Approximately 25,000 Tennesseans Eligible for Additional Benefits
NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development is on schedule to complete the online applications for the latest federal extension of unemployment benefits. The application will be available on the Tennessee Department of Labor’s Internet site on December 11, and the [...]
Tennessee legislators may follow the lead of their Georgia counterparts, who in 2008 passed a law requiring an extra second of yellow time for traffic lights equipped with cameras, reports Andy Sher. After the extra second took effect, the number of violators caught by the cameras [...]
As Tennessee lawmakers question whether photo enforcement companies should be regulated, a pending court case could decide the question.
As members of the Tennessee General Assembly consider whether to impose new regulations on photo enforcement vendors in the state, a pending court challenge seeks the [...]
A 2006 attorney general ruling and a 2009 law ensure photo enforcement remains illegal in South Carolina.
Earlier this year the South Carolina General Assembly enacted a law that will make it even more difficult for red light camera and speed camera vendors to attempt to [...]
One thing that does bother me with photo enforcement is if someone borrowed my car tag and put it on another car which was just like mine. Or take a picture of my car tag, print a good quality digital reproduction and put it on a similar [...]
Below is from The Show blog. Be sure to tune in to every Monday and Thursday from 6-8pm for the radio talk show. See The Show blog for more details.
Are we going to have anyone showing up? We need bodies there arguing our case against these [...]
Rates Increase in 39 Counties, Decrease in 42, Remain the Same in 15
NASHVILLE – Tennessee’s unemployment rate for October was 10.5 percent, unchanged from the September rate of 10.5 percent. The United States’ unemployment rate for the month of October was 10.2 percent.
County non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rates for October 2009, [...]
Overall accidents rise at Baytown, Texas intersection a 18 months after installation of red light cameras.
Baytown 45 mph signAccidents rose after the installation of a red light camera at one major intersection in Baytown, Texas. The private company American Traffic Solutions began issuing automated tickets at the intersection of Garth [...]
Judge allows College Station, Texas to settle a lawsuit and terminate the use of red light cameras to comply with a public referendum vote.
C Robert HeathA judge yesterday forced the settlement of a traffic camera company-backed lawsuit with the city of College Station, Texas over the public's November 3 vote [...]
Middle Tennessee State University has done a great job analyzing the housing market in Tennessee for the 3th quarter, 2009. In the link below they give data on employment, permits, repeat sales, mortgage tax collections, transfer tax collections, foreclosures, and inventory.
Economic activity contracted again for Tennessee’s economy in [...]
Seasonally Adjusted Rate Unchanged from September
NASHVILLE – Tennessee Commissioner of Labor & Workforce Development James Neeley announced today Tennessee’s unemployment rate for October was 10.5 percent, unchanged from the September rate of 10.5 percent.
“While the national unemployment rate increased to 10.2 percent, Tennessee’s unemployment rate held steady at [...]
In another story that ticket camera companies will insist is an isolated incident (despite a new incident seemingly surfacing each week), a Peoria, Illinois woman was sent a ticket that should have gone to another driver.
WMBD/WYZZ TV has the story:
A [...]
Volkswagen’s Chattanooga operations have received more than 65,000 applications for its local jobs, including 35,000 for production slots.
“We are overwhelmed by the response and we are very satisfied with the result. It gives us the confidence that we will be able to hire all the capable and [...]
Thanks to an excellent piece of investigative journalism by David Goldstein of Los Angeles television station KCAL, motorists are getting the real accident numbers at Los Angeles camera-enforced intersections.
The city has claimed that the cameras reduced accidents by 34%, but a little fact-checking [...]
Traffic camera vendor temporarily thwarts voter effort to take down red light cameras in College Station, Texas.
Jim Ash on November 3A lawsuit funded by a photo enforcement company succeeded yesterday in temporarily blocking the results of the vote to end red light cameras in College Station, Texas. Judge Suzanne Stovall [...]
NASHVILLE – For the third consecutive month in the fiscal year that began July 1, state tax collections fell below budgeted estimates. Finance & Administration Commissioner Dave Goetz today announced that state revenue collections for October were $698.2 million, which is 1.53% below October 2008 collections. October collections reflect consumer [...]
