May 08, 2008
Nary a mention of the henchman
I hope you have been following the discussion (as dry as it may seem) regarding the purpose and function of auditors in the City of Chattanooga. Like many a tedious procedural debate, this one...Posted by joe lance on 10:09 PM | Comments (1)
May 06, 2008
Pleasant green signs, but what do they do?
Last week, the family and I drove to Nashville and back (well, we never saw Nashville, just part of Nolensville Pike), and I noticed some new driver awareness communications along Interstate 24. Every so...Posted by joe lance on 10:56 PM | Comments (0)
April 20, 2008
How much can YOU borrow from the city, interest-free?
The Chattanooga Times Free Press — or Dave Flessner, to be exact — delivered somewhat of a bombshell report today on the cozy relationship between downtown condominium developers and the Ron Littlefield/Dan Johnson administration....Posted by joe lance on 09:48 PM | Comments (0)
April 19, 2008
War profiteering
Facing South has an eye-opening post about members of Congress who own stock in defense contractors, and the uneasy spot that puts them in (or should). Biggest surprise? U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., tops...Posted by joe lance on 08:58 PM | Comments (1)
April 12, 2008
Legislative update
Our voices in Nashville are wrapping up a shorter and (mostly) less contentious General Assembly session than we've seen in recent years; but that is not to say there aren't some undesirable bills being...Posted by joe lance on 11:57 AM | Comments (0)
April 09, 2008
The open government odyssey continues
Michael Silence brings the (AP) news: Larger cities would get more time to respond to public records requests and people would have to pay for any search that takes longer than an hour under...Posted by joe lance on 05:57 PM | Comments (1)
March 25, 2008
Supporting the Bipartisan Transparency community
I feel kind of lame, first of all, for not uttering so much as a tweet about last week being National Sunshine Week. After all, open government is fast becoming one of my pet...Posted by joe lance on 09:09 PM | Comments (0)
March 15, 2008
More traffic cameras on the way
According to Friday's Times Free Press (page B3), the City of East Ridge is the latest local municipality to move toward using cameras at traffic intersections to help enforce driving laws: The council approved...Posted by joe lance on 12:21 PM | Comments (2)
March 11, 2008
The homeless homeless campus?
What is the message city taxpayers are supposed to take from the implication by Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield that there hasn't ever been a real plan for the proposed homeless campus on 11th Street?...Posted by joe lance on 10:44 PM | Comments (2)
March 07, 2008
Maybe if it said "shalt" they would get it
Is the Hamilton County Commission required to appoint an interim Sheriff if one leaves office prematurely? It depends on what one's definition of the word "shall" is. As at least two writers point out...Posted by joe lance on 09:35 AM | Comments (0)
February 26, 2008
A wet slap in the face?
Bill and Josiah both have pointed out what they see as a lack of humor in today's "proclamation" by Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield. I'm left sort of speechless by the whole event, myself. I...Posted by joe lance on 06:15 PM | Comments (2)
February 21, 2008
I shot craps with the sheriff, but I didn't remember the deputy
A couple of local officials are running away from former Sheriff Billy Long so fast, they're not even making sense. Chief Deputy, and acting head of the department, Allen Branum, who really does sound...Posted by joe lance on 04:46 PM | Comments (0)
February 14, 2008
Kathryn Bowers sentenced
Operation Tennessee Waltz added another refrain to its prison-lament coda as yet another of the perpetrators is sent away. (HT: VV)...Posted by joe lance on 06:25 PM | Comments (0)
February 03, 2008
Sheriff resignation likely, would mean another special election in Hamilton County
And that would be three, y'all, in less than a year. The election to replace Ward Crutchfield was held in November 2007. The election to replace Marti Rutherford is the day after tomorrow. A...Posted by joe lance on 09:36 PM | Comments (1)
February 02, 2008
BIG NEWS: Sheriff Long arrested on bribery charges
I saw this headline in my feed reader, then popped over to Chattanoogan.com for details. Just great. That's just great. Oh, the headline fun we'll have with "Long arm of the law." More to...Posted by joe lance on 04:13 PM | Comments (0)
January 25, 2008
Providence police chief to lecture on crime reduction
I can hear some people's reaction to this already: "We don't need no Yankee cop coming down here to tell us how to run our city." But I have read before about the successes...Posted by joe lance on 08:20 AM | Comments (1)
January 16, 2008
I knew there was something I liked about Montana
Those wacky libertarians-at-Cato pointed me to an editorial in the Great Falls Tribune concerning REAL ID. Here are some excerpts (I've added emphasis): We weren't surprised Friday by reports that the federal government has...Posted by joe lance on 08:14 PM | Comments (2)
January 14, 2008
A handy reminder on open records
"It is not incumbent upon you to prove a document is public. It is incumbent upon a government employee to prove it is not." -- Michael Silence The story that prompted an utterance of...Posted by joe lance on 02:25 PM | Comments (0)
January 12, 2008
REAL ID becomes more of a reality
Were you born on or after January 1, 1964? Are you ever a passenger on commercial aircraft, or do you ever enter federal buildings? The Secretary of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, announced yesterday that...Posted by joe lance on 11:12 AM | Comments (1)
January 07, 2008
Hillary Clinton calls for government bloggers
Even Bill Hobbs wouldn't argue with this one, right? In a bit about government openness and transparency, New York senator Hillary Clinton told a crowd of supporters in Manchester that "maybe we ought to...Posted by joe lance on 10:19 PM | Comments (3)
December 20, 2007
Using discretion with expenses
Two stories surfaced almost a week ago in the local media, and, as far as I know, they have escaped commentary in the "after-marketplace of ideas." Then again, I never listen to talk radio,...Posted by joe lance on 02:15 PM | Comments (0)
November 30, 2007
Governing while no one is looking
On Friday, November 16, the Chattanooga City Council added a new agenda item for the following Tuesday's meeting. The timing of the council session itself — two days before Thanksgiving — did not lend...Posted by joe lance on 12:49 PM | Comments (0)
November 20, 2007
Corker recaps first year as Senator, faces tough questions
