26 Comments to 'Knoxville Talks question of the day'
Subscribe to comments with RSS
:: Trackbacks/Pingbacks ::
No Trackbacks/Pingbacks
Knoxville Talks question of the day
Posted By katie allison granju
Let me preface this question by saying that as a Knoxville resident and voter, I have found Mayor Bill Haslam (and his administration, particularly Bill Lyons) to be energetic and full of good ideas that are paying off for Knoxville. That doesn’t mean I am in agreement with the administration all the time, but let’s face it, some really good things have been happening in Knoxville lately.
But here’s a question that I think is worth asking, and fair to ask, particularly now that it looks Mayor Haslam is seriously considering a run for governor.
Does the fact that the primary source of the Haslam family’s considerable wealth is gasoline sales make it less likely that Bill Haslam will offer progressive leadership on critical transportation planning and mass transit issues? Can a guy whose entire career prior to taking office consisted of trying to convince people to drive more/buy more gas offer vision for a new world and economy that will require radical transformation of the way we get around?
What do you think? Talk about it in the comments below. And Mayor Haslam, if you happen to read this, I’d love to get your thoughts.
Jun 30th, 2008
No, I don’t think it will matter a bit. Governor Bredesen’s health care industry background actually helped him do a better job with health care issues. I think Mayor Haslam would be good on transportation issues. And most Pilot stations aren’t in Tennessee…it’s a national company .
I’d rather see businessmen running for office than lawyers.
If the press conference the senior Haslam had with little jimmy duncan is any indicator, there will be a lot more gasoline burned with a Haslam in office. Between the Thompson’s and Haslam’s, Tennessee can basically rule out any real investment in green energy. Backdoor politics and a subsequent population that is intellectually challenged to hold their elected officials accountable for the responsibilities of their office will keep ‘more of the same’ style of politics acceptable in Tennessee and throughout the south for many years to come. The mentality is static and the general population is lazy and arrogant, the result is ineffective government propelled by graft and dishonesty, all ignored by the stupefied fathers busy checking the sports page and the soccer moms get their roots done. Isn’t the south supposed to be the region of ‘values voters’? What are their values?
Jasper:
Thank goodness we have you here to tell us what to do since you consider the general population of Tennessee “lazy and arrogant.”
It must be a terrible strain for you to be so vastly more intelligent and know better than the rest of us.
Oh my God you have no idea. Since my family fist came to this country in the early 17th Century, we have had such high hopes. In Tennessee in particular, there were many private schools that provided an education much superior to even that of say Webb School, but all those disciplines have been diluted for the general population. For example, what are the foundations of your political philosophy? What are the principals of your personal epistemology? Or do you just sort of ’shoot from the hip’ and and use what tools you need when you need them to make a point? My fist point of reference for you is Stephan Hopkins, Constance Snow, Elizabeth Rogers and Jane Randolph. But judge me only on my ideas and not my pedigree. I will overlook your material wealth and trappings and look for scholarship in your presentation. And yes, it is a strain on those who are educated to be ridiculed by by the Hobbesian Leviathans, the little monsters that rely on sophistry over Absolutes. And the Christians are the absolute most lazy, they usually know nothing about the Bible but what they’ve been told by others. They are usually so blinded by ignorance that they reject a healthy world view for a subjective concept on a book that has been edited out of recognition from it’s original form. Most Christians have no idea that the beloved King James (VI of Scotland, I of England) was a raving homosexual. The Bible was politically altered for political use, but I guess you already knew that, right?
PS: I don not live in Tennessee, I always buy Pilot oil if I have the chance and always buy Bush family products. I love the land in Tennessee and my roots are 300 years in East Tennessee. I’d like to revive the ideals of Antebellum Tennessee however with the infusion of 21st Century sensibilities. A great dream of mine is to write a 22nd Century Philosophy that emphasizes Education. Chris Whittle is a visionary and history will be kind to him. His vision to link capitalist principals with acquiring an education creates a structure for civil participation at an early age based on meritocracy. Parents in communities better step up to the plate and volunteer in their schools because buy your budget, your county, state, and federal governments do not VALUE education. Therefore your children are not receiving the qualitative instruction and attention as students in countries who DO Value education and today they are at a disadvantage when in competition with better prepared foreign interests. As a nation, the future is only as strong as our system of educating our youth. Tennessee also needs to address the issues related to the destruction of the natural tree canopy. It’s only common sense.
