Oak Ridge Today

Letter: Smith seeks mayor, mayor pro tem spot; cites experience, knowledge

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Ellen Smith

Ellen Smith

Fellow members of the Oak Ridge City Council:

I respectfully request that you consider me as a candidate for the positions of mayor and mayor pro tem when the new Council convenes on Monday, November 24.

This is in many respects a brand new Council, with several new members who are eager to move the city forward in a positive direction. I share that eagerness, but I also believe that we need experienced leadership to achieve our goals.

Leadership with experience and in-depth knowledge of our city government will be vitally important in ensuring the progress we seek—by ensuring that Council works effectively and efficiently. I can supply that necessary experience and knowledge in a leadership role. What I bring to the job includes over five years of experience as a Council member, in-depth knowledge of city business and the background of the issues and decisions Council will need to deal with, and personal acquaintance with the other members of the city leadership team (both Council members and staff) and their goals and priorities for Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Letter: Gooch wants to be mayor, make city efficient, business-friendly

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Warren L. Gooch

Warren L. Gooch

Dear City Council colleagues,

I am submitting this letter to express my interest in being elected mayor. I believe our next mayor must provide bold leadership, vision, energy, and a commitment to excellence in our schools, city services, and quality of life.

During the recent campaign, I spoke about my vision and goals for Oak Ridge and my expectations for city government to become more efficient, responsive, and business friendly. The voters, across our city, clearly embraced my message.

As mayor, I pledge to be a consensus builder and to work with each of you, the Board of Education, and city staff to help move Oak Ridge forward. For over 70 years, city leaders have dared to undertake initiatives that have made Oak Ridge a great place to live, work, and raise a family. I am confident that working together our best days are still ahead.

I respectfully ask for your support.

Warren Gooch

Oak Ridge City Council member-elect

Letter: Hope wants to be mayor, focus on schools, jobs, housing

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Chuck Hope

Chuck Hope

To my fellow City Council members,

I am asking you to consider me as a possible candidate for mayor, when we meet next Monday night. It would be a honor to become the next mayor of the City of Oak Ridge, I believe I have shown my ability to lead and find common ground on issues over the last three-plus years I have been on City Council.

Why do I want to be considered for mayor of our city? Oak Ridge is my home. I have grown up here, went through the school system here, started and maintained my business here, married my high school sweetheart, and raised my family all right here in Oak Ridge. I love my home town and care about what happens here. I care about my neighbors and the neighborhoods. I have watched multiple generations of families live their lives here, and look forward to seeing many more to come.

I want to see our city prosper and grow, and for us do that, we have to have good leadership from our civic leaders. As our civic leaders have done before us, I want to help our city continue to move forward. Over the last 55 years, our city has seen some remarkable things and has contributed many great things to the world. I want us to continue to build on these things and look forward to what we do next. [Read more…]

Letter: Asks City Council to appoint Gooch as mayor

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To the Editor:

Let me begin by saying thank you to those members of both City Council and the School Board who elected to not run again, and to those who did run but were not successful in their efforts. I appreciate each of them stepping up to the plate to make this community a better place, and I hope they all continue to remain active in a positive manner to keep this community moving forward.

Also, with the most recent election behind us and several new faces taking on the leadership responsibilities for the city and school system, I look forward to each of the newly elected representatives bringing their vision to the table and working with the existing members to make Oak Ridge an outstanding community to live, work, and play.

During the November 24 City Council meeting, City Council members will be electing a new mayor for a two-year term. In our “weak mayor” form of local government, the mayor has no power outside of Council, so the mayoral role is solely to lead the City Council meetings and to be the main representative of the city for various meetings, activities, and events. [Read more…]

Letter: Callison thanks supporters, says we need to promote city every day

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Kelly Callison

Kelly Callison

To the Editor:

I would like to first thank all those who participated in the November elections. I believe it is the duty of every citizen to vote and make their opinion known.

I would, of course, like to thank all those who voted for me. Rest assured that I will truly represent the best interests of Oak Ridge.

Finally, I would like to thank my campaign committee, especially my treasurer Martha Wallus.

What I really like about campaigning is going door-to-door speaking to voters. I find everyone I meet welcoming and appreciative of my short visit. When you walk through a neighborhood, you get such a different sense then when you drive through at 25 mph. [Read more…]

Letter: Grateful for opportunity to vote for Headrick

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To the Editor:

I, for one, along with the tens of thousands of others who voted for Mary Headrick, am grateful to her for giving us the opportunity to vote for a realistic, compassionate, and results-oriented candidate.

The people who did not vote in the election at all, although they may not have thought about it that way, helped elect, and expressed approval, of a representative who was clearly against a living wage, women’s rights, affordable health care, and a merciful response to the crisis of young people fleeing to this country as well as those who found themselves in this country as young people brought by their parents, who have always lived as Americans and would like citizenship.

As a Democrat, I expect national Democrats will not be petty and vengeful because the other party won with the backing of huge interests which think paying workers well will hurt them, instead of bringing them more prosperity.

