The Tennessee Center for "Policy Research" has awarded Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale and all of Knox County Commission the "2007 Lump of Coal Award". From the press release:

This dubious distinction is annually awarded by the Tennessee Center for Policy Research to the person or group in Tennessee who, more than any other over the past year, acted as a Grinch to taxpayers by wastefully spending their money and bah-humbugged the principles of open, transparent government.

This year, no one deserves more to wake up on Christmas Day to a stocking filled with coal than Knox County’s elected officials, according to Tennessee Center for Policy Research President Drew Johnson.

[..]

"The nepotism, waste and abuse of power by many of Knox County’s elected leaders earned them not only the Tennessee Center for Policy Research’s third annual 'Lump of Coal' award, but also likely earned Mayor Ragsdale and the County Commissioners a permanent place on Santa’s 'naughty' list," said Johnson.

They do realize that Ragsdale and most of the County Commissioners are Republicans, right?