coalition.
“These mayors, one-by-one, have come to realize the misinformation Bloomberg has given them regarding the true intent of his coalition,” said Chris W. Cox, NRA’s chief lobbyist. “The real agenda is not taking firearms out of the hands of criminals, but gaining access to confidential law enforcement information for the purposes of bringing predatory lawsuits against firearms manufacturers and retailers.”
I think that’s now five that have left. Someone alert Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam that he can be lucky number 6.
The Knoxville News Sentinel breaks a story today about extravagant spending from the humble public servants of Knox County.
Do any of you spend over $300 for dinner at a restaurant? Sounds like John Edwards “Two Americas”. Like John Stossel says, “It’s your money”.
From the News Sentinel:
County Commission Finance Committee Chairman Paul Pinkston blasted the county mayor’s staff Thursday night over credit card expenses for meals in Knox County, travel and one trip that included a charge of $917 for a hotel stay in Beverly Hills, Calif.
The credit card expenses dominated the commission’s agenda during a public hearing on the budget – expenses that totaled $715,537.51 over a period of less than three weeks.
Those charges are for the use of all 350 credit cards issued to employees across the county, including school workers and those in other departments.
A $187 charge to Club LeConte by Cynthia Finch, the senior director of community services.
A $351.15 charge to Morton’s of Chicago in Nashville by Ragsdale.
A $322.61 charge to the Palm Restaurant in Nashville by Ragsdale.
A $290.96 charge to Morton’s of Chicago in Nashville by Finance Director John Werner.
A $322.61 charge to the Palm Restaurant of Nashville by Werner.
1) I haven’t been through that intersection in the last year.
2) The license plate on my BMW convertible is 123ABC, not 122ABC.
3) The vehicle in the accompanying photos is a white Toyota Tacoma, license number 122ABC. I realize it was dark, but a white pickup doesn’t look much like a silver Nazi rollerskate, no matter how hard you squint.
The sad thing is that it will probably be easier (maybe even cheaper) for her to just pay the damn ticket than to take R2D2 on in a court of law.
The Tennessee State Trooper who got his pickle buffed* by local porn star Barbie Cummings has been fired, reports Michael Silence. Since then, Barbie’s blog has disappeared and been replaced by, well, a porn site promoting her. All I got to say is that Barbie Cummings is a marketing genius. Her new porn site is no doubt getting mad traffic from the news coverage and people Googling her up to see what all this is about. Well played, ma’am, well played. When she’s done doing porn, she could get a job in marketing.
* what, you didn’t think I’d use the same fellatio slang two days in a row, did you?
Update: BTW, how dumb is the cop? He took pictures. Didn’t take her to jail for the drugs. But gave her a speeding ticket anyway? Should have just let the speeding slide and maybe you wouldn’t be in the, err, pickle you’re currently in. Just sayin’.
Water is wet; The sky is blue; Kids drink at prom parties
The story so far: The local paper runs, err, well, I’ll just let Tam say it:
Standing in the checkout line at the grocery store last Saturday, I glanced down at the Knoxville News Sentinel in the rack by the register and was struck dumb. There at the top of the front page, above the fold, in the place usually reserved for things like War Was Declared!, Man Lands On Moon!, or Dewey Defeats Truman!, was something very much along the lines of Drunken Teen Prom Party In Suburbia.
Now, I’m no reporter but I gather that the primary business of the news is to sell the news (sell news = profit). Secondary to that is actually reporting the news. Is the story news? Sure. But is it front page Man Bites Dog, wall-to-wall, daily coverage news? No. It’s a blurb, at most. In the gossip section with pictures of cats. But can you blame the KNS? It was the most read story, even beating out UT football which is quite an accomplishment in Knoxville. And why is that? Well, because you’d rather read about that, or semi-hot teachers doing their students, or porn stars giving knob jobs to state troopers, or Paris Hilton’s jail cell as opposed to the state of trade relations with China, the US Attorney scandal, or that orders for durable goods are up 0.6%. They’re selling the news and you’re buying it. And you, frankly, don’t care about things that are particularly important.
Meanwhile, the Knoxville News Sentinel’s coverage of Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam belonging to an anti-gun group? None. I also recall some sort of property scandal covered here by #9 that’s also not news. But, hey, they gotta pay the bills.
