Browsing Category
Local Politics
Misfiring on Safety First?
Mayor Kincannon’s focus on gun legislation ignores another threat
Safety is city government’s fundamental responsibility. That was Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon’s battle cry as she sighted Gov. Bill Lee’s permit-less handgun carry!-->!-->!-->…
Read More...
Read More...
The Color Purple
Will the blue wash over Knoxville’s traditional red political landscape.
On a WATE-TV show in 2003, after Bill Haslam was elected Knoxville mayor, I concluded that he might be the “last overtly Republican mayor of Knoxville.” That could!-->!-->!-->…
Read More...
Read More...
Political Money Talks
Out of both sides of its mouth—too much or not enough?
The American public, news media, and political candidates themselves have something in common when it comes to money’s influence in politics: they’re consistently inconsistent.
!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->…
Read More...
Read More...
Was the Fix in for Recode?
Knoxville's new zoning map may have unintended consequences
In politics, there are telltale signs that tell a tale of signs the fix might be in.Those signs were all around Recode Knoxville, which affects every city property owner and is!-->!-->!-->…
Read More...
Read More...
Voter Anger Management
Influencing politics in 140 characters or less
His appearance something like that of an Amish survivalist, Fletcher Burkhardt visually seemed an unusual candidate for Knoxville mayor. Regardless of the outcome, his campaign is onto!-->!-->!-->…
Read More...
Read More...
Fleeing The Skunk
The stench of a property tax increase can not be ignored
There are three reasons why city and county leaders typically flee property taxes like a skunk chasing them down the street: property owners hate them, voters hate them, and they!-->!-->!-->…
Read More...
Read More...
Super Tuesday, Super Conflicts
How far left can Tennessee Democrats lean without falling down?
The Super Tuesday presidential primary, which includes Tennessee, is only 10 months away, March 3, 2020. What a dreary thought.
Americans in the last decade entered into!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->…
Read More...
Read More...
The Return of Metro Government
Rising from the Dead?
The idea of metro, or unified, government is akin to the character of Jason in the Friday the 13th movies: regardless of how many times or in what exotic ways he’s killed off, it just won’t die.
In 1959, 1978,!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->…
Read More...
Read More...
Legislator or Loudmouth?
The Choices of Incoming State Rep. Gloria Johnson
It’s liable to get noisy in Nashville. Gloria Johnson has three options as she returns to Nashville to represent the 13th District in the state House of Representatives: 1) Be!-->!-->!-->…
Read More...
Read More...
The Waiting
Transitions between election and taking office are similar to decorating the stage for a theatrical production: do it badly and your play is going to cost more, take longer, require re-staging, and cause a cascading set of other headaches.…
Read More...
Read More...