People who had a way with words in the news last week:
“Tariffs are dumb policies, but random tariffs are 10 times as dumb.”
— Howard Wall, director of UTC’s Center for Regional Economic Research, during an interview about job forecasts for the upcoming year.
“When we put it up for sale, we had people from all over the country and all over the world, really, bid on it. It’s an iconic building, so there’s buyers everywhere.”
— Former Chattanooga Mayor Jon Kinsey, who previously owned the Chattanooga Choo Choo with an investment group, on why he thinks the station’s current owners won’t have issues finding a buyer after listing the property for sale.
“It’s like a smokehouse with an Italian accent.”
— Charlie Eich, speaking about his new restaurant, Railhead Station.
“They say it takes six minutes to kill someone on death row, and we keep everything under three minutes.”
— David Driver of North Georgia Nuisance Animal Control on his beaver removal efforts.
“And this is not something that I ever say as the person who set the highest bond in Hamilton County in the past, but that was for a case where it was appropriate.”
— Hamilton County General Sessions Judge Larry Ables on his decision to reduce the initial $450,000 bond for the former Abba’s House deacon accused of nine counts of especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor.
“Oh absolutely not. Not because we wouldn’t want it, just, we never had that in the framework of something that could happen. I don’t think we thought that was even a possibility, so it’s definitely a huge compliment.”
— Lauren Zilen, co-owner of Niedlov’s Bakery and Cafe, when asked if winning a James Beard award was on her list of goals.
“People that are doing really well are continuing to do well, and people that aren’t are failing faster.”
— Molly Marcum, a commercial real estate broker at Rise Partners, on the shifting landscape for downtown retailers as rents rise.
“There really is a hole there.”
— Gene Shiles, board secretary of the Hamilton County Election Commission, on the need for two new early voting sites in St. Elmo and Signal Mountain.
“I could count on one hand how many times I’ve been disrespected because of my upbringing and where I’m from.” .
— Aaron Barreto-Diaz on how he has felt as an immigrant from Venezuela in the United States when reflecting on his journey from Caracas to family medicine resident at Erlanger.
“The lack of budget and staffing for this office virtually ensures that it will be little more than expensive, performative window dressing.”
— Hamilton County Commission David Sharpe, D-Red Bank, on the county’s new compliance division.
“I think everyone is stumped, including our expert witness, about how to make him comply. Because, unfortunately, he has the belief that if he is simply found incompetent, this case will be dismissed.”
— Hamilton County Criminal Court Judge Amanda Dunn during a hearing in the case of Shantez Ferguson, who is accused of bludgeoning a group home caretaker to death with a brick five years ago but has yet to stand trial because of questions over his competency to do so.
Did you see a quotation we should highlight? Send an email to news@timesfreepress.com with QuoteWorthy in the subject line.