The battle between the Knoxville News Sentinel and Knox County Commission
In today’s Knoxville News Sentinel there is an article titled “Discussions or Deliberations?”. It is somewhat humorous that at this late time that the powers that be at the News Sentinel have just figured out that the Sunshine Law lawsuit they have filed against Knox County Commission will ultimately hinge on how to define words like “deliberation” and “discussion”.
Gee, do you think?
The News Sentinel has for some time been trying to make their case in the newspaper. Which while not very ethical is not illegal. Yet today by posting a Timeline the News Sentinel shoots their case in the foot a few times. It appears that no one knows what “deliberation” and “discussion” is including the Knoxville News Sentinel. The Timeline also calls into question the actions of former Knox County Commissioner and current Knoxville One Question steering committee member John Schmid. Is much of this a case of sour grapes? Perhaps.
It is at times like this people might feel like the theme song for Knox County is “Heroes are hard to find”.
A truck safety inspection crackdown has resulted in 596 violations found and 66 rigs taken off the road.
[...]
Among the rigs checked were 395 trucks hauling hazardous materials. There were 329 trucks checked by bomb or drug dogs and 760 were checked for radiological contaminants.
The Laura Cole story of property rights abuse by Knox County Government
My post over on KTB tells the Laura Cole story. It is yet another story of a hapless homeowner facing destruction of their property by the developer government complex of Knox County.
It is a story about greed, corruption, ineptness, incompetence, and the complete contempt of personal property rights. It is a story about wink, wink, don’t worry about the rules what can these people possibly do?
One man got a video camera and what he has done is very compelling. James McMillan took his video camera and has created a library of videos that have now appeared on YouTube. The narrative tells a story of some of the usual suspects of stormwater abuse.
Isn’t it ironic that both developers Victor Jernigan and Scott Davis are two of the worst offenders of stormwater runoff? Both are friends of Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale. Victor Jernigan funded R. Larry Smith in his successful Knox County Commission race against James McMillan.
Victor Jernigan is the “go to guy” on Knox County Commission for stormwater issues. Why would you pick the guy with one of the worst records of stormwater violations to be the “go to guy”? Scott Davis is famous for the impassioned speech he gave about ethics and getting along with people after it was very clear that Lee Tramel would be appointed to the District 4 seat he coveted in the January 31st appointment debacle in Knox County Commission.
Mr. McMillan is often referred to as “Farmer McMillan” because he is actually a farmer who became concerned about the stormwater issue after Mr. Jernigan built several subdivisions that caused stormwater runoff which hurt Mr. McMillan’s cattle.
These are the videos that tell the real story of personal property rights in Knox County:
Like many other local bloggers I will be blogging on KTB, the Knoxville Tennessee Blog. Today’s post is on stormwater and I break it down as simply as it can be broken down.
How long will taxpayers in Knox County allow developers to put in metal corrugated pipe and plastic pipe for stormwater? The good stuff is concrete pipe, it can last many, many decades. The cheap stuff can need replacement in 15 years.
Why should taxpayers and property owners have to pick up the tab to replace stormwater pipes in 15 years because of the poor stormwater ordinance from Knox County Commission?
Rikki Hall and Betty Bean have some fine columns this week you should read on the stormwater debate.
Terry Frank asksI wonder if Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam will continue to maintain his membership in Mayor Bloomberg’s anti-gun group after this publication. You’ll recall that Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam is a member of the Joyce Foundation funded Alliance of Mayors Against Guns. Past entries here. Seems the NRA did a story on Bloomberg’s law-breaking.
Can Farragut secede from Knox County Metro Government?
In today’s Farragut Press there is one sentence that may forever change the debate on Metro Government in Knox County. It is a quote from Town of Farragut town attorney Tom Hale. When asked about how Metro Government would affect Farragut Mr. Hale responded that Farragut would have a couple options. The first option would be a referendum to do away with the Board of Mayor and Aldermen. Does that mean also abolishing the Town of Farragut?
Here is where is gets interesting. The second option is for a referendum to decide NOT to join Knox County Government. Mr. Hale said, “The decision would really be in the hands of the citizens”.
Would this second option mean seceding from Knox County and taking those Farragut property tax dollars away from Knox County? Does a Metro Government charter allow the people of Farragut to go their own way?
