Knoxville Tennessee Blog

Larry Van Guilder of the Halls Shopper News has it, and it is the story of what may be the most memorable battle in Knox County government since the beginning of Knox County Commission in 1982.

Private citizen Lewis Cosby challenged Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale on the Hallerin Hill radio show to let him review the accounting of the Mayor’s travel expenses and the P-Card program. The Mayor said, “Come on down, I haven’t met you and would like to talk with you.”

From that point on it has been downhill for the County Mayor. Lewis Cosby is spitting mad at a comment Mike Ragsdale made to him. The County Mayor told Cosby that the county needed to  “go forward” and that he could not “change the past”. Lewis Cosby saw red. Cosby may still remember the day in County Commission where under his breath Mayor Ragsdale called Mr. Cosby a “showboat”.

Now Lewis Cosby has challenged the County Mayor again, but this time he is going for the money. Mr. Cosby says that the county must be made “whole”. In simple terms, those who lived high on the hog on the taxpayers dollars should have to pay the money back. Cosby says these people should be sent a bill for their lobster lunches and other extravagances and if they don’t pay up then the bill should be turned over to a collection agency.

This battle has just begun. My money is on citizen Cosby. We sure could use more people like Lewis Cosby.

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?

“With 11 members instead of 19, the control of Chairman Scott Moore has been diminished somewhat, and commissioners’ focus is expected to shift toward putting the county’s house in order, promising Mayor Mike Ragsdale at least a brief reprieve from the attacks of the full Moore-led body.”

Wow. Attacks? That is more than just a little subjective isn’t it? The fact that DA Randy Nichols will not investigate anything with the County Mayor, County Commission, or Sheriff’s Department does not mean that investigations are “attacks”. Only in the bizarro world of the News Sentinel could such logic permeate.

This column was a look into the “inside baseball” politics in Knox County. But what really needs to be done is a look into the “inside baseball” of the Knoxville News Sentinel.

Had Editor Jack McElroy not filed the infamous Sunshine Law lawsuit the needed investigations of Knox County would have already taken place. Some might wonder if one of the many purposes of the Sunshine Law lawsuit was to buy time and put off the inevitable investigations of county government.

Without a full Commission can there be investigations of Knox County government? Yet most curiously Editor Jack McElroy, our own local version of William Randolph Hearst, opines through various editorials we should wait until August 2008 and let the voters fill the County Commission. So what is Mr. McElroy really saying?

http://knoxnews.com/news/2007/nov/08/election-for-county-seats-worth-the-wait/

So translated into English, the investigations must wait for almost an entire year. Is one of the reasons that eight members of County Commission were removed because a few people wanted to stall investigations of Knox County government?

How Clintoneque.

The movement to amend Knox County’s Charter to include a recall provision is growing rapidly.

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.

Brian Paone is mad as hell, but he is doing something about it. Mr. Paone has offered Knox County Commission both a challenge and a promise.

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.

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.

It will be covered on Community Television of Knoxville.

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.

Both WBIR and WATE have special sections on their websites to make it easier for people to follow the maize of allegations and questions. The Knoxville News Sentinel also has a special section appropriately named “Knox County Chaos”. Larry Van Guilder, Betty Bean, and Sandra Clark have covered every step and misstep of Knox County government. Unlike other media outlets they have been on the case before it become necessary to do so.

It makes one wonder if these problems would ever have happened if this investigative journalism had been there all along. It seems the honeymoon with the press and the Mayor’s office was followed by the abuse of the taxpayers.

There are some obvious lessons learned here. Maybe journalism and boosterism shouldn’t be commingled. Maybe the taxpayers should pay more attention to those who work for them. No matter what happens people will no longer accept that good intentions, big ideas, and reading to children can excuse ignoring the law and living the lifestyles of the rich and famous on the taxpayers dime.

You have to love the marketing people at McDonald’s. They have no pride or remorse and they are quite brilliant.

Take their latest ploy. Many people want to save the Earth from Global Warming. So how can a company that sells hamburgers capitalize on this trend? Remember, their product is hamburgers. Perhaps the most dangerous product on Earth as far as Global Warming is concerned.

In Japan you can buy a Big Mac for half price if you download a form that shows how to reduce Global Warming. Do you think there is anything on that form that suggests eating fewer Big Mac’s will prevent Global Warming?

Genius. Give them an A, for audacity.

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.

Does insincerity disqualify a politician from higher office? Some people think so.