On Politics

No brainer - One of the easier budget decisions for the County Commission’s deliberations this summer will be the addition of a new staff person for County Property Assessor Johnny King. King admitted to various members that his office is in danger of falling behind on assessments and that he is very concerned over the present staff’s available time next year for the five-year reassessment. The basic numbers indicate that the additional position would bring in close to one million dollars in revenue, which is more than ten times the cost the county would incur in salary, insurance, etc for funding the position. Fare is fair? – Moving quietly and slowly, Sevier County is reviewing the lease to the Fair Board for the Sevier County Fair Grounds. The board leases the space from the county for a nominal fee at present. The concern expressed by some commissioners is the other events held on the grounds such as last weekend’s tractor pull. The board receives the rents on such events and upkeeps and improves the site with such proceeds. Two vendors have also rented space for vehicles on the site. The Intergovernmental Committee has asked for an audit of the fair’s books according to their report from last week’s County Commission meeting. County leadership expressed the desire to complete a short term lease extension to provide for the September County Fair, but that some concerns over liability insurance and event fees may be addressed after the 2003 fair is over. The subject is very open for the moment and probably will not be a specific matter until after the audit is completed. Early Bird – This week President George Bush kicked off his fundraising for re-election with a $2,000 a plate reception at a Washington hotel. The President aims to raise $200 million for the primary run, more than twice as much as his inaugural run in 2000, even though Bush will not have a primary opponent. The money raised may only be used before the Republican convention for the President to accept federal matching funds for the general election. Terminated? Could Arnold Schwarzenegger be asked to terminate the California deficit? California Governor Gray Davis (D) has seen his second term approval-rating drop to 24%, which has led the once laughable recall effort to become a serious political land mine. Both major party leaders are fearful of the effort as Democrats would suffer the embarrassment of having the first California Governor ousted by recall while Republicans fear that the action could trigger a backlash of public opinion that would doom the Bush campaign’s bid for re-election. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) is bankrolling the recall collection of thousands of signatures. The group has hundreds of thousands collected already but needs 900,000 valid signatures by summer’s end. In a recall election in California, voters would check yes or no on the recall and would then vote for their choice of a new Governor. The qualification standards are few and there is no primary in the special election that could leave a huge ballot of candidates in most votes win election that does not require a majority. Potential candidates are being approached should the effort succeed and the list includes names like Senator Diane Fienstein (D-CA) and Schwarzenegger (R). The air that I breathe - Leaders from several East Tennessee counties have banded together to propose stronger measures in order to help regional areas comply with more stringent air quality standards. New ozone level requirements levied by the EPA are scheduled to take effect on April 15, and many in the region are doubtful that areas like Knoxville will be able to meet them. The county leaders, who come from Knox, Sevier, Loudon, Blount, Anderson, Jefferson, and Union counties have set forth new smog-reduction proposals to state officials in hopes of getting a waiver from the EPA that defers consequences for failure to meet the new standards for at least three years. Failure to comply could mean tighter controls on industry polluters and the reduction of highway funds from the federal government.