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Ragsdale: no new taxes
Submitted by R. Neal on Wed, 2008/05/14 - 9:24am.
Mayor Ragsdale released his proposed budget for Knox County. It has no new taxes, but deep cuts across the board including a six month hiring freeze. Paul Pinkston says a tax increase may be necessary.
Submitted by Ragsdale2010 (not verified) on Wed, 2008/05/14 - 10:01am.
This is the same baffoon that gave each county employee a $500 bump last year, when his popularity was at a major low ebb within the city - county building. Last year's budget was cobbled togather with borrowed funds and from the reserves and he still threw money around like a drunken sailor.
In my opinion, this man has no credibility with the taxpayers of the county, no credibility with the employees of the county, no accountability to the massive amounts of fraud, waste, and abuse of taxpayer dollars in Suite 615, and certainly no accountability with his soon to be ex-wife, such that nothing he presents should be accepted and the county commission should start from scratch and develop a budget which addresses the county's only two primary objectives (1) education of our children, and (2) maintenance of a civilized and orderly society through law enforcement and operation of a county. The rest of the junk is a waste of money and opportunity.
Next commission meeting should start with a prayer, a pledge to the flag, and a confidence/no confidence vote regarding the current position and job performance by the county mayor.
Stop throwing money away at the SuperChamber and JobsNow!, it's nothing but operating expenes and overinflated salaries, perks, and 401ks for the chamber staff. No more money for the Development Corporation, it's fraught with fraud and peril and serves as nothing but a money maker for local developers who can't put the deal togather on their own.
Halt all of these community grants unless they are a federal dollar pass through, that is nothing more than pandering for political/community support and if the taxpayers want to support a local charitable cause, then let them write the check, not the county mayor writing a check and expecting the taxpayers to honor it.
Anybody seen any benefit from our $5 million investment in the new Blount County industrial park? Absolutely not.
Anybody seen any new jobs from the county mayor galavanting around the country on our tax nickle? Absolutely not.
How about parking some of those gas guzzling vehicles in Suite 615 and across the county operating lines. Billy Haslam parked the city cars and said if you want a job with the city, you drive to work, it's not the job of the city to get you to the work place and we have spent a small ransom in keeping Ragsdale gassed, washed, tuned, and tired while he literally does nothing but make our community the laughing stock of the entire state.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 2008/05/15 - 6:56am.
Yea... no new taxes but the county's debt is at an all time high over $600,000,000... ragsdale has added over $220,000,000 in debt to the county in just 4 years... spending like a drunkin sailors...
Submitted by MercyMe (not verified) on Thu, 2008/05/15 - 7:56am.
oh and all those trips to New York to meet with the county's bond representatives and how we were doing great things by refinancing the overall indebtedness. Way too many drinks at the Rainbow Room and way too much confidence in the finance departments sophistication.
This mess Ragsdale has created will take 10 years to conquer and multiple tax increases and the wheel tax was for what . . . . . . general operating funds?
Submitted by Anonymously Nine (not verified) on Thu, 2008/05/15 - 9:01am.
Revenue projections are overstated by $9 million to $13 million dollars.
County Commission must have accurate Budget numbers. Misstating the Budget is a serious issue.
Either serious and real cuts must be made in spending or there must be a property tax increase.
A pledge was made not to raid the General Fund. Unrealistic revenue projections will require the General Fund to be tapped mid year next year.
This is a disingenuous stealth raid on the General Fund sometime next year. Ragsdale needs to resign. Or be removed. He is a clear and present danger to Knox County government.
This is the same baffoon that gave each county employee a $500 bump last year, when his popularity was at a major low ebb within the city - county building. Last year's budget was cobbled togather with borrowed funds and from the reserves and he still threw money around like a drunken sailor.
In my opinion, this man has no credibility with the taxpayers of the county, no credibility with the employees of the county, no accountability to the massive amounts of fraud, waste, and abuse of taxpayer dollars in Suite 615, and certainly no accountability with his soon to be ex-wife, such that nothing he presents should be accepted and the county commission should start from scratch and develop a budget which addresses the county's only two primary objectives (1) education of our children, and (2) maintenance of a civilized and orderly society through law enforcement and operation of a county. The rest of the junk is a waste of money and opportunity.
Next commission meeting should start with a prayer, a pledge to the flag, and a confidence/no confidence vote regarding the current position and job performance by the county mayor.
Stop throwing money away at the SuperChamber and JobsNow!, it's nothing but operating expenes and overinflated salaries, perks, and 401ks for the chamber staff. No more money for the Development Corporation, it's fraught with fraud and peril and serves as nothing but a money maker for local developers who can't put the deal togather on their own.
Halt all of these community grants unless they are a federal dollar pass through, that is nothing more than pandering for political/community support and if the taxpayers want to support a local charitable cause, then let them write the check, not the county mayor writing a check and expecting the taxpayers to honor it.
Anybody seen any benefit from our $5 million investment in the new Blount County industrial park? Absolutely not.
Anybody seen any new jobs from the county mayor galavanting around the country on our tax nickle? Absolutely not.
How about parking some of those gas guzzling vehicles in Suite 615 and across the county operating lines. Billy Haslam parked the city cars and said if you want a job with the city, you drive to work, it's not the job of the city to get you to the work place and we have spent a small ransom in keeping Ragsdale gassed, washed, tuned, and tired while he literally does nothing but make our community the laughing stock of the entire state.
If Ragsdale does not pass a tax increase, I very well bet that his successor will HAVE to.
Yup. That's the same situation Victor left to Bill Haslam.
Yea... no new taxes but the county's debt is at an all time high over $600,000,000... ragsdale has added over $220,000,000 in debt to the county in just 4 years... spending like a drunkin sailors...
oh and all those trips to New York to meet with the county's bond representatives and how we were doing great things by refinancing the overall indebtedness. Way too many drinks at the Rainbow Room and way too much confidence in the finance departments sophistication.
This mess Ragsdale has created will take 10 years to conquer and multiple tax increases and the wheel tax was for what . . . . . . general operating funds?
Revenue projections are overstated by $9 million to $13 million dollars.
County Commission must have accurate Budget numbers. Misstating the Budget is a serious issue.
Either serious and real cuts must be made in spending or there must be a property tax increase.
A pledge was made not to raid the General Fund. Unrealistic revenue projections will require the General Fund to be tapped mid year next year.
This is a disingenuous stealth raid on the General Fund sometime next year. Ragsdale needs to resign. Or be removed. He is a clear and present danger to Knox County government.
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