MetroPulse Stories: Insights by Joe Sullivan

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.

Mark Padgett’s Dubious Mayoral Qualifications

Sullivan@MetroPulse.com (Joe Sullivan) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 17:30:00 -0000

Mark Padgett’s candidacy for mayor of Knoxville rests heavily on his business experience and accomplishments. Yet questions abound about just how successful Padgett has been in building his business.

The Carter School Gamble

Sullivan@MetroPulse.com (Joe Sullivan) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 18:54:00 -0000

At a school board meeting last week, Tim Burchett unveiled a plan for funding construction of the new school without borrowing a nickel. Instead, most of the money would be raised by selling county-owned property and applying the proceeds to pay “cash on the barrel head” for the school

Is Knoxville Really the Worst City for Allergies?

Sullivan@MetroPulse.com (Joe Sullivan) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 16:01:00 -0000

According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Knoxville is the worst city in the nation for allergies. But how did they come to that conclusion? Joe Sullivan tracks down their numbers.

County Redistricting Presents Challenges and Opportunities

Sullivan@MetroPulse.com (Joe Sullivan) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 15:37:00 -0000

There’s a decennial rite of passage in Knox County’s body politic that occurs after new census population figures are released, as 2010’s were this spring.

Tax Reform Needed for Deficit Reduction

Sullivan@MetroPulse.com (Joe Sullivan) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 19:09:00 -0000

For all the disagreement in Washington, there’s broad bipartisan consensus on curtailing an estimated $1.1 trillion annual revenue drain in the form of what are known as tax expenditures. These backdoor outlays encompass the benefits of a myriad of federal income tax exclusions, credits, and deductions that contribute just as much to the deficit as if they were appropriated.

Supporting Supportive Housing

Sullivan@MetroPulse.com (Joe Sullivan) — Wed, 18 May 2011 17:17:00 -0000

The perception abounds that efforts to provide permanent supportive house for the chronically homeless have been put on hold pending the outcome of a public process being conducted by a task force aptly named Compassion Knoxville. But such is not the case.

Public School Funds Shouldn’t Go To Private Schools

Sullivan@MetroPulse.com (Joe Sullivan) — Wed, 04 May 2011 17:44:00 -0000

Given all that’s being done to raise the public education bar in Tennessee, it’s hard to fathom why the state Senate has approved a bill to let low-income students use public school funds to pay for private school tuition.