U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) spoke to a hometown crowd estimated at over 500 today at the Chattanoogan hotel's main ballroom. The event was a luncheon organized by Hamilton County Mayor Claude Ramsey and...Posted by joe lance on 10:45 PM | Comments (0)
November 09, 2007
Open Meetings score: Littlefield 1, Ramsey 0
Want to know how our local elected officials feel about the state's Open Meetings Law? Thankfully, TFP reporter Matt Wilson has a story in today's paper on just that topic. I have to give...Posted by joe lance on 01:07 PM | Comments (1)
November 04, 2007
Currying favor with the people
It's uncanny, really: in just the past day or three, I have had the same thought as Billy Blades posted today. If hiring Marti Rutherford for 2 or 3 days so that she can...Posted by joe lance on 02:08 PM | Comments (1)
November 01, 2007
Bloggers (and traditional journalists) on Open Meetings Law
Here's a roundup of any and all I can find on this very important topic. It will be updated as I go. As you'll see, the opinions come from those on the political left...Posted by joe lance on 04:20 PM | Comments (0)
October 31, 2007
It's Not Dark Yet
Which bunch of idiots had the "bright" idea to extend Daylight Savings Time past Halloween? Oh. That's right. (Note: for those looking for the Bob Dylan song with the same title, it's one of...Posted by joe lance on 05:50 PM | Comments (1)
October 30, 2007
Commissioner seeks new road through protected forest, tells rare flower to grow elsewhere
I've been searching local news sites, but it seems that the Chattanoogan.com is beating everyone else at covering an important story, through a breaking news item as well as a string of opinion letters....Posted by joe lance on 12:55 PM | Comments (1)
October 24, 2007
Mayor Littlefield blasts council for "vindictive" treatment of Rutherford
A couple of kind souls who realize that I may not be in Richard Beeland's address book forwarded me a hot press release by Mayor Ron Littlefield in which the City Council is taken...Posted by joe lance on 03:10 PM
Marti Rutherford to resign more than a month after she, uh, resigned (updated)
Good grief. I am becoming numb to the absurdity, but in case you're not yet, here's some virtual Novocaine. The missing letter that should have accompanied former Council member Marti Rutherford's "immediate" resignation on...Posted by joe lance on 12:57 PM
Hamilton County attorney votes for less open government (updated)
Jessica Fender of the Tennessean delivers the breakdown of a recent vote taken by the Open Meetings Subcommittee that has formed to study the state's current sunshine laws. I was aware of the panel's...Posted by joe lance on 08:47 AM
October 23, 2007
While the mayor's away, the council will prey..
In the words of Dr. John, I was in the right place, but it must have been the wrong time. I attended the Brainerd Unity Group (BUG)'s first meeting, which was held at the...Posted by joe lance on 09:39 PM
Just who are Littlefield's community?
Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield, in defense of his decision to place former District 6 Council member Marti Rutherford on city payroll for three days so that she could qualify for retiree medical benefits, said...Posted by joe lance on 09:16 AM
October 22, 2007
Another "Worst Mayor"
We've heard before of Frank Melton, the now-legendary mayor of Jackson, Mississippi. His relationship with the Clarion-Ledger was the topic then. (Aside: the reporter he banned, Kathleen Baydala, moved to that paper from the...Posted by joe lance on 10:35 PM
October 15, 2007
Governing by committee
This NCSL post highlights a recent article on state legislative committees, and what role they play in the process of making law. It's interesting to see how much variation there is among the states...Posted by joe lance on 10:24 PM
October 08, 2007
A dozen or so Marti Rutherfords
That's what they've got up there in Knox County, it would seem. The desperate grasp to keep power has officially become absurd, on the part of Rutherford here (with Melinda Hickey as surrogate), and...Posted by joe lance on 10:00 PM
October 03, 2007
Farr beyond reason
While my understanding is that the paper version will start hitting the streets on Thursdays, instead of Wednesdays, this week's Pulse is online today. In it, I opine briefly on the "crack tax" appeal...Posted by joe lance on 09:55 PM
October 02, 2007
Court Knox down county commission secret appointments
I've been following the case brought by the Knox News-Sentinel against the Knox County Commission from a distance, but with interest all the same. Many blog posts have hit the net over the past...Posted by joe lance on 10:37 PM
October 01, 2007
Not sure if I like the sound of a Marti "party"
Yes, of course, the big local news today is that Councilwoman Marti Rutherford has resigned her seat. She did the right thing, but was it for the right reasons? The community is buzzing tonight...Posted by joe lance on 10:14 PM
September 26, 2007
How many lawsuits does it take to change a city council member?
It was rumored that all, or almost all, of the Council members were against her. It turned out that one was absent, and last night's vote was 7-1, so that's as close as it...Posted by joe lance on 10:16 PM
September 25, 2007
District 6 group calls for unity as Rutherford ouster suit filed
The newly formed Brainerd Unity Group today defended its independence from the citizen alliance that plans to pursue a recall effort against Councilwoman Marti Rutherford, despite some commonality in members. In an e-mail and...Posted by joe lance on 05:09 PM
September 24, 2007
Who shot (at) M.R.?
Can we get this whole Marti thing over with, like, tomorrow? I detest the fact that someone vandalized her home. I think that it's cowardly and possibly conspiratorial. But the very fact that she...Posted by joe lance on 11:02 PM
September 22, 2007
I'm here to help with your weekend reading
If you're not out enjoying the warm but sunny weather — which I insist that you do, but you know how you like to defy me — here are a couple of things to...Posted by joe lance on 11:59 AM
September 20, 2007
Are Chattanooga City Council members "deliberating" in private? (updated)
This whole Knox County trial undoubtedly has me a little jumpy, but I received a tip today from an unnamed source, one that conveyed the distinct impression that several members of the Chattanooga City...Posted by joe lance on 10:59 PM
September 12, 2007
Local News I Missed
I couldn't attend the JFK luncheon yesterday, so I missed the campaigning done by Democratic primary rivals Lee Whitaker and John Wolfe. I also didn't get to hear one other speaker in whom a...Posted by joe lance on 06:57 AM
September 07, 2007
What are other Chattanooga City Council members hiding?
