Knoxville Congressman Jimmy Duncan wants to open up more areas to oil drilling. Duncan says without more domestic supply, we will see gas prices continue to rise.

He complains though that, “environmental radicals and extremists” are happy with high prices because it will force Americans to drive less.

He says when gas prices climb to $4, $5, or $6 a gallon, as “these environmental groups” want, it’ll be the death of small towns, whose populations depend on out of town jobs.

Duncan talks about the gas crisis, the war in Iraq and the mortgage crisis Sunday on Tennessee This Week.

Duncan had particularly harsh words for the Pentagon, which he says had “mind-boggling” cost overruns of $295 billion.

He says many in Congress won’t question the spending because they fear being called “unpatriotic.”

Duncan says its a “false and blind” patriotism that allows the Pentagon to “continually waste” mega billions and the Defense Department to spend like “there’s no tomorrow.”

Tennessee This Week airs Sunday at noon.

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.

Hammond made his comments in this week’s edition of Tennessee This Week. He’s joined by fellow committee member Kim Waller, who agrees that changes are necessary if the Committee is to become more effective.

Also joining us this week are political commentator Frank Cagle and political fundraiser Cortney Piper.

And in our Final Word segment, we’ll hear about “Go Red for Women” day in Knoxville.

Tune into Tennessee This Week, this Sunday at noon to hear from Steve Borden and Travis Brickey about the closure of I-40 through downtown Knoxville.

The men from T-DOT explain the changes to the downtown traffic patterns.

George Korda joins us in the final word.

Knox County Commission Chairman Tank Strickland may look like a middle linebacker, but cheerleading may be his real talent.

At Wednesday’s Thompson Boling Celebration for the Lady Vols, the Chairman stepped to the microphone to proclaim the day “Lady Vols Day” in Knox County…but not before leaning toward Mayor Bill Haslam and saying, “I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time.”

What did he do? He lead the crowd of enthusiastic fans to a rousing a rendition of ..’WHAT’S THAT SPELL? LADY VOLS!!”

Strickland fired up the crowd with his delivery…sending decibel levels soaring and putting smiles on the faces of just about everyone…including Strickland.

Afterwards, I asked him he had fun. He did, he said. And he was happy he didn’t misspell Lady Vols.

Why is Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale demanding that 9th District Commissioner Victoria DeFreese turn over correspondences, e-mails and phone logs from constituents who’ve complained to her, regarding the Mayor’s P-Card Audit response?

In requesting the material, the Mayor - though his spokesman Dwight Van DeVate - cited the Tennessee Open Records Act, to suggest that she has no choice in the matter.

This material could be subject to public disclosure through the Act, though Frank Gibson of the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government wasn’t sure. He tells 6 News he’d never heard of this type of request being made and said it would probably take a court to ultimately decide.

But even if it is subject to the Act, several folks I’ve spoken to today, say it seems a pretty heavy-handed way of requesting it. Even Gibson called it “overboard” and suggested it was creating another crisis…”as if Knox County didn’t have enough crisis already,” he said.

The Mayor’s office says the request was not an attempt to be confrontational. Dwight Van DeVate called it a standard and common request and not intended to be “disruptive.”

So why the demand? Does the Mayor really want to contact each citizen and explain the audit response, as Van DeVate’s letter to DeFreese suggests? Or is the Mayor attempting to bully DeFreese and call her bluff about the number of people who’ve actually complained to her?

In a news conference Monday, DeFreese said she has no plans to turn over anything to the Mayor’s office. She says her conversations and her communications were private, and she plans to keep it that way.

She also said she “resented” the Mayor’s actions.

So what will the Mayor do next? Does he really want to go to court over this issue? My guess is no.

Congratulations to James McIntyre on his selection as Knox County’s next School Superintendent. He accepted the position this evening after a 5-4 vote by the Knox County School Board.

Yet to be worked out, are the details of his contract. He will make in the range of $240,000 a year. Not bad pay for McIntyre, who comes from the Boston School System.

According to a 2007 Boston Globe report, Boston School Superintendent Michael Contompasis made $283,500 in salary and benefits.

The battle over changes to the Knox County Charter is heating up.

Last night at a forum at South Doyle High School — hosted by Commissioners Victoria Defreese and Paul Pinkston - about a 100 folks showed up to learn about the proposed changes. They also heard criticism of the motivations of those who are pushing the changes.

That group - KnoxCharterPetition.com - is the offspring of Knox County One Question - an organization formed in the Spring of 2007. It asked: “What changes, if any, do the citizens want to make to the form or structure of government in Knox County?

The group took the question to a series of public forums and combined the responses with a Baker Center study on best practices in local government, eventually coming up with 9 proposed amendments to the charter.

