by Joe Tarr
A lot of people didn't give Madeline Rogero much chance of beating out Bill Haslam for mayor. And although the election was a lot closer than many had expected, the conventional wisdom turned out to be correct.
I'm not much of a political analyst, so I can't say why people vote the way they do. I think part of it is people don't have a lot of faith in democracy. Most people don't get involved and don't learn enough about the issues. And if we bother to step into the voting booth, too many of us will vote for the "nice" guy whose name sounds familiar and spouted off a bunch of platitudes.
Some great progressive leaders have come from the establishment no doubt, but I have no faith that the establishment will solve my problems or even wants to.
There's another election next month, and there are some great candidates running for office. The best of them is Charles Thomas, who is running for the at-large Seat A.
Thomas finished a distant second to his opponent, Joe Bailey, in the primary. But Knoxville will gain a great, thoughtful advocate by electing Thomas in the runoff.
It's not that Bailey is a bad guy; he certainly won't lead the city to ruin. He's the son of former councilman Ed Bailey and spent much of his life working as a lobbyist.
But I don't find him particularly bold, insightful or exciting. He articulates a vision that seems at pains not to offend anyone. His priorities are protecting neighborhoods, economic development, and keeping property taxes low—who wouldn't support that?—but he's hazy on the details of how he would accomplish it. The support he's gotten from developers raises some red flags.
Thomas has spent a good bit of the past decade toiling on various volunteer groups that are low profile but have nonetheless made life better in Knoxville for a lot of people.
There are too many groups to list here, but he has been the president of the Knox Greenways Coalition for seven years, a group that has helped build a network of trails around the city, and is working to connect the city with the Smoky Mountains. As commissioner of the Knoxville Transit Authority Board, Thomas was a key advocate in getting KAT to lower its monthly bus pass fee, reroute some of the bus lines to make them more convenient (such as stopping at shopping plazas), and expand night and weekend service. (He frequently rides the bus to work downtown.)
Thomas does a better job explaining how he would lead. He supports using task forces—with heavy input from neighborhood groups—to build consensus. He defines what he's for—the Penny for Parks proposal, the MPC's "Preservation 2003" recommendations, a living wage, buying hybrid and electric city vehicles—and what he's against—the James White Parkway extension. He's also honest about the budget shortfall, which might force the city to either scale back some services or raise taxes.
Most candidates for council probably love Knoxville, but I doubt any of them understand the city—its hidden beauty, quirks, and frustrations—as well as he does.
He's enthusiastic about downtown Knoxville and its potential. He's steeped in the city's culture, well-versed in the works of Agee and McCarthy. I've seen him at many City Council and County Commission meetings and community forums, long before he thought about running for office. I've bumped into him at the Bijou Theatre and Sundown in the City concerts, seen him sipping coffee on the porch of the 11th Street Expresso House, and passed him riding his bike along the riverfront. I saw him celebrating at the Longbranch after UT won the national championship five years ago.
Although he's one of the friendliest guys I know in Knoxville, I've seen him angry, calling someone out on insensitive comments made at a public forum. Anyone who is going to represent me better get pissed off once in a while, because I sure do.
Not long after I moved to Knoxville, I went to a benefit to save Fort Sanders' historic homes from demolition. Thomas spoke at the meeting, telling a story that mixed McCarthy's Suttree with Plato's The Republic. I've forgotten the details of the story, but I remember the moral, which was drawn from Plato: the price of not getting involved in your government is to be ruled by lesser men.
Which is not to say that Thomas is "better" than anyone else running for office. But Charlie understands that representative government only works if people get involved. If you leave the decisions and responsibility up to others, to people with connections and lots of money, you will pay a price.
Thomas has already proven that he cares about Knoxville and is willing to work hard for it. Vote for him for council.
Editor's note: This column is the opinion of Joe Tarr and does not necessarily reflect the views of Metro Pulse.
October 23, 2003 * Vol. 13, No. 43
© 2003 Metro Pulse
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