Submitted by Gene Patterson on February 17, 2006 - 10:24pm
Tune in Sunday at noon on WATE, Councilman Steve Hall is our guest. He's running for County Mayor. We talk about his chances and what he'll campaign on.. We also talk about his thoughts about WATE's incorrect report election day that he'd withdrawn from the Council race. He says he's just about gotten over his anger with us. He also said he never thought I had anything directly to do with it.
Submitted by Gene Patterson on February 20, 2006 - 8:13pm
On Tennessee This Week, County Mayor candidate Steve Hall said he was encouraged to run by supporters who felt current Mayor Mike Ragsdale was arrogant and not a straight shooter. Hall cited the wheel tax issue as an example.
Political pundit Frank Cagle had an interesting observation about the County Commission races. Cagle says supporters of the wheel tax threatened to run candidates against Commissioners who voted against the tax and now it appears they made good on the threat.
Submitted by Gene Patterson on July 7, 2006 - 12:33am
Coming up this weekend on Tennessee This Week, we interview Democrat Harold Ford, Jr. who is running for the U.S. Senate
Ford is running unopposed in August and has built a 4 million dollar plus war chest. A number of his staff were at last week's WATE Republican debate, so Ford should be very familiar with each of his potential opponents' positions on the issues.
Tennessee This Week airs on Sunday at noon. We'll also provide the interview on the web at WATE.com.
Submitted by Gene Patterson on July 29, 2006 - 12:19am
This Sunday on Tennessee This Week, we interview State Senator Jim Bryson. Bryson, 45, is considered the leading republican in the race for governor and the likely opponent for Governor Phil Bredesen this fall.
Bryson makes his home in Franklin. He's married and has four children.
Submitted by Gene Patterson on August 4, 2006 - 4:10am
An exciting evening Thursday night for those watching the Knox County Sheriff's race. As the early numbers came in, it appeared challenger Randy Tyree might actually pull off the upset.
By around 9 o'clock Tyree was within striking distance, only about 500 votes separating him and Sheriff Tim Hutchison. In fact, at that point, more people had voted for Tyree on election day than Hutchison. Only the early vote total kept Tyree from leading.
Submitted by Gene Patterson on September 5, 2006 - 8:46pm
Our blogs are now back up after some problems yesterday. Hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend.
If you didn't catch Tennessee This Week, check it out on our homepage.
Former County Commissioner Madeline Rogero echoes the sentiments of political columnist Frank Cagle in calling for a grand jury investigation of the allegations being made by former Knox County employee Tyler Harber.
Submitted by Gene Patterson on September 7, 2006 - 8:39pm
Knox County's new Law Director John Owings and Knox County Commissioner John Schmid will be our guests on Tennessee This Week Sunday.
Owings was recently appointed by Knox County Commission to fill the remaining term of his former boss, now Chancellor Mike Moyers.
Owings was busy Wednesday addressing the State Supreme Court on the issue of whether Knox County's charter is valid. He also spoke to the issue of term limits.
Submitted by Gene Patterson on September 15, 2006 - 8:53pm
Tune in this Sunday at noon for Tennessee This Week. Republican candidate for Governor, Jim Bryson is our guest.
The state senator from Franklin is running an uphill battle to win the governor's seat. A recent Survey USA poll (sponsored by WBIR) found Bryson a 3 to 1 underdog to Governor Bredesen. Still, Bryson says he is optimistic he can overcome the deficit and win the race.
Submitted by Gene Patterson on September 22, 2006 - 8:28pm
Governor Bredesen joins us this weekend on Tennessee This Week. He answers a number of questions raised last week by his opponent, Republican Jim Bryson.
He responds to Bryson's call for the ouster of Deputy Governor Dave Cooley, his handling of the Tenncare crisis, and what he's doing to control the spread of illegal immigration.
He also speaks about the role his faith plays in his decision-making as governor.
