Fri
Jun 12 2009
02:51 pm
Sign of the Times: 40 Apply for Election Post
By: knoxrebel

40, yes - f-o-r-t-y - individuals, have applied for the office of Administrator of Elections. No word on whether incumbent Greg MacKay is one of the 40, or for that matter, whether any other notables who, as one recent County Clerk candidate put it, want "to be better off than 80% of Knox County," have put their names into the mix. The deadline for submitting resumes was Wednesday.



continued...

As far as tomorrow morning's meeting (10:00 Main Assembly Room) goes, it appears that all the Election Commission can do is cull through the list and pick out a few of the more "qualified" folks (if they exist), contact them and conduct public interviews at yet another meeting.

As reported elsewhere, MacKay has the necessary 3 votes to be retained, but that might be contingent upon him actually submitting a resume, something that may or may not have occurred. If MacKay did not submit a resume by Wednesday's deadline, it could be that he will not be considered. The EC did set a protocol and one must assume they will abide by it. Of course, if MacKay did submit a resume, he'll be one of the 10 or so called back and, unless an extraordinary applicant is (surprisingly) on the list, he will retain the position.

Incidentally, the person frequently cited as the "leading contender" to potentially replace MacKay - Cindy Buttry - has withdrawn from her name from consideration, having presumably seen the "writing on the wall."

Topics:
NorthKnox's picture

As of yesterday a.m., MacKay

Submitted by NorthKnox on Fri, 2009/06/12 - 3:07pm.

As of yesterday a.m., MacKay told me via email that he hadn't yet submitted a resume.

charlie o'walker's picture

fun to observe

Submitted by charlie o'walker (not verified) on Fri, 2009/06/12 - 3:22pm.

All I know is what I read in the newspaper, blogs, etc. But ain't this fun? If the election commission has a protocol, don't they have to follow it? Or, do they? Couldn't they vote 3-2 to dump the protocol and then elect Mackay (or anyone) 3-2?

And with 40 applicants, are they going to have a public hearing and hear everyone? How long will that take? Does anyone know?

Meanwhile, Mackay is administrator and the ole clock on the wall keeps ticking, as in when all this started, the GOP was in charge for 24 months. Now it's approximately 22 months and there's still a mess. Could an unresolved "mess" be a part of the Burchett strategy? That boy's clever. It's gonna be a downright pleasure worth paying the price of admission seeing him and Hutchinson engaged in electoral combat.

knoxrebel's picture

Legal posturing?

Submitted by knoxrebel on Sat, 2009/06/13 - 12:20am.

It appears that MacKay, by refusing to submit a resume, may actually be posturing for a lawsuit. By refusing to "apply" for a position he, and many others, believe he has earned the right to keep, and certainly to not lose for "political reasons," MacKay is taking the position that he can't be replaced until he is fired, and to be fired, the EC must do so "for cause," and being a Democrat just isn't "cause." But that's a risky move: that the EC will abandon its protocol and retain him despite the fact that he did not submit a resume, only for fear that he will sue if it replaces him.

Rachel's picture

So what happened in this

Submitted by Rachel on Sat, 2009/06/13 - 2:27pm.

So what happened in this morning's meeting?

R. Neal's picture

It's Mackay (not MacKay).

Submitted by R. Neal on Sat, 2009/06/13 - 3:06pm.

It's Mackay (not MacKay). Carry on.

charlie o'walker's picture

Are you saying...

Submitted by charlie o'walker (not verified) on Sat, 2009/06/13 - 4:53pm.

Mackay was elected at this mornings meeting? Or, an informed opinion it will be Mackay?

If Mackay was elected I guess Sheriff JJ should lock GOP Chair Jenkins up and put him on suicide watch.

R. Neal's picture

No, sorry, I was saying his

Submitted by R. Neal on Sat, 2009/06/13 - 4:57pm.

No, sorry, I was saying his name is spelled "Mackay." That is all. Carry on.

Bbeanster's picture

They didn't select

Submitted by Bbeanster on Sat, 2009/06/13 - 5:13pm.

They didn't select anybody.
They set up a process to rank candidates and set a deadline to do it.
Mackay applied.

Anonymously Nine's picture

Farragut election

Submitted by Anonymously Nine (not verified) on Sat, 2009/06/13 - 5:34pm.

Still no word on the election complaint from the last election in Farragut? That was a long time ago.

How does that happen?

This fiction there are no complaints should concern everyone. Why does the Election Commission ignore valid registered complaints? Who is watching the store?

rikki's picture

Still no word on the

Submitted by rikki on Sun, 2009/06/14 - 7:59am.

Still no word on the election complaint from the last election in Farragut?

You're talking about the newspaper clipping on a bulletin board in a hallway inside the voting place, right?

Anonymously Nine's picture

Long time ago

Submitted by Anonymously Nine (not verified) on Sun, 2009/06/14 - 8:40am.

(link...)

Just pretend it never happened and ignore it.

rikki's picture

Just pretend it never

Submitted by rikki on Sun, 2009/06/14 - 8:57am.

Just pretend it never happened and ignore it.

I was going to discuss it rationally, but I think I'll take your advice. Sorry I mentioned it.

Nobody's picture

Good question. What ever

Submitted by Nobody (not verified) on Sun, 2009/06/14 - 12:56pm.

