Black Wednesday focus of Inside TN

Schmid, Harmon, Barker

Black Wednesday.

Say the words to anyone who follows local government and they’ll know just exactly what you’re talking about.

It was a special called meeting of the Knox County Commission that took place on Jan. 31, 2007. At the time, the board was tasked with filling 12 term-limited offices.

The meeting was riddled with accusations of vote-trading and marked by numerous restroom breaks as officials sneaked off to cut deals. At one point a newly appointed commissioner was even secretly sworn-in, so he could help cast a deciding vote for another officeholder and hook up a political friend.

In the end, the board was found guilty of violating the state’s sunshine law.

However, there also was some good that came out of that meeting.   

   

This Sunday’s edition of “Inside Tennessee” on WBIR 10News focuses on Black Wednesday and its aftermath.

The guests are Knoxville News Sentinel editorial page editor Scott Barker and former county commissioners Mark Harmon and John Schmid.

The 30-minute political and public affairs program, which was taped Thursday, kicks off at 9:30 a.m. Sunday on WBIR.

Panelists include WBIR reporter Mike Donila, attorney Don Bosch and governmental relations specialist Susan Williams.

WBIR reporter Michael Crowe serves as the show’s moderator.

Senators talk $925M surplus 'myth'

State lawmakers keep talking about a so-called $1 billion surplus, but two key members of the local Legislative delegation say the number is more a myth than a reality.

As it stands, the state might have roughly $925 million in extra money this year, but much of it has already been allocated.

The topic is part of this Sunday’s edition of “Inside Tennessee” on WBIR 10News.

The guests are Knoxville Republican state senators Becky Duncan Massey and Richard Briggs.

The discussion comes as the General Assembly convened on Jan. 10.
 
Briggs said Gov. Bill Haslam’s finance team met with state lawmakers recently to talk about the surplus.

Briggs and Massey didn’t want to get into too much detail, but both agreed that there is roughly “$100 million to $150 million” that hasn’t been allocated.

“I call (it) a little bit the myth of the myth of the one billion dollars,” Briggs said. “At this point, there’s going to be about $200 million – I don’t want to go into some of the details – that’s going into education. We have some of the built-in increases that happen every year due to the TN Care increase and we forget that with this affordable care act, we had about 60,000 or 70,000 people that were in the woodwork who are eligible for TN Care that never signed up for it. They’re forced to do that now or they’ll take a penalty.”

He said money also will go to “completely fund our retirement fund” and paying “back the other half that we borrowed back earlier in the 2000s when we had some deficits from the road fund.”

“We did half of that last year – we’re going to do the other half this year. That’s no secret. That’s about a 120 or $130 million . . . and then we have the investments we need to make on building maintenance that’s been delayed over the years,” Briggs added. “One other thing when we talk about all of this money that’s important – we do have some cash in hand but much of those are projections and we really don’t know what’s going to happen to the economy. If it projects out then we will have more money but it’s all not discretionary that we can spend.”

Massey said the surplus came from a “combination of fiscal responsibility” and revenues from business growth.

“Part of the surplus is in recurring dollars which there is a number of pots that almost take it before we even get to look at it . . . and then about half of it is non-recurring, which can be used more for short-term projects,” she said. “But I can guarantee you there’s a lot of people who have some wonderful ideas and significant needs and we’ll have to look at what’s the best return on the investment.”

The 30-minute political and public affairs program, which was taped Thursday, kicks off at 9:30 a.m. Sunday on WBIR.

Panelists include WBIR reporter Mike Donila, attorney Don Bosch and governmental relations specialist Susan Williams.

WBIR Anchor John Becker serves as the show’s moderator.

Inside TN: State rep. says organized retail crime a problem in Knoxville

From left: becker, Zachary, Daniel

Organized retail crime, a possible gas tax increase and matters tied to higher education.

Those are just a handful of the issues to be addressed during Sunday’s edition of “Inside Tennessee” on WBIR 10News.

The guests are 14^th District state Rep. Jason Zachary, R-Knoxville, and 18^th District state Rep. Martin Daniel, R-Knoxville.

The discussion comes as the General Assembly plans to convene again on Jan. 10.

At the top of the list for Zachary is passing an “organized retail crime” bill, something he’s crafted with local law enforcement, Home Depot and other lawmakers.

“Most people don’t realize that Knoxville is the No. 1 city in the nation for gift card theft and abuse,” he said. “It’s truly organized retail crime. You’ll have two people go to a Home Depot. One person goes in and steals a blower and comes out, and the other person goes in and returns it. So, the state loses tax dollars.”

The person who returns the item will get a gift card from the store which can be sold on the secondary market.

Zachary noted that arrests authorities made the week before Christmas netted roughly $50,000 in stolen merchandise.

He said most of the retail crime happens in West Knox County, particularly the Turkey Creek shopping complex because of its easy access to the interstate. 