We air on Sunday at noon on WATE. You can also watch a streaming version by going to WATE.COM
Submitted by Gene Patterson on September 28, 2006 - 9:52pm
Tune in Sunday at noon for Tennessee This Week. County Mayor Mike Ragsdale breaks his silence on the Tyler Harber stories by Betty Bean in the Halls Shopper.
In those stories, Harber (a former County employee and political soldier for Mayor Ragsdale) claims while working for the County, his workload was zero because his "real" job was doing political work for the County mayor.
Submitted by Gene Patterson on October 6, 2006 - 8:29pm
Joining us this Sunday on Tennessee This Week are the candidates in the race for State House in the 18th District.
Democrat Schree Pettigrew and Republican Stacey Campfield, the incumbent, discuss their priorities and hopes for the upcoming session.
Filling out the program are interviews with author Tim Richardson, who's compiled a list of America's richest people (who aren't rich) and Dr. Richard DePersio, president of the Knoxville Academy of Medicine Foundation.
Submitted by Gene Patterson on October 13, 2006 - 9:46pm
Democratic Congressman Harold Ford, Jr., is our guest on Tennessee This Week. Ford and Republican Bob Corker are waging fierce campaigns to replace Bill Frist in the U.S. Senate.
The former Chattanooga mayor discusses a variety of issues from the war in Iraq to his criticism of opponent Harold Ford, Jr and his family.
***There is a correction I need to make concerning the program with Mayor Corker. During the interview I mention that the Metropulse endorsed Corker. That is incorrect.
Submitted by Gene Patterson on November 3, 2006 - 10:01pm
Coming up Sunday on Tennessee This Week we talk with State Representative Bill Dunn and Tina McMillan, a representative of the group, Vote No on One about the effort to add language to the state constitution defining marriage as a "union between a man and a woman."
Submitted by Gene Patterson on November 18, 2006 - 1:47am
This Sunday at noon on WATE's Tennessee This Week, we'll be joined by Mike Cohen, Frank Cagle and Terry Frank. Among the topics discussed: lawmakers and guns, the Sheriff's Office pension plan and the mid-term elections.
Submitted by Gene Patterson on November 30, 2006 - 7:17pm
Join us Sunday at noon for Tennessee This Week and our conversation with Senator-elect Bob Corker. He discusses, among other things, his position on the war in Iraq, immigration, and medicare cuts to doctors.
Submitted by Gene Patterson on February 16, 2007 - 2:12am
Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale shows off his legendary temper Sunday on Tennessee This Week.
He also said the possibility of a special election to fill the 12 county seats appointed by Commission in January, is still alive - though only barely.
The special election, just one of a number of issues discussed at length by the County Mayor, who is usually poised and rarely raises his voice in public.
That was not the case, however, when I asked him about the Sheriff's investigation in the Tyler Harber case.
Submitted by Gene Patterson on February 23, 2007 - 10:20pm
An update from News Sentinel Editor Jack McElroy on his lawsuit against Knox County Commission on Tennessee This Week Sunday.
We'll also hear from 7th District Commissioner Larry Smith. He sees a tumultuous meeting on Monday. He says expect to hear more about the Tyler Harber investigation, an issue Smith describes as "moot."
And conservative blogger Terry Frank joins us in the Final Word to talk about her recent post regarding stockpiles of uranium in Iraq, including pounds of UF4, also known as green salt.
Submitted by Gene Patterson on April 6, 2007 - 8:20pm
Former Commissioner John Schmid says Knox County citizens have - for the first time in its 215 year history - an opportunity to create whatever type of government we want.
That opportunity is the result of the January 12, 2007 decision by the State Supreme Court.
Schmid points out that the court held that as a charter form of government, approved by the voters of Knox County, that the "county (could) go so far as to replace its existing (form of) government in favor of an alternate (form of) government, provided the people approve."
On April 18, Schmid and Laurens Tullock, executive
Corker discusses global warming, Washington politics, healthcare and the war in Iraq.
He has been spending his August recess touring 38 counties in Tennessee. He says he senses concern from Tennesseans about a number of areas from the economy, the war to terrorism.
