Political Quotes

“I rise with a heavy heart to honor the life of former Knox County Commission Chair Thomas ``Tank'' Strickland who passed away on July 18 at 70 years old. Tank grew up in east Tennessee and attended Austin-East High School. He graduated from the University of Tennessee before becoming the first Black chair of the Knox County Commission. He dedicated his life to making Knoxville a much better place. When he announced his retirement, he said he hoped he left every single situation, organization, and person in a better condition than when he started. Mr. Speaker, that was a great understatement. Even after retiring in 2016, Tank continued to serve the east Knoxville community and the entire community as a whole. Just a week before he passed away, he asked me to honor some other east Tennesseans, Leo and Judy Whiteside, here on the House floor for their service to the community. He handwrote his notes about them and sent them to our office. This is truly a testament to how much he loved our community and the folks around him. Mr. Speaker, I am thankful not just for his service to Knoxville but also that I could call him a dear friend. When my daddy had his stroke, Tank would check on my mama every day in the hospital. My mama would always say: ``That handsome young man came by.'' I guess he had a way with the ladies, and my mama loved him. Tank was a dear friend to my parents and my girls. He left behind a great legacy and made our community a better place.…”