Quist: 'Go ahead, take my money'

As I sit in the metal shed on top of the hill, I can hear the hootin' and hollaring, the high-fiving and the whooooooohhhing taking place on the sixth floor of the Knox County Deathstar.

Circuit Court Clerk Cathy Quist has jumped shipped, and now sides with the administration and commissioners in their effort to gain more control over the fee offices budgets.

It's now even. Three of the offices are on board. And three - as I write this - are not.

But that doesn't really mean squat.

It takes six commissioners to pass this mess. And it is a mess. I haven't been able to do any real work, since the proposal hit the commission dais last Monday. I could be out covering a sewing circle right now. But, naw, I got to deal with this.

Anyhoo, from what I understand, it appears the commission is still set to sign off on the proposal. And Quist switching sides reaffirms this - to me, anyway.

(Read the initial story right smack here, I'm too tired, bored, whatever, to go into its history and give you the background about which side of the Deathstar wants to spend, I mean, manage your money. I've also got lots of posts on this if you just scroll down, too.)

Where was I? Oh yeah, it appears that the commission is still set to sign off on this (and if they do, I'm sure Criminal Court Clerk Joy McCroskey is still gonna sue all their asses), but I have heard - from one fee officer - that "the tides are shifting."

Of course the person who told me this is going to put such a twist on it that it makes even county communications manager Michael "The Spin Doc" Grider (he who manages one person) look like a school kid with a coloring book.

Heh.

So, if you're interested in hearing the word "transparency" and "accountability" a few more times, then here's the press release. (And if you want tunnel carpel syndrome, head to the mayor's office where he's waiting to give you a fist bump.)

Knoxville, Tenn. - Knox County Circuit Court Clerk Cathy Quist today announced that, after studying the proposal to bring fee offices under budget, she believes that the resolution before commission truly is about transparency and accountability for Knox County taxpayers. She is happy to join Trustee John Duncan and Clerk Foster Arnett in supporting the proposal before commission.

"The public desverces nothing less than full transparency and accountability and a funding process that is unified across all of county government," Quist said. "I appreciate the efforts of Chairman Hammond and Commissioners Briggs and McKenzie for bringing this proposal tot he table, as well as Mayor Burchett's leadership in supporting this measure. I hope commission votes to approve this resolution Monday.