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And a mayor who’s back at the helm

Three weeks ago, a Metro Pulse editorial blasted County Commission for capitulating over the wheel tax and for not fighting for the budget it approved earlier this year. Last week, however, commissioners voted 11-6 (two members were absent) to enact a 6% increase in the property tax should a November referendum to repeal the wheel tax succeed. That is, indeed, a positive step.

The action is an acknowledgement on the part of Commission that government cannot effectively govern by referendum and, whereas they had been showing signs of abdicating their collective responsibility of representative leadership, those who voted to fund the budget irrespective of the referendum outcome should be commended for having the political courage to do what is right.

Those voting for the property tax increase were David Collins, John Griess, Phil Guthe, Mike Hammond, Ivan Harmon, Mary Lou Horner, Diane Jordan, Craig Leuthold, John Schmid, Thomas “Tank” Strickland and Billy Tindell. Voting against were Mark Cawood, Larry Clark, Mike McMillan, John Mills, Scott Moore and Paul Pinkston. Wanda Moody and Larry Stephens were absent.

While those who voted to fund the budget deserve praise, further scrutiny of those who voted against it is warranted. Mayor Ragsdale’s initial budget passed by a unanimous vote of 19-0. The $30 hike in the wheel tax passed on two consecutive readings in May and June by a vote of 16-3, with commissioners Cawood, McMillan and Pinkston voting against it.

Therefore, since Commissioners Cawood, McMillan and Pinkston voted for the budget, but against an increase in both the wheel tax and the property tax to fund it, we must conclude that these three commissioners are either playing politics or are asleep at the wheel. Either way, they have proven that they are unfit to represent their respective constituencies.

During the Commission meeting last Wednesday, Ragsdale rightfully took to task those citizens who stated that they were not against the programs funded by the budget but were merely against raising taxes. “You’re not living in reality,” he told one opponent who had chastised the Commission for what he deemed to be circumventing the democratic process. So too, it would seem, Commissioners Cawood, McMillan and Pinkston are not living in reality.

Voting for the budget but voting against any means by which to fund it is politics at its worst. Either Mayor Ragsdale’s budget is sound and should be funded or, else, it is not and should not be. You can’t have it both ways. But that is precisely what those commissioners want to achieve for themselves.

They will no doubt run for reelection on an anti-tax platform and point to their votes against the wheel tax and the property tax increases as proof of their anti-tax credentials. But they mustn’t be allowed to get away with such blatant political opportunism. Of course, politicians are keenly aware that no one likes having taxes raised. But voting for a budget and then refusing to fund it is an act of sheer political cowardice. It’s sitting back and watching while you let others do your dirty work for you. Voters should not be fooled.

When it comes reelection time, constituents of these three blind mice should remember that they voted against funding the budget that included a badly needed new West Knox County high school, a long overdue Veterans’ Memorial, and their duplicity could jeopardize a host of projects in their own home districts.

It is certainly fair for citizens and for commissioners to take issue with the mayor’s budget by arguing that the costs outweigh the benefits, but voting for the benefits while not agreeing to pay the cost tells us in no uncertain terms that these commissioners care more about getting reelected than they do about what is right for Knox County. It is time that they are called on this type of egregious behavior and we hope their constituents will call them on it when their names next appear on the ballot.

On a more positive note, we were glad to see Mayor Ragsdale reclaim the helm of county government. Metro Pulse has been very critical of his handling of the budget and wheel tax crisis, but his actions over the last couple of weeks have redeemed him and righted the listing ship.

Of course, we are still very disappointed that the sorely needed new downtown library did not remain in this year’s budget, but we’re hopeful that both the groundswell of popular support for it and Commission’s new found backbone will encourage the Mayor to place it back in the budget as soon as possible.

During his time in office, one of Ragsdale’s best qualities has been his commitment to represent all of Knox County, including its residents who reside inside Knoxville’s city limits. His vision of a new state-of-the-art downtown library and children’s discovery center, also to be built downtown, have been front and center in that effort. Let us hope that the lesson he has learned from this predicament is that, ultimately, people expect leadership and that, if he leads effectively, the people (and Commission) will follow.

September 16, 2004 • Vol. 14, No. 38 © 2004 Metro Pulse