In a post earlier today, I wrote that Raj Jain, one of the vocal critics of the Crestpointe proposal, is employed in some fashion by Oliver Smith Realty, the Knoxville firm that has listed for sale several parcels surrounding Home Depot and National Fitness.
Ellen Smith commented in the previous thread that Raj does not work for Oliver Smith, but has his own company, InteliSim Inc. LLC.
However, upon double-checking my information, I learned that someone named Raj Jain (and matching the physical description of the gentleman who introduced himself to me on Monday) had presented himself as representing Oliver Smith Realty in a meeting with City staff, where the discussion centered on some mini-warehouses and storage facilities proposed by Jain for one of the parcels that Oliver Smith Realty has listed.
It is entirely plausible, therefore, that he is not an employee of Oliver Smith, but it certainly appears that there is an existing business relationship of the nature where he would claim to represent the company before City staff.
The proposal has not come before the Planning Commission, but what is proposed or planned for that property isn’t the point of this thread. The purpose of this discussion is to determine whether Raj’s motive in pushing for a referendum, and for defeat of the proposed bond issue for Crestpointe, is really one of squeezing out competition rather than looking out for the financial health of the community.
And yes, there is more than one Raj Jain (the most common reference in a Google search is a computer science professor at Washington University in St. Louis); that’s why I asked my source if the physical description I gave matched the fellow linked to Oliver Smith Realty.
Thus, there appears to be some truth worth pursuing in this story.
Raj says that whoever presented a mini-warehouse proposal to city staff, it wasn’t him.
The online phonebooks I checked don’t list any other people in Tennessee named “Raj Jain,” but they don’t anyone by that name in Tennessee, so they don’t prove much.
I realize this information won’t dissuade you from believing in a scandal.
However, I am having difficulty understanding the conflict of interest that is supposed to exist here. Assuming that Raj is trying to build a mini-warehouse on east Oak Ridge land belonging to Oliver Smith Realty, what possible difference would it make to him whether or not a shopping center was built on Pine Ridge? Surely GBT Realty has not proposed to include a competing mini-warehouse facility in their proposed shopping center!
The conflict of interest would occur if he has an employment or contractual arrangement (such a subcontractor, for example) with Oliver Smith Realty, the company marketing outparcels around Home Depot and National Fitness that would be considered a competing interest to GBT’s efforts.
You tell me that Raj denies any such affiliation, but he hasn’t come forward here to say so himself… which does seem curious.
Even if he were a full-time employee and were conducting his campaign at their bidding, it wouldn’t rise to the level of scandal. Misleading, but not scandalous.
hmmmm…
Hello everybody,
I am the son of Raj Jain. He would like to respond on this blog but his access has been blocked. Currently he is busy collecting signatures and he will respond on the Oak Ridger forum at an appropriate time.
If you do want him to post on this blog. Netmom will need to unblock his access and let him know through email on the email that she has.
Raj has not been blocked from this site… if there’s an access problem, e-mail me at netmom101@bellsouth.net with any error message or technical details.
I’ve checked my spam logs, and there’s nothing from Raj there. I am actually interested in hearing from him on this topic.
Curious and curiouser? A city coucil candidate is defending Raj, then his “son” says that he can’t respond on here because the site has been blocked and he is really too busy. The owner states it has not been blocked.
Raj has two agents? Who knew he needed one? Up until this rumor “broke” he was vocal and clear that he was just doing this for the good of O.R.
It is totally unclear at this point what is going on with this matter. There is one thing for sure, it looks as though “Raj” is in seclusion for what ever reason. As daco said, Hmmmmmm?
Raj fully intends to reply on his own behalf. If he can’t post here right now, the problem presumably can be blamed on one of those strange anomalies that occasionally affect computer networks, including the internet.
I first encountered Raj in January, when he was one of the speakers at a Martin Luther King Day event in Oak Ridge. I have become somewhat acquainted with him in the last few weeks in connection with the Crestpointe issue. He told me he had been blocked from posting on this site, although he can view the site. He asked me to post on his behalf because he was unable to do so (but I am solely responsible for what I have written). It seemed entirely plausible to me that he might have been blocked after his contributions to http://www.citizennetmom.com/?p=334 and http://www.citizennetmom.com/?p=336 …
I can’t personally vouch for Raj’s complete resume, but I have no doubt that he has two sons, because he speaks proudly of both of them. His younger son has been away this weekend to participate in a Science Olympiad as an ORHS team member. I presume his parents are busy welcoming him home this evening. Raj’s older son (who I presume is the son who posted here) is a university graduate student (and, therefore, can access the internet from a different address than the one on which Raj had difficulty posting here).
Ellen, if I were in town I’d be happy to show you my blacklist — Raj isn’t on it (it’s only spammers picked up by SK2, as far as I can tell). While I did state that I would block him if he continued posting his link to the petition site, he ceased doing so (which I appreciate), and no action was necessary on my part.
I did send him an e-mail asking him to forward any error or other messages he’s getting, so that I may try to discern what the problem is. I haven’t heard from him thus far. Either he’s busy, or not interested.
What ever the “spin”, the point is that some of what Raj put on here regarding such things as recommendations of outside people to study this more in-depth and such, then turning and disappearing when called on it doesn’t pass the smell test IMHO.
There may very well be some legitimacy to his desires but it appears he is running for something. I guess we will see, huh?
I do find it amusing that so many are taking up for him but he is too busy to do it himself.