The National Retail Federation notes that such crimes usually include a criminal enterprise employing individuals to steal large quantities of merchandise from a number of stores, and then a fencing operations coverts the items into cash. The items also can be sold online, at flea markets or even to other retailers.

Zachary and Daniel also said keeping an eye on the state’s $925 million budgetary surplus and whether to raise the state’s gas tax also will be two key issues this year.

“Everything depends on the details but the people of the district are telling me transportation is so important for business, tourism and safety . . . and they’re telling me they’re OK for up to a 10 cent per gallon tax increase,” said Daniel, adding that cars that use diesel fuel, batteries and hybrids “need to be brought in to pay their fair share.”

Zachary added that he recently polled his district and that 55 percent of the residents were opposed to an increase.

The tax increase, proposed by Gov. Bill Haslam, would help pay for some $6 billion in transportation infrastructure backlog.

In addition, Martin said he wants to reduce regulations “that impact individuals and businesses,” and he wants to call for an “efficiency audit” for higher education across the state.

The 30-minute political and public affairs program, which was taped Thursday, kicks off at 9:30 a.m. Sunday on WBIR.

Panelists include attorney Don Bosch, governmental relations expert Susan Williams and Theotis Robinson Jr., retired vice president of equity and diversity of the University of Tennessee system.

WBIR Anchor John Becker serves as the show’s moderator.

Looking at 2016 Inside Tenn. picks

So, here's some fun insight from Inside Tennessee, our Sunday morning political talk show. At the very end of 2015, the panelists were asked to predict their 2016 winners and losers. Dennis Francis, Billy Star, Mike Cohen, Mike Donila, Susan Williams and Don Bosch participated.

Below are the results. None of us, quite frankly, did all that well. I highlighted the spots were the prediction worked out.

I'll post our 2017 predictions later.

Local Winners

Dennis: Passed

Billy: University of Tennessee football

Cohen: Congressman Duncan and Tim Burchett

Mike D: Republican party (predicted clean Republican sweep in local races)

Susan: Tony Norman

Don: Randy Nichols and Sheriff Jones (predicted getting safety center off the ground)

Local Losers

Dennis: Knox County citizens if we do not open the safety center

Billy: Knox County BOE (based on all the sniping)

Cohen: Didn’t really answer. Talked about Tony Norman and dissatisfaction with past administration

Mike D: Jim McIntyre (based on board’s balance of power shift and the budget-limiting MOU he signed)

Susan: Jim McIntyre (based on Norman’s election)

Don: Jeff Ownby

Quick thoughts: Hard to give Cohen credit for Duncan and Burchett. Tim had little movement and Duncan easily won a race. There were way bigger winners than Duncan in the grand scheme. Also hard to give Dennis credit on his pick for loser. The county failed to open the safety center but citizens weren’t a clear loser.

State Winners

Dennis: Ron Ramsey

Billy: Sen. Randy McNally

Cohen: Randy Boyd

Mike D: Butch Jones (predicted player scandal that Butch would smooth out and 8-4 season and bowl win)

Susan: Randy Boyd

Don: Justice Jeff Bivens (predicted he would be chief justice of Supreme Court, said do all sorts of bad things)

State Losers

Dennis: All of us

Billy: Derrick Schofield, Department of Correction Commissioner

Cohen: Democratic party (state)

Mike D: Rest of the top brass at UT is going to have a bad year (reason I picked Butch)

Susan: Anthony Haynes (lobbyist for UT)

Don: 250,000 people who did not get healthcare (said Gov. won’t get it back or won’t get passed)

Thoughts: I blew the Butch Jones pick but when I made my prediction on how the team would go (8-4) everyone on the panel said they would do much better. Eat crow, people. (The bowl game doesn't count.) Ha. But, I killed it on predicting the rest of the UT brass being losers – see ya later, Cheek! See ya later, Hart! I can’t give credit for the Randy Boyd picks – not after the embarrassment of the Smokies baseball team and the behind the scene secrecy of the Regal deal that wasn’t popular with a lot of the public. Billy nailed it on McNally and Schofield.

National winners:

Dennis: Hillary Clinton

Billy: Hillary Clinton

Cohen: Hillary Clinton

Mike D: Hillary Clinton

Susan: All of you media folks (24-7 news is having a field day)

Don: Whoever Hillary Clinton pics as her vice presidential candidate (“Someone’s about to get a ticket to the big show.”)

National losers:

Dennis: National Republican Party

Billy: National Republican Party

Cohen: Donald Trump (“He won’t be elected president of the United States.”)

Mike D: National Republican Party

Susan: Donald Trump

Don: National Republican Party

Thoughts: We all blew it on the winners. Going to disagree with Susan. It was a tough time for the media with Trump, his crazies and the knuckleheads who change “fake news” for everything they disagree with.” We also all blew it on the losers.

