to something that's not there?

Larry's week's work is slip sliding away because we don't reach homes until Monday. Am just trying to say he had it first w/o seeming to whine. Life's tough. -- s.

I missed the first couple of minutes but Larry was their only caller tonight. Lloyd Daugherty was on it and, again, called for Ragsdale resignation.

Larry is an accountant who discovered the newspaper business just this year. He's done a super job covering county government and we're very proud of him. -- s.

The Mayor has once again tried to throw Tyler under the bus. Interesting that Van De Vate says it's ridiculous to think the Mayor approved this purchase order, it's not just 'done at this level'. Uh, Dwight, how many county employees accompanied the Mayor to dozens of events, often drove the Mayor to work and was part of everything the Mayor did politically. It's not as if TH was some unknown employee out there.

If you want to see more, check out Franklin's Printing. That's where Tyler funneled all of NPS and Ragsdale political work. Tyler had his problems, some self-created and some due to Ragsdale and Arms. He shouldn't have been getting into my personal computer and collecting and reading my personal email (which I's certain he shared with Arms and Ragsdale).

I go to gossip & lies first.

I was thinking the same thing. In fact, I'd like to know where I can get 6-page color brochures printed for $1 each.

Randy: According to Larry's research, the $9,995.20 from Knox County to National Public Strategies was marked "postage."

Obviously leaves a followup thread for us to get beat on next week -- Did the county pay additional money for "printing" on these brochures? Don't know.

Politically, though, did you notice how Team Ragsdale tossed Haslam under the bus by saying the city paid for half of the cost, leaving the county paying $4,995.20 -- under the need to bid limit? I can assure you that the city check went directly to the Knox County Trustee. The full $9,995.20 went from Knox County to NPS and that means the county violated the Charter.

Tyler Harber only TOOK the money. He didn't write the check! -- s.

should be cynics at some level, and the cynic in me asks WHO benefited from $10,000 going into Tyler Harber's political operations account?

Tyler already had a county salary (and probably a car and P-Card). He was barely 20 years old.

He dabbled in Republican primaries (Woodson/Stokes comes to mind) to help Ragsdale gain allies and eliminate those who might stand in his way in a race for governor.

Whoever in Suite 615 that authorized this no-bid contract to Tyler's company committed more than an ethical lapse. -- s.

Great idea. Want to volunteer for the graveyard shift? --s.

Great idea. Want to volunteer for the graveyard shift? --s.

Did the KNS scoop Betty? Anyway, this is very interesting and good info to know. Things might be different if people knew this 2 years ago before the mayoral election.

to say that ... but you've got to wonder why they didn't simply pay a printer and the Post Office? Why run the money through Tyler's company at all?

Randy Nichols has treated the Tyler Harber saga as simply a bunch of Republicans fighting amongst themselves, but it was more than that. It was an illegal use of county resources to further the political agenda of Mike Ragsdale.

Chad Tindell was a victim and he's a lawyer. What say ye, Chad?

(Edited - where's my proofreader when I need him?)

Allow me to weigh in briefly. Anyone with a recently tested IQ score in three digits who does not see that Ragsdale was in this up to his eyeballs needs to demand a recount, and the Law Director's read on the statute in question leaves me wondering - among other things - how in hell are ouster procedings to be initiated against Tyler Harber? BTW, for the curious, I refer you to T.C.A. §§ 8-47-101 through 8-47-126. Digest that turgid prose, then get back to me when you can explain the Mayor's lack of culpability in this transaction. I warn you in advance that modeling your response on the pap that came from Dwight's office yesterday afternoon ain't gonna cut it.

The KNS "story" this morning can be excused for not taking an editorial position on the grounds that it was "straight news" reporting, but even that designation is questionable, since the story was filtered through Dwight's prism and plain got it wrong, as Sandra Clark points out above. The Mayor's apologists need to remove their Rags-colored glasses, own up to their intellectual spinelessness and spend some time in pursuit of a goal that will really move this county forward - wholesale removal of the occupants of Suite 615.

The PR gurus can weave as much camouflage material as their hearts desire. I, for one, am not persuaded, and - in Knox County - I am legion.

Larry Van Guilder

Once again different day same story... when is Ragsdale going to resign... his adminstration is the most corrupt government I think I have ever seen...

Ragsdale do Knox County a favor and resign so our county can once again move forward...

Chad Tindell was a victim and he's a lawyer. What say ye, Chad?

I have a different perspective on this topic than most on this blog, for a few reasons. One, unlike most all of you, I've known Tyler Harber since he first became involved in politics. That would have been in the 2000 Presidential race. I was Bush-Cheney treasurer. Tyler worked in the office, put up signs and did just about anything anyone asked him to. He was just out of high school, made a lot of friends in the campaign, was keenly interested in politics and thus began a career of sorts.

Over the next few years, I had the chance to work with Tyler on a number of projects. Frankly, I learned some hard lessons. Tyler helped me in some ways, but I just couldn't depend on him. He was actively involved in political races and specifically Mayor Ragsdale's political agenda. Tyler liked to brag and I'm sure his responsibilities with Ragsdale's office were exaggerated. But, Tyler was beside Ragsdale at almost every public event, worked on various projects (powerpoints for key speeches, graphics, mailings, etc.). Everyone knew (and Tyler would tell you) that was his job. As far as I know, he did nothing in whatever county job he was given. He had business cards with Knox Co. Mayor's office info., showing his title as "Special Assistant to the Knox County Mayor". He gave these out freely. So, Tyler was not some campaign worker who ended up getting a county job. He was with Ragsdale and Arms almost daily.

Tyler would do anything Ragsdale or Arms asked him to do. Anything. In the end, that cost him. When Ragsdale called me to tell me he had copies of my personal emails, I don't think it ever entered his mind that I would go to law enforcement. To me, getting into my personal email crossed a line. I had supported Ragsdale (he even married my wife and I just after he was elected) and worked with Tyler at various times (much less so over the year or two prior to discovering the emails were taken). When I first went to the FBI (they sent me to the Sheriff's office), I suspected Tyler had something to do with it, but I wasn't for sure. We now know it was Tyler who got my emails and delivered them to Mike Arms and the Mayor.

As for Randy Nichols, he wanted nothing to do with prosecuting Tyler Harber. I believe he is close to Arms and/or Ragsdale. He wouldn't file the charges, but told me I could. It was at that point that Arms called me, told me he had copies of my emails and would make me look bad in the newspaper if I didn't call Randy Nichols, tell him I had no intention of pressing charges and make this thing go away. I was in the middle of the race for judge and the media had consistently played all this as a political fight (despite the theft of my personal emails and the other findings in the Sheriff's investigation). So, I left it to the DA and Sheriff's office. I talked with Tim Hutchison and he understood. I also knew a complete report on the investigation would be coming out and charges at a future time were a possibility.

I believe Tyler is telling the truth in the interviews he's given since all this happened, notably to Bean in the County Confidential series. I suspect that Tyler is mad that he did everything Ragsdale and Arms asked him to do and viewed them as friends and mentors (almost to the point of being father-like figures, remember Tyler was calling Arms the whole time he was being chased by the Sheriff's officers). So, when they fired him and ran completely away from him, it was personal. The ones he thought he could always trust let him down.

So, Tyler had fault. No doubt. But, some of this was brought on by Arms and Ragsdale using a 20 year old ambitious kid.

...relying on just your suspicions that Ragsdale benefitted politically

Tamara, are you logging in from Roswell, N.M.?

Larry Van Guilder