Metro Pulse/Ear to the Ground

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Blackout, Tennessee-Style

The folks in Nashville and Chattanooga got to see live coverage of last week's debate between Van Hilleary and Phil Bredesen. According to the people who saw it, it wasn't the most interesting event of all time, but it was (and is) supposed to be the only debate scheduled between the Republican and Democratic nominees for governor specifically on health care. This in a state where many people blame the budget problem on TennCare. But the debate, which was co-sponsored by Nashville CBS affiliate WTVF, wasn't picked up in Knoxville. Why?

It depends on whom you ask. According to Mike Cutler, news director for WTVF, the debate ran in Chattanooga because the CBS affiliate there asked to run it, but Knoxville CBS affiliate WVLT (channel 8) didn't ask to do so. "No one else contacted us," says Cutler. Meanwhile, Steve Crabtree, vice president of news and station operations for WVLT, says, "We would have been interested in televising it live had we been made aware of it before the last minute. But we didn't know about WTVF's broadcast of the debate until the night before the debate. And we have to get approval from CBS to break into regular prime time programming weeks in advance."

The Hilleary and Bredesen camps are negotiating future debates.

We Like Mikes

With Mike Edwards moving up to replace departing Chamber chief Tom Ingram, he joins a growing trend: the dominance of local politics by people named Mike. County government is already Mike-heavy, what with Law Director Mike Moyers, County Commissioner Mike McMillan, County Clerk Mike Padgett, and Trustee Mike Lowe. And next month, of course, Mike Ragsdale will take office as county executive. Two of his first appointments: erstwhile Commissioner Mike Arms as chief of staff and Mike Cohen as director of communications. So is it a conspiracy? "Yes, it is," Cohen says. "We're surprised, frankly, the media hasn't picked up on it." For whatever it's worth, the name "Michael" is derived from ancient Hebrew for "one who is like the Lord."

Commission at Play

Speaking of Mike Ragsdale, the county executive-elect hosted the County Commission, commissioners-elect, and a few of his appointee-designates to lunch at Regas Tuesday, courtesy of leftover money from his campaign fund. When he asked if there were any questions, Commissioner Phil Guthe popped up with one: "Tell us, is there any way we can help you?" Before Ragsdale could get out more than a thanks-for-asking, Commissioner Wanda Moody interjected: "Yeah, you can vote for what he asks you to."

Money from Thin Air

Ragsdale said during his campaign that he hoped to find ways to make government work more efficiently. He's already found one, courtesy of low interest rates.

Ragsdale says he intends to call a special session of County Commission in early September to refinance about $65 million of the county's bond debt. According to John Werner, who will be taking over as Ragsdale's finance director after the new county executive takes office in September, the refinancing should save taxpayers between $3 and $4 million dollars over the next 12 years. "But this is all dependent upon our ability to react to rates, which are very low right now," Werner says.

Victor, Not Victorious

City Council handed Mayor Victor Ashe the latest in a series of recent defeats Tuesday night, although you would have needed instant-replay to notice it. Ashe was pushing a referendum for this November's election that would have barred city court judges from waiving court costs for guilty defendants. It was a reaction to last year's ruling by Judge John Rosson in the case of Jerry Hughes, a Fort Sanders landowner who demolished a block of houses in violation of the Fort's H-1 historic designation. Rosson waived Hughes' court fees, angering preservationists and the mayor. But Council members were reportedly concerned that limiting the judge's powers would also mean that, say, motorists with minor traffic violations could still face hefty court fees. Ashe, who almost never brings something to Council unless he's sure of a win, apparently got wind that the vote on the referendum was going to go against him. When he reached the referendum on Tuesday's agenda, he barely paused a second before declaring it dead for lack of a motion and hurrying on to the next item. Being mayor just ain't what it used to be.

Where There's a Will

The latest branch in the never-ending downtown tree saga is a question about what exactly the city can and can't do with Krutch Park. Under the Kinsey Probasco plan for Market Square and the surrounding area, the park is to be extended through to Gay Street from Market Street, and some trees will be removed and replaced. But tree champion Kim Davis (who has a website at www.downtowntrees.com) says this may not be entirely in keeping with the wishes of Charles Krutch, whom she says wanted "instead of a playground for children, for the park to be a meditative retreat for adults." In reality, nobody seems exactly sure what Krutch's bequest says. Architect Mike Fowler, part of the Kinsey Probasco team, feels that the plan stays true to Krutch's intent, saying, "Mr. Krutch's directions were that the park be a quiet place within downtown, with native species [of flora] that evoke the Smokies. That's what we're doing." Robert Young, executor of the Krutch estate, concurs: "I think they're doing a good job. I'm right excited about it."