One Question

So in '06 there was a big to-do over the "Knox County One Question" initiative and out of it came this guide to local government. I find it to be a wonderful source of information on topics that most people know little about, namely county commission.

I mean, how many people know that the county is responsible for the Air-quality around town but that both the city and county have a say over the "environmental codes enforcement"? The county runs the schools, that's pretty well known, but the city runs the buses. Both city and county have animal control resources, but only the county has a public health system.

My point is, not many people have a full understanding of what their government does. Much less what their two governments do. Part of this blog is going to be an attempt to clear up confusion about the roles of County Government vs. City Government. To be honest the most common question I get when I say, I'm running for County Commission, is, "What do they do"?

I'd like to be able to lay out to everyone clearly what job I'm running for, what I will do when I get there, and how it can be achieved. In order to do this tough there needs to be an understanding of our system and how it works (and doesn't work).

Every once in a while when I find a topic that shows a bold distinction of the functionalities of County Commission and City Council, I will post about it and hopefully, help everyone to get to know better what it is why they vote people into office.

my two cents

I think it's good for the interests of Downtown to be represented in Knox County Government. While we hold on to our redundant two-government system here, we need to make sure that the whole county is fairly represented. Downtown Knoxville is well represented in City Government (as it should be) but very often District 1-A is overlooked or mishandled by the County Government.

The County has A LOT to do with Downtown. Let's use the County's State Street property as an example: the whole Baseball Stadium/Justice Center/Transit Center fiasco might have been averted if an educated pro-Downtown voice had been heard from within County Government. If someone who was really looking out for the interests of the center city had been in the 1-A seat, I might be able to walk down the street and catch a Smokies game this summer, ala the Chattanooga Lookouts stadium. Instead, our team is out in All-You-Can-Eat Pancake Buffet Sevier County.

The City, unfortunately, isn't the sole authority in the city. If it was, I think we'd have a stadium here as well as more projects like the Riviera. So while we have this flawed system, we need someone in County Government who understands Knoxville's central city and will work in harmony with the City Government. In my humble opinion, that someone should be John Spellings.

A Downtown Citizen Representing Downtown

The Why.

I have been asked numerous times by people as to why I am running. I guess this is only natural since most people would A) Even think about running or B) run as a write in candidate. It’s important for me, an unknown, to lay out clearly my motivations for getting involved in local politics when that seems to be the realm of the Baby-Boomers right now.

Don’t get me wrong, this is not a generational fight. We have some great leadership from that generation and some not-so-great. My motivation comes from the idea that there should always be an option for people to choose a none-of–the-above. Too often, especially in our Knox County elections, there seems to be a limit to the viable parties to choose from.

I believe that political parties have played and continue to play an important and necessary role in our nation’s political system. I have worked for one of these parties in a national election. Without the support of a large apparatus it would be impossible to coordinate the hundreds of thousands of voters and workers. The difference is, on a local level the necessity isn’t there. My affiliation with a national party has little ramification upon how I feel about the maintenance of our roads, the zoning of our communities, or the number of businesses that get beer and liquor licenses.

Sure it’s an easy way to get a portion of voters to be sympathetic to your cause, but what has a candidate told us about themselves when they claim the mantle of a Republican of Democrat? I want to know where the person stands on property taxes and schools more than where they stand on abortion and the War on Terror.

I believe that a person who is committed to serving his or her community should not look to party bosses for their direction but to their neighbors. I want to know what is needed in the First District. What do my neighbors need from their local government? Are the taxes to high? Is there improper zoning that is driving down property values? Are businesses being encouraged to expand in our district and to bring in better paying jobs?If you have an opinion please, let me know.

Local government has more of an impact on the day to day issues than the Federal or State government does, because local government is, well, local.

Don't Stop the Progress

Over the course of the next months I will attempt to lay out why the status quo of our county government cannot remain. Beyond the obvious scandals, which reflect the quality of the person involved and not necessarily the system itself, there needs to be a serious discussion of the direction Knox County is going. We stand at the edge of growth and success and must decide whether or not we have the courage to break through the barriers that are currently restraining us.

Knox County is the obvious economic leader in East Tennessee. Blount, Anderson, Sevier, Jefferson- all of these counties are experiencing great success in their own right, but in addition they all have an interest in having a strong Knox County. We must take the lead and reflect the direction that this entire region is going. Our government must behave (and not look like an overgrown network of “good ‘ol boys”) and reflect the intelligent and progressive population that they govern.

It is beholden of those that serve in government to want nothing more than to enable the fullest potential for all the citizens whom they serve. In Knox County, the county government does this through zoning, taxation, and licensing. I desire to see a government that follows its own charter, to stick to the duties assigned to it, and to avoid being a hindrance to the progress being made in our area.

When the New York Times writes an article that makes Knox County a laughing stock, progress is hindered. When friends, coworkers, and family members replace ousted commissioners, progress is hindered. And when the local parties care more about fighting one another and injecting national politics into our local elections, progress is hindered.

I have no agenda but to serve District 1A through keeping taxes low, making the process open, and rebuilding the faith of the citizens of Knox County in its government.

It’s time move on from the fiascos of the recent past and focus on the prosperous times we have ahead of us.

A New Day in the District

As I sit here at one of my favorite haunts, Downtown Grill and Brewery, I think about how grateful I am to live in such a great, all-be-it small, community in downtown Knoxville. It's true that it's not huge, it's not the most cosmopolitan, and there are a number of problems we face in continuing the successes we have made in downtown, but there is no doubt that this area is heading in a great direction.

From Mechanicsville to Chilhowee Park, from the Fort to Gay St. there seems to be a steady progression of revitalization. Excitement about downtown and the central-city district is evident. We have a City Mayor who is committed to seeing success in District 1A, and the results are evident.

We all know the great things that are happening, but there have been problems as well, specifically with our county government. If you're reading this then you probably have been paying attention to the series of continual failures that is our County Commission. Not only have the Commissioners (many of them at least) failed to uphold the law (term limits), but they then had the gall to put in friends, relatives, and people who would owe them if they were put in place.

Listen, I'm not the smartest person in the world, I'm not the most knowledgeable about how to run a government, I don't have lots of money, and I'm not going to make a bunch of promises. What I will do is commit to promoting District 1A for what it is, a dynamic, exciting, and integral part of what makes Knoxville unique. I mean hey, we've got the Sunsphere.

Please, give me your consideration as we head to the polls this August. I'm fighting an uphill battle, but I think it's a battle worth fighting.

Write in Spellings, Write Out Nepotism

Independence and why it's important

I'm running as and independent and this is why: I want everyone to know that I am not committed to a certain party ideology. My loyalties lay with my district.

LAUNCH

This blog is intended to be a place where J. Spellings can put forth his political platform for his candidacy for District 1-A of Knox County. Here, he can bring up community issues and promote his stances concerning them. An avid blogger in the Knoxville blog scene, Spellings writes for The Sunsphere is NOT a Wigshop under the alias "The Pol" and has presented many of his views there.

This blog is designed to be more direct to you, the voters, not just a mouthpiece for Spelling's candidacy but providing a forum to discuss the problems in downtown Knoxville.

I'll leave it to John to describe himself in more detail. Come back and get involved!