Good morning, Times readers.
Election time is here once again, this time for Chattanooga’s local municipal elections. On the ballot are six City Council seats and, of course, mayor. And don’t forget the referendum offered to voters. It’s for an amendment to lift the in-state residency requirement for city workers.
For our Sunday editorial, we published an endorsement for incumbent Mayor Tim Kelly, an obvious choice given his opponent Chris Long, whose record has given voters numerous reasons to reject this challenge to Kelly. We also endorsed lifting the residency requirement.
You should also read our endorsements for the open City Council seats: Districts 1, 3, 5, 6, 8 and 9. The candidates in the other three districts are running for the seats unopposed.
As for national columns, you should read Ezra Klein’s piece in the New York Times. He identified the weak point President Donald Trump has found in his unlawful ransacking of our federal government: a Congress unwilling to flex its power against the executive branch.
You should also read Kathryn Anne Edwards’ latest column in Bloomberg. She cites polling data showing Americans are indeed willing to raise taxes if it maintains the current level of benefits within Social Security.
And don’t forget to check out Clay Bennett’s cartoon of the week. Given Trump’s proclivity for name changes, Bennett has suggested a new name for the White House.
Also, don’t forget to vote, Times readers. The last day for early voting is Thursday, and Election Day is March 4.
See you next time.
— Ben Sessoms, editor, Chattanooga Times opinion page, bsessoms@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6346.
P.S. We can’t do this work without the support of our subscribers. You can join our Times Free Press community and subscribe here today.
YOUR VOTE, OUR ENDORSEMENTS
Good morning, readers, and thanks for including the Times Free Press in your daily activities!
A SECOND TERM FOR KELLY: Although information was revealed recently that disqualifies Chattanooga mayoral challenger Chris Long in my thinking, Mayor Tim Kelly deserves re-election on the merits. Read my editorial below to see why I feel that way, even though I didn’t endorse him in his initial run in 2021.
KEEP ONE, PICK ONE, DISCARD ONE: In the Chattanooga City Council races in Districts 1, 3 and 5, I believe voters should choose incumbent Chip Henderson in District 1, opt for Tom Marshall in the battle between two good choices in the open District 3 race, and select Dennis Clark over current office-holder Isiah “Ike” Hester in District 5. My editorial on those three races is below.
THREE NEW FACES: In the Chattanooga City Council races in Districts 6, 8 and 9, after much consideration (in at least two of the districts), I am endorsing Jenni Berz to follow in her mother’s footsteps in District 6, Anna Golladay to replace Marvene Noel in District 8 and newcomer Ron Elliott to win the open seat in District 9. My editorial on those three races may be found below.
And, there’s even more:
HART AT WORK: With the Department of Government Efficiency going to work on the “bloated and unaccountable [federal] government,” satire columnist Ron Hart offers his annual reprinting of Ayn Rand’s “Francisco’s Money Speech” from her 1957 novel “Atlas Shrugged.”
WE DIDN’T LEARN FROM HISTORY: Tribune Content Agency columnist Cal Thomas cautions that the Trump administration needs to revisit the appeasement of Germany in 1938, as well as other more recent events, before it abandons Ukraine to the Russians.
PEACE PLAN? Editorial cartoonist Michael Ramirez portrays U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin walking arm and arm at the White House as Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attempts to get their attention before his country is swallowed up.
— Clint Cooper, editor, Chattanooga Free Press opinion page, ccooper@timesfreepress.com
P.S. We can’t do this work without the support of our subscribers. You can join our Times Free Press community and subscribe here today.