Politician of the Year for 2016

Dennis: Hillary Clinton

Billy: Hillary Clinton

Cohen: Hillary Clinton

Mike D: Hillary Clinton

Susan: Whoever the Republican nominee is

Don: Hillary Clinton

Biggest surprise

Dennis: Nothing comes to mind

Billy: One-in-three chance of a third candidate running for president

Cohen: Whoever wins the 4^th District commission Republican seat

Mike D: One of those commissioners will do something silly and might not be around

Susan: Bring the Lady Vols logo and name back

Don: Jimmy Duncan chooses to retire from Congress

Final thoughts: Dennis was the big winner the previous year when we made his predictions. He didn’t do as well this time around. In fact, he scored a goose egg. Mike D and Susan won with three points.  Don and Billy got two points and Cohen got one. Personally, I think we all sucked. Ha. We blew it on the national picks and politician of the year (except for Susan) and none of possibly surprises rang true.

From the Inside Tennessee crew :)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the crew of Inside Tennessee. From left: Don Bosch, Susan Williams, Mike Donila, John Becker, Billy Stair, Dennis Francis and Mike Cohen. (Hats supplied by Susan. Dennis' got lost in all that hair. Heh.)

ORNL is focus of 'Inside Tennessee'

Thom Mason

Climate change, super computers and 3-D printing.

Those are just a handful of the issues addressed during Sunday’s edition of “Inside Tennessee” on WBIR 10News.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory is the focus as Director Thom Mason discusses energy research, national security and science, all connected to an operation that employs more than 4,500 and costs $1.5 billion annually to operate.

“That’s why you have national labs – to tackle things where you need sophisticated equipment, large teams of people with different sorts of expertise you can mobilize,” said Mason, director since mid-2007. “We’re an instrument of national policy. The federal government sets the priorities and in cases where it’s science and technology that’s underneath the problem you’re trying to solve you can mobilize the resources of the lab to go out and tackle those problems.”

Mason also addresses the incoming presidential administration and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who was tapped to lead the Department of Energy. (Back in 2012, Perry said the country didn’t need a DOE.)

The 30-minute political and public affairs program, which was taped Thursday, kicks off at 9:30 a.m. Sunday on WBIR.

Panelists include 10News reporter Mike Donila and governmental relations expert Susan Williams. WBIR Anchor John Becker serves as the show’s moderator.

Three essentials: healthcare, food and education focus of 'Inside Tn'

Stan Brock

It’s typically a political and public affairs program, but this Sunday’s edition of “Inside Tennessee” focuses on three charities in East Tennessee and three basics of life: healthcare, food, and education.

WBIR 10News anchor and the show’s moderator, John Becker, calls it perhaps the “most revealing” edition of “Inside Tennessee” this year.

“We cut to the core of the need across our community for the very basics of survival,” he said. “It is hard to overstate the influence these three charities have had on improving the lives of people across East Tennessee. I think our viewers will appreciate the challenges ahead and will be interested in the role Washington politics may play in shaping their future.”

The guests include Stan Brock, the founder of Remote Area Medical; Elaine Streno, executive director of Second Harvest Food Bank; and Emmette Thompson, the executive director for Mission of Hope.

“(We) want to offer a glimpse into the lives of people on the frontline of topics that often take a political turn,” Becker said. “We spend some time talking about the influence of the November election and what they’re expecting in the coming Trump administration.”

For example, Becker noted, Brock offers his take on the one change lawmakers in Washington, D.C. could make the would open up more people to dental and vision care across the country.

Sunday’s guests will answer the question: Are we better off now than we were a decade ago when it comes to meeting the basic needs of people in healthcare, food, and education.

They’ll also talk about their biggest challenges ahead.

“We hope viewers learn a bit more about these homegrown operations, the influence they have on our community, and why they do what they do,” Becker said.

The 30-minute program, which was taped Wednesday, kicks off at 9:30 a.m. Sunday on WBIR 10News.

'Inside Tennessee' to focus on presidential race aftermath

A super panel of local Democrats and Republicans on Sunday’s edition of “Inside Tennessee” on WBIR 10News will touch on election night 2016 and the aftermath of the presidential race.

The group includes Democrats Dennis Francis,Don Bosch and Billy Stair, and Republicans Susan Williams, Elaine Davis and Lance Baker.

The subject? Breaking down an election in which Republican candidate Donald Trump defeated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to become the nation’s 45^th president.

Panelists note that all but three counties in Tennessee went to Trump with some 2.3 million citizens statewide voting. Knox County had a record turnout with 184,000 residents casting ballots.

The 30-minute political and public affairs program, which was taped Wednesday, kicks off at 9:30 a.m. Sunday on WBIR.

Anchor John Becker serves as the show’s moderator.

Kane, Hensley to discuss House seat

Kane, right and Hensley, left

The two candidates running for the 89^th District state House seat are the guests on this Sunday’s edition of “Inside Tennessee” on WBIR 10News.

