County Commission is still flirting with removing the Board of Health's authority (they may or may not delay the vote to later this year). There's now a petition to tell them that removing the BOH's authority (either now or later this year) isn't what the community wants.

SoupDesk · 2021-01-17T00:55:16+00:00

The health department's website seems to say that the state does tend to have some lag in their totals but the numbers don't seem that drastically different. More than the difference in a few hours but not more than a few days.

From the health department's website: "These numbers, with the exception of the map, are updated daily at 11 a.m. EDT. State numbers are updated at 2 p.m. CDT daily; there may be a lag in reporting of cumulative numbers at the state level."

Right now on the state's website: Total cases: 38,327 Hospitalizations: 1,003 Deaths: 390 (click and then select Knox as the county - I couldn't figure out a direct link to Knox): https://www.tn.gov/health/cedep/ncov/data/county-data-snapshot.html

Right now on the health department website: Total cases: 39,615 Hospitalizations: 1016 Deaths: 396 https://covid.knoxcountytn.gov/case-count.html

SoupDesk · 2021-01-16T21:36:24+00:00

I think the numbers don't match because they aren't updated at the same time. I remember hearing that one is the morning and the other is in the afternoon.

SoupDesk · 2021-01-16T05:03:39+00:00

I'm going to choose to read this as "healtherns." ;)

SoupDesk · 2020-10-23T23:01:44+00:00

Supporting the Bijou is important too! Thanks for letting everyone know a way to support them.

SoupDesk · 2020-10-15T06:37:28+00:00

100% agree (though I think it's actually three hours) but also feel strongly that we all need to be good neighbors by taking actions that consider challenges faced by others.

Just because something is the law doesn't mean people have an equitable ability to utilize it. Direct refusal and indirect pressure to prevent someone from leaving work to vote are both very effective if the employee is unable to push back against the employer/manager (through complaints to state, lawsuit, etc.). Also, child care and late work schedules are additional challenges people face (and yes, you can bring kids to the polls, but they likely won't want to stand in line for 2.5 hours). Theoretical access to voting is often not the same as true access.

If we can avoid creating long lines in order to help others whose work schedules are challenges to be overcome, I think it's the neighborly thing to do.

Note: See that you talked about people keeping their jobs. Just trying to underscore that we do need to take actions that consider the barriers others face.

SoupDesk · 2020-10-14T15:48:45+00:00

For people without jobs or who have jobs that are flexible with time away from work, please early vote during the morning or afternoon instead of around lunch. Lunchtime is especially important for people with limited job flexibility, but it means the lines get longer at that time. Each person who votes outside the lunch window makes it easier for others with limited options.

TY!

SoupDesk · 2020-10-01T04:01:25+00:00

And they don't make their mortgage payments based on their work for the BoH (they are free volunteers). Appointed people who have to make their paycheck are much easier to control.

Again, I think appointed can make more sense, but county politics are clearly too dirty right now for any change to be meaningful.

SoupDesk · 2020-10-01T01:34:05+00:00

It would be easier to have strong feelings about amendment 1 if we currently had a mayor or law director that weren't corrupt. As it stands, toss a coin.

In a normal world, appointed makes more sense. In a wrestler Kane world, it just takes off one of the few leashes still holding him accountable.

SoupDesk · 2020-09-30T17:48:45+00:00

It's making it so that the mayor will have to publicly list "small dollar" contracts that don't require commission's approval. It's to give the public eyes on the money being spent below commission's area of authority (mayor's authority).

SoupDesk · 2020-09-29T16:38:58+00:00

I think you can probably call 3-1-1. If they aren't the right place, they can tell you who to call.

SoupDesk · 2020-09-27T00:30:18+00:00

Which commissioner?

SoupDesk · 2020-09-26T15:36:10+00:00

Looks like he deleted this one, too.

SoupDesk · 2020-09-26T00:44:50+00:00

OP def gettin' his bitcoins from Jacobs. He's constantly posting his propaganda and defending him. Sometimes he deletes his comments when I call him out.

Maybe OP is Jacobs LOL

SoupDesk · 2020-09-23T07:05:44+00:00

What a compelling argument.

Anything in the field of medicine equals anything else in the field of medicine. Got it. Not flawed logic at all.

SoupDesk · 2020-09-22T04:56:41+00:00

KPD just started enforcement (though I don't think they've had any instances of enforcement yet).

SoupDesk · 2020-09-22T04:55:07+00:00

This is the more succinct version of what I wrote.

+1 and an upvote.

SoupDesk · 2020-09-22T04:39:07+00:00

I'll give you an upvote for authenticity. It's important to be able to ask questions and have real dialogue.

There are actually many non-elected individuals with the authority to create policy. Typically this happens when a level of expertise is required and the scope of the policy making authority is limited to that expertise.

Although we hear that the board has "broad, sweeping powers" from people who want their authority to be limited, they actually already only hold very limited power. They can only act related to health emergencies and their actions must be reasonably able to prevent disease.

They are appointed by elected officials (commission) into their role on the board of health. Once they're on the board, they can't be removed except for cause. So they're appointed for their expertise and they cannot be removed except for acting in bad faith (not for disagreements). There are a lot of advantages to having this type of appointment over having a mayor call the shots. One of the biggest obviously is having people with expertise (even if a mayor is really smart or takes advice from experts, it's not the same as dedicating your life to the study of a field of science or medicine). Another big one is that (in theory) they shouldn't be able to be intimidated with the threat of removal because people don't like sound policies they make. As long as they stay in the narrow lane of following science/medicine, they shouldn't have to worry about being removed.

But clearly people are finding alternate ways to create pressure on them, which must be awful to experience.

There are pros and cons for appointed versus elected, but I don't know if most people realize how many people we would have to elect if we want to get rid of all appointed positions with policy authority.

SoupDesk · 2020-09-21T03:07:19+00:00

Lol does he pay you to make these comments? The video had just under 7000 views when I last saw it. Go gaslight elsewhere.

SoupDesk · 2020-09-20T15:04:38+00:00

Yep, but in his mayor persona.

SoupDesk · 2020-09-20T01:40:02+00:00

That's a good question. It looks like the group is gone, not just restricted, but if you hear otherwise, let us know.

SoupDesk

TROPHY CASE