A reader of this blog has submitted information below on the series of events that certain Kingsport city officials took to help out their friends. In my view, the City of Kingsport should keep it’s nose out of other organizations business. See previous post [...]
Voters in College Station, Texas as well as Chillicothe and Heath, Ohio vote to ban automated ticketing machines.
Voters in three cities sent a clear message to local lawmakers yesterday by adopting charter amendments that ban photo enforcement. In addition to kicking two camera supporters from the city council, 72 percent [...]
Permanent closures to reduce IP’s North American capacity by 2.1 million tons
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Oct. 22, 2009 – International Paper (NYSE: IP) today announced plans to close its paper mill and associated operations in Franklin, Va., and its containerboard mills in Pineville, La., and Albany, Ore. The [...]
Rates Increase in 11 Counties, Decrease in 83, Remain the Same in One
NASHVILLE – Tennessee’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for September 2009 was released last week at 10.5 percent, 0.2 percentage point lower than the August rate of 10.7 percent. The United States’ unemployment rate for the month of September [...]
Forbes.com lists affordable metro areas that offer sunny weather, jobs and rosy economic outlooks. Forbes article
Click here for the full list of places to retire
[...]
Last night the Kingsport, Tennessee Board of Mayor and Alderman voted to borrow $41.1 million for various projects. According to the Kingsport Times-News quote below, the total debt has doubled in the last five years. I might add that this has occurred during Mayor Dennis [...]
National Motorists Association has complied a list of states with their vehicle codes. Click on the link below for the details on your state’s vehicle code.
Each state has a vehicle code, which is the collection of laws that govern the use of motor vehicles in that state. Some states make [...]
Residential building permits are showing a –42.0% decrease for third quarter 08 to third quarter 09 in Sullivan County, Tennessee. See the link for more detail Residential Building Permit Trend Report from The Market Edge.
The Residential Building Permit Trend Report has data from the states of North Carolina, Georgia, [...]
Below is data that was obtained form the website NeighborhoodScout which gives some interesting data concerning the high crime rate in Kingsport, Tennessee. Kingsport is ranked as having a high crime rank by NeighborhoodScout and states that Kingsport’s crime rate is higher than the average [...]
Volkswagen will start accepting applications Oct. 26 for about 1,200 production jobs at its new plant in Chattanooga, Tenn., with the first hiring set early next year.
Ryan Rose, a spokesman for the $1-billion plant where workers will build a new midsize sedan starting in 2011, said [...]
Tennessee, California Have Highest Combined State, Average Local Sales Tax Rates
Tennessee, California, Washington state, Oklahoma and Louisiana have the highest combined state and average local sales tax rates, according to updated information released by the nonpartisan Tax Foundation today. On the other end of the scale, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire [...]
Dandridge, TN will get 150 new jobs thanks to the efforts of city, county and state officials. While these jobs are closer to Sullivan County, we have yet to hear anything about new jobs for Sullivan County. Another missed opportunity for Sullivan County!
New Manufacturing Facility Creates 150 Jobs
NASHVILLE — Tennessee [...]
Rate Down 0.2 Percentage Point from August
NASHVILLE – Tennessee Commissioner of Labor & Workforce Development James Neeley announced today Tennessee’s unemployment rate for September was 10.5 percent, down 0.2 percentage point from the August revised rate of 10.7 percent.
“Tennessee’s unemployment rate continues to show stabilization with no significant change over [...]
I have done many posts concerning the median age and population in Sullivan County, Tennessee and Sullivan County has one of the oldest populations in the state (click here to view the data).
The data below is from the state and I hope will help illustrate exactly what will [...]
West Tennessee wins and East Tennessee loses again. What are our local elected officials doing to bring jobs to the Sullivan County area?
Project will Create 275 New Jobs and an Investment of $100 Million
NASHVILLE – Governor Phil Bredesen and Commissioner Matt Kisber of the Department of Economic and Community Development [...]
The table below shows the median age for all of the 95 Tennessee counties. Sullivan County has a rank of 5 for higher median age and is the 9th largest county in Tennessee. Data is from the links below.
