Local Politics

A shaky rollout, growing opposition, and a high‑stakes November vote put Knoxville’s proposed sales tax hike on uncertain ground Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon’s sales tax referendum effort’s unfocused slog out of the gate in its early…
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“Politics is not worrying this country one-tenth as much as where to find a parking space.” – Will Rogers For decades, when Knoxville city officials asked local folks to visit downtown Knoxville, what they heard in response was the…
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It hasn’t whistled yet, but make no mistake—Knoxville’s next tax hike is on the tracks K noxville city officials are again deciding how to divide up your money to pay for things you want, may want, don’t want, or don’t even know…
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The renaissance of Knoxville’s Market Square and downtown  Downtown Knoxville was for years the equivalent of a literary dark and stormy night. Not necessarily stormy, but certainly dark. In 1987, the first time I saw downtown’s Market…
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The results of the election has this writer curious about the future of the Democratic Party in the Volunteer State With a new-but-old presidential administration taking office, and Tennessee election winners beginning their new terms…
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The Supreme Court's Chevron ruling is a landmark shift in regulatory power from agencies to Congress and courts. Chevron has been much in the news since June 28, 2024 – but not for selling gasoline. Instead, a Supreme Court decision has…
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While not a glamorous debate, local forums serve a purpose Compared to the white-hot spotlight of presidential debates, for most voters, local election candidate debates and forums are as dim as dying flashlight bulbs. For first-time…
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Politics around puzzling planning projects and the apathy of voters When I was Knoxville’s public affairs director, I had to attend only one Knoxville-Knox County Planning Commission meeting: after 30 minutes, I concluded that mayors…
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The fundamental strategies of a municipal face-off I don’t play chess, but I’ve played a real-life political version in contests involving many millions of dollars—or a politician’s future. In politics, even what seems the right move…
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How voters will navigate an artificial intelligence-laden election cycle. Anyone who believes the intelligence of politicians is artificial will have more reason than ever to think that is the case during the 2024 election cycle.…
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