" Tax the employers for the non working"

More taxes on small employers. Just when you thought it couldn't get worse for people trying to keep jobs. Now Phil wants to increase taxes on the people who actually employ people to prop up people who aren't working.

Backwards logic at its best.

The claim last year was we have to have this new tax increase to get the stimulus money. Now they want another tax increase on employers to prop it up. How bout we stop mandating insurance payments onto employers and instead allow the beneficiary of the insurance to make the payments in advance if they want. You know, sort of like regular insurance works. A minimal amount is required by federal law but it is a fraction of what we are doing now.

As it is now unemployment insurance is a pre-paid vacation for freeloaders. The employee has no "Skin in the game". If the business goes under the employee still gets paid for not working. The only person who looses is the employer and the business community.

Word from Isreal

I am on vacation in the Amazons of Peru but I thought I would just pass on an interesting story. I was talking with a fellow traveler from Israel. I had not passed on any of my political beliefs and I thought I would ask him what he thought Israel was going to do about Ahmadinejad. He just shook his head "It is terrible" he said. "Our hands are tied. We have lost so much power." I asked why, He said "Obama and the Democrats took over. We have to have support from America to do about anything and Obama is a fence sitter." He went on "Bush may not have been perfect but at least he took a stand for us. He knew the difference between good and evil. Obama wants everyone to be his friend. With some people and groups that does not work. Obama could be the worst president for Israel since Jimmy Carter. "

" How so?" I asked

"Carter did not support the Shaw of Iran. When he fell, the radical extremists took over. They now fund almost all the worlds terrorism. He was a disaster for Israel! Now Obama is sending the same messages"

I mentioned to him that in America most Jewish people are Democrat. He said they must be crazy or have no clue as to what is going on in the world. "The American Democrats will end Israel" "That is if they don't end America first."

That is when I told him I was a proud Republican! To that I received a warm "Thank you!"

This is huge

Memphis accepts 100 million to improve schools. Why is that a big deal? It is something Republicans have been fighting years to get. Accountability from bad teachers and reward for good ones. For years, any sort of accountability was killed by the TEA/NEA because some of their union members might be exposed as bad teachers.

Now with the Bill Gates $100 million the temptation became too sweet.

This ranks up there with charter schools as far as victories for education and Tennessee school children go. Of course the TEA and NEA are probably fit to be tied.

"Oh lord! Not the golf courses!"

Lets see, what can we do? Put more felons on the street or cut more of the golf courses and swimming pools

Tough choices in the legislature for some.....

Why an armed populace is necessary

When the governor wants to release 3,300 to 4,000 felons back on to Tennessee street and parks (as is suggested in this Richard Locker article) you have to wonder if keeping limits on honest legal carry permit holders is such a good idea.

The cuts are coming, Who get the ax?

The cuts in k-12 education funding look to be coming. Bredesen said he wants to cover the projected $82 million in inflation and growth costs for K-12 education costs, but warned that cuts remain possible even there.

Why we can't at least move the 50 million of additional pre K money added from the regular budget to k-12 BEP is beyond me. Pre K was always supposed to come from lottery surplus money. Not the regular budget.

When the cutting comes people are going to have to decide what is a nice want and what is an absolute need. Pre K at its best is an optional experiment with mixed results. It is a nice want, not a need. K-12 is an absolute need. You can't just end K-12.

Interesting

10 famous homeschoolers.

I think I have heard that idea before

Now even regular people are calling out for more parental accountability with their child's education. I love it. I suggested this idea for all the people who want free state daycare or Pre K. Why not. All studies show parental involvement is the top way to gauge the potential outcome for a child's educational success.

From my april 2005 post...

In one case, before the child was admitted to school, the parent had to attend classes where they were instructed how to read to their children (faster, slower, point things out in pictures). In some cases the parents had to sit in a class and pick out a teacher. If the teacher ended up with too few students, then he/she didn't teach that year. Obviously teacher tenure was not in effect in this example.

Also, in some places, PARENTS get a report card on such things as attending meetings, volunteering at school, calling teacher about student progress, sitting in on a class, etc. Do these programs sound good? They usually cost a little more than half of what the Governor is proposing to spend and have proven to have effective results. And regarding vouchers (did I say a bad word?) to be used for these pre-K programs, they are off the table......

.....All of these ideas are low cost and involve changing the way things are currently done. At some point we have to start looking at the process instead of just adding another layer of bureaucracy. But often times the things that are logical aren't listened to by the powers that be. If we must go the state run road why not make the parents come to classes or be forced to pay for the pre K?

A matter of trust

The home town paper comes out against Kent Williams being reinstated as a Republican.

It should not be forgotten that no one forced Rep. Williams to sign a pledge that he would support his party’s nominee — then widely understood to be Rep. Jason Mumpower of Bristol — for speaker. Williams did that of his own free will. To publicly make that pledge, only to break it for his own personal aggrandizement, was, and remains, a dishonorable act for which Williams has never apologized.

Indeed, it is Williams who unaccountably continues to affect an air of victimhood for being shunned by the colleagues he betrayed.

His conduct reminds of the story about the boy who murdered his parents, then threw himself on the mercy of the court as an orphan.

Rep. Williams has already bartered away the trust once placed in him when he cynically plotted to advance his personal political standing at the expense of his colleagues and the Republican constituents who elected him.

It’s exceedingly clear that the only allegiance Kent Williams has is to himself.

Some Tennessee Republicans may be inclined to forgive or ignore Rep. Williams’ duplicity in the past in exchange for his vote in a closely divided House. But they need to know that by doing so they are not merely excusing bad behavior, but elevating expediency over experience.

Home school hope

As many of you know I have been working for months (Years?) to set up some sort of program where home school students might get to play in TSSAA sports beyond the limited level they can participate in now. The idea was able to have a victory this last week. Last year I was able to get TSSAA to add these questions to one of their survey of small schools regarding home school and sports.


1. Would you be in favor of allowing students under their
preexisting home school umbrella for at least one year to
be permitted to participate in sports programs at your
school?

2. Would you be in favor of a pilot program of the same?

Two thirds of the schools responding to the questionnaire were in favor of these ideas!

As you may know Tim Teabow was the product of a similar but much larger program in Florida. Seemed to work out OK for them. One step at a time.

In Peru

Blogging will be limited for the next week or so. I am in Peru and internet is limited (unless I want to pay about a buck a minute).

"The best job stimulator"

I keep hearing Democrats and even some Republicans fall into the trap saying how road building is the best job stimulus investment we can do.

In the short term that may be true, but in the long term I think a strong economy with many thriving, small and mid sized, free market, private businesses is the best job stimulator there is. Without that, the economy will not turn around, long term, no matter what we do.

Selling that message is one of the great challenges conservatives have under the current administration, but we need to keep reminding people of that as the debate continues.

Strategery

Tom Humphrey reports on some of the strategery going on behind the scenes of the GOP primary.

In the current Republican gubernatorial campaign, Ron Ramsey said the other day he is positioned to appeal to both wings of the party's Tennessee electorate - the "conservative activists" and the "pro-business Republicans," to use his terms.

In the Ramsey view, Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam is the moderate in the race and thus may have some appeal to the business wing - not to mention a lot of money, including a big chunk donated by business

It is starting to come out now that Haslam skipped the Tennessee Conservative Union dinner to be at a fundraiser hosted by long time Democrat fundraiser David "Ace" Harrington whose next fundraiser is for Democrat Joann Graves. Not what the hard Republican party people or TCU regulars want to hear.

Another step

Any one wonder why it is difficult to trust some people to be in the party? Here is another reason.

The e mail went out a few days ago inter caucus. It was a trial balloon. These things get put out some times to gauge response of the members before it is put out to the mass media. Sometimes it is a good idea and sometimes it is bad. When it is good, we move forward and we look unified in our response. When it is bad many times the idea just goes away. No harm, no foul.

This one started out strongly worded but was losing steam fast. Several members had voiced displeasure with the idea. Some of the main objections were that by doing this they were going to drive a wedge between the caucus and Tennessee Right to Life. It also brought up stories that made some of our caucus members look anti life. The story just needed to go away.

I had personally spoken with leadership a few days ago and they had said it was probably not going to go out. I spoke with another person who had contacted our caucus leadership after I did and they were told it was definitely not going to go out.

No harm, no foul right?

Wrong.

Someone decided to go ahead and send copies of e mail exchanges to the media. Why would someone who supposedly didn't like the idea or tone of the letter release it to the media when the idea was going away? Simple. To try and climb a micro smidgen higher for themselves, to divide our caucus between those who might have wanted to send the letter and those who might not, to try to make our caucus leadership and some of our members look bad to TRL members and make themselves look good.

Mission accomplished.

Now, there is no reason to not to send the letter. It is already out. The wedge has and will grow between some of our members or between our caucus and TRL but that one person looks a smidgen better at the costs of the team.

The party plan for reform

According to Phil Valentine its goals should be real simple. Get the old time (political) religion.

Does any of the Republican leadership remember Reagan? Ronald Reagan didn't run as a conservative during the primaries then rush to the middle in the general election like McCain. Reagan staked out his positions and stood fast. The mountain came to Reagan. Many in the Republican Party seem to have lost their ability — or their desire — to sell their ideas and principles to the American people. Backing Scozzafava is clear evidence of that. All they care about is racking up numbers on Election Day. It doesn't mean squat if someone has an "R" after their name and that "R" stands for RINO (Republican In Name Only). There needs to be a double-R after those names, for "Reagan Republican.".....

.....If the Republicans want to regain power in Washington they need to focus on the things that matter to most Americans. Stop spending like drunken sailors. Really start to dismantle that beast in Washington. Get back to the founding principles of limited government and decentralized power. Get yourself a bracelet that says WWRD (What Would Reagan Do).

Concentrate on being conservatives instead of Republicans and, for the love of Peter, Paul and Mary, stop trying to out-liberal the liberals.

Josh Evans nails it

What would it take for Kent Williams to get back in the party? Real simple answer and Josh Evans nails it.

Cutting down the money tree

It seems Phil is upset about the responce to the report on the switchgra.....corncobb refinery.

After legislators were made aware of the refineries diminished capacity and potential loss of revenue other then state dollars ( a non surprise to readers of this blog) many legislators were let down at original promises not being followed through on and are questioning continued funding.

A reasonable response.

Phil is upset because he says he may have another similar type project looking to come on line and he might lose them because they fear similar type oversight.

Knock, knock.... Hello? Is anyone out there? We don't have money to keep propping up our current non productive research facilities! Why would we want any more? We are about to be billions in the red!

While I support job recruitment and I understand tax incentives and infrastructure investments, to say we are going to keep a company afloat costing millions a year for a few research jobs, well that is simmilar to federal government logic where the average "stimulus" job costs between $92,000.00 and $160,000.00.

Tennessee can't just go out and pick money off the money tree or print it. We can't deficit spend. We have to balance our budgets year after year. If the companies being recruited are so afraid of oversight that might expose this type of abuse then possibly they aren't the type of company we need to be recruiting.

Money in, Money out.

As you may know, the fed gave back the state about $5 billion in "stimulus" money. Most of it went as a carrot to start or expand social programs to push their social agenda.

Of the $5 billion only about $500 million actually went into projects that might stimulate the economy by creating shovel ready type jobs. Mostly all road and bridge type projects that we had to mortgage our future to get. Well guess what? While the state got $500 million up front "stimulus" money to create jobs in transportation infrastructure the fed is now cutting Tennessee's federal road funding by $190 million.

The deal is getting less and less sweet all the time. The next "deal" up is the Obama health care plan.

Well no friggin kidding!! / the Maginot line

One of the states top boondoggles for the last few years has been the switchgrass plant. I knew and reported early on that this was going to be a feel good do nothing project that the taxpayer got stuck on the hook for. Guess what?

It is. I hate how they keep proving me right time after time.

From the latest report....

In 2007, officials said the pilot project would produce 5 million gallons per year using switchgrass. Plans now call for just 250,000 gallons and the initial production of ethanol will use corn cobs.

The 2007 projections were that Tennessee farmers would grow switchgrass — on 6,000 acres — to be used in producing ethanol. Only about 2,700 acres are now under contract for growing switchgrass, with farmers paid $450 per acre per year. Most of the crop will go for research purposes other than ethanol production.

In 2007, officials projected that the pilot plant would become self-sufficient within five years, in part by selling 5 million gallons of ethanol per year, and require no more state funding. White’s report says the project cannot be self-sufficient and “production capacity is not large enough to generate revenue to pay its operating costs.”

The plant has run up costs of $55 million so far for construction and equipment, with $36.7 million coming from the state and the rest from DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol LLC, a private partner in the project, the report says.

The state has covered other costs, including staff salaries and payments to farmers for growing switchgrass, as it moves toward expending the $70 million total. The state pays $5.3 million per year for operating expenses with two more years of those payments scheduled.

Next up? Solar.

In some ways I am glad the state government is in a money crunch. When we are in flush times the state just blows the money on these type projects. We can run the list, switchgrass, party bunker, fixing up the plaza, solar panels, fish ponds, road side flowers, the list goes on and on.

In political arguments the Dems say we call them "Tax and spend liberals" but to them, they are the responsible ones. They add the taxes to pay for the projects they pass. They argue some Republicans will vote to spend the money but not vote for the taxes to pay for the projects.

There is some truth in that. When legislators vote for the budget they are voting for the projects.

But what I am realizing more and more is that these are the kind of projects we are really paying for with the increases in tax dollars. Not the services you always see get touted out in the paper when it is crunch time (Schools, roads, bridges, kids etc.).

The libs refuse to prioritize and they always want another big show project. They have no ability to limit themselves. None. The only hard limit they have is the constitutionally required balanced budget. Stopping tax increases is the only line in the sand we can draw that some will stick to. If we limit the taxes we limit the money going into the budget, stop the boondoggles and force them to prioritize better.

Once the taxes pass, it's over.

In the other national pass time

The New York Yankees defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in six games to win the World Series. Mark Rose's favorite team may be beaten but he is not discouraged.

Brooks clears the road for Bell

Kevin Brooks has announced he will not run for the state senate to be vacated by Sen. Dewyne Bunch. While K.B. and Eric Watson would have made a good senators they decided timing wasn't right this time around.

This announcement clearly eases the way for and makes the odds on favorite Rep. Mike Bell to become the next State Senator from the Chattanooga area.

The latest results of pre K

In Knox county the results are not just unimpressive, the students seem to be regressing. From the Knox News Sentinel....

"The district regressed in the area of elementary and middle school, missing federal benchmarks in math for black students, poor students and students with disabilities, and not making enough progress in reading for black students, Hispanic students, poor students and students with disabilities.

Knox County met all those benchmarks last year."

Up to 9% cuts to state government

Phil is bracing for the worst. While I agree with him that the cuts will probably be necessary and deeper cuts will probably be coming. I question why we did not start doing the dirty necessary work of cutting costs last year. It would have saved us having to go as deep this year and by his own admission it could have been done relatively easy.

From Phil's own mouth in the Tennessean article....

"The political problem is that last February, I probably could have passed any known cut because everybody knew we were in the middle of a major crisis," Bredesen said. "The stimulus has kind of concealed what's been going on."....

And by not passing a slimmed down budget things are now having to be and will be cut worse.

"....There's no alternative to it," Bredesen said. "Hopefully, the economy is coming back. … But we're a long way under water."

As the state starts its budget-writing process, Bredesen says Tennessee's fiscal situation is worsening. Tax receipts are not expected to rebound to pre-recession levels until 2014, and the last of the federal government's nearly $5 billion in stimulus spending is set to come by the end of 2010.....