The recession has hit Tennessee with business and personal Bankruptcies. Below in the table is the bankruptcy by chapter and type for 2nd quarter of 2009. Note the rank that Tennessee has by clicking on the highlighted link in blue. In the data below, Chapter 13 personal bankruptcy is the [...]
The Show blog has an interesting post on the flow of money into Kingsport, TN. Check out the link below and tune in to WMCH AM1260 every Monday and Thursday night from 6-8pm to hear local, State, and National politics discussed. You can also listen online via [...]
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. unemployment rate rose to 9.8 percent in September, the highest since June 1983, as employers cut far more jobs than expected. The report is evidence that the worst recession since the 1930s is still inflicting widespread pain.
Read more via US jobless rate reaches 9.8 [...]
The Atlantic and Wall Street Journal both have an interesting article on where the kids are headed in the 20-29 are bracket.
The Wall Street Journal asked six experts to come up with lists of the "next youth magnet cities." I was one of them. The top spot was [...]
There is a turf battle occurring between the DKA (Downtown Kingsport Association) and DBA (Downtown Business Alliance). These two competing organizations are trying to get funding from the City of Kingsport.
It is documented that Mayor Dennis Phillips has in the past attempted to merge the [...]
This is a sure way to not get re-elected and a recall of the mayor and the city council In Chillicothe Ohio.
Mayor of Chillicothe, Ohio demands that state supreme court intervene to prevent voters from deciding the fate of speed cameras.
An Ohio city is so [...]
Sullivan County, Tennessee again is left out of the picture for job creation. Does Sullivan County have any elected officials that will step up to the plate and get something done about good paying jobs for the area? Maybe the local republican elected officials lack the clout with the state [...]
The data below shows that Johnson City has increased its retail sales share of the total retail sales in the Tri-Cities area. The new retail establishments added in Kingsport in the last few years has not stopped its loss of market share.
Period
Johnson City
Kingsport
Bristol
2nd Qtr. 09
42.9%
31.8%
25.3%
2008
42.2%
31.5%
26.3%
2007
42.2%
30.4%
27.4%
2006
41.6%
31.8%
26.6%
2005
42.0%
32.1%
25.9%
2004
41.0%
32.8%
26.2%
2003
40.5%
33.5%
26.1%
2002
41.3%
32.3%
26.4%
2001
40.7%
32.6%
26.8%
2000
39.1%
32.9%
28.1%
Since the City of Kingsport, Tennessee is buying up real estate, I have included a sample classified ad that could be used by the city. You can see a list of properties that the city owns by clicking here. Copy the following in bold, kingsport city of and paste [...]
Rates Increase in 47 Counties, Decrease in 42, Remain the Same in Six
NASHVILLE – Tennessee’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for August 2009 was released last week at 10.8 percent, 0.1 percentage point higher than the July rate of 10.7 percent. The United States’ unemployment rate for the month of August [...]
A developer comes from another state and buys the old State Theater on Broad Street in Kingsport, Tennessee. This developer (Douglas Beatty) starts work to renovate the State Theater building and finds that with the economy and his other investments that it might be better [...]
The latest census report released today shows Williamson County enjoyed a 10 percent spike in 2008 median household income, going from $85,101 in 2007 to $93,321 last year. Meanwhile, other Middle Tennessee counties, including Davidson, struggled through the economic climate. Wilson County showed declines for two years in median household [...]
The city of Kingsport, TN has decided to build the aquatic center in the MeadowView area.
In the table below, you can see what groups of people will get the most use from the aquatic center. It appears that the lower income and seniors will be impacted more when the [...]
KNOXVILLE — Panasonic Electric Devices Corp. of America announced today it will close its Aluminum Foil Plant in Forks of the River Industrial Park by the end of March, laying off 140 workers and essentially ending its manufacturing operations in Knox County after 27 years.
Read more via Panasonic closing [...]
State and local officials have been working hard to finish the West Tennessee megasite.
It appears the republican controlled Sullivan County in East Tennessee is not getting the attention it should have from the state. Click on the link below for the entire article.
The Haywood County site is the only [...]
