by Jesse Fox Mayshark
Wouldn't it be nice to be governed by grown-ups?
That is not a rhetorical question. Oh sure, everybody who holds local office in Knoxville and Knox County is technically an adult—they're all over 18, they have families and houses, they're allowed to vote and drive and attend R-rated movies. But in some key positions, we have been served in recent years by men (it's always men, isn't it?) who exhibit all the emotional maturity of 12-year-olds.
The two most obvious and important examples are our mayor and our sheriff. Their mutual enmity and immaturity have done great damage to the political and social fabric of this community. They have degraded the local political dialogue and created an atmosphere in which otherwise intelligent and well-meaning people are often forced to "choose sides" between petty self-aggrandizing bullies.
Both Mayor Victor Ashe and Sheriff Tim Hutchison have accomplished things in their terms that are worthy of praise. But those accomplishments have come at the cost of enduring their childish petulance, their paranoia, and their special talents for making enemies and nursing grudges. There are undoubtedly deep-seated reasons for all of that, but the inner demons that drive them are not really a matter of public concern. What matters is how they do their jobs.
Specifically in this case, we need to examine the sheriff. Whatever you think of Ashe, he is a lame duck who will leave office next year. Hutchison, on the other hand, is up for re-election to another four-year term next month. In Joe Tarr's extensive Metro Pulse cover story on Hutchison a few weeks ago, he wrote that the sheriff, after 12 years in office, remains an "enigma." Tim Hutchison, by many accounts, can be a gracious and charming man, a man of quiet confidence who impresses others with his conviction and self-possession. His admirers say he is a smart politician and a strong leader, whose department has broken several high- profile cases and shown dogged commitment to its core mission (i.e. catching and locking up bad guys).
Unfortunately, that high-minded Tim Hutchison does not always show up when he is needed. From the beginning, Hutchison showed himself willing to play fast and loose with facts, rules and regulations. His tenure has produced a long string of bizarre behavior, from allegations of cruelty in the jailhouse to misappropriated drug funds to warrants for non-existent people to denials of basic attorney-client rights. In each case, when confronted with questions, criticisms or any form of inquiry—whether from the media, County Commission, auditors, or state officials—Hutchison has retreated into a siege mentality and bullishly refused any form of accountability.
When the state comptroller ruled that the Sheriff's Department misused drug funds in building a training facility and should reimburse the county, Hutchison simply said no (with an implied "Try and make me" dare, which none of our local officials had the guts to take). When the department's auditors insist year after year that the drug funds need better accounting, Hutchison just says no. In his world, being sheriff means never having to say you're sorry. It doesn't help that Hutchison and his advisers are prone to all kinds of conspiracy-theory propagation, seeing evil cabals at work behind every perceived affront.
This mingling of arrogance and insecur-ity, while hardly unusual among elected officials, is especially troubling in a law-enforcement executive. The man who commands armed deputies and holds the jailhouse keys should not be a man who sees enemies around every corner.
That's why Hutchison's opponent, Democrat Jim Andrews, is a preferable option. On paper, Andrews may be the most qualified candidate ever to run for Knox County sheriff. A former Washington, D.C. beat cop with a law degree, he has worked law enforcement from all sides. He has served as a consultant to law enforcement agencies and serves as Chairman of the board of the Knox County Rescue Squad. He is intelligent and articulate, and his policy ideas for the Sheriff's Department (better training, more inter-agency cooperation, better accounting) are sensible and to the point. As he puts it in his campaign literature, "More and better service does not necessarily mean more people and more stuff. It may mean better leadership and improved management."
He has his weaknesses—he can come across as high-handed and overly sure of himself, and in stressing the need for better cooperation with KPD he tends to overlook the fact that KPD Chief Phil Keith is as culpable as Hutchison for the two agencies' dreadful relations. But whatever his faults, and however many rough spots there would inevitably be for a new sheriff taking office, Andrews seems like a mature, reasonable man. He promises to bring accountability and a sense of civic obligation to an office that desperately needs it.
(As an aside, if Hutchison does win re-election this year, he and his supporters would be well advised to get some help in learning how to deal more constructively with the rest of the world. County Executive-elect Mike Ragsdale, who is close to Hutchison, should do whatever he can to mitigate the sheriff's proclivity for power grabs and pointless us-vs.-them scorched-earth tactics.)
We are in the midst of dramatic political change in Knoxville. With a new county executive taking office this fall and a new mayor to follow next year, we have a real chance to improve the nature, tone and effectiveness of local government. Electing Jim Andrews as sheriff would be an important step in that direction. Vote for the grown-up.
July 11, 2002 * Vol. 12, No. 28
© 2002 Metro Pulse
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