Today Farragut is a municipality in Knox County with property tax dollars going to Knox County. If in fact the people of the Town of Farragut would have the option via referendum to withdraw from Knox County and keep their property tax dollars it would seem that they are the key decision makers concerning any future Metro Government.
I need some legal advice. I also need some guidance.
Per Randy Neal’s request to me to not link Copyrighted material from YouTube on KnoxViews I requested via email permission from Community Television of Knoxville (CTV) to continue to provide Knox County Commission meetings on YouTube as I have done for several months now.
I received a reply email from David Vogel, the General Manager of CTV. It read, “Please remove all segments of the Knox County Commission Meetings that you have uploaded to YouTube, until proper copyright clearance has been obtained.”
I replied back that I did not recognize the alleged Copyright per the fair use doctrine of Copyright law. I ask what I had to do to receive permission from CTV to continue to post the County Commission meetings on YouTube. I also requested that CTV provide the service I have been providing for several months. I explained I did not want to provide this service as it was very time consuming and I hoped that CTV would decide to take this off my hands.
Today I received from Mr. Vogel an email stating, “As a non-profit corporation, CTV has the same rights under the copyright laws as any other company. CTV owns the copyright to any program produced by its employees. As the copyright owner, CTV maintains its right to exercise all privileges of copyright, which includes the right to exclude others from making and publishing copies of its programs and the right to exclude others from making derivative works using its programs. If someone edits or changes a CTV program, this constitutes a “derivative work.”
As a matter of policy or choice, CTV will allow others to publish copies of our programs under certain conditions. In order to make and publish unedited and completely unchanged copies of our programs, a Permission Request must first be submitted in writing, along with a copy of your personal identification (eg. driver’s license or passport). As a general rule, we do NOT grant permission to publish edited or changed versions of our programs (derivative works).”
I replied to Mr. Vogel that the Knox County Schools already has an Internet Archive of school board meetings and asked him if there was a way for CTV to do the same with Knox County Commission meetings. Mr. Vogel responded and said there were exploring this with the same firm that does the Knox County School Board meetings. He explained there was no time table as yet.
That is the background so let me explain my problem. CTV does not “produce” Knox County Commission meetings. They “film” the meetings. Today’s meeting may be historic on both the Storm Water issue and the Metro Government issue.
What should I do? I understand Mr. Vogel’s position and I don’t know the fine details of Copyright Law or what the right thing to do is. I feel that the idea of Copyrighting a public meetings is ludicrous. I see this as a violation of my First Amendment rights. But I may incur legal action if I continue. How can anyone Copyright a Knox County Commission meeting?
The blind reformer Part III, the victory over public safety
The Editorial staff of the Knoxville News Sentinel has penned yet another in the series of “Can I carry your water Mr. Mayor” Editorials. Except this time it is a different Mayor, it is Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam. Bonus points for also carrying the water of the Knoxville Police Chief Sterling Owen IV.
The subject of this waste of ink and paper is how the defeat of a bill in the General Assembly that would require 5 second Yellow Lights where there are Red Light cameras is a victory for public safety. It is not a victory for the people, it is a victory for the revenuers.
The Red Light cameras from RedFlex Inc. have been a stunning success. With over 62,000 violations the City of Knoxville and RedFlex are in the money with much more money just around the corner. Both the News Sentinel and the City of Knoxville know that increasing the Yellow Light duration from 4 seconds to 5.5 seconds reduces Red Light tickets by 96%. You can read the Virginia study here that proves just that. It also makes intersections safer, something that Police Chief Owen says he wants. Yet for some unknown reason he will not support a safe Yellow Light duration.
Which is worse in this Editorial? The glee the News Sentinel has that the bill was “properly killed”, or the closing line, “It would have been better for the lawmakers to seek those answers directly from city officials before trying to make a circus out of a serious traffic issue”? What kind of writer uses “properly killed” in an Editorial about public safety? The News Sentinel goes on to say, “The Tennessee Legislature certainly has better things to do than second guess and micromanage Knoxville’s decision to use traffic-light cameras to ticket speeding motorists.”
Let’s be clear about this. This is not “micromanagement”. The Tennessee Legislature had to step in because the Mayor and the Police Chief have put revenue over public safety. Yet the pressure from the public is beginning to show. The Sentinel quotes Police Chief Owen, “Owen said he was not necessarily opposed to a longer yellow-light time if it can have a positive effect on reducing accidents, although he acknowledged the matter was more for traffic engineering than law enforcement. Let traffic engineering follow it up, then, perhaps giving the benefit of any doubt to motorists and increase the yellow-light time where warranted.”
