South End Grounds

Bryson's In!

At long last, we have a candidate...a great one.

But can he win?  In a word, yes. 

There once was a man who was relatively unknown who decided he wanted to run for political office.  He faced a well-known, wildly popular political executive.  Our guy's opponent had held several offices in his long career.  He was well-funded and had the support of all of the political establishment.  But our intrepid candidate soldiered on even though he had to run a sprint of a campaign because of his late entry into the contest.  Our guy was told that he can't win this race.  "You're crazy," said all the informed politicos.  But he didn't lose heart and he didn't lose the election. 

That was the 23rd State Senate district in 2002.  Our guy's name is Jim Bryson.

Jim is one of those individuals who has a knack for turning the impossible into a reality.  He started a business at the ripe old age of 25 that is now thriving and employs 50 people.  When I met Jim in 2002, I was one of those politicos that thought, "What a nice guy.  Too bad he's about to get his clocked cleaned."  Jim proved me wrong.  Thank goodness Jim proved me wrong.  Since he arrived in the legislature, he has transformed the Spending Control Amendment from a floundering idea into a political movement. 

Rumor around the blogosphere is that Jim Bryson is some sort of sacrificial lamb being offered up to the gubernatorial gods.  Take AC Kleinheider (and his post that is poorly titled for an MSM blog.)  AC is a sharp guy and I'm sure WKRN pays him well for his opinion, but he's just wrong. 

I, too, believe Bryson is a smart, capable man. That's why there is no way he got in this race to win.

I hope AC will explain to me why a "smart, capable man" would get in a race not to win.  If he were smart and capable I would assume he is smart enough and capable enough to take the summer and autumn off in place of losing a hard fought race for Governor.  AC continues:

While the money Bredesen has at his disposal is impressive, it's more than that. There is no time.

This argument would have some merit if Jim didn't serve in the State Legislature.  Tennessee has a well-intended law that forbids legislators from taking money while the legislature is in session.  (The law has problems that I'll save for another post.)  Had he gotten in the race in November, he would have had two months to raise money before his spigot was shut off because of his legislative duties.  During the session, the press would have written an endless stream of stories about how Jim has no money and his well-financed opponent is laying legislative traps at every turn in hopes of catching the senator in a politically unpopular vote.  There is no upside in announcing before the legislative session.

Fundraising considerations aside, Beth Harwell was also eying a run at Bredesen until mid-January of this year.  Jim was showing deference to a senior legislator and former state GOP chair.  So, for all of you wondering why Jim is just now getting into the race, there it is.

Will the compacted time frame impact this race?  It could.  The election is in six months and that is plenty of time to raise enough money to get his message out and build an organization to deliver it.  We would all do well to remember that Jim does not have to match Bredesen dollar for dollar.  He has to raise enough to run his campaign well.  A strong grassroots fundraising effort and the money from the national party will go a long way.  The short race can actually be an advantage.  There won't be any time for the campaign to stagnate and grow lethargic.  It will be a race of constantly building momentum.  The question is whether or not Jim can put enough steam into the race to push him past Bredesen in six months.

And let's not forget that this is Tennessee...a flaming red state.  Jim starts this race with a healthy base of support.  Before you remind me that Phil Bredesen is the only Democrat to win statewide since the pre-1994 days, consider what Roger Abramson, a skeptic on Bryson's chances, has to say:

[I]t will be nice to see Phil have to go head to head with someone with an IQ greater than a toadstool for once.

Roger said it.  Not me.  But his point is a good one.  Bredesen has never faced anyone with Jim's measure of intellect, charisma and political skill.  Bredesen has made a career of running against Bill Boner, Don Sundquist and Van Hilleary.  And he lost to a couple of those guys.  The one he beat, Hilleary, wasn't able to unify the party after a bitter primary fight with Jim Henry.  I don't know if Hilleary simply wrote off support from Henry's voters or if his overtures fell on deaf ears.  Whatever the reason, they didn't stay with their party.  Bryson will be a unifying figure in the Republican Party.  Sure, Bredesen will get some support from traditionally Republican business types but that translates into a lot of money and relatively few votes.  Some core Democratic constituencies like labor, trial lawyers and social welfare recipients won't vote for Bredesen.  They won't vote for Bryson either, but their ambivalence to Bredesen can cause him serious problems. 

