Blount County’s establishment expects voters to re-elect the incumbent local officials simply because the incumbents do the establishment’s bidding. But aren’t they supposed to represent YOU? During the 1980 presidential campaign, outsider candidate Ronald Reagan stunned his unprepare…
Tennessee
Trouble in Paradise? (Part 12)
In Blount County, the 21-member County Commission often resembles the inept Keystone Kops. County Mayor Ed Mitchell always seems to get what he wants—a taxpayer-subsidized Amazon warehouse in Alcoa he risibly described as a “Super Bowl win” for the community, for example—not because he is…
Trouble in Paradise? (Part 11)
or What is the Hidden Agenda for Proponents of Growth in Blount County? The unelected “economic development” czars seek to “fix” Blount County by changing its demographic profile. The existing population mix—that means you–isn’t good enough. Residents foolishly “happy with the…
Ad Hoc Decision-making Produces Poor Land Use Regulation
But it invites favoritism, promotes cronyism, and rewards insiders. I appeared at the Maryville City Council meeting last night and made these remarks: I’d like to comment on a subdivision project recently approved by the Maryville Planning Commission. The project, to be built on a 22-acre parc…
Trouble in Paradise? (Part 10)
The Future of Blount County: Further Thoughts on Growth, Land Use, and the Role of Sewer Connections The recent controversy in Blount County regarding proposed subdivisions at Pate Farm and Best Farm focused public attention on the topic of managing the area’s future growth. According to the 20…
Trouble in Paradise? (Part 9)
Despite a state law condemning such indoctrination, wokeness threatens public education in Blount County. Citizens, wake up! Thanks to the Tennessee Conservative News (here) and the Tennessee Star Report (here)! My remarks to the Maryville School Board are reported in the Daily Times here. Deep i…
Surrendering the Public Square
Even in the Bible Belt, traditional religious beliefs are being replaced by the social justice agenda, without resistance from mainline faith leaders. This essay originally appeared in American Greatness on June 14, 2021 (here). Thanks to Power Line, Instapundit (here), Real Clear Policy (here), …
Galt’s Gulch in Music City, USA
This essay originally appeared in City Journal, on May 17, 2021 (here). Thanks to Power Line, Real Clear Policy, Instapundit (here), Real Clear Markets (here), and the Pamphleteer (here)! People move for many different reasons: climate, housing, employment, education, family, taxes, health, and s…
The Original “People’s President”
Donald Trump was not the first populist President, and he won’t be the last. This essay was inspired by a recent visit to The Hermitage. Thanks to Tennessee Conservative News (here)! Tennessee, where I live, has a rich and interesting history. Admitted into the Union as the 16th state in 1796, …
Trouble in Paradise? (Part 8)
Or, Why Do Red States Like Tennessee Allow Radicals to Hijack Their Taxpayer-Funded Universities?* A recently-arrived Volunteer warns his fellow Tennesseans about the scourge of wokeness in higher education. Thanks to Instapundit (here), Tennessee Conservative News (here), Real Clear Policy (here…