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Lightweights Unite!

Thanks for the info on the EPA flap [Ear to the Ground, Sept. 19]. When I first saw this lady throwing her weight around, I was reminded of the many, many times during my 33-year career with DOE contractors that I witnessed some bureaucrat with an inflated sense of self-importance get a nose out of joint when others did not treat them with enough reverence. It was refreshing to read that�more sensible heads prevailed to�preserve some reason.

Ken Redmond
Knoxville, TN

Backpedaling Bredesen

The September 19 edition of Metro Pulse contained an article by Bill Carey regarding Phil Bredesen and his bid for governor of this state. Too bad it didn't include the backpedaling of Bredesen, who said he wouldn't rule out supporting a state income tax during his second term as governor. Any governor in this state that is considering a second term in office (like Bredesen) will not promote the state income tax during his first term, because the majority of people are against the state income tax. If Bredesen is elected for governor, I'm sure he will count on the momentum of his first term along with vague statements about his support for a state income tax to carry him through for a second term so he can institute a state income tax. And when he tries to institute a state income tax during his second term, he can always point to his lack of position on it for his second term, which will give him slightly more credibility than current governor Don Sundquist.

Andrew Norris
Knoxville

Reverse Eugenics

I've had the misfortune of being assigned to this joke for a town during the last three months and, before leaving Monday to go back to the wonderful Pacific Northwest, wanted to give you my opinion.

Knoxville, Tennessee, is an awful, horrible place—a joke for a city. Consider the following :

1. The schools are the worst in the country. In fact, I'm told that, in Mississippi, they say "Thank God for Tennessee."
2. The air is among the worst in the country; so bad in fact that it harms one's health to jog outside.
3. The traffic is by far the worst in the country for similar-sized cities. In fact, both I-40 and Kingston Pike are as bad as Wilshire Blvd. in L.A.
4. The performing arts are virtually non-existent.
5. Public transportation is a bad joke.
6. Fine dining is extremely limited.
7. Diversity does not exist.

But at least you have instilled in me a deeper appreciation for my home state.

Jake Moore
Eugene, Ore.

A Place for Has-Beens

Knox County Commission has used the library board for political patronage—often, as a place to shelve what my Aunt Bess calls "broken down politicians" and has-beens. The appointee gets to have his little piece of pretend-power and in turn, he'll support the commissioner with whatever means remain at his disposal. Never mind that the appointee doesn't use the library, has no idea of the history and mission of the public library in this country, let alone this area, and like as not, couldn't care less what appointment he gets, as long as he's on a board.

If you want an active board, it surely should be composed of people who use the library. They will know how policies translate into service, will ask the right questions, and will care about hours of service and other issues. Nationally, a significant number of library users are children. When is the last time we had a parent of young children on the library board? Not in living memory. Who speaks for young adults? Business users? For as long as I can remember, our library board has been an almost homogenous body of mostly white men and fewer women (usually, one black), and, with few exceptions, at least 50 years old; who, again with few exceptions, have to have library cards made for them and presented with due ceremony upon their taking office. Is it any wonder we had the kind of vote we had last week, with politics triumphant over reason?

The term of office of board members is counterproductive, too. Three-year terms are adequate, perhaps with one reappointment, depending on performance. As it is now, people are automatically reappointed, sans review, so we have one member who has been on the board for 18 years; three, for 13 years; one, 9; one, 8; one, 6; and two who have only served 4 and 2 years. The two short-termers are due to the Commission's voting to increase the number of board members from 7 to 9 a few years ago.

My remarks about board members do not apply to every past or present library board member, but to many—too many. Julie Webb and Margo Ackermann are two examples of board members who understood and appreciated the mission of the library and worked for positive change and support. Regrettably, most appointments to the library board are made without regard to the appointee's qualifications for the job, and the process is a travesty of good judgment and common sense. Just like the so-called "search" for a new library director.

Joan H. Worley
Maryville