Chattarati, Chattanooga news and opinion

The Chattanooga Politico, July 4

David Morton — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:30:05 +0000

Weekly review of political stories in Chattanooga and beyond.

Gubernatorial freakonomics

Several 2010 gubernatorial candidates released their fundraising totals this week. GOP contenders raised quite a bit of money, especially considering that we’re still a year away from the primary.

Here’s a breakdown of the heavy-hitters as of June 30:

Bill Haslam: $3.8 million
Ron Ramsey: $1.3 million
Zach Wamp: $1.2 million
Bill Gibbons: $415,000

Ron Ramsey was in session with the General Assembly, and didn’t start accepting contributions until June 19.
Ken Whitehouse:

What will be interesting to see is how much of that money was raised from political action committees. As a sitting lieutenant governor, Ramsey will have a clear advantage over rivals in this realm of the fund-raising world.

Wamp was in trouble if he couldn’t break $1 million. And I talked to one local Republican who suggested he should bow out of the governor’s race, and hold on to his Congressional seat. Fundraising doesn’t guarantee that a candidate will win a particular race, but it is a good indication of how much support a particular person has with his/her political base.

Robin Smith and the GOP Lock?

Robin Smith joined an already crowded Republican field vying for the 3rd District nomination on Wednesday. Reception to her candidacy has been…uhm…interesting. Clay Bennett ran this cartoon one day after the announcement. And Christopher Bateman has a fairly scathing post on the Vanity Fair blog:

Smith was the head of the Tennessee Republican Party during the ‘08 presidential campaign and approved the distribution of some of the most underhanded and insidious anti-Obama propaganda to appear during the election.
[...]
One thing’s for sure: her opponents better be ready for a nasty, nasty campaign.

Regardless of who gets the GOP nomination, Mike Willingham thinks the seat is a lock for Republicans, writing: ”there is no way a Democrat is going to win the 3rd district.” I tend to agree with him, but if anyone from the left wants to try and convince me otherwise, I’m all ears.

Well, that happened

Chattarati celebrated its 1-year anniversary this week. My own involvement with the site began as a casual, entertainment contributor. That role somehow morphed into writing (almost) daily about city government, as well as sharing editorial responsibilities with John.

We never predicted how successful this site would become, but we’re thankful for all the support the community has given us. Thanks for reading.

Updated: Fire Near Cameron Hill “Under Control”

Joe Lance — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 03:04:42 +0000

A blurry cell phone picture posted on Twitter by Kent Callison seems to corroborate what this writer saw in person tonight at around 9:45 p.m. Smoke was rising from the approximate location of the Blue Cross parking garage at the southern end of Cameron Hill, and flames could be seen. It was difficult to tell while driving, but emergency crews may have already been at the site.

We are working to confirm details, and will bring you more information as it becomes available. At this time, it is unclear whether fireworks (either those used in conjunction with the Lookouts game, or other) had anything to do with the blaze.

UPDATE 1: Twitter user @ChattHasNews left the following comment on the posted photo: “Coming back from the Lookouts Firework show, saw many fire trucks there.”

UPDATE 2: Daniel Ryan sent an update indicating that the fire was near, but not on, Cameron Hill, and is under control. He spoke with the Chattanooga Fire Department.

UPDATE 3: Twitter user @tropicalwonder says the fire department further indicates that an electrical line caught fire, and reiterates the message that the fire has been contained.

UPDATE 4: Chattanoogan.com reports it as a “small fire” and notes the timing relative to the Lookouts fireworks.

UPDATE 5: Meh. Go on to sleep. Nothing to see here. (Tip: Jim Tanner)

Reinventing First Friday Five

John Hawbaker — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:48:49 +0000

You may have noticed, we didn’t organize a First Friday Five fundraiser today. Or in June. The local online giving project started out in January with great success, but has since lost steam. Now we’re taking some time to “dream it all up again.”

The original concept was simple: soliciting $5 donations for a local nonprofit, on the first Friday of each month, towards a specific, tangible goal. And while so many of Chattanooga’s charitable organizations do great work, we have found that it can be difficult to quantify it in a way that makes sense for a First Friday Five fundraiser. Coincidentally or not, as the months went on, the goals became less specific and donations dropped.

We still believe First Friday Five has a lot of potential, so we’re looking for new ideas. At the suggestion of one of our editors, this may mean opening it up to include not just nonprofit charitable organizations, but also specific people or project ideas where our community of readers could make a difference.

So we’d like to hear from you: what are your ideas for First Friday Five?

