From what I hear, there's more to the "Bahamas with Lumpy" story.
The rest of the story is that a developer is going to fly them down there in his private plane.
Ain't that sweet?

Lumpy says in the paper that he's trying to raise the $2100 to pay for the gas by inviting fellow commissioners and others to help share. Maybe he should invite Sandra and McElroy.

Ragsdale should require EVERY county employee who used COUNTY credit cards for personal purchases to repay the debt (with interest). He should then FIRE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM!!! Then, based upon having responsibility for this mess, he should RESIGN!!!

Thus goes the political career of a little snot who wanted to be governor. Good riddance to them all!!!!!

With respect to the fish tales told at lunch, you really have to wonder about the mentality of those fools after all the publicity on the subject of the Tennessee Open Meetings Act. Apparently they are not the brightest bulbs in the string! It is time to END THE BS and CLEAN HOUSE!

Why do all of these employees have County credit cards in the first place--even down to the administrative assistants?

If they have legitimate expenses, they should pay for them upfront and then get reimbursed. Or not get reimbursed, as the case may be for ineligible expenses.

Where is the oversight?

What I'm trying to figure out is how did the story of the lunch between these 6 or so Commissioners make it to the KNS? Did the Commissioners themselves report it to highlight the alleged absurdity in not allowing two or more Commissioners to ever meet, ever again without notice to the press? Seems unlikely given Tramel's apparent surprise in being called about it. Did it come from a political opponent? A fellow Calhoun's diner? I hope we get some clarification on the Open Meetings law in the KNS lawsuit and maybe even the Legislature next year.

As for the continued problems in Mayor Ragsdale's office, take heart, we have yet another committee to study the problem? Huh? We need a blue-ribbon panel to tell us that county employees shouldn't use their county credit card to buy personal items? Do county employees have such little common sense? Note also that the Mayor wrote a mean letter to Werner and Finch.

The credit card mess has caused the travel pay to take a back seat. But, there's some twisted logic there. Arms, Van De Vate, Cook and Werner all had their 'travel pay' taken away because they also had a county car provided, and they couldn't have both, so the reasoning went. Cynthia Finch got to keep her $12,000 travel pay/hidden raise, under the same rationale that she didn't get a free car so she got to keep her $12,000. Folks, that's $1,000 a month. Surely the county could lease Finch a Chevy Impala and buy all the gas for a lot less than $1,000 a month. Do the cars provided to Arms, Werner, Van De Vate and Cook cost $1,000 month? We know the answer.

Despite the rationale on Finch and the senior staff, we see that Mayor Ragsdale gets his cake and eats it too. He keeps the $20,000 in travel pay (which isn't travel pay) and also gets to keep his new county paid-for Chevy Tahoe. So, if the others lost theirs, why does the Mayor get both? Well, since you asked, we need another reason. So, now the line is that the Mayor has to make (usually $1) more than any other county elected official. That's true. The Mayor's office says some judges make more. But, not county judges. The only county judges are Sessions Court judges, who make $140,000 plus about $4,000 in travel pay. That's why the Mayor's reported salary (without travel pay) was $140,000. But, his actual salary is now $160,000. So, does this set the precedent that any future county mayor gets $160,000 salary?

Seems to me there's a lack of connection to the ordinary folks in Knox County, who are worried about how to pay for their own cars and buy groceries (and not $500 meals at fancy restaurants).

Betty, if you were married to a Commissioner, would you want to go on a fishing trip to the Bahamas with Lumpy? After one or two trips to Bike Week with me and friends, my wife decided she was much happier leaving some trips the boys. Of course, we were riding several hundred miles to Myrtle Beach on motorcyles, not flying to the Bahamas in a private plane.

I don't know him well, but I do know that Moran has been in county government for a long time, serving under Kessel, Schumpert and Ragsdale. He's not one of the 6th floor insiders, and his name, along with a couple of other senior directors, has been conspicuously absent from all of the travel pay/credit card hubbub. I suspect there is a reason for that.

The guest editorial probably wasn't a great idea, but I don't think it's right to lump him in with the rest of the crowd either.

There is more then just a developer on this trip. I cant believe the NS didn't ask about the other passengers. Political intrigue in the Bahamas. This could be a great story.Strange bedfellows for sure. Too bad reporters don't dig anymore.

A pirate 100 years too late? Maybe not.

The NS is in position to make a difference and some interesting investigative journalism. Hopegully they will recognize the opportunity. I agree they dont dig enough on some stories.

I know they say not to pick fights with those who buy ink by the barrel, but if the facts are complicated or require digging, too often the KNS has less than the whole story, runs misleading stories (you can attribute any motives you like) or is just plain wrong. Scott Barker seems like a nice guy, but his story last Saturday on this travel pay issue was just wrong on some basic facts (it said Ragsdale had dropped the travel pay for all senior staff, which we know is not correct, Finch and Ragsdale kept theirs).

