Worst bill of the year.

Tom Humphrey hilights what I think was probably the  worst bill of the year. While it raised the penalty for doing something wrong (assaulting medical staff) it set up an unequal field of justice. A field where the type of justice you get based not on the crime but on the profession of the victim. Tom says it well.

That is, enhance the punishment, but only when the victim is a member of a chosen profession.

The chosen professional victims in this year’s session were doctors, nurses and other health care providers in one bill (HB306) and firefighters and emergency workers in another (SB66). Starting July 1, the effective date of both new laws, if you, for example, punch an on-the-job paramedic (covered by both laws), the maximum penalty upon conviction of assault will be more severe than if you punched a preacher, a retired grandmother or a newspaper reporter.

“This is a slippery slope,” declared Rep. Susan Lynn, R-Mount Juliet, in House floor debate after observing that the health care provider bill creates “a special protected class.” She likened the situation to legislators in a past century who passed laws saying “some people are more valuable than others” — as in white males, who could vote, unlike females, and who could not become slaves, unlike blacks.

“Where do we stop?,” Lynn asked. “Who will be next?”....

....The overriding principle here perhaps should, indeed, be equal treatment under the law.

Theoretically, a police officer assaulting a homeless man should be subject to the same penalty as a homeless person assaulting a police officer. As a political reality, however, homeless people have no political clout in the Legislature. Law enforcement officers do. Ditto with firefighters and health care providers, who collectively have maybe 100 PACs giving money to legislative campaigns and employ almost as many lobbyists.

Yep.

I hate it when people refuse to work.

It's not the question, its the hypocrisy.

Living the lie of being a "pro life Democrat" must be so difficult.

Thought of the day.

No one argues they have a "right" to kill off their healthy Siamese twin because it is living off their body or the "right to kill" should continue until there are more government programs for Siamese twins. Why do we allow those arguments for abortion?

The beginning of the end.

Some memories make me sit back and smile.

Sen. Frank Nicley recounts a story about the long hard fight to majority and the ending death rattles of Democrat dictatorial power.

It looks like Frank may be starting his own blog. That will be good!

TV tonight

 I will be on "politics Knoxville" tonight at 7 on comcast channel 12,with Steve Hall.

The last few weeks.

Sorry blogging has been somewhat limited as of late. I have been working on some little projects I have been needing to get done around the house (planting 30 fruit trees, various berry bushes, remodeling my house interior, auto work, etc.)  and honestly, not a lot of state stuff has been out there to talk about that I found all that interesting. 

Calling out the DMV....for being cool.

I know most of the time my blog calls out stuff that I see as silly but yesterday I must say I had a good experience where most people do not usually think good things happen. The DMV. I went to the old Knoxville city county building to get a license plate for my new ride. When the plate was given to me the tag number was 21ZB99. I thought it would be cool and easier to remember if I could get the next plate in the line that would be 21ZB00. But when I asked for it, the teller told me it was already taken.

No big deal. Life goes on. I went home and went on to the next project.

About 1 hour later I received a call on my cell phone from the teller letting me how she was mistaken, that she had found the plate for me and to come on down and get it. I did, and must say how nice it was for someone to go out of their way to do such a kind gesture when it wasn't needed or required.

It's the little things in life that need to be appreciated.

It's a brave new world.

Sesame Street is teaching kids how to accept when a parent is in prison.

Hat tip: Say Uncle

Thought of the day.

Thought of the day.

The Obama plan to bug the entire USA.

Step 1. Give everyone out of work a "free" Obamaphone.

Step  2. Bug all the phones.

Joke of the week.

The phone rings and the lady of the house answers, "Hello?"

"Mrs. Sanders, please."

"Speaking."

"Mrs. Sanders, this is Dr. Jones at St. Agnes Laboratory.  When your husband's doctor sent his biopsy to the lab last week, a biopsy from another Mr. Sanders arrived as well.  We are now uncertain which one belongs to your husband.  Frankly, either way the results are not too good."

"What do you mean?" Mrs. Sanders asks nervously.

"Well, one of the specimens tested positive for Alzheimer's and the other one tested positive for HIV. We can't tell which is which."

"That's dreadful!  Can you do the test again?" questioned Mrs. Sanders.

"Normally we can, but the new Obama health care system will only pay for these tests one time."

"Well, what am I supposed to do now?" 

"The folks at Obamacare recommend that you drop your husband off somewhere in the middle of town. If he finds his way home, don't sleep with him." 