An anonymous source told Tennessee Ticket that Marti Rutherford may not be the only City Council member with residency issues. Rest assured that I am looking into confirming what was stated. A different correspondent...Posted by joe lance on 04:27 PM
September 05, 2007
Marti Moved
I haven't confirmed this, but I don't think she needed "Two Men and a Truck" to relocate from her mother-in-law apartment to a fully furnished house on Sweetbriar. Instead, I believe she employed the...Posted by joe lance on 12:13 PM
Library headed for the landfill?
Alice of 10,000 Monkeys and a Camera exposes a disquieting bit of information regarding the future of our municipal library system. Please read it. I will simply reiterate her statement that a public library...Posted by joe lance on 07:43 AM
September 04, 2007
Council member residency investigation could take weeks
Chattanooga City Attorney Randy Nelson said that he will need about three weeks to investigate whether Councilwoman Marti Rutherford has been living outside the district she was elected to represent. The Chattanoogan has the...Posted by joe lance on 03:28 PM
August 30, 2007
Rusty Nailed?
A letter surfaced today from embattled Councilwoman Marti Rutherford to the man who owns the house in which she rents a room and thus supposedly gains "resident" status in District 6. The handwritten note...Posted by joe lance on 06:26 PM
August 28, 2007
6:00. 1000 Lindsay. District 6izens, Be There.
Don't miss the "showdown" over Council Member Marti Rutherford's residence status. It should be informative. If you are not sure in which council district you live, don't just sit there and wallow in your...Posted by joe lance on 11:52 AM
August 21, 2007
When the IRS Attax
Is it just me, or is the rage flung at the local school board in these opinions just a knee-jerk reaction from people who either don't take the time to, or can't, comprehend the...Posted by joe lance on 09:33 PM
August 08, 2007
Curtis Adams Needs A School, All Right
Please help me with my math here. Last year, Summer of 2006, we District 8 voters got a flier from the Curtis Adams reelection campaign that touted his "almost eighteen (18) years" in office....Posted by joe lance on 01:32 PM
MUST READ Crutchfield-Love Convo about Littlefield Election
The anonymous blogger at Worst Mayor Ever followed through where I did not, and obtained a transcript from the FBI evidence used to indict Ward Crutchfield, wherein Crutchfield discusses the then-underway mayoral election (runoff,...Posted by joe lance on 12:53 PM
August 07, 2007
Ben Cunningham on the Littlefield "Newsletter"
Tax foe (or watchdog, if you prefer) Ben Cunningham noticed the Worst Mayor Ever entry about the glossy July newsletter that perhaps you, if you're a Chattanooga resident registered voter, received in the mail...Posted by joe lance on 01:04 PM
Be Glad for Claude Ramsey
The citizens of Knox County continue to experience major problems within their government. Every once in a while, I lose myself in a comment thread over on KnoxViews.com, where the local online public describe...Posted by joe lance on 12:00 PM
July 23, 2007
I'll See That Raise, and Raise You Some Cane
Several blogs are expounding upon news of significant salary increases granted to certain high-ranking Tennessee state employees. For a brief roundup, see Volunteer Voters. I can't wait to see some of the reactions to...Posted by joe lance on 01:51 PM
July 12, 2007
Hamilton County Passes 26-cent Tax Increase in 5-4 Vote (updated)
In a tension-filled recess session, the Hamilton County Commission narrowly passed the annual budget as submitted by County Mayor Claude Ramsey. The budget includes a $0.26 increase per $100 assessed value in the county...Posted by joe lance on 11:53 AM
July 10, 2007
County Commission Tax Vote Thursday
The latest news on our favorite online breaking local news source (or press release distributor, however you see it) is that the county is backing off some of the largest pay raises that had...Posted by joe lance on 09:49 PM
July 06, 2007
Every Dog Has Its Day, Just Not in South Pittsburg
Link The city says that "pit bulls have a 'genetic predisposition to aggressiveness' that makes the breed dangerous." Never mind that there's technically no such thing, genetically speaking, as a "pit bull"; the "predisposition...Posted by joe lance on 08:52 PM
June 12, 2007
Now to the County Budget
Via the ever-watchful Ben Cunningham, here's a look at how our Hamilton County budget might be shaping up. I have to admit that I don't understand why the BEP windfall would necessitate an increase...Posted by joe lance on 06:39 AM
Budget Bills Pass Both Houses
Tom Humphrey has the rundown in today's Knoxville paper. A couple of key features are the half-cent reduction in the sales tax on groceries and a mechanism, authorized by constitutional referendum last November, that...Posted by joe lance on 06:11 AM
May 24, 2007
Local Community Enhancements
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the taxpayers in Tennessee (including visitors — y'all come back now) for providing a giant budget surplus this year. Your benficence has allowed our elected...Posted by joe lance on 09:42 PM
May 21, 2007
A Passel of Mayors
BusinessTN editor Drew Ruble chewed the fat with four of Tennessee's mayors recently, and collected the drippings into this month's special feature. (Registration may be required.) Our own Mayor Ron Littlefield was among them....Posted by joe lance on 12:18 PM
May 16, 2007
You Can't Fight City Hall When City Hall Can Time-Travel
The Chattanooga Pulse ran a lament today by publisher Zack Cooper regarding the decision to re-open a renovated City Hall by dressing everything up in turn-of-the-century — uh, that's last century — costumes and...Posted by joe lance on 09:40 PM
March 14, 2007
It's Time for New Country Commission Meeting Times
Discussion has begun anew over what time of day the Hamilton County Commission should hold its regular meetings. Some of us may not even know what time the meetings are, currently. (They’re at 9:30...Posted by joe lance on 10:10 AM
March 06, 2007
I'm Going to Blog on Capitol Hill
By now you know that the once-selective "Blogger Day on the Hill" event organized by the House Republican Caucus has been opened to all Tennessee bloggers. What that means is that I am free...Posted by joe lance on 05:37 PM
February 27, 2007
What Is It With Doctor-Senators in Tennessee?