Incumbent and Republican Roger Kane and Democrat challenger Heather Hensley touch on a number of topics during the 30-minute political and public affairs program that kicks off at 9:30 a.m.

The show, which was taped on Wednesday, features a panel comprised of Don Bosch, an attorney and Democrat, Susan Williams, a Republican and public relations specialist, and 10News reporter Mike Donila.

WBIR anchor John Becker serves as the show’s moderator.

Kane, an insurance agent who has held the seat since 2012, and Hensley, a registered nurse, discuss a range of matters the General Assembly expects to act on when the body meets again in January.

Issues include: health care and Insure Tennessee, the state’s failed version of the Affordable Healthcare Act; desperately needed road repairs; whether a gas tax increase is warranted; and just how much oversight the General Assembly should have over the University of Tennessee.

The 89th District is sandwiched between Oak Ridge at the north and I-40 at the south and includes roughly 65,000 residents.

Early voting has already started for the Nov. 8 general election.

TN House candidates Smith, Johnson face off on 'Inside Tennessee'

Gloria Johnson, left, and Eddie Smith, right

The two candidates again facing off in the battle for the 13th District state House seat are the focus of this Sunday’s edition of “Inside Tennessee” on WBIR 10News.

Incumbent and Republican Eddie Smith and Democrat challenger Gloria Johnson will sit down with reporters during the 30-minute political and public affairs program that kicks off at 9:30 a.m.

Smith and Johnson will discuss a number of issues including: health care, education, the state of the roads in Tennessee, and whether a gas tax increase is warranted.

The 13th District encompasses parts of north and south Knoxville and includes more than 62,000 residents.

Early voting has already started for the Nov. 8 general election.

Johnson won the seat in 2012, succeeding Democrat Harry Tindell, who held the seat for 22 years. Smith defeated her in 2014 by just under 200 votes.

Local politicos expect this race to be the closest of all the state House races in the Knox County area.

Sunday’s panel features moderator John Becker, WBIR reporters Mike Donila, John North and Mary Scott.

Randy Boyd: Smokies baseball team to stay in Kodak until at least 2025

Local businessman and Tennessee Smokies owner Randy Boyd doesn’t plan to bring the baseball team back to Knoxville until 2025 at the earliest – and even that’s not a guarantee.

In fact, he might sign another contract at that point and keep the team in nearby Kodak for another decade.

Boyd, who bought the Chicago Cubs’ Class AA affiliate in June 2013, said he talked with Sevierville and Sevier County officials about recruiting another team there to replace the Smokies “but (officials) weren’t interested in that and if they’re not interested in that and see it as a win-win then we’re going to stay where we’re at.”

Boyd also ruled out taking over another franchise from the Chicago Cubs although he said he had discussions with team owners about it. He called such a purchase "complicated" and said he wasn't interested.

Further, Boyd told WBIR 10News on Friday that he doesn’t have the authority to move the Johnson City Cardinals, another team he oversees, to Knoxville.

The Rookie League team, Boyd said, is actually owned by the St. Louis Cardinals and he only
manages it.

“It’s not up to us to move them. And besides, even if I had the control of it which I don’t, the St. Louis Cardinals have been there for 50 years and they have such a tradition,” said Boyd, who is also the state's economic and community development commissioner. “We just got through investing $300,000 into the stadium and investing another $250,000 over the offseason to fix up the infield and turn it into artificial turf, so the high school can use the stadium. So, we’re very invested in the stadium and love that team.”

Boyd earlier this year signed a 10-year lease to manage the Cardinals’ affiliate.

WBIR's Inside Tennessee panel meets with Randy Boyd

The baseball discussion, which took place during a taping of WBIR’s political and public affairs program "Inside Tennessee," came in the wake of Boyd recently purchasing one of the Knox Rail Salvage properties and a nearby parcel in Knoxville’s Old City for $6 million in September.

In all, Boyd’s footprint in that area of the Old City now extends to more than 11 acres. He says he's had his eyes on that property for some time.

Prior to the purchase, Boyd had discussions with East Tennessee leaders about potentially bringing the Smokies back to Knoxville.

The team left for Sevier County after the 1999 season.

Boyd’s contract with Sevier County and Sevierville, which co-own the stadium, runs out in 2025.

At that point, the team could agree to another lease or leave.
The city and county issued $19.4 million in bonds to pay for the stadium, which opened in 2000.

Guidelines were built into the lease that would require the team to pay off whatever debt service, which would include interest on the initial bonds, is left if the team were to leave prior to 2025.

For example, if the team were to leave today, that could cost as much as $10 million, according to the contract.

Boyd said the amount “is more than I can afford.”

“(I’m not leaving) for two reasons,” he said. “One because the check wouldn’t clear and two because the people in Sevierville and Sevier County – it wouldn’t be a win-win for them.”

