Metro Pulse Gets it Wrong and Fabricates Brian’s Blog Post

This from the liberal leftist Mtero Pulse blog. They get it wrong, even to the point of fabricating a post that is aleged to have been posted in 2005.

Hornback Can’t Believe He Used to Think Frith Was Cool, Now Thinks He is Such a Total Dickwad

By Charles Maldonadoon July 30, 2009 12:21 PM

First of all the headline is false in that Brian Hornback never believed Frith was “cool” and Brian Hornback doesn’t believe he is such a total dickwad. Primarily because I don’t use that type of language.

(Note: I don’t usually spend my time responding to Brian’s blog, but he emailed a link of this entry to Metro Pulse as well as every other media outlet in town, so I hope I don’t get any angry phone calls from him this time.)

Yes, the Brian’s Blog office did send a link to our post. We are reviewing why Metro Pulse was included. Secondly, Brian Hornback doesn’t even know who Charles Maldonadoon is, has NEVER had a conversation with said person so here is another lie by Charles Maldonadoon.

Local blogger and former Knox County GOP Chairman Brian Hornback posted an entry last night about the recent hiring of real estate agent Scott Frith (who was almost voted into Mackay’s position by the County Election Commission) for the newly created position of Deputy Administrator of Elections, a position that carries an $83,000 yearly salary.

Brian’s Blog will concur with the previous paragraph.

Brian’s Blog will concur with the previous paragraph.

1.) The job was as Req. #704 and was posted for five days. It was posted July 14 – July 20, 2009 at 4:30 p.m. Because it was posted for only five days. It was not posted on the Knox County web page and was NOT advertised in the Knoxville News-Sentinel.

2.) Because it was not posted for longer than five days, the applicant pool was not screened by Knox County Human Resources. In layman’s terms all resumes were simply turned over to Greg Mackay.

3.) Only four individuals applied. They are listed in alphabetical order by last name with a brief description of the material they supplied.

Brian’s Blog will concur with the previous three items as they are a partial cut and paste from our original posting.

He concludes with this: “In our opinion it is clear that rules were stretched on this hiring and with this new day in Knox County where everything is to operate in an open and transparent process it is clear this one did not.”

Brian’s Blog will concur with part of the previous paragraph. We will note that the post concludes with, Brian’s Blog is not just Brian Hornback so the word “He” would not be appropriate.

Let me begin by saying I completely agree that it may have been better to do this with a bit more transparency. Several people, including Hornback himself, have put forth the very credible hypothesis that this hire was an attempt to quell local Republican ire at the Election Commission’s decision to keep Mackay on as Administrator.

Brian’s Blog will concur with a majority of this paragragh. We would stipulate that instead of “a bit more transparency”, county business should be conducted with complete transparency.

And if that is the case, then surely it deserves attention. If there are backroom dealings here, all involved should own up. However, has Hornback really demonstrated here that the rules have been “stretched?”

Brian’s Blog agrees that it deserves attention. However, it is unlikely that the Metro Pulse, Knoxville News Sentinel or Shopper News will give it any attention. As they are all owned by the same company. Additionally, Frith is a former employee of the Shopper News thus making him one of them. Additionally, being extremely liberal and a supporter of Greg MacKay’s party. They do not want to lose their leader.

In the very same blog post, Hornback quotes Election Commissioner Robert Bowman as saying “the statute gives the Administrator broad discretion, I didn’t vote for the Administrator. But, unfortunately we are stuck with it.”

Brian’s Blog concurs that the quote is accurate. Brian’s Blog believes that there is a remedy. The Karns, Halls and Powell Republican Clubs have unaniomusly passed resolutions that asked GOP Chairman Ray Jenkins to request that the Knox County Legislative Delegation request Paul Crilly’s resignation, replace him. The Knox County Election Commission can replace Mackay at any time.

True. State law gives Mackay full responsibility for the hiring of his staff within the constraints of his budget, which was approved by the Election Commission and County Commission.