Is there some strange neuralchemy (my word) that occurs when a Tennessean with a medical degree achieves the elected office of Senator (whether state or U.S.), that redefines all of the subject's memory on...Posted by joe lance on 11:31 PM
February 26, 2007
Mayors Ramsey and Littlefield, Listen to This
Eine Kleine: You constantly hear about Mayors trying to make that "big deal." Landing a Nissan, building a convention center or a stadium. Now, all those things may be great. They may spark and...Posted by joe lance on 10:39 PM
February 21, 2007
Where There's Smoke, There's A Lawmaker
Weighing public health concerns against individual rights Multiple initiatives involving tobacco are coming before our Legislature this session. A keyword search on the General Assembly’s website yielded 100 results. Judging solely by their abstracts,...Posted by joe lance on 01:04 PM
February 17, 2007
Lame Duck Limps into Town
I saw a few minutes of "Eyewitness News" last night before stumbling to bed and thus NOT attending the Ogya performance at the CTC that I should have supported. I had forgotten what I...Posted by joe lance on 09:33 AM
February 16, 2007
Obligatory Post on the Iraq War Debate and Votes
Let's have a little contest, shall we? Here's what I propose as the game: Whose Congressperson has said the most embarrassingly unenlightened thing regarding the war during this debate? Leave your thoughts in the...Posted by joe lance on 12:24 PM
February 10, 2007
Makes You Wonder What the General Assembly's Rules Look Like
If you like surreal and disturbing, then this AP story should make you grin your grimmest: Tennessee’s procedure manual for executing prisoners is a jumble of conflicting instructions that mixes new lethal injection instructions...Posted by joe lance on 09:11 PM
February 08, 2007
The Citizens Aren't Happy
Frank DePinto on Recycling: Recently, the city had a fine opportunity, a $100,000 opportunity, to undertake a professional, comprehensive study of the problems of curbside recycling in Chattanooga from the “curbside to Orange Grove,”...Posted by joe lance on 09:06 PM
January 10, 2007
In the Pulse: The Glorious 105th - Immigration reform, cheaper food, and HOPE dollar-drooling mark Jimmy’s ninth term
Vintage Speakers While most of the attention given the new Congress is deserved—after all, how many Framers, regardless of whether they should have, imagined that the Speaker of the House would one day be...Posted by joe lance on 09:19 AM
January 09, 2007
"And There Was Much Rejoicing.."
I guess you know by now that, for the first time in about three dozen years, Tennessee has a new Speaker of the Senate, which constitutionally equates to Lieutenant Governor. I've made it no...Posted by joe lance on 05:26 PM
January 03, 2007
Government: Gluttons of Punishment? On Sin and Taxes
I must take issue with something A.C. Kleinheider posits in an oblique sort of rebuttal to Katherine Coble today. Here's the background: Coble is against "sin taxes," because they represent, to her, the act...Posted by joe lance on 08:55 PM
It Isn't Always Nice to Be Noticed
The Center for Public Integrity has published yet another must-read article on the many ways lobbyists and legislators are (all too) connected. This time, they're specifically looking at state legislators' family members who happen...Posted by joe lance on 07:47 AM
December 31, 2006
What Is My Recycling Zone? What's Yours? Map Here
I'm pretty good with geography. I have a somewhat developed sense of direction, an affinity for reading maps (I waste hours poring over Asia Minor in Google Earth), and good comprehension. I find, and...Posted by joe lance on 10:21 AM
December 29, 2006
Amazing New Idea in the Congress
Taegan Goddard relays Washington Wire: Democrats to Push Ethics Reforms ETHICS OVERHAULS top Democrats’ to-do list. Wasn't it a cadre of highly unethical Democrats that gave rise to the 1994 "revolution," which was of...Posted by joe lance on 08:21 PM
December 17, 2006
Politicians Sign Up to Use Web, but Do They Know How?
While perusing one of my favorite new feeds, the Political Insider, I came across news that the United States House of Representatives is about to begin blogging. Software has been approved to provide a...Posted by joe lance on 03:04 PM
December 11, 2006
Extreme Housewives Coupon Classics and Today's Favorites
The rest of us had to just sit here and wait for any news, but some people managed to attend the FCC public hearing on media consolidation today. Our silver lining is that it...Posted by joe lance on 08:05 PM
December 05, 2006
When You Get Time
Here are some topics: Cooley's Resignation What does a Deputy Governor do? Someone's getting ready to find out, as longtime Bredesen aide Dave Cooley announced his resignation late Friday. Relax. He planned to step...Posted by joe lance on 10:55 PM
November 28, 2006
They Can Only Make Trouble At This Point
This doesn't happen too often, but I agree with David Oatney on this point: Unless there is a bona fide national emegency requiring the President to convene Congress, both Houses of Congress should adjourn...Posted by joe lance on 10:24 PM
November 22, 2006
Better Than Hot Stock Tips
Sometimes a person finds the path by wandering into the thicket. More to come on that. In the meantime, check out the cool things that happened this past weekend in DC. A whole conference,...Posted by joe lance on 02:31 PM
October 25, 2006
This Scary Story is Real
The Tale of the Haunted House and the Military Commissions Act Forget the skulls, ghosts, witches, and frightening caloric intakes. These days, it takes an act of Congress to get us in the Halloween...Posted by joe lance on 12:45 PM
August 23, 2006
State Senator Cooper Indicted
I was away from the internet for many hours last evening, and only saw the paper headline as I was walking into an office building this morning. The story certainly raises questions about the...Posted by joe lance on 08:53 AM
August 18, 2006
Chattanooga Voters - Sign the Petition Today
I'd love to have help from everybody on this, but only registered voters in the City of Chattanooga are eligible. And that's as it should be, since it only affects us. But for all...Posted by joe lance on 08:31 AM
July 29, 2006
Perhaps the coyotes operate out of check-cashing firms
Marti Rutherford is nothing if not industrious. She doesn't rest after a single episode. I haven't even had a chance to point toward the Pulse story on the cash service industry debate at the...Posted by joe lance on 10:10 AM
July 05, 2006
"Should [Nashville] contribute tax dollars to nonprofit and community groups?"
