Thu
May 14 2009
05:07 pm
By: Lisa Starbuck

Frank Leuthold's redistricting proposal was released today. As expected, there are some significant changes to most every district except the 3rd.

In his proposal, Sequoyah is moved to the 9th District. Farragut I, Concord North and Dante East moves to the 6th District. Westview, Pellissippi Tec and Huff moves to the 1st District. Fountain City moves to the 2nd District. Powell moves to the 7th District. Heiskell moves to the 8th District. A.L. Lotts moves to the 4th.

scottfrith's picture

Thanks, Lisa. Actually,

Thanks, Lisa. Actually, Frank Leuthold is speaking to the Halls Business and Professional Association on Tuesday, May 19th, at noon at the Halls Senior Center. Lunch is $10 and the meeting is open to the public. Come out and join us! If you have any questions, feel free to email me at scott@scottfrith.com

Anonymously Nine's picture

Commissioner Briggs doesn't agree

(link...)

Commissioner Briggs has assured the Town of Farragut they will not be split.

How he knows that is unclear. At least twice Commissioner Briggs has violated the Sunshine Law but for some reason the KNS never reported it or took legal action. How does he have such confidence on this? Inquiring minds want to know.

Commissioner Briggs wrote a guest editorial to the KNS endorsing Charter Amendment 3 and 4. Now he is frantically doing damage control hoping people will forget his guest editorial.

(link...)

What the people in Sequoyah Hills need to know is that IF Commissioner Briggs is successful in his lobbying effort to keep his 5th District voters happy they most surely will be in the 9th District. Say hello to Paul Pinkston and Mike Brown Sequoyah Hills voters.

The bottom line is this was very stupid. People were asked if they wanted to end nepotism, not if they wanted to be forced into a new voting District. Now only a court case can stop this. You might want to contribute.

Now we get to watch an uncivil war of each District trying to protect themselves at the expense of other Districts.

Thanks KCP. Was this the change you kept harping about? Pissing off nearly everyone is change.

Won't it be such fun to watch Sequoyah Hills fight to keep from being in the 9th? But then that will screw up the 1st District. And so on and so on.

And the lawyers just laugh themselves silly over drinks and prime rib at Regas.

scottfrith's picture

Hey, Nine... I'm sure

Hey, Nine... I'm sure Commissioner Leuthold will take questions. Come out to Halls next week if you can!

Sandra Clark's picture

Frank's revenge

Frank is well respected in the redistricting game, but there are serious flaws in his plan. As a leader of the anti-amendment faction, it's almost as if he's trying to make the worst redistricting plan possible.

Splitting Farragut into 2 districts makes nobody happy -- especially when you could as easily slice off the eastern end of District 5 (Cedar Bluff area). Frank's plan dumps Lumpy's Powell home into District 7 with R. Larry. It puts Heiskell into District 8 with Carter High School.
It sends Sequoyah to District 9 (south Knox) and colors District 2 ever so Republican blue. -- s.

ElaineDavis's picture

That's not how he rolls

Frank Leuthold has been a leader in the redistricting process for over 30 years. He has institutional knowledge of the constitutional requirements and restrictions that are involved in this process.
There may be other available options or plans but to imply that Frank has "gamed" the redistricting is disrespectful.

Rachel's picture

Uh, Elaine, EVERYBODY

Uh, Elaine, EVERYBODY associated with redistricting has an agenda of one kind or another. That's just to be expected. I admire the heck out of Frank Leuthold, but I don't think he's immune.

Anonymously Nine's picture

Spare the rich and powerful from the cruel reality?

As a leader of the anti-amendment faction, it's almost as if he's trying to make the worst redistricting plan possible.

It is almost like you're taking a really cheap shot at one of the best public servants this county has ever had.

How would you gerrymander this mess? What is brutal is the math. There is nothing wrong with Frank's plan. Any plan will have cruel realities. Charter Amendment 3 was a stupid idea carried forth by people who didn't think through the unintended consequences.

Blaming this on Frank as some kind of delusional payback is silly. You know better.

Up Goose Creek's picture

9th district

You talk like being in the 9th district is a bad thing and I don't agree.

I'm more worried about a well financed candidate from Sequoyah getting elected to represent the people in Gap Creek. Along with the rest of us South Knoxvillians.

And there wouldn't be a 2nd commissioner to balance it out.

R. Neal's picture

Sounds like Victoria

Sounds like Victoria DeFreese will have to think about joining the Cherokee Country Club. (Do they allow female members?)

Nobody's picture

do-over in 2011

Now, everyone can't forget that we will get a redistricting do-over in 2011 after all the new census data is available. So, the redistricting they propose now, will not necessarily be what we end up with.

Lisa Starbuck's picture

Link

Sorry all, my bad on the link in my original post. Fixed now.