Ron Littlefield Caption Contest

Chattarati Staff — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:15:12 +0000

Pictured below is Mayor Ron Littlefield, as seen in German publication Spiegel Online.

Write a caption for the photo in the comments section, and you might win…the respect and admiration of your fellow Chattarati readers. The winner will be selected by Chattarati over the weekend, and announced on Monday. And by the way, having other readers and friends vote your caption up (through the ‘Like’ option on each comment) will only improve your chances. Enjoy.

Weekendist: Fireworks, Fireworks, Fireworks

John Hawbaker — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:06:02 +0000

A few highlights for this holiday weekend in Chattanooga…

JJ Grey. Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/snflwrgddss23/ / CC BY 2.0

Nightfall: Tonight at Nightfall, catch JJ Grey & Mofro, with openers Blues Hammer.

Lookouts and Fireworks: The Chattanooga Lookouts are at home tonight, with a 6:15 p.m. game against the Carolina Mudcats, with—naturally—fireworks following the game.

Star Trek at IMAX: We may have missed out on The Dark Knight, but IMAX is coming through for sci-fi fans, showing JJ Abrams’ Star Trek all this month. Showtimes for Star Trek are 7:00 p.m. and 9:20 p.m. Friday – Saturday, and 7:00 p.m. Sunday – Thursday nights.

New Binkley Brothers at Rock City: The Southern Music Weekends series continues at Rock City on Saturday and Sunday with music throughout the day by the New Binkley Brothers.

Chattanooga FC: Will their Facebook Challenge bring in 5,000 fans for their season-ending game at Finley? Either way, the games are exciting, the crowd is enthusiastic, and the beer is cold. And this Saturday night, they’re offering $1 shuttle rides to the riverfront so fans can catch fireworks after the game.

Pops on the River: Chattanooga’s biggest fourth of July celebration, Pops on the River needs no introduction. The Chattanooga Symphony and Opera is back, along with Dismembered Tennesseans and Tim and Sara King, to present a patriotic concert in Coolidge Park, followed by a fireworks display.

Ice Cream Social: Beat the heat Sunday afternoon at the Chattanooga Market’s Ice Cream Social featuring tasty treats from hometown favorite Clumpie’s as well as Bi-Lo, Bruster’s and Mayfield. A $5 ticket gets you a sampling of each ice cream and supports the Chattanooga Chambliss Shelter.

Did we miss something great? Share it in the comments.

County Residents Challenge Council on Annexation

David Morton — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:53:07 +0000

Two Hamilton County residents addressed the Chattanooga City Council on Tuesday with concerns about the city’s plan to annex parts of the county. The residents live in the Stonewall Farms subdivision, near Hixson Pike. They were joined by supporting members of their neighborhood.

Resident Gene Hay asked the Council who his future representative will be, and what services he will receive in exchange for an increase in property taxes.

“Our subdivision is up for possible annexation. And I’d like to know which one of you Council members is going to be responsible for that area, so we can find out what I’m going to get for my $150 a month that I’m gonna have to pay for city taxes—versus my $20 a month for garbage collection,” he said.

Jerry Good, a plant manager at the local DuPont™ manufacturing plant, lives in the same subdivision. He told the Council that he chose to specifically live in the county after moving to the area one year ago: “I really love your community, it is now my community,” he said. “One of the reasons I moved to that subdivision was, actually, because it was not in the city limits. It enjoys lower taxes.”

Councilman Peter Murphy pointed out that Mr. Good currently uses existing City services even though he lives in the county. Mr. Murphy asked the resident, “You work in the City of Chattanooga, correct? You shop in the City of Chattanooga? And you enjoy our parks, you’ve been down to the Riverfront in the City of Chattanooga?”

In response, Mr. Good confirmed that he uses some City services.

The DuPont plant where Mr. Good works also enjoys tax breaks from the City, according to Council Chair Jack Benson. He said, “And your company got an inducement to move to Chattanooga with a reduction in taxes, so they would move here, and would employ city people, as well as county people. We’d like for you to join with us if that’s what works out. We welcome you.”

Councilwoman Pam Ladd represents District 3, which will likely include Stonewall Farms, once annexed. She told Mr. Hay and Mr. Good that she would speak with them after the meeting.

The Stonewall Farms neighborhood has not been brought into the city limits, yet. The mayor’s office says that a timeline for annexation has not been determined at this time.

