Claudia Ragsdale filed for divorce late Friday afternoon in Knox County Circuit Court, Division 4.
The KNS has more, including a statement from the mayor's office:
On behalf of the Mayor's staff, our hearts go out to the Ragsdales. We hope that everyone will keep the Mayor and Mrs. Ragsdale in their prayers and respect the family's privacy during this difficult time.
UPDATE: Larry Van Guilder discusses the ethics of sitting on a story and how public the private business of public officials should be.
Submitted by RigsbyWerner (not verified) on Fri, 2008/04/11 - 7:58pm.
If there is any indication county funds, county business trips, county hotel bills, or county offices or personnel are involved, then in that event, it will be a public matter and if Mrs. Ragsdale's divorce attorney would like more documentation/detailed paper trails, which have already been produced in various audits (some of which will be released in connection with the hospitality fund audit) that documentation will come, in rather large boxes, sufficient to put this guy under the dock for abuse of the marital vows and complete abuse and disregard for the taxpayers dollars utilize to gallavant around the county, living high on the hog, not tending to the county's business but fully engaged in money business.
If VandyVate thinks this is a private matter, he's praying for the wrong people, and he needs to seriously look at himself in the mirror for guidance.
Didn't Cynthia Finch say there was a P-card charge for a motel on I-75 and was told by Arms "not to worry about it"? The explanation from Dwight was that the room was rented for a "homeless TB patient". Just wondering if there really was a "homeless TB patient" who stayed at the hotel, did the county notify the CDC?
Submitted by Bird_dog on Sat, 2008/04/12 - 12:44am.
I read elsewhere that the divorce papers have "no known address" for the county mayor! And the whole knoxcounty.org site is down for the weekend. What could it all mean I wonder?
Submitted by RigsbyWerner (not verified) on Sat, 2008/04/12 - 12:15pm.
Currently our local government, including the prosecutors who elect to do nothing, is the laughing stock of the entire state and the entire South as it is one sordid event, usually involving Mike Ragsdale, after the other and the people who can stop these shennanigans sit by and do nothing.
1. Get Rid of hte P Cards
2. Take a vote of confidence/no confidence in Ragsdale to get him to leave voluntarily. Otherwise, file the ouster suit.
3. Demand immediate audit by the IRS and State Comptroller of the entire county operation, begining in Suite 615, County Mayor Ragsdale's office.
4. Demand all the government reforms be put on the ballot for August, to rework our county government structure, which no longer works, it's too big, it's non responsive, it can't correct the poor judgment and lack of controls in other departments of the county government.
5. Put Consolidated Government on the next available ballot, adopting the government reforms to scale down the local government and make it more accountable to the citizenry of the county rather than some other department/branch which may have "something" on the other department/branch, forcing decisions and preferences not ordinarilly in the best interest of the tax paying public.
I have a better idea. How about on this occasion of personal upheaval and anguish, you put down your pitchforks and torches and crawl back to your cave. The smoke and flames and searing bile of bloodlust have obviously blinded you to the fact that there have already been audits, reforms, revoked cards and firings.
We have a President who loses billions of dollars at a time and gives away state secrets, but all you can do is keep kicking Ragsdale like hateful, back-alley thugs. White people can be such savages.
Submitted by Bbeanster on Sat, 2008/04/12 - 2:32pm.
Rikki, I hope you're not thinking of Mike Ragsdale when you speak of "personal upheaval and anguish." He's at the Masters tournament (tickets go for about 1,000 per day) having a blast.
Submitted by Ragsdale2010 (not verified) on Sat, 2008/04/12 - 6:33pm.
He can't go more than 24 hours without sticking something on the P-card, sticking his gradiose lifestyle to the taxpayers under the auspices of moving the community forward.
All of the upheaval and consternation is simply a by-product of a person of poor character with too much time, too much of the taxpayers hard earned money, and too little personal responsibility to know right from wrong, good from bad, the proper role of government, and more importantly, the proper role of an elected official.
Submitted by shannon szito (not verified) on Mon, 2008/04/14 - 9:52pm.
at least we need to support some manner of audit and investigation of all aspects of the government...it is just hard to keep up with the corruption all over.
corruption might remain, but at least with a good organization to oversee them ( inspector 'voted in') with consolidation exchange of service and regulation of payments would better be monitored.