So asks the Tennessean in its sidebar to an article describing the Nashville-Davidson Metro government's intent to do exactly that, with about $3.5 million. However, I think this comment from the budget director bears...Posted by joe lance on 10:31 PM
June 20, 2006
All TNs Considered
Don't forget to listen to NPR's story on healthcare in Tennessee, starting about now....Posted by joe lance on 03:59 PM
June 07, 2006
Vote for the Newcomer in 2006 - End social promotion for legislators
The 2006 legislative session ended on Saturday, May 27. In order that we voters make the most informed decisions in the upcoming elections, it’s good to review what did and did not happen in...Posted by joe lance on 07:45 AM
June 06, 2006
Trip on this
The most excellent Center for Public Integrity has released study results from a 5-year-plus period tracking travel by members of Congress, their families, and their staff members. But, even better, the Tennessean published an...Posted by joe lance on 12:10 PM
May 31, 2006
My one and only MasterCard ad emulation (you hope)
Big Brother cameras: $265,000. Replacement brass nameplates identifying those who paid for their own toy bridge: $450. Protecting the right of the leisure class to stroll: priceless....Posted by joe lance on 11:27 AM
May 26, 2006
The Eminent Front (it's a put-on)
The 104th Tennessee General Assembly, 2006 edition, has not proceeded without some reaction to the nationwide eminent domain controversy. Just what that reaction is, or how much it will accomplish in the end, is...Posted by joe lance on 10:50 AM
May 18, 2006
Locking in funding
When it comes to efforts like replacing the lock at Chickamauga Dam, I have to balance the voice that cries "fiscal restraint" against the other voice that reminds me to consider the colossal impacts...Posted by joe lance on 04:36 PM
May 05, 2006
Hey Porter, Hey Porter
I just saw a post on Forward with Ford that CIA director Porter Goss, a former well-connected Republican Congressman from Florida, has (apparently rather suddenly) announced his resignation. I'll link to more if I...Posted by joe lance on 04:26 PM
May 01, 2006
The Road to Power
The bloggers at Smart City Consulting (Memphis) recently wrote a good post about transportation. The trigger was Senator Mark Norris' transparently puppetlike call for "restoration" of TDOT funds that should never have been locked...Posted by joe lance on 02:17 PM
April 26, 2006
Candidate for State House speaks out on cell phone records bill
I asked for some thoughts from District 52 candidate Jon Davidson after his opponent in the November 7 election, Representative Rob Briley, was among four Democrats on the House Constitutional Protections Committee who refused...Posted by joe lance on 10:28 PM
April 21, 2006
The Chattanooga Times editorial page blasts Littlefield's "defamatory" comments
I'm assuming that this is by Harry Austin, but it doesn't matter. The opinion page on the left just comes right out and says what many of us were likely thinking when we heard...Posted by joe lance on 03:54 PM
April 18, 2006
SEIU, Major Littlefield Donor, Praises Healy Ouster
NewsChannel9 has the goods. I'm sure other outlets will carry additional coverage....Posted by joe lance on 05:30 PM
April 15, 2006
Chattanooga Mayor Littlefield Bans Reporter
No doubt you've heard. I don't know how many of you have met Mr. Weber, or paid attention to his writing. I started looking forward to his work after a Sunday cover story on...Posted by joe lance on 11:18 AM
April 13, 2006
Salvia Breath, Senator
Found on Chattanoogan.com: "We have enough problems with illegal drugs as it is without people promoting getting high from some glorified weed that’s been brought up from Mexico. The only people I’ve heard from...Posted by joe lance on 11:37 PM
April 12, 2006
Some things do get better with age
Roger Abramson's "Nashville Eye" column on the ills of partisan judicial elections was written a couple of years ago. I would add (and I infer concurrence from "judgeships and the like") that sheriffs, district...Posted by joe lance on 10:55 AM
March 16, 2006
The Emperor of Fort Oglethorpe
So I caught a rare few seconds of the six o'clock teevee news, and a most amazing tale did Bob Johnson and friends tell. Here's what I came away with. The mayor's wife gets...Posted by joe lance on 10:38 PM
March 09, 2006
Tennessee Among States with "Most-Revised" Lobbying Rules
The Center for Public Integrity has published a report on lobbying reforms in the states. The driving point of the article is that the state-level reforms enacted thus far (since 2003) outpace federal reforms...Posted by joe lance on 03:02 PM
March 08, 2006
Tennessee House Delegation Splits 6-3 on USA PATRIOT Renewal, But Not Along Party Lines
Voting Yes were Marsha Blackburn, Jim Cooper, Lincoln Davis, Harold Ford, William Jenkins, and Zachary Wamp. Voting No were John 'Jimmy' Duncan, Bart Gordon, and John Tanner. Interesting....Posted by joe lance on 05:01 PM
The "Racist Vote"; and Those Prying Capitol Eyes
Myelectionanalysis.com picked apart the recent Rasmussen -- yeah, the one that had the Bryant camp cheering -- but the blogger's focus is on Harold Ford, Jr. Ford appears to have slipped against all three...Posted by joe lance on 07:13 AM
March 07, 2006
Rep. Jack Sharp Suffers Stroke
Apparently it happened in hospital when Rep. Sharp was already there for an appointment. As you probably know, he is being treated for lung cancer. I hope you will join me in expressing a...Posted by joe lance on 02:13 PM
March 02, 2006
How Your US Senators Voted
Question: On the Conference Report. Bill: H R 3199 Vote description: H.R. 3199 Conference Report; USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 Result: Agreed to, 89-10, with 1 not voting. Bill Frist voted...Posted by joe lance on 09:45 PM
February 23, 2006
All Along the Waterfront
Chattanoogan.com, the Pulse Blog, and Adrienne have all posted on the City's proposal to start charging user fees for waterfront facilities, and to hand over management of the facilities to Friends of the Festival....Posted by joe lance on 02:58 PM
February 22, 2006
A Half-Full Glass of Port
I may be the only one, but I think that the hubbub over this whole DP World port operations transaction is much ado about not much. I won't say it's "nothing," because there are...Posted by joe lance on 10:55 PM
February 21, 2006
Orange Sunshine
The [Tennessee Coalition for Open Government] found 115 alleged violations between January 2003 and October 2005, including an average of one a week for the first 10 months of last year. Violations of what,...Posted by joe lance on 02:22 PM
February 18, 2006
What's Going to Happen in County District 4?
