Prediction: Burchett loses, fined $10k, still blames ex, runs again in 2014 and wins with at least 65% of the vote.

KNS and Strickland vindicated, still seen as the ultimate losers in a scenario where there was never an option for winning.

Why does everybody want to make this a contest between the KNS and Burchett?

Aside from the 30-something stories, columns, cartoons about this story in July/August, capped by a KNS columnist filing a complaint, I can't think of a reason...

There's a big gap between 'ignoring' and 35.

Because that's what it is. Until the divorce is final and the required records needed to follow up this issue are in total possession of the mayor, what is he supposed to do?

I think, among other things, this divorce coverage allows the Sentinel to cut back on labor costs and rather than hold public officials accountable for fixing documented potholes, maintaining county property, managing the pension, having a working county healthcare system, and exploring zoning rulings and conflicts of interest in city council and county commission as well as the mayor's office, by letting them focus on the unethical accusations of a scorned woman who is airing her private dirty laundry in public.

This is spiteful coverage of a divorce, period. Hooray for the Sentinel and their ruling today giving them the two year ruling in which to file the complaint, but think about it Rachel, if that is really their position, why file now, before the divorce is final? They could have covered the story fairly while reporting on legitimate concerns of the local citizenry instead of resorting to jumping right into the middle of an ugly divorce.

Where was this kind of reporting on the county budget guy, a much more relevant character to the everyday citizen? Where is the depth on that issue? How come we aren't getting the same story written ten different ways about him? It's because this is a personal issue and it's by the Sentinel's choosing.

And it's easier than actually getting out and figuring out what kind of job the mayor is really doing.

One more time: Burchett is responsible for the content of his financial disclosure forms. Period. Some of those have apparent discrepencies.

I don't care if the records were given to the KNS by Allison Burchett, motivated by the divorce, or aliens from Mars, motivated by a dislike of folks named Tim. Motivation doesn't matter. The discrepencies need to be looked into.

That wasn't going to happen w/o someone filing a complaint. I would have liked it better if it had, but it obviously wasn't going to.

As I've said many times before, the problems in the forms are most likely the result of sloppy bookkeeping, but the bottom line is that it needs to be looked into.

And it's news.

Y'all can go back to killing the messengers now. I'm bored with this discussion.

I don't care if the records were given to the KNS by Allison Burchett, motivated by the divorce

And you're entitled to that opinion.

And I'm entitled to mine that believes it speaks volumes of McElroy's ethics if indeed he possibly involved himself in divorce proceedings, whether in order to chase a "news" story or for other local, political interests.

And it should concern McElroy if he's called into court to testify in their divorce.

Of course, if that happens, I'm sure he'll yell about the 1st Amendment, protecting sources, etc,etc,etc.

"TIM BURCHETT IS PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTENT OF HIS CAMPAIGN FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES."

Seriously? Think about it. That holds only IF the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance decides so. They easily could find that a computer neophyte trusted his wife to do the bookkeeping while he was campaigning from sunup to sundown. They could look at the credibility of the person who filed the charge. WATE played the Pam Strickland video last night. Her credibility isn't so good now. How over the line was that?

Who was the source for the News Sentinel vendetta? Mary Poppins? Or the vengeful soon to be ex-wife?

The only thing that stood out was the PayPal account. That was it. It isn't too difficult to imagine a guy like Tim Burchett had all his computer passwords on a 3X5 card in his desk or his wallet.

I hope some of you don't need medical help when the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance decides "no ticky, no washy". With no receipts this is about credibility. A standing Mayor without a blemish against an ex-wife who got fired for disclosing bank records and a $100 a column opinion writer with a clear animus towards Mayor Burchett whose primary income comes from the News Sentinel. Said opinion writer also has demonstrable income problems.

I can see the Sentinel headline now, "Tim Burchett Cleared".

Ouch.

But wasn't he fined for the same thing before he was married?

I hope Burchett is not as stupid as the people defending him. This is low-stakes stuff. He should amend the forms, reimburse any expenses that can not be validated and, if that does not satisfy the registry, pay their fines. If instead he tries to plead ignorance and play victim, he will be demonstrating that his character is on par with that of anonymous comment-section trolls.

You all are so puffed up with outrage over this it reminds me of Gomer chasing Barney yelling "citizens arrest, citizens arrest" on the Andy Griffith show.

Yet when the school board tried to rip us off you weren't very concerned. James McIntyre and Jack McElroy have no credibility. And for all the huffing and puffing what people really care about is that Tim Burchett kept us from getting ripped off. Enjoy your tempest in your teapot.

Well as far as actual power goes, I would say he has a little more than Rogero.