Annexation Debate Revived in April

The 2020 Urban Growth Plan provides the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency a roadmap to annex parts of the county into the city limits. The plan was ratified in 2001 by the City of Chattanooga, Hamilton County, and surrounding municipalities as part of the state’s efforts to control municipal growth and urban sprawl. The growth plan sat largely dormant for the next 8 years.

During his inaugural address in April 2009, Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield revived the topic while discussing “unity of vision and purpose” between the city and county.

“We began more than a decade ago. We prepared a plan with the county and other municipalities participating. It was a plan mandated by state law and it was something of a long and sometimes contentious process,” he said. “It was back during the administration of Mayor Jon Kinsey and we all ultimately agreed on how our municipal boundaries would grow. It’s time to implement the growth plan—all of it. All of it.”

City Begins Brush on Demand Service Tomorrow

Chattarati Staff — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:08:07 +0000

The Department of Public Works begins the Brush on Demand service on Wednesday, July 1. The new service will replace scheduled monthly pickup of brush, debris, and leaves. Citizens wishing to have wood waste collected by the city will need to call 3-1-1 to report a pickup. Public Works crews will be routed daily to collection locations by request.

Brush on Demand, biweekly recycling pickup, and an additional garbage pickup day will save the city $750,000 to $1,000,000 [annually], according to the mayor’s office.

Garbage collection will continue as scheduled this week despite the holiday.

From City Hall:

Beginning Wednesday, July 1, Chattanooga residents will simply need to call 3-1-1 for any brush pick-up. This new Brush on Demand service will allow citizens to report their brush piles to 3-1-1 for collection as opposed to awaiting their pickup week. Public Works crews will be routed daily to collection locations by request.

This enhancement in brush pick-up, along with biweekly curbside recycling pick-up and a garbage day collection change for approximately 18,000 citizens, will result in an anticipated annual savings of $750,000 – $1,000,000.

Citizens must register to join biweekly curbside collection, and may do so by visiting www.recycleright.org or by calling (423) 643-JOIN. Biweekly pickup for recycling begins September 2009. The garbage day collection change is the result of an employee schedule revision to increase efficiency. Citizens will be personally notified of any changes in garbage pick-up.

For more information about citywide services, please call 3-1-1 or visit www.chattanooga.gov. For more information about recycling in Chattanooga, please visit www.recycleright.org or call 643-JOIN.

Robin Smith to Make “Major Announcement” Tomorrow

David Morton — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:07:43 +0000

7.01.09 UPDATE: Yes She Can.

Former TN-GOP Chair, Robin Smith, will make a “major announcement” on Wednesday, July 1, according to a media advisory issued today. She is expected to formally announce a run for the Republican nomination for the 3rd Congressional seat in Tennessee. The seat is currently occupied by Zach Wamp, who is running for the GOP nomination in Tennessee’s 2010 gubernatorial race.

The advisory states:

Smith resigned as Tennessee Republican Party Chairman on May 30 to explore a potential bid for the Third District Congressional seat being vacated by Representative Zach Wamp (R-TN). She has since traveled to every county in the Third District gauging support for a possible run and plans another tour of all eleven counties this week.

The release includes a two-day itinerary, taking Ms. Smith into every county of the 3rd district.

HT: Kleinheider.

Boathouse Restaurant Emails Spark Strong Reactions on Social Networking Sites

John Hawbaker — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:30:17 +0000

Friday morning, Bleu Hayes posted an email forward on Twitter about a customer’s recent experience at Boathouse, a local seafood restaurant. The email thread begins with a complaint from customer Craig Johnson—who claims a restaurant employee was unhelpful and misinformed him about health code rules—and follows the exchanges between Mr. Johnson and Lawton Haygood, General Partner of Boathouse. In the 48 hours since it was originally posted, the story has created an uproar in social networking circles, including heated reactions on Twitter and a “Boycott Boathouse” group on Facebook.

According to the original email, Johnson took his family to Boathouse for a Father’s Day meal, stopping along the way to pick up food from McDonald’s for his “particularly picky” three year old. Upon being seated at the restaurant, he was told that bringing in outside food was a violation of the health code. After being unable to reach a satisfactory resolution with a Boathouse employee, Johnson left the restaurant. Several days later, he sent an email to Boathouse, recounting his experience and pointing out, based on an email response from a State of Tennessee employee, that there is no health code rule against bringing outside food into a restaurant. Boathouse’s Haygood responded:

“You really should check with your Pediatrician, concerning a 3 year old having that much control over her nutritional program.” -Lawton Haygood, General Partner, Boathouse