Just as was predicted by many legislators in a call to pass what Phil called the "Stupid budget". I hate to say it but the lack of "stupid" is now forcing "Painful" on the "short sighted".

Go vote!

If you haven't then today's the day for a lot of local elections.

For the wonks

I have amended the last paragraph of the questions I sent to the AG. Here they are....

If a full term was served by a judge by what constitutional authority does the legislature have the power to call off a scheduled election? If a full term was served by a judge by what constitutional authority does the legislature have the power to call off a scheduled election, and to give the governor the power to fill the vacancy created by the retirement (as the Tennessee plan provides), If a full term was served by a judge by what constitutional authority does the legislature have the power to create a partial term and fill a partial term instead of holding a scheduled election as is required by the constitution for the full term? By what constitutional authority can the legislature set additional qualifications in a statute (other then the ones already set out in article 1 sec 3 and 4) for judicial offices? What provision of the constitution gives the legislature the power to deprive constitutionally qualified judicial candidates the right of running for public office at a scheduled election?

This could be HUGE!!!!!!!

I just got back responses to some of my questions regarding the constitutionality of "The Tennessee Plan". Opinion 09-174

One of my key questions was asking by what constitutional authority does the legislature have to fill full terms of office for judges?

The AG responded that they DO NOT have the constitutional authority!!!!!!

Unless I am mistaken this means that if the legislature does not have the authority then they can not give that authority to the governor through the Tennessee plan.

If that is the case, then I wonder about supreme court judges Koch and Wade were they unconstitutionally appointed?

I am not sure of the next steps but unless I am wrong (and I may be) they and their previous decisions may be invalidated.

More on this later.

The more things change.....

It seems these arguments were made a few days ago....

Americans are hungry to feel once again a sense of mission and greatness.

I don ‘t know about you, but I am impatient with those Republicans who after the last election rushed into print saying, “We must broaden the base of our party”—when what they meant was to fuzz up and blur even more the differences between ourselves and our opponents.

It was a feeling that there was not a sufficient difference now between the parties that kept a majority of the voters away from the polls. When have we ever advocated a closed-door policy? Who has ever been barred from participating?

Our people look for a cause to believe in. Is it a third party we need, or is it a new and revitalized second party, raising a banner of no pale pastels, but bold colors which make it unmistakably clear where we stand on all of the issues troubling the people?......

......A political party cannot be all things to all people. It must represent certain fundamental beliefs which must not be compromised to political expediency, or simply to swell its numbers.

I do not believe I have proposed anything that is contrary to what has been considered Republican principle. It is at the same time the very basis of conservatism. It is time to reassert that principle and raise it to full view. And if there are those who cannot subscribe to these principles, then let them go their way.

Ronald Reagan

Some don't want to get past it

Rep. Jimmy Matlock does an excellent piece calling for the end of the attack of "Racist" when ever someone disagrees on an issue.


Racism creates hard feelings. It causes people to get defensive, and before you know it, we are not even discussing the real issues anymore. There is a lot of shouting going on but very little talk about the actual issue.

We must debate only the facts. Humans were given the gift of reason, but I do not think we have been demonstrating it lately.

I am a small-business owner, running a family business that has operated in East Tennessee for more than 57 years. I also serve as the state representative to Loudon and Monroe counties and humbly serve more than 66,000 people.

But this issue is not about me; it is about me speaking for a large group of people who are tired of defending themselves against accusations of harboring racist thoughts. They are just families who live in small towns and large cities across this state, working hard, taking care of their families, and enjoying their time together.

Occasionally, they read or hear something through the media with which they disagree. This doesn't mean they must immediately be labeled - many of these folks have voted for both parties through the years. These are average Americans, and they are simply scared. Terrified, in fact!

When I talk to people in my district, they are genuinely worried. They are concerned about heath care or if they can continue to provide for their families in this dismal economy. They do not feel like all of their questions are being answered, and they feel distrustful of statements coming out of Washington and Nashville.

So they go to local town halls, and they write their congressmen and legislators, and they attempt to have their voice heard. That doesn't make them racists - it makes them American.

Like most people I come in contact with, I have tremendous concerns about the direction we are taking as a country; the coarseness of our language, the disrespect toward each other and the lack of personal accountability. Our communities, our state and our nation can only be as good as the people who make up our citizenship.

I am reminded of a statement with which I will close: "Ridicule is the argument of last resort."

My hope and prayer is that our culture will move towards being able to look past the color of one's skin and create a tone of civility which fosters respect toward all our neighbors.


I couldn't agree more.

Sadly, for his effort he is attacked as, well, need I say what? It is unfortunate that some people instead of pointing out their side or the fallacy of the opponents arguments rely on the tried and true personal attack.

I have seen it in many forms of media as well, as if an effort is being made to make political discussions all about personality and no longer about issues. I was watching a political TV show this morning and two candidates were on for city council. One was being picked apart for "Going negative" in a mail piece. I received one of the mail pieces in question. It was contrasting where the two candidates stood on a local issue. One was openly in favor of city funding for a downtown hotel the other was openly against it.

More and more lately I have seen the silencing and assault of an opponents honest objections as a creeping vine choking out the tree of freedom that both parties have been able to pick life sustaining fruit from.

Politics is the battle of contrasting ideas. Strong opinions and voices are needed to present contrasting points of views. America has always been a place where different individual points of view are welcome if not glorified. When ideas fail and differences in points of view are shut out and silenced we are in trouble.

Folks, if talking about an issue and where you stand on it versus your opponent is "Going negative" (to be looked down upon) or the person speaking is personally attacked then we are not far from removing all debate on issues. We will be heading toward beauty and popularity contests for the rich and famous only instead of elections where ideas and innovation from our best and brightest keep us moving forward.

While some people may think this will work out for them, in the long run, no ones interests will be served by feeding that root.

Quote of the week (health clinic edition)

A funny quote I heard while at the health clinic.

"I know people who would die to be as healthy as I am"

Really?

The hard sell

I went to the health clinic two days ago to get a yellow fever shot (required for some trips overseas) While there, the nurse of course hit me up for some others (tetanus, hep a and b) while I don't mind them asking I definitely got the hard sell on the swine flu vaccine.

When first asked I just said "No thank you" but it didn't end there. I suddenly felt like I was at the new car dealership and they were trying to sell me the ultra rustproofing protection package for a car. I was told of the dangerous swine flu, how catchy it was how it could be deadly, on and on. I kept saying "no thank you" but the nurse wouldn't quit. I probably had to say "No thank you" Five times. No exaggeration.

The last time I finally asked if they had identified ANY of these deadly cases of swine flu at all in Knoxville. "No" Had anyone died from it in Knoxville? "No". I then explained how from what I had seen the death rate for the swine flue was not markedly greater then the average death rate for the regular flu and from the few reports I had seen those who had died were usually already in some weakened condition. I next mentioned how when ever I heard someone got a flu shot more often then not they ended up sick. Was there a chance of that happening? "Yes, it has happened" I then questioned why the national emergency when so many things have a much greater death rate and get little to no attention.

Did they give hard sell to people who smoked? drank? or ate too much? No? Then why the difference with the flu?

I guess if I keel over dead next week from swine flu you can all sit back and laugh but I think I will live through this latest scare.

Pre K flops again

A new comptroller report states no verifiable difference in Pre K versus non Pre K kids after early grades. With budget cuts coming up legislators should be willing to look at programs who's cost is high and effectiveness has proven to be limited. Other areas of education could use that same money with better, lasting results.

We need to talk

Someone needs to get the Republican parties together to talk. Yes, if you didn't know there are two wings in the Republican party. The right wingers (Often called the Paulyacks after Ron Paul supporters or tea partiers) and the left wing "moderates"(Often called Lamartians after their devotion to the principals of Lamar! or squishies)

It seems the left wing of the party is ready to accept people whose views contradict the core principals that the party was founded on. At the same time they want to kick out or get rid of members who support all of those same original views, sometimes to the extreme.

If we are going to go all "Big tent" and talk about pulling people in to the party who agree with us 80% of the time, then we need to also remember to pull in the people who agree with us on our core principals 90%, 100% or even 110% of the time too. They also play a vital part to our success, the lefties need to recognize, accept, encourage, recruit and support them as well.

Interesting tax proposal

Vermont State Rep. Fred Maslack has read the Second Amendment to the U.S.. Constitution as well as Vermont 's own Constitution very carefully, and his strict interpretation of these documents is popping some eyeballs in New England and elsewhere.

Maslack recently proposed a bill to register non-gun-owners and require them to pay a $500 fee to the state. Thus Vermont would become the first state to require a permit for the luxury of going about unarmed and assess a fee of $500 for the privilege of not owning a gun.

Maslack read the "militia" phrase of the Second Amendment as not only affirming the right of the individual citizen to bear arms, but as a clear mandate to do so. He believes that universal gun ownership was advocated by the Framers of the Constitution as an antidote to a "monopoly of force" by the government as well as criminals.

Vermont's constitution states explicitly that "the people have a right to bear arms for the defense of themselves and the State" and those persons who "conscientiously scrupulous of bearing arms" shall be required to "pay such equivalent." Clearly, says Maslack, Vermonters have a constitutional obligation to arm themselves so that they are capable of responding to "any situation that may arise".

Under the bill, adults who choose not to own a firearm would be required to register their name, address, Social Security Number, and driver's license number with the state. "There is a legitimate government interest in knowing who is prepared to defend the state should they be asked to do so," Maslack says.

Vermont already boasts a high rate of gun ownership along with the least restrictive laws of any state - it's currently the only state that allows a citizen to carry a concealed firearm without a permit. This combination of plenty of guns and few laws regulating them has resulted in a crime rate that is the third lowest in the nation.

"Don't offer it. We might take it!"

The Obama socialized medicine plan is getting close to a vote and it looks like the public option is going to be a part. The latest pitch is states will be given an opt out provision. If they don't want to take part then they can opt out.

IT sounds all well and good but is not as simple as you might think. As usual it will come down to money.

Yes, the state may have the ability to opt out of the plan but how many legislators will actually opt out of something when they will get the bill if they stay in or not? Is the federal government going to say that only the states that stay in the plan have to pay for the potential shortages created by it?

Of course not.

States like Tennessee will be toting the bill for states like California, Nevada and New York. Many legislators will argue if their constituents have to pay the bill then they want whatever small service is offered to go with it. Long term consequences be damned.

While reform is needed this plan needs to go away.

Bunch and Bell

I am sure many posts will swirl around today about Sen. Dewayne Bunch and Rep. Mike Bells decision to run for the senate. While their is plenty of time to talk about the up coming election I would like to take a few minutes and talk about Senator Bunch.

Dewayne has always been a first class person as well as a top senator. When I served with him in the house I always thought of him as one of the most well read legal minded legislators we had. When he did something it was well reasoned in law, the constitution and policy.

You may recall this last year he was one of the people who put in a ton of work trying to get reform of the judicial selection process. As a lawyer, being one of the main forces trying to make judges run for real elections well, I can only imagine the pressure he was put under to fold up on his position.

He never did and fought hard till the end.

That is just the way he is. He fought for conservative principals and goals no matter what the odds or personal consequences. Fiercely loyal, he would stick with friends and principals through thick and thin. And yes, their were some thin times. He never wavered and never let on that things bothered him. He was just a loyal person who worked hard for his beliefs.

As chair of the wrestler caucus (a group of legislators who were also former highschool or college wrestlers) his weekly meetings at Ted's Montana will never be the same. While we used to kid him about how he was supporting liberal Ted Turner by eating there Dewayne would hold fast to the location. They were one of the few restaurants that served crushed ice in their drinks. A must for a quality restaurant according to him.

While not gone yet, his sharp, dry wit will be missed on and off the senate floor in 2011 but our loss is his families and Chattanooga's gain. I rest assured in the knowledge that he will continue to raise a great family and Chattanooga will once again have another great conservative lawyer to lead the judiciary where they need to go.

And when they get there I am sure they will have crushed ice in the drinks.

Good stuff from mom

My mom sends me comments jokes and quotables on a regular basis. Many of them become the "Joke of the week" posts. Some just make me smile or think about a topic for a while. I liked this one.

ANYWAY
The Paradoxical Commandments


People are illogical,
unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway

If you do good,
people will accuse you of
selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful,you will win
false friends and true enemies
succeed anyway.

The good you do today
will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway

Honesty and frankness
make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women
with the biggest ideas can be
shot down by the smallest
men and women with
the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.......

...People favor underdogs
but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building
may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help
but may attack you
if you do help them.
Help people anyway

Give the world the best
you have and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you 've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis,
it is between you and God;
It never was between you and them anyway.

NEWS FLASH!!

Tennessee State Senator Dewayne Bunch has decided to not run for re election in 2010. Senate Dist 9 covers Polk, McMinn, Bradley and Meigs county.

State rep. Mike Bell has announced he will run for the seat.

More later.

Just some questions

I decided to ask the Attorney General some questions on my previous post and regarding the judicial selection process. Clarity is always good.

Here they are.....

Is it constitutional for there to be any financial limits for donation amounts to non legislators?

Is it constitutional for TREF or the assembly to assess penalties or set financial limits on non elected officials, lobbyists or PACs for receipt or donation of a disclosed amount above or below the current limits that go to or come from, non elected officials?

Are non legislators constitutionally guaranteed the right of free speech (through political donation) to legislators and non legislators equally? Are legislator guaranteed equal protection under the constitution for their rights of free speech similar to non legislators? Is a legislators right to free speech limited if they are limited in, or penalized by the amount they can donate to the candidate of their choice be they sitting legislator or not? Is a non legislators rights to free speech limited if the candidate of their choice is barred from accepting a donation or the full intended amount of their donation?

Who would have standing to bring a lawsuit against the state questioning the constitutionality of the judicial selection process?
Would any citizen or legislator or lawyer or former judge or lower court judge or person who was qualified to become a judge and had applied to the current process yet was rejected meet the needed criteria?
What is the criteria to have standing or to show injury in such a case?
f article 6 sec 3 and 4 provides for an election every 8 years for the full term Where in the constitution does the legislature get the power to give the governor the power to appoint a judge for the full term? Since judge Anderson and Birch served their full term and retired in 2006 and as a consequence their was going to be a vacancy to be filled for a full 8 year term by what constitutional authority did the governor appoint judges Wade and Koch to fill those impending vacancies?

If a full term was served by a judge by what constitutional authority does the legislature give the governor the right to appoint a judge to another full term over standing for contested election by the qualified voters of this state?

Loopholes for lobbyists/ Questions bring questions

Tom Humphrey's details the loophole for lobbyists to donate to campaigns in this article and sets up some interesting questions down the line.

If a law is unenforceable is it really effective in doing what it was set up to do? I would say most people would say clearly no.

A question that arises out of the Gottlieb case is the entire constitutionality of bans on donations. I think with the attorney general refusing to defend the registry of election finance it is clearly sending a message to them that he (the AG) thinks the TREF being able to limit or fine a non legislator for making a donation is not constitutional. It is an impediment to their free speech.

According to the history of the AG's actions and past statements, the limits on PAC donations are artificial and unenforceable at least on non sitting legislators. The Gottlieb case is just another example. The AG and the registry did not move on Bredesen after he donated millions to his own campaign despite the law. If they are consistent then there comes the question on can there be any limits or penalties for donations to or on non elected officials.