 

Red head at red lobster with blue books

I will be the guest speaker at the West  Knox Republican club tonight at 6pm. The event will be at the Red Lobster 8040 Kingston Pike Knoxville. I will also be giving out blue books if you would like one.

More on education/welfare reform

I did an interview on my welfare reform and some of the adaptions of it that are now being tested in Memphis and NYC.

More Turkey stuff

Tom Humphrey has more but here are some more bullet points on Turkey..

Beer and wine are everywhere at about 6-8 bucks a bottle.

Hard liquor is available all over (Jack Daniel's is big over there as well)  but a regular mixed drink at the hotel bar was $50.00 each as a few legislators learned the hard way.

I saw KFC, Papa johns, Dominos, Burger King, McDonald's all had a strong presence but Bojangles was everywhere.

Turkish airlines is growing incredibly fast and is an excellent airline.

Politicos are politicos the world over. It's funny but even with the language barrier they talk about the same issues and the impact of races and ideology.

Colleges and students  are much more focused on math and science then we are. The social issues and classes are all but nonexistent.

While I seldom to never drink Tea or Coffee the tea is served at every meal. I had some and learned Turkish Tea and Coffee are both strong and a little harsh tasting.

They have a national meal of kabobs and what not. They like it so much they served it for lunch and dinner every day.

Giant tankers are lined up at least 40 deep waiting to pass through Turkish waters. They are about to build an entire new canal just to handle overflow shipping traffic.

All those crazy radicals scaring away business.

Or maybe it was all those  jokes by late night Hollywood comedians that seem to be crushing us so badly.

Thought of the day.

No Republican has won a presidential race without a Nixon or Bush on the ticket in 60 years.

Thought of the day.

No Republican has won a presidential race without a Nixon or Bush on the ticket in 40 years.

Making Alex Jones look reasonable.

Wow! What do you say about the last few weeks. The IRS targeting conservatives,  just about all forms of communication, for everyone, being tapped. Allowing Americans to die for personal political reasons.

This stuff is too crazy. It's "1984" type stuff that  should not be happening. If you told me our government would allow this sort of thing a few years ago I would have said you are listening to too much Alex Jones.

Obama has gone so far he has made Jones look moderate. whats next?  The truth about secret space men in Area 51 from the Roswell crash?

Hey, hey it's my birthday!!

Hey, hey it's my birthday! Luckily i keep having these darn things. If you would like to give a gift you can donate  to my campaign by clicking the button that says  "Donate" on the right side of this blog or mail a donation to

Votestacey.com
2011 Flagler road
Knoxville, Tennessee
37912

Thanks!! Now I am off to Denny's for my free grand slam!

There is a reason for that.

Memphis is rated as one of the cheapest cities in America to live. Some say the reason is because they  are not factoring in the cost of private school and bullets but  I will let yahoo news tell the story.

World chess, democracy and the shocking emerging economy.

While the trip was outstanding and I learned a ton, its always good to be back home in the good old USA!

My impression of Turkey and AZ are not what most people might think about most of the Middle East. The more I listened, the more I saw the Middle East was quite similar to a giant chess Game. There are good and bad pieces. Some more powerful then others and they are all in their own game and all angling to control the board.

Some are rich with resources, some are poor and weak, some have little in resources but use their geographic position to push or block oil pipelines and transportation to gain power. Some are making alliances for protection from other bad or powerful players in the region who may or may not like their moves or may want their resource.

It's way more of a twisted mess then most see or hear from the media but when you look at the big picture you see how the moves and the players are not as ideological based (at least in those countries eyes) as they are pragmatic and economic based on their position and strength or weakness in the area and in the worlds eyes.

Yes, there are religious radicals in the region and they are extreme, but they are mostly centralized in a few countries and they have their own problems.

Egypt went radical to get rid of "moderate dictator" Mubarak but now is suffering as their big industry of tourism collapsed because of the strife.

Iran has radicals and seemed to be a big problem for everyone in the area.

Some thought Syria in the end would be divided into possibly 3 countries but a quick solution was doubted.

Afghanistan has little resources or infrastructure to protect itself from another takeover.

Most thought Bush was too aggressive (they liked the Afghanistan move but not Iraq) and they think Obama is too timid in helping end problems and strife in the region.

Many thought democracy is the solution and suggested that as long as there was a democracy set up that even the religous radicals should be given a seat at the table in many countries because if they become democratically elected they would have to moderate their views to stay in or achieve power. Many people feel their current cries of being oppressed and then encouraging extremism would fail when their hungry radical supporters get to vote. Especially as the people see others in the region who just want to allow freedom and make money climb up so quickly.