NASHVILLE – Tennessee Commissioner of Labor & Workforce Development James Neeley announced today Tennessee’s unemployment rate for August was 10.8 percent, up 0.1 percentage point from the July rate of 10.7 percent. The August rate a year ago was 6.6 percent. The national unemployment [...]
The Show blog is looking for someone to help with open records requests. See below
We need help! We are looking for people to make open records request to our local governments. Its easy, but you have to stay on top or they wont give them up.
This [...]
State tax collections again fell below budgeted estimates in August, with sales tax collections recording negative growth for 18 of the last 20 months. Finance and Administration Commissioner Dave Goetz reported today that overall August revenues were $726.9 million, which is 5.74% below collections for August 2008.
"The continued negative [...]
The Show blog went back into history and dug up some interesting facts concerning the regional sales tax and the building of the MedowView Convention Center.
“The Board of Mayor and Alderman has pledged that revenue from the tax increase will be used to fund [...]
Sometimes elected officials get too big for their britches and need to brought back to reality. Below is information on a petition to have the citizens vote to repeal the sales tax hike in Hardin County, TN.
Kingsport, TN has a similar situation with the 1/4 cents [...]
Vice Mayor, prior to his re-election, was very vocal and voted with Alderman Marsh and Shull against putting the Kingsport Aquatic Center in the MeadowView area. He made the following statement below.
Kingsport Times News Published August 27th, 2008
“Kingsport needs an aquatic center to be downtown. It’s more convenient for [...]
This is a temporary post that was not deleted. Please delete this manually. (6d97a0af-a402-4cca-b910-55c279645c38 – 3bfe001a-32de-4114-a6b4-4005b770f6d7)
[...]‘Still many millions of older people on the edge,’ AARP president says
The poverty rate among older Americans could be nearly twice as high as the traditional 10 percent level, according to a revision of a half-century-old formula for calculating medical costs and geographic variations in the cost of living.
Read more [...]
This blog was started in February 2007 with the title of “Kingsport, TN Government”. The name was later changed to “No WhiteWash!”, a name less focused on one local government. We are still focused on Kingsport, TN Government and have expanded into issues that affect Sullivan County, North East Tennessee [...]
Below is a comment submitted by former Kingsport Alderman Pat Shull. He raises some good points and I agree with his concerns about the two year contract at $35,000 per year and the pick-up truck gift.
I would also like to add that Mayor Phillips appointed [...]
Accidents increased after red light cameras used in Peoria, Arizona. Longer yellows cut violations 42 percent.
Peoria, Arizona city council, 8/25The number of traffic accidents doubled at locations where red light cameras were installed in Peoria, Arizona, according to data released last week at a city council study session. City data [...]
Officials have closed Alcoa City schools Wednesday through Labor Day after up to 30 percent of middle and elementary students were absent Monday and today because of illness.
Read more via Sickness prompts closure of Alcoa schools » Knoxville News Sentinel.
[...]Ironically, one of the outcomes of the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government’s 2004 public records audit, the first such statewide audit in Tennessee, is that lawmakers are filing more bills to close records.
In this year’s session, Tennessee legislators filed three times as many exemptions to open meetings, open records laws [...]
Update: Hawkins County commissioners met Monday night to try to finalize next year’s budget, which included a substantial property tax hike. The Commission voted 16-4, with one abstaining, against the budget.
The Budget Committee will meet Tuesday morning to try to iron out a compromise. The [...]
Update: This blog has sent the post below to 83 people via email or U.S.Mail that are in the list below.
Kingsport Board of Mayor and Alderman
Mayor of Sullivan County
Sullivan County Commissioners
Bristol City Council
Bluff City Mayor and Alderman
Kingsport Chamber of Commerce
Tennessee Legislators for North East [...]
Rates Decrease in 78 Counties, Increase in 14, Remain the Same in Three
NASHVILLE – Tennessee’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for July 2009 was released last week at 10.7 percent, 0.1 percentage point lower than the June rate of 10.8 percent. The United States’ unemployment rate for the month of July [...]
There will be a meeting to discuss the job situation in Sullivan County on Wednesday, August 26,2009. This is you chance to hear first hand what the details are concerning jobs in Sullivan County and its cities (Kingsport, Bristol, Bluff City, etc.)
Find [...]
