4 Comments to 'Sure enough, Knox County’s government is in the NYT this morning'
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Sure enough, Knox County’s government is in the NYT this morning
Posted By katie allison granju
The story is headlined “Backroom Politics is Brought to the People, and the People Step In”
Some highlights:
A longing for reform, for fresh faces and new ideas, has overtaken Knox County, so much so that many people here cannot wait to vote in the Super Tuesday primary. And it has nothing to do with who might be the next president.
You would understand this desire if you had attended last week’s meeting of the Knox County Commission; that is, if you had the seven hours to spare. But since you probably weren’t there, and be thankful for that, here is a quick primer on local, uncivil civics so that you might appreciate the recent political clamor in this part of eastern Tennessee.
The writer, Dan Barry, then goes on to summarize the convoluted twists and turns in Knox County’s governmental saga over the past year or so. He then moves on to last Monday’s County Commission meeting, which he attended.
Now, back to that protracted County Commission meeting the other night, where 8 of the 19 chairs around the horseshoe-shaped table were unoccupied. Here were the commission chairman and the county mayor bantering in mutual contempt. Here was a commissioner complaining about sheriff’s department lackeys cackling in the back of the room, prompting a nearly physical confrontation at recess.
And here was Commissioner Greg Lambert, better known as Lumpy. A used-car salesman who won national attention years ago for a “Buy a Car Get a Gun” promotion, he leveled his blunderbuss at another commissioner, a university professor named Mark Harmon, who had done nothing more to antagonize than open the meeting with a reflection that referred to “the inherent dignity of every person.”
Thus Lumpy spoke. In defending why county employees should be allowed to hold county office, he rambled about poor people in need of jobs, then channeled their imagined thoughts about Mr. Harmon, the academic: “And what they say is, ‘How does that arrogant little university twit sit up there and make those decisions that keep us from having jobs?’ ”
(I have to say that the phrase, “Thus Lumpy spoke” definitely needs to be made into a t-shirt.)
Of course, the point of the NYT piece is that the people of Knox County have had it with the current state of our local government and are chomping at the bit to make big changes at the ballot box tomorrow.
And that really remains to be seen.
Feb 4th, 2008
I think Mark Harmon needs a Tshirt that says “university twit” that he can wear proudly. I am tired of giving Lumpy any recognition.
I think lumpy needs to wear a t-shirt that says “gun totin’ closet queen.”
I’m in for one of them there Lumpy tee shirts!
I just wish that if the NYT had published anything it could have been positive, however, all things dirty come out in the wash.