The AG has danced around this before, saying along the lines of legislators can decide to limit themselves in what and when they can accept. In effect that statement is saying he doubts the constitutionality of limits on "Non legislators".

If that is the case then I wonder if he considers the $2,000.00 limits on individual donation or the $5,000.00 limit on PAC's to non elected officials as constitutional? If that is not constitutional then the question on the ban on lobbyist donations to non elected officials comes into play for the same reasons.

The question of equal protection under the law then comes into play for legislators verses non legislators. Even if that did hold up in his opinion then I wonder how long it would be before legislators decide they feel at a disadvantage to non legislators and remove the limits and go with full disclosure only.

Were that not pass I wonder if some sitting legislators might step down from office to run for higher office (Say Governor) and not be limited by the donation caps or time limits.

Joke of the week (stop light edition)

A lawyer runs a stop sign and gets pulled over by a sheriff's deputy. He thinks that he is smarter than the deputy because he is a lawyer from Chicago and is certain that he has a better education than any cop from Nowhere, Tennessee . . . He decides to prove this to himself and have some fun at the Tennessee deputy's expense.

The deputy says, 'License and registration, please.'

'What for?' says the lawyer.

The deputy says, 'You didn't come to a complete stop at the stop light.'

Then the lawyer says, 'I slowed down, and no one was coming.'

'You still didn't come to a complete stop', says the deputy. 'License and registration, please.'

The lawyer says, 'What's the difference?'

'The difference is you have to come to complete stop, that's the law. License and registration, please!' the Deputy repeats.

Lawyer says, 'If you can show me the legal difference between slow down and stop, I'll give you my license and registration, and you give me the ticket... If not, you let me go and don't give me the ticket.'

'That sounds fair. 'Please exit your vehicle, sir,' the deputy says.
At this point, the deputy takes out his nightstick and starts beating the daylights out of the lawyer and says, 'Do you want me to stop, or to just slow down?'

Would you like to be friends?

I was bumped from my Facebook account for adding too many friends too quickly. I have appealed but have yet to receive any sort of response so I just set up a new account. If you were a friend or would like to be one I ask that you add me as a friend here.

Thanks!

P.S. No, I don't play "Mafia wars" or "Farm town"

"While I may not be an actual governor, I play a one on TV"

Bill Frist drops his plan to put Tennessee in the top 5 for education in 5 years. Thanks for the help and all but don't you think you could have had a greater impact on actually getting it to pass had you been the governor?

But this one never gets old!

Musicians are arguing their music should not be played for gitmo detainees. I can't see the logic in this. Are they saying even they think their music to closely resembles torture or are they really just looking for a royalty check?

I know this one could never get old.

Quote of the week (the plot thickens)

While questions on quotas/race/diversity of board members and employees is standard fair from members of the black caucus. The quote of the week has to go to one Black Caucus member who, while reviewing a board on ambulance regulations added a new twist to the line of questioning and seriously added...

"I want to know why all these ambulances always have to be WHITE!"

Someone has been listening to a little too much Louis Farrakhan.

Economy is a car crash

I have never seen or heard of a re assureing car crash but the Metro Pulse is calling the states economy "car crash" as the good news....But dont worry, its not not a train crash.

Feel reassured?

Don't.

Comptroller Justin Wilson assures us that the train crash is coming in 2010. I went out to dinner with several legislators last night and they all agreed. Next year will be bad but 2010 is going to be down right ugly. Programs that may be nice but are not absolutely necessary are going to go away.

Selling of nice things like say the presidents mansion at UT could become more commonplace as budgets tighten. Of course the state does have Bredesens 20 million dollar party bunker. I wonder what the re sale value is on that thing.

Just too easy

Reagan Farr looses in court again. I wonder how much he cost the state total now in failed lawsuits and goofy policy like the tobacco agents across state lines.

Step two to sovereignty

The AWESOME! Rep. Susan Lynn (Who just happens to be running for the state senate in middle Tennessee) was named chairwoman on a committee to push forward the state sovereignty issue.

Tennessee Right to Life dinner

Tonight at 6:30 is the annual Tennessee Right to Life dinner at Rothschild's catering 8807 Kingston pike Knoxville Tennessee.

Featured speaker is Mathew Staver Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel, a national nonprofit litigation, education and policy organization established in 1989. One of the nation’s preeminent constitutional attorneys, he also serves as Dean and Professor of Law at Liberty University School of Law.
Mr. Staver holds a Bachelor’s, a Master’s, a Juris Doctorate, Doctorate of Law and Doctorate of Divinity degrees. He has written ten books, most of which focus on constitutional law, including the most comprehensive book ever written on religious freedom called, Eternal Vigilance:
Knowing and Protecting Your Religious Rights.
Mr. Staver hosts Law & Justice, a 30-minute weekly TV program discussing religious liberty issues, Faith & Freedom, a 15-minute daily radio program, Freedom’s Call, a 90-second daily radio program, and Liberty Live, a weekday 1-hour, live, call-in radio program and interactive webcast focusing on topics of cultural and political interest from a Christian worldview.

You can get more info here.

Bigger then health care

When talking with people I often hear their fears of how Obama is going to bankrupt America with his health care plan and how it is important to stop him. While I agree, I think a bigger thing to fear is the White House taking over the census. While health care plans can be changed in the next administration, cooking the books in a census can keep bad things going for a decade or more.

That is truly scary. It would be like putting ACORN in charge of voter verification for the the next 10 years. How and why this is not getting more attention is baffling to me.

Ya notice who never gets mentioned?

When talking about a gas tax increase there is one group that seems to continually get left out of the conversation. That group?

The gas tax payer.

Joke of the week (House duty)

A husband and wife repeatedly argued about who's job it was to cook breakfast and make the coffee. The husband argued it was the wife's job. The wife argued the husbands. Finally after one particular fight the wife said.

"If I can prove to you in the bible it is your job will you do it from now on?"

"What? Impossible!" Shot back the husband.

"No!, No! Countered the wife there are entire sections of the bible written about it."

Being a bible scholar and thinking about hot coffee and biscuits for life the husband doubted his wife and agreed. Grabbing a nearby bible the husband handed it to his wife and said he will be ready for his hot coffee in 20 minutes.

The wife shot back. "You need to read this section of the bible. It tells you clearly it is your job. In fact, it was named for your future"

The title?

Hebrews.

Listening tour stop

I am having a listening tour stop at 10 a.m. today, Knoxville Expo Center AKA the I-75 expo center , 5441 Clinton Highway. Everyone is welcome to come by and share ideas, thoughts and concerns for the next legislative session.

Victory has many fathers.

Defeat on the other hand.....Well, this video shows the difference



David Oatney is calling an end to Jimmy Naifeh's reign as "The man" in the Democrat party. I am not so sure. He has been down and expected out before.

Word from the hill was before the election Jimmy was walking around calling Ty Cobb the lock for victory. He was all over the place saying it was a shoe in. Smiling and flexing the political muscle as if he made it all happen.

Election night and the next day was another story. The tune from Naifeh changed to Turner Fu@%$& it up! Turner Fu@%$& it up!

Was the loss Turner's fault or was there some blame shifting going on to protect position?


With the Democrats dropping numbers a reach across the aisle is their only hope to keep power. Most Democrats know this.

Naifeh has been pretty good at making a comeback. Odem stuck the knife in him at the beginning of this year and and became the top dog for a while but then it got out and Odem fell from grace inter party. He still has the title, but where he goes in 2010 is not looking good. His friend list across the isle is all but non existent and its not like he hasn't been given chances. His partisanship has a real nasty personal feel to it. Most Republicans feel his warm cuddly side is a cross between a mad porcupine and a dead blow fish. Naifeh looked to be making a B line back to being the man who would negotiate for power for sure.

While others have the ability, The top two warm cuddles that look to be making a move are Mike Turner and possibly Fincher who has had a rather sudden shift in styles.

Of those two, it looks as if it is Turner who has started to climb into position first. He was working it hard. He turned down a top paying gig as a potential lobbyist, he has been building coalitions and working as an intermediary between the parties. To Turners credit, in that, he has a real gift. While I and many other Republicans disagree with him on about every issue. Most everyone gets along with him. Democrat and Republican. He is the Democrat Reagan talked about. Not evil. He just knows so much that isn't so. Last year he did the dirty work of backing up Odem for the party and he worked on the Cobb campaign long and hard.

All that work puts Naifeh back out in the cold. Or at least the cool. Could the blame shift be to help Naifeh get back to the front burner? Could be. Will it work? Depends on if the blame will stay all on Turner and if Fincher doesn't make a run.

Missing the horn honkers

Speaker emeritus Jimmy Naifeh and Speaker pro tem Lois Deberry talk tax increases and we all know what that means.



While I doubt IT will come back this year this little spiel could be a stalking horse for other tax and fee increases to come.

Keep the streak alive!

Some times baseball players get on hot streaks. A 56 game hitting streak. Not missing a game for years. In other sports it could be a long winning streak over a competitor or possibly a long streak of touchdown passes or completions.

In politics, there is one streak I would love to keep going. That is Phil Bredesens winless streak in campaigns for open house and senate seats. It is a running joke in the house that the "Kiss of death" for a Democrat is when Phil Bredesen comes to campaign for them. It is like being on the cover of Sports Illustrated before the season starts. When Phil shows, they lose. I love it.

I am not alone on this. When talking with other Republicans about campaigns I don't know how many times I have heard "Boy, I thought I was in real trouble in my race. No, Really, I was nervous. Then Phil showed up for my opponent and I knew I was in the clear!" A good story teller might add on how after seeing Phil they went on vacation or started watching "I Love Lucy" re runs or something like that.

This is usually followed by huge belly laughs all around. I don't care how much it gets told. It is always hysterical to us.

Lets keep the streak alive in 2010!

You talk. We listen.

I am inspired by the next two posts. Both stories were activated and impacted by actions brought forward by citizens. I would like to think you will see more of this sort of thing as we continue to push for a more open and responsive government.

Anyway Big hat tip to them.

Democrat funny money

Tennessee registry of election finance is about to go after two Democrats for questionable financial disclosures Joe Towns for not reporting where his money went and Sen. Tim Barnes for not disclosing services received while in his court fight to unseat Rosoland Kurita after she clearly won the Democrat primary. The Barnes vote is a second tentative victory for David R. Nemirow of Clarksville, who filed complaints against Barnes earlier this year.

Taxation by ticketing

Tom Humphrey gives a rundown on some proposed rule changes for revenue cameras, A.K.A. Red light/speed cameras. Tona Monroe-Ball one of the citizens pushing for change at the meeting was a candidate for state office last year.

Among the proposed changes in state law:

-Require that the yellow color remain for at least four seconds before changing from green to red at intersections with cameras monitoring red lights. Longer periods of yellow would be allowed in accord with national standards in areas with higher speed limits.

-Giving motorists one second of leeway after the light changes to red. Monroe-Ball said many tickets are now based on a half-second of red time, while research shows the worst accidents occur after nine seconds of red time - indicating the motorist is deliberately ignoring the signal.

-Prohibiting tickets when a motorist turns right on red after appropriately slowing and yielding to any oncoming vehicles, rather than using the current rule of issuing a ticket if the motorist fails to come to a complete stop.

-Requiring that at least a portion of revenue generated by camera tickets be spent on public safety, driver education or law enforcement.

Under full disclosure I have received a red light ticket. The third proposed change would have negated it and I was against the red light cameras before I got the ticket.

Quote of the day

"Eskimos have over 40 ways to say the word "snow". None that I can say here.

I have over 40 things I would like to call Olimpia Snow. None that I can say here."

Tip of the hat to S.C.

Indictments coming

Voter fraud in upper east Tennessee?! Wow. You expect the stories from Memphis or Shelby county. They are legendary. But upper east? No way!

Way.

It is now coming out this is a state wide problem that will show as more and more rampant as investigations are complete. This is one example of why it is important Republicans lead. Republicans have yelled and screamed about this for years but the old Democrat leadership had a lock on the election commission officials. We got nowhere. With the switch in power, Republicans took over the leadership for about half the county election commissions and started cleaning house. This is one story from one small county but it wont be the only one.

Or the last.

From the Bristol Herald Courier....

BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. – Sullivan County elections officials are building a case against a group of 25 to 75 people they claim committed voter fraud during last year’s election cycle.....

Booher said local election commissions have a duty to ensure their voter roles are up to date. That means purging the lists on a regular basis of people who have died, moved – or lost their voting rights.....

So over the summer, his office compiled a list of people who were convicted of felonies in state and federal courts since the 1990s, but who have not yet had their rights restored. Comparing the lists to voter roles, Goins said, they found 13,000 people who had similar names, Social Security numbers and dates of birth.
“When I first came in to office [February], this is something that I’ve wanted to do,“ Goins said.
In July, Goins sent his list to local election officials, and told them to focus their efforts on what he called “hard matches,“ registered voters who had the exact identifying information as convicted felons....

...He is focusing his efforts on the third group of “hard matches” – the 25 to 75 people he said lied on their registration forms when they failed to check the box indicating they were convicted felons and then cast ballots anyway......

...If Wells does decide to file charges, he won’t be the first. Goins said a grand jury in Lauderdale County, Tenn., has indicted nine people on voter fraud charges based on the information on their voter registration forms.

“I expect there will be more,“ Goins said.

I also expect more. A LOT more.

Hundreds of felons voting. Guess where?

SULLIVAN COUNTY?!?!?!?

Winners and losers

Last nights results were sweet for some, bitter sweet for others and probably just bitter for a few.

The big win goes to Pat Marsh. He gets the double chocolate cake. A lot of times it just comes down to the candidate. Pat is a good one who worked hard even when he didn't want to. Politics can be rough and mean. Pat sucked it up and did what he had to do to win. He finished the deal and closed out strong.

A big piece of cake goes to Glen Casada, Jason Mumpower and Ward Baker who helped recruit and guide Pat. They also coordinated volunteers for the campaign after the primary and helped raise money. I know for our caucus retreat it was, Learn info, Make calls for Pat, learn some more, Make calls for Pat. When you are done making calls, you can make calls for Pat. After the retreat we were all strongly encouraged to go and help knock on doors for Pat.

What can you say. It worked. We won. Great job. Those who eat well usually like to share so I would say a lot of that cake will go to the voters and the caucus team.





The bitter sweet goes to Tennessee Right to Life. Possibly some rhubarb pie. For them it was a mixed bag. While their candidate did not win this one and they probably lost a little credibility in their argument that they can sway a big race. They also won in that they were able to do what many said they wouldn't or couldn't do. They showed that a person does not automatically get the endorsement from them just because they have an (R) by their name. They showed they could make a choice based on what they thought was best for their cause based on the information they had on hand at the time. They also won in that I am sure Pat will step up and do what is right when the time comes. I think most voters knew that and unfortunately the Dems have a bad history on this issue that hurt their candidate.

The going hungry award goes to Kent Williams and his supporters for his leadership run. They gave lip service to Marsh but they can count. They knew what this race meant and they know this makes it extra difficult. Pat has locked in for the Republican nominee. That won't be Kent. They lost Cobb's vote and are back big when the time comes.

The wind is blowing.

The nasty sandwich goes to the Democrat party. They worked hard but made some key mistakes. Some were obvious, others not so much. A lot of the big ones are already being or have been discussed. Am I going to tell them what their little mistakes were that made a big difference? NO! I want them to make them again and again. They have a history of doing that. I will say I have seen them do it on every campaign I have worked on for the last few years and they have lost about every single one. When I am out campaigning and see them do it I just shake my head and smile. I think to myself.

