Garrett Wagley, the chamber’s director of communications and government relations was married to Allison Wagley who was in charge of Office of Neighborhoods that was run out of County Mayor Mike Ragsdale’s office. Grant Rosenberg is now head of Office of neighborhoods, and he just got a 28% pay raise, after it had been announced that there would be no raises this year. This is like the P-Cards; they are restricted as to their use everywhere in county government, except in the Mayor’s office. No raises anywhere in county government, except in the Mayor’s office. Grant Rosenberg does do his work as well as the responsibilities Tyler Harbor had when he worked for Mayor Ragsdale.

“State Sen. Tim Burchett, R-Knoxville, is Senate sponsor of all five bills that Niceley is sponsoring in the House. But Burchett is not being criticized, Wagley said, because “he has worked with us on other issues” while Niceley has not.”

If Niceley had just worked with the Chamber on some other issue, sometime in the past, these 5 bills would not be an issue and we would not even be reading this story. What??

Is Tim Burchett getting a pass from Garrett Wagley, the chamber’s director of communications and government relations? Sure he is. Ragsdale wants Burchett to get his old mayor job because Burchett will not do anything about issues and irregularities he finds in the office, if they can get him elected.

The Chamber had invited the Republican and Democratic and the Independent candidates for a public debate before the May 4th Primary Election, where the Republican and Democratic candidates will be cut back to 1 each. Garrett Wagley canceled last week saying Tim Burchett was unable to attend. What??
Unable to attend?? Ever??

It is apparent Burchett is afraid to debate Hutchison in his primary, or the other candidates he will face in the general election. Who can blame him? The Republican Party arranged all his votes before he announced his run. All he can do now is open his mouth and lose votes, or faint. What a goofball.

I was almost ready to reward good Republican behavior for some of those Nicely proposals, but then I remembered he pretty much killed the mountaintop removal bill last year, If I recall correctly. Maybe he's remorseful and trying to make up for it.

UPDATE: House Sub Kills Two Niceley Bills Opposed by Chamber

Lord, this year's trolls (both registered and not) are a nasty lot.

Chamber wins, natch.