No Conspiracy Here
Response to our story on the Sheriff's acceptance of overtime pay from FEMA for his work in New Orleans last year has been heavy and varied.
If you read the comments from this blog or our soundoff forum, it's clear the Sheriff illicits strong emotions, both for and against his actions.
Its also clear that some of his supporters believe WATE did the story out of some sense of bias against the Hutchison administration. Or that I was somehow responsible for the story because of my past connections with the Ashe Administration.
Truth is, I saw the story for the first time yesterday at 5 with everybody else. I was aware of the investigation, but only after it was well underway.
As for bias, our role is to scrutinize the world around us, especially public officials. And that's what we were doing when we came across the Sheriff's overtime.
We weren't targetting him, we were reviewing county overtime records. His overtime popped up. Should we have ignored it? Some who've responded apparently think so.
All we did was report that the Sheriff - a salaried employee - accepted overtime pay for his time in New Orleans. I suspect he felt accepting the money was appropriate, otherwise he wouldn't have done it.
Given the amount of differing opinions generated by our story, we felt reporting it was also appropriate.
Comments
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Comments
Bit more to the story that
Bit more to the story that was left out was that TH was not the only person to be paid, and when he went he had NO IDEA he was going to be paid.
He went as a volunteer and the money showed later, but from a PERSONAL stand point I think he was right to take it.
I don't understand giving to things just to be giving! Heck, how many send dollars to the Red Cross when the storm hit, only to find out the Red Cross is riddled with problems and one of the big ones is the way they pocket money for those who need it!
Hugo (the other big storm) caused the place where I was working to get a giant truck load of supplies for those who needed it. WHEN our driver got near the site the Red Cross told them to turn around, sell all that was on the truck, come back and GIVE THEM the money!
At least when TH and the choppers went down they gave instant help to folks on top of houses, those without water and those who were hungry. Just because months later FEMA started tossng money to him AND OTHERS, is no reason to crack on him for going, unless you are WATE or Wanda.
No doubt you should have run
No doubt you should have run this story. Weather you are for or against the sheriff, you must admit that he went down for a humanitarian effort and collected money for it. That my friend is an oxymoron. Did you hear the story about the girl knocking down dry wall in New Orleans to clean up a house? She found nearly $25,000 in cash and gave it back to the rightful owners. Has anyone heard if the sheriff donated the money to a humanitarian effort? I dont think so.
Have you failed to overlook
Have you failed to overlook the fact that the Sheriff actually went to the Gulf coast to help. What he did isn't against the law. So, leave the guy alone.
Unbelievable. As a police
Unbelievable. As a police officer, these stories irk me. I have several friends and fellow officers that devoted their time to go to the Gulf area to help. For someone to make a big deal that they got paid overtime is atrocious. After hearing their stories and seeing their pictures, I don't think they got paid nearly enough. Instead of poor and reaching reporting such as this, how about thanking these officers for their service and get off their cases.
I see nothing wrong in
I see nothing wrong in reporting when a public official, in an official capacity, profits personally from his actions.
Considering the man makes close to 100k a year, PLUS what he gets from his construction company, and other revenue streams, had he really felt what he was doing was charitable, he would have declined the check.
Add to the fact the persistent rumor that FEMA advised them not to go, and nearly didn't reimburse them for fuel, and I think it's a story worth reporting.
I'd like to hear if Hutchison's FAA rotary wing license even allows him to carry passengers.
If you believe he does anything out of compassion, you're mistaken.
Finally, lots of Officers donated time and equipment to the NOLA efforts. Not all got reimbursed for their efforts.
This is just the tip of the Hutch iceberg.
Add to the fact the
Add to the fact the persistent rumor that FEMA advised them not to go, and nearly didn’t reimburse them for fuel, and I think it’s a story worth reporting."
So much of this story is founded in rumors and shadows. Here is an easy fix, dash over to hallsnews.com and click on betty bean. She gives he facts that some how got left OUT of the TV presentation.
Caught a phone call from a "reported" FEMA person and it said they do not forse FEMA memebers to take money. Not sure what this voice on the phone was saying but the TV station (same one that at 5 today used the "other" TV stations story to try and prop up their shots at TH), felt this mystery caller was the answer to finally catching a lie in the web!
Again, check out Bean for the truth..hallsnews.com
I think this is so typical
I think this is so typical of Tim Hutchison. I don't see why anyone who knows him would be surprised. He is one shady man with no conscience.You don't have to be a Rocket Scientist to see through all his mumblings when he gets asked a direct question. Has anyone ever heard him answer a question? All he knows how to do is shade the truth and keep all his close "Friends" happy by giving them extra overtime pay and sending them to "Schools" in exotic places at the county's expense. Has anyone bothered to check out wheter or not an officer gets paid when they are in drug rehab? Do they get regular pay or overtime because they are there more than 8 hours a day? Has anyone checked to see which county budget officers are paid out of. How come officers are being paid oout of narcotic funds when they have not worked in that unit for years? How come the only time you see some officers leave their "other " jobs is on county payday to pick up their check?
Just look and you will find more where this came from.
Tim Hutchison is a very dishonest man and I can't understand why the Mayor, Law Director,District Attorney and the TBI are closing their eyes when it comes to him.
They can do that but some day he "WILL" answer to a HIGHER POWER.
Has anyone bothered to check
Has anyone bothered to check out wheter or not an officer gets paid when they are in drug rehab? Do they get regular pay or overtime because they are there more than 8 hours a day? Has anyone checked to see which county budget officers are paid out of. How come officers are being paid oout of narcotic funds when they have not worked in that unit for years? How come the only time you see some officers leave their “other †jobs is on county payday to pick up their check?"
Lord help, sounds like you just gave Lori enough work to last several years!
It has to be hard to be the Top Cop, you just make calls that at times step on toes, connected to feet that long to be planted deep in your...Anyway, this blog is turning into a fun venting ground and now that I book marked it (one hard thing to find on the ATE site) it is right behind Drudge and Shop Talk on my list of Favs!
As for the TH story, it is time for 6 to move on. They were sliced and diced by Bean (hallsnews.com) when she dropped real facts on them and if you read the posts most are getting the "big" picture. Nothing wrong with cutting and running when you know you are just digging your crediblity hole deeper and deeper.
Are you referring to the
Are you referring to the Bean - Thursday slot??
First, if the Sheriff did no wrong, why can't he just answer the questions himself?
Second, people try to keep muddying the issue by bringing Patrolmen into it. This isn't about beat cops, this is about the head of one of the largest Law Enforcement Agencies in Tennessee, and how he does business.
Lastly, the Bean article laid nothing to rest. Maybe he did sleep in a helicopter. You have half a dozen employee pilots. Why does the head of the agency go?
When have you heard Hutch at the scene of anything locally?
It's an election year, and an election year stunt. Plain and simple.
I realize I am not going to sway wj's opinion, but the rest of you need to see what the Sheriff is. And, you need to vote him O-U-T.
PS - I stand behind Gene
PS -
I stand behind Gene Patterson and WATE's decision to air this piece. Too many venues are afraid to say anything negative against Sheriff Hutchison.
Good on them!
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