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Editorials

  • Haslam order a slap in the face of Tennesseans

    After the inaugural celebration for Gov. Bill Haslam this weekend, the new governor turned and immediately slapped the face of the public who elected him.
    He signed three executive orders that, according to a news release from his office, were intended to set out his commitment to transparency and openness in state government.
    Some commitmment.
    Included in those orders was language that eliminates the governor and his top aides from having to disclose how much they earn in outside income.

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  • Why banning bulls-eye would be wrong

    By KEN PAULSON
    First Amendment Center
    A Pennsylvania congressman is targeting bull’s-eyes.
    In the wake of the attempted assassination of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., and the murder of federal Judge John Roll, Rep. Robert Brady, D-Pa., told The New York Times that he plans legislation that would ban language or symbols that could be perceived as threatening federal officials and members of Congress.

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  • Power outage comes with an opportunity

    First of all, we’d like to express our thanks to the Rockwood Electric Utility crews who spent hours working in the cold Saturday.
    A pole fire sent parts of Kingston and Midtown into a blackout on a very cold day. Even worse, many people were without any heat for more than five hours.
    While we appreciate the work that was put in to get the power restored, we think the widespread outage on Saturday lends an opportunity for improvement.

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  • University wise to rethink open records policy

    By GENE POLICINSKI
    First Amendment Center
    Let’s begin 2011 on a hopeful note: Texas A&M University officials say they will revisit a recent decision that would have banned journalism instructors from directing students in filing open-records requests about — of all things — Texas A&M policies and practices.
    At Tarleton State University, one of 19 Texas schools and agencies in the A&M state system, journalism instructors have for years taught their students how to file such requests.
    Not surprisingly, Tarleton State students have done that very thing.

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  • Land donation a substantial gift to Roane

    Some Roane County News readers love Gerald Largen’s column, A View from Lick Skillet.
    Others clearly love to hate it.
    Whatever anyone thinks of Largen’s opinions, any Roane County resident has to appreciate his recent deeds.
    Largen has taken steps to donate his more than 100 acres of rural land on Watts Bar Lake and Bowman Bend Road to the state for public use.

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  • Requirement of liner indication of TVA failure

    Gone is the big cloud of steam over the Kingston Fossil Plant that had become a symbol of cleaner air over much of the Southeast.
    It has been replaced with the nastier, albeit less obvious, emissions from the plant’s twin stacks.
    All this is a result of TVA’s leaky gypsum containment pond.

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  • This space is dedicated to the givers among us

    Are you one of the people who dropped a handful of coins  — or more — in a Salvation Army bucket?
    Perhaps you gathered boxes and cans of food for one of the many drives to help feed the needy.
    Maybe you donated pet supplies to the new pantry to help needy families feed and keep their pets.
    Or perhaps you gave generously to United Way, Operation REACH or one of the many other causes that can help people here in Roane County and beyond.
    If you are one of those who gave what you could, whether it be a little or a lot, we thank you.

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  • Gypsum pond leak does not bode well

    It was disturbing to learn Wednesday that Kingston Fossil Plant’s new gypsum pond is leaking — just two years after the December 2008 ash disaster.
    That disaster changed the face of Roane County for many — both inside and outside the area.
    We have heard promises from state environmental officials that this gypsum containment system would be different and safer.
    With seepage showing this early on, we’re not feeling very confident about their claims.

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  • Reasons for slow growth in Roane County?

    “Obviously, the economy is a reason,” County Commissioner Ron Berry said when he heard about Roane County’s relatively slow population growth rate of 3.1 percent over the past decade.
    If Berry is talking about the overall economic slump, then it would be difficult to explain why Loudon County’s (19.5) population shot up around six times the rate of Roane’s, or Monroe’s (17.6) at more than five times the rate.
    Then there is Meigs (11) and Rhea (9.2), each with a substantially higher growth rates.

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  • Give Kingston employees bonus from scrap sale

    Things are tight all over.
    With that in mind, we can understand the debate over a recent proposal to sell scrap metal the city of Kingston has accumulated in order to give employees an extra pay boost.
    The idea, proposed by Councilman Kevin McClure, would raise enough to add an extra $98 or so to the approximately $400 bonus each employee will receive. Other than the bonus, the employees are not getting a raise.
    Normally, we might agree with Councilman Brant Williams that the scrap-metal money could be put to better use.

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Copyright © 2013

The Roane County News is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Roane County and Kingston, Tennessee, and the surrounding area.