I find it interesting that people find it funny that McIntyre can't be fired by Burchett.

I found it funny that all of the unelected, Establishment political leadership of Knoxville lost the school budget debate when they tried to line up all of the "experts" to persuade Knox Countians that a large budget increase was in their best interests.

That one must still hurt.

The real issue with Burchett is that he exercises powers he does not have, from selling public land without notice, to presuming ownership of the proceeds, to dictating construction priorities to the school board, to rescinding contracts he signed. His minions want this campaign business in the headlines because it distracts from the much more questionable things Burchett has done.

Of course, as with Burton Webb, his decision to let Allison perform campaign treasurer duties speaks to his poor judgment. If he really takes the same tack with the campaign registry that his troll brigade is taking, he will just end up looking weaker and more the fool.

doesn't have a vote. County Commission does. Commission voted on your alleged misdeeds.

You anti-Timmy's are funny. You have as much credibility as James McIntyre, Jack McElroy, and Pam Strickland.

Ok.

First he doesn't have any powers, THEN he has too much.

Pick your argument.

Everything rikki accuses him of doing, with the implication they were somehow done behind the public's back, can you point out the county laws that he violated?

The school board AGREED to the Carter deal.

If Burchett doesn't have power concerning the land sales and revenues from them, why don't you point out the county laws that state that he doesn't.

Otherwise you're just throwing out unsubstantiated allegations and implications claiming he's somehow operating outside of the law.

And that's wrong, no matter whom to it is done, although I realize it's KNS's current MO.

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Here's a fair write-up.

The real issue with Burchett is that he exercises powers he does not have, from selling public land without notice, to presuming ownership of the proceeds, to dictating construction priorities to the school board, to rescinding contracts he signed.

This is what should be on the front page.

The real issue, in my opinion, is the depths that Tim's opposition have gone to destroy his reputation. The guy killed the county junior golf program. 2.7 million for a new Carter gym and yet not forty bucks for some roundup and a couple bills to put up a tennis net on the courts at Bearden Middle? C'mon. This guy is a poster child for low hanging fruit of misplaced priorities and poor governance. So what do we "Democrats" do? Jump on board a cheap shot festival at the divorce court.

Having gone through an ugly divorce as a child has probably made me overly sensitive to the issue. I find the lack of compassion for a fellow human, any fellow human going through this highly disturbing. The personal attack of the mayor's self respect and dignity with a handful of cherry-picked "facts" that were not even analyzed or put in perspective is the lowest form of yellow journalism. This is not a critique of his administration, this is an attempt to tear down his dignity and the essence of his soul. Allison hit him with this in this manner, not because she thought she was doing a public service, or because on careful examination he was likely to be found guilty, or even because he was committing a crime.She hit him with this because he spent his whole life living by his principles and this is how she thought she could hurt him worst. What he is being accused of is not even a crime. It's a civil offense. Allison hit him with this because she knew that the core of his career was being an honest, straight shooter. The only reason she was able to pull it off is because her husband trusted her. There is simply no form of lower human than one that wins trust for the sole purpose of betrayal. Except for possibly the newspaper that enables this sort of behavior. It's a cheap shot and a low blow that will follow him for life. And frankly, the people that have picked up her banner are not any better than she is.

Politics is a dirty business, but the fact that, as a community we have allowed this issue to become a focal point pretty much explains why we can't get a tax increase for schools passed.

The focal point was DID the schools need a tax increase?

They didn't. And they have no credibility now.

When is the focal point going to become about the one million dollars James McIntyre got for raising the ACT score two tenths of one percent while destroying teacher morale?

This year the Tennessee Legislature is going to look at bills to elect School Supers, MPC Executive Directors, and MPC Commissioners. And Knox County is the reason. And don't be surprised to see the bill to abolish MPC's rise from the dead.

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"The focal point was DID the schools need a tax increase?

They didn't. And they have no credibility now."

Yes, the schools need more money to get kids out of trailers, to update old buildings, to provide books and internet, and to pay teachers a decent wage. You and I may not like the way the money is apportioned but there is no doubt more money needs to get to educational needs.

Do you really think she was planning the divorce and setting him up during the campaign?

What I think is that there are a number of bankers likely to approve a bridge loan for 20,000 plus to Tim Burchett in a campaign against Ezra Maize. In other words, even if he was in a cash flow pinch, he had plenty of available resources to draw from. I think he is guilty of giving an unqualified wife too much control of household and campaign finances. There are plenty of stories from credible sources about the couple from those that interacted with them and served them. All one needs for the Pay-Pal account to function is the account name and password. Is there a reason, based upon any facts presented so far, to think that Allison didn't have access to and control of that account?

