Boycott!

I would like to thank Metro Pulse for the cover story on the Parkside Drive construction and Turkey Creek development ["Unarrested Development," Vol. 7, No. 45]. I appreciated the examination of some of the serious questions and concerns about over-development this project has raised.

One fact not included was the Notice of Violation issued by the Department of Environment and Conservation to the city of Knoxville for having a bulldozer in a tributary, for inadequate sediment control, and for premature placement of rock fill, despite the development saying "trust us to do the right thing."

Also interesting is Kerry Sprouse's statement, "It's up to the public to visit these places and support them." What if people have the courage to say enough is enough?

I urge everyone who is concerned about overdevelopment, loss of green space, and the way decisions are being made to boycott the Turkey Creek development. Projects like this are not sustainable and when we finally realize our loss, it may be too late.

Linda Ewald
Knoxville

Suffocating Issues

A great job at presenting some more of the issues involved in the Turkey Creek development in your Nov. 13-20 issue. Too bad these issues and more were not reported and debated in previous months and years. Of course, you haven't been around that long, but maybe that is why you are here and growing.

Professor Neel brings up the current national debate as to the role of government. He is concerned about us (the government) superimposing government (our) decisions on the workings of the marketplace (Mr. Sprouse, Circuit City, Commercial Developers Inc., etc.) I think a case can be made that the pendulum has swung more toward the marketplace making decisions for us. When we see the consolidation of all industries and services in our economy, maybe the marketplace can also give us micro-monopolies. I suggest you ride a garbage truck before you make a judgment on the quality of our economy. If you think we know something about service, stand in a long line at a grocery store, try to ask someone (if you can find someone) at a store about the product you want to buy, try to get somewhere in Knoxville without a car, or call a company and try to get a human to talk to you.

My caveat is that we do not have anything to fear from government or the marketplace if we have a mayor and City Council that shows leadership to engage these issues rather than suffocate them. If we use vision instead of power politics, we have nothing to fear. If it is our blueprint or plan, we have nothing to fear.

Please keep the debate going on all these issues—Knoxville so desperately needs and deserves it.

Jim Ullrich
Knoxville

Signs of Life

Just in case anyone here in seemingly conservative Knoxville missed it on the daily commute, there is a very large billboard on I-40 westbound near the junction with I-640 that displays a school of sperm sprayed decoratively around the question, "Do you know who the father is?" After erupting in gales of laughter and nearly rear-ending a pickup truck, I wondered if this might be construed as a potential hazard to public health?

Phillip Rhodes
Knoxville