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Harber throws his weight around Knox County

by Frank Cagle

Tyler Harber is becoming a living legend in Knox County politics.

The 23-year-old special assistant to County Mayor Mike Ragsdale has, in recent weeks, accused the most popular female officeholder in Knox County of throwing bitch fits, collected $42,000 from a campaign working “pro bono” and has threatened to shut down a restaurant owned by Mike Chase because they wouldn’t serve him another cocktail.

This last incident occurred at the Copper Cellar on Cumberland Avenue where Harber was relaxing from a hard day campaigning for state senate candidate Billy Stokes. After a reported six drinks the waitress cut him off and offered him a free cup of coffee. Harber produced a badge and then gave the waitress his impressive county government calling card and said he would have her job and have the place shut down by next week. Harber told them they could expect a health department inspection on Monday that would close them down.

The waitress talked to the manager, who works for Mike Chase. Chase owns Calhoun’s restaurants, the Copper Cellars, Chesapeake’s and God knows what else. He employs hundreds of Knox County citizens, generates millions in the local economy and pays enough taxes to employ hundreds of Tyler Harbers. (It’s bad enough doing it to anybody, but you would think a smart political operative like Harber would remember that Chase is a major contributor to political candidates.) The sheriff’s department got a call that one of its deputies was being abusive and threatening to a waitress.

Sheriff Tim Hutchison dispatched an internal affairs investigator, concerned that one of his officers was abusing his office. The officers discovered it was Harber and found that the badge did not come from the sheriff’s office. A few days later the sheriff took a meeting with Ragsdale to discuss a criminal charge called “abuse of office.” Since the health inspectors did not show up and no overt act took place as a result of the threat, Hutchison left it to Ragsdale to deal with the matter.

Harber has been suspended for three days, and they took away his probation department badge.

Harber lists his title on his e-mail as special assistant to Ragsdale, though he allegedly works in the probation department. But he also owns a company called National Public Strategies. It is this company that runs political campaigns for Ragsdale and Ragsdale’s friends. After last February’s primary, in which Harber ran county commission and school board races, Ragsdale said Harber would no longer be doing any local political races. This may be because Ragsdale was criticized for using Harber to elect school board and commission candidates that will vote as Ragsdale directs, but more importantly, to intimidate current school board and commission members.

Despite the pledge to stay out of local races, Harber was hip-deep in the Stokes race against state Rep. Jamie Hagood for the state senate. Ragsdale declared himself neutral in the race while allowing Harber to work for Stokes. When called on it, Harber told the News Sentinel that he was working for Stokes “after hours” and “pro bono.”

Oops. You would think a smart political operative would remember that there is such a thing as financial disclosure forms. The Stokes campaign has reported paying over $42,000 to National Public Strategies. That would be Harber’s company doing all that “pro bono” work.

So even though young Harber is a political genius, he doesn’t seem to understand the phrases “not working in local races” or “pro bono.” Then there is that “after hours” business. The Hagood campaign has election records of Harber buying television time for Stokes at 3 p.m. on a weekday afternoon.

Hagood has protested to Ragsdale about his assistant and chief political operative working against her while he proclaims his neutrality. Did this have an effect on Harber? This is from an e-mail to a Hagood supporter that Harber cc’d all over hell in response.

“If you think your tagging and blaming hurts me in any way you are misinformed. Jamie has bitched at Ragsdale about my involvement in Stokes’ race for months now and do you see any change? Mike has repeatedly told me to keep doing what I was doing and not to worry about Jamie. He doesn’t care about her frequent ‘bitch fits’ and quite frankly gets a little mad.”

You should remember that Ragsdale says he is neutral in the senate race. This e-mail was sent via the county e-mail system during office hours.

Stokes was humiliated by Hagood in last week’s election. The wheel tax will go to a referendum, and it will most likely be defeated. If you wonder how Ragsdale went from being the Golden Boy to the Goat in local politics, maybe this explains it for you.

Frank Cagle is a political analyst and the host of Sound Off on WIVK FM107.7, WNOX AM990, FM99.1 and FM99.3 each Sunday 8-9:30 a.m.

August 12, 2004 • Vol. 14, No. 33 © 2004 Metro Pulse