Local Politics

Redistricting puts Republicans and Democrats at odds Redistricting works like this: when your political party is in power, among the spoils of victory is drawing congressional and state legislative district lines. A legislative majority…
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Tennessee’s place in the battle of vaccination requirements At a hotel in a politically blue state, when I went to use the fitness center, the desk clerk said no ID and COVID-19 vaccination card, no entry. I’d planned to exercise; I…
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Pulling the unemployment boost plug in Tennessee With “Help Wanted” signs in Tennessee so thick that a person needs a chainsaw to cut through them, Gov. Bill Lee pulled the plug early on $300-a-week expanded federal government…
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A local look at America's most hated tax Of all taxes, Americans hate the property tax the most. The property tax’s unpopularity—and knowing that in Knoxville it takes only five of nine members of city council to increase it—helps to…
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The key to a child’s successful reading journey rests with the parents Perhaps a lesson in how to help kids learn to read can be applied from my father’s method of inducing me to learn the multiplication table. In second grade,…
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The arguments surrounding Tennessee’s newConstitutional Carry legislation When I was a kid, my friends and I played ‘army,’ fighting World War II around the houses and nearby jungle-like terrain of Merritt Island, Florida. We…
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'She will not be attending the university this fall' The widespread pursuit of finding those guilty of past thought or deed transgression is ever present in modern society. Part of the “cancel culture” wars, this theme saw the…
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Stimulus plans have strings attached to all taxpayers “A billion here and a billion there, pretty soon you’re talking about real money.” – the late Rep. U.S. Sen. Everett M. Dirksen Sen. Dirksen was so 20th century: The federal…
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Politicians notice the rare letter that lands on their desk “Mr. Postman,” (said the politician), “look and see, is there a letter (from a constituent) in your bag for me?” Politicians may not sing it like the 1960s group the…
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COVID highlights leadership challenges during health emergency The county mayor is responsible for the operations of Knox County government—unless a health emergency prioritizes the ideas of a group of unelected individuals responsible…
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