Knox County, TN Mayor's Assistant Plays Race Card to Divert Attention from Indiscretions

Few things piss me off more than when somebody who is not white gets themselves into trouble, and then tries to blame their woes on the alleged racism of their accusers. For one thing, it makes a mockery of the true victims of racial discrimination and belittles the gravity of their situations. Furthermore, it causes accusations of true racism to be taken with a grain of salt when the "R" word is recklessly thrown up as a smokescreen by someone in hot water to downplay, or even justify, their crimes. How much less likely is someone to bring up legitimate charges of discrimination if they feel they won't be taken seriously because of these tactics?

It came as no surprise to me when I picked up this morning's Knoxville News-Sentinel and saw Margie Loyd, former assistant to Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale, on the front page posing with superstar attorney Greg Isaacs, the headline blaring "Loyd Claims Discrimination". After all, she had to resign in disgrace for her gross misappropriation of taxpayer money. It seems she and several other Knox County employees used county purchasing cards to buy personal items not at all related to county business. I guess the county doesn't pay them well enough! Among other things, Ms. Loyd had charged a $900 personal vacation aboard a cruise ship, claiming she only used the county card to "reserve" her berth on the cruise, and didn't expect the charge to appear, claiming her intention was to pay it back.

I guess there's no way a 55-year old public servant earning $52,000 a year could ever get a credit card of her own, so it is quite understandable that she stole, er, borrowed money from the Knox County taxpayers to book her cruise. I don't carry a major credit card myself, so I'm sure my boss wouldn't mind if I "borrowed" $1,200 from his company's general funds for that new Gibson Les Paul I've had my eye on, especially if I intend to pay it back. After all, if I put the cookies I took back in the jar, I didn't really steal them now, did I?

In addition to other personal expenses she charged to us, perhaps the most infamous was when she charged a lobster lunch at the fancy-ass Rega's restaurant for her and then-County Commissioner Diane Jordan to the tune of $200. That dinner must have been especially delicious, because she even charged 2 more lobster tails to go! It also bears mentioning that Diane Jordan was one of the County Commissioners ousted when the Tennessee Supreme Court upheld the term limits set forth in the Knox County Charter. As part of a far-reaching nepotism scandal among the ousted Commissioners, she appointed her son, Jordan, to sit in her chair, even though he was convicted on felony drug charges. Oh, well, "birds of a feather", you know!

Many County employees were terminated or asked to resign because of misuse of the purchasing cards. Why so many had them in the first place is beyond me, but maybe the county commission felt they needed to blow all that extra money they took in from the Wheel Tax increase of 2004. Anyhow, using a classic move straight out of the Cynthia McKinney playbook, she alleges that she alone was "constructively discharged because of reasons involving my race", according to the formal complaint she filed, adding that she was "treated differently by my employer, Knox County, and Mayor Mike Ragsdale specifically because of conditions involving my race".

Rubbish! What a bunch of pure, unadulterated crapola, lady! First, you are a thief, and you're not the only one Ragsdale threw overboard to save his sinking ship of an administration. Were the other rogues cut loose for being WHITE? Hell, no! They were cut loose for, among other ethical lapses, embezzling money from the taxpayers of Knox County through misuse of the county purchasing cards, just like you! Second, you need stop playing your dirty pool, own up to what you did, and get on with your life. It is people like you who fan the flames of real racism by giving bigots exactly what they want; another African-American hiding behind the color of her skin to escape punishment, so they can spread false propaganda purporting that ALL claims of racial discrimination are bogus.

Should this ridiculousness get thrown out of court? Of course! Will it get thrown out? Probably not: After all, Mayor Ragsdale's scandal-ridden administration is running scared right now, and doesn't need any more trouble, especially trouble this potentially volatile. In general, politicians are a cowardly lot, motivated by greed and fear, and God forbid they stand strong and brave against this transparent attempt by Ms. Loyd to escape personal responsibility for her misdeeds. Driven by the fear that a megaphone-wielding Al Sharpton will raise hell in front of the City-County building and Knoxville will be featured on the cover of "Time" magazine with the headline "America's Most Racist City", the County will probably give her a handsome settlement so she'll just shut up and go away.

This is blackmail, pure and simple. I just wish other Knox County citizens and officials weren't so scared of being branded racist for calling this latest embarrassing episode of Knox County politics exactly what it is!