What I'm Prepared to Do.

I've bee giving this a lot of though and doing some research and I have come to the conclusion that the best service I can offer this city (besides not taking friends to Regas on a P-Card) is to vote myself out of a job. Meaning, I support moving to a unified metropolitan government in Knoxville.

I realize that few candidates for commission are talking about this, probably because it is a hot button issue and there is really not a consensus on how to proceed with this idea throughout the county. I had resisted saying anything, not wanting to polarize any potential voters, then realized how incredibly silly it was for me to behave that way.

I decided to get into this race in order to:
1. Offer people a choice different from what I see as the status quo.
2. Bring up topics and ideas that otherwise might not be brought up.
3. Show the people in this district that the new group of residents in downtown have a voice and a desire to be deeply involved in the development and direction of the community.

I wanted to talk about this topic and I brought it up, so let me make a few comments of why I believe that a Metro Government is right for Knoxville.

First there are only two (2) counties with metro governments in TN, can anyone name them? One is easy, Davidson (meaning Nashville of course) the other being Trousdale. Trousdale Co. includes the city of Hartsville, which if you have never been to you are missing out, I spent many a day there as a youth tagging tobacco (seriously it was a job) and watching sports (they tended to beat my high school football team).

Both of those counties have consolidated governments and have benefited greatly. Nashville is obviously the powerhouse city in TN. The fact that the government is one, and working towards a steady unified goal of growth and revitalization is reflected in the city's growing strength.

Many of the upcoming cities around the country have metro governments as well. Indianapolis, Louisville, Lexington, and Kansas City all have metro governments and have seen great amounts of growth in the past few years.

Buy why for Knoxville? It's not enough that other cities do it to make it right for us, so why? Well Knoxville is the East TN economic hub. We sit in the middle of a number of growing counties that look to us for leadership, direction, and stability as they plan on how to grow their own counties economically. A metro government would signal to them and to companies that have watched our recent shenanigans that Knoxville was ready to turn the page. That we have thrown off the old trappings of our divided government and were ready to become a leader in the region.

It's time for a change in Knoxville, new leadership, a new direction, a new government.

Write in Spellings.

The First Poster

Literally.

This poster is specially formatted to print on 8.5x11 paper. Perfect for any cubicle, refrigerator, or evening dress.

Please print, post, and pass along.

My ad budget is exactly the same as the rest of my campaign and I will only get the word out with help from my supporters.

With your help and lots of shameless self promotion we will change the make up of county commission.

August 7, the Day Commission Begins to Change

A Milestone for the Campaign

Yesterday a monumental event in this campaign transpired, I had an interview published.

The Knoxville-Knox County Focus, a local weekly, was the first of the media sources to discover this campaign. Brian Paone, who also subsequently runs politicalknoxville.com, sought me out at a local event and asked me for an interview. I was more than happy to oblige and now my words are in print.

For me this is a big moment because it takes the credibility of others to validate a political run. Let's be honest, if no one supports you you're not winning and if you can't get your message out no one will support you.

What is humbling to me is the fact that thoughtful, concerned people actually accept that I have a valid point to make in this race. Through my efforts to bring a semblance of sanity back into the system, I have been able to connect with my fellow citizens and that has made all the difference.

If you are interested in what I said, here is the link to the pdf version of the article (it's on 4B or page 10 when you are scrolling) or you can pick up a copy at many places downtown, including Downtown Grill and Brewery, among other places.

It's a Joy Downtown

This evenings post comes thanks to Backroom Barbeque at Central and Jackson. The weather is perfect as is the company. My friends Jason (Stan) and Chris (CK) from the Sunsphere blog are helping with some campaign ideas, posters etc. and i am enjoying some of the great atmosphere this area has to offer.

Not far from here thousands of people have come downtown to enjoy Sundown in the City and will discover the many changes from last summer that will keep them coming back. Downtown now has a movie theatre, a Marble Slab, a Cereal Bar, a bookstore, not to mention the many restaurants, museums, and cultural attractions. I love it down here.

I want people to understand that, more than anything else, I am simply a resident who is passionate about this place and proud to call it my home. I want nothing more than to see many more successful businesses open, more families and people move in, and the sense of community grow stronger.

It's time for District 1 to take the lead in the county. We need to set the tone of change and progress by doing things differently. What better way than to elect its commissioner in as unique a manner as a writing him in.

Write in Spellings, Write out Nepotism

A Quick Word on the Redlight Cameras

A few months ago, the issue of the red-light cameras (Which i like to refer to as the Redflex Redlight Cameras) came to the forefront due to an incident in which a Knox County resident allegedly shot out one of the cameras. I'm not here to comment on that, just to mention the fact that, that is what got me interested in the topic.

Like many people I was shocked by arrival of those cameras into our community. The contract between this private company out of Arizona and the City of Knoxville was put forth as a way to increase revenue and improve road safety. The reality has been contrary to the idea however.

I realize this is a city issue technically, but the county citizens are impacted and they have less recourse. I believe it is beholden of our elected officials to watch for injustice perpetrated by all parties, including other branches of government.

If you are interested in discussing this further I am more than happy to just contact me.

Law and Order: Knoxville Style

I woke up this morning to news of a gunshot victim in Downtown, specifically at the intersection of Bell and Summit Hill. This sort of thing is not ok. We can not simply accept incidents like this in our community as has often been the case in the past.

For too long, this part of the city has been looked down upon as unsafe, undesirable, and maybe even unworthy of the effort it would take to solve the problems. I don't believe this to be the case at all. This District is blessed with some of the best property in the city. We are urban but not overcrowded, we are Downtown but not out of touch.

