Thanks for sharing, Tom. I'll be plowing through that 134-page report later this week.

For all our citizen angst here in Knox County in recent months, I'm convinced we're on the cusp of some really positive changes in our local government.

The efforts of Knox County, One Question will no doubt count as one of several forces instrumental in affecting that positive change.

The report says governement is better when citizens have oversight and are involved... what a novel idea... wish we had thought of this...

Those of us in the real world....what upsets me to no end is that we who live with corporate owned company cars and carry corporate credit cards know the rules.

Granted, the local gov rules and the corporate ones are different but should they be all that different? Corporations have to report to stockholders and the gov should be held accountable to the taxpayers.

For the use of that corporate car we pay federal income tax but just how much any of us in the real world pays depends on just what we are allowed to use the car for. Out here in the corporate world that car would never be permitted for personal use. It goes to work, goes to job sites and then gets parked. No family outings. Period. It is a work related car and work only.

A car allowance? On a company car? Who in the real world gets that? No one- unless you are driving your personal car for work purposes.

Corporate credit cards are a bit different. Over the years we have had permission to use the card for personal purchases. The difference is we, the card user has to pay for all charges then get reimbursed by the company for the items that really are job related. You know, the things we can show receipts on! Proof positive. Gas cards require entering in the car's odometer reading at each and every fill up.

Why do corporations put these safe guards in place to protect the stockholders and local governments do not appear to care about protecting their stockholders- we tax payers?

Then there is education reimbursement. What corporation is willing to pay for diploma mill paper receipts aka diplomas? None.

The gov's, all of them, local, state, national should be held to even better standards than what corporations require. Period. So yes, government works 'better' when we who know the real world are involved.

The process for this report was based on Nine Counties, One Vision. This report will have about as much affect. Very few will actually read it. It will be forgotten by next year's elections, save an occasional mention of the report's conclusions in the newspaper.

I'm sure all this was done with the good intentions, and no offense to the (few) people who took part in the Nine Counties adventure or the present Baker Center research, but this is basically useless to the average voter. Now tell me, other than the 'process' what tangible results were produced out of Nine Counties? Same for One Question.

We need to get good people to run for office. We can sit around and debate our form of government and the issues of the day, but until we figure out how to get energetic, goal-oriented, smart people to run for office (and give up good jobs and valuable time for little pay and lots of criticism), we'll end up with much of the same results.

Amen CBT.

This will have little effect, and it only confirms what people profess to know but then ignore at the ballot box. The solution is better candidates, but that ain't gonna happen for the reason CBT mentions. People like Ragsdale have a job only as a resume filler to run for office. People like Moore really don't have a job at all. There are a number of officeholders who simply have no real skills other than an ability to do door to door (they have the time), they're excellent sycophants and demagogues, and they have likeable personalities. The qualified individual usually does not have the time and will not make the financial sacrifice to run. So we get what we have, and fiascos like the commission apptmts are predictable.

The county mess collectively has stayed in the headlines so there could be slightly more fallout at the ballot box than normal, but because of the reasons just given I think those of us who want to see change are going to be somewhat disappointed when we see alot of these yahoos re-elected (or elected after apptmt). The majority of the electorate in Knox County is older, very conservative (against change) and vote for the familiar name with an R after it (I am also an R). And they like a good ole Cas Walker scrap from their candidate even if it reveals that the candidate is a self-interested moron. Result- more of the same.

People hate Congress but love their congressman- same with commission. Don't expect miracles at the ballot just because incumbents look incompetent (or crooked) or because some well-intended, credible study is released. I hope I'm wrong, but past behavior is a good predictor of future conduct.

I never said I wouldn't read it, didn't intend to read it or that it did not contain valuable information. However, I am far more practical when it comes to the voting public in Knox County. While me, Rikki and others may read the report, my comment was directed at the voting public which is far too busy with spouses, children, soccer practice, vacation, mowing the grass, not to mention their jobs, to sit down and read a 100+ page report concerning the best 'form' of government and assembling lots of comments and statistics from the relatively few people who attended these meetings.