Johnson replied that he was “in awe that someone who is the General Partner of a restaurant would be that smart assed to a customer,” and the conversation continued as Haygood again responded with an implied criticism of Johnson’s parenting:

“You go to McDonalds to get a happy meal, then to a restaurant, then back in a hot car and go to another restaurant, but the 3 year old is not in charge? You need to really think about that.” -Lawton Haygood

After making the rounds via email, the story was first posted to Twitter on Friday morning. It began to pick up steam later that day when the link was retweeted by numerous Twitter users, each with hundreds of followers of their own. Their reactions were strong:

“wow #boathousefail – I’ll never go to boathouse, canyon or sugar’s again.” -@mkelley

“@mkelley Sounds like Mr. Haygood has never had the privilege of trying to get a young child to eat quietly. #boathousefail” -@foureightfour

“This infuriates me! http://www.twitlonger.com/show/dd374ef71469b076f935692dacaf1877 #CHAeats #boathousefail” -@terrananderson

Online discussions also turned to the power of social networking to affect the public’s perception of a business:

“Social media may not make your business, but it can break it. Bad experiences will be shared, i.e: http://bit.ly/15X4b4 #boathousefail” -@jacksonalexandr

“Twitter has become the instant Court of Public Opinion.” -@josiahq

In Johnson’s final response, he stated that he would “be sure to share this level of caring that you display with as much people as possible.”

Haygood responded to our inquiry by sending us a copy of an email apology he sent to Johnson. In the email, he explained his perspective and defended his staff before issuing an apology:

“I got upset that you continued your arguments four days later and made disparaging remarks about my managers, who I believed had made their best effort to provide menu recommendations for your child. They handle that sort of request several times each day. It appeared you would not settle for anything less than the McDonalds food you brought for your child. In my state of irritation with you and in moment of personal weakness, I made a very insulting comment which reflected on your parenting. I did not mean for it to come out that way but it did. I had no right to make any assumptions about how you perform your duties as a parent and for that unfortunate response, I sincerely apologize.

…

“I have no defense for what I said to you, but would like to say, this is not my normal reaction to a customer complaint. I treasure my customers and work hard as I can to please them.” -Lawton Haygood

Craig Johnson did not respond to a request for comment.

2009 State of the City Video & Liveblog

Chattarati Staff — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 19:00:07 +0000

Full video of Mayor Ron Littlefield’s 2009 State of the City Address.

Read a transcript of the Chattarati liveblog after the jump.

8:36 p.m.

Daniel Ryan:

Anyone having trouble viewing the stream please email me dryan@dryan.com or DM me on Twitter @dryan

4:24 p.m.

David Morton:

still testing video quality

4:36 p.m.

David Morton:

Donald just made lower thirds for some of our speakers. It’s

almost

like we know what we’re doing.

4:45 p.m.

John Hawbaker:

Cameron Adams is roaming the reception snapping pics of City Council members and other notable guests.

4:57 p.m.

David Morton:

Full spread at the Doubletree. Donald recommends something called ‘meat-wrapped asparagus’ for all the peeps following along at home.

5:03 p.m.

David Morton:

Anita Ebersole is handing out some City of Chattanooga swag

5:09 p.m.

David Morton:

Council members present so far: Rico, McGary, Robinson, Ladd, Scott. City Attorney Mike McMahan as well.

5:17 p.m.

David Morton:

About to get a bunch of reception photos from Cameron Adams in the livefeed. Stay tuned.

5:19 p.m.

Daniel Ryan:

Flickr’s API appears to be lagging a bit. Photos may show up a few minutes behind, just scroll down to check.

5:21 p.m.

David Morton:

People are starting to file in now. We’ll be up with video in 10 minutes.

5:24 p.m.

David Morton:

Cameron’s photos are up. Scroll down to see them.

5:28 p.m.

David Morton:

We’re starting to roll with the video.

5:29 p.m.

Daniel Ryan:

Boy Scout color guard. Nice.

5:31 p.m.

David Morton:

Hit reload (lower left) on the UStream window for video.

5:34 p.m.

David Morton:

Great rendition of the National Anthem by Roshanda McClain

5:36 p.m.

David Morton:

Ok. Minor glitch aside, we’re up and rolling

5:38 p.m.

David Morton:

If you’re having a problem with the feed, let us know. You might need to hit the refresh on the UStream window (lower left corner button)

5:40 p.m.

David Morton:

Claude Ramsey talking about VW announcement

5:40 p.m.

David Morton:

“There will be more coming”

5:41 p.m.

