Sunday, January 06, 2008

Travel Produces A Violation of Knox County Ethics Policy?

UPDATE: Katie"I get it wrong because, I do" Graju on her blog is stating that I reported an ethical violation. Katie only copy and pasted the part that excluded the sources that we cite. I shouldn't be surprised. In her only real responsibility over at WBIR. She put State Representative Stacey Campfield and her friend Shree Pettigrew on Inside Tennessee prior to the Republican Primary but excluded an invitation to Rep. Campfield's only Republican opponent. That is Katie's idea of fair and balanced.

Also, it is the same station that had Bill Shory lining up all pro Harold Ford commentators following the Chattanooga debate between Harold Fraud, Jr. and now Republican Senator Bob Corker. The same station where the anchor calls State Representative Parkey Strader, Parker Strader. The same anchor that had to ask the panelist on Inside Tennessee how to pronounce Emge. And all you people wonder why, Walker Johnson keeps reporting how Channel 8 is kicking WBIR's rearend in the ratings. Where is the world is Seth? He would have been a better anchor than what they have, now.

Katie also recognizes that our blog is the most read in all newsrooms in Knoxville and she is hoping that I correct her, so that her blog will get some traffic. The people in your own newsroom don't like you Katie.

Original Post: In two weeks the one year anniversary of the established Knox County Ethics policy will come to be. The ethics policy was required by legislation that passed in Nashville and became the law for all elected officials.

No elected official is permitted to accept a gift of more than $25 from a person, organization or entity. As citizens have began to examine the ethics policy and the behaviors of some elected officials, it has been brought to the attention of Brian's Blog that School Board Chair Karen Carson has accepted such gifts that are in excess of the $25 maximum.

For example, she along with Assistant Superintendent Donna Wright accepted a trip to the country of China as a gift from the Peoples Republic of China. From the layman's perspective, this trip is in violation of the literal policy.

Will those citizens that contacted Brian's Blog contact the Ethics Committee? Time will tell.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wouldn't it be more accurate to call that a sponsorship? Weren't they learning and working the majority of their visit?

Brian Hornback said...

good questions, Cathy. However, there was no presentation made to the board by Ms. Carson stating what she learned from the trip. When Thomas Deakins and Cindt Buttry attended a meeting at taxpayers expense they presented to the board exactly what they learned from the meeting. Ms. Kincannon has also always reported what she experienced at meetings.

Anonymous said...

You wrote:
Katie also recognizes that our blog is the most read in all newsrooms in Knoxville and she is hoping that I correct her, so that her blog will get some traffic. The people in your own newsroom don't like you Katie.

Kudos! You speak the truth, keep it up