Response on Sheriff's Overtime
We knew this story would generate controversy and it has.
During a routine review of Knox County overtime records, we discovered that the Sheriff had collected nearly $10,000 and his Chief Deputy Tom Spangler nearly $9,000 for their time in the New Orleans area last year.
It surprised us because we had assumed they were volunteers. But of the $43,000 reimbursed to Knox County by FEMA, nearly half of it went to Hutchison and Spangler.
Our Soundoff Forum was pretty negative toward the Sheriff. Below is an example:
In my opinion, I am very disappointed to hear that Sheriff Hutchison accepted this money. However, I am not suprised. When asked to comment on this, I think it is funny how he quickly moved to discussing the poor victims of Katrina, rather than the actual issue at hand. How can one really relate to the victims of Katrina, when they essentially just put almost $10, 000 in your pocket?! He should be ashamed!!!!! -- AFisher
But not everyone thought the Sheriff's acceptance of the money was wrong. Below is a post from a police officer:
I am a cop here in Knoxville, we all were concerned about the looting and violence which was occurring in Louisiana. Some volunteered, others couldn't for whatever reason. At the time, no one knew that we would be compensated by FEMA for our efforts. A few months after everyone returned we found out that we would receive compensation from the federal government. Those of us who went spent two or three weeks there, worked eighteen hour (sometimes longer) days, missed our families, answered high risk calls in riot conditions, and as almost every cop in Knoxville has to we were unable to work extra jobs to make ends meet while we were away. So when FEMA sent us a check it was a blessing. We would have done it without the compensation, but I don't feel that it was wrong for accepting payment. I doubt that many people (cop or not) would. --- ktwnman
Nothing wrong with being paid for work done, but in the Sheriff's case, wasn't he already being paid by Knox County taxpayers as a salaried employee?
Comments
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Comments
The sheriff is just showing
The sheriff is just showing another way he is not
a responsible elected official. It would be very
interesting to know how the information for payment
was submitted to FEMA since they did not request
his presence at Louisana. Did he bill for himself
or his department????
It is a shame that because he is an elected official
that he doesn't have to answer to anyone for his
very bad decisions. Surely elected officials are
accountable to someone.
For Mayor Ragsdale to always say the sheriff is
an elected official and doesn't report to anyone
for accountability makes one wonder as Ragsdale
is also an elected official. Taxpayer should have
some recourse to the bad actions of elected officials
without having to wait for an election and try to get
get them out of office.
This is just another of
This is just another of outragious activities by our sherrif. Let us all hope term limits we voted in will be enforced and we can be rid of this trash.
I think this is even more
I think this is even more proof that it is time for him to go, right after he pays back the money!
Great job at creating news
Great job at creating news that really isn't news. FEMA, they are the kids who handed out the money and if you put the two men's take together you are under 20K.
Ya know what 20K is to FEMA?? Oh, lets just say a tad less than you lost in the couch or in the floorboard when they kid at the drive-through shoved that one and change back into your hand along with your tripple cheese and fries.
Remember FEMA is the group that bought all those wobbly
boxes and still has yet to release most of them to the folks cause they say their property is in a flood plane, ya THINK! LOL
Anyway, lets really investigate this story. Dig deep and check to see if Wanda's finger prints are on it or not!
As for TH, look around and find a better sheriffff? Hard isn't it.
Also ask who was the person in the news bunker who came up with this story and why? It can't be because they are still upset over being caught in the old rule violation thing can it?
Oh, and that last little bit about INVESTIGATING those making over 100K was just sad. Please, it is not how much you make but how well you do the job. If it takes 100K to get the right boys and girls then pay it and shut up. Salary envey is for loosers, is now and always has been.
I feel the Sherriff should
I feel the Sherriff should be compensated for any hours worked, and the fact that they did not expect to be paid at the time should illustrate clearly the quality of his character.
I think that if the Sherriff
I think that if the Sherriff & his deputy were paid but did not expect it but earned it then they earned it. who is to say that they took it all? maybe they donated some of it back to the Katrina relief fund?
The sheriff of Knox county
The sheriff of Knox county is a salaried employee and receives $106,000 dollars a year in compensation. Why is he being paid overtime at all? He was being paid his salaray while he was in New Orleans. If FEMA reimburses him for the time spent there, he will be paid three times for that period.
Another example of "power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely".
i live in cocke county,
i live in cocke county, where everyone knows we have crooked cops. but this hutchinson guy does what he wants, when he wants. the only way to stop him is to eith vote for term limits or just vote him out. may be the fbi needs to investigate him for misappropriation of tax payer funds. unfortunately, most people will just sit on their butts at election time and not vote, and then complain when hutchinson is in the middle of something else.
The sheriff definetly should
The sheriff definetly should not be paid overtime for something as charitable as Katrina
I SERIOUSLY DOUBT THAT THE
I SERIOUSLY DOUBT THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE POSTING ON THIS WOULD HAVE REFUSED THE MONEY THEMSELVES. I AM CERTAIN THAT FEMA GOT MORE BANG FOR THEIR BUCKS FROM THESE OFFICERS THAN THEY DID FROM THE CRUISESHIP.