Guess who requested the AG Opinion?

Tennessee House Representative

JOE McCORD
R - Maryville
District 8 - Parts of Blount and Sevier counties

Thomas F. Mabry
P. O. Box 52385
Knoxville, TN 37950

Fax 1-888-215-3119
Phone 1-865-271-9224

Concerned Citizen
Taken from the story in the Knoxville Sentinal

Commissioners may provide health care to Blount County workers

Attorney General says careers don't present a conflict of interest
By Robert Wilson

MARYVILLE - Two Blount County commissioners who are also health-care professionals are not in violation of Tennessee's conflict-of-interest regulations in providing their services to county employees, according to a recently released opinion by the state Attorney General's Office.

The opinion, requested by Rep. Joe McCord, R-Maryville, was rendered Jan. 30 and said that Wendy Pitts Reeves, a licensed clinical social worker, and Dr. Bob Proffitt, a general practice physician, are not engaged in a conflict of interest when they treat county employee patients covered by the county's health care plan.

The Jan. 30 opinion makes much the same distinction, saying that as long as Reeves and Proffitt contract with a third-party administrator and are not themselves officers or owners of the company, the activity represents no conflict of interest.

Reeves never said there was a conflict with Lewis. She ask IF there was a conflict. A simple question.

We on the other hand, now we have said we see a conflict with him, his bank and the county's millions....

I'm glad Boxley got his legal summation from Vice Mayor/Finance Director/GOP Chairman Bennett. He's not qualified for any of his titles - so why should he not be giving legal advise?

RNeal, you read it wrong because the whole premise of the AG's opinion was wrong and if you didn't know the dates involved, you'd reach the wrong conclusion. The AG's opinion was based on his understanding that Blount County operates on the County Purchasing Act of 1957. Well, it does NOW (as of July 1, 2007). It did not at the time the budget was passed (June of 2007), nor at the time Reeves/Proffitt were elected. Their agreements with the healthcare provider, by the way, would have predated their election - in other words, they didn't get these agreements as a result of their position as commissioners. Just as commissioners are permitted to keep their county employment if it predates their election, but may not be hired AFTER their election because it would look like a favor.

Consider for a moment the enormity of what the lame duck commission did in that one last commission meeting in August 2006 after Mayor Cunningham and 3 democrats were elected to the commission in the first week of that same month. They, most of whom would not even be on the commission anymore, conspired to take the budgetary power back from the commission and put it back on the mayor.

As a wise Blount Countian said recently, this is a lot similar to a lame duck congress making a law that black men cannot become president after the time Obama is elected and before he is sworn in. Given the differences in 57 and Act of 81, the net effect is that it makes it complicated for professionals already elected to make a living while serving on the commission.

But I digress.

I don't think I'm overstating this when I say that the Daily Times and their two reporters Boxley and Davis are guilty of journalistic malfeasance in a.) entitling the article "Commissioners violated conflict of interest statute" when the content clearly shows they understood that the statute in question wasn't in play at the time the vote for budget came up and b.) not identifying Dave Bennett as the Chairman of the Republican Party. He is clearly NOT acting as Finance Director in this article - but as the leader of the party opposite Reeves and Proffitt.

Ramsey would have been on the Dental list, not the health care list. The county website links to BC/BS but that site is screwy so it is hard to find out just which plan you would look under to find out if Ramsey is on their panel.

Side note that I missed earlier. From the Nov 2007 Full Commission Meeting Minutes. Samples abstained from the vote on the contract with Caritian just like Reeves did.

IN RE: CONTRACT WITH CARITEN AS THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATOR FOR BLOUNT COUNTY.
Commissioner Farmer made a motion to approve the contract. Commissioner Keeble seconded the motion.
A voice vote was taken with Chairman Ramsey declaring the motion to have passed. Commissioner Samples requested that the record show that he abstained from the vote due to a business relationship with Cariten. Commissioner Reeves previously announced that she was abstaining.

In September of 2006, Ramsey abstained from voting on the County Dental Contract with BC/BS

In fact, today's article needs its own thread- In Dentists we trust, all others pay cash. Joel missed again but I guess details are not the strong suit of the DT.