Dig in boys! Eat all you want!

I look into my Crystal ball and what do I see?

First, Al Gore lost his home state in his presidential bid. Then the Democrats lost the state senate. Then the Democrats lost Al Gore's home district (badly). The same year Democrats lost a clear majority in the state house. Now they lost another Democrat stronghold that has NEVER been held by a Republican (Badly again). At least three other seats were well within striking distance in 08 and their Republican opponents are coming back. As I said earlier, a year ago was a hugely up Democrats, down Republican year. This next election will be the other way around, but worse.

Think just those three are in play for 2010? Think again.

More potential Republican candidates are being searched out for possible pick up districts. This next election could be BIG for Republicans in Tennessee.

51-48

Nuff said for now.

Separated at birth

Mayor Bill Haslam



Comedian Dana Carvey







For those of thin skin, this post is not meant as any sort of insult. I just saw Carvey last nigh on Leno and thought the resemblance was uncanny.

Ward Cammack interview

As Promised here is the Ward Cammack interview. I had been working on putting it up on Youtube this last weekend but was having problems with the sound. Conveniently the Cammack campaign put it up on another video provider. Here is the un cut video. Wards interview was little shorter, while he responded to the same number of questions as the Republican candidates his responses were more brief. The questions were similar but some had a more Democrat slant.

Although all candidates were asked I give credit to Ward for being the only Democrat candidate having the guts to show up and respond to tough questions.

Devaney on the block

A lot is being made out of one state house race in district 62. Is it really Pat Marsh Versus Ty Cobb on the ballot or the new state Republican leadership of Chris Devaney Vs. Robin Smith and Bill Hobbs that is up for a vote?

Some could say the two races are the same.

Former state party chair Robin Smith and Media man Bill Hobbs took a bunch of unknown, underfunded Republican candidates in a hugely down Republican year and won a (Temporary as it was) Republican majority for the first time ever. Shocking, unbelievable, yet hugely effective.

Robin and Bill never missed an opportunity to tout their candidates talking points as well as point out flaws in the oppositions viewpoints in creative ways. They were masters at it. They could strike and move like Muhammad Ali. They motivated the base, informed, schooled and guided candidates away from pitfalls, created a great campaign plan and kept everyone fired up all the way to victory. It wasn't just talk and adds. They were willing to work it. Robin was well known as a warrior at the clubs and rallies, she did the hard work that helped get us 4 seat.

With Robin Smith stepping aside to go for a congressional seat, it is now time for the Devaney administrations turn. Chris came in with a lot of expectations to live up to. The party's "old guard" went to the mat to get him the position. They were tired of the Smith and Hobbs attack machine and wanted someone more in their image. More reserved and laid back, less confrontational, more moderate and willing to coalition build. Out went the Smith and Hobbs machine in one fell swoop. Back in came the old guard with Devaney.

A lot is riding on this race as far as Devaneys credibility goes. One thing promised by the old guard was the building of a solid house majority coming out of 2010. While Robin did "OK" just wait and see what Devaney could do. This could be a bell weather for him and his leadership.

Devaney has a great well funded candidate in Pat Marsh. Probably better funded then any Republican state house candidate in my memory. Pat is sharp, willing to work and an all round nice guy. It is a Republican leaning district that went huge for McCain. It is a hugely Up Republican, down Democrat year and Democrats don't traditionally come out in special elections. All Marsh needs is guidance.

His opponent is and has been a pinata looking for a baseball bat. Dodging debates, questionable ability to serve and just riding on family name.

This time the Dems don't have the money or the candidate but they are not sitting back. They have worked hard at turning the tables on Republicans. They have struck and moved like we used to. They touted this race at their events and on their website like no other and featured Ty Cobb like he was the second coming. They are working it.

This is a golden opportunity for Republicans to put number 51 in the bank. An easy pick up with a little work and creativity. A lot is riding on this election and yes, it is more then Marsh vs. Cobb.

It is to show if Devaney can keep the mo' going.

What will happen?

We will see on Tuesday night.

Lynn sways Lamar!

A letter highlighted here and by the Wall Street Journal may have helped sway Lamar! on his vote for cap and tax legislation. Good job Rep. Susan!

Bredesen expects to follow current spending plan

As I figured a few months ago the budget for the next few years is going to be tight. Bredesen is going to raid reserve funds spend, future project money now and go out of office looking like Santa Clause leaving the next governor to look like Ebeneser Scrooge. I never thought he would admit it. In fact I took some heat for suggesting it was possible that he would even think it.

Well, here it is. He admits it when talking about the future and what future governors will have to clean up from his mess.....

" we will have not given state employees or teachers a raise for five years, our pension plans will need shoring up, our cash reserves ('rainy day fund') will have been considerably depleted and in need of restoration, and we will not have made any substantial new investments for years," the letter says.

Also at that point, he said, the next governor - Bredesen's term ends in January 2011 - will have dealt with "major cuts" to state programs.

"It's going to take at least a full decade to dig our way out and back to where we were prior to the recession," he said.

While I admit the recession has hurt the states income will he at least acknowledge state spending has grown wildly under his budgets? Don't bet on it. Acknowledging you have a problem is the first step to recovery. I give him credit for at least admitting the problem. Now lets do something proactive about it.

Gubers tout issues, pepper attacks

A run down of some gubernatorial rumblings.

At one forum they talked issues for economic development. Jimmy Kyle put a twist on an issue I have touted on this blog...

Kyle also said people think “merger” when the word “restructuring” is used to streamline Tennessee’s higher education governance, consisting of the Board of Regents, University of Tennessee Board of Trustees and Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC).

“I think the technology centers should be pulled out from the Board of Regents, and I’m inclined to put them under ECD (Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development),” Kyle suggested.

Ramsey agreed change was needed in higher ed but said was still studying options.

Wamp, the Chattanooga Republican who has Oak Ridge in his congressional district, suggested new jobs could emerge out of a growing defense sector fighting the War on Terror.

Wamp was later later criticized for being co sponsor of a bill that would force states into arbitration with unions. This is an issue the unions desperately want in Tennessee. At the state level, so far, we have been able to stop it.

Meanwhile Wamp comes back and tries to carve into Ramseys home base of Unicoi county after Ramsey called Wamp a non factor saying...

Wamp and Shelby County District Attorney General Bill Gibbons, the final Republican, are good men. But he said Haslam is the only one that could keep him from moving into the governor’s mansion.

He said he is the most qualified person in the race and that the only thing that made Haslam a factor was the amount of money he could infuse into the campaign.

Wamp retorted...

I’ve got the best experience, tremendous fundraising tempo, the biggest grassroots political organization in the state,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of momentum. We’ve got as much momentum right now as anybody in either party. And I actually believe I’m going to win.”

He said he could be the victor even if he is outspent 3-1.


Meanwhile, Haslam was not quoted and failed to appear at the forum but has been spotted lately wearing cowboy boots while out campaigning. Things must be getting serious.

Just curious

Now that Obama has won his Peace prize will he increase the number of troops in Afghanistan? I know he has been putting off the decision for about a month.

I would hate to think the president put our undermanned troops in the field in danger just so he could win a prize but it does sound a little fishy.

The battle of ideas and money

A rundown of ideas, arguments and news being thrown around with higher ed.

The state wants higher and faster graduation rates Currently the state funding system is based on enrollment. Not graduation. That may change. The lottery may also be opened up to summer courses to speed graduation. The kicker with this is there is usually a cost cut for courses taken at or over full time level. This may not be the case for summer school. In the end if the universities don't adjust costs for lottery scholarship students it could end up hurting the number of people eligible to enroll and the viability of the idea.

UT wants about 800 million more dollars for building projects, travel, etc..

UT pulls in a new high of $200 million from increases in science research funding. Although some students I have talked to are not such big fans of all the research. Seems the teachers end up spending all their time doing the research and the students end up being taught by grad students.

Fed cuts funding for ICE detention

This excellent article by the Tennessean details the cut funding for holding of illegal aliens caught in Nashville by about a third. Now instead of illegal aliens being kept in jails awaiting deportation they will be kept in nursing homes and hotels.

Does anyone besides me see a problem with this?

What is there to keep them from just walking away to avoid deportation?

I guess that is governments way of decreasing costs. When they are back out on the street the short term costs go away. The report state over 3,000 illegal aliens have been deported from Nashville last year. All were apprehended while being investigated for criminal activity.

Is government closer to the people more responsive?

To make local decisions, it is usually best to leave it up to the locals to decide. On the gun issue, the state turned over the decision power to the locals. Some liked guns in parks, others did not. With the states action at least the locals were allowed to make a decision. Government closer to the people. While some want preemptive law I don't see the votes to do it this next year. Many legislators voted not for the guns in parks but more for the law because it allowed the locals to decide.

One more decision I think should be turned over to the locals is the decision on if they would like to elect or appoint their local school superintendent. I am sure some communities would say no and some would say yes but it would be a decision that would be decided locally. The people who would be closest to the result would have the ultimate power to decide. Government closer to the people. No preemption by the state.

The current system is appoint only (State preemption). While this may be a fit for some, other small school systems find they are turning into training systems for big school systems and people who want to be big system administrators. The people get appointed the title, stay a short while and jump to a bigger better paying school system. With an election system it is more likely that a local person may win the job and stick around for a while.

There is a lot of prejudice against local people gaining position in some cities. It is like some people think it is impossible for a local person to have good ideas or care about a local school system as much as someone from far away. It is crazy. I don't get it, but as Jesus lamented sometime a prophit is least recognized in his home town. In some towns it is the other way around. They desperately want the locals to get a real chance.

I think this year could be a year to let the locals decide this issue as well and remove the states preemption.

Listen to the chicken and get plucked

Ty Cobb is chicken to debate Pat Marsh on any issue. This is getting embarrassing for Cobb. What is that now? 0 for 3?
What is Cobb so afraid of? His handlers love to take pot shots from the bushes but when it comes time to talk about the issues people care about where is the candidate?








Why can't Cobb speak for himself? It is not like he is walking into the lions den. He is even dodging events that are being co-hosted by Democrats! Pat Marsh was not afraid and personally showed up and presented his views for all to see and hear.

Possibly someone showed Ty Cobb Pat Marshes latest campaign head shots featured below



People of house district 62 should be weary of any candidate who won't personally tell you how he feels and refuses to stand up to any competition. What will he do if he were to get into the house? Take a powder every time a tough issue comes up?

Lynn puts Lamar! into the wall

Rep. Susan Lynn fires hard at Lamar! Alexander in the Wall Street Journal for considering Cap and Tax legislation.

Killing the top 10

I find it interesting how people are all up in arms about getting Mark Sanford and any other politician who has an affair to step down from office as quickly as possible. But I wonder how many of these same people can't wait to see David Letterman do his latest top 10.

What is the difference? How many of these screaming, jumping up and down mad people will never watch Dave again? How bout a boycott of products advertised on his shows or sending a letter to the editor about what an embarrassment he is and how he should step down?

Just a thought.

Turner following in John Fords footsteps

Rep. Mike turner is looking to possibly taking a big job with the Tennessee State Employees union.

From the Andy Sher article...

The chairman of the state House Democratic Caucus said he sees no conflict of interest if he becomes the paid head of the Tennessee State Employees Association, a group that frequently lobbies the General Assembly.

Rep. Mike Turner, D-Nashville, confirmed he is interested in the 16,000-member association's vacant post. If he were to be hired by the association, Rep. Turner said, he plans to continue serving in the House where he represents the Old Hickory area.

"I don't think it's any conflict," Rep. Turner said.

While previous association chiefs have registered as lobbyists, he said he "would not do that ... I would not be lobbying."

Mike has been a long time strong arm for the unions in Nashville who has not been afraid to throw the unions considerable weight around as he works to pass their legislative package. But if he thinks he can take a paying job that has always involved lobbying for the unions, well I think he ought to confer with former Senator John Ford and Doral dental on that first. Rep. Gary Moore as I recall stepped down from a similar high union position when he joined the legislature. For Mike to want to step into a position like that and stay in the legislature... it just doesn't pass the smell test.

Besides, there is a one year cooling off period before a person can officially start lobbying after retiring from the legislature.

Members have gone down the road of quiting the legislature, joining a group that lobbies (But not actually lobbying themselves for a year) but in a year begin lobbying. It would not be new ground.

Although he would probably say no, Could that be Mikes path? Could the legislature be looking at another open seat? Could the big gun for the unions and the Democrat party actually be looking at hanging up his legislative spurs to settle into some big paying union lobbyist gig? It would be a good fit, but not right now. Not if he stays in the legislature. Mike should know you can't have your cake and eat it too.

I found the cheese!

This story completely cracks me up. "Fugitive couple hide from law in corn maze. Can't be found for hours!" I just can't get a live version of Pac-Man out of my head. It is just hilarious to me.

I can see it all now. As the fugitive couple is being taken away in the police car the man saying "Heck yea! This completely counts as taking you out on a date!"

If you are so inclined to go to a corn maze here is an easy way to find one in your area.

Quote of the day

"There is nothing more unamerican then a "nonprofit". You show me a "nonprofit" and I will show you a bunch of overpaid executives with huge expense accounts flying around the country in fancy jets, staying in the finest hotels, eating the best meals and patting each other on the back talking about how wonderful they are." *

*Legislators name withheld to protect the legislator.

Frustration

When people ask me about being a legislator and what it's like I often say it is very rewarding but can also be very frustrating. It is rewarding in that you can bring attention to problems but it can be frustrating when you can't make the needed change as fast as you want.

Yesterday and this morning were just such situations. I started yesterday morning at breakfast with a constituent. He is a social worker from Knoxville who works with physically and sexually abused children in Scott County.

I don't think I have to draw you a lot of pictures. It is bad. Things that make your stomach turn. Kids with drug addicted parents who sexually abuse and or physically abuse their children on a regular basis or just neglect them to the point of starvation. Only about 25% of the reported abuse cases are ever even investigated in Tennessee. Why? No money. No money for enough social workers who do investigations and no money to keep the children when abuse is found.

As a member of the children and family services committee I see the problem and the solution. The long term problem is a chain of abuse that that goes parent to child for generations. Kids growing up in filth and squalor with no one who cares about them and in many cases abuses them. They run away to get away and fall into the same trap. Drugs, prostitution, abuse, poverty and the cycle repeats.

While the goal to keep kids in a unified family is admirable, many times in abuse cases it is not realistic or helpful to the children. Unfortunately many times it is a forced situation. Children are forced back into situations where it is all but known the abuse will continue. Again, No money to continue care.

There are some places for these children that have given a good result. Children's homes (orphanages) have gotten a bad rap over the years, probably leftover from old b movies that painted them as terrible places, but in most cases they are way better then where these kids are coming from and they have a pretty good history of breaking the cycle. Churches used to do a lot of it, but the separation of church and state crowd have worked hard to kill that avenue.

We are now left with the state option. Why doesn't the state have more children's homes to help these abused children? Again, no money to build or staff them. That is why when I see things like the governor having a party for his 18 million dollar party bunker my blood about boils. The bunker is just one symptom of the problem. The problem is the confused priorities I see over and over that we don't quite have the votes to change yet. That to me is the bad part of the job. That, to me, is frustration.

Joke of the week (liberal or conservative quiz)

If a *conservative* doesn’t like guns, he doesn`t buy one.
If a *liberal *doesn't like guns, he wants all guns outlawed.

If a *conservative* is a vegetarian, he doesn`t eat meat.
If a *liberal* is a vegetarian, he wants all meat products
banned for everyone.