I don't know how this race will turn out but I'm certainly not ready to cede it to Bredesen.  This I do know, the campaign for Tennessee's Governor in 2006 will be a great one to watch.  Despite what one might think about either candidate, it will be refreshing to see two very smart, incredibly accomplished individuals who have widely divergent visions about the future of our state duke it out.  We can hope - and expect - that this campaign won't be the race to the bottom that we saw in 2002.  For those of us who love a contest of ideas, we may not see another race like this one for a generation.

And that brings me to my final thought.  No matter who you're for, don't sit this one out.  Get in touch with the campaign of your choice and get involved.  We're going to have a great debate about the future of Tennessee and it will be a richer, more productive debate if your voice is involved.

More on the themes and issues surrounding this campaign in a future post. 

You Heard It First Here

Jim Bryson will formally announce his candidacy for Governor on Monday at Noon. 

Details are forthcoming.....

UPDATE/CORRECTION:  The announcement will come out via a presser on Monday, early in the afternoon. A public event is scheduled for later in the week.  More to come....

ANOTHER UPDATE:  The press advisory has been delayed.  I'll let you know more details as they become available.  In the meantime, Bill Hobbs has started a fascinating new website that I'm sure you'll enjoy reading regularly through Election Day. 

Bryson for Governor

From the Nashville Post (subscription required):

NashvillePost.com has learned from political sources that State Sen. Jim Bryson (R-Franklin) is expected to formally declare early next week that he will challenge Phil Bredesen for the governor's office.

My sources confirm this to be the case as well.  Bryson has to officially file by Noon on Thursday so we'll know for sure by then.  More to come.

Here's another hint of what's to come.

Just In Case You Were Wondering

One of Bill Hobbs' guest columnists weighs in on Tennessee Right to Life's Endorsement of Ed Bryant. 

Politics at the Patrol

Brad Schrade continues The Tennessean's outstanding coverage of state government by shedding light on the politics of promotions at the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

Two-thirds of Tennessee Highway Patrol officers tapped for promotion under Gov. Phil Bredesen gave money to his campaign or had family or political patrons who did, a Tennessean investigation has found.

Among those with such connections, more than half were promoted over troopers who scored better on impartial exams or rankings, according to an analysis by the newspaper of three years of the patrol's promotions and proposed promotions.

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The newspaper's analysis of three years of promotions, including 126 cases in which THP officers were either promoted or proposed for promotion since Bredesen took office in 2003, found:

• Sixty-two of the promoted officers — 49% — contributed or had close family members who contributed to the governor's campaign before they were promoted.

• Thirty-six officers who gave campaign money or whose family members gave to Bredesen advanced even though their promotion test scores or ratings were lower than those of other applicants. Among that group were Pitts' two sons, who are also state troopers.

• The patrol's promotion process is complemented by its "recommendation" system, in which candidates seek the blessing of political patrons and donors. Twenty-five officers who were promoted or proposed for promotion did not give to Bredesen, but had references who did. Of those officers, 13 were promoted over troopers who outscored them.

Gov. Bredesen's reaction:

Approached in August, Bredesen said he succeeded in removing politics from the promotions of the Nashville Police Department when he was mayor. He said he wants the Highway Patrol headed in that direction, too.

"We need to professionalize the department," Bredesen said. "We need especially to treat young people in the department in a way that they think the way they get ahead is to do a good job as opposed to making friendships. And I'm headed in that direction."

Contacted for comment on the specifics of this story, Bredesen spokeswoman Lydia Lenker last week said the governor was busy and therefore unavailable.

"Headed in that direction?"  How so, Governor?  As Schrade accurately points out, this problem is not unique to the Bredesen administration.  But to say that he's headed in the right direction, especially in light of the evidence that Schrade unearthed, is laughable. 

The way to fix this problem is fairly easy.  The article suggests Tennessee should adopt a law, similar to Kentucky's, forbidding political contributions from patrol officers.  I am leary to forbid any citizen from participating in politics to the extent they want to.  However, there is a model readily available to reform the promotion process.

