Wonder what's the significance of the July 21 quit date?

Probably accrued vacation and comp time, I'd say, but hey. Who's counting? -- s.

Ugh. Reading the KNS story about this reminds me why I don't read comments over there.

If we judge them by what they write, the posters at the KNS website, with a (very) few exceptions, are wretched, awful people. I'd feel sorry for them if they weren't so overtly malicious.

I bet most of them work for county government!

These are a few points Susanne Dupes and I made to Hayes Hickman and Rebecca Ferrar regarding this matter.

<< We just wanted to clarify some points about the timeline.

1. What Commissioner Pinkston asked Alison Wagley in the budget hearing on June 18th was if she was still a Knox County employee. She was then, she is now, and she will be a Knox County employee until July 21st.

2. Alison did not accept a formal offer of employment from UT-Battelle until well after the budget hearing.

3. As you know, she did not offer a formal letter of resignation until yesterday, June 26th. Also, the budget discussions were about funding for the Office of Neighborhoods and not about individual employees, although some Commissioners tried to make proposed budget cuts personal. As you know, the Mayor's Office strongly believes that the Office of Neighborhoods is an important part of making Knox County government accessible and responsive to the public, regardless of who staffs it. >>

It is the prerogative of all county employees to pursue other professional opportunities. Until they have received a formal offer and they accept that offer, it's nobody else's business, including the County Commission.

Dwight Van de Vate
Chief Administrative Officer
Knox County Mayor's Office

Reminds me of what the definition of is is.

Mr. Van de Vate from all that I have heard you are a fine, upstanding individual. If you would resign you would send a strong message to Knox County i.e. "I'm tired of trying to defend those actions to which there is no defense". Don't be a Scott McClellan.

to his job that he cannot be effective in any longer and rather than get out of the way, turn the role over to somebody with credibility and trust of the community, he's like a kids in the sandbox who is trying to hang on to all of the sand, trying to stay relevant in a situation is only made worse by his continued presence.

We're losing decent private sector jobs left and right in this community right now, while the other communities, particularly Blount County have done a much better job of diversifying their local economy, while in Knox County everybody either works for the local government or works for a not for profit.

It is real easy for Blount County to secure new job when Ragsdale is giving them $5,000,000 of our money for their economic development!

Dwight I used to think of you as honorable, but not anymore, how do you sleep at night?

Mr. Van de Vate must be very tired. He has the hardest job in Knox County.

Knox County existed w/o an Office of Neighborhoods for 200 years. County Commission should have eliminated it from the budget.

Where was Lumpy, one might ask, in this year's budget debate? Word on the street is he sold out his independent spirit for a few buck to the film commission -- where somebody gave him a starring role.

Say it ain't so, Lumpster! -- s.

Note from management. Number 9 just had a comment that raised interesting questions, but he crossed the line with the last sentence so it had to be removed. Too bad. I don't generally have time to edit comments. If people like Number 9 want a forum, they should stick to the facts and the legitimate questions and leave out the gossip and innuendo.

Knox County existed w/o an Office of Neighborhoods for 200 years. County Commission should have eliminated it from the budget.

I disagree. In this era of developers squeezing the citizens to death, and things like the practical extinction of tort (thanks, GOP!), we need this office. It just needs to do what the name implies instead of being window dressing for the mayor.

I've spoken with Mr. Rosenberg recently and got a strong favorable impression that the Office of Neighborhoods may change for the better. Let's give him a chance.

It's "others" who need to be drummed out of our county government.

I'm genuinely curious - what do you mean by this?

The GOP hasn't done anything to water down tort laws in the last 25 years? That was one of the constant mantras from the likes of Dick Armey, Lott, Gingrich, DeLay, McConnell, Phil Gramm, et. al. before other more pressing political matters arose (their reign against "terrur" and elitists). To hear it from them, it was one of their noblest causes.

For the problem my neighborhood is having, I have done a little light laymen's reading on tort (OK, Wikipedia), and that topic squarely covers our issue. However, I'm almost sure we would get laughed out of a modern bid'ness capitalist friendly courtroom, even if we could muster the legal fees.

And you're using political elitist Bobo as your reference!? Mr. Obama-is-elitist-because-he-would-be-out-of-place-at-an-Applebee's-salad-bar (that's nonexistant because Applebee's doesn't even have a friggin' salad bar)? How quaint!

Tort "reform" is code for tort elimination. We all know it. Are you just saying that tort litigation is alive and well because the GOP failed on its promises (again)? And are all lawyers employed from tort, or just Democratic lawyers? Hell, aren't you a lawyer? Of course, who am I to question such an expert topic of yours?

I'm not a fancy lawyer or anything, so what do I know? I'm just a meager engineer trying to make sense of things in this world with the simple gifts that I have. Sorry to have an opinion.

This is sort of a classic example of a hijacked thread. Could you guys start a new one with a more appropriate title? I keep coming here to read about Knox County Office of Neighborhoods.

We don't need tort reform we need a loser pay systems. You sue me and lose you pay my legal fees. This would stop all the frivolous lawsuits. Make attorneys file bond equal to the estimated cost to defend and when they lose pay the other sides legal fees. If your case has merit, you win and the bond is released.

I don't know what this has to do with the Office of Neighborhoods director but I did enjoy watching Trent "Tort Reform" Lott telling the Senate that there would be hell to pay during his recent unpleasant experience with State Farm.

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