Brian’s Blog concurs with the previous paragraph. However, it is unclear that the 17 positions as of Wednesday is within the budget approved by County Commission in June 2009. We are confident County Commission will be looking at line item transfers not previously approved by County Commission.

Mackay’s office is budgeted for 17 positions. With Frith it still only has 16. Hornback objects to the fact that the salary wasn’t approved by County Commission. But, unless Mackay goes beyond his $1.5 million budget, why should he have to do that?

Brian’s Blog disagrees with this paragraph. The report that was generated on Wednesday, July 29, 2009 records 17, not 16 positions.

As for the lack of “screening” by HR, that’s not their job. This is: Applications for employment shall be accepted by the human resources manager and distributed to the hiring authorities having job openings. (From Knox County Charter)

Metro Pulse didn’t read and record further. Frances Forgerson of Knox County HR would disagree that it is NOT her job to screen the applications.

Of course, it’s clear that Hornback is really pissed off at (1) Paul Crilly, the only Republican Commissioner who voted to keep Mackay on, and (2) Tim Burchett, who supported Crilly’s re-election to the Commission earlier this year as well as the new election of Robert Bowman (instead of Hornback himself, who also applied for the position). Burchett was also a very strong supporter of Mackay.

Brian’s Blog disagrees. Brian Hornback is not pissed off at 1) Paul Crilly. Because Brian Hornback told everyone involved including applicants for Administrator that they were wasting their time because Crilly owed Mackay. 2) It is factually inaccurate taht Burchett supported Crilly. Crilly is the nominee of former State Representative Jamie Hagood, now Senator Jamie Hagood Woodson. Crilly was appointed after a failed Republican primary challenge to Hagood. Burchett is NOT a strong supporter of Mackay. His person on the election commission is longtime friend Chris Haegerty, who voted AGAINST Mackay.

So, while he certainly has a point in calling into question the reason for the hire, Hornback, in raising these particular objections without also pointing out that Mackay appears to have been acting fully within his rights, fails to live up to the type of openness he claims he expects.

The previous paragraph is a work of fiction by the author.

The entry gets downright embarrassing when it stoops to juvenile attacks. Hornback spends a large portion of the entry lambasting Frith’s experience, intelligence, etc., like here:

Scott Frith, a realtor listed on his application for employment his mother Diane Frith as his only work reference and supervisor. He listed that he was a graduate of Halls High School and the University of Tennessee. He simply listed a Bachelor of Arts. Editorial Note: It is nice to have the recommendation of your mommy.

The previous two paragraphs are comical. First Brian’s Blog clearly reported exactly what Frith submitted for employment. It was certainly lacking from what others submitted. As for the Editorial Note it is the pergroative of the editoral staff of Brian’s Blog. Just like Jack McElroy when he made fun of the language used by Commission Chairman Tank Strickland.

In contrast, here is Hornback on Scott Frith in 2005, when Frith won Halls Man of the Year. The post is titled “Congratulations to Scott Frith”:

I first met Scott in 1998, Scott helped Republican Cathy Quist in her campaign for Circuit Court Clerk. Scott was either a Senior at Halls High School or just out of high school and he mobilized some young people calling themselves “The Conquistadors”. At the time, in the primary I managed the successful campaign of Republican County Commissioner Mike Arms and in the general election managed the county-wide campaign of Republican candidate for Chancellor Wayne Houser.

A few years ago Scott was encouraged to pursue the position of Knox County Republican Chairman, he chose not to. Scott, What was that you said to me this past January? “Have you lost your mind?”

Scott is a successful businessman with Realty Executives. He is very committed to his community, Halls and is an all around good guy. If you don’t believe me, just ask him. I think I can hear him now, “it’s because, I am Scott Frith.”

Brian’s Blog is perplexed by the four previous paragraphs, a total work of fiction. A search of Scott Frith’s name on Brian’s Blog does not turn up a post dating back to 2005.

Geez, I wonder what happened there.

Brian’s Blog wonders the same thing about the author of this Daily Pulse.