Publisher's Positions

By Steve Hunley

Tethered Dog Ordinance Approved

The Knoxville City Council recently approved an ordinance making it illegal for people to chain their dogs up outside unattended.  The change was adopted after a sometimes pointed debate, but the ordnance ultimately passed with only one dissenting vote.  Known for making the odd random comment, Councilwoman Lynn Fugate said it was sad people contributed to things involving dogs more than they do girls.  Girls?  What happened to boys or even people?  The answer likely has something to do with the fact that Fugate is the director of the Girl Scouts of East Tennessee and she failed to explain why one was mutually exclusive of the other.  My guess is, when one considers all the spending done by the government, spending on people – – – and girls are people – – – that spending far outweighs whatever individuals donate to the welfare of dogs and animals.  I also guess Lynn is well-paid in her role for the Girl Scouts and I doubt they have to take up a collection for her at church as she seems pretty comfortable in Sequoyah Hills.  If there are any poorer sections of Sequoyah Hills, I don't know where they are.

Having both a daughter and a son, I always felt the people of Knox County were pretty generous with their time and money for youngsters.  Fugate's opponent, Cameron Brooks, was a prominent supporter of the proposed ordinance and is a well-known advocate for animals in general and dogs in particular.

Burchett Appointed To Additional Committees

Congressman Tim Burchett has kept his place on the House Committees on Transportation & Infrastructure and on Foreign Affairs, but has also been assigned to the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability.

"I've been pushing for our government to be more transparent and accountable to the American people since I came to Congress," Burchett stated.  "I'm thrilled to serve on this committee, and I'm looking forward to shining a light on all the shady dealings in Washington that have been swept under the rug for too long."

Burchett has, along with Memphis Congressman Steve Cohen, reintroduced the Tennessee Valley Authority Transparency Act.  The bill would make TVA's decision making more transparent to the public.  The bill requires the TVA Board of Directors meetings to be held in public and contains a provision requiring TVA to "provide public notice of no fewer than 6 calendar days" before any meetings.  The bill sponsored by congressmen Burchett and Cohen also requires TVA to make the minutes of those meetings, along with summaries, accessible to the public.

"The TVA has recently been working to improve its transparency, and I was proud to introduce this bill last year to ensure those efforts continued," Burchett said in a statement released by his office.  "TVA transparency is no less important this year than it was last year, so I'm happy to bring this bill back to the House as part of our efforts to improve transparency across the board."

Pace Surfaces

Last week a good-sized crowd attended the Three Rivers Republican Club, which is a combination of the 8th & 9th Commission Districts.  For the first time, at least as far as I know, Randy Pace, the former chairman of Knox County's Republican Party, showed up.  Pace, well known for his ability to talk a stump to death, was more subdued and had little to say.  Nor did Pace receive an especially warm welcome.

McCarthy Boots Democrats

Kevin McCarthy, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, has kept his word and booted three Democrats off the committee they sat on; Eric Swalwell and Adam Schiff were booted off the House Intelligence Committee, while Ilhan Omar was put off the House Foreign Affairs Committee.  Swalwell's relationship with a Chinese Communist spy disqualified him from service on a committee that hears classified and sensitive information.  Schiff's lying and leaking disqualified him from the Intel Committee.  Ilhan Omar remains the most vocal antisemite in Congress.  Of course this is also a matter of what goes around, comes around as the Democrats started the notion of putting congressmen they didn't like from having the committee assignments of their choice or even any at all.

Lee Sworn In To Second Term

Last week Bill Lee took the oath of office for the second time after having been reelected last November.  Governor Lee made an eloquent address at his second inauguration.  We send our best wishes and prayers to First Lady Maria Lee for a speedy and complete recovery from her illness.

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