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November 4, 2007
Currying favor with the people
It's uncanny, really: in just the past day or three, I have had the same thought as Billy Blades posted today. If hiring Marti Rutherford for 2 or 3 days so that she can qualify for taxpayer-subsidized retiree medical benefits is "the right thing to do," even if Ms. Rutherford knowingly falsified election documents to run in a district in which she clearly did not reside, then why would it not also be "the right thing to do" to offer the same gesture to former city employee Kenardo Curry, who has been indicted on charges of theft of city funds?
Whose bank account ultimately gained the most as a result of his or her respective actions? Does it really matter? How can the mayor extend a "we'll let it slide" to Rutherford, and a "see you in Hell" to Mr. Curry, under these* circumstances?
The possible answer is twofold:
1) Curry backed Littlefield's rival in the runoff election of 2005, Ann Coulter. Rutherford supported Littlefield.
2) Rutherford has some information pertaining to Mayor Littlefield that she has threatened to disclose if she didn't receive this special treatment.
Watch for updates on the latter in the coming weeks. Let it be clear as of this posting that the statements above are mixed as to certainty. Number 1 is factual; and number 2 is a hunch, though more and more people are openly discussing their belief that this must be the case. (By the way, what the heck did Littlefield say to Roy Exum the other day?)
*Note: I am not aware of Kenardo Curry's retirement status, his age, nor his length of service with the City of Chattanooga. If, however, those data are similar enough to Ms. Rutherford's, then I propose that we start a petition to formally request that he be given the same treatment, i.e., temporary employment, or the equivalent thereof, to make him eligible.
Government | By joe lance | 2:08 PM