William Cotton's guilty verdict on two of three counts means that the County Commission will need to name his replacement. Soon after Commissioner Cotton was indicted, several of his colleagues indicated support for Warren...Posted by joe lance on 09:36 PM
February 17, 2006
Mistrial Declared in THP Honorary Badge Case
Story here (BugMeNot recommended). Now, my take: I think it'd be hard not to declare a mistrial when the lawyers are bringing in witnesses who dress themselves in WWII-era pilot uniforms. Another witness dressed...Posted by joe lance on 04:14 PM
February 07, 2006
How Your Hamilton County Delegation Voted on the Ethics Bill
Since my hometown paper doesn't publish a news feed, I'll link to the Knoxville outlet (but note that it requires free registration or, if you're a Firefox user, BugMeNot): here are the House and...Posted by joe lance on 12:05 PM
January 30, 2006
Monday Night Clippings
The US Senate race: Pensieri has begun a 5-part series of, well, pensieri on the GOP primary. It should be an interesting read. Jeff Moder got an endorsement. A very good national elections blogger...Posted by joe lance on 11:16 PM
January 12, 2006
Bowers and Crutchfield Will Sit
I don't subscribe, but this NashvillePost headline is all I need: "Senate Move to Exclude Indicted Senators Fails — Jeff Miller's vote provides margin allowing 'Waltz' targets to take part in ethics session"...Posted by joe lance on 12:07 PM
January 06, 2006
Russian Christmas Overtures
I think it might be humorous if Bill Young built a hotel at the corner of Renaissance Park and still named it “The Coolidge.” State elections kick off today! Watch for news on who...Posted by joe lance on 12:55 PM
January 04, 2006
A Tale of Three Magi (strates)
I can't tell whether the Hamilton County Jail is reminiscent of a lawless Wild West, or if local media and officials are blowing things out of proportion. Any sense among you local readers for...Posted by joe lance on 01:47 PM
December 30, 2005
Find the Funds
"Chattanooga/Hamilton County gave back $70,805 that it didn't spend, which was 5.7% of its allotment. It had the highest return rate in the state and started a waiting list this year." That's the answer;...Posted by joe lance on 08:22 PM
December 27, 2005
How Much for Not Enough? (Answer: $100,000?)
I have mixed responses upon thinking of next week's special ethics session. When it comes right down to it, nearly $20K a day is a lot to spend for legislation that could have passed...Posted by joe lance on 10:01 AM
December 23, 2005
What Now? Top ten local stories to watch in 2006
[Cross-posted from the Pulse.] It’s harder than it looks to avoid treating this as a set of predictions, but we assure you that the following assessment is the result of scientific best practices. Er,...Posted by joe lance on 09:51 AM
November 19, 2005
"For Sale" Sign on City Hall
[Cross-posted from The Pulse] [Gratuitous intriguing back-story: In last week’s issue of The Pulse, the Backbeats section rang up Chattanooga City Council member Marti Rutherford’s desire to rid her “main drag” of payday loan...Posted by joe lance on 03:17 PM
November 17, 2005
Yes! An Ethics Package! Now, What's In It?
I have great news for you, my fellow Tennesseans. Our legislature will soon pass an ethics law that will do nothing to improve ethics on Capitol Hill. Thus ends a great post by Matthew...Posted by joe lance on 03:13 PM
November 16, 2005
Ethics Package Today?
I've been trying to keep up with headlines, though my access to some news outlets is very limited. Is the Legislative Ethics Study Committee (or whatever that joint committee is called) going to vote...Posted by joe lance on 07:42 AM
November 12, 2005
Which Kind of Corruption Do You Prefer?
Bill Hobbs highlights a Tennessean editorial in support of an independent ethics commission. I'm all for an independent commission of some kind, whether it's named an "Ethics Commission" or a "Disclosure Commission" like Washington's....Posted by joe lance on 11:09 AM
November 11, 2005
Not A Spectator Event
(Cross-posted from The Pulse) How simply can I put this? Government ethics reformers should not employ partisanship in crafting meaningful changes to Nashville’s “business as usual.” The disappointing experience, as consistently revealed in media...Posted by joe lance on 07:07 AM
November 05, 2005
Talk Back to Your (or at least A) State Senator
Hey, look! It's Senator Roy Herron's blog. Today's post doesn't go into specifics, but he mentions the work that the Joint Committee is doing on ethics reform. If you are in the 24th District...Posted by joe lance on 05:36 PM
October 24, 2005
Hey Tennessee Government: the Titans Fund PAC Treasurer is Bill Oldaker
I saw you looking, and looking, and looking. I don't know why the Google Yahoo (maybe that's why) results don't always point searchers right to the entry, but they didn't. (Scroll down after following...Posted by joe lance on 04:26 PM
October 23, 2005
Blog Polls Blogs about Supreme Court Nominee Harriet Miers
I Oppose the Miers Nomination. I should, like Bob Krumm, be more patient and wait until the hearings; and I usually am, but I cannot see that far in this case. The only other...Posted by joe lance on 08:22 AM
October 21, 2005
Some of What Happened This Week
Tennessee House Majority Leader Kim McMillan (D-Clarksville) was accused of entangling herself in a major conflict of interest, and today went on the defensive against her detractors. Like Matthew White before me [can't find...Posted by joe lance on 12:00 PM
October 20, 2005
JoAnne, You're Not Doing Them (or Yourself) Any Favors
Now, full disclosure: I have never worked for, and likely will never work for the FBI (even though they've announced some possible, er, changes to their applicant qualifications), but I think I'm close to...Posted by joe lance on 04:00 PM
October 19, 2005
Separated at Birth
Today, and today only (or tomorrow, if I read the date right), Roger Abramson sounds like my long-lost twin. Don't take me the wrong way, cuz I love me some Pulse, but Liz Garrigan...Posted by joe lance on 03:42 PM
October 16, 2005
But Remember, the Reporters Are Intimidated
Chattanooga Times Free Press, Sunday, October 16, 2005, B1: "I have a pretty clear idea of where we’re going with the city and, barring any unforseen complications, if the economy remains solid, I think...Posted by joe lance on 09:35 PM
October 14, 2005
That's a Bunch of BLL
I've been waiting for just the right post, comment, or fragment to come along that would drive me to point out a blog I've been reading, and I guess today's the day. If we're...Posted by joe lance on 10:51 AM
October 03, 2005
Salmon..the OTHER White Meat
Read all about it at NashvilleFiles. This story comes from a long way off, but Blake quotes Ben Cunningham, who illustrates how close to home it really is in some ways....Posted by joe lance on 07:26 PM
October 01, 2005
TFP Spreads Love Myth
Today's Metro section story about William Cotton's arrest keeps alive the impression regarding Charles Love that Tennessee's lobbyists want you to have. The story, credited to Kathleen Baydala and Candice Combs, calls Love an...Posted by joe lance on 08:19 AM
September 30, 2005
The Full Moon
Yes, I know. The lunar phase is nowhere near full right now. (This morning, in fact, I noticed my 11-month-old noticing the Moon for the first time, in the exceptionally clear 7am sky, and...Posted by joe lance on 09:33 PM
September 29, 2005
Warren's Peace
Well, well. William Cotton, Hamilton County Commissioner for District 4, is the latest to be netted by the FBI in "Operation Tennessee Waltz." He barely had time to finally vote on fellow waltzer Charles...Posted by joe lance on 04:27 PM
September 28, 2005
Pulse Article: Ethics in the Hog Wallow
Note: cross-posted from The Pulse. Link A branch of the Tennessee General Assembly met at the Marriott in downtown Chattanooga on Tuesday, September 13 – but it wasn’t the House, nor was it the...Posted by joe lance on 02:26 PM
September 27, 2005
..but she don't talk THAT good.