So what exactly does Police Chief Owen mean? Does he mean if enough people are hurt then the traffic engineering people will increase the Yellow Light duration? Do people have to get hurt for the City to do the right thing? We live in a place of unaccountability. Neither the Mayor nor Police Chief Owen have any accountability for public safety, only the few people in the City traffic engineering department? Wonder if those poor people in traffic engineering are under orders from high above?
If last Sunday’s opinion column by News Sentinel Editor Jack McElroy, on the need for a County government Ombudsman, was not enough hypocrisy, then how about today’s unsigned Editorial in the Knoxville News Sentinel advocating the loss of Constitution Rights for Knox County employees?
The all knowing oracle of what is right and just, the News Sentinel, has now decided what rights Knox County employees should be allowed to have. In a stunning act of again carrying the County Mayor’s water the daily paper has endorsed the breathtakingly unconstitutional Maury County bill in the General Assembly that forbids Knox County employees from being allowed to hold elected office.
What are the implications? Adios to Knox County schoolteacher and County Commissioner Tony Norman. Likewise Commissioners Craig Leuthold, Sharon Cawood, Chuck Bolus, and of course Lee Tramel. If they could only hire Lumpy Lambert for a part time County job they could get rid of him too. In the U.S.S.R. purges were a common occurrence. They are rare in America.
In a demeaning unsigned Editorial, the Sentinel’s Editorial staff writes, “Commissioners have family members who work for county government, calling into question their objectivity on various measures, including finances.
Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale said the topic should be taken up by the nine-member Ethics Committee just appointed by the Knox County Commission. We agree.
We all deserve representatives who have the best interests of their constituents foremost in their minds, rather than thinking first about how they can help a family member or themselves. It should be about service, not one’s own interest.”
One must wonder at this time what the keen interest the News Sentinel has in redoing the Knox County Commission. Curious how the News Sentinel calls into question the objectivity of County Commissioners, isn’t it? One might question the objectivity of the daily Knoxville paper. Today’s Editorial wins this weeks Pot and Kettle Award.
Regardless of whether you are a conservative or a liberal, people don’t care for hypocrites. But there are vary degrees of hypocrisy. Every once in a while someone wins the prize and this Sunday was one of those times.
The Editor of the Knoxville News Sentinel Jack McElroy has outdone himself in an Editorial column he wrote Sunday titled, “Ombudsman would help shine light”. In this championship Pot and Kettle column Mr. McElroy makes the case that since the Knox County Commission is so corrupt and untrustworthy that they need an Ombudsman to keep them on the straight and narrow so they won’t violate the Sunshine Law.
Editor McElroy writes, “That’s why the News Sentinel is suing the County Commission over its violations of the Tennessee Open Meetings Act. It’s also why the plan to create an open-government ombudsman is a good idea.”
God help save us from reformers that have blinders on.
Where there violations of the Sunshine Law by the office of the Knox County Mayor during the wheel tax? How about during the Midway Industrial Park fiasco?
Where was the Reformer Jack McElroy then? Surely this is not a one way street is it?
The Pandora’s box of this is that if Reformer McElroy wins his lawsuit against the Knox County Commission a precedent will be set and more lawsuits will follow. Will Gary Sellers sue to have a redo on the Wheel Tax? Will the people of the Thorngrove Community sue to have a redo on the vote for the Midway Industrial Park? Will the Knox County Mayor have to sit through hours of depositions?
There is a need for an Ombudsman, but that need is at the Knoxville News Sentinel. Someone needs to take the blinders off the Reformer McElroy. Maybe a look at the News Sentinel’s Ethics Policy would be a prudent move also.
I mentioned before that I was boycotting Pilot Oil because Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam is a member of the Joyce Foundation-funded Mayors Against Guns. And his family owns Pilot Oil. Apparently, the boycott has other followers too.
Rep. Joe McCord of Maryville confronts the City of Knoxville and the Redflex cameras
One of the worst decisions by Knoxville Mayor Haslam and his administration was the approval and installation of Redflex Red Light cameras. But much worse than that decision was the decision not to change the Yellow Light timing to ensure traffic safety.