The military promotes junior enlisted members based soley on a number.  In the Marine Corps, it is called a composite score or cutting score.  That score is the result of a formula that aggregates all of the appropriate data about a Marine -- physical fitness score, military education, years of service, time in grade, etc.  On a regular basis, the higher ups decide how many people they need to promote for each rank and in each job specialty.  If they need to promote 100 infantrymen to Corporal, the top 100 scores get promoted.  No politics, no recommendations, no favors.  The numbers tell the tale.  The Highway Patrol could easily implement a similar procedure to ensure that the most qualified and honorable Troopers advance through the ranks. 

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Groundskeeper Note:  Excellent work by the Tennessean and Brad Schrade to put together this story.  It's well-sourced, thoroughly researched and unbiased in its approach.  Exactly what we should expect from a paper. 

Bredesen Poll Numbers Stuck in the Mud

Survey USA has released its most recent approval numbers of Phil Bredesen.  And there's not much in there for him to like.  For the fourth straight month, Bredesen is under 50% approval (48% in October) and his disapproval is almost as high.

There are as many people in the state predisposed to vote against Bredesen as there are for him.  For whom will these disaffected voters cast their ballot?

Zogby/WSJ: Bryant "Strongest Potential Candidate"

Fred Thompson Would Trounce Phil Bredesen

Don't take my word for it, read it here (requires much scrolling).

Zogby's most recent polling for the 2006 Battleground U.S. Senate and Governor's races shows that Ed Bryant is in the strongest position to defeat either of the candidates running in the Democratic Primary, Harold Ford, Jr. and State Sen. Rosalind Kurita. Says Zogby:

While former Congressman Ed Bryant, who lost a 2002 primary to Lamar Alexander, the man who succeeded [Fred ]Thompson in the U.S. Senate, is the GOP’s strongest potential candidate, Van Hilleary, the conservative former congressman who ran against Bredesen and lost in 2002 would also likely win. Beth Harwell, a state representative and former state Republican chairwoman, performs at levels similar to Hilleary.(emphasis added by The Groundskeeper)

In what could be perceived as a weakness for the Van Hilleary campaign, Zogby notes that Beth Harwell is running at a similar level to Hilleary.  Harwell, of course, has never run statewide before and withdrew from the Senate race several weeks ago, a race for which she did very little campaigning.  During that time Hilleary has traversed the state and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars both inside and outside of Tennessee.  To say that the two are performing at "similar" levels does not bode well for Hilleary. 

The polling must also breathe some life into Kurita's chances at the Democratic nomination.  Each of the Republican hopefuls, save Ed Bryant, performs worse against her than they do against Harold Ford, Jr.  The Democrats may indeed have a race on their hands.

Finally, Zogby's poll shows that former Republican Senator Fred Thompson would defeat handily incumbent Democrat Governor Phil Bredesen by a thirteen point margin.  Few think Sen. Thompson would make such a run but the poll indicates that a strong candidate could knock Bredesen off.  Given that she has been out of the Senate race for quite some time and is polling as well as an active candidate, Beth Harwell might be reasonably considered such a candidate. 

(Tip o' the cap:  B4B)

Around the Horn

I apologize for having to lump so many topics into one post, but I'm having to economize my time.

First, thanks to all who have commented, emailed and called about the Lil' Batgirl.  It's much appreciated.

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The biggest news of the day is Leo Mazzone's departure from the Atlanta Braves.  Well, maybe not the biggest news, but it's huge to Braves fans.  He got offered a job to coach with his best friend, in his hometown where his parents and children live.  And as an added bonus, his salary is doubled.  I'll miss him, but I can't blame him.  At least he didn't go to the Yankees.

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It turns out that Phil Bredesen can't order his staff not to take a lobbying job after they leave his employ.  At least he can't do it via executive order, so says his lawyer.  Of course, we find this out the day after he makes a public pronouncement that he will end the revolving door practice.  Didn't he think to ask his lawyer if this is legal before he made a big public to-do about it?  Was everyone but his lawyer in on the decision?  Looks like his press staff knew what was going on.  I find it pretty hard to believe that no one asked the legal staff about the legality of an executive order.  Who authors executive orders?  The lawyers. Oops.

This is classic Bredesen political opportunism.  Even in the off-chance that Bredesen didn't talk to his lawyers, he made the statement knowing that a second day story about him not being able to do it wouldn't make the waves that his first day story would.  Either he made the statement without clearing it through the Counsel's office first (which is irresponsible) or he did and blew it off knowing they could fix the problem in a manner that would draw as much attention as the initial announcement.  That's nefarious.

