* Under what circumstances would you consider a tax increase for Hamilton County residents?
* What are your specific plans for the development of McDonald Farm?
* What plans do you have for the federal COVID relief funds that have come, and will come, the county’s way?
* Are we spending enough on capital projects for Hamilton County Schools?
* Can you cite instances in which you believe it would be prudent to use money from the county’s rainy day fund?
* What are your thoughts on how the county should move forward with wastewater projects?
* Would you cite changes you would make, if any, in the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office budget?
* Are there Chattanooga city services you believe could be combined with county services?
* Would you name the county government positions, or offices, you believe could be eliminated without any damage to the day-to-day delivery of government services?
* If you could change any vote by the Hamilton County Commission over the past four years, what would it be and why?
The above questions are specific to the next person who will head Hamilton County government, but they aren’t ones you would have heard answered at either of the first two joint appearances of the three Republicans who want to be the next county mayor.
But abortion? Check. None of the candidates are for that.
And critical race theory, which is said not to be taught in Tennessee public schools. Check. None of the candidates want that.
Sunday night’s “Conversations With Candidates” gathering at Calvary Chapel even had a big dollop of talk about pandemic shutdowns, mandates and how current Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger has handled the last two years of the COVID-19 virus.
That nightmare scenario, which began locally two years ago this month, came with no playbook, as we have often said.
Coppinger, in following federal and state guidance, did what most others in his shoes around the country did. He closed businesses, instituted a mask mandate and formed a pandemic task force. He also re-opened businesses sooner than some around the country and eventually ended the mask mandate before some people thought he should (but after others thought he should).
He was following the best guidance he had on what we hope was a once-in-a-century occurrence.
The Republican candidates, asked Sunday what they would have done in certain instances, have two years of experience. They probably would not institute blanket shutdowns if the same thing happened again, and neither would Coppinger. They probably would warn about the peril of students having online classes. So, probably, would Coppinger. They likely would have different things to say about students with masks in school. So, likely, would Coppinger, if he knew now what he didn’t know then.
So we’re not sure how valuable the exercise of re-litigating what choices people made in the first months of the pandemic was for people wanting to make an informed decision on their next county mayor.
The above questions, about how they would use taxpayer money and what visions they have for the county are more apropos for the very few times the three are scheduled to take the same stage.
Indeed, we’ve heard one joint appearance with the three already has been canceled and that another one is in jeopardy because one candidate is balking about appearing.
While we would not want to prevent any of the candidates from spending the money people have contributed to their campaigns on television, radio, newspaper or internet advertising, we would much prefer seeing them together answering questions about the county, not national hot-button issues and not who might have done what when.
Neither do we want to see any more incidents like the one that followed the Hamilton Flourishing debate on Feb.21.
In that debate, candidate Weston Wamp, commenting on a suggestion by Sabrena Smedley about increasing pre-kindergarten learning, said her proposal would likely require a tax increase.
Following that exchange, Matt Hullander campaign spokeswoman Robin Derryberry tweeted, “Did @WestonWamp just mention wanting a #taxincrease? Why yes he did.”
Wamp, in his answer, was in no way pushing for a tax increase, and Smedley, for her part, said the proposal she was making would not require a tax increase.
Those are the type of campaign politics that make people tune out, wish they would never see another political sign, and either not vote or not pay close attention to the issues that are actually important to them.
More than two months still remain until the party primaries. It would behoove all three candidates to push for more joint appearances, not fewer. Unless, that is, one or more candidates think that strategy is the way to win.