If a *conservative* sees a foreign threat, he thinks about how
to defeat his enemy.
A *liberal *wonders how to surrender gracefully and still look good.

If a *conservative *is homosexual, he quietly leads his life.
If a *liberal* is homosexual, he demands legislated respect.

If a person of color is *conservative*, they see themselves as
independently successful.
Their *liberal *counterparts see themselves as victims in need
of government protection.

If a *conservative* is down-and-out, he thinks about how to
better his situation.
A *liberal *wonders who is going to take care of him.

If a *conservative* doesn’t like a talk show host, he switches
channels.*
Liberals* demand that those they don’t like be shut down.

If a *conservative* is a non-believer, he doesn’t go to church.
A *liberal *non-believer wants any mention of God and religion
silenced. (Unless it’s a foreign religion, of course!)

If a *conservative *decides he needs health care, he goes about
shopping for it, or may choose a job that provides it.
A *liberal* demands that the rest of us pay for his.

If a *conservative *slips and falls in a store, he gets up,
laughs and is embarrassed.
If a *liberal *slips and falls, he grabs his neck, moans like
he's in labor and then sues.

Are all gun ban's moot?

Are all of these city and county bans on legal gun owners about to be shown as unconstitutional? It could be decided soon. I have been wondering about this. I knew after the Heller supreme court decision it would only be a matter of time. I thought we might see more lawsuits at the local level to overturn the local gun bans in city and county parks. Some speakers even brought it up at the Knoxville city council workshop on guns in parks arguing a ban could set the city up for such a lawsuit. I guess people were already on it at the federal level. Expect a supreme court decision around June.

When you dont elect judges.....

Illegal immigration control specialist Donna Locke has contacted me with a closer look at the people who keep our judges in office since we are not allowed to elect them. Do these people who review judges bring a bias or are they completely neutral and better then the average voter as some suggest? You decide.


The following is a guest piece by Donna Locke.

Let's look at those recent court-panel appointments in Tennessee,

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090921/NEWS03/909210339/Latinas++appointments+bring+diversity+to+TN+judicial+commissions .

We see that Renata Soto, co-founder and executive director of Conexion Americas in Nashville, http://conamericas.com/, has been appointed to Tennessee's Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission, which evaluates appellate-level judges up for re-election.

Conexion Americas, we see via its aptly named URL, http://conamericas.com/ContentPage.aspx?WebPageId=17791&GroupId=4197, is a "proud affiliate" of the National Council of La Raza, http://www.nclr.org/, a major, heavily-funded champion of illegal migration from Latin American countries into the United States. NCLR, which I consider a truly subversive, hateful endeavor, has never met a U.S. immigration law it didn't try to undermine and subvert.

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=13863

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2007/may/30/20070530-094048-2213r/

"The National Council of La Raza bills itself as a 'Latino civil rights organization…[that] works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans.' In reality, the organization has long been at the forefront of the effort to stop all meaningful immigration enforcement measures and has been a powerful lobbying force for amnesty and expanding immigration." -- Federation for American Immigration Reform,
http://www.fairus.org/site/PageNavigator/issues/laraza_white_house_appointment

What exactly are they doing over at Conexion Americas? Their overt mission could be summarized as assisting the integration of Hispanics into Tennessee. The org provides a number of services to that end. On the "Our Guiding Values" page on Conexion's Web site, we read:

"We believe that the process of integration demands our diligent effort to understand, participate in and contribute to our host community while embracing, sharing and maintaining our cultural heritage." Hmm.

and

"We believe making services available to immigrants, regardless of their immigration status, is not only desirable in terms of human and social development, but also is a fair response of the host community in recognition for the contributions of immigrants." Got it.

We know from news reports that Renata Soto has organized and spoken up in solidarity with rallies by and for illegal aliens in Tennessee. For example, according to those reports, in 2006 Soto helped organize participation in Tennessee for "A Day Without Immigrants," a day of nationwide work-walkouts, rallies, and marches for immigrant "rights" (or "demands" as the case may be).

A May 2, 2006, Shelbyville Times-Gazette story headlined "Little impact seen locally from Latino walkout" supplies this information:

"Still, organizer Renata Soto, a native of Costa Rica, said, 'We are appreciative of our host community that we have adopted as our new home, and all we ask is the right to work legally and be recognized as workers that are essential to this economy.'

In Chattanooga, City Council member Manuel Rico, a son of Mexican parents, said he disagreed with the event. He said illegal immigrants should not be creating a spectacle.

'They are here illegally ... If they are going to be here they should just mind their own business. It hurts all the brown people,' he said. 'Everybody paints us with the same brush.'

Rico, who said he was born and raised in Texas, said immigrants 'need to learn the language and learn our laws.'"

-- http://www.t-g.com/story/1151015.html

According to its Web site, Conexion Americas provides "information and referral" services to immigrants. I wonder if this is like the services provided to fresh illegal arrivals by an Atlanta-based Mexican consul general, who secretly (though recorded by off-duty INS officers) advised fresh illegal arrivals on how to evade our laws and how to tap into every freebie, taxpayer- and/or corporate-funded and otherwise -- with plenty of innocuous-sounding assistance agencies to back him up.

Information and referral. Services like that. We discovered that illegal aliens and the Mexican government know our welfare system and other "services" better than we do. After all, we are only the "host."

Well, let's look at federal law. We may be the only ones doing that. Specifically, Section 274 of the Immigration and Nationality Act [8 U.S.C. 1324].

Sec. 274. [8 U.S.C. 1324]

(a) Criminal Penalties.-

(1) (A) Any person who-

(iv) encourages or induces an alien to come to, enter, or reside in the United States, knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that such coming to, entry, or residence is or will be in violation of law, shall be punished as provided in subparagraph (B); or

(v) 1/ (I) engages in any conspiracy to commit any of the preceding acts, or

(II) aids or abets the commission of any of the preceding acts,

(B) A person who violates subparagraph (A) shall, for each alien in respect to whom such a violation occurs-

(i) in the case of a violation of subparagraph (A)(i) or (v)(I) 2/ or in the case of a violation of subparagraph (A)(ii), (iii), or (iv) in which the offense was done for the purpose of commercial advantage or private financial gain, 3/ be fined under title 18, United States Code, imprisoned not more than 10years, or both;

(ii) in the case of a violation of subparagraph (A)(ii), (iii), (iv), or (v)(II), 4/ be fined under title 18, United States Code, imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both;

(iii) in the case of a violation of subparagraph (A)(i), (ii), (iii), (iv), or (v) 5/ during and in relation to which the person causes serious bodily injury (as defined in section 1365 of title 18, United States Code) to, or places in jeopardy the life of, any person, be fined under title 18, United States Code, imprisoned not more than 20years, or both; and

(iv) in the case of a violation of subparagraph (A)(i), (ii), (iii), (iv), or (v) resulting in the death of any person, be punished by death or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, fined under title 18, United States Code, or both.
-----------------------
That's from http://www.uscis.gov/ilink/docView/SLB/HTML/SLB/0-0-0-1/0-0-0-29/0-0-0-8305.html#0-0-0-322. Some footnotes and references to amendments linked to in the document on that site and showing up as numbers in the copy-and-paste here may not show up as links here.

-- Donna Locke

Med mal reform could save 200 Billion

Limits on punitive damages could save 200 billion dollars in health care costs nationally.

All those in favor of bringing down health care costs speak up now. All others, vote Democrat says this WSJ article.

Knox county allows guns in parks

Knox county allows guns in parks and greenways after a party line vote on county commission. All democrats were for banning legal gun owners. All republicans were for legal gun owners and their constitutional rights.

Word is Zack Wamp was in the audience. An interesting political move highlighting the difference between him and City Mayor Bill Haslam who is also running for governor of Tennessee.

Key words "For now"

Tom Humphrey digs deeper on some comments made about Kent Williams PAC. Seems the waffling has already started.

From the Humphrey article....

Thirty Republican state representatives and two state senators have signed up to help House Speaker Kent Williams launch a new political action committee with a Knoxville fundraiser.

Williams, who is officially regarded as a non-Republican by the state GOP party organization, said he decided to establish a PAC because "I want to help some colleagues get re-elected" by donating to their campaigns.

All Republicans? Yes, he said, "certainly for now."

Seems some people got a different story then others. Many were told it was absolutely going to Republicans. Now it is not a lock down thing at all. It is only "For now".

When I started hearing about this PAC I had a fear that might happen. Now it is materializing. Being trustworthy is something some people never learn.

I am at the house Republican caucus retreat now and a few members are complaining that there name was put on the list with without final approval. Some were approached at a chairman's meeting as well as elsewhere and asked to be on a host committee for the PAC. A few are now saying their response was along the lines of "Let me think about it. Call me back before you do anything."

The next thing they heard, the list was out and their name was on it. They are not real pleased.

Phil needs the jacket

Separated at birth?
Well at least on this issue they seem the same

The YouTube Governors election?

Although not yet viewed on public TV, the video interviews I did with the candidates seems to be generating some interest among the campaigns. While I am not sure if they rise to the "Macaca moment" that some videos have They are coming up in major news stories as a bone of contention and are used as an example of the differing point of view on style on issues.

Here are some excerpt from the article....

Haslam critics also said the mayor has been less than clear in taking strong positions.

"From his comments at the City Council meeting, to his recent interview with Rep. Stacey Campfield, to his remarks before the Capitol Hill press corps, Mayor Haslam seems to have some trouble taking a strong stand on the tough issues," said John Crisp, spokesman for Wamp's campaign.

"That will be a big issue for the voters because they know a governor has to make tough decisions."

Campfield, R-Knoxville, conducted interviews with all the Republican candidates earlier this year. Excerpts from his interview with Haslam have been edited into a video - posted on YouTube and circulated around the state - that makes the mayor appear indecisive and waffling on questions.

"Obviously, it was edited, but I do think it reflects that he does have trouble making decision in a lot of cases," said Gibbons.

Tom Ingram, consultant to the Haslam campaign, said the anonymously produced and distributed video is "just a trashy piece of political demagoguery" and that the mayor has a history of making tough decisions both in business and in city affairs.

Here is a link to the video Tom Ingram is upset about I want to note, I had nothing to do with the production of this video other then producing the original pre cut version it was taken from and no. I don't know who did it.

Here are the links to the original uncut videos I did if you are so inclined...

Haslam Interview

Ramsey Interview

Gibbons Interview

Wamp Interview

Oatney catches "the ghost"

David Oatney drops the photo proof on Ty "The Ghost" Cobb. Seems Cobb can't show at any debate or forum because he is so busy working at 6:30 at night but he has plenty of time to cruise around town in the middle of the day on a Wednesday. What story is it going to be next?

Support for Kent?

A little talk has been generated by this Frank Cagle article about Kent Williams fundraiser for his PAC. In the article I think it is inferred that support for the fundraiser is equivalent to support for Kent as speaker.

I decided to go straight to the horses mouth so to speak on that assumption. I called Glen Casada one of the Republican member mentioned in the article. I asked Glen what was up. Was he now supporting Kent for speaker? It seemed like an odd move. His response was an unequivocal NO! Glen said he would only support a Republican for speaker. Kent is not and, barring any unforeseen sudden change by the state executive committee, would not be a Republican after the election. He can only run as an independent and if elected he would be an independent. No way was Kent going to get his vote for speaker.

The promise is Kent would use all the money to help incumbent Republicans and open seat Republicans. He also promised to max out to Pat Marsh over Democrat Ty "The Ghost" Cobb and the money could not be used for his own re election campaign.

In this case, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Combining UT and TBR

6 in 10 faculty senate support combining the UT system with the Tennessee board of Regents. This has been an ongoing battle in education where redundancy of duties combined with high pay is often sighted as a major waste of tuition and state dollars.

Its not the gun, its the bullet

The nationwide shortage of bullets continues. I have always said there will not be a outright collection of guns by the government. I expect more of a shortage of bullets, regulation, licencing and limiting the use and access of guns into their non significance.

"The Dean" gives a lesson

Tom "The Dean" Humphrey is voted the top state political newspaper reporter in Tennessee by wide margins.

I would like to see how it goes for TV reporters as well. It could be very interesting. The talk radio venue could get hot as well.

And so it begins

The political war of words on the gun issue after Mayor Haslam supported the ban on carry permit holders admission in to Knoxville city parks and greenways.



From the article....

Ramsey was an original sponsor of Tennessee's handgun carry law, and Todd said his consistent stance on guns is what will appeal to voters.

"He doesn't try to tell one audience on thing and tell another audience another," Todd said. "He supports Second Amendment rights, period."

Wamp has made gun rights a staple of his campaign speeches, including a statement that if President Barack Obama were to issue an order to confiscate guns, "We will meet him at the state line."

"Limiting the rights of citizens who have gone through the training and permitting process required to legally carry a gun in order to protect themselves and their families - while letting the criminals run free - makes little sense to me," Wamp said

Tennessee Democrats

The party of no!

Haslam supports gun ban

How long before his opponents put out a piece on this development.

From the KNS article....

Council members voted Tuesday night to continue the city's long-standing ban on guns in city parks. Councilman Steve Hall's proposal to lift the ban failed, with six of the nine members voting against.

Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam, who's seeking the Republican nomination for governor, didn't vote but gave the vote his support, saying the intersection of greenways and gun-free zones such as schools would make repealing the ban impractical.

"I think the best course of action would be to keep the ordinance we have," he said.

Your candidates for dist 62

Times-gazette photo


The ghost (Ty Cobb) didn't show up. I hear a lot of excuses for not debating or showing up at forums. Not like you have to show up at everything but if you really don't have time for any forums or debates do you really have time to serve?

Speaking from experience I can say serving in office takes a lot of time. If you aren't ready to make the commitment you shouldn't run. I don't care what party you represent. If you have to run away and hide your views I think the voters should be concerned.

Changing the gas tax

Tom Humphrey's gives a more detailed look at changing the gas tax from a set price per gallon to a variable price as is supported by transportation chairman Bill Harmon.

Gun rights vs. Property rights

A great argument is going on now over a bill that would allow legal licenced permit holders to have a licenced gun locked in their car in a parking lot that may not want that gun present on their property.

Who's rights are superior? The property owner or the gun owner?

When the film crew from caddyshack starts filming news

Hat tip: Steve Gill

Mega site, Mega questions.

A proposed megasite is raising some mega questions in regards to who may be profiting from the 40 million dollar spending project. I still have some questions on the return on investment but it looks like I am not alone in questioning the secrecy of the administration. It seems it has gotten so bad that people key to the projects approval have had to file freedom of information requests just to get basic information.

Another theory is....

The Kelsey resignation / unresignation has many counting days and putting up theories as to why he should or shouldn't do it sooner rater then later. I might as well throw another theory in the mix.

If he resigns immediately he will not be able to sit in on the Judiciary summer study committee on Monday and Tuesday. It also sort of kills his thunder a little when he drops a big proposal on Tuesday morning. Being a former Rep running for office doesn't quite sound as good as current rep running for the senate. The voice of incumbency is a little louder.

Just theories.

Why moderate Dems must go

The question often comes up "Why do Republicans always work to defeat moderate Democrats?". Their are multiple reasons.

First, The "moderate" Democrats are about all in the areas that a Republican is most likely to win. If you are trying to win one more seat to get to 50 votes and majority what seat do you think you have the best hope of winning? A seat that went 60% for McCain over Obama and is currently held by a moderate Democrat? or a seat that went 72% for Obama and is held by the lefty of all lefties. Time and again it is proven the seat that is close or Republican leaning is the one most likely to be won by a Republican. There are less people you have to motivate or win over to your way of thinking.