In the meantime, Boyd said he doesn’t plan to do anything with the Knox Rail Salvage property for at least a year. He’ll let the company continue to operate and transition into a new building.

Then, he said, he’ll flatten the building and rehabilitate the area.

“It’s a family passion to fix that area up,” he said. “In the end I think we can make that something in Knoxville that we can be proud of.”

He said he has envisioned a baseball stadium there but “between now and 10 years from now there’s so many things that can happen.”

Staples, Gallman on Inside Tenn.

Staples, left, Gallman, on right

Candidates running for the East Knoxville district formerly represented by ex-longtime state House member Joe Armstrong are the focus of this Sunday’s edition of Inside Tennessee on WBIR 10news.

The 30-minute political show kicks off at 9:30 a.m. and features two of the three challengers vying for the 15^th District seat.

Guests include Rick Staples and write-in candidate Rhonda “Mousie” Gallman, both Democrats.
Independent challenger Pete Drew did not show up for the discussion.

Armstrong officially retired in September in the wake of his federal felony tax evasion conviction and just days before the Tennessee General Assembly met for a special session.

A jury in August found the long-time East Knoxville Democrat guilty of filing a false and fraudulent tax return, but declined to convict him on two other charges - conspiracy to defraud the United States, and attempting to evade and defeat taxes.

His sentencing is set for Nov. 30.

Armstrong has since appealed and is seeking a new trial.

However, he can no longer represent the 15^th District in the state House or hold any other public office because of the conviction.

As a result, the Knox County Democratic Party picked Staples to replace him in the Nov. 8 general election. He faces Gallman and Drew.

Staples and Gallman on Inside Tennessee will talk about a number of issues, including what they liked that Armstrong did; how they would improve upon some of the issues he spearheaded; and what they would do about a potential gas tax, something Gov. Bill Haslam has pushed.

The panel features moderator John Becker, WBIR reporter Mike Donila, public relations expect Susan Williams, a Republican, and attorney Don Bosch, a Democrat.

'Inside Tn' on Sunday to feature commission candidates, 1-hour show

This Sunday, we'll hosting a special one-hour edition of Inside Tennessee (WBIR 10News) that begins at 9 a.m.

The show will include candidates from the Knox County Commission district races. The election is Aug. 4.

All the candidates were invited but District 1 independent Tyrone LaMar Fine was a no-show:

District 1:
Michael Covington (R)
Evelyn Gill (D)


District 6:
Brad Anders (R)
Donna Lucas (D)

District 8:
Dave Wright (R)
Donald Wiser (I)

District 4:
Hugh Nystrom (R)
Marleen Kay Davis (D)

5th District commish, BOE candidates featured on WBIR 'Inside Tennessee'

On Sunday, we had the 5th District candidates running for Knox County Commission (John Schooner, incumbent and Republican, and Sheri Ridgeway, Democrat) and the non-partisan school board (Susan Horn and Buddy Pelot) featured on Inside Tennessee.

You can find the links to the discussions right HERE.

Next Sunday, we'll feature a special hour-long show and include more commission races.

Thomas says he will do more than keep seat warm as interim superintendent

Buzz Thomas

Soon-to-be interim KCS Superintendent Buzz Thomas says he will be more than just a placeholder when he takes over the Knox County school system beginning in July.

In fact, Thomas said, he’s “not afraid” to make changes that could lead to “trimming some bureaucracy (and) investing more in classrooms.”

“I always think there are improvements that can be made and we’ll try to do that,” Thomas told WBIR 10News. “I said the other day, we’re not going to circle the airport for the next six to 12 months. We’re going to continue the journey. We’ve been on an upward projector, but not upward enough. So, we need to improve at a faster pace . . .  .”

Thomas will begin serving as interim superintendent July 9. Current Superintendent Jim McIntyre announced in January that he would step down this summer.

Thomas, who is currently the president of the non-profit Great Schools Partnership, is the guest on Sunday’s “Inside Tennessee,” WBIR’s political and public affairs program, which airs at 9:30 a.m.

During Sunday’s discussion, Thomas touches on a wide range of topics, including plans to boost teacher morale, a renewed focus on student reading levels, whether the next superintendent should have teaching experience and if he’s interested in the job on a permanent basis.

“I think we’ve gotten into two camps for lack of a better term,” he said. “We’ve got the pro-teacher camp and then you’ve got the pro-student achievement camp and they’re over there looking at test scores and if kids are making better (grades) on the ACT. Here’s the truth: All of us want both things.
Is there anybody who doesn’t want kids to achieve and learn so that they have a successful future? And is there anybody who doesn’t want our teachers to be happy? We want teacher morale to be high.”

Thomas added: “You want kids to learn and teachers to enjoy coming to work every day. And I think we can do that but we’ve got to get past the personality and the politics and refocus on the work”

Sen. McNally on 'Inside Tennessee'

Randy McNally

East Tennessee lawmaker Randy McNally doesn’t plan to change much if he becomes the state’s next Speaker of the Senate.

