Via a newsletter, I see that the Tennessee Center for Policy Research has given the 2007 Lump of Coal Award to Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale and the Knox County Commissioners. The Lump of Coal Award is given every year to "the person or group in Tennessee who, more than any other over the past year, acted as a Grinch to taxpayers by wastefully spending tax dollars and bah-humbugged the principles of open, transparent government."
It's easy to see why Knox County was so honored. From the newsletter:
After the Tennessee Supreme Court ruled that the term-limited Knox County Commission could not serve once their terms expired, commissioners voted to fill 12 soon-vacant commission seats with friends and family members. Among the new appointees were the son, wife, father, campaign treasurer and chief deputy of outgoing council members.
Following the vote, it came to light that Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale had threatened to withhold funding to districts of commissioners who did not vote for the mayor's preferred candidates. The mayor and commissioners were later found in violation of the Tennessee Open Meetings Act for the closed door vote-trading that occurred during the selection of the new commissioners.
To make matters worse for Knox County taxpayers, members of Mayor Ragsdale's staff and county commissioners made questionable and unapproved purchases at taxpayers' expense on county credit cards. This led to the resignation of the Knox County finance director, the mayor's executive assistant and an administrative assistant. Among the dodgy expenses were a cruise and a $227 lobster lunch for three.
Shame.
County Commissioner Mike Ritz has run the numbers and figures the state is short changing the citizens of Shelby County in education funds:
Ritz said his research shows Shelby County is one of few Tennessee counties to be paying more toward education than what the state provides. Ritz believes Shelby County is sacrificing so that other school districts can get more state funding.
According to Ritz's numbers, the state has short changed Shelby County between $32 and $35 million a year.
Ritz is going to talk to the other county commissioners to determine the feasibility of suing the state for the lost funds and to make sure it doesn't happen again.
Problem is, I don't see how winning this suit would be possible. So what if Shelby County citizens are subsidizing the education of kids in other parts of the state? How is that different from what the federal government does? Or the state in a host of other programs?
If the money was expected to stay where it is earned, then we wouldn't need government. Hmmmm, now there's an idea . . .
The latest thing in the drug world is crystal meth that's been flavored with strawberry or chocolate:
Now, parents have one more drug to worry about. A new kind of methamphetamine could be on its way to Middle Tennessee. It's called "strawberry meth" or "children's meth."
The drug is flavored and made to look like the candy pop rocks. . . .
"They're using strawberry Quik like Nestle's quik, the mixes to flavor it, and they're promoting it with items that kids maybe attracted to," he said. . . .
Police said the emergence of flavored meth is a way drug dealers are trying to hide the ingredients such as gasoline, lye and battery acid, which are all used to make meth. . . .
In addition to Memphis, police have found flavored meth in Arkansas, Missouri, and Nevada. Metro police said they've not seen this drug in Nashville.
This reminds me of cigarette companies using cartoon characters to appeal to children in order to get them hooked early on a lifetime addiction. That practice was outlawed about two decades ago and this should be too!
Oh wait.
Isn't this a wonderful world?