Second, The moderate Democrat is not usually as moderate as you might think. It is easy to talk conservative when you know you wont be seeing any hard votes coming up any time soon. The Democrat leadership protects their members. Anyone who could be in a losable district does not get put on committees where they will have to vote on tough issues. Most of the moderates get put on something like agriculture committee where the votes aren't likely to get them beat in an election. When the election rolls around they can say "Well I would have voted the conservative way if only I had a chance, But of course I was on transportation committee and that pro life bill never made it out of health sub committee."

That leads to the third point. It all comes down to leadership. The moderates don't run the Democrat party. The liberals do. As I have said in the past, Give me 10 or 15 people who support my goals and leadership and I will pass or kill about any bill you want. You can have the 85 or so other legislators. It won't matter if they are all about to the right of Attila the Hun or to the left of Joseph Stalin. The leadership is what it all comes down to. After that first vote and the liberal leadership is in place what the less liberal wing of the Democrat party wants is out the window. They will protect them (Need their vote again in 2 years) but as far as letting them pass conservative legislation you can about forget it.

In fact, many times it works better for them if they do run conservative legislation that gets killed. Then at election time the stand up and say "I bucked my own party and ran that conservative bill". Of course the bill never went anywhere. The safe liberal Democrats who run everything killed it quietly without much fuss or fight in the subcommittee or they waited until it was already dead in the senate to run it in the house.

The ACORN, Planned Parenthood connection

Greg Johnson has the connection and raises some questions on one of the gubernatorial candidates.

Their own worst enemy

The left just cant seem to get out of their own way. Their vial hatred for any conservative points of view is killing them. I sometimes wonder if they really know what they are doing to themselves.

If they were smart they would report facts straight cheer their side and just let it go.

Every time they use the crude derogatory sexual reference "Teabaggers" in reference to people who started/support the tea parties or the freedom they represent they just enrage more regular people. Don't they realize they are insulting the forefathers of this country who held the first Boston tea party?

Would they call them "teabaggers" as well? Do they see how crude and classless they look when they do that? Every time a person who knows history hears that crude comment it pushes another person to our side. The movement grows.

Every time they under report the number of people who show up at a tea party protest, people know. You can't show a huge mall of people or jam packed streets in Nashville or DC and then say its only a few hundred, thousand or even a few tens of thousands of people. People can see from the pictures with their own eyes. Most credible reports or studies done say 1.4 to 1.8 million in DC. When the facts come out they loose even more credibility. The movement grows.

Every time they show the one or two kooks in a crowd over the thousands or millions in the rest of the crowd the people present say "Where were they? I never saw them. All the people around me looked like my neighbors." They start to talk. "Did you see any of that? I sure didn't!" The movement grows.

Every time they attack a protest leader and say "He or she was late on their taxes" or "He is just a plumber" or he is this or that. People just shut them out. Their attacks fall on deaf ears. People say "We don't care. We like his or her issues or passion for the issue. Besides, there is nothing wrong with someone who is willing to work. At least they have a job and don't want to raise my taxes." The movement grows.

Every time they pull the race card. Now, people are no longer running away. They know there is no racism in their heart. They are now saying "I am over it." When the card was pulled once in a while it used to work. At times it might have been true. But its getting to be like the card dealer who's poker hand always has five ace's. Every time any one brings up any issue they don't want to debate they are called a racist. Joe Wilson and his comment may have been inappropriate at the time but how is calling someone a "liar" racist? We can't talk about anything anymore. We can't talk about the budget, health care, immigration, taxes, education, anything without being called a racist. That accusation has officially jumper the shark. Every time the bogus card gets pulled on a real issue, the conservative movement grows.

Call the plumber

Joe the plumber is coming to Nashville for a little tea. Here is the presser.


American Liberty Rally
Friday, September 18th
6pm - 8pm (doors open at 5)
Municipal Auditorium in Nashville


The American Liberty Alliance and Tennessee Tea Party have joined together to provide an outstanding event - the American Liberty Rally - at Municipal Auditorium in Nashville from 6pm to 8pm. The event is free and the doors open at 5pm.

Our local Sumner County Tea Party Group, SURG, will have a booth. Stop by and say hi!

Speakers at the event will include some true stars of the liberty movement, including:

Danny Tarkanian - the guy currently beating Harry Reid in the Nevada Senate race
Erick Erickson - the editor of RedState.com
Ken Marrero - Nashville-based blogger of Blue Collar Muse and Tea Party coordinator
Bernadette Ash - genuine, impassioned citizen. She's amazing!
Joe the Plumber - no kidding!
Thomas Paine - you know, the guy you've seen in the YouTube videos. Yes, that guy!
Ralph Bristol - outstanding conservative radio host.
Many others!
Visit www.TNTeaParty.org or http://americanlibertytour.com for full details.

For Liberty!

Sumner United for Responsible Government
www.SumnerUnited.org

The beat down starts at 2

Terry Frank is taking on liberal blogger aunt B in a debate on the constitution. I expect a beat down. Terry frank knows the material. The debate is at Roane State CC.

Rep. Mike Turner says....

Governor Bredesen is following the Don Sundquist plan in the lead up to the income tax fights.

You can see it in the comments here.

Stumpin'

Here is an article about a stump speech I made in Farragut if you are so inclined.

Fuel efficiency prompts tax increase

Road builders want more taxes for roads.

No bias there

Supreme court justice says he is glad the constitutional requirement to make judges run in contested elections is not followed.

“Campaigns are difficult"....

....Lawmakers opted to allow the Senate and House speakers to have eight commission picks apiece...

...In the new system, the governor still retains the responsibility of appointing one of three nominees recommended by the commission under certain conditions....

...Wade told the downtown lunch gathering at the Bus Pit that the new judge selection method maintains “a system not based on partisan politics.”

Because lord knows the two speakers and the governor are not political in the least.

Its legal now right?

I can see it now.

"OK men, it's been a hard day at work on the construction site. Now go hit the ladies showers"

Wouldn't want to discriminate.

The biggest issue on the presidents plate?

Kanye West. While part of me is happy he is not thinking of more things that will destroy America it worries me if the presidents biggest issue is what some stupid (Probably drunk or high) hip hop artist did. Really? The leader of the free world? He has so much time he is watching the MTV video music awards?

Questions shine on solar plant

The governors 40 million dollar solar plant is starting to get some closer scrutiny. Our state constitutional officers are starting to ask some hard questions on the meggasite going in the heart of Jimmy Naifeh and John Wilders District. This is the same 40 million dollar plant that sent up red flags from the federal government.

And guess what? The Tennessee solar producers are finally admitting solar is not viable without government subsidies (Your money) and they want more from you.

Sound like a good investment of your tax dollars or the definition of a diminishing return? I hope one of the key questions this new majority Republican group asks is "Are you economically viable without governments continued assistance?" If no, then "Why should the taxpayers of the state invest in you instead of something that can be viable or at least pay down state debt?" If they say "Jobs!" a good follow up would be "Is this the most job production we can get for the money or would some other project/program/plant be more beneficial and produce more jobs to the taxpayers of Tennessee?"

I know saying "Green Jobs" is the really cool catch phrase of the moment with the kids but when taxpayer dollars come into play someone has to be the adult and step up to the plate with the hard questions before we tie on to another expensive proven looser like we have in the past.

Its that time of the year

I enjoy football. A lot of great sayings, analogies for life and winning.

*/#1. 'Football is only a game. Spiritual things are eternal.
Nevertheless, Beat Texas ' /**/Seen on a church sign in Arkansas, prior
to the 1969 game./*

*/#2. 'After you retire, there's only one big event left... and I ain't
ready for that.' /**/Bobby Bowden / Florida State/*



*/#3. 'The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely
to be the one who dropped it.' /**/Lou Holtz / Arkansas/*



*/#4. 'When you win, nothing hurts.' /**/Joe Namath / Alabama/*



*/#5.'Motivation is simple. You eliminate those who are not
motivated.' /**/Lou Holtz / Arkansas/*



*/#6. 'If you want to walk the heavenly streets of gold, you gotta know
the password, 'Roll, tide, roll!' /**/Bear Bryant / Alabama/*



*/#7. 'A school without football is in danger of deteriorating into a
medieval study hall.' /**/Frank Leahy / Notre Dame/*



*/#8. 'There's nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell
kicked out of you.' /**/Woody Hayes / Ohio State/*



*/#9. 'I don't expect to win enough games to be put on NCAA probation.
I just want to win enough to warrant an investigation.' /**/Bob Devaney
/ Nebraska/*



*/#10. 'In Alabama , an atheist is someone who doesn't believe in Bear
Bryant.' /**/Wally Butts / Georgia/*



*/#11. 'You can learn more character on the two-yard line than anywhere
else in life.' /**/Paul Dietzel / LSU/*



*/#12. 'It's kind of hard to rally around a math class.' /**/Bear
Bryant / Alabama/*



*/#13. When asked if Fayetteville was the end of the world. 'No, but
you can see it from here.' /**/Lou Holtz / Arkansas ..../*



*/#14. 'I make my practices real hard because if a player is a quitter,
I want him to quit in practice, not in a game.' /**/Bear Bryant / Alabama/*



*/#15. 'There's one sure way to stop us from scoring-give us the ball
near the goal line.' /**/Matty Bell / SMU/*



*/#16. 'Lads, you're not to miss practice unless your parents died or
you died.' /**/Frank Leahy / Notre Dame/*



*/#17. 'I never graduated from Iowa , but I was only there for two
terms - Truman's and Eisenhower's.' /**/Alex Karras / Iowa/*



/*#18. 'My advice to defensive players: Take the shortest route to the
ball and arrive in a bad humor.' *//*Bowden Wyatt / Tennessee*/



*/#19. 'I could have been a Rhodes Scholar, except for
my grades.' /**/Duffy Daugherty / Michigan State/*



*/#20. 'Always remember... Goliath was a 40 point favorite over
David.' /**/Shug Jordan / Auburn/*



*/#21. 'They cut us up like boarding house pie. And that's real small
pieces.' /**/Darrell Royal / Texas/*



*/#22. 'Show me a good and gracious loser, and I'll show you a
failure.' /**/Knute Rockne / Notre Dame/*



*/#23. 'They whipped us like a tied up goat..' /**/Spike Dykes / Texas
Tech/*



*/#24. 'I asked Darrell Royal, the coach of the Texas Longhorns, why he
didn't recruit me and he said: 'Well, Walt, we took a look at you and
you weren't any good.' /**/Walt Garrison / Oklahoma State/*



*/#25. 'Son, you've got a good engine, but your hands aren't on the
steering wheel.' /**/Bobby Bowden / Florida State/*



*/#26. 'Football is not a contact sport - it is a collision sport.
Dancing is a contact sport.' /**/Duffy Daugherty / Michigan State/*



*/#27. After USC lost 51-0 to Notre Dame, his postgame message to his
team: 'All those who need showers, take them.' /**/John McKay / USC/*



*/#28. 'If lessons are learned in defeat, our team is getting a great
education.'/**/Murray Warmath / Minnesota/*



*/#29. 'The only qualifications for a lineman are to be big and dumb.
To be a back, you only have to be dumb..' /**/Knute Rockne / Notre Dame/*



*/#30. 'Oh, we played about like three tons of buzzard puke this
afternoon.' /**/Spike Dykes / Texas Tech/*



*/#31. 'It isn't necessary to see a good tackle. You can hear
it.' /**/Knute Rockne / Notre Dame/*



*/#32. 'We live one day at a time and scratch where it
itches.' /**/Darrell Royal / Texas/*



*/#33. 'We didn't tackle well today but we made up for it by not
blocking.' /**/Wilson Matthews / Little Rock Central High School/*



*/#34. 'Three things can happen when you throw the ball, and two of
them are bad. /**/Darrell Royal / University of Texas/*



*/#35. 'I've found that prayers work best when you have big
players.' /**/Knute Rockne / Notre Dame/*



*/#36. 'Gentlemen, it is better to have died a small boy than to fumble
this football.' /**/John Heisman/**/ /** *

The bidding war is beginning

Tom Humphrey's reports on some ideas being thrown around in the rules committee. Some are calling it the first salvo in a bidding war to be the next speaker of the house. In the last election Republicans were ready to stick together, take control, push all of our agenda. It didn't happen. One person (Kent Williams) was the first and only member to break his word to his fellow members and cut a deal with the Dems to become speaker. He knew up front that would get him kicked out of the party. He went ahead and did it anyway.

Actually next year could be more of the same, but worse. Especially if Kent Williams gets let back in the party as some hope. The caucus has little to no "hand" to keep the members in line (As proven by Kent being allowed to stay in the caucus). The only thing that kept 49 together last time was the threat of being thrown out of the party if they didn't vote for the nominee. If Kent gets allowed back in it will be a free for all. The caucus will have a hand full of members in an all out bidding war for the Democrat votes looking to become the next speaker of the house or make one of their small group speaker. They will know there are no repercussion as long as they win.

Lincoln was right. A house divided against itself can not stand. The only hope for true Republican leadership in 2010 is for the caucus to be unified going into the speakers election. That could be tough if the numbers stay close and the same people stay in office.

"Its not murder, He was just pro choice"

Those open minded and understanding liberals. Always willing to let other have their rights of free speech. I wonder if the shooter was any relation to this guy.

Do you remember?

A rose by any other name is still a rose. A liar by any other name is still...

A lot is being made out of the presidents speech on his socialized medicine plan. At one point Rep Willson said "You are a liar" as the president said his bill would not cover illegal aliens for free healthcare.

Who is right? Both sort of.

While the bill may not state "Illegals will be covered" they are covered in that there is no enforcement to keep them from receiving the services at taxpayer expence. Even if the bill said "No illegals will be covered by this bill" without enforcement it will happen.

It would be as if I passed a bill saying the speed limit on the highway will now be 45 miles per hour. Of course no one will receive tickets, no police will enforce the laws on the highway or even be allowed on the highway to check speeds.

Look! I just removed all speeders from the highway and everyone is doing 45! Isn't that great! I am sure the highway is now much safer!

I saw the same thing as I tried to make it so illegal aliens did not receive in state tuition at state schools. The schools did not want any enforcement even if it was free. They thought self enforcement by the illegal aliens would work on its own.

I expect the next law Obama will pass will say all illegals should go back to their home country. If he did that he could then say he solved the illegal alien problem.

Talkin bout a revolution

yea ya know, we all want to change the world.

Vicious dogs in bars hits Knoxville

Oh, the pandemonium.



Next thing you know people will want to be able to bring their dogs into parks and walking trails. Don't they know those things can go off and kill someone? I bet more people have been killed or injured by dog attacks then have been killed or injured by legal carry permit holders acting outside of the law.



More on this critical issue as it rolls on.

Road warrior

Some people are offended by what Fletcher Armstrong of The Center for Bio Ethical Reform has put on the side of some large trucks traveling around Knoxville. They want him stopped.

I just wonder what is more offensive, the photos or the procedure that produced the result. Fletcher has threatened to park the trucks at the locations that supply abortion providers. You can check the press release or get information here.

Stopping socialized medicine

Want to see the Obama socialized medicine plan fail?

Make all legislators voting in the affirmative give up their government plan and become members of the new Obama plan, Make them pay the tax they purpose to pay for it as if they were on a regular private plan and make any cost overruns be paid for out of the budget for their pay and retirement fund.

