Mayor Barry takes away the Election Commission's credit card, issues statement regarding Ron Buchanan's resignation

Press Release, 2-1-2016, NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Mayor Megan Barry has issued the following statement on the resignation of Ron Buchanan as Chairman of the Davidson County Election Commission and on the investigation into credit card charges by the Election Commission:

Mr. Buchanan’s behavior and treatment of reporter Alanna Autler was outrageously inappropriate. It is good that Mr. Buchanan has resigned, but unfortunate that he has shown no remorse for his words or actions. Government officials should be able to withstand tough questions.

After reviewing the charges with Finance Director Talia Lomax-O’dneal, I directed the Election Commission’s credit card privileges to be revoked and we sent auditors to the Election Commission this morning to get a more detailed view of the purchases that have been made.

When the audit is complete, the Finance Department will report to me and the Law Department to determine the appropriate next steps.

Additionally, I have directed the Finance Department to undergo a comprehensive review of our credit card procedures throughout every Metro department. After the last comprehensive review, Metro significantly reduced the number of cards available in our departments, and while we believe this to be an isolated incident involving the Election Commission, we want to be certain that we are following best practices to safeguard taxpayer dollars.

My Comment:  I am with the Mayor on this. Not that I have never said to my self about someone, "what a bitch," but I only thought it; I didn't say it out loud.  Well, maybe once or twice I have said it out loud but in a private setting, not to a reporter. A public figure should be able to govern his temper and refrain from name calling, not that I think calling a women "bitch" is any worse than calling someone a "scumbag" or an "asshole."

I know the "b-word" is considered almost as bad as the "n-word" and because of political correctness we get down right silly and when quoting someone, if they used the term "bitch," we say they said the "b-word" instead of saying he called her a "bitch."  We also say he called him the "n-word" rather than saying, "he called him a nigger."  When one can't even say the words, even when quoting what someone else said that was inappropriate, we have become too sensitive.

While I think it totally inappropriate that Buchanan called a reporter "bitch," I am not buying the feminist outrage that the "b-word" is any worse than many other bad words one could utter in anger. Calling a woman a "bitch" is no worse than calling a man a "bastard." I have heard women refer to another women as a "bitch," but somehow it is supposed to be worse if a man calls a women a bitch. I am not buying that either.

Where I disagree with the Mayor is, I don't care that Buchanan did not apologize. As much as I dislike someone losing their temper and calling a reporter "bitch," I dislike phony remorse.  To show real remorse one is supposed to sign himself into rehab and get "treatment."  Another way to survive such an incident is to express remorse and then accept being sent to sensitivity training.  I don't like it when people accept sensitivity training; it sounds a lot like getting sent to a police-state reeducation camp.  Buchanan lost his temper and said a bad word, he resigned, it is over.  No other action necessary, no treatment and no sensitivity training.

I support the mayor in taking away the credit card.

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