As I've stated before, I'm opposed to a revolving door law anyway.  It does nothing, absolutely nothing, to address real ethics problems and it will create more than a few.  It will drive lobbying underground.  If a legislator or executive branch employee wants to take a lobbying job, they will.  They'll just lobby in more subtle ways until their elimination period ends.  So we've traded registered lobbyists for a lobbyist who can't register, isnt' bound by the attendant disclosure laws but will still influence legislation, even if it isn't by way of lobbying. 

Revolving door bills look good in the newspaper but they're shoddy policy, just the kind of thing I would expect the Bredesen administration to champion.

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Speaking of revolving doors, Kim McMillan seems to be walking through one everyday.  (Before you continue reading this post, I strongly urge you to read the entire Tennessean article.  So go away and do that now.)

Good, you're back.

Let's review.  Kim McMillan sponsors an ethics bill with a glaring loophole, one that she and her fellow lawyers get to walk through.  Even indicted, resigned and disgraced former State Senator John Ford sees that as a problem:

One of those arrested, former Sen. John Ford, D-Memphis, spoke out on McMillan's legislation during an April debate. Ford criticized the lawyer provision as "patently unconstitutional" and said it gave lawyers special treatment and allowed them to represent clients doing business with the state.

Ford has pleaded not guilty in the Tennessee Waltz sting.

The ethics law was aimed at elected officials such as Ford, who were taking money from firms to perform consultant work and pushing their interests before state boards, commissions and agencies.

"You can't hide behind being a lawyer on all of this stuff," Ford said during a heated speech before a packed Senate chamber. "Fifty percent of the lawyers I know don't practice law, they do consulting work."

And then McMillan, who is an incredibly smart woman, inexplicably does an not-so-smart thing by using the loophole to represent a client before the Tennessee Regulatory Authority, a state agency that McMillan oversees in her capacity as a legislator.  She obviously thought that a) no one would notice or b) her friends in the press corps wouldn't make a big to-do of it.  She's forgotten that things have changed over at The Tennessean.

Ah, Mr. Groundskeeper, aren't you okay with the revolving door?  Well, certain varieties of it.  The kind where a public official gives up their position to enter lobbying or consulting practice doesn't keep me awake at night.  That's a one way door.  The kind where an official continues in their capacity while representing businesses in front of the legislature or other state boards is problematic.  That's actually a revolving door they walk through everyday.

My question is this, is what McMillan did any different than what John Ford did by consulting for a company who was trying to get more TennCare business?  Both were representing a private business who was trying to expand their business.  In Ford's case the business was trying to get the state to do use the state for TennCare services.  In McMillan's case, she was trying to get a state agency to allow the business to provide new services.  That's the only distinction that I see.  What say you?  The comments section is open.

For more coverage:  McMillan's response is here and here. 
An AP story.
Tim Chavez weighs in on the issue. 
The Jackson Sun editorializes against McMillan.  Where are the other papers?  They weren't shy about excoriating Tre' Hargett for walking through the one-way door, what do they say about McMillan's daily revolving door?

Around the Horn

I managed to peel my eyes away from my beautiful little girls today to see what's going on in the world.

Blogging for Bryant is en fuego.  Ed Bryant is in the race to stay....Harold Ford, Jr.'s money is not.  Opines one of B4B's commenters, "It's hard to hold onto all that cash when so many rapists and murderers need parole, and so many friends are accused of manslaughter." Heh.

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From Roger Abramson's word processor to God's eyes....

You need to stop pretending to be involved and really get involved. Elections for the legislature are just over a year from now. Elections for the council are just nine months after that. We need the criminal lawyer who has dealt with the judicial system firsthand and knows where it works and where it doesn’t. We need the self-made businessman who can bring new ideas to government. We need the retired teacher who has served on the front lines of public education. We need the health care professional who has real-world experience with TennCare, Medicare, Medicaid and all of that other stuff that only about 10 people on Capitol Hill even remotely understand. We need the homemaker who understands what life is like for the average citizen beyond all of the party platforms, white papers and fiscal notes that clutter the political sphere.

In short, we need people like you. It may be some of the hardest work you ever do, but democracy isn’t supposed to be a piece of cake. Newspapers like this one thrive on poking fun at the foibles of our elected officials—the dumb, the corrupt, the incompetent and the all-of-the-above. But we’d be happy to write a piece about how swell things are going because people who actually have a clue are finally in charge. So get out there, take your lumps and show us what you can do. But above all, stop your whining.