We would suddenly have a bunch more red ink warriors.

And who shall lead us???

As I talk to people doing door to door I am seeing and hearing anger like I never have before. People are mad and they are not taking it any more. Some question I hear often is "Who is the next Ronald Reagan?" or "Who is going to lead the Republicans back into power?" and How are we going to stop this, that or the other vote.

While they are interesting question and the party has some great potential leaders, I don't think it will be any one person who will lead us to the promised land. It will be hundreds of people. Thousands of people. Millions of people with a message that I think will lead us to victory this election.

One person didn't put us in this situation. While Obama may be the head of the monster he did not do it all on his own. It is not like he took power single handedly on one day in some bloody coup. It is not like he can pass what ever he wants on his own with no votes in the house or the senate. It is not like the liberal movement just started when Obama came onto the scene. It has been with us for a long time and is only now exposing itself.

In that I find hope. Real hope.

Many people are now seeing the goals and effects of liberalism and they don't like it. It is not one vote on health care, cap and trade, the second amendment or immigration that people don't like. It is an overall push toward their ideology that people don't like. But just as no one person or vote put us in this situation, no one person or vote will lead us out. We all have to take personal responsibility for the situation we are in and we have to all take action to get us to where we want to be.

We all want the next "American Idol" but it helps if we know and like the words to the song they sing first. If the song isn't very good I don't care what show they are on. I am not buying the CD. One person singing acapella may be nice but a full orchestra and quire can make a thunderously good sound as well.

Right now I am hearing an orchestra and quire getting ready to put on one heck of a show. Conductor to be filled in later.

Swine flu the latest push

When reading the news it seems like every week there is a new story about some super killer that is about to erupt onto the scene and kill half the state. I recall just in the last few years Ebola virus, Streptococcal virus, avian bird flu now the latest H1N1 swine flu. It is all the latest rage. I bet there are 15 news stories from across the state today about it.

Now, not to diminish the loss of the one person who passed because of the swine flu but don't multiple people die from the regular flu every year? How crazy are people going to go about this one death and let tons more from other more common illnesses go unreported?

I am starting to think this is practically all contrived to keep people in a state of perpetual fear. With the hope that people will look to the government as the great savior.

Healthcare, It is not a federal thing

With all the yelling and screaming about the socialized medicine plan Obama is pushing one argument I seldom hear is, where is it in the US Constitution that the federal government is to provide you with insurance?

I can't find it.

If anything I think it should be a state decision under the tenth amendment.

Talk is good, but will he step up?

The rage at the the podium for Republican gubernatorial candidates seems to be the 10th amendment. I have heard both Wamp and Ramsey push the issue. Great! Getting the talk right is the first step. When we all sing from the same hymnal our voices go farther. The issue comes in when the voices have to turn into actions. What to do after the talk is done is the next question.

To really support or push the tenth amendment to the next level government will have to take one of at least two steps (while there may be others I think these are the most viable)

One is to sue the federal government to repeal some of the past court decisions that striped away states rights. The wheat case would be a great start. They could also go the opposite direction and let the fed sue the state because they did not send money to the fed or regulate on something they believe should not be taxed or regulated based on the tenth.

The other is to refuse some of the money the fed offers as a treat to pass federal regulations onto states.

In some areas the state gets more money then they put in (getting states or legislators to refuse these is nearly impossible) but in other areas it is the opposite. My understanding is transportation was one of those area where we get less then we put in. If we opted out of the feral gas tax but kept the rate the same the state would actually have a net positive income because the fed only returns a portion on the money they take in from us. If we opted out then we would also not be bound by federal highway regulations.

When you start to take the hands out of the pockets and the regulations from around the necks then you get closer to freedom.

Cleaning house

The new election commission is cleaning house where they have control. Already over 60,000 ineligible voters have been removed. More are expected as that number does not include the dead or felons. They are also turning up more criminal voting irregularities. How long this has been going on and how deep this goes is still yet to be seen.

Cammack gets kudos for courage.

Ward Cammack gets some ink in the KNS for coming on Steve Halls "Politics Knoxville" and being interviewed by me. So far he is the only Democrat to have the courage to step up to the plate and respond to the tough 30 questions.

From the Georgina Vines article...

Cammack said he accepted Campfield's invitation because he finds that Republicans and Democrats often find common ground if they have a chance to talk.

"It is easy to get in a room with people who agree with you. I thought it was such a great proposition he put out there - I was the first Democrat to accept - to talk with people who don't agree with you. He's a Republican, I'm a Democrat. But whether you're a liberal or conservative, the economy doesn't care," Cammack said.

Man kills baby of pregnant mother

Am I talking about this story where the man did it with a shotgun or this one where they did it with scissors?

Same end result.

Democrat interviews start tomorrow

Tomorrow I will start interviewing Democrat Gubernatorial candidates. So far only one has dared step up to the plate. Any final questions you may have for them (Or him)can be put confidentially into the comments of this post.

Workshop on guns in parks (Knoxville edition)

Today, September 3 at 5:00 p.m., the Knoxville City Council will consider Steve Halls ordinance that, if passed would remove a long-time ban on the possession of firearms within city parks.

The meeting will be held at the City County Building located at 400 Main St. in Knoxville. You can also contact your city leaders Mayor Bill Haslam at (865) 215-2040 and the City Council Members at (865) 215-2075 and voice your thoughts of this resolution and effort to allow you your right to self-defense in local parks.

First rule of fight club is....

You never talk about fight club!

Its tough to break old habits

As the Dems take in over $600K at their big dinner it is coming out that a chunk of the money was illegal.

Old habits die hard.

Where is all the money they said they would return that they got from the widow and orphan swindlers Norman Shue or Barry Stokes?

Opting out of the opt out

As the press is more then happy to tell, some cities and counties have opted out of allowing gun owners their constitutional rights in parks. As you can imagine, this has created a stir in some communities among the gun owners who want to be allowed their rights. Some activists are pushing the legislature to remove the opt out provision next year when the legislature reconvenes.

I would suggest they not hold their breath.

Many factors come into play. The original bill passed by strong numbers because their was an opt out provision. Some legislators from liberal districts knew their area would just opt out so they voted to allow others to do as they please knowing the law would not effect them.

The Tennessean has a quote from the bills original sponsor Rep. Frank Nicley on that

"I don't like the federal government telling states what to do, and I don't like the states telling the counties what to do," Niceley said. "Let the city councils vote not to have guns in parks, and at the next election, see where they are."

That is the sentiment of many legislators who voted for the bill. Government closer to the people is usually more responsive and better. While the people may not always agree, they have the greatest ability to contact that local leader. If they do not like the way they vote then they are the easiest to run against in the next election.

While I too question the constitutionality of a ban (see the Heller decision) I am hearing little to no talk by legislators of remove the local option at this time. The votes are not there to get it out of the committees. That may change in time. Not just with elections but also when more people see that allowing legal gun owners their rights does not make every bike path greeting turn into the OK corral.

I am also surprised we have not seen more action in the local courts from gun owners who get banned. I am sure the courts await for Heller 2.0 at the local level.

Democrats fear exposing dirty tricks

The Tn Dem party kicked Tom Humphreys out of a meeting where they were supposedly talking about Republican "Voter suppression".

Why?

If we really were suppressing legal voters wouldn't they want the world to know about it?

More like they didn't want to give up their secrets on how they can get dead civil war veterans to vote in upcoming elections.

Show me the money!

Questions are starting to pop up regarding some cost estimates to run a special election in Shelby county. Estimates in excess of a $600,000.00 bill are being thrown to the state for what is currently an uncontested race. But oddly enough a similar race in 2007 only cost $200,000.00.

Why the jump in cost? Shouldn't it be cheaper since Shelby county is doing it on the same day as another special election for mayor?

This is starting to sound like when you go to dinner with a friend you don't really like that much. They have steak and you have french fries. When they get the bill, they tell you their portion is $3.00 and yours is $19.85.

How does that work?

Kill the wabbit! , Kill the wabbit!!

TWRA is out to make some hossenfeffer stew.

Grab the anchor! Please!

Tennessee Democrats say they are ready to go after 12 unnamed state house seats with more help from their national Democrat leaders.

Good luck.

With the im"Pelosi"on of the national Democrat party lately I would not be so eager to use more of their help but if Tennessee Democrats want to continue holding that anchor in the ocean I encourage them to use both hands.

Feel free to run on the values that Nancy, Barny and and Barry represent. Out of control deficit spending, more government control and interaction in peoples private life, more regulation on businesses to kill jobs, less regulation and more government funding to kill babies, keeping your eyes closed on illegal alien issue, running a secret shadow government with unchecked "czars" over everything. Sounds like a recipe for Republicans winning seats in Tennessee to me.

Democrats need to remember Tennesseans voted for "change" as well in the last election. But instead of the generic "change" that swept many in America up in a blind furry, we decided to go for a more specific "Positive change" and voted in more conservative Republicans.

If state Democrats continue on tied to their national leaders in 2010 they better hope to hold on to 12 seats.

Flipping the ballot?

How bout only maybe? Tom "The Dean" Humphrey talks about the possible switch that could come on the ballot. Currently Dems go first at the top of the ballot. The Dems switched it a few years back to help them in the polls when Repubs started to gain seats. The theory is that the top name is usually good for 3 to 5 percent of the vote.

Now the shoe is on the other foot. A flip in the other direction could be heading to polls near you soon but some fun could erupt if Tre' Hargett and Mark Goins want to put some extra pressure on some legislators in the mean time.

Instead of making the flip automatic and saying the party in control of the legislature goes on top, they could say the party of the local election coordinator goes on top. This would put a little more pressure on the Republican legislators who control who that person is to appoint a Republican election coordinator.

Just a thought.

As one ends, another begins.

As Pat Marsh wins his Republican primary it looks like another primary is heating up.

Marsh wins

Pat Marsh won the special primary election for district 62. Now the work begins to win the big prize. The general.

I am wrong again

Yes, This post is wrong. Joe Carr was not number 35 in perdiem requests. He was number 37!.

Where are the calls from the Democrat party for the 36 other members to return their money?

Quote of the night

"Who's side are they on? They want to prosecute people for investigation techniques used on terror suspects that want to kill us. They won't even call them terrorists any more. At the same time they want to pull the plug on granny. Now that is terrifying!"

Unknown free market rabble rouser.

Free market healthcare rally

The Knoxville healthcare rally went off well tonight with about 150 to 175 people showing up. I know some people wanted more but I thought it was a good showing for 6pm on church night with practically no media coverage or advertising. There were a lot of good people from many varied backgrounds. A few doctors, lawyers, Radio personality Lee Frank, Congressional candidates and a lot of very well read people.

The conversation was fiery and interesting.

I will try and post more about it later but I had to drive up and back from Nashville to make the event after gov opps committee meeting today and I have to be back in Nashville by 8 AM tomorrow.

Joke of the week (Obamacare edition)

Top 10 signs you got the "public option"

(10) Your annual breast exam is done at Hooters.
(9) Directions to your doctor’s office include “Take a left when you enter
the trailer park.”
(8) The tongue depressors taste faintly of Fudgesicles.
(7) The only proctologist in the plan is “Gus” from Roto-Rooter.
(6) The only item listed under Preventative Care Coverage is “an apple a
day.”
(5) Your primary care physician is wearing the pants you gave to goodwill
last month.
(4) “The patient is responsible for 200% of out-of-network charges,” is not
a typographical error.
(3) The only expense covered 100% is, “embalming.”
(2) Your Prozac comes in different colors with little M’s on them.

AND THE NUMBER ONE SIGN YOU’VE JOINED OBAMA’S HEALTH CARE PLAN

(1) Click here and visit Ben Cunningham for the numer one.

Hat tip: Ben Cunningham

More from the Knoxville rally

Pajamas media shoots some good video covering the Knoxville capitalism rally .

There is another larger rally expected tonight at the city county building in Knoxville. I have to drive to Nashville this morning to go to a committee meeting but hope to return in time to stop in.

Guns in parks in Knoxville

Was postponed. There will be a workshop on the third. Council woman Marilyn Roddy made it sound as if there could be a compromise in the works to allow legally licenced tested and checked permit holders to be able to carry in parks where organized sports are not being played.

We will see.

Going after number 35?

This is getting old. Weeks after their first press release the Dems are attacking Joe Carr. Again. With the same lame story. To their credit the Democrat political team got the drop on one of our members and the press picked up the story and ran with it with little research.

Fine, they got in a shot. But they keep beating a dead horse. What? Can't think of any thing else? If Joe were the number one recipient of per diem or even the number one Republican they might have an argument. But guess what. He isn't the top Republican.

Joe Carr is not the top per diem grabber. The Democrats hold most of the top 10 positions. He isn't even in the top 10 or even in the top 20. Or even in the top 30. As I recall he is about 35. He doesn't live the closest to the capitol (he lives about about an hour away). Most of the top per diem grabbers live close to the capitol. And guess what? They are mostly Democrats.

If the Dems offered a change and or went after their own members they might not look like hypocrites. The Democrats are offering nothing in the way of reform for the per diem system. Do the Dems want to cut per diem to say $40.00 per day for people who live within an hour of the capitol? I doubt it.

Are the Dems going after their own members who collect more and live closer? No.

Now the Dems are saying Joe should give back his per diem. Fair enough. In fact if it is good for the goose it should be good for the gander. Right? If I were Joe I would offer to give back 110% of my per diem after all the Democrats above me who live closer to the capitol give theirs back. After that I would offer legislation next year to cut the per diem of members who live within 60 miles of the capitol.

Then I would offer co sponsorship to all the democrats and republicans within that area.

OK Dems, Its time to step up. How many of your members will support and sign on to that bill?

So it will all be fair.

Haslam to weigh in on guns in parks

This could be interesting. Councilman Steve Hall will bring legislation to allow legally licenced carry permit holders to be able to protect themselves in Knoxville city parks and greenways.

City mayor and gubernatorial candidate Bill Haslam, who has been desperately trying to repair his image with gun owners since being part of the anti gun Bloomburg gun coalition, has said (through a spokesman) that he will be weighing in on the issue tonight.

Forget must see TV. This will be better.

All they want and more

The liberal from the other sides blogs are throwing down empty challenges now daring me to be interviewed by them.

Fine.

I will be happy to come on Democrat TV in Knoxville and respond to your questions. All I ask is we go with the same criteria for questions as I offered for your candidates. I be featured for a full half hour on DTV previous to the primary and posted in its entirety on the Knoxviews blog in its full half hour entirety. You set the date (within reason) and I will be there.

My bet is they don't step up.

To date, Ward Cammack is the only Democrat candidate to have the courage to be questioned by me. We are setting up a date.

Word going out

Sevral gun owners seem to be activating on the allowing guns in Knoxville parks issue. I have gotten several e mails similar to this one...

Knoxville, TN City Council meets Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at the City-County Building, Main Assembly Room, at 7:00 pm.

The resolution to opt-out (ban) guns in city parks has been withdrawn (see agenda attached). This is good. This leaves in place the 1962 ban, however.

Councilman Steve Hall has proposed an ordinance to delete the 1962 ban (see attached Ordinance Proposal 12a). If this passes, those with permits will be able to carry in City parks.

We need all who can possibly do so to come to this meeting. If you wish to speak to Council on this issue, call the City Recorder's Office at 865-215-2075 to sign up. Sign up EARLY Monday, August 24.

Come dressed for business. No weapons allowed in the building. Arrive early, because you will have to go through a security checkpoint.

