http://www.metropulse.com/news/columns/knoxville-issues/sideways-glance/?partner=RSSMetroPulse Stories: Sideways Glance by Rikki Hallen-uscolumns/knoxville-issues/sideways-glancehttp://www.metropulse.com/news/2012/may/23/will-gov-haslam-ever-rise-above-party-politics-and/?partner=RSSWhile Gov. Haslam is to be commended for making Amazon collect sales taxes, his overall stance toward corporate interests has been supplication. He has weakened Tennessee’s already laggard regulatory agencies and launched an attack on transparency. Wed, 23 May 2012 19:08:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-24656-734646columns/knoxville-issues/sideways-glanceRikki HallKnoxville, TNWill Gov. Haslam Ever Rise Above Party Politics and Deliver Us From the Kooks?MetroPulsewill-gov-haslam-ever-rise-above-party-politics-andurn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-24656-734646Change0Usablehttp://www.metropulse.com/news/2012/apr/25/knox-county-charter-review-committee-needs-think-b/?partner=RSSKnox County’s charter is its constitution, the document that defines county government. The Knox County Charter Review Committee is the local version of a constitutional convention, and it has convened this year, as required every eight years. This is a time for big thoughts, but so far the committee has taken a small and unimaginative approach, combing through the existing charter to find areas that need tweaks and clarification. Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:07:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-24525-734618columns/knoxville-issues/sideways-glanceRikki HallKnoxville, TNThe Knox County Charter Review Committee Needs to Think BiggerMetroPulseknox-county-charter-review-committee-needs-think-burn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-24525-734618Change0Usablehttp://www.metropulse.com/news/2012/mar/28/state-lawmakers-chase-agenda-21-while-real-problem/?partner=RSSA joint resolution passed this month by the State House condemning a 20-year-old United Nations document should be placed into a time capsule so future generations can understand why they inherited an unsustainable and deteriorating world. The legislators who sponsored HJR0587 embarrass not just Tennessee but also humanity. Wed, 28 Mar 2012 18:33:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-24424-734590columns/knoxville-issues/sideways-glanceRikki HallKnoxville, TNState Lawmakers Chase Agenda 21 While Real Problems Get Worse MetroPulsestate-lawmakers-chase-agenda-21-while-real-problemurn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-24424-734590Change0Usablehttp://www.metropulse.com/news/2012/feb/08/next-months-primary-golden-opportunity-screw-campf/?partner=RSSThere is an election next month, with early voting beginning Feb. 15. Did you know Stacey Campfield is on the ballot? Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:43:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-24236-734541columns/knoxville-issues/sideways-glanceRikki HallKnoxville, TNNext Month's Primary Is a Golden Opportunity to Screw With CampfieldMetroPulsenext-months-primary-golden-opportunity-screw-campfurn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-24236-734541Change0Usablehttp://www.metropulse.com/news/2012/jan/04/looking-forward-rogero-administration/?partner=RSSWith a new year and a new city government, what lies ahead for Knoxville? Mayor Madeline Rogero’s promise to make our town greener and more livable needs to be translated into policies, and there is cause for optimism. Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:10:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-24103-734506columns/knoxville-issues/sideways-glanceRikki HallKnoxville, TNLooking Forward to the Rogero AdministrationMetroPulselooking-forward-rogero-administrationurn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-24103-734506Change0Usablehttp://www.metropulse.com/news/2011/dec/07/why-green-opportunities-make-good-business-sense/?partner=RSSUntil this month, no composting facility near Nashville could accept food waste. A couple of Lipscomb University graduate students noticed this opportunity a couple years ago. Now, finished with their degrees, they have started a business, obtained permits, and built a 37-acre facility in an adjacent county that has just begun operations. Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:06:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-24005-734478columns/knoxville-issues/sideways-glanceRikki HallKnoxville, TNWhy Green Opportunities Make Good Business SenseMetroPulsewhy-green-opportunities-make-good-business-senseurn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-24005-734478Change0Usablehttp://www.metropulse.com/news/2011/nov/16/why-rural-counties-should-tax-1/?partner=RSSCoal and timber land is often owned by small holding companies that are owned by larger corporations and institutional investors. This makes it difficult to find an actual person associated with the land, and even county property assessors are sometimes unsure who is behind whatever corporate acronym appears on the deed. Predictably, taxes are often delinquent. Wed, 16 Nov 2011 20:57:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-23919-734457columns/knoxville-issues/sideways-glanceRikki HallKnoxville, TNWhy Rural Counties Should Tax the 1%MetroPulsewhy-rural-counties-should-tax-1urn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-23919-734457Change0Usablehttp://www.metropulse.com/news/2011/oct/12/mayor-burchetts-loose-ways/?partner=RSSWith a new Carter Elementary now assured, County Mayor Tim Burchett deserves cheers, but only in the sense that you clap for stragglers in a charity 5k run who were just trying to prove they could finish Wed, 12 Oct 2011 15:19:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-23755-734422columns/knoxville-issues/sideways-glanceRikki HallKnoxville, TNMayor Burchett's Loose WaysMetroPulsemayor-burchetts-loose-waysurn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-23755-734422Change0Usablehttp://www.metropulse.com/news/2011/sep/14/lets-put-stop-redistricting-shenanigans/?partner=RSSRedistricting is one of the ugliest processes in our democracy. But there is a way to stop the shenanigans. Wed, 14 Sep 2011 15:45:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-23620-734394columns/knoxville-issues/sideways-glanceRikki HallKnoxville, TNLet’s Put a Stop to Redistricting Shenanigans MetroPulselets-put-stop-redistricting-shenanigansurn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-23620-734394Change0Usablehttp://www.metropulse.com/news/2011/aug/17/more-tolerable-choice-6th-district-state-senate-se/?partner=RSSGloria Johnson is the best candidate in the race, the one who can be trusted to act on behalf of people, not corporations. Wed, 17 Aug 2011 17:22:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-23471-734366columns/knoxville-issues/sideways-glanceRikki HallKnoxville, TNA More Than Tolerable Choice for the 6th District State Senate Seat MetroPulsemore-tolerable-choice-6th-district-state-senate-seurn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-23471-734366Change0Usablehttp://www.metropulse.com/news/2011/jul/20/privatizing-public-services-doesnt-work/?partner=RSSPrivatization of public services has been a trend in government for a couple decades. It was hatched as a Republican concept, but because it enables graft and does little to limit legislative spending powers, it soon caught on among Democrats as well. Wed, 20 Jul 2011 19:45:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-23351-734338columns/knoxville-issues/sideways-glanceRikki HallKnoxville, TNPrivatizing Public Services Doesn't WorkMetroPulseprivatizing-public-services-doesnt-workurn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-23351-734338Change0Usablehttp://www.metropulse.com/news/2011/jun/15/construction-hillside-plan-everyone-can-love-ahead/?partner=RSSIf your primary objective is delay, local government is here to please. County government has a long history of delays and a toolshed of tricks, but recent votes have a revealed a new tool in the arsenal. Wed, 15 Jun 2011 15:16:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-23186-734303columns/knoxville-issues/sideways-glanceRikki HallKnoxville, TNConstruction of a Hillside Plan Everyone Can Love is AheadMetroPulseconstruction-hillside-plan-everyone-can-love-aheadurn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-23186-734303Change0Usablehttp://www.metropulse.com/news/2011/may/25/has-age-sprawl-bought-farm/?partner=RSSDemographic trends point toward continued population growth in Knox County, but where are the newcomers going to work and live? Wed, 25 May 2011 18:26:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-23060-734282columns/knoxville-issues/sideways-glanceRikki HallKnoxville, TNHas the Age of Sprawl Bought the Farm?MetroPulsehas-age-sprawl-bought-farmurn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-23060-734282Change0Usablehttp://www.metropulse.com/news/2011/apr/27/tva-shouldnt-cut-corners-its-natural-resources-pla/?partner=RSSTVA is the process of determining its environmental priorities for the coming decades, and they want your input. Wed, 27 Apr 2011 17:18:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-22921-734254columns/knoxville-issues/sideways-glanceRikki HallKnoxville, TNTVA Shouldn’t Cut Corners on its Natural Resources