A commenter at the KNS made a wistful plea. Can citizens of Knox County divorce him as well?
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Time for an ouster suit. This man has caused enough pain.
If there is any indication county funds, county business trips, county hotel bills, or county offices or personnel are involved, then in that event, it will be a public matter and if Mrs. Ragsdale's divorce attorney would like more documentation/detailed paper trails, which have already been produced in various audits (some of which will be released in connection with the hospitality fund audit) that documentation will come, in rather large boxes, sufficient to put this guy under the dock for abuse of the marital vows and complete abuse and disregard for the taxpayers dollars utilize to gallavant around the county, living high on the hog, not tending to the county's business but fully engaged in money business.
If VandyVate thinks this is a private matter, he's praying for the wrong people, and he needs to seriously look at himself in the mirror for guidance.
know no bounds. the man has no integrity. Of course he is out of town... leaving DVD to make excuses for him.
Didn't Cynthia Finch say there was a P-card charge for a motel on I-75 and was told by Arms "not to worry about it"? The explanation from Dwight was that the room was rented for a "homeless TB patient". Just wondering if there really was a "homeless TB patient" who stayed at the hotel, did the county notify the CDC?
I read elsewhere that the divorce papers have "no known address" for the county mayor! And the whole knoxcounty.org site is down for the weekend. What could it all mean I wonder?
I see Ragsdales brother-in-law is a builder.
Currently our local government, including the prosecutors who elect to do nothing, is the laughing stock of the entire state and the entire South as it is one sordid event, usually involving Mike Ragsdale, after the other and the people who can stop these shennanigans sit by and do nothing.
1. Get Rid of hte P Cards
2. Take a vote of confidence/no confidence in Ragsdale to get him to leave voluntarily. Otherwise, file the ouster suit.
3. Demand immediate audit by the IRS and State Comptroller of the entire county operation, begining in Suite 615, County Mayor Ragsdale's office.
4. Demand all the government reforms be put on the ballot for August, to rework our county government structure, which no longer works, it's too big, it's non responsive, it can't correct the poor judgment and lack of controls in other departments of the county government.
5. Put Consolidated Government on the next available ballot, adopting the government reforms to scale down the local government and make it more accountable to the citizenry of the county rather than some other department/branch which may have "something" on the other department/branch, forcing decisions and preferences not ordinarilly in the best interest of the tax paying public.
I have a better idea. How about on this occasion of personal upheaval and anguish, you put down your pitchforks and torches and crawl back to your cave. The smoke and flames and searing bile of bloodlust have obviously blinded you to the fact that there have already been audits, reforms, revoked cards and firings.
We have a President who loses billions of dollars at a time and gives away state secrets, but all you can do is keep kicking Ragsdale like hateful, back-alley thugs. White people can be such savages.
Rikki, I hope you're not thinking of Mike Ragsdale when you speak of "personal upheaval and anguish." He's at the Masters tournament (tickets go for about 1,000 per day) having a blast.
I wonder if we brought two tickets to the Masters and if so what county business are they doing?
He can't go more than 24 hours without sticking something on the P-card, sticking his gradiose lifestyle to the taxpayers under the auspices of moving the community forward.
All of the upheaval and consternation is simply a by-product of a person of poor character with too much time, too much of the taxpayers hard earned money, and too little personal responsibility to know right from wrong, good from bad, the proper role of government, and more importantly, the proper role of an elected official.
Ah, consolidated government will solve all our problems! How wonderful!
If this is the best argument that the supporters of consolidated government can make, good luck.
Instead of arguing that it's the answer to all our troubles, why not give us some real analysis and research that supports consolidated government?
Uhmm, could it be you don't have any, and the "consolidated government will solve all our problems" is the only thing you've got?
at least we need to support some manner of audit and investigation of all aspects of the government...it is just hard to keep up with the corruption all over.
corruption might remain, but at least with a good organization to oversee them ( inspector 'voted in') with consolidation exchange of service and regulation of payments would better be monitored.
Does anyone know why Mrs. Ragsdale is filling for divorce? Did she give any reason(s)?
Take Care, Be Good and don't play in the street!
SteveMule
Looks like I should have checked the links before I asked my question. Sorry!
Take Care, Be Good and don't play in the street!
SteveMule
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