It is the nature of Democrats to want to see people’s lives improved even if they are not the majority, and they will continue to work toward this end.

Virginia M. Jones

Oak Ridge

Letter: Love thanks supporters, will volunteer with Habitat

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Gary Love

Gary Love

To the Editor:

I would like to thank the people of Oak Ridge that supported me for my bid for Oak Ridge City Council. Though I was unsuccessful, I still appreciate the opportunity that I was given to share my hopes and dreams for this great city. I have had the opportunity to travel all over the world, and when I tell people that I am from Oak Ridge, Tennessee, I say it with a certain amount of pride and swagger. I still feel that way, because of Oak Ridge’s place in history and how we have changed, and what we still offer today.

Though I was not chosen for City Council, I will contribute by volunteering with Habitat for Humanity. This organization directly helps our community, and it is an endeavor that I can focus all of my attention toward. I hope that I can serve you in this way because I want us to live in a strong community, and if you really think about it, what else is there other than trying to make our community and this world a better place to live for everyone?

Again, thank you for your support and let’s get behind our new leaders so Oak Ridge can remain a place that we speak of with pride.

Gary Love

Oak Ridge

Letter: Voted for Fleischmann, asks others to do the same

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To the Editor:

Our current political landscape is characterized by convoluted thinking, selfish decision-making, and turbulent, inconsistent values. We need a representative in Washington who is solid, stable, and unmovable in his or her standards. Chuck Fleischmann has already proven to be such a representative through his consistent voting record, standing up in defense of the life of the unborn, small business growth, Second Amendment rights, stronger national borders, and other issues key to our nation’s safety and quality of life.

I trust my life and the lives of my children in the hands of a principled leader like Chuck Fleischmann and believe he will best represent my voice and my vote. [Read more…]

Letter: Fleischmann’s experience needed in Washington

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To the Editor:

There comes a point when individuals in leadership positions need more than just knowledge about legislation and policy—they need experience.

The Third District needs a representative who has already dealt with the pressures, as well as adeptly handled the influence, that comes along with serving in public office. Congressman Fleischmann has supported and pushed many key pieces of legislation through the House, some of which have contributed to a significant reduction in government spending and an increase in job growth.

Congressman Fleischmann has also served honorably on many committees essential to American prosperity and security, such as the Energy and Water Development, Homeland Security and Labor, Health and Human Services Committees. Chuck already knows what it takes to be productive in office. He is the best candidate for the job because he has head knowledge coupled with experience, enhancing his effectiveness and consequently our own welfare as a state and a nation.

More leaders need what Congressman Fleischmann has: solid values and the experience needed to get things done in Washington. I believe in his ability to lead and to serve the interests of Tennesseans and Americans at large. Please join with me in voting for Chuck Fleischmann.​

David Logan

Cleveland, Tennessee

Letter: Headrick has will to solve problems, is knowledgeable, energetic

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To the Editor:

Please vote for a candidate who is grounded in reality, not political dogma.

Please vote for Mary Headrick, the Third District candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives. She is a candidate who has the will to solve problems in a timely way and for whom ordinary people are real. She is knowledgeable, capable, and energetic, and will serve this District well.

Virginia M. Jones

Oak Ridge

Guest column: League’s positions on three proposed constitutional amendments

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League of Women Voters Logo

League Matters—Making Democracy Work

Tennesseans will be voting on four proposed amendments to the state constitution. The League of Women Voters (LWV) has long-standing positions on three of these issues. League positions are taken only after detailed study by League members and consensus among all local leagues.

These three proposed amendments will have long-term effects for Tennesseans, and the League urges voters to carefully and thoroughly consider the issues before casting a vote.

Amendment One Summary—Amendment to Article 1 of the Tennessee Constitution’s Declaration of Rights states that nothing in the Constitution secures or protects a right to abortion.

The League of Women Voters does not support this amendment. The LWV believes that public policy in a pluralistic society—one of many faiths and many cultures—must affirm the constitutional right of privacy of the individual to make reproductive and medical choices.

Of particular concern is the wording of this proposed amendment. This amendment allows future Tennessee legislatures to pass into law unbounded restrictions on reproductive privacy without public dialogue and and electorate input. The wording specifically allows legislators—at any time in the future—to “enact, amend, or repeal statutes regarding abortion, including, but not limited to, circumstances of pregnancy resulting from rape or incest or when necessary to save the life of the mother.” [Read more…]

Letter: Chinn can help make needed changes

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To the Editor:

There was a recent letter to the editor in The Oak Ridger with mention of how involved a candidate should (or should not be) while running for City Council. I was disappointed that this person would not expect or want a person to be extremely active in our community prior to being elected.

Rick Chinn was specifically mentioned as being too involved to be a good candidate. Does that person realize how backwards that is? We don’t want a heavily involved businessman, community leader, and father to lead our city in the future? My candidate must have all these skills and more to get my vote! [Read more…]