PlanMetroPulsetva-shouldnt-cut-corners-its-natural-resources-plaurn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-22921-734254Change0Usablehttp://www.metropulse.com/news/2011/apr/06/republican-demockracy/?partner=RSSBecause the political center has drifted so far right, Republicans have been pushed against the barriers of respectability. State legislators break those barriers often to gain rightward ground. While this is a source of amusement for many, particularly those outside Tennessee’s borders, the joke grows tedious when the state and nation are facing dire threats and mounting problems. Wed, 06 Apr 2011 16:23:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-22818-734233columns/knoxville-issues/sideways-glanceRikki HallKnoxville, TNRepublican DemockracyMetroPulserepublican-demockracyurn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-22818-734233Change0Usablehttp://www.metropulse.com/news/2011/mar/02/time-hillside-compromise/?partner=RSSMonday came in like a lion, a powerful storm with flooding as bad as we’ve seen in a decade. It went out like a lamb, County Commission deferring action on the Hillside and Ridgetop Protection Plan for 60 days. It was wise of Commission to defer their vote, because a last-minute panic attack by county realtors and developers had soured the atmosphere with confusion. Wed, 02 Mar 2011 17:01:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-22661-734198columns/knoxville-issues/sideways-glanceRikki HallKnoxville, TNTime for Hillside CompromiseMetroPulsetime-hillside-compromiseurn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-22661-734198Change0Usablehttp://www.metropulse.com/news/2011/jan/26/pale-shadow-city-council/?partner=RSSGroundhog Day came early this year, at least the Bill Murray version. City Council treated Knoxvillians to repetitive absurdity when they replaced the mayor and 5th District city councilman. It took 16 rounds of voting to put Charlie Thomas on Council, and if that does not foretell six more weeks of winter, it explains why it has been so cold. We’ve been seeing the shadow of our political culture. Wed, 26 Jan 2011 17:38:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-22469-734163columns/knoxville-issues/sideways-glanceRikki HallKnoxville, TNPale Shadow of a City CouncilMetroPulsepale-shadow-city-councilurn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-22469-734163Change0Usablehttp://www.metropulse.com/news/2011/jan/05/grow-smarter/?partner=RSSTreating what is left of county farmland as nothing more than bait with which to lure jobs will result in a county without character. As experience proves, businesses attracted by the infrastructure and incentives that local governments like to dangle in front of them will just as readily move on to the next shiny opportunity, whether it’s in an adjacent county or state with lower taxes or in another country with cheaper labor. Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:45:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-22342-734142columns/knoxville-issues/sideways-glanceRikki HallKnoxville, TNGrow SmarterMetroPulsegrow-smarterurn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-22342-734142Change0Usablehttp://www.metropulse.com/news/2010/dec/08/lets-consider-our-options-fix-alcoa-highway/?partner=RSSWhether ghosts are real is not as important as whether the living consent to be haunted. A road upgrade in the works since 1989 without fruition is haunted by the political heft of car dealerships no longer with us and by those who have perished on the dangerous road while planners dawdle. Last month, TDOT announced plans to build a five-mile bypass around the Airport Motor Mile, sparing a cemetery but killing a golf course. Wed, 08 Dec 2010 20:15:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-22221-734114columns/knoxville-issues/sideways-glanceRikki HallKnoxville, TNLet's Consider Our Options to Fix Alcoa HighwayMetroPulselets-consider-our-options-fix-alcoa-highwayurn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-22221-734114Change0Usablehttp://www.metropulse.com/news/2010/nov/17/ridgetop-protection-plan-faces-sloppy-opposition/?partner=RSSBattle lines were drawn at last week’s Metropolitan Planning Commission meeting over the Hillside and Ridgetop Protection Plan. It will be a measure of the health of our local democracy whether this contest is decided by whose argument is more compelling or just loudest. Wed, 17 Nov 2010 16:51:00 -0000urn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-22109-734093columns/knoxville-issues/sideways-glanceRikki HallKnoxville, TNRidgetop Protection Plan Faces Sloppy OppositionMetroPulseridgetop-protection-plan-faces-sloppy-oppositionurn:publicid:www.metropulse.com:news-Story-22109-734093Change0Usable