I mentioned Nine Counties because the Baker Center study was modeled on the same format. I had high hopes for Nine Counties, attended several meetings, but in the end was left with a very empty feeling that nothing really changed. In other words, there was no end result. It just fizzled to an end. So much time, energy and (I suppose) money, all for very little outcome.

And, Tom, as for who the 'we' is, it's the same as it's always been. Groups such as homeowners, businesspeople and others who have a common interest encourage one of their own to run and do the hard work to get them elected. The 'we' is anyone who's willing to organize, get a candidate and do the work to raise money and win. The problem is too often we end up with candidates who have nothing better to do (or don't have the skills to do it) OR on the other end of the spectrum, those who have, for whatever reason, been successful in private life and don't have to be concerned with how much the job pays or how much time it takes.

Tell me, what person who has a good job, maybe makes a good income, is educated and smart and has good ideas for improving government, is willing to run for Commission, spend tons of time on Commission and constituent work, all for, what, about $18,000? The exact same is true for those in the state Legislature where you have to be willing to take 6+ months away from your day-job.

We've been fortunate in Tennessee to have some truly good leaders who make sacrifices to be good public servants and some who can do it because they've been successful in private life. But, those numbers don't dominate our present government. We can debate, discuss, wring our hands, post on blogs, complain and whine, but unless that results in good people running and getting elected, what's really changed? And all this has nothing to do with whether I read the report or not.

that in a nutshell is how we do good government in Blunt Countie. Just change the names.

"Tell me, what person who has a good job, maybe makes a good income, is educated and smart and has good ideas for improving government, is willing to run for Commission, spend tons of time on Commission and constituent work, all for, what, about $18,000? The exact same is true for those in the state Legislature where you have to be willing to take 6+ months away from your day-job."

I agree with you. Anyone in public office must be willing to wear a bullseye target on their back and have very thick skin. The public can never really be totally satisfied. Political waters are always teeming with sharks, so who wants to jump into that?

Also running anything is not so easy as people think. Groups of people can be difficult at best, even when they have the same goals, they tend to differ.

As a busy leader you have to rely on other people. If they turn out to be greedy, break rules, or get sticky fingers. You're the one who will be blamed.

Every word you say as a politician will be chewed over and regurgitated endlessly by the media. What comes up is not always what you meant to say.

If you turn out to be awful as an elected official, you will be smeared with mud and roasted alive in public. Only family will continue to love you, and even that's not guaranteed.

Having good ideas will not necessarily get you anywhere because others are involved, and you need to work with them to get anything done. Whackos, nuts, neurotics, egomaniacs, ah yes, they too manage to get high positions. They can stamp out a good idea in an eyeblink.

Yeah,it sure does takes guts to run for political office. No room for the squeamish there. And yet, as you said CBT, many good people keep jumping into the boiling waters.

Maybe we shouldn't hate the failed politicans so much? After all "we the people" elect them. What does that say about us?

It’s nice to be able to agree with you for a change, CBT. Given the money spent and the time invested in 9C1V, the results were minimal. Yes, in response to many particularly on K2K, it did result in a downtown plan that for the most part is now being ignored by the administration and by the developers who promoted the need for a plan.

Evidently Bill Lyons has not ignored the plan in its entirety and is using the recommendation for an improved connection to East Knoxville to justify in part the location of the central transfer station. Personally, I fail to see how the construction of a 40 foot precast concrete wall at the intersection of Church and Hall of Fame Drive results in an improved connection.

What the City ignores is the recommendation that State Street become the transit corridor to compliment Gay Street as the pedestrian corridor and of the improved connection to East Knoxville being the extension of Wall Avenue to Hall of Fame Drive.

I sure hope the East Tennessee Historical Society is maintaining an archive of all the studies the City has commissioned. At some point, they will provide an interesting exhibit of what downtown Knoxville could have been.

Stan G wrote:

I sure hope the East Tennessee Historical Society is maintaining an archive of all the studies the City has commissioned. At some point, they will provide an interesting exhibit of what downtown Knoxville could have been.

That is an excellent idea Stan. Such an exhibit would be most revealing.