I further think that she was hiding what she was doing from him and that her leaking this story to the Sentinel was more about a solution to the impending problem that once Tim's divorce lawyers started going over the couples financial records she was going to get caught anyway. I think she was simply getting ahead of the issue. She would not have had to travel outside the social circle she and Tim were a part of to get solid, working advice from other wives on how to access her husbands money without him knowing. Plus there would be be the anecdotal and unverified accounts of her dismissal from the bank as well as personal anecdotes from those that knew the couple that would indicate problems of this nature may have just been a character issue with her.

The problem with this situation is simply this. If one has lived south of Oak Ridge Highway and west of Alcoa highway for any length of time there is a good chance you've met Tim. There is also a good chance you've struck up a friendship. There is considerably less chance that you share his political views, yet, Tim will listen and on occasion change his mind. The Sentinel has used this incident for an all out character attack despite only offering evidence that would suggest exactly the opposite of what they are alleging. Tim clearly loved and trusted his wife and I never did really know why. It only took her twenty minutes to persuade me not to trust her. As long as this is the dominant story of this administration, those of us wanting moneys for local and progressive ideas will likely be looked at with suspicion. I do not want to take a loyalty pledge to deal with the mayor. I don't want to have to register as a Republican to get the damn tennis courts fixed at Bearden Middle, we just want the tennis courts fixed. And I don't want the legitimate problems of the county to be viewed as piling on by the cheap shot brigade.

Knoxville can be viewed as being real close to being a great city, or a million miles away. Issues like this only serve to stall the process of progress. The Sentinel knows they've been derelict in their coverage of local affairs, and this issue has kept their absolute dropping of the ball on the Baumgardner affair off the public table. I think this story is getting the coverage it is so the paper can hide its general indifference to the community and incompetence as a news source. The whole thing just makes me feel dirty and until its over I likely won't call out the mayor in this forum or any other over the real issues of the community.

Seems like that would be better for everyone concerned, rather than this endless bickering over whether or not he's a good person, his wife is a demon from hell, etc.

Yes it does. But how does he sort things out without the records?

Sorry about the analogy. I do my best to write well, but that entails hanging around the edge of the cliff, so to speak. Sometimes I fall off and that was one of those times.

As the divorce plays out, so will this story. The bottom line from all this will be that Tim won't go past local office. And, I think, that was the point of the whole ordeal to begin with.

The mother of all conspiracy theories is being floated by a Scripps Metro Pulse writer. And the KNS satire writer is assisting.

Check this, Jack McElroy is doing this supposed vendetta in concert with Tim Burchett to distract New Sentinel readers from far more serious problems with Tim Burchett's administration. What could they be? Sounds ominous.

According to this new theory there is NO Sentinel vendetta against Burchett. It is a "distraction campaign". And there is more, this is to "shift Burchett into the role of sympathetic victim of an estranged spouse".

And the proof for this? Because McElroy and Tim did a skit at the Front Page Follies.

And the source of this diabolical scheme? Internet trolls, of course. Internet trolls have brainwashed Jack McElroy. Damn them.

"The bottom line from all this will be that Tim won't go past local office. And, I think, that was the point of the whole ordeal to begin with."

Having Tim Burchett replace Jimmy Duncan down the line would make some heads explode.

But it isn't mine:

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Has anyone else reading this ever read "A Confederacy of Dunces" ?

"What is preposterous is that it's an attempt to damage his career or payback for the budget battle."

Those 35 plus News Sentinel stories were just a joint agreed on "distraction campaign" between McElroy and Timmy to hide the fact that Timmy sold Knox County to the Chinese for forced child labor camps to make IPhones.

It is preposterous. Simply preposterous.

In other news, it is school coupon time, so support our schools won't you?

Like I said, the trolls are happy to play up the most salacious angles, even if they have to invent them, because the noise takes attention away from serious issues with Burchett's job performance: his unannounced sale of 100+ acres of public land, the rush job and retroactive approval that were needed to get that sale done, the abuses of procedure needed to steer the proceeds toward a pet project.

If KNS were on a vendetta against Burchett in reality, and not just in the minds of dishonest noisemakers, they would not be running 35 articles on a minor story that presents little risk to Burchett.

"his unannounced sale of 100+ acres of public land, the rush job and retroactive approval that were needed to get that sale done, the abuses of procedure needed to steer the proceeds toward a pet project."

No crime here Alex. No laws broken. If this is all you have, you don't have nothing. And it was never a park to begin with. You have spun so hard you have gone into outer space.

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"Norman, the lone vote against endorsing the sale, also is critical because he said a review was never done by the Metropolitan Planning Commission on the best use of the land."

I remember when MPC said the best use for the Midway land was for a Business Park.