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Daily Dose for November 14, 2007
Rasmussen Shows Frist on Top in 2010
Rasmussen Shows Frist on Top in 2010 -- Former Sen. Majority Leader Bill Frist would lead a potential matchup against Harold Ford, Jr. for the TN Governor's Office in 2010. A Rasmussen poll found Frist won the head-to-head 54% to 38% against Ford, while Ford lead another potential GOP candidate Rep. Marsha Blackburn 42% to 40%. Frist has slightly lower favorability than Blackburn, but significantly lower unfavorables; while Ford, has a near 1.0 favorable-to-unfavorable ratio. 84% of GOP voters support Frist for the governor's mansion while Ford attracts at most 74% of Democrats. The MOE was ±4.5%.
Open Meetings Panel Approves Sunshine Exemptions -- The State's legislative study committee looking into the state's Open Meetings laws made a half step backwards yesterday, backing down from an earlier proposal to limit open meetings violations of local governmental bodies to a quorom. However, the committee did vote on a new standard that as many as four members of a governmental body could meet privately - provided that did not constitute a majority of the public body. The study commitee also recommended exemptions to open meeting requirements for "executive sessions" - where the body is deliberating terms of property settlements and other legal matters where privacy is a concern. Frank Gibson of the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government: "This committee has reversed on that, and so that's good. But then, by adding a bunch of exemptions that were copied out of an Alabama law book ... goes back in the other direction." More here and here.
In Memphis, Further Crackdowns on Corruption -- Federal prosecutors have indicted former Shelby Co. Commissioner Bruce Thompson on one count of extortion and three counts of mail fraud. Prosecutors allege he squeezed money from H&M Company of Jackson, to help it win a lucrative Memphis City Schools contract in 2004 - and then funneled $7,000 to a minority contractor to pass on as campaign contributions to school board members, hinting that other indictments may be coming. The indictment continues a long-line of federal investigations since Operation Tennessee Waltz uncovered corruption in state government trailing back to the city, including City Councilman Rickey Peete, who is sentenced today. The indictment of Thompson, an affluent, white businessman also helps with charges that black politicans were unfairly targeted by the federal investigations.
Law Enforcement Update -- In Memphis, a Shelby Co. Commission is asking a task force studying law enforcement consolidation to recommend a merger of the crime-fighting functions of the Sheriff's Office with the Memphis Police Department. Under Commissioner Mike Carpenter's proposal, the job of patrolling and crime-fighting in unincorporated parts of Shelby County would shift to city police under the command of a new police director. The director would still be nominated by the city mayor and approved by the City Council, but additional approval would be needed from the County Commission. In Knoxville, the Knox Co. Sheriff's department is coming under fire from the County Commission over an investigation that revealed the Sheriff's office authorized p-card purchases of half a million dollars worth of clothing for members of the Sheriff's department, including purchases at Belk, Dillard's, Kohl's, Parisian, Banana Republic, Tommy Hilfiger and other retailers. Sheriff's department officials defended the charges saying they were part of a "professional image."
Knox Commission Appointments After Hearings -- The Knox Co. Commission finally got it right. The Commission will proceed with appointments after holding public fora in all of the County Commission districts with vacancies created after a Chancery Court threw out the appointments of several officials after finding Open Meetings violations in the appointment process. The appointments will happen December 9, after public hearings at 7 p.m. every weekday between Nov. 26 and Dec. 6. The Commission also agreed not use a rolling swearing in process, whereby appointed replacements could influence other appointments.
Littlefield Backs Down on Rutherford -- Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield backed down from rewarding former City Councilwoman Marti Rutherford medical benefits from the City after the Chattanooga City Council threatened legal action to stop the Mayor. Rutherford resigned from the Council a few days short of qualifying for medical retirement benefits, which the Mayor wanted to reward anyway. The Council meets next Tuesday to appoint a temporary replacement for Rutherford's seat.