David Morton:

Ramsey: “I see so many people work to turn things around this community. Not by accident that it’s happened. It’s hard work that made it happen”

5:42 p.m.

David Morton:

Ramsey said he agreed to intro mayor only if Littlefield didn’t talk about annexation.

5:42 p.m.

David Morton:

Ramsey: “This community has to come together as one”

5:43 p.m.

David Morton:

Welcomes Ron Littlefield to the stage. Standing ovation.

5:44 p.m.

David Morton:

Ron Littlefield speaking

5:44 p.m.

David Morton:

“Whatever your political leanings, whatever your chosen path in life, whatever your economic status…you must admit that we live in interesting times.”

5:46 p.m.

David Morton:

Discussing rapid change in the world during the last year. Giving props to digital revolution.

5:48 p.m.

David Morton:

“As an observer of urban life and as an active participant in the art and science of building cities for the past four decades, I have never seen such a time.”

5:48 p.m.

John Hawbaker:

“[the] venerable institutions of the Third Estate, those pillars of journalism would find themselves challenged by bloggers”

That’s what the kids call a “shout out.”

5:49 p.m.

David Morton:

“Other countries on other continents are meeting the present crisis with infrastructure programs of their own, so – as the line goes – we must run faster just to stay even.”

5:53 p.m.

David Morton:

“‘It’s time to break the mold,’ Crisis can raise awareness, focus attention, and even spawn opportunity.”

5:53 p.m.

John Hawbaker:

Here’s a link to Pivot Point, the Ernst & Young publication that Mayor Littlefield just referenced

5:54 p.m.

David Morton:

Talking about the recession’s impact on local and state infrastructure, energy, and development

5:56 p.m.

David Morton:

Urban Planning is the key to success

5:56 p.m.

David Morton:

“Chattanooga can bring new life to the UT Planning School and the presence of such students and their studies can bring new life to Chattanooga.”

5:57 p.m.

David Morton:

Referring to U.S. Conference of Mayors

5:58 p.m.

John Hawbaker:

“More than ever before, Chattanooga is being recognized.” -Mayor Ron Littlefield

5:58 p.m.

David Morton:

“I can say without exaggeration or reservation that Chattanooga is well served by a team of skilled veterans that are quite likely the finest group of professionals that I have ever had the privilege to work with – it is truly a dream team.”

5:59 p.m.

John Hawbaker:

On the Chattanooga Police Department’s accomplishments:

“In 2008, the Police Department handled 208,246 calls for service, worked 11,414 accidents, produced 122,966 incident reports and arrested more than 15,000 suspected criminals – 14,147 adults and 904 juveniles.”

6:02 p.m.

David Morton:

On recycling, “We are going in the right direction”

6:03 p.m.

David Morton:

Applause for Bill Payne.

6:04 p.m.

John Hawbaker:

Good financial work by the city benefits taxpayers:

“The Finance Department succeeded in obtaining an upgrade in the city’s bond rating issued by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services from AA to AA+ a very significant achievement in today’s financial climate and one that pays dividends to taxpayers in lower interest charges.”

6:04 p.m.

John Hawbaker:

We’re 100 feet away and can hear Will Carr broadcasting live while the mayor is still speaking.

6:09 p.m.

John Hawbaker:

“You are well served by the departments and the professional administrators that lead them. Chattanooga has never been in better hands especially in these challenging and interesting times.”

6:13 p.m.

David Morton:

“for local governments the future must be about determining how services can be delivered most effectively and efficiently.”

6:13 p.m.

John Hawbaker:

Good laugh from the crowd when the mayor joked about “consolidating governments.”

6:14 p.m.

David Morton:

“public education will remain the dominant big idea that can move cultures and communities to new and better lifestyles.”

6:15 p.m.

David Morton:

“Ladies and gentlemen, the state of the city is good.”

6:16 p.m.

David Morton:

Talking about Urban Growth Map. “My brother, I did not say the A-word” (motions to Claude Ramsey)

6:17 p.m.

John Hawbaker:

“It’s time to dream big dreams, see new visions and make those visions our new reality.”

6:21 p.m.

David Morton:

Talking about YPAC and Chattanooga Stand.

6:22 p.m.

David Morton:

Standing ovation on mayor’s conclusion.

6:25 p.m.

John Hawbaker:

The ceremony closed with a prayer for “the peace of the city.” The live video stream is now over, and we’ll follow up with interviews on the scene to be posted later.

Chattarati, Chattanooga news and opinion

The Chattanooga Politico, July 4

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