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IdleAire rife with Political Pay-offs and Corruption
Was Mayor Ragsdale
hooked up to IdleAire?
Quote:
By Martha Woodward
At first glance, IdleAire seemed like a great idea; almost foolproof.The plan was for long haul truckers to be able to stay hooked up to electricity without having to run on fuel during the 10 hour "idle" or down time federally-required for every 11 spent on the road. IdleAire promised to provide:
-Individually controlled, filtered heating and air conditioning 1
-20V electrical outlets inside and outside your cab
-Integral computer with color touch screen interface for Internet access and IdleAire service selection
-Telephone jack with free local phone calls
-Coax connection for your TV and access to satellite television
-IdleAire assistance on site 24/7, via the IdleAire Service Module
-First Run & Classic Movies on Demand
-Long-distance phone service
-Ethernet jack & wireless Internet for your own computer.
All of these services are contained in a "hose-like" module which can be hooked into the cab of the truck, reminding many of the hook-ups at the drive-in movies or camp grounds.
IdleAire was begun in 2000 in Tennessee from the idea of A.C.Wilson and his brother-in-law, a long haul trucker. How could a trucker park, shut off the engine and continue to stay warm or cool? After designing a sketch of a module which looks like a fire hose with an advanced computerized attachment on one end, the two launched their new company which grew quickly.
According to Mayor Ragsdale's office, former Knox County Mayor Tommy Schumpert backed IdleAire's first $1 million dollar application for federal dollars in 2002. In early 2004, Mayor Ragsdale sponsored a second grant request for a million dollars.
It was Ragsdale who signed the final contract papers, passing the federal money through Knox County government, on December 14, 2004.
In June 2007, the company filed the necessary papers with the Security and Exchange Commission in order to go public. However, for the company which began with such promise, annual losses of $30-$60, and most recently $93 million, have many saying the business will not stay afloat. This can leave investors with heavy losses and short tempers.
It was learned recently from comments made by former Assistant to the Mayor, Cynthia Finch, that Ragsdale may have been a "silent" investor in IdleAire, meaning he may have bought into the company by having another person invest money for him. Many are asking, did the Mayor use his own money, or county funds?
Spokesperson for the Mayor, Van de Vate said, "...the mayor made a $10,000 personal investment in IdleAir in December 2004. A 12-member committee from East Tennessee oversees funding, which has totaled $2.8 million since 2002, awarded to IdleAire." This committee is the Executive Board of the Knoxville Transportation Planning Organization. Knoxville’s TPO prints a 39 page Prospectus which serves as a guide for the organization. The web site is [LINK POSTED BY MEMBER] Only Members Can View This Truck Forum Link. .
The TPO’s Executive Board is made up of elected officials from the Cities of Alcoa, Maryville, Knoxville, Lenoir City, Loudon, Town of Farragut, Knox, Blount and Sevier County, an elected official representing East Tennessee Development District, and the Governor of Tennessee. Mayor Bill Haslam is currently the Chairman of the Board. Mayor Mike Ragsdale is a member of the Board. A source has alerted us that the last CMAC grant, a large portion went to IdleAire for infrastructure at a Pilot Travel Center, owned by the Haslam family, in Jefferson County, TN. TPO is mandated by law.
Sandra Lea, author of Whirlwind: The Butcher Banking Scandal, has been investigating this and other conflicts of interest of Mayor Ragsdale and his associates long before the WBIR report came out saying the Feds are going to investigate Ragsdale.
When contacted, she acknowledged working on a book covering the Knoxville government debacle. Let's hope the Feds get the job done before The Great Pretenders; Pretending to Be Public Servants comes out and the authorities are made to look bad for not doing their jobs. But then again, maybe they're waiting on her book so they won't have to work so hard.
[LINK POSTED BY MEMBER] Only Members Can View This Truck Forum Link.
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"It could probably be shown thru facts and figures that there is no distinctive native American criminal class...except Congress" ټڀڟMark Twainټڀڟ
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Sounds like these folks are 1st cousins to the Dallas City Council, Dallas School Board, Dallas Area Rapid Transit, Dallas County Commissioners, and most other Gov entities in Dallas TX.
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04.15.2008
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