A Real Cage Match
With meetings running until after midnight, with the God ordinance getting less debate then Tyler Harbers where abouts and with South Knox development seeming to be jumping on and off track like a Lionel on Christmas morning, it is time for all of this Knox County commission stuff to end. I am calling for a log chain cage match between all the commissioners, representatives from the sheriff office and representatives from the county mayors office, and no ringers. I don’t want the sheriff or the mayor hiring former UT Vols suddenly for a admin jobs where they can get in the ring. If you were employed by the County on July 1st, 2007 then you qualify to compete.
No weapons (that is right Lumpy you have to leave the Glock at home), and no eye gouging. Other then that winner takes all. After the match there should be no law suits, threats of rematches, or calls to former office holders.
Seriously, this stuff really has to end. Knox County, and it’s business, has never been a bastion of cooperation or friendship but all of this is getting out of control. I am hoping that with the next round of elections there will be some shake ups, be it commissioners, be it fee offices, be it the sheriff, or be it the county mayor. I am not asking for everyone to get along and sing Kumbaya under the tree in the new Shumbert park, but I am asking for elected officials to start worrying about doing the work of the people then doing the work of the political team they are on.
I think most people can see the underlying truths here - Tyler Harber was a dirty politics operator, he may not have been run by the top of the government, but he was not a lone wolf. The term limited office holders simply thumbed their noses at the will of the voters and the law and thought that they would once again skirt the will of the voters via legal maneuvers. The former sheriff, and his minions, have been playing fast and lose with the money and the trust of the voters for over a decade and have created a powerful political machince that few are willing to confront head on. The commission failed to meet the standards open meetings / sunshine laws when they filled term limited offices, but that was not new they have been doing that for awhile and most people did not care until they saw it first hand. The courts ruling regarding what defines a meeting have been vague and only more turmoil has resulted. The county mayor has definitely been working more behind the scenes then in public and his compensation for his close associates look to be in bad taste, whether legal or not - based on the actions of the sheriff office as well.
BOTTOM LINE, LEGALITY ASIDE, THE KNOX COUNTY GOVERNMENT (INCLUDING THE COMMISSION, THE COUNTY MAYOR OFFICE, THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE, THE FEE COLLECTION OFFICES, THE PAROLE OFFICE, ETC) HAS BEEN THINKING MORE ABOUT THEMSELVES AND THEIR INDIVIDUAL GOALS THEN THE WILL AND CONCERNS OF THE CITIZENS!! Get back to worrying about the voters.