Geez. This is misleading and prejudicial. Sorta like, “Does the fact that Obama has spent his entire adult life under the influence of a church steeped in the racist dogma of black liberation theology make it less likely that, as president, he will offer progressive leadership with regard to divisive issues of race?”
I thought we were trying to get past crap like that in our civil civic discourse. Not yet?
Haslam’s “entire career” can’t be accurately characterized as “…trying to convince people to drive more/buy more gas…”. As you know, a significant chunk of that career has been spent leading this city. If I’m not mistaken, he’s spent another part of his career trying to convince people to wear more clothing/buy more dresses, etc.
I’m not sure about your fuel-sales-as-wealth-foundation meme, either, although I’m sure you know much more about it than I do. Seems pretty certain that travel centers are profitable, and those profits are based more on beer and smokes than they are on gas, I bet. Plus, you can patronize them whether you’re driving a Prius, a Hummer, an Aptera, or riding a bicycle or a mule.
In any event, Bill H is a good guy, an excellent mayor, and he’d be a terrific governor. His variegated background would help him to be better on transportation policy than someone who’s spent his or her entire career being, say a politician.
“I thought we were trying to get past crap like that in our civil civic discourse. Not yet?”
I’m not sure it’s a good idea to ever “get past” asking how someone’s career and business dealings might impact their public policy direction should he/she be elected to office.
I believe it’s a fair question. I don’t claim to have the answer. I just think it’s a reasonable topic for discussion.
“I’m not sure it’s a good idea to ever “get past” asking how someone’s career and business dealings might impact their public policy direction should he/she be elected to office.”
I couldn’t agree more. Really.
My issue isn’t with having that dialog. It’s with the obvious caricature you’ve drawn of a possible candidate. You’ve (unfairly, IMO) mischaracterized the guy on the way to asking your (fair) question. You’ve almost reduced him to a kind of parasite thriving on consumers’ addiction to petroleum, who incidentally happens to have done some cool things as mayor.
Misleading. Prejudicial.
Unnecessary.
Fair question, though.
Okay. how would you ask the same question, without the negatives you attribute to my phrasing?
Google ‘bill haslam public transportation’, not much there. The Haslams are nice people and most likely sincere in their beliefs. Bill Haslam is definitely my idea of a southern gentleman, but the ethos of that particular kind of wealth has to be somewhat influential in his mind set. Logic can be subconsciously skewed toward the benefits of consumption over virtues of a super public transportation infrastructure if your family is in the oil business. It is logical that he will benefit from all petroleum sales as well as other questionably moral products, and therefore he will benefit from such transactions. It is therefore logical if one subscribes to Thomas Hobbes self interest principal it’s in his best interest to use sophism to avoid any conflict with his family’s ability to produce wealth. Tennesseans tend to walk Hobbsian all week and tip-toe like a sincere Lockian on Sundays. (well not much any more, most are too busy to go to church much less study theology, philosophy, political science, logic or ethics)
I believe Haslam has the potential to be a great leader besides any elected office he holds because he is filthy rich. The Claytons, Thompsons and Haslams could collectively foster an American Renaissance much like the Italian Renaissance had they the desire. By infusing the population with education-as-a-lifestyle, people will naturally organize themselves into the thrifty working class conservative claim to want. Giving a town or small city an infrastructure of serious public transportation, it’s citizens are afforded the choice of freeing up their automotive investment and channeling their wealth toward real-estate. By investing in pedestrian villages that are centered around light rail, a serious urban plan can create small pedestrian oasis’ that will integrate into the existing surface street grid.
In the age of technology a transparent government shouldn’t be all that difficult unless you are hiding patterns of graft and corruption. All citizens are too easy on government for many reasons and a majority feel like the task of having a true open democracy in impossible.