Jobs to be added in Chattanooga
The Chattanooga area’s position in the clean energy sector received a gust of confidence Friday with a German company’s purchase and expansion plan for a wind turbine tower manufacturing plant, officials said.
SIAG Schaaf Industrie AG has bought Aerisyn LLC’s plantlocated off Riverfront Parkway with plans [...]
Johnson City manufacturer Alemite will lay off 119 workers beginning in November, the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development announced Monday.
Alemite makes grease guns and lubricant handling systems.
Read more via Johnson City company cutting 119 jobs » Knoxville News Sentinel.
[...]WASHINGTON — Eastman Chemical Co. spent $270,000 lobbying the federal government in the second quarter on clean energy, antitrust and other issues, according to a recent disclosure report.
Read more via Eastman Chemical spent $270K on lobbying in 2Q » Knoxville News Sentinel.
[...]Millions face smaller Social Security checks next year as rising drug costs diminish payments
Millions of older people face shrinking Social Security checks next year, the first time in a generation that payments would not rise. The trustees who oversee Social Security are projecting there won’t be a cost of living [...]
Now there are three states trying to get a Harley-Davidson motorcycle assembly plant. It appears that Sullivan County is not in the picture for jobs that could help the declining population, young adults leaving the area, and high employment rate in the Kingsport area. Where are the [...]
How is it that Sullivan County, Tennessee is not mentioned? I guess we don’t need the jobs or someone is asleep at the switch.
Shelbyville, Ky., wants a Harley-Davidson motorcycle plant. So does Murfreesboro, Tenn.
People in both areas stated their case Wednesday.
Murfreesboro is a friendly place, said Landon Kliewer, manager of [...]
Rate Down 0.1 Percentage Point from June
NASHVILLE – Tennessee Commissioner of Labor & Workforce Development James Neeley announced today Tennessee’s unemployment rate for July was 10.7 percent, down 0.1 percentage point from the June rate of 10.8 percent. The July rate a year ago was 6.6 percent. The national [...]
Elected officials have made it difficult for those resorts that receive federal bailout money. I wonder if there are any plans to rename the Kingsport, Tennessee MeadowView Resort and Convention Center?
A perfect storm of a terrible economy, tight credit and oversupply of hotel rooms has slammed the lodging industry into [...]
Check out new Tri-Cities jobs If you are looking for a job in the Tri-Cities Tennessee area.
http://www.newTriCitiesjobs.com has released a new job board for local jobseekers. Unlike the larger national job boards, http://www.newTriCitiesjobs.com focuses on local employers and local candidates only. “After evaluating other online job boards, and even [...]
MeadowView had its grand opening on August 18, 2009 for the expanded hotel that is adjacent to the City of Kingsport Convention Center. There has been some confusing statements made in the Kingsport Times-News articles below.
There are conflicting statements as how much Meadowview has brought [...]
The City of Kingsport, Tennessee is applying for a grant to plant trees that will have matching funds that come from the regional sales tax fund and the visitor enhancement program. The Meadowview Convention Center was paid off in 2007 and the city refuses to [...]
Somera Capital Management owns the Fort Henry Mall in Kingsport, TN and is expected to enter foreclosure for the Northwest Plaza shopping mall that they own in St. Ann, Missouri. General Growth Properties, who is in bankruptcy manages the Northwest Plaza as well as the Fort Henry Mall [...]
Eastman Chemical was ranked at 11 as one of the Top Corporate Air Polluters in the U.S.
The Toxic 100 index identifies the top U.S. air polluters among the world’s largest corporations. The index relies on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Risk Screening Environmental Indicators (RSEI) project. The starting point [...]
This makes two chemical spills at Eastman in the last two weeks!! What is going on over there? They were fined $48,000 back in April, 2009 by the Department of Environment and Conservation. See Eastman Chemical fined by TDEC for many violations
Another [...]
NASHVILLE – State tax revenues continued to decline in July, making it the first time in Tennessee history the state has experienced a full year of negative growth. Finance and Administration Commissioner Dave Goetz today reported July revenue collections, pointing to sales tax collections which [...]
Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!
[...]