Did Jeffrey Wilson just get a whole lot more classy-looking? Purhaps. Okay, here's what happens next. William Cotton, citing a newfound sympathy for Ms. Smith, changes his vote from [abstain] to Andrea. Either Fred...Posted by joe lance on 04:52 PM
September 20, 2005
Absurdist Local Government
Wait until Councilman Leamon Pierce finds out! The Chattanooga City Council's Legal and Legislative Committee has recommended a measure that would outlaw "chickens and roosters" in the City -- oh, except that "chickens and...Posted by joe lance on 07:02 PM
September 18, 2005
Leaves of Grass
What's the matter with Kansas? For one thing, some Kansas cops don't know their state flower from a cannabis plant. (What's the state flower of Kansas? The Sunflower.) This story just boggles the mind....Posted by joe lance on 09:17 PM
September 15, 2005
William's Choice
Please, fellow Hamilton Countians, let's get out the vote, for sure this time, next election. Look. You have until May to figure out your schedule to vote in the primary; and then you have...Posted by joe lance on 09:12 PM
September 12, 2005
DC Lobbyist Pauses for Moment of Guilt, Then Returns to "SSDD"
Under the Influence has a post this morning that you should take time to read. Bill Allison is developing just the type of snarkastic voice that has been long needed on lobbying and the...Posted by joe lance on 10:34 AM
September 01, 2005
Newton's Out
According to a release published on Chattanoogan.com, Rep. Chris Newton, R-22, will be former Rep. Newton as of tomorrow (earlier, he had set a November 1 resignation date). Senators Bowers and Crutchfield, we're still...Posted by joe lance on 04:19 PM
August 31, 2005
Stories, Fresh and Stale
Much to his co-chair's surprise, State Senator Mike Williams (R-Maynardville), who shares the leadership of the Joint Legislative Committee on Ethics with House Majority Leader Kim McMillan (D-Clarksville), plans to introduce legislation this week...Posted by joe lance on 11:40 AM
August 29, 2005
"Mr. Lyle," Mr. Lyell, and Where a Lie'll Get Ya
The Governor's Citizen Advisory Group on Ethics -- a dozen-or-so-member panel commissioned by Governor Phil Bredesen to recommend reforms in Tennessee government after several legislators and lobbyists were indicted for bribery and other charges...Posted by joe lance on 07:43 PM
Who Will Be the Last Waltzer on the Floor?
This just in: not only is Chris Newton, State Representative from Cleveland and the only GOP-affiliated legislator so far indicted in the FBI bribery sting, resigning his seat (effective November 1st), he is scheduled...Posted by joe lance on 03:24 PM
August 26, 2005
Nineteen, Twenty
Far be it from me to go without at least briefly acknowledging the 85th anniversary of one of the most positively progressive changes this nation has seen. Since I was born in the late...Posted by joe lance on 09:18 PM
August 25, 2005
Talk Ethics with the Governor's Panel: HERE, TODAY
If you can, please go to Chattanooga State on Thursdaytoday at 1:30 and participate in the Citizens' Advisory Group's discussion of Ethics. I'd imagine that we Chattanoogans and Hamilton County residents (and, for that...Posted by joe lance on 12:27 PM
August 24, 2005
Utah Cops Kick, Teargas Teens in Brutal Concert Crackdown
[UPDATE 9:30 PM EDT:] Although earlier Google searches turned up much less information, I have located sites this evening that thankfully provide some more details. According to Utah Indy Media and its cited television...Posted by joe lance on 02:14 PM
August 22, 2005
Reactions to Property Tax Increase Vote
I was all old-school with my pen and pad, so I couldn't post as soon as some did, but you know by now that Commissioner Casavant's 26-cent levy increase proposal passed by an expected...Posted by joe lance on 11:03 PM
August 21, 2005
So Much to Cover..So Little Time
Dangit if I didn't wish I could forego sleep and just blog all night instead. However, my family and my health and, oh, a few other things (one of them spelled J-O-B) come first....Posted by joe lance on 10:58 AM
August 17, 2005
Answer to sdavick on Property Taxes
Since my own blog censored my comment for some reason, I'm posting an answer to a question asked in comments to a previous post. sdavick, your question makes perfect sense, and I think I...Posted by joe lance on 03:45 PM
August 16, 2005
Genesis of an Exodus?
Maybe it became too apparent, in these sessions of the joint Ethics Committee, that a "cooling-off period," wherein legislators would have to wait a year (more time is needed, in my opinion) before becoming...Posted by joe lance on 05:33 PM
But How Much Are the Votes Worth?