Whether this was oversight, incompetence, or greed will be difficult to ascertain. The engineering department of the City of Knoxville has stated it is too expensive to change the Yellow Light timing. Some think it is about the money. The Redflex system has already earned over two million dollars with a portion of that money going to the City of Knoxville.
One man has decided to go over the head of the Haslam administration and take this to the Tennessee General Assembly. That man is Rep. Joe McCord, the Republican from Maryville. Rep. McCord has introduced a bill that will require Yellow Light durations to be set at 5 seconds at all intersections where cameras are set up to photograph motorists.
In a story in today’s News Sentinel McCord was reported as saying, “he has heard reports that the yellow lights on Knoxville’s monitored intersections are set at 3 seconds to boost ticket revenue.”
Thank you Joe McCord for standing up for the people that have to drive on Knoxville’s streets. The first goal should be safety not revenue.
Rep. McCord’s bill mandates, “that the yellow, or caution, light be set at 5 seconds at all intersections where cameras are set up to photograph motorists. Another portion of the bill would forbid local governments from contracting with private companies to operate red light camera systems.”
Effectively this would end the contract between Redflex and the City of Knoxville.
I wonder if the Yellow Light duration will be changed now? Well Mayor, what do you think?
If you’re in Knoxville this weekend and want to go make fun of some hippies, they’ll be congregating. If, like me, you have errands to run in that general area and wish to keep them away, I recommend some Hippie Repellent.
Update: More here. And if you’re not a fan of the prior hippie repellent, here’s an environmentally friendly alternative.
No mention of belonging to an anti-gun group, though
Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam (who is a member of the anti-gun Mayors Against Illegal Guns that is funded by the Joyce Foundation – summary here and all posts here) has announced his plans for a second term:
Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam today announced his candidacy for a second term.
Haslam who was elected in 2003 cited among his accomplishments a revitalized downtown and the recent focus on redeveloping the South Waterfront.
He also emphasized the cooperative spirit he advocates in government.
To date, the press still hasn’t covered the issue. I wonder what a full page ad in the News Sentinel runs for?
Knox County Commission and the Jack McElroy lawsuit
Late Wednesday on the Upfront Page, the blog of News Sentinel Editor Jack McElroy, is a response by Mr. McElroy to a post I put on KnoxViews and Say Uncle on Tuesday questioning whether the E.W. Scripps ethics code had been violated by Mr. McElroy’s lawsuit against Knox County Commission for a perceived Sunshine Law violation. I questioned the News Sentinel “preference to defend the County Mayor and attack his opposition”. The other issue that was disturbing was the fact that the News Sentinel sued each Knox County Commissioner personally as well as suing them as Commissioners. I felt and still feel that crosses the line. It seems to be a form of intimidation. Because of that I felt the question of an ethics violation should be considered.
Mr. McElroy has given his reasons for the lawsuit and in other news the County Law Director John Owings told the public during the County Commission Intergovernmental and Finance meetings on Tuesday that the News Sentinel has agreed to drop the individual lawsuits. I am glad to know that and it was the right thing to do but the question still exists why was this done is the first place.
Blogger “Old Hickory” has a lengthy post on the Upfront Page which is worth the time to read. Old Hickory explains, “the News-Sentinel is widely perceived as falling in line with the Ragsdale faction and chooses not to engage, analyze, investigate, and report on the sordid details of those political power plays gone badly awry, giving observers and writers the impression that the News-Sentinel is an additional projectile in Ragsdale’s pop gun aimed at bringing about a commission that is more receptive to his closed universe of local government and continuing the build a platform to hopefully garner attention, publicity, and consideration as a gubernatorial candidate for 2010.”
The News Sentinel has written Editorials suggesting that the Knox County Fee offices be audited and that Knox County Commission undertake Ethics reform. At this time maybe the best thing for the News Sentinel to do is to lead by example and review the Ethics of its Editorial Board and it’s closeness to County Mayor Mike Ragsdale.
YouTube Channel 9 coverage of the County Commission meeting on the McElroy lawsuit:
I’ve never called you out…until now…the Knox County Commission meeting on YouTube
YouTube Channel Nine is up. The major fireworks are in Part V. Lumpy Lambert takes it to Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale and Mayor Ragsdale brings it back. People will remember the “4 year old in Candy land” and “I’ve never called you out…until now” remarks for many years to come.
