Hello there, everyone-
It's very very late and I am a bit on the tired side. Have been in Nashville for the past few days helping out with the 4th Annual Economic Summit for Women. It was a fantastic event, attended by almost 500 people from all across the state, and I'm proud to say that East Tennessee was represented better than ever. We had several attendees from this area, as well as sponsorship provided by NetGain, TVA, UT-Battelle and, especially (for me) Alcoa. Thank you! We couldn't have done it without you. And thank you, too, to all of you from Knox County, Bradley County, Blount County and more who made it a point to come up and introduce yourselves. I hope you'll all come back next year.
By now many of you who check this site regularly will have heard about the recent drama coming from our County Mayor's office. If you've missed it, you can read the first online version from Blount Today here and the Daily Time's version here. As you would expect, I've been on the phone all day with reporters from all three local papers, so I imagine you'll have many other opportunities to read up on it tomorrow.
There are many things about this that are worth exploring and discussing. For now, though, let me tell you what I'm doing about it.
1. I will be resigning from the Highlands' Blount County provider panel this week. I have been reluctant to do so previously out of concern for how that might affect the handful of clients I currently see under that plan. However, I'll make sure they receive the care they need either way. This loss of income on my part is not really necessary, as I do not have any conflict of interest with the county (we've never voted on any contract with an insurance company for medical/mental health benefits; I do not receive any funds from Highlands Health Partnership; I have no control over what provider list they choose to use or, for that matter, who employees choose to use for their mental health care). Still, I don't want any of you to worry and I'm trying to keep things as simple and clear cut as possible.
Many of you may remember that I resigned from the Human Resource and Insurance Committee back at the start of this year, just in case I could some day have a conflict.
2. I'm putting this item on the agenda for the next Ethics Committee meeting, set for Monday, 10/29, 6 p.m. in Room 315 at the courthouse. For all of the energy and time that has been spent on this issue, no one has yet filed any kind of complaint or concern with the county Ethics Committee. So, I'll do that. (Since I chair that committee, I will step aside for that portion of the discussion.) Maybe that will help everyone else see how this should work.
There is a significant silver lining in all of this. For the first time in the 23 years I've lived in Blount County, both you, the People and your elected representatives are taking a really hard look at the potential for conflicts of interest and influence on the performance of your government. In the end, I suspect that will turn out to be a good thing. So, stay tuned....
Until next time,
~Wendy
think about it...
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
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5 comments:
It is fine if you want to resign from that insurance panel. However, here's the problem as I see it: NO physician, mental health provider, dentist or other professional from a medical practice who is also a commissioner would be able to be part of ANY insurance panel. WHY? Because even though Blount County utilizes Highlands currently, they may next time utilize a different insurance company with a different panel. How does a commissioner who has a day job in some medical field EVER avoid the possibility that at some point Blount County might be looking at insurance coverage from some company with whom they have a contract.
Of course a commissioner cannot be in a position to benefit financially from their commission work and decisions. IF you owned Highlands or were a share-holder, that would be a conflict of interest.
Ethics is a complex issue which is seldom black or white. I'm very pleased that someone with an understanding of ethical concerns (a social worker/therapist) is chairing this important committee.
If insinuations have been made about you as a political maneuver, I'm afraid they've misjudged the can of worms they have opened. Can all commissioners, the mayor and all the county offices stand up to thorough scrutiny by the public where ethics are concerned?
It is interesting that when this came before the last body of Commissioners, they dimissed concern over any conflict of interest and that Commissioner (who is no longer a Commissioner) was directly benefiting from the County because he also treated inmates from the Blount County jail.
It is also interesting that they chose both you and Dr. Proffitt, but left out Republican Bob Ramsey who has been both a Commissioner, a County Executive, and then the chairman of the Commission.
I personally do not believe that you, Dr. Proffitt, or Dr. Ramsey have a conflict.
Mike Lewis, however, owns stock in the GreenBank which the County has money. His response is to put the stocks in his wife's name. I do not believe this is a good fix. If he REALLY wanted to avoid a conflict of interest he would put the stock in a trust fund such as Dr. Fisk did when he went to the Senate. This would allow him to make decisions for the County, but not be able to influence his income through the buying and selling of stocks. Putting the stocks in his wife's name just allows her to buy and sell the stocks and he would still benefit.
And if the health providers have a conflict of interest, what about the teachers, spouses of teachers, employees of the county and spouses of these employees...
Doesn't wife holding stock constitute and indirect conflict of interest?
It's the indirect that needs to be looked at closely too...
not just the direct
The conflict of interest that is of utmost concern is the membership of the planning commission being made up of developers. If that's not the fox guarding the hen house, I don't know what is. There should be no more that 25% developers on the Planning Commission. I personally would rather see NO developers on the Commission, but at least requiring there be no more than a 25% maximum would be a pretty good compromise.
please name all the developers on the planning commission since you know it all!!! closest one that did some development is ed stucky. far short of your 25%. but again if you do not know what you are talking about and want to start slandering. but get your facts straight.
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