But, he might help push forward a gas tax, so long as a number of factors fall into place.
McNally, a Republican state senator from Oak Ridge, is the frontrunner to replace Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey who announced last month that he won’t seek re-election.

“I don’t think there will be a lot of difference – it will be a fairly smooth transition,” McNally told WBIR 10News.

Senators will vote on the next speaker in January when the General Assembly begins its next session.
McNally, who has served in either the House or Senate since 1977, is the guest on this  Sunday’s “Inside Tennessee,” WBIR 10News’ political and public affairs program, which airs at 9:30 a.m.

“I want to continue the path that (Lt.) Gov. Ramsey, the current speaker, has set out of being a very fiscal conservative legislator – making sure our debt is low, our taxes are low . . . (and) controlling growth in expenditures and making sure the essential services are providing for Tennesseans, especially growing new jobs and promoting education,” he said.

McNally, who currently serves as the chairman of the Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee, said he plans to spend the summer and fall working with Ramsey to help Tennessee Republicans maintain and grow their strong majority in the state Senate.

During Sunday’s discussion, McNally touches on a wide range of topics, including the state’s financial health, Insure Tennessee and funding for indigent defense.

When pressed about whether he would push for an increase in the gas tax – something Gov. Bill Haslam has floated – McNally said he would, but only under certain conditions, like limiting it to a “single digit increase.”

He told the panel that the tax is a “user fee” that “People who use the roads should pay.”

Porch election predictions/guesses

I suppose it’s time roll out the ol’ Porch’s annual Election Day predictions.

Now, I can’t stress enough that my picks are not endorsements, recommendations, whatevers. These are just the folks I think will more than likely win in the contested primaries.

I should note that I’ve enjoyed meeting with all of the candidates. You also can check out their guest segments on Inside Tennessee RIGHT SMACK HERE.

Anyhoo, here ya go:

REPUBLICANS:

County Commission 2nd: Michele Carringer over John Fugate

Why: I think Michele has campaigned harder. Also – and this is key – when she ran for the countywide seat some time back against Ed Brantley, she apparently beat him in her district. That’s a big deal. Ed is known widely throughout the county and is more recognizable than Fugate, so I figure if she beats him, then she can beat John. That said, John is a damn nice guy based on the conversations I’ve had with him.

County Commission 4th: Hugh Nystrom defeats incumbent Jeff Ownby and Janet Testerman

Why: Hugh has really worked this campaign and knows a ton of people. Jeff obviously has that past issue, which is going to cost him, and, quite frankly, I just haven’t heard a lot about Testerman. That said, Jeff is a good commissioner who takes constituency services very seriously. He answers his phone and enjoys meeting with the people in his district.

County Commission 6th: Brad Anders easily handles John Ashley

Why: Seriously? That said the community is always better off when there are contested races because it typically creates debate. So, shout out to John for running.

Law Director: Richard “Bud” Armstrong defeats Nathan Powell

Why: Flat out, more people know Bud. And that commercial/political advertisement that Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett did for him was the killer. That said, Nathan would probably not have a problem doing the job.

Property Assessor: John Whitehead barely, barely defeats Jim Weaver. Third candidate Andrew Graybeal garners few votes.

Why: This is the toughest one for me to call, and I might change my mind tomorrow before early voting results come in. Both Weaver and Whitehead know the office. But a lot of folks know the “Whitehead” name from his time as assessor (2000-08). Early on, local polling actually put Whitehead far ahead of the other two candidates. Since then, Weaver has spent a ton of coin and current Property Assessor Phil Ballard (who is term-limited) has started to get out the word. Weaver has caught up and, I believe, some polls even had him neck-and-neck with Whitehead or even ahead. Still, with gun to my head I think Whitehead narrowly edges him. That said, I suspect if Whitehead does win, there may be a spot for Weaver if he wants it.

DEMOCRATS:

County Commission 1st: Rick Staples easily defeats Evelyn Gill

Why: On paper, Gill looks like a great candidate. But, she’s not working it like Staples is. The guy is everywhere and he has name recognition from previous campaigns. That said, he might have some problems in the general election.

County Commission 2nd: Laura Kildare beats Cheri Siler

Why: Siler suspended her campaign in December and hasn't done anything to get her name out. That said, she's told supporters if she wins, she'll run in August.

SCHOOL BOARD:

District 2: Grant Standefer defeats Jennifer Owen

Why: Grant has more money and more name recognition. Also, Superintendent Jim McIntyre is no longer a factor, since he’s stepping down in July. Candidates in the past were able to use him – good or bad – as an election platform. They can’t do it this time and I think that hurts Jennifer. That said, she could do the job as well.