Having tried to explain the Tyler Harber mess to a number of KNS reporters and then reading stories which were plain wrong (and having 20 or so pages of my personal, private emails published on the KNS website), I have a lot of questions about our one and only daily paper.

that Cynthia Finch has NEVER been issued a county owned vehicle. My understanding is that in 2002 she declined the county issued vehicle utilizing her own personal vehicle.

It would make sense to me that she would be allowed to keep the re-imbursement dollars for her using a personal vehicle. With $2.76 per gallon gas (today at Pilot), she certainly is not making extra money.

I would think that any citizen at the Calhoun's would have called the KNS about the Commissioner's lunch meeting, however I will leave that up to Sandra Clark's bosses (at the KNS) to enlighten us on who reported it.

It certainly wasn't me as I haven't been in Tennessee for the last week and a half. In addition, I don't make it a practice of calling the KNS newsroom when I see one or more elected officials gathered together in this case I would have probably gone over and pulled up a chair. I would then attempt to get a few quotes on the record and then report it on Brian's Blog. LOL

Why does she have to be paid for her gas? Do any of us in the private sector get paid for gas to get to work?

What planet do you county workers live on?

I don't know if your question was being addressed to me personally or not. However, I would like for you to know that I have never held a government job except for the position that I was elected by a district where I represented 42,000 Knox County citizens from September 1, 2000 - August 31, 2004.

I have maintained a position in the private sector with the same international company for over 15 years.

Spratt, respectfully I can only agree with one part of your posting- that you don't know Moran very well. Mr. Moran certainly is one of the 6th floor insiders, and in fact is probably one of the top five 6th floor insiders.

Moran's Op-Ed article should be read in its proper context- Moran is exceptionally close to Ragsdale and is a very good friend of the law director. Note that Moran only returned the gratuity after a call from a reporter and 2 calls to Owings seeking legal advice. The other side of the comment that he has been county IT director going back to the Kessel Administration is that he has been accepting gratuities going back to the Kessel Administration.

Moran hasn't been caught up in the travel pay controversy because he is a career bureaucrat who is slicker than Ragsdale and Company. I understand that vendors have paid for trips for Mr. Moran- smoother than taking any travel allowance, huh?

Let's stick just with information that's in the public domain and give you an idea how critical Moran is to Ragsdale. Take a look at the Sheriff's report on Tyler Harber and Ragsdale. Note that a witness from county IT stated that they decided to move Harber out of IT because Harber had access in IT to important, sensitive county e-mails, and they just couldn't trust him with that stuff. Guess who else has access to ALL county e-mails of ALL county employees- Moran. How important do you think that information is to Mr. Ragsdale? Wouldn't we all love it if we could read what others are saying about us or about each other, along with all of the other documents, etc. that are stored in the county information system? How much would we value and rely upon an employee who could bring us that kind of stuff? Information is power, my friends.

We're talking about a former FBI employee during the Nixon administration who has survived 3 county exec administrations of both political parties. Was that by accident? The directors of health, finance, probation, library, etc. didn't survive the onset of this administration.

Back to golf, ask a county IT employee how often Moran plays golf on company time, and how many trips he takes. If they're honest and smart, you won't get an answer.

Ooo! Ooo! I have a question.

Did Tyler Harber ever have one of those county credit cards?

Thank you, that is all.

I apologize if I am repeating anything that has already been asked and answered but I have been working and out town for the past couple weeks but here is my take and the questions I would like answered by someone…

1 – If the CFO of your company was found to be abusing the very credit card he is supposed to be oversee, control and monitor… would you just give him a letter stating now now John don’t do that again or would you FIRE him on the spot… I know what my company would do…

2 – The dinners that the Ragsdale’s team says they were buying while working on our school funding… it is my understanding that state elected officials have not been able for a couple of years now accept dinner from any one lobbing them… and if you can not pay for the elected officials dinner and you are going to be out of town go eat at Applebee’s instead of spending my tax dollars at Morton’s…

3 – Back to point number one… heard Ragsdale say on Hal Hill’s show this morning that the majority of the county employees followed the rules regarding the county credit card… that is good to hear… they bad is the abuse came from his close inner circle of friends and employees… very bad see point number 1!!!! These are very people who should know better…

4 – I also understand that in addition to the travel pay that they tried to sneak through they have also been giving themselves bonuses… now who in government has ever heard of (except for TVA) giving county employees bonuses…

5 – And the last point does anyone now when some local reporter is really going to sink their teeth into this and truly expose what is going on the 6th floor of the county executive offices…

My understanding is that a "lobbyist or lobbying firm" can not provide dinners over $25. I believe that government officials from back home are not prohibted. The Knox County School Board has been dining the Knox County Legislative Delegation in Nashville every year since the late 1990's.

The Knox County School Board has been dining the Knox County Legislative Delegation in Nashville every year since the late 1990's.

Doesn't make it right. -- s.

it doesn't make it right. My only point is that currently it is not against the law. However, I do believe that it would be appropriate for the legislature to make these dinners illegal.