Making it official with bologna, Burchett running for Mayor

State Sen. Tim Burchett is announcing that he is running for Mayor of Knox County. He kicks of his candidacy with a bologna lunch at Powell Auction Co., perhaps in a nod to the tough economic times. But it is a very non-bologna platform that he's running on. No fillers, in other words. Sorry I couldn't resist.

-- Schools. “My degree’s in education (from the University of Tennessee). Both my parents were career educators. The best people to run the schools are teachers and parents. That’s the basics.”

-- Safe streets. “If the sheriff’s department does not have proper funding, crimes will occur.”

-- Low taxes. “We have got to figure out how to do it without (raising) taxes. We can’t tax ourselves into prosperity. If that were so, Russia and Cuba would be a mecca for people.”

The Senate's loss will be Knox County's gain if Burchett is successful. County government has been one long drama. Here's a sample: exhibit A, exhibit B, and exhibit C. He's got his work cut out for him and is to be commended for taking it on.

So who's taking his place in the Senate? There has been some talk about John Duncan III and Rep. Stacey Campfield.