District 5: Susan Horn and Buddy Pelot force a runoff. Lori Ann Boudreaux comes in third

Why: I just don’t see Horn or Pelot, who each have more name recognition and coin than Boudreaux, getting the 50 percent plus one vote. One of them might come close, but I expect it to go to the runoff in August. That said, I could be wrong. Heh.

On a side note, I’m pretty sure Tennesseans to give Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton the presidential nods.

BOE member's friend jumps the gun; solicits campaign funds too early

Karen Carson

Seems that in the past couple of days, a lot of folks spent some time talking about an email sent out by a former school board member, hoping to raise campaign coin for a current school board member who wants to run for a state seat.

Me? I spent my time watching Mick and Keith tear up Ohio Stadium. And it was awesome. Heh.

Anyhoo, there’s the deal:

Knox County school board member Karen Carson plans to run for the 14th District state House seat that was recently vacated by Ryan Haynes, R-Knoxville. More than likely the primary will be held on Aug. 12 with the general election on Sept. 29.

(Don’t hold me to it, but for what it’s worth, I believe Carson once told me she is Republican.)

Now, here’s the problem:

Diane Jablonski, a former school board member who also sat on the county’s charter review committee, sent an email out on Friday evening to a number of folks, soliciting campaign dollars for Carson’s eventual campaign. (And, yes, for those asking, Superintendent Jim McIntyre was copied on the email although that shouldn’t mean anything one way or the other.)

This is the email:

My friend, Karen Carson has decided to run for the vacant state representative seat, previously held by Ryan Haynes, This will be a very short campaign and Karen needs our help now. Karen has served our district with excellence as the 5th district School Board representative. She has been Board chair and as such represented the entire county. She is also an emergency room nurse at Children's hospital and I cannot think of anyone would rather have attending to my child. Her knowledge of a broad scope of state issues is beyond most other candidates. I implore you to support her efforts by sending a campaign donation to Karen Carson for State Representative. Please be generous, your donation of $100, $200, $500, or $1,000 can make a huge difference to our area. Karen is still in the process of establishing her campaign; but you can send your donation to me and I will make sure that her campaign gets it!

Jablonski in the past has served as Carson’s campaign treasurer when she ran for her school board seat. However, Carson as of Monday night had not officially appointed a treasurer for a state seat nor had she filed the paperwork.

That means no one at this point should be soliciting money on behalf of Carson.

I talked with Drew Rawlins, the executive director of the Tennessee Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance.

Here’s what he said, though, about it:

“You’re supposed to file an ‘appointment of treasurer’ with our office before you raise money. A person shouldn’t be raising money for someone else to run unless that person has appointed a treasurer. Someone should be appointed as a treasurer before someone raises money.”

He also said a candidate can be assessed a fine up to $10,000 for failing to appoint a treasurer.

Now, let’s not kid ourselves here – no one is getting fined $10,000. Or even $1,000. Or even $1.

Here’s what Carson, who said she was not aware of the email, told me:

“I will say at this point, I have told anybody I’m talking to that I’m seriously considering a run for that seat, but I am absolutely aware that I can’t take a penny until I have a treasurer and it’s filed with the state election commission.”

She also noted that she can’t run for a race until there’s an open seat. (Technically, there’s no election until the governor issues a “writ of election,” ordering one.)

She also said that she hasn’t directed anyone to solicit money “or taken a penny,” and that she’s “very aware of the finance laws.”

So, that leaves us with Jablonski. I reached out to her Monday night (and by the way folks, I’m not even supposed be working).

I asked her about the matter.

Here’s what she had to say:

“Mike I just was so excited about the prospect of Karen running that I totally jumped the gun by sending the e-mail. Karen had no knowledge of the email that I sent. I have resent to my contacts telling them that I had no permission to send the email and that any consideration of support for her run for the seat should wait until she has formally announced and named her treasurer. This is totally an error on my part as Karen had no knowledge of my attempts on her behalf. I have not raised any money thus far, and if I do receive any funds they will be returned with a letter of apology.”

So, there ya go.

Now, all that said, this is going to be one interesting one. There’s not a lot of time to campaign between now and the primary and this race will be the only one on the ballot. And I seriously doubt a lot of people will be hitting the ballot boxes come (special) Election Day.

Of course, I’ll let you know when we have the candidates on Inside Tennessee.

I’m out.

Inside Tennessee picks political winners, losers Sunday on WBIR

The Inside Tennessee “super panel” met last Monday to tape this Sunday’s show. It included PR people Susan Williams and Mike Cohen; attorneys Don Bosch and Dennis Francis; moderator John “The Colorado Kid” Becker, and me, the Man of the People.

Heh. Ha.

Inside Tennessee segment from earlier this year

Becker asked us to come up with the local, state and national political winners and losers, and the politician of the year.

(The Jan. 4 edition of Inside Tennessee will feature similar categories but they’ll be 2015 predictions. I stepped aside for this one because, quite frankly, I was too lazy to come up with some names.

