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| From left: Dean Rice, Jennifer Bodie, Casual Chris and assassin and chief budget overseer Jason Lay |
Brown and I rode together for the five minute ride and park. Andrews and Campfield drove separately. We all met at the entrance of The Bistro. Campfield and Andrews went inside to get a table and I waited outside and talked with Spanky while he finished his cigarette.
It took two minutes or less for Spanky to finish his smoke and we walked in to join the others. When we walked through the door the exchange between Campfield and the owner of The Bistro, Martha Boggs was in progress. I didn’t hear it all obviously, but less than 30 seconds later I knew brunch wasn’t going to happen here, and Spanky and I turned around and walked out. We waited outside for Dan Andrews and Stacey. Stacey didn’t need me to defend him and there was nothing I could say to Martha to change her opinions either.
An owner of a business has the right to serve whomever they please and far be it from me to tell them otherwise, but Campfield was there on my invitation as an extension from being a guest on my radio show and to support a sponsor. I regret the whole ordeal. Considering the online buzz this has generated seemingly around the world, I felt compelled to offer this background information to those concerned and interested.
I see there’s been somewhat of a fallout for Stacey Campfield over those comments about gays, bullies and AIDS. (You know, because they were so brilliant and insightful.)
Apparently, the owner of Bistro at the Bijou gave the good state senator the boot yesterday afternoon.
Campfield, local comedian Spanky Brown, reporter Dan “The Man” Andrews and radio talk show host Hubert Smith went to the restaurant to eat, when owner Martha Boggs pretty much told Campfield to get the $&%* out.
(From what I understand she called him a homophobe, but there was also a choice word that preceded it. Heh.)
Anyhoo, Dan told me that as they were exiting, Brown said: “Wow, this is the first time I’ve ever seen two black guys walk into a restaurant and a white guy gets thrown out.”
(What’s that expression? You shouldn’t crap where you eat?)
For his part, Stacey was “very calm, very professional and very understanding,” Dan said.
They ended up having lunch at Latitude 35 on Market Square.
UPDATE: The Metro Pulse talked to Martha this morning: Click right smack here for it it.
UPDATE: Please note that the following entry is based off the recommendations of the finance department. After it was posted, The good Trustee John Duncan III sent me a message, noting as such. He said the office has yet to discuss it with him. "I am writing a check for $6,000. Everyone is expected to return both payments," Duncan said.
Although pay day for county employees is this Friday, the folks over in the Trustee's Office won't begin paying back their interest free loans (I mean, bonuses they received two years in a row for not completing a government-related course) until early February.
In the meantime, there is one dude who got “only” $3,000 in coin in 2010 (and who also didn't complete the class)who is no longer working in the office so he won’t be paying back jack. I mean John. Blood from a turnip and all that.
As for the rest who are still employed? All but one of them cashed $6,000 in “incentive” checks (that's two checks each). So, according to the good Trustee, they’ll pay all that back. Right?
No. They won’t. Not really.
Most will pay back half, or $3,000 in which the county’s payroll department will take a little from each check.
Then, the employees will complete the course work this spring and forgo their next $3,000 payment that they are allowed to get next fiscal year. (Please note that this free money is not mandated.)
This proposal – pay back half and not get a bonus next year – sort of makes sense and it doesn’t, I suppose. Because, let’s face it – once they complete the coursework – they’re going to keep getting those checks forever.
So, there’s no point in making the workers pay back $6,000, just to hand them back another $3,000.
Of course it would have made a whole heck of a lot more sense to have the employees graduate from the program first and then pay them. But, the Trustee’s Office feels that state guidelines only “recommend” that the employees finish first before getting paid.
“A misconception that has arisen since this issue was brought to the public's attention is the scope of the State statute, which is nothing more than a recommendation,” Trustee John Duncan III wrote to the News Sentinel.
(Please note also that the Knox County Trustee’s Office appears to be the only governmental entity in the entire state that actually believes this.)
I suppose the next time I get clocked doing 90 miles per hour in a school zone, I’m going to tell the cop that the speed limit is nothing more than a recommendation.
Commissioner Smith vs. Trustee's Office
In other related Trustee Office news, the whole interest free loan/bonus/incentive issue was moot on Monday during the County Commission’s work session.
Commissioner Rrrrrr. Larry Smith (inside joke – thanks Scott McNutt) asked the commission to hold off discussion until next Monday.
In a move often imitated by the county’s Trustee, Smith gave conflicting reasons for the delay. On the dais, he told fellow commissioners that he wanted the finance department or human resources (I don’t remember which one at this point) to provide him with a list of everyone who received a check and for how much.
We actually reported that a few days before Christmas: Click right smack here.
After the meeting, Smith told Channel 10 reporter Hillary I don’t remember her last name that he held off because next Monday the good folks from CTAS will talk to commissioners about the education program. (CTAS administers the program that officials are supposed to complete in order to get that good money.)
And that’s about the time I said: “Hey Larry, got a question.”
Smith: “Yeah, buddy?”
Me: “Can you talk about the conversation you had with Congressman Duncan. I heard John Duncan’s (as in Trustee John Duncan III) dad called you and a few commissioners. He didn’t put the fear of God in you, now did he?
Smith: (Big smile)
He then looks at Hillary and says: “Do you play softball?”
I’m not kidding.
Strange.
Thanks to Dan Andrews for reminding me that this even happened.
Well, tonight it ends, one of the most half insane, half-damaged elections I’ve seen in a loooong time.
All sides annoy me.
Anyhoo, while Knoxville mayoral candidate “Battling” Madeline Rogero was no doubt in bed at 1 a.m. Mark “Screw Sleep” Padgett was doing some silly “vote rock” or whatever where he campaigned all night to the point where he probably won’t be as effective today – when he probably needs to be – and Rogero will. Or something like that. If I’m even making sense here.
The point of this rambling is that my boy Dan Andrews took Padgett up on his challenge and followed him around for a while earlier today (or late last night). That is until about 1:20 a.m. when the Man with the Supposed Plan visited the E911 Center to take a tour. You know, because that’s where you get votes at 1:20 a.m.
Dan didn’t make it. They wouldn’t let him in. But, according to Andrews, officials let in Padgett and his entourage. Now why didn’t Mark go to bat for Dan? Oh well.
Here’s the story right smack here.
In the meantime, the News Sentinel has rounded up a bunch of folks to twit, tweet, whatever about the election tonight. Check it out under the hashtag #knoxvotes. You can also follow me on Twitter. Just click the link over there to the right on the ol’ blog.
Have a good day, and good luck to both candidates.