County Commission - agreed on first reading - to 7 of the 9 amendments and spent hours today in workshop discussing them. A second yes vote is needed to put an amendment on the August ballot.

I wasn’t at today’s workshop, but I was at last night’s forum. I heard enough to know that the public has plenty of questions. I also learned that - if we get the opportunity to vote on any of these amendments - we all need to do our homework.

Some of the proposals may appear to be no-brainers, but a closer inspection might change your mind. A closer inspection may reinforce your feelings.

Either way, something as important as a change in our charter should be studied carefully. And healthy debate - with opposing viewpoints - is a good way to do that.

Some argue there’s been plenty of time for discussion. The series of forums that resulted in these proposed changes - was afterall - a public process, they argue.

My sense though, from witnessing last night’s gathering, is the real public process is just beginning and the debate starts now.

I had the pleasure of having dinner with some old friends the other night. The occasion was a visit from former Knoxville Mayor, Victor Ashe, who is now Ambassador to Poland. He was in town to take part in Tuesday’s unveiling of mayoral portraits at the City-County Building.

Victor had gathered a few of his former directors together for a bite to eat at Calhoun’s on the River. Those there included: former law director, now Federal Judge Tom Varlan, former finance director Randy Vineyard, former police chief Phil Keith, and three former Mayoral deputies - Craig Griffith, Frank Cagle and me.

It was a fun hour of mostly reminiscences of days past. Of course, Varlan, Vineyard, Keith and Griffith were with Mayor Ashe for far longer than me or Frank, but all of us have funny anecdotes about the Mayor and our days in public service.

My brief 3 years in the Ashe administration, were filled with laughter, but also were some of the most challenging and serious professional times of my life.

And the men around that table that night, and a few other men and women who weren’t there, helped guide me though those times. In the process, I gained life long friends and came to understand public service as something very positive.

Government doesn’t have to be a negative. It can perform at a high level.

The former mayor wasn’t universally liked, he had many detractors. But he was respected for his abilities as the city’s manager and for the team he put together. I’m proud to have been part of that group.

At the end of the meal, we each paid our bill and promised to get together again soon. I hope we do.

Federal earmarks get a bad rap. And often for good reasons.

Everyone knows about Alaska’s “bridge to nowhere”, a project that hoped to connect the town of Ketchikan (population 8900) to the airport in Gravina (population 50) at a price tag of 320 million dollars.

It became a national symbol of out of control, irresponsible, pork barrel spending. Fortunately, the outrage over the project was enough to kill it. But as we all know, one person’s pork is someone’s else’s vital necessity.

Still, not all earmarks are bad.

I was reminded of that this morning in Madisonville.

I’m a member of Hiwassee’s Board of Trustees and so I admit some bias here. I was there for a check presentation by Congressman Jimmy Duncan. He’d help secure a $383,000 check to help Hiwassee develop a new dental hygiene program.

To me, it’s a win-win situation. The school gains a new program and needy residents gain dental care that they might otherwise not be able to afford.

It’s a program - as Congressman Duncan said this morning - that will “continue for many, many years to come and help thousands of people.”

You’ve got to give Democrat Mike Padgett extra points for grit.

The former Knox County Clerk officially announcing his intention today, to seek the United States Senate seat now held by Lamar Alexander.

“I have been working vigorously over the past few weeks building a team that will include people from all parts of the state of Tennessee,” he said at his news conference.

Padgett, who has never run a political race outside of Knox County, faces (if he wins his primary) one of the most formidable political figures in Tennessee history.

Lamar Alexander has - “been there and done that.”

He’s been Governor, Secretary of Education under President Reagan, President of the University of Tennessee and ran a credible race for President of the United States in 1996.

Other state democrats, like Mike McWherter, son of former Governor Ned McWherter, looked at the odds and what it would take to win, and decided against running.
But where others saw obstacles, apparently Padgett sees opportunities.

If ever there was a David and Goliath match up, this is it.

Padgett - during his years as Knox County Clerk - developed a network of personal and professional relationships with other clerks around the state. Those clerks are, no doubt, tied into their counties’ political structures. Their support could help.

But what would really help is - lots of money. Outside Knox County, he is an unknown. Money can change that… if he has enough time.

Former TVA Board member and Al Gore fundraiser, Johnny Hayes is supporting Padgett. He raised big bucks for the former Vice President. It remains to be seen if he can do that for the former Knox County Clerk.

And speaking of the Clerk’s job. Many were impressed with how Padgett conducted himself after being term limited. He didn’t have to be dragged, kicking and screaming from his job, he simply packed up his office and left - with his dignity intact.

In this political climate, that’s worth at least a vote to two.