Roger writes with some authority on this.  At least twice that I know of, Roger has had the fortitude put his name on a ballot.  He's exactly the type of person we need in public service.  And we need people like you, too.

He ends his column with a plug for some bright political strategists that potential candidates would be wise to call.  I can't run for office because my employer won't allow it, but I try to serve in other ways.  I love helping smart, principled and dedicated conservatives get their campaigns for state-level offices off the ground.  If you've been thinking about it, send me an email.  Oh, and my employer doesn't allow me to accept compensation for these services, so it won't cost you a thing.

(Tip o' the cap:  One such person that Tennessee would do well to elect to public office, Bob Krumm.
Looks like Joe at Chattanooga-Hamilton Civic Forum agrees with me. Run, Bob, run.)

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Speaking of Bob Krumm, head over to his blog and start scrolling...the rich irony of campaign finance (ahem) reform...Bob exhibits a quality that has escaped at least one Georgia judge -- common sense...And speaking of judges who lack common sense and any sense of judicial restraint.  More on this story from Blake Wylie. 

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16?  Two is enough for me.  But to each their own.

(Tip 'o the cap: Michael Silence, who links to a self-righteous, egomaniacal, left-wing, nut-job of a  columnist from, where else?, San Francisco.)

I hope the left keeps spewing this kind of bile.  Everytime they do, they turn off at least a few voters.  In this case, the 18 members of the Duggar family. 

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More from Planet Bizarro.  It was a Republican scheme to have the FBI infiltrate the legislature in an effort to remove African-Americans from office.  So says the unstable State Rep. from Chattanooga, JoAnne Favors.  Keep talkin', JoAnne, just keep on talkin'.

Memo to those who think Tennessee Waltz was racially or even politically motivated:  Corrupt people were targeted and it just so happens that some of those people were black and some of them were even white. Some of them were Democrats and one was a Republican.  Perhaps because the Republican Party isn't the most fertile territory for corruption. 

More from Adam Groves.  Still more from Adam. 

From Joe at Chatt. Civic Forum:

There's not a story here. There is an attention-grabbing distraction ploy, and nothing else.

Yep.

And hold onto your chairs here, I agree with TN Liberal:

The time seems appropriate to look at the acts that were committed here. This was not a case of subtle misuse of influence or political patronage. The accused were not enticed into giving away jobs or throwing out parking tickets. They were offered cold, hard cash to pass laws that would be to the detriment of the community. And they took the money. These people, Democrats and Republicans, black and white, abdicated all responsibility to their constituents in exchange for cash.

Yep, again.

Michael Silence has the FBI's response to JoAnne Favors mindless ramblings. 

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Braves pitching coach extraordinairre Leo Mazzone won't be leaving Atlanta to join the New York Yankess.  Whew.  But he might head off to Baltimore.  This is one free agent the Braves can ill-afford to lose.  Which is why the Bravos are playing hardball.

UPDATE:  Looks like he's gone.  I am quite literally teary-eyed.

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My World Series prediction is one step closer to reality with the Astros' NLCS victory.  The Cardinals will win one, perhaps next year if they stay healthy throughout the playoffs.  But this year belongs to the 'Stros.  It's only fitting that after 15 years of playing together - one-third of the franchise's life - Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell will finally play in a World Series together.  They are two of the classiest guys who ever put on a baseball uniform and what they have done over the course of their careers is nothing short of spectacular.  Mark this down.  You will never, ever, ever again see two first ballot Hall of Famers play their entire careers together. 

It broke my heart to see the Braves lose, but if they must lose I don't mind it being to this club.  They have a nice mix of great veterans like Bagwell, Biggio, Andy Pettite and one of my favorite all-time players, Roger Clemens balanced by youngsters like Willy Taverez, Lance Berkman, Roy Oswalt and Brad Lidge.  And they're all ballplayers, not primadonnas.  They are the team you'd most like to have a beer with.

For those of us who appreciate the big moments in baseball, here's one to look for in this World Series.  We all remember Kirk Gibson hobbling around the bases on one leg in the 1988 World Series after hitting a game winning homerun.  Keep your eyes on Jeff Bagwell if he DH's in the American League games.  You just might see him muscle a ball out of the park with his one good shoulder at a key moment in the Series. 

