MetroPulse Stories: Insights by Joe Sullivan

Rogero’s Hybrid Pension Plan Deserves Support

Sullivan@MetroPulse.com (Joe Sullivan) — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:34:00 -0000

Defined benefit or defined contribution: That is the question facing the city of Knoxville in providing a new retirement plan for city employees in the wake of the debacle that has saddled the city with $135 million in what is tantamount to debt arising from its existing pension plans.

What Will It Take to Get Knox Schools Funded for Success?

Sullivan@MetroPulse.com (Joe Sullivan) — Wed, 02 May 2012 20:13:00 -0000

It’s clear that Knox County schools are underfunded. It’s also clear that Knox County has the capacity to do better.

Fill ’er Up With Natural Gas

Sullivan@MetroPulse.com (Joe Sullivan) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 16:30:00 -0000

Joe Sullivan reports on efforts by Pilot Flying J to support natural gas-fueled truck fleets.

The Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Deserves Our Support

Sullivan@MetroPulse.com (Joe Sullivan) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:09:00 -0000

The Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame is more than just a local visitor attraction. It’s a national shrine to women’s basketball and by extension a tribute to the remarkable accomplishments that women have made athletically over the past century.

Knoxville's Rising Pension Costs

Sullivan@MetroPulse.com (Joe Sullivan) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 15:41:00 -0000

Projected increases in Knox County contributions needed to fund its Uniformed Officers Pension Plan pale by comparison with those required to keep the city of Knoxville’s employee pension plans on a sound footing over the next decade.

Redefining Knox County’s Community Grants Process

Sullivan@MetroPulse.com (Joe Sullivan) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 16:14:00 -0000

When County Mayor Tim Burchett announced he was dispensing with the citizen review panels that had been selecting recipients of community grants from Knox County, I would have expected lots of protest. But Burchett has drawn little criticism for his decision to convert the grants into what are being called Defined Service Contracts.

Upping Performance Pay For Top Teachers

Sullivan@MetroPulse.com (Joe Sullivan) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:07:00 -0000

More performance-based pay for top teachers and for instructional coaches ranks high on Superintendent Jim McIntyre’s list of needed initiatives. But as matters stand, it’s not even clear where the money will come from to sustain the strategic compensation program known as APEX.

Joe Jarret For County Law Director

Sullivan@MetroPulse.com (Joe Sullivan) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:50:00 -0000

The job of law director is more complicated in Knox County than most places because the director represents not only County Commission and the mayor, but also all of the county’s other independently elected officials including the Board of Education, the county clerk, the property assessor, the register of deeds, the sheriff, and the trustee. Needless to say, their interests don’t always coincide.

Overcoming Obstacles to Blighted Property Reclamation

Sullivan@MetroPulse.com (Joe Sullivan) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:08:00 -0000

Mayor Rogero has made changing state law to reduce if not remove obstacles to delinquent-tax sales a top priority.

Lakeshore’s Closing May Yield Benefits

Sullivan@MetroPulse.com (Joe Sullivan) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 17:00:00 -0000

The initial announcement of state plans to close Lakeshore Mental Health Institute sent shock waves throughout the community. But local mental health advocates and service providers are convinced that the state’s plan will strengthen rather than weaken supports for the mentally ill and result in fewer of them “falling between the cracks.”

Development Projects Raise Questions About UT's Priorities

Sullivan@MetroPulse.com (Joe Sullivan) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 21:35:00 -0000

The University of Tennessee is pursuing several ventures in assorted commercial realms, primarily in the name of economic development and job creation in the state. Since all of these endeavors come at a time when UT is generally in a retrenchment mode due to deep funding cuts, they raise questions about the university’s priorities.

Enhancing South Knoxville’s Heritage

Sullivan@MetroPulse.com (Joe Sullivan) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 23:43:00 -0000

The 22-acre hillside on which Fort Stanley once was mounted has been acquired by the Aslan Foundation for a reported $750,000. That brings to more than $3 million the total Aslan has invested in protecting key portions of what’s also come to be known as South Knoxville’s Urban Wilderness Corridor.

Pioneering a State Health-Insurance Exchange

Sullivan@MetroPulse.com (Joe Sullivan) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:19:00 -0000

Either a Republican victory in next year’s presidential election or an adverse U.S. Supreme Court decision could undermine implementation of the landmark federal health-care law that’s due to take full effect in 2014. But given the long lead-times needed to put in place everything that’s required to make it work, officials can’t afford to wait on these uncertain outcomes before pushing ahead with preparations.

Innovation Valley’s Unfulfilled Promise

Sullivan@MetroPulse.com (Joe Sullivan) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 18:39:00 -0000

ORNL and the University of Tennessee are plainly the Knoxville area’s two biggest economic assets. Not only are they among the area’s largest employers of the present, but they’re also the source of inventions and technologies that hold potential for spurring its future economic growth.

Hillside Protection Plan’s Time Has Come

Sullivan@MetroPulse.com (Joe Sullivan) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 15:27:00 -0000

After a protracted process that’s involved a lot of wheel-spinning, the time has come for County Commission and City Council to jointly approve a Hillside and Ridgetop Protection Plan worthy of the name.

Chattanooga’s Economic Development Edge

Sullivan@MetroPulse.com (Joe Sullivan) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 15:59:00 -0000

Not since 2008, when Green Mountain Coffee started roasting here and Sysco opened its big distribution center, has Knoxville seen a major new employer come to town.

Alignment Needed In County Redistricting

Sullivan@MetroPulse.com (Joe Sullivan) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 15:31:00 -0000

Of the 64 counties in Tennessee that have a single countywide school system, Knox County is one of only four in which school board districts are not aligned with County Commission districts.

All Online Sales Should Be Taxed

Sullivan@MetroPulse.com (Joe Sullivan) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 15:36:00 -0000

The dispute over whether Amazon.com should collect sales tax on its online sales to Tennesseans needs to be resolved. But the solution needs to come from Washington, not Nashville, and it should apply to all online retailers, not just Amazon.

A Former Metro Pulse Publisher Reminisces

Sullivan@MetroPulse.com (Joe Sullivan) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 21:07:00 -0000

Joe Sullivan: When Metro Pulse started in 1991, I was looking, at age 54, to undertake what amounted to my fourth career.

Natural Gas Use Should Be Heating Up

Sullivan@MetroPulse.com (Joe Sullivan) — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 16:12:00 -0000

Amid all the hoopla over developing clean, sustainable alternatives to oil and coal to fuel the nation’s vehicles and power plants, one that tends to get overlooked by many is natural gas.