There have been some that are stating that the King College Medical School is needed to address the doctor shortage. I am sure that in the future there will be a shortage of doctors, but for Sullivan County this does not seem to be a problem.
King [...]
Below is a 2007 Average Annual Wage by Major Industry comparison for Sullivan County and Tennessee. The graph below is from the State of Tennessee and shows the average wages if you were employed. The unemployment rate for June 2009 was 12.7 percent for Kingsport
Median household [...]
Below is a series of ranking tables that compares the top 20 Tennessee counties that had the largest retail sales in 2008. The top 20 counties listed below had retail sales that were $71,443,928,487 out of a total $90,007,566,528 for all 95 counties. The entire data set can be viewed [...]
Below is the household median income for the top 20 Tennessee Counties that had the largest retail sales. The household median income is for the county and may be different for cities within the county. Below is the household median Income for Sullivan County cities
I would be embarrassed to be a current or past elected leader or those having been responsible for economic development in Sullivan County, Kingsport, and Bristol Tennessee. The ongoing problem of several decades with the young adults leaving the area and the fact that Sullivan County and its cities have [...]
Tennessee Counties are ranked in the table below as percent growth in the highlighted column. Sullivan County growth rate was .56 percent and gained 852 people over an eight year period. Sullivan County rank [...]
Tennessee has three counties that made it in the U.S.Census 100 Fastest Growing Counties. You can see all 100 counties by clicking on the Excel link below.
Resident Population Estimates for the 100 Fastest Growing U.S. Counties with 10,000 or More Population in 2008: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2008(CO-EST2008-08)
Mac McLean wrote an excellent article Many Officials Confused about Disclosure Forms’ Rules in the Bristol Herald Courier. Mac McLean did some great research and I encourage you to read the entire article.
The law requires that they report all private income, but not what they receive for serving [...]
The median age of the population in Sullivan County and its major cities has been rising. This is a function of young adults leaving the area and the low birth rate.
Below in the table are median ages for [...]
Below is data that show the percent of people that are age 65 and older for the states below. I have included Sullivan County, Tennessee and its two largest cities (Kingsport and Bristol). The percent of poverty for those 65 and older in Sullivan County, TN is 15 percent and [...]
(July 23, 2009, NASHVILLE) – Representative Jon Lundberg (R-Bristol) announced today that the annual sales tax holiday is approaching. The holiday will occur Friday, August 7 – Sunday, August 9, 2009.
“The people of this state deserve a break,” said Rep. Lundberg. “I would encourage everyone to take advantage of [...]
Rates Increase in 84 Counties, Decrease in Eight, Remain the Same in Three NASHVILLE – Tennessee’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for June 2009 was released last week at 10.8 percent, 0.1 percentage point higher than the May rate of 10.7 percent. The United States’ unemployment rate for the month of [...]
Speed camera maker sets up program allowing Baton Rouge, Louisiana to issue $167 automated litter tickets.
Speed camera vendor American Traffic Solutions (ATS) next month will use its automated ticketing expertise to run a litter camera program for Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Under first-of-its-kind initiative, city workers will drive around photographing neighborhoods [...]
In the table below are the top nine largest populated counties in Tennessee.
The table shows that the Sullivan County death rate is 1,228 more than the birth rate. Sullivan County had a Total Population Change of 850 people over an eight year period (April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2008) [...]
The comments of citizens in the Bristol Herald Courier link below might be of interest to you. Some great comments concerning the King Medical School.
Sullivan County Commissioners voted on July 20, 2009 to support the King College proposed medical school.There was one lone commissioner that voted against [...]
Now that the City of Kingsport election is over, the city has greatly stepped up its annexation efforts.
It was stated by several members of the Board of Mayor and Alderman at last nights BMA meeting, that if you live within the Urban Growth Boundary, then you will be annexed. [...]
Team Madison County, a regional economic development initiative led by the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce, the Jackson Energy Authority, the city of Jackson, Madison County and the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development lands over 400 new jobs in West Tennessee.
If report cards [...]
Since the start of the recession in December 2007, the U.S. economy has shed 7.2 million jobs according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The U.S. unemployment rate has more than doubled since June 2007, from 4.6 to 9.5 percent. But what’s also clear is that the economic [...]
[...]