As a follow-up to yesterday's post (Tennessee's recent ranking by the Center for Public Integrity), I'm linking to the Knoxville daily's take on it because of this one comment by Anne Carr, board member...Posted by joe lance on 12:58 PM
August 15, 2005
We're Number 45! We're Number 45!
Okay, so here's yet another example of our not needing an expensive study to tell us the obvious, but our being glad that someone put together the evidence and analyzed it for the more...Posted by joe lance on 11:22 AM
August 12, 2005
County Commission Adopts Ethics Code, Itches to Appoint Love Replacement
But is it binding? No, according to the authors. The "comedy part" of this (only the wife will get that inside joke) is that William Cotton was the commissioner who reportedly asked if the...Posted by joe lance on 11:29 AM
August 10, 2005
Ethics Proposals: Are These the Right Moves?
Several proposals for ethics-related program activities were printed today. My favorite among TNDP Chair Bob Tuke's list is more disclosure of gifts given by lobbyists to legislators. Paul Ney, legal counsel to the state...Posted by joe lance on 03:11 PM
August 09, 2005
I Said, "United" Front Against Corruption
Corrupt Legislators Might Not All Be Democrats/Newton. Imagine it. In my view, the right to know what happened to Senator Miller's $1000 doesn't belong to the Tennessee Democratic Party, it belongs to the people...Posted by joe lance on 02:03 PM
August 03, 2005
JoAnne Favors Needs Our Help
First, read Bob Krumm's take on a Chattanoogan.com article that had escaped my attention until now. [cue music: "Joanne" by Orion the Hunter] Okay, ya back? Let me reiterate, in case you went surfing...Posted by joe lance on 07:53 PM | TrackBack
August 02, 2005
One Down, n to Go
We're all innocent until proven guilty. In some cases, that "proof" part doesn't get worked out via a trial, i.e., when the accused just goes ahead and cops a plea. (Also see Simply I.)...Posted by joe lance on 11:14 AM
July 29, 2005
Friday Clippings
Latest announcements by those running for re-election in Hamilton County: District 6 Commissioner Lou Miller (um, there was an article about Lou Miller's decision on Chattanoogan.com, and now I can't find it). (UPDATE: Now...Posted by joe lance on 01:07 PM | TrackBack
July 27, 2005
What Is Original?
I was driving this morning, thinking, as is my habit, along a few diverging radii, and half-smiled as I thought, "to the vector go the spirals." (I don't know why; it just showed up.)...Posted by joe lance on 06:32 AM | TrackBack
July 24, 2005
Accrued Links
Tropical Storm Franklin Graphics (NOAA) Regarding TennCare, can we of different "sides" work together to try and alleviate some of its headaches, instead of causing new ones? I hold the bell-ringers in the same...Posted by joe lance on 09:32 PM | TrackBack
July 20, 2005
City Councilman Charged with Assault
Jerry has a temper, and driving just makes it worse. Jerry can't stand it when he sees one driver harassing another, so you know what he does? He goes after the aggressor, though he...Posted by joe lance on 08:19 PM | TrackBack
July 15, 2005
Quinze de juillet
So I didn't blog on Bastille Day? Doesn't matter. I had nothing to say, but here are a couple of posts from friends on the Left and the Right. Latest on Ethics: Blogging legislator...Posted by joe lance on 01:00 PM | TrackBack
July 12, 2005
Ethics Actions
The Senate Ethics Committee is meeting and has handed over a report that appears to contain some pretty damning evidence against former Senator John Ford. No, we're not surprised, but some of us may...Posted by joe lance on 11:45 AM | TrackBack
July 08, 2005
Hot (and Cold) Ethics/Accountability Stories
I found this over at Balloon Juice. Half Bakered comments on the huge (uh, huge when realized) pile of fines that remain uncollected by the Registry of Election Finance. Mike then introduces us to...Posted by joe lance on 02:11 PM | TrackBack
July 01, 2005
More Fruit and Cake
I feel like I should clarify some of my statements on Chris Newton and the Republicans, after mesh took me to task and after I read some other posts. First, it goes without saying...Posted by joe lance on 12:50 PM | TrackBack
June 30, 2005
GOP to Newton: Resign or We'll Expel You
First, I read on Adam Groves' blog that Bob Davis had asked State Rep. Chris Newton to resign his House seat. Then, just minutes ago, I noticed that Bill Hobbs has even more --...Posted by joe lance on 04:00 PM | TrackBack
June 29, 2005
Beck's Tango
Well, it seems settled. County Commissioner Greg Beck will continue to serve his constituents in District 5, and to swear them in if they so happen to appear in City Court, with no further...Posted by joe lance on 02:09 PM | TrackBack
June 28, 2005
North to Alaska
Anchorage has living examples of the kinds of local lawmakers we need here in order to avoid misuse of the Kelo v. New London eminent domain ruling. We don't have to just grin and...Posted by joe lance on 03:36 PM | TrackBack
Daily Ethics Action Digest: 6/28
Attention: Times Free Press - A comment was added on South End Grounds that pretty much spells out your task in this effort. I will echo the plea for "more better" coverage of this...Posted by joe lance on 08:05 AM | TrackBack
June 27, 2005
What's UFAC?
It sounds ugly. It only has a name and a founder. One could say that it is "without form and void." This primordial, aggressive squatter has just taken over the site of the rather...Posted by joe lance on 11:44 AM | TrackBack
June 26, 2005
More on Kelo v. New London
I don't have the same intense level of outrage (about Kelo) as do a lot of my fellow bloggers; but that's not because I WANT to see more land grabs that end up as...Posted by joe lance on 09:11 AM | TrackBack
June 23, 2005
Igou Gap and Shallowford Residents Booted by SCOTUS?
This one's quirky, to my undereducated mind. I was listening to the radio during lunch and I seem to remember hearing that the reasoning behind the majority opinion is based in deferment to state...Posted by joe lance on 12:54 PM | TrackBack
June 22, 2005
Shifting Alliances
Adam sez the conservatives don't wanna be associated with the pro-TennCare crowd now that there has been a 3-day [something or other] at the Capitol. But dang it, I'm going to find some ways...Posted by joe lance on