Good question. What ever happened to the Farragut complaint? That is a legitimate question.

rikki's picture

What ever happened to the

Submitted by rikki on Sun, 2009/06/14 - 1:38pm.

What ever happened to the Farragut complaint?

Can you describe the nature of the complaint, who committed the offense, what was done about it and what additional action might be appropriate?

Anonymously Nine's picture

Link... I know you didn't

Submitted by Anonymously Nine (not verified) on Sun, 2009/06/14 - 4:40pm.

(link...)

I know you didn't ask me, but there it is. It was in the link I made earlier.

If anything was done, it was not reported in local media.

That is the point, Mackay is not this paragon of virtue. But that is what you read in the daily paper.

It's a rigged game. Local media is not independent. So it isn't news as much as it is bias.

rikki's picture

If anything was done, it was

Submitted by rikki on Sun, 2009/06/14 - 5:15pm.

If anything was done, it was not reported in local media.

That's your proof that nothing was done, that you have not seen anything reported?

You didn't fully answer my questions. Who committed the offense, what has been done about it and what else needs to be done? What does this have to do with Mackay anyway? Are you saying he pinned that article to the bulletin board?

Perhaps the fact that this was an exceedingly trivial matter that was handled promptly and had no impact on the outcome has something to do with there being no further news about, assuming that is actually true. It was an article with the headline "Town history to hit shelves" and had almost nothing to do with Ford except that he was in a photo handing an award to the director of the Farragut Folklife Museum, the actual subject of the March 19 article, which was promptly taken down on April 1 when it was brought to the attention of election workers.

This is why you refer to this complaint in the vaguest terms possible, because if you actually described the incident, everyone would see how astonishingly trivial and irrelevant it is and realize that, as usual, you are being radically biased and reckless with the facts, so as to best serve your vindictive ends.

SnM's picture

fwiw

Submitted by SnM on Sun, 2009/06/14 - 5:36pm.

the complaint was reported in detail twice, which, of course, is where the linked complaint pdf comes from.

(link...)
(link...)

Pam Strickland's picture

You cannot conclude

Submitted by Pam Strickland on Sun, 2009/06/14 - 7:26pm.

You cannot conclude something has not happened simply because it was not reported in the local media. The local daily newspaper is under staffed and has an ever-shrinking newshole.

But if the EC did something they would have records. Have you asked for records?

Pam Strickland

"We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be." ~Kurt Vonnegut

Anonymously Nine's picture

It is important

Submitted by Anonymously Nine (not verified) on Sun, 2009/06/14 - 5:56pm.

The issue is whether the "Mackay has no complaints" drone is real. Is this another rigged game?

This reflects not only on Mackay but the Election Commission as well.

It is basic election training. The complaint is detailed. No one, even a sitting Mayor, can have campaign material within 100 feet of the voting machines. This includes favorable newspaper clippings. It is in no way trivial.

And yes, a complaint must be answered even if the complainant won the election. Nice try Metulj.

Replacing Mackay for partisan reasons is wrong. But so is ignoring and refusing to accept legitimate complaints against Mackay and the Election Commission. There have been many legitimate complaints. Whether you accept that or not. Does the Election Commission refuse to accept complaints as a matter of normal operation?

It seems like another in the never ending series of "The Emperor wears no clothes".

We may be the "situational ethics" center of the universe.

rikki's picture

Long-time KnoxViews readers

Submitted by rikki on Sun, 2009/06/14 - 8:34pm.

Long-time KnoxViews readers know your bias and difficulties with facts and reasoning. For newcomers, your willingness to call an article about the Farragut Folklife Museum getting a new book "campaign material" should tell them all they need to know about your credibility.

talidapali's picture

Is it pie recipe time yet?

Submitted by talidapali on Mon, 2009/06/15 - 9:06am.

Some people just aren't happy unless they have SOMETHING to bitch about...doesn't seem to matter much what they are bitching about...just that they have an "issue" and have a platform to pontificate from.

My Grandma's Shoo-Fly Pie

Submitted By: D. Stultz
Photo By: LukesMommy
Servings: 8

"Brown sugar and molasses sweeten up this gooey pie. They 're combined with some other yummy ingredients to make the delicious filling and the wonderful crumb topping."

Ingredients:
1 (9 inch) pie shell
1 cup molasses
3/4 cup hot water
3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup shortening

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

2. To Make Bottom Layer: In a medium bowl combine molasses, hot water, and baking soda. Stir well. Whisk in beaten egg. Pour mixture into pie shell.

3. To Make Crumb Topping: In a medium bowl combine flour and brown sugar. Mix well, then cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle on top of molasses layer.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Lower temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake an additional 30 minutes.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2009 Allrecipes.com

Printed from Allrecipes.com 6/15/2009

_________________________________________________
"You can't fix stupid..." ~ Ron White"
"I never said I wasn't a brat..." ~ Talidapali

Tamara Shepherd's picture

Momma used to sing that jingle...

Submitted by Tamara Shepherd on Mon, 2009/06/15 - 9:50am.

Shoo-flie pie and apple pan dowdy
Make your eyes bug out and your stomach say "howdy."
Shoo-fly pie and apple pan dowdy--
I can't get enough of that wonderful stuff!

(Now, shoo.)

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