Bbeanster's picture

I'm a longtime Frank

I'm a longtime Frank Leuthold fan, having known him since the first time I covered Commission in 1987, but Clark and Rachel are right. Most everybody's got an agenda, including me, Frank and Elaine Davis, and if you think that he's never cut a deal in his long political career, I'd like to interest you in some swampland in Arizona. He's an honorable guy, but he's also an experienced pol. Political concerns are always a part of every redistricting.
Frank was the face of the anti-charter amendment movement. His son would like to be trustee. Word has gone out among insiders that sitting commissioners who are running for reelection (there aren't that many of them, relatively speaking) will be "protected." I guess those who will have to run against each other (Lumpy and Brad Anders) will have to fend for themselves.
It would have been better for someone else to draw the new districts. It's guaranteed to piss a lot of people off, whichever way the lines are drawn, and having someone who is perceived to have no axe to grind draw the lines would cut down on some of the outrage. Maybe.

reform4's picture

Maybe...

... one or two of our retired County Executives could weigh in with some suggestions? I'd like to see a RETIRED politician bring experience without an agenda to the task.

Anonymously Nine's picture

Um...

Most everybody's got an agenda

You mean like Commissioner Briggs? Or the KCP? Or the Northshore 12?

Or, dare it be said, Big Jim?

Gasp.

Did you read Frank Leuthold's plan Bean? You might want to before you cast clever little aspersions that don't hold water.

We will see desperate "progressive" redistricting plans to keep Farragut and Sequoyah Hills out of bad places. Don't day the "R" word. Don't do it. Don't say "redneck". Because if the people in Farragut and Sequoyah Hills want special treatment to stay "pure" this will be a war. The little people won't stand for it.

Happy shiny progressives will claim they serve the greater good. There will be a plan for those people. You can count on it. But at what cost? More lawsuits?

It would have been better for someone else to draw the new districts.

Yeah right.

Does Brad Hill have a Ph.d? Or maybe Greg Mackay? Or Gary Drinnen? Any of those people actually have any experience, training, or knowledge on creating voting districts? Any of them actually drawn voting districts THREE times before?

No wait, Tom McAdams, he's your man. He knows everything. At least he claims to. Who cares if he knows zip about the subject? Maybe you need an interpretation from Mr. McAdams?

Word is Big Jim is nervous. His grasp on power may be slipping. Word is the "r" word's are talking privately. They want a little revolution. The Greg Mackay issue and the redistricting issue have united the "r's" in a way not seen before in a long time.

This just in from National Rinographic.

RINO's are so cute when they are babies. Such little pranksters. Aw, he has an overbite. What a cutie.

(link...)

SnM's picture

so leuthold doesn't have an

so leuthold doesn't have an agenda, but the "r"s are going to shed "r" blood over this plan? sounds very progressive.

Rachel's picture

The Greg Mackay issue and

The Greg Mackay issue and the redistricting issue have united the "r's" in a way not seen before in a long time.

The Greg Mackay issue is "uniting" the Republicans? In what universe?

Anonymously Nine's picture

The non-RINO universe

The Greg Mackay issue is "uniting" the Republicans? In what universe?

When Tim Burchett cooked his secret ballot in Nashville that isn't all he cook.

Rachel's picture

When Tim Burchett cooked his

When Tim Burchett cooked his secret ballot in Nashville that isn't all he cook.

English please.

Anonymously Nine's picture

Stick a fork in it

English please.

Check the temperature on his goose.

bill young's picture

Running 4 Re-election

Commissioners that coud be running for
re-election in 2010 by district.

1st-McKenzie
2nd-Harmon & or Broyles
3rd-Norman
4th-Saunders & or Shouse
5th-Briggs
6th-Lambert & or Anders
7th-Smith (Carringer pledged not to run)
8th-Wright & or Armstrong
9th-Brown

Rachel's picture

I've heard rumors that

I've heard rumors that Saunders plans to run for one of the new at-large seats. Have no idea if it's true or not.

Tamara Shepherd's picture

R. Larry

It appears that R. Larry (7th District) is behind the plan.

Last week, he attended the Powell High (6th District) Senior Awards Day to announce students' scholarships to UT-Knoxville.

Last night, he attended the Powell High School-wide Awards Day to announce his $250 gift of discretionary funds (I guess that's the source) to the school.

bill young's picture

Betty's right

I've got an agenda too.

I want the Fort & Campus to stay in the 1st district.

Why? Partisan politics plain & simple.

I really really like being in a district that
the commission race is decided in the Democratic primary.

knoxvegas99's picture

Don't make book on that Bill

(Carringer pledged not to run)

Larry Van Guilder

Bbeanster's picture

I've heard that Shouse is

I've heard that Shouse is going to run at-large.
I think those two have become pretty good friends, so it's unlikely they'd run against each other.
Ditto Broyles and Harmon.

GDrinnen2's picture

I think Bean is right, and

I think Bean is right, and Shouse probably has a better chance county-wide.

bill young's picture

& or

larry threw out something interesting in the 7th.
thought THAT was set in stone.

i dont know one way or the other about 2nd or 4th.
just heard political chatter on both.

see what happens come time to turn in petitions.

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