A few predictions:

• The teams will combine for 18 runs for the series.  Both pitching staffs are amazing and both offenses can be anemic.
• A.J. Pierzynski's good luck with the umps runs out and gets a few calls going against him. He's a jerk and he deserves it.
• Craig Biggio will hit better than .350.  He's going to make his only trip to the World Series count.
• Chris Burke (former UT Vol and current Brave killer) will help decide a game.  He's always in the right place at the right time.
• Roger Clemens will win Games 1 and 5 against Jose Contreras who will slide into one of his famous meltdowns.
• NLCS MVP Roy Oswalt will win Games 3 and the deciding Game 6 in addition the World Series MVP.  You gotta' love a guy whose team owner motivates him by offering to buy him a bulldozer. 
• Andy Pettite is the hard-luck loser in Game 2 to Mark Buehrle.  Final score 2-1. 
• Astros in six. 

 

Coming Soon: Toll Roads in Tennessee

A Bredesen administration official said the state should consider letting private corporations build roads for profit, according to today's Chattanooga Times-Free Press (paid subscription required).  Bredesen's Commissioner of Transportation Gerald Nicely said:

Within the next two to three years, we’re going to have to make some hard decisions on how we’re going to have to finance our system for the next two decades.

Citing problems with "slowing" gas tax receipts because of higher gas prices and more fuel efficient cars, officials are concerned that the gas tax "won't generate enough revenue to maintain roads in several years."  According to the paper, gas tax revenues increased or remained stable in each of the last 10 years, except for 2001.  More:

Kim Keelor, department spokeswoman, said officials don’t know how much extra money the state eventually will need for its roads. "(Gax tax revenues) are increasing a little bit but not keeping up at the rate at which projects are needed and demanded," Ms. Keelor said. Mr. Nicely said financing options such as toll roads will be "a major piece" of discussions about the Long Range Transportation Plan. "I think we need to start talking about them right now," he said. "I don’t think (we need to be) necessarily jumping into them in the next year."  [snip]

"As the years roll out, the buying power of [gas tax] money just gets chewed up badly," said John Horsley, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Those gas taxes can’t pay for the same amount of asphalt or labor they did 10 or 15 years ago, Mr. Horsley said. And with gas prices near $3 a gallon, most voters aren’t in the mood to approve a tax increase. "Legislators right now wouldn’t touch the gas tax with a 10-foot pole," he said. Mr. Horsley said the high gas prices probably will encourage people to drive less and to buy fuel-efficient vehicles instead of gas-guzzling Hummers and sport utility vehicles.

This is great news for environmentalists everywhere.  The high cost of gas, coupled with our tax on it, is causing people to drive less or turn to more fuel efficient cars.  It appears that the internal combustion engine is becoming a relic of the bad ole' days.  And, if people are driving less, then what's the demand for new roads?  If we're consuming less gas, do we not in turn have slowing demand for roads? Not according to liberal, environmental economics.

But this is perhaps the most galling line of the entire story:

Mr. Nicely said the proposed "Orange Route" beltway around Knoxville would be a good candidate for a public-private partnership. [meaning, toll road]

Phil Bredesen is viewed as nearly unbeatable in next year's Governor's race because of his supposed strength in Republican strongholds like Knox County.  Many credit his 2002 victory in Knoxville to radio ads he ran during rush hours about the traffic gridlock and how he planned to address it.  He famously declared that he was going to fire then-Transportation Commissioner Bruce Saltsman and replace him with someone who could fix Knoxville's traffic problems.  If that ad convinced anyone to vote for Bredesen, did they have in mind that Bredesen's Transportation Commissioner would propose a toll road as his solution?

So, what is really at play here?  In his first budget, Phil Bredesen took over $60 million from the road fund to pay for other government programs.  I suspect that the Bredesen administration feels that toll roads will ease the burden on the gas tax freeing that money up to move to other areas of government spending.  It's a classic Bredesen budgetary shell game. 

He can't have it both ways.  We're either driving less, which drives down the demand for new roads or we do have a demand for more roads, in which case the gas tax will grow along with the demand.  Either way, his proposed solution to fix Knoxville's traffic problems won't fly...or drive.