“The meek will inherit the Earth’, why? Because there are more of the meek than the mighty, and when the meek awake from their sleep, there will be a kindly transfer of power. Providing we are as wise as serpents and meek as doves…. Educate don’t facilitate!
Oh, gosh. I’d just ask one question, for one thing.
“Does the fact that the Haslam family’s considerable wealth is directly related to Americans’ consumption of gasoline make it more or less likely that Bill Haslam will offer progressive leadership on critical transportation planning and mass transit issues?”
Your second question is the one that’s most prejudicial, I think. It’s just an OTT rephrasing of the first. You lose nothing by losing it, except some of the propaganda effect. That’s why I’d lose it.
Is my rephrasing bland? I dunno. I guess it is.
It also begs some other questions, like “What constitutes progressive policy when it comes to transportation?” Is is inherently “progressive” to bring about “new worlds” and “new economies” by government fiat? Or do those things best evolve within the market, in which government plays a part?
But those are my questions, not yours, and there are too many of them to fit in a “question of the day” post. Your focus is admirable.
I’ve never seen or heard of a public transportation being built by a group of citizens in many, many years.
In relation to Knoxville, I believe that the Fountain City line was built by their local government in order to create more wealth for the citizens. Was it due to public pressure or was it created out of public leadership? IMO it was both and will only come to fruition with both public leadership and civic pressures.
In todays hectic world citizens are doing their best to keep their heads above water and their families fed in large due to fuel costs. They won’t be interested in public transportation until they believe it is in their best interest. Because the general public reads less, they depend more and more on public broadcasts to inform them. Therefore a person’s idea of self-interest is somewhat dependent on public information in order for an idea to qualify as being in ones best interest. So unless there is leadership, either in the Fourth Branch or from elected posts, most likely a goal of mass-transit or realization of a benefit from having mass-transit will never be reached.
The question might be. “Is it in our best interest to have mass-transit?” and if it is, “will Mayor Haslam’s ties to the oil industry cloud his judgment in realizing the public good that might come from mass-transit over his potential personal gains from perpetuating oil consumption?” Or even “Could his ignorance to the benefit of a mass-transit system be due to socially constructed values from his oil rich family assets?” is essentially a fair question as well. IMO
When putting a person in any elected office one must look at the nature of their potential personal gain by being in that office.
Is there a geographic reason Tennessee enjoys some of the lowest gasoline prices in the country? It’s kind of odd. Is it because of the the states dependable compliance on energy issues? Elected officials effectively rolling over and playing dead to wake up to a wonderful business opportunity for their slumber?
Go to congress.ogr and see how, and on what, your elected officials are casting your votes. Washington DC is where the funding for public projects like mass-transit systems comes from, and Congress has to foot most of the bill, so the governor’s not the lynch pin.
In an active democracy, citizens can create their own lives and public pressures control congress, not the special interests, like big oil. However when citizens become complacent and trust representatives to fight for their best interest, CONgress can pretty much do and say what they please, because whether or not they are trusted, they go undeterred in their personal self-interest first. A sophists argument could be that, “the happier I am at my job the better I can do for my constituents.” It is an argument. Corruption starts at the voting booth.
no, most if not all of the street car lines in Knoxville were owned by private companies. they were not public utilities. some made it for awhile until the advent of the auto, some went broke.
The Fountain Head Railway Co. completed the Dummy Line (steam railway) to Fountain City in 1890.
Another major operator of streetcar lines in Knoxville was Knoxville Power & Light.
Knoxville Power & Light Co.
Knoxville TN
Acquired 1911 by American Cities Co./1922 by Electric Bond & Shares Co.
Transit operations sold 1938
So it is fair to say that modern public transportation is funded by governments? NYC Port Authority, NJ Port Authority, MARTA, and BART as examples.
Still the real questions are(IMO) :
“Is it in the public’s best interest to have modern and efficient mass-transit?”
If yes, “Do, or will, Mr. Haslam’s ties to the oil industry cloud his judgment on the subject of public transportation?’
Or even “Could Mr. Haslam’s ambivalence toward a mass-transit system be due to socially constructed values from his oil rich family assets?”
