Later in the morning I was at the customer service area of Beaty Chevrolet for about 35 minutes and picked up the Sentinel and found her column and I read it. I came home and got back on my computer and searched for all columnist. I clicked on Ms. Vines name and there was the story. Because of numerous comments being posted to this column this afternoon the column has kicked Sam Venable off the front page.
Now, you ask what is so intriguing about this column? Well, first of all Commissioner Briggs sat right next to Ms. Vines during the meeting. But check this out from the column. Another potential county mayoral candidate was there to hear Hutchison. County Commissioner Richard Briggs, a cardiovascular surgeon, emerged successfully in winning a crowded Republican primary in February and the general election last month. No one has mentioned Briggs as a potential county mayoral candidate. But that could explain his actions over the last 16 days.
In the column it continues to confirm Briggs intentions, in his own words. Asked on Friday if he’s interested in the position of county mayor, Briggs replied, “I think if the conditions were right I’d consider it. It would entail my giving up my practice. It is something I could get passionate about. If there would be a consensus about what would move the county forward on business expansion, education, economic development, there needs to be a team leader without an ax to grind for anyone.” So Briggs believes that he is a team leader without an ax to grind for anyone? Yeah right! In the past 16 days he has become the county commission tattle teller all for the purpose of media grand standing.
County Commissioner Richard Briggs saved Mike Ragsdale from the P-Card investigation with the “reasonable man” excuse. Now his canned reply to Ms. Vines sounds like Dwight Van de Vate? That is a strange coincidence. Or maybe it isn’t.
Looking back on that it was the first “Fristian” sign from the good Doctor. More signs came as he defended the Mayor’s budget and voted to extend the contract for the NRR Solway Mulch yard without waiting for tests for arsenic. The good Doctor also said that the threshold for arsenic had been lowered recently and with the old standard the Popps did not have a case. Can you believe that a licensed Doctor would say that? Which is it, Hypocritical Oath or Hippocratic Oath?
Each and every time Briggs voted for the Knox Accountability Charter Amendments. Seems like a Metro Man doesn’t he? But he voted against the Charter Amendment that provided checks and balances to the Charter Review Committee. Look’s like he has planned to be County Mayor for quite some time. What can be said of someone of says, “Let the people vote”, except for an Amendment that would take power from the Mayor? Looks very Fristian doesn’t it? First County Mayor and then Governor? Very Fristian indeed.
The Sentinel has not reported that Commissioner Richard Briggs, who made an accusation that the Sunshine Law had been broken when the Chairmen for the Finance and Intergovernmental committees were voted on, actually broke the Sunshine Law when he tried to recruit fellow Commissioners behind closed doors to help him require a redo on the vote for the Committee Chairs. The story is that Briggs says other Commissioners came to him when the truth is Briggs went to them and did so illegally.
Word is that Briggs wants the Finance Chair and will do anything, including slandering other Commissioners and violating the Sunshine Law to get his way.
Commissioner Briggs was overheard saying that Commissioner Paul Pinkston didn’t have enough education to be Finance Chair. This brought a cold response from one observer who said, “If it wasn’t for Paul Pinkston no one would know anything about the P-Cards or the Hospitality Fund.” This was an elected official who left in disgust.
So it appears that Commissioner Briggs is both a hypocrite and an elitist? He accuses others of breaking the Sunshine Law and then he breaks the Sunshine Law to get a redo vote so he can steal a Chairmanship?
Monday morning will Briggs and his gang will try to steal the Chairs of the Finance and Intergovernmental Committees? Or has reporting here foiled his plans? Will the News Sentinel report the real story? Or just look the other way like they so often do?
Tune in to CTV Channel 12 or 6 and see for yourself. Or go to ctvknox.org and watch the Internet broadcast stream. You cannot depend on the daily paper. You have to watch for yourself.
I guess it was hard to find. If you put “Briggs” in our search box (which is on every page), it comes up second this morning.
http://www.knoxnews.com/search/?q=briggs&sortby=date&sources=site
Jack, Thanks for the comment. My point was I looked for Ms. Vines column on Saturday online and couldn’t find it. The only way I see the print copy is the free one I get on friday’s at Pilot and I buy the Sunday off a rack.
I just happened to see a waiting room copy at Beaty Chevrolet on Saturday to know that Ms. Vines wrote a column. I didn’t even know that Briggs would be a feature of her column.
Commissioner Briggs received a stinging rebuke from fellow Commission members this morning in the Intergovernmental Committee.
Commission Sam McKenzie said he saw no Sunshine violation and asked the Law Director why there was a do-over. A long conversation followed and it was not kind to Commissioner Briggs. Other Commissioners asked for an investigation to see if Briggs had actually violated the Sunshine Law.
Some Commissioners asked how anyone could figure out what the Sunshine Law means. The most important discussion was how the Sunshine Law could be used as a weapon to overturn a vote.
One thing was made clear, this law makes no sense and can be used for foul play.