January 27, 2012
Talk of the Town January 27

by Martha Rose Woodward

Sunspherebook@aol.com

The Board of Directors for the Knoxville Tourism and Sports Corporation say they had “no idea that Gloria Ray was being paid” over $405,000 per year, and only Chairman Duncan did know Ray’s salaries,  yet here are the records:

For the Knoxville Tourism and Sports Corporation

Fiscal year 2007, July 1, 2007-June 30, 2008

Total Income-$5,680,051
Income from Government Grants, (including Tax revenue)-$3,737,524
Total Income from Programs-$1,942,527
Total of All Salaries paid to top five Executives-$897,062
Total Salary paid to Gloria Ray-$433,700

For Fiscal Year 2008, July 1, 2008-June 30, 2009

Total Income-$4,284,077
Income from Government Grants,(Including Tax Revenue)-$3,614,842
Total Income from Programs-$669,235
Total of all Salaries for top Three Executives-$624,418
Total Salary paid to Gloria Ray-$390,207

For Fiscal Year 2009, July 1, 2009-June 30, 2010

Total Income-$3,853,531
Income from Government Grants, (Including Tax Revenue)-$3,177.022
Total Income from other Programs-$676,509
Total of all Salaries for top three Executives-$668,094
Total Salary paid to Gloria Ray-$405,583

Are we to believe the Board did not read this information? What kinds of decisions are they making if they are not reviewing the budget?

Hurrah, Terry Frank is running for Mayor of Anderson County. She is amid discussions as to what she will or will not support and, just like the true conservative she is, according to the Oak Ridger Newspaper, “…she said she would not have supported the 16.2-cent property tax rate increase the Anderson County Commission approved in 2011. And, if elected mayor later this year, Frank vowed she would veto any future property tax rate increases over the next two years.”

However, the paper went on to say, “Isbel, an Anderson County commissioner who represents District 4, defended his decision to support last year’s tax increase, after first rejecting a proposal that would have raised property taxes by 24 cents.”

“It’s time for common sense and business-minded management,” Frank told the more than two dozen citizens who attended Thursday night’s forum sponsored by the Anderson County Tea Party.

“People are struggling. People are taxed enough at all levels,” Frank said at the forum in Oak Ridge.

Way to go, Terry. Finally, a politician that gets it, we can’t keep raising taxes. At some point, the government has to learn to live on less, just like people do.

Check out the following information from Eat-Pray-Live Knoxville, a conference organized by the Knox County Health Department and Knoxville/Knox County Food Policy Council in order to promote healthy living.

Time: March 10, 2012 from 8:15am to 2pm
Location: L & N STEM Academy
Street: 401 Henley Street
City/Town: Knoxville, TN Congratulations to author, Terry Shaw, who spoke to the Torch Club on Thursday, January 19 and was well received. According to Stephen Levy, president of the Torch Club„ “Terry was a joy for all of us. We did not break up the meeting until near 2 pm. We all were enthralled with his reading of his latest novel, The Way Life Should Be, and Beth was given a book by Terry which she is reading at this moment. She said that she is really enjoying the novel. Terry was so good that he became one of us and we want him back as a member. What a humble, intelligent guy.”

May 19, 2011
Talk of the Town for May 20, 2011 by Martha Rose Woodward

Sunspherebook@aol.com

This week’s column is my ode to humor. I have found that many people do not have much of a sense of humor about politics and, possibly, I have an overly ripe sense of humor about life in general, and politics in particular. As I have been out and about talking to local politicos this week, I have been amused at the lack of interest in the upcoming primary election and have had much to laugh about. Oddly, the humorous situations have caused random clichés and idioms to pop into my head.

A cliché is a phrase that is used excessively and has become a bit meaningless and even irritating. Some examples of clichés are: always look on the bright sight of life, live and learn , que sera, sera , and what goes around comes around

An idiom is also a well-worn phrase where the words together have a meaning that is different from the dictionary definitions of the individual words. Some examples of idioms are: raked over the coals, made of money, or a month of Sundays.

Generally, in Writing Class 101, we were taught to stay away from clichés and idioms and work to use more adjectives and descriptive phrases. However, this week’s column will be my attempt to illustrate absurdity by being absurd. I have found myself wondering just how many clichés and idioms can I use? Let’s see…

The name Marilyn Roddy came up frequently in several conversations I had with local political leaders this last week. The clichés and idioms were abundant. Looks like Marilyn should have looked before she leapt, but maybe she thought the grass would be greener when she announced she was changing horses in the middle of the stream by leaving the race for mayor and entering the race for state senator. Do you think she knew she would be the dark horse? Apparently all that glittered was not gold as she found as soon as she announced her change in plans a powerhouse opponent, Betsy Duncan Massey, the sister of Congressman John Duncan, Jr., announced her candidacy for the same seat and now Marilyn has jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire. Apparently Marilyn had a chance meeting with Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey at a sporting event and decided to throw caution to the wind. Will she be sorry she put all her eggs into one basket? Maybe she should have danced with the ones that brung her because Massey will be a hard act to follow.

In other political news, has anyone told the Republican Party that there is going to be a primary election for the office of city mayor, council members, and judge in less than 18 weeks? September 27 will be here before you can shake a stick at it and the only politicians in town who seem to be aware of the importance of the date are Sheriff, Jimmy Jones, and Register of Deeds, Sherry Witt. They have, at least, offered their help to the only Republican candidate left in the race, Ivan Harmon. Harmon has opened a headquarters, and is making the usual rounds. Jones and Witt know in order to run a successful campaign you have to be out in the community hosting events, shaking hands, asking for votes…—-good role models for anyone to follow. I keep hearing people say that it is early yet, but, remember, the early bird gets the worm. Madeline Rogero and Mark Padgett seem to be eager beavers as they have been making hay while the sun shines. Do the Republicans plan to sit on their rear ends without so much as laying a glove on the Democrats? Who is going to be eating crow on September 28th?

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