From Congress.org:
June 30, 2008
In this MegaVote for Tennessee’s 2nd Congressional District:
Recent Congressional Votes -
Senate: Agreeing to House Amendment to Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008
Senate: Cloture Motion; Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978
Senate: Cloture Motion; Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008
Senate: Agreeing to House Amendments to Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008
House: Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act
House: Federal Price Gouging Prevention Act
House: Alternative Minimum Tax Relief Act of 2008
House: Saving Energy Through Public Transportation Act
Editor’s Note: The Senate is in recess until Monday, July 7. The House is in recess until Tuesday, July 8.
Recent Senate Votes
Agreeing to House Amendment to Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008 - Vote Agreed to (79-16, 5 Not Voting)
The Senate approved the first of three parts of this housing package.
Sen. Lamar Alexander voted YES……send e-mail or see bio
Sen. Bob Corker voted YES……send e-mail or see bio
Cloture Motion; Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 - Vote Agreed to (80-15, 5 Not Voting)
The Senate voted to take up this bill that would rewrite electronic surveillance laws and give legal immunity to telecommunication companies that provided intelligence-gatherers with customer information.
Sen. Lamar Alexander voted YES……send e-mail or see bio
Sen. Bob Corker voted YES……send e-mail or see bio
Cloture Motion; Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 - Vote Rejected (58-40, 2 Not Voting)
The Senate failed to reach the 60 votes necessary to proceed to consideration of a bill that would cancel a scheduled cut in Medicare physician reimbursements.
Sen. Lamar Alexander voted NO……send e-mail or see bio
Sen. Bob Corker voted NO……send e-mail or see bio
Agreeing to House Amendments to Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 - Vote Agreed to (92-6, 2 Not Voting)
The Senate agreed to the domestic component of a supplemental spending package that also funds military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Sen. Lamar Alexander voted YES……send e-mail or see bio
Sen. Bob Corker voted YES……send e-mail or see bio
Recent House Votes
Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act - Vote Passed (355-59, 20 Not Voting)
The House passed this bill to cancel a scheduled 10 percent Medicare reimbursement cut to physicians.
Rep. John Duncan Jr. voted NO……send e-mail or see bio
Federal Price Gouging Prevention Act - Vote Failed (276-146, 13 Not Voting)
The House fell short of the two-thirds margin necessary to pass this bill, which would have expanded the Federal Trade Commission’s powers to combat price manipulation.
Rep. John Duncan Jr. voted NO……send e-mail or see bio
Alternative Minimum Tax Relief Act of 2008 - Vote Passed (233-189, 12 Not Voting)
The House voted to “patch” the alternative minimum tax.
Rep. John Duncan Jr. voted NO……send e-mail or see bio
Saving Energy Through Public Transportation Act - Vote Passed (322-98, 14 Not Voting)
The House approved $1.7 billion in grants to mass transit authorities.
Rep. John Duncan Jr. voted NO……send e-mail or see bio
Point proven: Duncan’s got a very conservative record. So conservative one wonders if he’s inert or actually alive.
Please reference Mr. Duncan and Mr. Haslam’s recent joint news conference. Unless Jr. distinguishes himself otherwise, it is fair to say that his policy will match that of the other Jr. and his dad.
Saving Energy Through Public Transportation Act - Vote Passed (322-98, 14 Not Voting)
The House approved $1.7 billion in grants to mass transit authorities.
Rep. John Duncan Jr. voted NO……send e-mail or see bio
I am less concerned with Haslam’s views and interest in his business dealings as a part owner of the Pilot corporation than I am his interest in restricting our 2nd Amendment rights to defend ourselves. His association with groups that would restrict our Constitutional rights is of great concern … especially in light of the recent increase in violence in the Knoxville area.
Hey, Jasper. Please, don’t come home to Tennessee. Sounds like you might be happy in northern California, sipping your Starbuck’s coffee, driving your Prius with the Obama bumper sticker to your six-figure job at a non-profit that makes you feel superior to those ignorant us who live in the red states. There’s a whole website devoted to your “type”; check it out: http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/full-list-of-stuff-white-people-like/
thanks
very nice blog
thank you
thanks for information.
thanks for information.
thanks