I saw the television news report about her activities this morning. One of the commissioners (forget which one) said that there were numerous charges on her p-card that were apparently actually related to her sorority activities and that he thought she should repay those expenses to the county.

If these accusations are true, then I think she should repay the county and then be fired. (And, check her card for this vacation too.)

Every p-card down there should be auditied.

in the interview was R. Larry Smith. He is the Republican that defeated Mary Lou Horner.

Smith appears not be in anyone person's camp (Mayor, Sheriff, Trustee, Register etc. etc.). He is just doing the best job for the citizens.

Cynthia Finch should be fired and prosecuted. Once these people get caught, they think that paying back a portion of what they stole from the taxpayers makes it all better? Where is the audit of all the other county p-card purchases outside of the cards held by the Mayor's staff?

When Finch was first named to her position back at the beginning of the Ragsdale era, she was in arrears $20,000 or so on property taxes as I remember, and somebody had to settle that account before she could take her new job. This is nothing new.

R. Larry Smith donates his entire County Commission salary to schools within the Seventh district and he has no relatives that are employed with/for Knox County.

Thats all we ever hear from Ragsdale.I would say that too if everything behind ya is in such a mess.

Its time to stop with the little dutch boy answer.
To get back on track he needs a clean sweep.
Everybody must go.

why can't all the Commissioners and School Board members take R. Larry's lead on this?

Then each district would be better. It is unfair for R. Larry's donation to be watered down to every district, when the taxpayers in the Seventh District are paying his salary. So, they should be the ones to benefit, for making the wise decision of hiring him. Right?

Steve Hunley when he served on the School Board donated the same amount as his salary to the schools. It wasn't common knowledge at the time.

Rachel. But if you live in the 9th a majority of your good neighbors elected Paul and Larry and due to the Supreme Court kicking Larry out you have Tim Greene.

There was at least some public input into the Tim Greene appointment. At least more input than my district got with Frank Leuthold. I like Frank, but we had some good choices in Pamela Treacy and Jamie Dobbs that were ignored.

BTW, Tim is doing a good job.

I understand your frustration and I am not trying to minimize it. For you and others like you February is on the way.

pay the Commissioners salaries. Each Commissioner represents a certain number of residents. In the 5th district there are enough residents to have 3 representatives.

So, to your original point. The taxpayers in the 9th pay for Paul and Tim. My property taxes currently pay for Leuthold, Hammond and Leuthold.

it was the TN AG (Attorney General) that opined to the County Law Director that term limits was not constitutional, many moons ago.

It was then the Shelby County case that made its way to the TN Supreme Court and the TN Supreme Court ruled in the Spring of 2006 and their ruling was contrary to the opinion/finding that the AG (under TN Democrat Ned Ray McWherter, I believe)had opined.

So, yes the TN Supreme Court threw them out.

How did this become about R. Larry Smith?

Way to change the subject, Hornback.

you make some valid points to ponder. Thanks.

Beanster, as always you throw out an allegation with no basis. R. Larry's name came about as I was responding to a Tess's comment about the interview that Tess saw on WBIR.

However, Thanks for giving me so much credit. Have a great week.

I note all R. Larry had to say was that Finch ought to pay the money back. He didn't call for her termination. Same old routine...get caught, pay it back.

'We will not allow the Mayor's staff to take personal trips at county taxpayer expense...again.'

Expect this quote from Lorna Norwood. BTW, where's Van De Vate? I thought he was the guy from the Mayor's office who deals with the press. Or does the Mayor's office now have two spokespersons?

It appears every time the auditor expands the search new and excessive illegal spending pops up... once again I say when will the recall begin??? how much more do we have to endure???

I just noticed Norwood had been the one out front speaking to the press over the past several weeks. Dwight is smart and capable. I just wondered where he might have been. He reads this blog, so maybe he can post...hehe, not likely.

WBIR: Was Requitta Bone's trip to Detroit for AKA sorority business?

Mayor Ragsdale and Cynthia Finch: No comment.

No comment on the spending of taxpayer dollars. I guess they don't owe any explanation. Remember, Bone can't be more fired. Sound familiar? Someone needs to look a lot closer at Bone and Finch's travel and sorority work on county time.

The Finch trips are easy. If it was to recruit an AKA convention, as explained by the Mayor on TV tonight, why did Finch not once mention AKA in her travel expenses? A 2-hour tour of a Buffalo library and the Knox County taxpayers picking up the tab for a 4-day AKA convention. That's rich. Won't happen...what's the word...again?

WBIR also noted tonight that some of Finch's expense reports were corrected with today's date appearing.

Why does the Mayor think the end justifies the means... it does not... it is time the whole group of them go... just go away...

It is my tax dollars they are spending not their money... stop it now!

The mayor's spin yesterday was laughable. First it flat out stinks that Finch can just bring in her sister as her secretary, both of them jetset all over the place and charge items to the taxpayers. Second, it reeks when the mayor tells us what 'good' it brought to the county. Grasping at straws. Outrageous!

Specific dates please. We are told the trips were good because it brought an AKA convention to Knoxville...in April of 2005. When did the Finch trips (none of which mention AKA) occur? The paper says Mayor Ragsdale reviewed and approved those trips in the last year. So, what in the devil did these trips have to do with 'bringing' a convention to Knoxville which took place 2 1/2 years ago?

Finch says she paid her own expenses related to the AKA convention. So please tell us, exactly what expenses did Finch charge to the County?

All this begs another question. Was Bone a sacrificial lamb fired to protect Finch and stop further inquiry?

CBT

CBT, I think you are onto something... check the dates for the trips Ms. Bone took and then look at the dates for the trips that Ms. Finch took too... I would be surprised if the dates don't look familiar...

"she withdrew when the courts upheld the term limits. As all the incumbents who were term limited should have done. R. Larry Smith ran unopposed on the Republican ticket."

Mary Lou desired to be re-elected and continued campaigning even after she said she dropped out.

Actually, R. Larry in addition to facing Mary Lou, he was also opposed by James McMillian. So, R. Larry did not run unopposed.

You were wise to have an R. Larry sign in your yard

(link...)

Where is this going to end?

Once again the Ragsdale Executives are in the news... and it is not good news... what did Ragsdale say when he was running for office... "Making Government Better Every Day"... I guess he forgot about that statement... enough is enough... it is time they all go...

Watch the WBIR interview. Ragsdale looked like Finch's lawyer. Geez, what happened to keeping your boss out of negative publicity? That's where ego and a determination to control the media gets in the way of good sense.

Based on today's story, I'm curious. What was Finch's job prior to being hired by the County Mayor (at $132,000/year)?

Like Tamara, Barker's story was a bit hard to follow. Is there a conflict? Is it something that should just be disclosed under the new ethics law? Is there some personal gain by Finch? I can't tell if there's a real issue here or not.