As county commissioner one of my prime concerns will be to bring back a time honored and tested method of law enforcement and prevention, Police officers on the beat. Oh I'm not saying that this will solve the root of the problems that exist. Last nights' shooting would likely have happened whether or not there was a police offer who regularly strolled by the Wiegels.

But we need a multi-leveled approach to addressing crime, beginning with the basics of bringing the police back into a relationship with the community. It's time to begin the long process of changing downtown's image. Making it family friendly again, bringing those people who will make a life in the district, but need to know that they're safe.

We can change it, but there needs to be a new face for this new direction, and I believe I offer that.

To Build a Better Community

It takes a village.

That's the famous quote right? Well, I'm not so sure about the parental implications and how much child rearing does or does not require the input of neighbors, but I do know that the village itself is needed for its own reasons.

The village, or community as the case is in District 1, has been separated from itself. This happened a long time ago, by people who, for whatever motives, sliced our community into pieces. An interstate superhighway was determined to be of greater use to Knoxville than those pesky residential neighborhoods that ringed our city.

Today, we have the residuals of this lack of planning which has resulted in the partitioning of the Center City into disconnected cells that have been neglected and allowed to deteriorate in favor of the suburban sprawl that has been so popular for the past 50 years. Downtown, Mechanicsville, Park Ridge, The Fort, 4th and Gill, these are just a few of the historic and character rich neighborhoods we have that we have nearly lost.

Over the past few years, there has been a "re-urbanization" in which people look at these areas and see that the neighborhoods perpetuate a deeper sense of community and relationship than they were able to have in many newer developments. My desire is to continue that trend by encouraging more homeownership and community empowerment, while using the joint tools of county resources and city partnership to begin repairing the flaws in the infrastructure that prevent the organic growth and economic vitality that could make Knoxville the jewel of East Tennessee. (Because come on, we all want to make Chattanoogan's jealous)

Let's take back our village and continue making it the best place to live in Knoxville.

Knox Charter Petition Group

I'm sitting at West High School listening to some of our county commissioners and many of our citizens discuss the proposed amendments to the Knox County Charter and I'm noticing something:

None of the 1st district Commissioners are here.

Now there are many of these meetings and perhaps they've attended the others, but I am not seeing them here tonight. I am interested in this group and their ideas and I think there is a lot ot be said about making legal, structural changes to the Charter.

I'm not going to go into detail at this time, but I will be bringing this issue up again and maybe addressing some of the specifics to agree or disagree.

I will say however that I was disappointed when the group dropped their amendment to have make all County Commission seats non-partisan. We can go back to my original principle for running, that national party ideals have little bearing on local government practicalities.

A First Priority

Well what do you intend to do?

The first, or at least top five, questions a candidate for office is asked. Since I am relatively unknown at this point it's a question only a few dozen have asked. I still have to have a response though and my answers vary.

I care a lot about downtown. I want to see it grow more and think that local government has a profound effect on the capability of an area to prosper or fail (though I am not one who subscribes to many of the extreme abuses of Keynesian economics). My first proposal is not a very exciting one. I would like to increase the use of Tax Increment Financing or TIF's.

TIF's have become popular recently and I believe offer an attractive bonus for companies and developers in areas where they might otherwise not go. Let's discuss briefly a few positives and negatives of this type of tool.

TIF's provide relief for a business or venture in the first few years by keeping taxes at bay. Putting off of or allowing taxes to be left unpaid gives these people more of a buffer to get established and to grow and invest in their business before paying their full burden of the property tax. Now we could take this a step further to discuss the entire property tax system, but that could be saved for another day.

Down side to this type of public aid, a loss of revenue and a sense of unfairness. For instance, I purchased a home in downtown last year. It's not big and I could sure use the relief from the tax burden for the first few years. take that money and reinvest it in my home to make it nicer, but the TIF's are not offered to homeowners. It's a little one sided in that way, though I accept the exclusivity of it.

I want these used more widely downtown and in the surrounding areas. Many of the retail stores (grocery, clothing, etc.) could benefit from this little carrot dangling in from of them. The people are moving into downtown and now it is time to entice the business to follow suit.

My concerns for TIF's come mainly out of the abuse that is bound to come from them. I heard Commissioner Lambert on the radio last week talking about using TIF's for new retail centers in one of the big suburban shopping areas. I would be highly hesitant to use TIF's in a situation like that because why would you defer taxes and give an enticement where none is needed. New development is going to happen and it doesn't always need to be rewarded in this way. We should be careful about where the TIF's are applied and how often and extensive they are granted.

I know, not exactly exciting stuff right. Don't worry next time I will address my pet peeve, Redflex Redlight Cameras, and what I want to do about those.

My Cause and Commitment

I have a problem.

Like many of you, I take issue with the way our county government has been run. It is full of people who have abused their power, their position, and the trust of those they claim to serve. Hardly anyone have spoken with would say they have confidence in the county government to serve and function in a way that seeks after the best interest of the community.

The First District has a problem as well. I don't know Mr. McKenzie, I don't seek to smear him or degrade him. However, I believe many people feel the way I do about the entire situation. Mr. McKenzie is in the unfortunate position of having been appointed by county commission at a time when few still trust their judgment.

My campaign, my motivation, is based upon the understanding that we need change in the District and in the County. There comes a time when the status quo becomes a hindrance and only dramatic change can appropriately address the needs of government. A write-in candidate winning office would be such a dramatic event.

I am an independent candidate, not only in party, but also in application. I have no loyalties to anyone on commission, or in county government for that matter. I want to see downtown and central city continue to grow and improve while maintaining the wonderful community we all enjoy.

The people of the First District should know that their county commission representative is loyal to them and is focused solely on the issues we face. Honesty, Commitment, and Independence is what I offer you as your county commissioner.

Write in Spellings, Write out Nepotism