Tune in to WBIR 10News Sunday at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow for everyone’s picks for this year.

Below are some of the more popular ones and why panel members voted the way they did.

LOCAL

WINNER: The Republican Party in general. Just look at the Eddie Pridemore-Daryl Fansler judicial race. Eddie, who had no political experience and didn’t bother to campaign, handily defeated long-time and well-respected chancellor, Daryl Fansler.

Eddie Pridemore

Why? Because Eddie had an “R” next to his name. Look, no disrespect to Pridemore, but a sign language-speaking chimpanzee was winning that one. Provided he was a Republican. (Heck, Eddie could very well be the new face of the local GOP. Heh.)

LOSER: Superintendent Jim McIntyre. The Knox County school system, under McIntyre’s leadership, faced a number of scandals during the past year and was subject of three audits that looked into school finances.

WBIR exposed a number of other eyebrow raising matters, too, that included (but not limited to): a “side agreement” that the Board of Education was supposed to sign that said members couldn’t ask McIntyre questions that would “stump” him; credit card bills that went unpaid (or were late); an employee on paid administrative leave for more than two years.

Jim McIntyre

The superintendent lost control of an 8-1 rubberstamp Board of Education during the elections and afterward, and at one point was on the outside looking in at a 4-5 board.

Further, his actions – when he reneged on a promise to let an anti-Sharia law group hold an after-school event at Farragut High School – cost taxpayers $17,500 when all sides agreed to settle.

He also was subject to Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett’s very public ridicule and belittlement throughout the year.

Some board members also picked former state Rep. Gloria Johnson and Democrats in general.

STATE

WINNER: Governor Bill Haslam. He’s got a 70 percent approval rating, and he easily sailed through an election. He finally stopped kowtowing to the Tea Party and he successfully championed Amendment 2.

Bill Haslam

Further he divested himself – whether it was his decision or not – of the highly controversial Kevin Huffman, his now former education commissioner. He wisely put Common Core on hold and actually listened (a rare trait among leaders) to the teachers and the public.

His version of Obamacare might very well pass. He hired the popular Randy Boyd to serve as the state’s economic and development commissioner. And he’s now the chairman of the Republican Governor’s Association.

Not a bad year.

LOSER: The Tea Party. Two state lawmakers closely associated to the

party – Stacey Campfield and Steve Hall – are gone. People used to joke that Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey was “the real governor.” They don’t do that anymore. Further, Joe Carr, the party’s darling to defeat incumbent Republican Lamar Alexander, didn’t win. In other states the Tea Party has picked up steam, including securing a national race or two against long-time incumbents. Not in Tennessee.

NATIONAL

WINNER: I don’t have one. There were none. See below for the logic. Some picked the Republican Party and there was another for U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell. And, if I'm not mistaken, there was a pick for President Obama. (Hey, economy is recovering and gas prices are down.)

Congress

LOSER: the politicians in general. I was tempted to go with President Obama. The Democrats lost most of the battleground contests; his approval ratings are in the toilet; and he gets to spend his final two years in office with a GOP-controlled Congress. Still, as a friend pointed out, his ratings are bad, but compared to Congress, he looks like a beauty queen. I figure at this point, folks just don’t like anyone all that much right now.

Others went with Obama.

POLITICIAN OF THE YEAR

Governor Bill Haslam. Personally, I wasn’t going to pick anyone. I think it’s strange to brag about being the best politician. But whatever. In the end, I agreed that the guy had a pretty good year.

SAT-10 appears dead for school year

On Sunday's Inside Tennessee (9:30 a.m. WBIR 10News), we'll talk with (new) state Sen. Richard Briggs, state Rep. Eddie Smith and school board member Tracey Sanger.

We wanted to check back in one last time with some folks who won their respective races earlier this month.

Anyhoo, as expected the whole SAT-10 thing came up in our conversation with Tracey. She said she would NOT vote to bring it back. (Remember, the school board killed testing for K-2 students - RIGHT SMACK HERE.)

However, she said the point was moot. It's not going to be get brought back any time soon.

There had been some some speculation that BOE member Doug Harris - once Tracey came on board - would try to resurrect it in December.

You see, Doug voted to kill it, but he did that because only someone on the winning side of the vote can ask to revisit a vote.

That's not going to happen. (And if it did, it doesn't look like the votes are there, even if Doug switches.)

In an email, he sent to me this morning, Doug said: "I don't have any plans to bring it back up and have sent a few emails confirming that opinion to concerned teachers/parents over the last couple of weeks."

Whether it comes back next year obviously remains to be seen. I'm guessing it will.

The school system - re: the administration and principals - have been pushing testing results and - behind the scenes - trying to get teachers to speak before the school board about how beneficial it supposedly is.

They've also released some stats that show improvements. I suspect that after one SAT-10 free year, the administration will have number that show drops.

Then it goes back to vote.

We'll see.