Submitted by Gene Patterson on September 7, 2007 - 9:33pm
Next week's trial pitting the Knoxville News Sentinel and County Commission against each other over the interpretation of the state's open meeting act could be a defining moment for local government and how it conducts its business.
Certainly people are passionate on both sides of the issue.
Submitted by Gene Patterson on November 2, 2007 - 8:05pm
Knox County Chairman Scott Moore joins us Sunday on Tennessee This Week.
We get his opinion on special elections, the appointment process and free UT basketball tickets for lawmakers.
Submitted by Gene Patterson on November 10, 2007 - 1:49am
6 News Harlow Sumerford sat down this week with Knoxville attorney John Valliant, asking him a number of questions regarding his influence on Knox County Commission.
Specifically, how much of a player was he, during the now infamous January 31 meeting that resulted in the appointments of 12 people to the seats term limited by the State Supreme Court; and who were later removed from office because of Commissioners' violations of the sunshine law.
Tune in Monday for his answer.
Submitted by Gene Patterson on December 20, 2007 - 10:47pm
Coming up next weekend on Tennessee This Week, we'll look back over the past year at the stories that made headlines.
Our panel of pundits - George Korda, Frank Cagle and Mike Cohen - will breakdown the 5 biggest stories of the year and how they impacted our lives and will also look to the future and predict which stories will impact us most in 2008.
My list - not in any particular order - of the biggest stories of the year includes:
*the sunshine lawsuit and the continuing vacancies in 12 county elected positions,
*the
Submitted by Gene Patterson on May 3, 2008 - 12:56am
Knox County Commissioner Mike Hammond - who sits on the Ethics Committee - says he'll propose several changes to the Committee's structure, including dropping elected officials from its ranks.
Submitted by Gene Patterson on September 20, 2008 - 1:55am
Coming up on Tennessee This Week, Pilot CEO Jimmy Haslam explains his company's decision-making process and why gas prices climbed to the highest in the country last week.
He says hurricanes Gustav and Ike created a situation that saw gas supplies diminish and what was on the market increase in price rapidly.
For more tune in to Tennessee This Week Sunday at noon.
Submitted by Gene Patterson on October 4, 2008 - 12:36am
So how bad is it out there for pension funds and local retailers?
Former McWherter Chief of Staff, Billy Stair believes it's really bad, describing it as "freightening" and backs up his concerns with two examples.
Stair points to the State Treasurer who - on Tuesday - said Tennessee's pension plan lost - over a 24-hour period - one billion dollars.
And Stair says, for the first time in its history the ORNL Retirees' Pension is, as he described it, "under water," meaning the plan has fewer assets than liabilities.
Submitted by Gene Patterson on February 13, 2009 - 1:40am
I've been meaning to post about this since last Friday, the day Governor Bredesen visited Knoxville for a speech for the Chamber Partnership. It was also a day after UT Lady Vol Coach Pat Summitt won her 1,000th game.
Submitted by Gene Patterson on February 27, 2009 - 11:38pm
Knox County Commissioners Mike Hammond and Richard Briggs say they'll bring legislation that would move all budget functions from the county's fee offices to County Commission.
The two appeared together on Tennessee This Week, which airs Sunday on WATE at noon.
Commissioner Hammond says he's had conversations with legal experts who believe an ordinance - approved by County Commission - would be enough to transfer the budget functions and would not require a change in the Knox County Charter.
Submitted by Gene Patterson on March 20, 2009 - 4:29pm
Tune in Sunday to Tennessee This Week. Among the topics: wine sales in grocery stores. Right now Tennessee is just one of about 17 other states that ban sales of wine in its groceries.
Submitted by Gene Patterson on September 23, 2009 - 8:15pm
First District Congressman Phil Roe is waiting to hear from the President.
The Congressman from Johnson City wrote to President Obama in July, hoping to take up his offer to visit and go over healthcare reform legislation "line-by-line."
Roe wrote a second letter earlier this month and he says he has yet to hear from anyone at the Whitehouse.
