Did you see this article in today's paper. (link...)
Honestly, I don't see how Ragsdale can keep a straight face. It has to get better, don't seem like it can get much worse.

Cathy Quist laid off longtime (6 year) employee Hubert Smith. In the lay off notice she said that he was being laid off due to the County (Commission/Mayor) not funding his position.

The budget submitted by Quist and approved by Commission did NOT eliminate one position.

Quist assistant Tim Wheeler appeared before County Commission in busget hearings twice in June and NEVER indicated any lay-offs were in order. Who is lying? Wheeler or Quist?

Smith appeared before County Commission on Monday July 23, 2007. Both Vice Chairman Tank Strickland and Chairman Scott Moore said that the Commission funded Quist budget at 100% of her request. Privately, Commissioners have indicated to me that they are displeased with Quist dishonesty on this issue.

It appears that Smith's lay-off is a knee jerk reaction by Quist to a post that appeared on Brian's Blog about Quist employee Sharon Cawood. Hubert Smith was not the source or even a source for the post. I have multiple sources in addition to a first hand incident to back up the post.

It is obvious that the post was accurate because within 24 hours of the post. Cawood was demoted from her Juvenile Court Supervisor position and sent to the City County Building General Sessions Court to be monitored by Quist, herself.

Within another 48 hours Hubert Smith was laid off under false pretenses.

We need a swifter way to recall office holders because for thirteen years they did not abide by term limits passed in 1994 by Knox County voters.

Thankfully there are term limits on County Commission, Sheriff, Register of Deeds, the County Clerk, and the County Trustee’s office.

Now we need a reasonable way to force a recall vote and maybe it would break up the cliques, and snip the family ties.

Electing unqualified people in a popularity contest to do finance, accounting, and management seems unreasonable. These are jobs that should require advanced degrees and real experience.

WBIR article showing more corruption in Knox County.http://www.wbir.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=47575

On this thread, as well as the one I posted early this morning, Brian Hornback tries to change the subject to Cathy Quist and away from Mike Arms ILLEGAL activity and, according to another post, lies.

Brian, if you're upset about Hubert getting fired, fine. But, start a seperate thread. And, be prepared to state specifically why Cathy didn't have the authority to do exactly what she did. Maybe you should also discuss why Hubert was spending county time running off copies of critical statements about Commissioner Cawood.

when that there new thread is posted.... I very much would like to talk about "Letters of Agreements" with Fee Officials...

I will repeat what I said in response to your duplicate posting of your question and then your request of me to create a thread. I am not here to create threads. I am here to respond and engage in the debate. I am here to be the truth squad on S.Clark and Beanster.

If you will recall. You and Beanster thought that every anonymous poster was me. It wasn't. You lied about me.

To your comments on this thread relevant for my response. Thanks for asking by the way. Cathy had every right to make the decision she did, if she had cause. She said that the lay-off was based on Commission not funding Hubert's salary. That is a lie. Commission Chair Moore and Vice Chair Strickland have said (publically) that her request was fully funded.

Cathy did not make an appearance at the two budget hearings. Tim Wheeler did. The office was not truthful in the request, if they eliminated his position prior to their budget request. Why did it take them from 7/1/07 when the budget year began until 7/20/07 the day he was laid off? Hubert has had six years of great evaluations. He has given Cathy and the taxpayers more than he has received.

As for your allegation against Hubert about running off critical comments about Sharon Cawood. I don't know what you are referring to. That would be best asked of Hubert. I would suggest that you call into to the salute America Show tomorrow Sunday 7/29/2007 from 3 - 4 pm at 865-675-8255 and ask Hubert when he is a guest on the Salute America show on AM 850.

Chad, you were not a candidate for General Sessions Judge until Cathy dropped out. Is there anything you want to share? Had she run for and been elected General Sessions Judge would you have run for Circuit Court Clerk?

I would not have run against Cathy. She's popular and we share too many of the same supporters.

I'll be at work tomorrow. I'll not double Hubert's audience by listening in.

Truth squad, spinner for Arms and Ragsdale...whatever.

on Sunday?

A good member of Central Baptist Bearden.

Salute America is NOT Hubert's show. Hubert will be the guest on Salute America from 3-4 pm on AM 850. So, you could still listen without listening to Hubert's show.

Hubert's show is 4-6 pm on AM 850.

Yeah, I sometimes work after church on Sundays. The phone doesn't ring. It's a good time to get caught up. I don't think the Good Lord minds too much.

Back to the point. Brian, answer two questions.

1. Was Mike Arms wrong to release Tim Hutchison's personal information?, and

2. Should he be punished for doing so?

about working on Sunday's. It is neccesary, glad you are going to church, first.

Question 1. Yes, it was wrong.

Question 2. Yes, He should be punished. To the tune that you would like, firing or killing. Probably not. The Mayor should ensure that it never happens again and whatever cost Sheriff Tim had to incure to change Checking accounts and other things to protect himself should be handled by Knox County.

Heck, Arms has admitted the mistake and my understanding has apologized.

Again, I supported Sheriff Tim in 1990 and still do today. I met Ragsdale and Arms in 1993. I like them all.

Heck, Chad. I don't dislike you, Sandra or even Beanster. We may disagree with how to handle disputes that arise. But your still a decent guy.

Have a good time at your neighborhood picnic. I was planning to attend the Sheriffs Community Night at The Cove. But it's kind of ucky outside.

Brian, I don't dislike you either. We just disagree on some things. But, as Jimmy Duncan is fond of saying, even best friends and spouses disagree sometimes.

'Not Again' is too often the refrain from the Mayor's office.

Arms should be fired, plain and simple. Ragsdale should resign. Enough of the theft, corruption, political spin, and BS!

Mr. Hornback...
Doesn't it make you feel bad at all that your obsession with the Cawoods cost Hubert his job?

no obsession with the Cawood's. As a matter of fact Mark was a co-host of a fundraiser for me in January 2004.

If as you suggest, Hubert Smith was laid off because of my blog. Then Ms. Quist is wrong and a liar. First, she said in the letter to Hubert that the County had not funded his position. Secondly, Hubert was not my source or even a source for the blog post about Sharon's lack of work ethic. There are many different individuals that were sourced including a Supervisory person in the Quist organization.

If we as taxpayers are paying someone to do a job. Then they should do that job for the eight hours they are being compensated for.

There are many different individuals that were sourced including a Supervisory person in the Quist organization.

Care to identify those persons?

After watching WBIR and WATE talk shows this morning can it only be matter of time for Mike Arms is fired... it appeared to me pretty much everyone on both shows called for the firing of Mike Arms and several said Mike Ragsdale should resign too...

At some point, someone needs to explain to Mike and Mike that Knox County/Knoxville was here before them and will still be after them and for the good of the community and they need to resign...

It is time our county gets back to work and it appears as long as those two are still in office we will not be able to move the county forward with improving schools, road, etc.

Because we will be waiting on the next scandal to begin as long as they remain in office… to many scandals to list here… (but it would be nice for someone else to list them all on another post)

Mike Ragsdale thought he was a king maker messing in everyone political race, and by the way loosing all of them, sticking his paws into here one else’s business...

Just caused they changed the title of the office did not mean they changed the job description... it is time bring back the correct name of the office "county executive"