It is most important that we get as large a turnout as possible.

This can't be good for Tom.

Tom "The Dean" Humphrey has some kind words about me and my run for higher office.....

Campfield has become one of my favorite legislators. But he does have the reputation of being, if anything, a more caustic and controversial conservative than Kelsey.

The Knox County seat tilts decidedly toward the GOP - though perhaps not as strongly as Stanley's former seat - and Republicans generally assume their nominee will win. Of course, other candidates have until April to qualify, so this is not quite a done deal. But Nashville conventional wisdom already figures Campfield as the frontrunner.


In other news, this story is planned for tomorrows Knoxville News Sentinel....

"News Sentinel to cut more staff"

Effective immediately the Knoxville News Sentinel will be closing its Nashville branch until further notice. The former temporary Nashville reporter (Tom something or other) has taken ill with several spontaneously broken fingers. A recovery is not expected.

Right wing zealot Jeff Woods formerly of the Nashville Scene is a potential front runner for the replacement position. Jeff promises to pull more to the left in future columns to be more in line with the KNS editorial staff if he gets the job.

Got to love America and family

So I got a call from a friend who wanted to know if I was going to the free market/ capitalism rally today down at the congressional offices in Knoxville. I had not heard about it until the call but I am always ready to be supportive and help the cause where I can. Sometimes all it takes is for people to know other people think like they do for them to gain the courage to speak out. I decided to head on down.

I always get inspired by the people at events like these. They are true patriots. They are doing this because they love their country and fear the direction it is headed in.

Most people in Knoxville are getting geared up for the big rally on the 26th at 6pm at the city county building so this was not as huge an event but still when I got there it was already in full swing. There were about 100 or so pro capitalism people there and about 50 protesters on the other side of the street. Both sides had signs supporting their point of view. It was pretty noisy. Occasionally there side would start a chant of "We want free medicine", "We want free medicine" then our side would start up with "We pay the bills", "We pay the bills" Other then that there was some yelling back and forth but it was all good natured.

On the other side you could hear someone beating on a bucket and blowing a whistle for the Obama scheme, really rallying up their people. As I mingled through the crowd I finally got to the edge of the street and looked across at the other side. There, beating on a bucket and blowing a whistle was my cousin.

I looked over and smiled. When he saw me he did the same. We walked to the middle of the road gave each other a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Told the other we still love them and went back to our respective sides.

That is what is great about America. We can disagree and not have to kill each other because of our point of view. That is what is great about family. You can disagree vehemently with another family members point of view and still love them.

The fightin 18th!

When people ask me what district I represent I always say "The Fightin 18th!" When asked why I call it that I say that we are fightin for good small government and the American way. (Tip of my hat no wag of the finger to Stephen Colbert of the Colbert report)

Kindly enough a friend in conservatism (Richard Esparza) heard me say it on the radio and went to the trouble of making this cool logo for me.

Joke of the week (Tennessee health insurance edition)

A man and his wife, moved back home to Tennessee, from Ohio.
The husband had a wooden leg, and to insure it back in Ohio cost them $2000. per year!
When they arrived in Tennessee, they went to an insurance agency to see how much
it would cost to insure his wooden leg.
The agent looked it up on the computer and said: '$39.'
The husband was shocked and asked why it was so cheap here in Tennessee 20 to
insure it because it cost him $2000 in Ohio!
The insurance agent turned his computer screen to the couple and said,
'Well, here it is on the screen, it says: Any wooden structure, with a sprinkler
system above it, is $39.... You just have to know how to describe it!'

Of legislation that passed

If you look at the legislation we passed this year in Nashville, 164 new laws raised more revenue for the state or local governments. That's 164 bills we passed that took more of your money and gave it to the government. Now, compare that to only 29 bills that passed that actually decreased government revenue - that returned your money back to you. Or let's look at another telling statistic. Of the 611 new pieces of legislation we passed, 417 increased government spending and only 67 actually cut government spending.

NRA Dinner

Tonight is the annual East Tennessee NRA banquet in Knoxville at Rothschild's catering on Kingston pike. I think dinner starts at 6. I expect hundreds of law abiding permitted people possibly carrying guns will be in attendance.

The only "gun fights" expected will be polite and verbal between people who like the AR more then the AK.

Opting out of the opt out

Knoxville city councilman Steve Hall is drafting up legislation to opt out of Knoxville's ban on guns in parks. Currently the city is going with the theory that a preexisting city ordinance banning guns in city parks and trails is not superseded by the enactment of a state law allowing guns in parks and trails.

More to come later....

R.I.P. Parkey

As you may know by now Parkey Strader has passed from this earth after a long battle with cancer. May he rest in Peace.

I have just been told that the family of Rep. Strader will receive friends at the First Baptist Church of Concord, Friday August 21st from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., and the service will be at 8:00 p.m. The church is located at 11704 Kingston Pike. Click Funeral Home, located at 11915 is in charge of the arrangements, and their phone number is 865-671-6100.

Quote of the day

Looking at guns on campus, the local sheriff opines:

“In actual shootings, citizens do far better than law enforcement on hit potential, said White. They hit their targets and they don’t hit other people. I wish I could say the same for cops. We train more, they do better.”

And citizens seem to have a pretty good record stopping mass murderers.


Hat tip: Say Uncle

Things only Democrats can do

There are things that only Democrats can do and get away with. No, I am not just talking about sex scandals, drugs use, open corruption and saying racist things. They can do some good things as well.

Republicans wanted health care reform with Tenncare. The screams went out. We all wanted to kill granny. Nothing happened. Phil Bredesen comes in and doesn't even reform the system, he just cuts the sickest people off. Nary a peep of complaint or protest from the left.

Republicans have wanted charter schools to get kids out of failing schools and into performing schools for years. They could never make it happen. Obama comes in and it passes. No screaming. Nothing.

Republicans have wanted to do something about low performing teachers or at least rewarding high performing teachers for years. The TEA screamed "NEVER!". Now it is looking like it may come to pass or at least get a good look over.

When Democrats stick with clasic Republican principals things work. Obamas economic stimulus package is nothing. It hasn't stimulated much growth of anything except the growth of government bureaucracy and debt. The one thing that has taken a jump is new car sales. How did he do it? A cash rebate in the form of "cash for clunkers".

While there is a difference in what a Republican would do to stimulate the economy (A Republican would probably offer a similar tax cut to the buyer stimulate growth and hopefully curtail debt). It is still similar in philosophy in that when you lower the price on a good or service it stimulates growth of that good or service. Raise the price and it retards the growth.

Republican economic principals for years.

If only we could get Democrats to realize more often that the same principals work for social programs we might get somewhere.

Everybody in, everybody wins.

It is neat talking to the state wide candidates on their strategy to win the race. They all have a path to victory and are happy to talk about it. Having been around a race or two I know they also all have a path to defeat as well but we will save that for another day.

It is interesting how one common thread ran through many of the campaigns.

"If everybody stays in the race then I win" Was a comment heard more then once.

The theory for Gibbons is, he wins Shelby county (his home county) large, does OK in middle Tennessee and the other Republicans divide up East. Gibbons needs the east to be divided to win.

For Ramsey and Wamp it is about the same. They do good in middle and east Tennessee and Gibbons keeps Haslam from being able to buy Shelby. If Gibbons were out of the race they could not financially keep up if it came to a wide open spending spree for the ton of Republican votes that comes out of Shelby. For them to win, Gibbons has to stay in the race.

For Haslam it is a plan of let all the other Republicans divide up their base of conservative support and he wins by doing heavy spending contacts with the moderates, all the undecided and band waggoners. The more people in the race the better.

Bredesen passed a 1% sales tax increase

Well, not really. But Bredesen has increased taxes about the equivalent of a 1% increase in the sales tax. The details are broken down in this Andy Sher article.

Nicley fights back

Daughter of Rep Frank Nicley fights back against a KNS article that portrayed her family as angling for personal gain.

Having been privy to the early steps of this entire issue I can attest that Frank did not seek this issue out for personal gain. In fact Frank did not seek the issue out at all. The issue came to him. Concerned constituents came to him in search of a solution to the threat of eminent domain of their property.

The constituents were concerned about losing their families farm and wondered why a near by brown field was not looked at first. You may also recall this issue being talked about in the Metro Pulse article by Frank Cagle.

To infer Frank Nicley was always out to make a quick buck by increasing his own property values is not honest.

Gene and me

I will be featured on Gene Pattersons TV show "Tennessee this week" Sunday at noon on channel 6.

You can view it here.

Questions for Democrats

As you have read by now I will be doing an interview/interviews for the Democrat candidates for governor. Here is where you can play a part. I have a few good questions already thought up. If you have ideas for good questions Democrats should answer you can submit them in the comment section of this post.

Questions will not be posted. Now or later without your permission. If you OK it they will be posted after the interviews are all complete.

Questions must be candidate neutral. No "why did you do this or that". The question should be applicable to all the candidates. Nothing about their personal life. Policy only. Nothing federal or local unless it directly relates to Tennessee.

If you need some help thinking up questions I use a tactic I learned from Jack Nicholson.

Into the lions den

After throwing down the gauntlet in my last post, one top Democrat candidate picked it up in less then an hour. Invites have been issued to all the other top Democrat candidates.

I will let you know who the fearless few are in a few days after all have been given a chance to respond.

Democrat interviews?

I have been getting a lot of positive feedback on my interviews of the Republican gubernatorial candidates. Even the lefties think it was a good fair interview. One question keeps coming up from the people I talk to. "Why don't you do that with the Democrats running for governor?"

The answer is complicated. Could I do it? Definitely. Steve Hall is a good friend who would allow me the time. Would I do it. Yea, Why not. I sure I could think of some tough but fair lefty/state questions. But the probable top reason is I doubt it will happen is I don't think any of the top Dems would want to do it.

I am sure, especially after seeing these interviews, they know I would ask similar hard questions and no one would get a pass. They would have to respond to questions they cant, or I doubt, they would want to respond to.

Most of them hope to ride into office on some blind emotional tidal wave by the populace. Not based on policy. When people think about their policy, or lack of, it all falls apart and they know it. So don't hold your breath.

On the off chance I am wrong I throw the offer out to the "serious" Democrat candidates. If interested I offer you a similar opportunity as your Republican counterparts all took. Contact me in the next week or so and we will set it up. I will give you all a similar format. I will be tough but fair. If one says yes then all will be contacted and invited.

The gauntlet is thrown down. Will any dare to pick it up?

The show

As I said a few posts ago I have just completed interviewing the big 4 Republican candidates for governor. I have always been frustrated in the past watching interviews of political candidates. At least one of a few things usually happens. The questions are too easy. (Why do you want to be whatever? How much do you love kids and puppies? What is your favorite pass time outside of politics?). Many times the questions allow the candidate to wonder, they aren't specific enough or on key issues.

Every person has a story and that is all well and good but I want to know their political philosophy. I seldom hear the tough questions or if I do they are so sprinkled in I don't get a complete view of the candidate.

Also the forum system is not always the best. Long responses also allow twisting the question into something else and cut short the number of hard questions asked. If a candidate doesn't really respond, the moderator can't nail them down to a response because they don't have time and have to move on.

The candidate who gets to respond last also has time to formulate a good response and can many times steal from the other candidates. I want to know how well a candidate thinks on their feet. At some forums I have seen one question go to one candidate and the others got a pass. I want to know where they all stand.

I wanted to do something a little different. I tried to be as fair as possible. No one got advanced viewing of the questions or previewing of the other candidates video. They all got the same questions and a similar format (brief intro about themselves or their campaign, the hard 25 state questions, close on why people should vote for them/their vision for Tennessee). They were all asked to cut to the chase and keep their answers to about a minute or less. It has all been in the works for months and I had a great time doing it. I would like to think I challenged them all. Some of the candidates responded well. Others, I don't think had a great time.

Either way, I Would like to take some time and space to thank the candidates for agreeing to come on and respond to my grilling. Thank you to Steve Hall's "Politics Knoxville". Steve was kind enough to allow me to host the show and give me permission to post it here. Thanks to the staff at "Community Television of Knoxville" they were kind enough to work around the candidate varied schedule while in the middle of a difficult move of their own. Thanks to Greg Lambert for the hours of post production work he did to get this on utube.

As far as I know this is the first formal in dept video interview with all four of the Republican candidates for governor.

Who knows, If they agree to it I may try for a part 2 to the series. I have a neat idea for another show and I still had some good questions I didn't get to ask...........

Any way, Here is part one. The candidates.

Bill Gibbons

Ron Ramsey

Bill Haslam

Zach Wamp

One year

Of the "Stupid" people being correct. Now, even the governors own people are saying the negative economic trend will continue until at least 2011. What? don't they believe in the presidents economic stimulus package?

The Wamp wagon

I taped an interview with Zach Wamp this morning for politics Knoxville. He was the final of the 4 Republican candidates I had to interview. You will begin to see the results soon.

Anyway, Zach showed up at the studio in a Giant "Zach Wamp" Winnebago type vehicle I am sure you have seen the buses with a billboard painted on it. Same type thing. I am planning on going to a YR meeting tonight that he is speaking at. I will try and get a photo.

Jailed for over a year

Jailed for over a year for not paying child support on a child found not to be his. In Georgia they relieved him of the debt. In Tennessee he would probably still be in jail and would definitely owe the money. I will work again next year to fix this injustice.

Because there is no politics in judicial selection

And other fine jokes

I'm in.

The Presser

Rep. Stacey Campfield to seek 7th State Senatorial District


(Knoxville , TN , August 7,2009) -- State Representative Stacey Campfield (R-Knoxville) announced today that he will seek the 7th senatorial district being vacated by retiring State Senator Tim Burchett. "Tim has been a vocal leader in the state for Knox county as the delegation chairman. I think I can make a smooth transition into that role having served for years as the delegations vice chairman." Campfield said. The 7th senatorial district covers most of North East and West Knox county.


"It has been a privilege to serve the people in District 18 and I have been able to make some great friends,” "I look forward to meeting and hearing the concerns of folks all across the 7th District."said Rep. Campfield.


Campfield added, “My priority continues to be devoting much time to getting input from our citizens by personally visiting with them at their doorstep, sending out questionnaires, hosting listening tours and forums, guest hosting on talk radio and TV call in shows and other means of communication like my blog."



"Listening to people now, most people are concerned with the explosive growth in government taking place, I'm hearing concerns from many citizens that massive spending and government control programs threaten the way of life and freedoms they have loved and hope to pass on. "

"Heightened fear over possible new taxation, increased regulation or economic possibilities such as hyper-inflation is causing more Tennesseans to demand more engagement from their State Representatives and more action from their state. Now is a time when we must have bold leadership from proven conservatives,"
"Someone who will not just talk conservative at election time but someone who has a proven record of fighting for those values in Nashville." said Rep. Campfield.


Efforts by Campfield have been in support of property rights, 2nd amendment rights, pro-life legislation, low taxes, fiscal restraint, government accountability, and free market solutions.


Campfield consistently receives the highest conservative ratings from the Tennessee Conservative Union, Tennessee Right to Life, the NRA and the National Federation of Independent Businesses.


Campfield was first elected to the Tennessee General Assembly in 2004.


He was appointed as Chairman of the State and Local Subcommittee of the Government Operations Committee as well as a member of Consumer and Employee Affairs and the Children and Family Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives.



For more information Stacey can be reached at
Cell: (865) 455-2627
Website: www.votestacey.com
email: staceycampfield4staterep@yahoo.com
Blog: www.lastcar.blogspot.com