Mon
Jan 29 2007
04:26 pm
Note to candidates and supporters
By: R. Neal

It is our understanding that there may be a "vote" or a straw poll or something of that nature at tonight's public forum at Whittle Springs Middle School, and that the outcome will be relayed to County Commissioners as they deliberate replacements.

It is also our understanding that not all candidates may have heard about this and therefore may not have been campaigning to get supporters to the forum.

It's not clear how this would work, because all candidates and the general public are invited, so there could be voters (and candidates) from any district.

Topics:
Number9's picture

In all fairness

Submitted by Number9 on Mon, 2007/01/29 - 4:43pm.

This is primary a District 2 meeting followed by other Districts. The District 2 meeting will be held first. That should be factored into the decision making process.

The District 5 meeting was held Saturday at the Cedar Bluff library.

R. Neal's picture

So the vote/straw poll will

Submitted by R. Neal on Mon, 2007/01/29 - 4:46pm.

So the vote/straw poll will be just for District 2 candidates? Will participants have to show a voter registration card, or....?

Regardless, the District 2 candidates hopefully all knew about a vote. They probably should have been getting supporters down there anyway, but still...

Bbeanster's picture

I hope your information

Submitted by Bbeanster on Mon, 2007/01/29 - 4:59pm.

I hope your information isn't true, Randy. It would be disappointing to see the system gamed from every single angle.

But in truth, I suspect these meetings will have little or no effect on Wednesday's outcome. In a contest between Harmon and Tindell for commission votes, smart money's on Tindell, and Tindell's not about to appoint Amy Broyles.

No such thing as a level playing field. This is bare-knuckle, retail politics, about as raw as it gets.

R. Neal's picture

Speaking of which, did you

Submitted by R. Neal on Mon, 2007/01/29 - 5:03pm.

Speaking of which, did you see this at Michael Silence's blog? David Keim says:

"If you're wondering who will get seats on County Commission on Wednesday, read into this what you will: Commission Chairman Scott Moore has called an orientation session for new commissioners at 10 a.m. Thursday. "Lunch will be provided in the Sheriff's Office immediately following orientation," the commission office's press release states."

Knoxquerious's picture

Deaf ears

Submitted by Knoxquerious on Mon, 2007/01/29 - 5:04pm.

the outcome will be relayed to County Commissioners as they deliberate replacements.

LOL...that's a good one. I bet that straw poll will be the difference maker in the eyes of our esteemed commissioners. Meanwhile, Bush is seriously considering the majority of proposals from the Iraq Study Group.

Number9's picture

What will the future hold?

Submitted by Number9 on Mon, 2007/01/29 - 5:07pm.

If you designed a way to piss of the maximum number of people would this be it?

There are two paths the will appear before the voters. One path will be to audit every office, calculate the patronage, survey the duplication, and then clean house.

The other path will be to follow the other sheeple and do nothing. Give in to the Apathy Party and trust in those most ruthless and cunning.

Will the voters take the path less traveled? Or just say Baa? In 2008 we find out.

StaceyDs Cat's picture

the event

Submitted by StaceyDs Cat on Mon, 2007/01/29 - 5:38pm.

R. Larry Smith said Mark Harmon has been "force feeding" Broyles on other commissioners, so I would guess that'll probably continue tonight.

So for tonight's straw poll, I predict Broyles will win as well as lots of other democrats, like Tyree.

Hoseman19's picture

I ran into Commissioner

Submitted by Hoseman19 on Mon, 2007/01/29 - 7:12pm.

I ran into Commissioner Mills at the grocery store today. When I made a mention about a replacement in another district, he informed me that replacement had already been decided. He also informed me his replacement would be Jack Huddleston, the owner of Jack's Tires in Corryton.

Pickens's picture

Whittles forum

Submitted by Pickens on Mon, 2007/01/29 - 11:41pm.

I went tonight. There were lots of people there. Also lots of candidates.

I wish all the candidates for sheriff were there.

My friends and I voted our preference for all the districts.

Bbeanster's picture

You voted your preference

Submitted by Bbeanster on Mon, 2007/01/29 - 11:48pm.

You voted your preference for all districts? That's a nice idea, but since commissioners are elected by district only, how could this vote tally be used to represent wishes of the district?

Which sheriff candidates were there? (This one is already about as done as a deal can get)

BlueNeck1's picture

"That's a nice idea, but

Submitted by BlueNeck1 on Tue, 2007/01/30 - 12:25am.

"That's a nice idea, but since commissioners are elected by district only, how could this vote tally be used to represent wishes of the district?"

All Commissioners vote on all appointees regardless of District. Why not a straw poll of whoever shows up. Seems more like what Commission will do Wednesday than just the preference of a single District.

Bbeanster's picture

Prediction:Any resemblance

Submitted by Bbeanster on Tue, 2007/01/30 - 1:27am.

Prediction:
Any resemblance between that poll and what the commissioners will do Wednesday will be strictly coincidental.
The eight lame ducks will vote for whomever they damn well please, except John Schmid, who will be screwed, just as a parting shot. Most of the other 11 will, in practical terms, be accountable to -- and pretty much care about -- only those who can vote for him/her (and a bunch of them are in their second terms, so that further reduces the give-a-damn quotient).
Except for lobbyists representing big donors, of course. They can have influence from Tuckahoe to Dixie Lee Junction (ever driven from the old Asheville Highway on the Jeff County line to the westernmost boundary of Knox County? It takes a damn hour.)
District-only representation is one of the things wrong with county government, IMO. But that's the way it is.
You think Phil Guthe or John Mills give a poot what anybody at a 2nd District forum or on this blog thinks?
But I don't know why I'm quibbling -- most of the new commissioners have already been selected, and we're all just talking to hear our heads rattle.

Rachel's picture

District-only representation

Submitted by Rachel on Tue, 2007/01/30 - 1:28am.

District-only representation is one of the things wrong with county government, IMO.

Amen to that. And although the City system of electing Council by using district only voters in the primary and citywide voters in the general is confusing, it does work to keep the district reps responsible to all the voters, not just the ones in their own districts.

Paul Witt's picture

I completely disagree with

Submitted by Paul Witt on Tue, 2007/01/30 - 12:41pm.

I completely disagree with this point. It's hard enough for a qualified candidate to raise the funds necessary and find the time needed to properly canvas and win a district. Make them all county-wide and you guarantee a country club / GOB commission that's even worse than our current one.

Number9's picture

I'm with Paul on this one

Submitted by Number9 on Tue, 2007/01/30 - 12:48pm.

Make them all county-wide and you guarantee a country club / GOB commission that's even worse than our current one.

Good Lord if you don't think District 5 controls everything now, it would control every aspect of local government if all the seats were county wide.

Rachel's picture

Since this is all moot, it

Submitted by Rachel on Tue, 2007/01/30 - 1:22pm.

Since this is all moot, it doesn't really deserve much time. But I will say that the City's system - in which only district voters vote in the primary and pick the two candidates to move on to Citywide voting - mitigates against the 2nd district (in the City's case) taking over everything.

Number9's picture

Difficult question

Submitted by Number9 on Tue, 2007/01/30 - 1:27pm.

mitigates against the 2nd district (in the City's case) taking over everything.

I would consider as many as three out of 19 seats as "at large" seats in County Commission. But even as I think about about it that could result in six seats under West Knox County control and it is a short jump to ten from six.

What works for the City just may not be applicable to Knox County.

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