Ragsdale
Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale shows off his legendary temper Sunday on Tennessee This Week.
He also said the possibility of a special election to fill the 12 county seats appointed by Commission in January, is still alive - though only barely.
The special election, just one of a number of issues discussed at length by the County Mayor, who is usually poised and rarely raises his voice in public.
That was not the case, however, when I asked him about the Sheriff's investigation in the Tyler Harber case. The issue rearing its head again with Chairman Scott Moore's call to add the issue to Commission's agenda.
Harber - a one time employee of the county - has claimed he was involved in "political" duties for Mayor Ragsdale while on county time. A claim the Mayor has vehemently denied.
In the Sheriff's investigation report - a section deals with what investigators label as "inconsistent statements."
Among the conclusions (page 7, 4th paragraph), a statement by Mayor Ragsdale regarding how he came across e-mails taken from former GOP Chair, Chad Tindell's computer, is described by investigators as "obviously a lie."
When I asked the Mayor about that, he got hot.. I mean really hot.
He claimed he didn't recall the accusation in the report and accused me of calling him a liar, which I repeatedly pointed out that I didn't.
We debated back and forth for a couple of minutes (the Mayor doing most of the talking) and finally moved on to other subjects.
It was certainly an interesting side of Mayor Ragsdale we rarely see. You've heard of his legendary temper. You get to watch full blown Sunday.
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[...] From
[...] From GenePatterson.com: Ragsdale Shows Off His Legendary Temper Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale shows off his legendary temper Sunday on Tennessee This Week. [...]
Sounds Interesting!! I am
Sounds Interesting!! I am always at church and have to miss this show, but I have my VCR programmed to tape it.
Well, Patterson's claim that
Well, Patterson's claim that he didn't call Mayor Ragsdale a liar is weak at best. Patterson indirectly called him a liar by quoting a small, small portion of the sheriff's report. Patterson also claimed that he hadn't read the enire report, but he apparently read just enough so he could play the media's GOTCHA! game.
It made for good drama, and since none of Anna Nicole's gang are Knoxville residents, I guess the media does what it has to do to stir up controversy. But, personally, I think we should expect more from a veteran news reporter.
I watched the interview,
I watched the interview, Davy. Patterson didn't call him a liar. And doubtful that many people have read the entire report. But even if you only made it through the initial summary pages, the report lays out that appearances are that Ragsdale hid the truth and may have engaged in cover-up.
The report has been out there and Ragsdale should have expected at least one question. Again, this is another occasion where Ragsdale has an opportunity to look rational and instead he comes across as a psycho, not to mention rude.
He's lucky that Patterson didn't pull out the entire report and start peppering him with questions. Then I guess we would have watched Ragsdale either choke Patterson, stab him with a letter opener, or walk off the set.
First, "appearances" don't
First, "appearances" don't equal evidence. If an "official" report can't back up it's conclusions with evidence, then it makes it even more obvious that the report was a political hit job, not an official investigative report carried out by law enforcement officials.
And as far as saying that Patterson didn't call the mayor a liar, that's like saying a person who hires a hit man (or woman) isn't a murderer. Patterson knows how the game is played. He learned it from J. Victor.
As far as Mayor Ragsdale's reaction, the only thing I would have done differently is that I would have asked Patterson what he thought after partially reading the report. Of course, Patterson would have covered himself, but...maybe Gene is looking for a future govt. job with someone.
No the mayor wouldn't have walked off the set, but he's smart enough to know that if you just sit there and act like you're afraid, the press will roll you and walk right over you.
From the report, section
From the report, section "Inconsistent Statements", page 7:
On March 16, 2005, Mayor Ragsdale stated that he found, in his inbox, the emails upon Mr. Ragsdale's return for lunch on Monday, March 14,2005 and did not know where the emails had come from.
This statement by Mr. Ragsdale is obviously a lie. It is in direct contradiction to the March 23, 2005 memorandum generated by Mike Arms. In that memorandum, Arms states that Harber admitted to Arms on Tuesday, March 15, 2005, of being the source of the emails. Arms continued with the statement "I told Mayor Ragsdale that Harber was the source of the e-mail copies."
Davy, Mr. Neal covered your
Davy, Mr. Neal covered your answer for you.
This line is interesting: "if you just sit there and act like you’re afraid, the press will roll you and walk right over you."
I think Ragsdale's view is that if you have a tantrum or scream, you can intimidate your way out of your misdeeds and lies. I've interviewed Mr. Ragsdale before on talk radio. He flat out lied about his involvement in bringing a major industry to Anderson County. When I corrected his statement, he repeated his lie more aggressively. When I refused to relent the truth, he snapped "ARE YOU THROUGH YET!?!"
He is not God, Davy. Truth has its own power...and Ragsdale believes he he can create his own truth. This interview is the perfect example of why he will not go on to be Governor. It wasn't war. It was just an interview. And in my opinion, the question could really have been viewed as a softball question.
Gene asked Ragsdale what he thought about the Sheriff's report calling him a liar. How's that a hit? Ragsdale could have said, "oh, Gene, it's just politics, blah, blah" or something of the like. Instead he acted like a dern nutburger. It's only a hit because you believe that a 500 page report should have been buried completely. But it is a issue...one that can be successfully or unsuccessfully dealt with by the Mayor. But attacking the media was the wrong answer.
Gawd, I'm torn. Still ticked
Gawd, I'm torn. Still ticked at the wheel tax, stand behind the mayor on the special election.
THATS NOTHING IF DAY TO DAY
THATS NOTHING IF DAY TO DAY WORKINGS OF THE COUNTY WERE KNOWN TO THE PUBLIC,THE HEAT WOULD BE OFF COMMISION REAL QUICK !, BUT I LIKE MY JOB AND TO MAKE THINGS BETTER AND RIGHT, YOUR ONLY, MADE TO BE QUIET,AND THATS THE WAY IT IS ,AND ALWAYS WILL BE, TERM LIMITS FOR SOME HEADS AND SUPERVISORS,WOULD BE MORE PRODUCTIVE FOR CITIZENS, BUT LIKE I SAID, SHUT UP,AND PAYDAY IS ON FRIDAY...........
I've found Mayor Ragsdale's
I've found Mayor Ragsdale's blog to be quite enlightening on this subject. I didn't even know he had one. MayorMikeRagsdale.blogspot.com
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