Remember that long line for your Florida tickets? Our state legislators
once again showed up a few hours before kickoff to receive complimentary
tickets for the game.
Legislators who accept these freebies also receive free parking permits.
These permits are usually given to new contributors to the Athletic
Department who donate around $5,000.
Several Knox County legislators refuse to accept the tickets or permits.
Representative Tim Burchett and Sen. Bud Gilbert don’t use the
tickets.
“I don’t think it’s right for me to use them at this time,” Burchett
said.
Gilbert, a UT alumnus and chairman of the Senate Environment Committee,
believes UT’s complimentary ticket practice is simply wrong.
A Harvard Law graduate, Gilbert has long had problems with the ethics of
the matter.
In a letter to President Joe Johnson after he took office in 1991, Gilbert
wrote,”I believe that it raises the appearance of impropriety for an
elected official who makes decisions regarding a … department’s budget to
accept gifts of material value from such agencies or departments.”
Gilbert also noted to Johnson that he was concerned UT did this during a
fiscal difficulty. “Employees have been laid off, students have lost the
opportunity to take needed classes … I do not see the merit in continuing
a free legislative perk when so many others are suffering.”
According to Gilbert, nothing has changed since 1991.
Gilbert, a Common Cause’s Bird Dog for Ethics and Integrity in Government
Award winner, wrote that while a majority of legislators do not share his
view on the matter, eliminating the practice would demonstrate a cutback of
“nonessential expenses.”
Johnson maintains the tickets and passes are the university extending
hospitality and goodwill to the General Assembly.
The president’s office sends each legislator a card to return where they
may indicate for home games they would like to have tickets. These cards
are maintained in the Johnson’s office throughout the season.
Since the cards are a matter of public record and must be available for
review, students can check up on their legislators by contacting Johnson’s
office to schedule an appointment to view the cards.
