The Week That Was
The alpha governor
Reviled by his own party at home, Tennessee Gov. Don Sundquist does have at least one thing to feel good about: He did, after all, deliver his state for George W. Bush—and against Carthage native Al Gore, no less. Meanwhile, with the possible exception of Jeb Bush, Sundquist’s more highly regarded GOP governors all failed to win their states for the top of the ticket. Tommy Thompson in Wisconsin, Tom Ridge in Pennsylvania, John Engler in Michigan, Christine Todd Whitman in New Jersey, and George Pataki in New York were all unable to deliver their states.
Tenn. vs. Fla.
Tennessee Citizen Action, a consumer and environmental watchdog organization, this week called for a legislative panel to look into what it characterizes as a serious problem with the state’s voter registration system. The group claims that on Election Day more than 1,500 Tennesseans suddenly discovered they were not registered to vote—thanks to the Tennessee Department of Safety’s apparently faulty administration of “Moter Voter” laws. Citizen Action has lost some credibility points, however, for comparing the state’s election glitch with that of Florida.
Gone fishing
After a lengthy investigation, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation has fined the city of Franklin $93,000 for a July 23 sewer leak into Spencer Creek and the Harpeth River. The city failed to report how many fish were killed, but local camera crews captured dozens of dead fish floating near the leak. The city could face additional fines of up to $42,500 if it fails to submit a report listing other areas where overflows might occur.
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