This is coverage of the Knox County Commission meeting held on Tuesday to consider Mayor Ragsdale’s request for a special election. The primary players are former Tennessee State Senator Bud Gilbert, Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale, and the members of the Knox County Commission.
Another violation of the E.W. Scripps Company Ethics Code?
Knoxville News Sentinel Editor Jack McElroy has instructed his attorney Rick Hollow to offer a settlement to Knox County Commissioners to drop its Sunshine Law lawsuit if the County Commissioners have a do-over of the January 31 appointment meeting which brought eight replacement Commissioners into office.
At what point should the citizens of Knox County question Mr. McElroy’s judgment and conduct? E.W. Scripps Company has a very specific Ethics Code. In this code are very specific guidelines regulating participation in political and governmental affairs. Today’s settlement offer is troubling and disturbing.
There is no provision in either the Knox County Charter or the Tennessee State Constitution for a do-over for the January 31st appointment process. Time and time again Mr. McElroy has shown a preference to defend the County Mayor and attack his opposition. There is not much that can be done in areas of Editorial judgment. However, this is a different matter. I hope County Commission chooses to fight Mr. McElroy in court and that they draw a line in the sand. This kind of heavy handed interference in the administration of local government cannot be condoned. It is outrageous and Mr. McElroy should be sanctioned by the E.W. Scripps Company corporation.
Is this a matter of principle, or is it a matter of intimidation? The section of the E.W. Scripps Company Ethics Code is listed below.
There was a rather unflattering entry at Wikipedia about Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam being a member of Bloomberg’s anti-gun Mayors Against Guns group. Seems someone from Knoxville (i.e., perhaps some of the mayor’s people) keeps trying to scrub it. But, never fear, Countertop restored it.
A third mayor has bowed out of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s anti-gun mayors’ coalition, saying he is in favor of disarming criminals, but “not at the risk of losing our Constitutional freedom.”
SAF learned from the staff at Gun Week that Rio Rancho, NM Mayor Kevin Jackson has withdrawn from Mayors Against Illegal Guns, without having attended a single meeting of the group, which now reportedly involves more than 150 mayors.
You locals may want to call Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam and point this out to him. He can be reached at:
. . . allegedly breaking the law by holding secret meetings and making backroom deals while appointing replacements for term-limited officeholders last week.
As to why:
The News Sentinel is seeking to void all the appointments made by commissioners, have a permanent injunction laid down by the court requiring that all future deliberations be made in public, and that the case be expedited.
Good. There is, as far as I can tell, nearly universal outrage at the way the term-limited office holders have been replaced. And that method is the Good Ol’ Boy Method, with relatives replacing the current seats. I don’t even live in Knox County and it annoys me.
Knox County Commissioners speak about the Wednesday debacle
Greg “Lumpy” Lambert, John Griess, and R. Larry Smith gave surprising answers this morning on the “Inside Tennessee” Television program concerning the debacle that occurred Wednesday as 12 term limited government office holders were replaced in a process that has yielded one lawsuit and almost universal citizen outrage.
WBIR’s John Becker asked, “Was the process fair?” Lumpy Lambert, “Yes”. John Griess, “Yes”. R. Larry Smith, “Yes”.
Becker then asked “Did we get the best people possible. The best nominees possible for each District seat? Lumpy Lambert, “I believe so”. John Griess, “It wasn’t a requirement of the Supreme Court that we get the best but that we make appointments and we fulfilled that requirement and obligation”. R. Larry Smith, “I think we could have done better”.
Term Limits Candidate Forum for Knox County Commission
WBIR spent a commercial free hour Monday night giving Knox County citizens a chance to see and hear many prospective candidates for appointments to Knox County Commission. Each candidate was given thirty seconds to explain who they are and why they should be appointed to Knox County Commission.
If you missed the special program you can see a repeat on YouTube here, here, and here.
Jack McElroy is having quite the discussion on his blog “The Upfront Page” at the Knoxville News Sentinel. A charge was made by local GOP Chairman Brian Hornback that Mr. McElroy has a conflict of interest because he serves on “all kinds of boards of non-profits”. If you have ever read Mr. Hornback’s writing you know it quickly devolves into partisan politics.
