Looks like the KNS has no interest in this poll. Puzzling.

On the very last day of my Grand Jury duty, as we rode the bus to the jail, we were told that we had the power to investigate anything we thought needed investigating. When we got back to the city/county building, we were told that our "field trip" to the jail was an official inspection. This was clearly by design. An informed juror is a nuiscance.

From today's Metro Pulse

Votes Are There
Knox County Commissioners are discussing among themselves whether they should initiate an investigation into Tyler Harber’s allegations about his career working for County Mayor Mike Ragsdale. Commissioners could hold hearings and ask questions, with witnesses under penalty of perjury, or they could pass a resolution calling on Sheriff Tim Hutchison to do an investigation and take it to a grand jury.

Some commissioners say there are 10 votes (a majority) to call for an investigation, but as yet no one wants to be the one to make the motion. Discussions continue. Hutchison has enough allies on Commission to call for an investigation, should he want Commission backing.

Harber told the Halls Shopper he never did any work in his county job in the Probation and Pre-Trial Release department, that he tried to get information on political enemies from the county health department and that he interfered with the petition drive to repeal the wheel tax. Harber was fired after a scandal erupted over stolen e-mails from Republican Party Chair Chad Tindell winding up in Ragsdale’s office.

Team Ragsdale contends that Harber is a liar and a “troubled young man.”

Who Pays?
The Knox County Sheriff’s Department has been asking that Jay Witt, who worked in the county’s Probation and Pre-Trial Release Department, reimburse the county for the cost of the Crown Victoria he ran off the road and wrecked last fall. The county’s Crown Vic, reported to be worth about $12,500 before it ran off the road, was sold for scrap at $350.

County Mayor Mike Ragsdale’s office sent a letter to the judge saying Witt would not be asked to reimburse for the car until the court case is settled. The agreement to settle criminal charges may require reimbursement and the matter will be decided. The county is self-insured.

The mayor’s office says if the court does not require reimbursement, the county risk management office will be asked to look at past practice and then a decision will be made whether to pursue the matter. Normally sheriff’s deputies who wreck patrol cars are not required to reimburse, but Witt was charged with driving drunk. The inventory of his car after the accident revealed a set of keys to virtually every office in the City County building. Witt had worked in court security in a previous job.

Witt, who resigned his job, has been hospitalized and then in rehab for alcohol, and the case, handled by an out of town prosecutor and judge, has yet to be settled. Local court officials recused themselves in the matter.

(link...)

150 responses to the poll but no response from the Knoxville News Sentinel.

George,

You reveal you own, rather profuse, ignorance of the situation every time you post about Hornback. So, I'm going to break it down for you in hopes of pehaps shedding some light on a situation that is clearly beyond your capacity.

1. Brian Hornback is an ignorant hack who was offered and subsequently took a powerless position as party chairman so Ragsdale could get some lists.

2. Hornback was never on the 'inside' and would have not been privey to sensitive information.

3. Even if Hornback had seen something, he wouldn't have known enough about what was going on to able to give us any more of an idea than what we already have on the subject.

You obviously have no idea what you're talking about. So, please redirect you time and text toward beneficial discussion - such as, why all Ragsdale's 'money buddies' brought up all the options in Thorn Grove? Were they 'tipped off?' And, is Ragsdale to blame?

It's over.

Just lay down your pitch forks and torches because it's clear that no one is going to investigate or be tried. No one is talking, no one is investigating and no one is resigning.

I do admit that certain people's political careers have been shortened, but no one is going to jail or even court for these things.

Hound people like Hornback all you want, but Betty Bean's article clearly points out that Brian was never on the 'inside.' He was merely a dumbwitted follower who was tapped for a crappy job that had no power in order to secure some lists.

As for Tyler Harber, well, the kid did a bunch of wrong things, but he apparently is now working for some major political consulting group in DC. So I guess his life wasn't as badly maligned as he made out.

And, for Mike Ragsdale - this obviously has been a hard pill to swallow, but the media never caught on and he's still Mayor. And that doesn't seem to be changing anytime soon. Sure, he may have been outed by some kid he wronged, but we all basically knew he was a sleeze to begin with.

Now I would like nothing better than to see people who abuse public power and trust be prosecuted, but clearly it's just not going to happen. So, let's admit that fact and start talking about something else and quit wasting our time calling for an investigation and resignation that will never happen.

Do you think the Knoxville News Sentinel will notice this poll on KnoxViews where over 134 people participated and 87% believe a Grand Jury should investigate Mike Ragsdale and Company?

Michael?

At Gene Patterson's blog there is a new call for the Grand Jury from a former Knox County Commissioner who also ran for the office of Mayor of Knoxville.

Former County Commissioner Madeline Rogero echoes the sentiments of political columnist Frank Cagle in calling for a grand jury investigation of the allegations being made by former Knox County employee Tyler Harber.

Terry Frank has also called for the Grand Jury as has Frank Cagle.

What are your thoughts?