Gina Oster, Republican candidate for Knox County Commission, needs to focus on local issues | Ashe
County Commission candidate Stuart Hohl has made greenways part of his campaign in his northwest Knox County district, along with better schools, public safety and low taxes.
“Greenways along with public parks are a significant and important part of our quality of life," Hohl said. "I look forward to working closely with Parks and Recreation Director Joe Mack so we can increase greenways serving the Cedar Bluff, Ridgedale and Amherst areas in northwest Knox County area as well as connecting to other greenways countywide. We should consider whether a county greenway commission should be created along with the city greenway commission chaired by Sam Flanagan."
Meanwhile, his opponent, Gina Oster, continues to promote national slogans and issues in her campaign, issues on which the County Commission has no impact. "Stop Washington's liberal agenda" is featured on her website, as well as an attack accusing Knoxville Democrats and — by implication, Hohl — of "pushing reparations and unlimited illegal immigration."
Oster ought to spell out how the County Commission can meaningfully make policy on "reparations and unlimited illegal immigration," but she will not, as the commission cannot. Shaping federal policy is up to our congressman and two senators.
For the record, Hohl opposes reparations and unlimited illegal immigration. But Oster avoids serious discussion of local issues that the commission can legitimately work on, such as better roads, jobs, development and safe neighborhoods.
A recent Facebook post by Oster says she does not want "any of Biden's agendas in our county." Perhaps she should be running for Congress if that is her major worry. Her irrelevant promotion of nonissues for the County Commission may be one reason she failed in her prior campaigns for the county school board and state House of Representatives. Voters were not distracted by her attempts to nationalize local elections and avoid thoughtful discussion of issues the County Commission actually considers.
Hohl, meanwhile, talks about county issues such as the Advance Knox studies (advanceknox.org); helping Sheriff Tom Spangler improve law enforcement; monthly neighborhood meetings across the district; greenways, keeping taxes low, and better schools, to name several. Oster had significant differences with Spangler through her membership on the County Merit System Board.
There is a Democratic candidate for Congress this year against Tim Burchett. He is Mark Harmon, a UT professor, who once served on the Knox County Commission. Harmon moved to Knoxville in 1999 to teach at the UT School of Communications and currently serves on the state Democratic Executive Committee. His term expires Sept. 1.
He opposed and lost to Republican Mac Thornberry for Congress in Texas in 1998. Harmon lives in North Knoxville. Burchett lives in Powell.
It is uncertain whether the Knox GOP will have a Lincoln Day dinner this year. GOP chair Daniel Herrera has not responded to inquiries. On June 10, local Democrats had a very successful Truman Day Dinner, which raised more than $60,000 and featured former Alabama Sen. Doug Jones as speaker.
Last year, Herrera had self-promoter Charlie Kirk as the speaker at a cost to the party of $20,000. The county party had never before paid a fee for a speaker. It generated strong criticism. Herrera likely will not repeat this blunder, but right now he is silent on whether there will even be a GOP event — an annual occurrence for 50 years. Surely there will be one, but the party structure lacks leadership.
The state Trial Vacancy Commission has posted a notice that it will accept applications until Thursday for the soon-to-be vacant position held by Criminal Court Judge Kyle Hixson. Hixson has been appointed by Gov. Bill Lee and approved by the legislature to the Criminal Court of Appeals effective Sept. 1.
A public hearing will be held Aug. 2 for those who apply.
State law requires the commission to submit three names to Lee, who will then appoint one. Hixson's office will move from the City County Building to the old Federal Courthouse and Post Office building, which now provides offices for state appellate judges.
Whomever Lee appoints will serve until August 2024, when that person will stand for election by Knox County voters.
The primary will be March 2024, concurrent with the state presidential primary. That person will serve the remaining six years in the eight-year term to Aug. 31, 2030.
Birthdays
July 10: David Witherspoon is 77. Kevin Barry is 45. Dayakar Penumadu is 57.
July 11: Richard Green is 69.
July 12: Ralph Harvey is 70. Marianne Custer is 75.
July 13: Kim Wood is 62. Sara Hedstrom Pinnell is 52. Jim Hart is 80. CPA Cindy Segers is 59. Mary Lynn Majors is 83. Steven Whitmore is 33. Bert Sams is 77.
July 14: Attorney Brian Blind is 48. Benjamin Lewis is 68. Steve Land is 69. Kyle Baisley is 39. Former City Council candidate Kim Smith is 57.
July 15: Businessman John Kalec is 72. Former Tim Burchett staffer Dean Rice is 53. Tom Mattingly is 74.
Victor Ashe is a former Knoxville mayor and former ambassador to Poland. He is a columnist for Shopper News. He can be reached at vhashe@aol.com.