Mr. Hornback writes, “From what I understand Jack “Conflicted” McElroy appeared on Inside Tennessee and said that the replacement of term-limited incumbents isn’t about party building. So, if you are Jack “Conflicted” McElroy it is about party building. Party building the Democrat Party and tearing down the Republican Party. The question for Editor McElroy is: How is that position on the Democrat Board going for you?”
To Mr. McElroy’s credit he addresses the larger issue of whether the Editor of the News Sentinel should sit on various boards and asks his readers for their viewpoints. What happens is an eighteen post free for all with several commenters including the pseudonymous writer “50 Cents Wasted” and even the appearance of Mike Cohen to make the required charged of, “Also, Mr. Cents, folks would pay more attention to you if you signed your name. It’s awfully easy to trash folks when you can shield your own identity.” Even Cynthia Moxley drops in to clarify, “FYI. I’m not the only Moxley in town. All you have to do is turn on the radio to know that. And that is not me who posted to this site on Jan. 20.”
This is not only an interesting read but asks some important questions about the role of Editor and Publisher of a daily newspaper in a mid-market town like Knoxville. Conflict of Interest is a Knoxville tradition. Some might say a Religion. It is a positive step to see the Editor of the News Sentinel consider whether it is time to make some changes.
Knox County Commission Meeting from Monday January 22nd. The first four parts are the Resolution by John Griess for a Special Election to select replacements for the eight term limited Knox County Commissioners.
WBIR news coverage of the Term Limits debacle as various politicians give their thoughts as to the best way to handle the situation. Caution, you are entering a spin zone. You may need a good sense of humour and/or a sickness bag.
Jared Fuhriman, the mayor of Idaho Falls, has walked away from the coalition of mayors. He told a local newspaper that he was originally told that Bloomberg’s coalition was only going after “illegal guns.” But after doing his own research he said, “I could see there was a conflict with the NRA and with some of the beliefs we have here in Idaho.”
Well, Mr. Haslam, the research has been done for you. Yet you still belong to this anti-gun group. Not good for your future political aspirations in this state.
Update: A reader points out Haslam’s Wikipedia page which has links to my stuff and is a bit, err, biased. They also point out that Haslam’s people are quick to change it.
Don’t be naive in thinking this court ruling will bring political changes. What is currently business as unusual will soon return to business as usual. If you are giddy with glee right now, do yourself a favor and get over it fast.
Below is the letter from John Emison the President of Citizens for Home Rule to Hon. Robert E. Cooper, Jr. the Attorney General of the State of Tennessee. We are very fortunate to have such an excellent citizens group to stand up for the property rights of all Tennessee citizens.
Hon. Robert E. Cooper, Jr.
Office of the Attorney General and Reporter
POB 20207
Nashville 37202-0207
Dear Attorney General Cooper:
I am writing you in support of a recent Knox County Commission resolution urging your office to investigate a questionable annexation referendum conducted Nov. 7 in Knox County.
There are troubling issues associated with this referendum and I bring two of these issues to your attention. First, the City of Knoxville contracted to pay $2 million cash to a developer based on the outcome of this so-called referendum. I believe this agreement is an illegal inducement which was clearly intended to affect an election result. Second, the referendum was designed for a single voter who is now admitted to be an employee of a subcontractor to the developer, thus under duress or the appearance of being under duress. There are numerous other serious questions including the legitimacy of the voter’s residency who was a night watchman at the development, and whether the Direct of the Tennessee Division of Elections and/or the Knox County Administer of Elections overstepped their authority.
I urge you to conduct a full, complete, fair, and independent investigation of this matter and to publish the results publicly. Nothing less than the integrity of the election process is at stake. Citizens have every right to expect that neither money nor political bosses taint the ballot box, and at present it seems that both, in fact, did.
Kindest regards,
John A. Emison
President
Citizens for Home Rule, Inc.
By now most people have learned of the disharmony between the City of Knoxville and Knox County government over the South Grove Shopping Center. Harmony is very important in Knox County. It appears that it is even more important than either ethics or the law.
The disharmony is over an allegedly illegal “One Man One Vote special election” which allowed a finger annexation of Knox County property into the City of Knoxville. There are many problems with the procedure and qualifications of this “special election”. Knox County Law Director John Owings thought it was so irregular he immediately filed a law suit.
Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale asked county Law Director John Owings to dismiss a law suit challenging the annexation. Mayor Ragsdale said he thinks fighting the annexation is a bad use of tax money. Mayor Ragsdale was quoted in the Knoxville News Sentinel, “Spending tens of thousands of dollars in a lawsuit to contest a voluntary annexation would be a complete waste of taxpayer dollars. It would also be a huge step backward in city and county relations, which are better now than they’ve ever been.”
You can see Mayor Ragsdale explain his ideas here:
City of Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam wrote a commentary this past Sunday in the Knoxville News Sentinel entitled, “South Grove annexation: Much ado about a good thing”. Mayor Haslam requested the special commentary from News Sentinel editor Jack McElroy stating that a prior commentary by John Emison, the President of Citizens for Home Rule, was “misleading in many respects”. Ironically Mayor Haslam then made charges which are verifiably wrong on Jack McElroy’s blog “The Upfront Page”. Mayor Haslam charged that John Emison was a paid by Citizens for Home Rule, a charge which is not true. Mayor Haslam wrote, “Emison’s assertion that the referendum for the South Grove area violated the boundary and thus the agreement is simply incorrect.”
The City Mayor now owns those words.
The most surprising development is this convoluted revolting matter is the dramatic acting done by Mayor Mike Ragsdale in the December 18th Knox County Commissioners meeting. As you can see in the Part Three YouTube clip Mayor Ragsdale pleads with the Knox County Commission not to ask the State Attorney General to investigate the “One Man One Vote special election”. Yet Ragsdale’s top Lieutenant John Griess sponsored the resolution asking for the State Attorney General to investigate the special election. So are we to think that Mayor Ragsdale and John Griess disagree? Or is the more logical conclusion simply that the County Mayor wanted to have plausible deniability to maintain the illusion of harmony? Apparently if you want to be the next Governor of Tennessee you must maintain the harmony, whether that harmony is real or just an illusion doesn’t matter.
Both of these Mayor’s reportedly will seek higher office. Can you choose which one is the most ethical?
YouTube clips of the December 18th meeting in Knox County Commission:
Monday was a sad day in Knox County Commission. In one of the most confused meetings, that often resembled the Keystone Cops more than a Commission meeting, the Midway Industrial Park received 7.5 million dollars of funding from the Knox County Commission. This happened even though there is a lawsuit seeking an injunction against any breaking ground on this project. It was a tortured, confused, and often comical 45 minutes that made those who watched in person or on Cable Television wonder about the old joke of “Who is on first”?
The Midway Industrial Park is covered in great detail at the website KnoxAction.com. There have been many web posts on KnoxViews and at Say Uncle. It has received much coverage also at the News Sentinel blog No Silence. So with all of the known information that questions the risk and return on investment of taxpayer dollars the Knox County Commission chose to ignore the demands of those in the Thorn Grove community and the voice of taxpayers who see this as the biggest gamble since the Farmers Market.
The MPC hypocritically and perhaps illegally ignored their own sector plan to choose the Midway Industrial Park site. The Development Corporation chose to ignore its main requirement that the slope of the site no exceed six percent. Both of these entities and the Knox Area Chamber of Commerce ignored that this site had much greater financial return as a tourist area or subdivisions and that those ideas would not require over 57 million dollars of taxpayer investment.
Most importantly all parties ignored that the Thorn Grove community is one giant karst sinkhole waiting to happen. This will literally be a black hole that money is poured into never to be seen again. The Ragsdale administration is its most irresponsible move yet has bragged that the Midway Industrial Park will create 4,600 jobs and bring over 12 million dollars a year of tax proceeds to Knox County government. That is an abject falsehood.
Lets review who will be around when this goes bad. Mayor Ragsdale is in his final term. So are Commissioners Griess, Leuthold, Hammond, Guthe, Schmid, Ivan Harmon, Cawood, Moore, Tindell, Strickland, Jordan, and Pinkston. The vote was 15-4 with only John Mills, Phil Ballard, Larry Clark, and Mark Harmon voting against funding the 7.5 million dollars for the Midway Industrial Park.
So you may see your government in action I have posted the entire Midway Industrial Park discussion on YouTube. I have done so to create a record of how this happened so in the future when this blows up in the face of the taxpayers you will know who was responsible. It is said that people deserve the government they get.
No one deserved this disaster.
YouTube coverage of the Knox County Commission meeting on the Midway Industrial Park:
