Defeating the Axis Powers during WWII took tremendous resolve, effort, and resources. This essay first appeared in the Maryville Daily Times, on August 7, 2023 (here). In last month’s column, I talked about the contribution of Oak Ridge to the Manhattan Project’s development of the atomic bom…
Tennessee
Tennessee’s Triumph
This essay first appeared as a column in the Maryville Daily Times on July 7, 2023 (here). Thanks to the Tennessee Conservative News (here), and Power Line! Many states have an iconic structure or monument that denotes a great accomplishment or distinctive cultural significance. New York has the …
American History in a Microcosm
This essay originally appeared in the Daily Times on June 5, 2023 (here). Taylor Sheridan has become a sensation with his hit series Yellowstone and the prequels 1883 and 1923. Television audiences seem to have an insatiable appetite for action-packed depictions of American history. I enjoy them,…
Tennessee’s Failed Utopian Colony
This essay originally appeared in the Daily Times, on May 11, 2023 (here). When one thinks of Tennessee’s pioneering settlers, one tends to think of folks like John Sevier, Andrew Jackson, Sam Houston, and Davy Crockett—tough farmers, soldiers, and frontiersmen, often of Scots-Irish descent…
Ken Lee’s Property Tax Analysis
By Ken Lee 2023 Budget and Tax stuff Each year the Blount County (BC) administration proposes the annual budget (the fiscal year is July – June) and the tax rate necessary to fulfill the budget. The proposed budget and tax rate are released in May for informational purposes which allows the Cou…
Bureaucrats Run Amok: A Case Study in Failed Governance at a Public Library
“Shared control” of a public library by an inattentive appointed board creates the illusion of governance without any accountability. This is a recipe for disaster. Will the funding bodies wake up? Thanks to the Tennessee Star Report (here) and Stella Morabito at The Federalist (here)…
Trouble in Paradise? (Part 19): Why is the Radical ALA Running the Blount County Public Library?
Send me an email or DM on Facebook (Blount County Conservative Sentinel) if you wish to sign this virtual petition. Petition to Restore Responsible Governance at the Blount County Public Library We, the undersigned residents of Blount County, petition our elected officials who fund the operations…
Remember the Battle of Athens!
The struggle between populism and establishment cronyism did not begin with Donald Trump. Military veterans in East Tennessee fought back in 1946, and won. This essay originally appeared in the Daily Times on April 6, 2023 (here). I preface this column with a caveat: I am not advocating insurrect…
Trouble in Paradise? (Part 18): Tennessee’s Open Primaries Benefit Only RINOs
Adulterating the electoral preferences of conservative Republican voters produces the establishment’s favorite color—purple. And the “bona fide” standard is putty in the hands of entrenched RINO leaders. Thanks to the Tennessee Conservative News (here)! Prior to moving to Tennessee three …
Trouble in Paradise? (Part 17)
Blount County Conservative Activist Mark Pulliam Is Running for Chair of the Blount County Republican Party Thanks to the Tennessee Conservative for the endorsement (here)! And thanks to the Tennessee Star Report (here)! Instructions for participating at the end. Mark Pulliam, a Blount County res…