Turkey is growing Not just in economy but in population. People like what they see and are flooding over the border as they are also fleeing the extremism and wars in the area. Turkey desperately want to be in the G10 (top ten most economically powerful countries) in short order. They are clearing up their chesnian disputes, working on their short comings (traffic, economic transportation and regional image) because they want the Olympics in 2020 as well as into the EU. They want those things not for the economic gain those organizations bring in themselves (as leaders admit they think the moves will probably cost them money in the short run) but for the show to the world that they are an economic player. They want to show That they are not like the rest of the "crazy Middle East" but more like Europe, and a place that can be developed and investment and tourism can be brought into safely.

Turkey is in a huge growth spurt right now from that freedom and democracy. They are young (60% of their population is under 35) and the government see the extremism as a block to that continued growth. They see that they are being lumped in with the extremists and it is killing their image and thus their ability to grow, get investment and provide for their people.

While the park protest is a "tempest in a tea cup" I can see why the government want to stop it as well. It hurts the goal of hitting those marks (local transportation and image).

Believe it or not, I think they see themselves in a time crunch. They only have so long to make it to the next level before the next area gets a boost. They dont see their rival as Europe or the west. They see the emerging economic rival to be Africa in about a decade. Under the Sahara desert is ice (I did not know that) and they are on the verge of developing ways to access and utilize it. Their education and political moves are going in a direction that will radically shift the area into a global power.

The race is on.

Turkey wrap

just thought you all might like to see some photos of those fun loving peaceful protesters. Why would anyone want to stop their peaceful demonstrations of "free speech" ?

Off to another day of hard work.

Longing for the "good old days"

"Cleaning the park"

"Putting their message out"

"Support for the free market and private business"

"Where did I park grandma's car again?"

well at least they use public transportation.

My first hand P.O.V. On the Turkey riots

Here is the difference between watching something on the news and actually being here and talking to people involved. 

I have talked to the protesters on multiple days as well as political leaders and regular people . I am here and have seen the actual protest up close. I have multiple videos of it all that I may post at a later date from both points of view. 

From the MSM point of view this is another big arab spring, near revolution, that will bubble up and overthrow the government. Being here and having asked the protesters what they want, to me it is really quite similar to the occupy Wall Street protest and doomed to just burn out.

It's  A lot of sound and furry, not much as for the reasoning or real goals or seriousness of  it. It's about 70% kids protesting to protest. For a bunch of kids its a fun party adventure and they are "fighting the man!".  The big claimed reason was, as I said earlier, about the move to "protect a park" (that really isn't much of a park to start with) from possible, unverified, development. Some are glomming on to complain about the new alcohol law that would say no new bars or liquor stores within 1000 feet of a Mosque, school or sales at stores after 10 PM (All current  bars and sellers of alcohol would be grandfathered in.) 

Some U.S. people say the law is "sharia law" extremism but really its nothing that big. In many ways, Tennessee has stricter laws and I have seen worse and heard of more "extreme" plans from baptist preachers and Tennessee legislators.

The president is in no way an extreme Muslim in the way of  being "anti Christian." In fact, if anything the anti Christians were on the side of the protesters as the president is wide open in the regard to freedom of religion.

 Really what I hear and see is that most of it is just sour grapes of political minorities looking for some political opportunism. The protesters say they want to make enough noise to hold a special re election of the democratically elected president, but I talk to most other regular people  on the street who are not protesters and even the protesters  themselves,   And even they say well over 50% would still vote the progressive, aggressive president back in and a special election is not realistic for real change. Many say That they (the protesters) are just from the multiple other parties in the country looking to make political hay. I ask who the other multiple parties are comprised of  and am told they are mostly the socialists, communists anti development or environmentalist crowd, as well as, believe it or not, the muslim religious extremist who  lost all real power in the country since this president was elected in a landslide about a decade ago. 

Previous to his election, Turkey was in the economic dumps and was quite repressive to other religions there were political coups about every decade and lots of political stalemates and political squabbling   that Held the country back economically. Since his election the president has opened up Turkey and put them on a rocket path to be in the G10 in a few years by being one of the middle eastern countries that is inclusive to all religions. 

Many of these protesters are like the Occupy Wall Street bunch in Tennessee who wanted to have a special election to get rid of Haslam because he threw some of the Occupy Wall Street crowd in jail. Yes, the Turkey president threw a bunch of people in jail for a few days from the protest but I doubt that was about "free speech" issues and it was just a temporary thing. 

Ironically much of the protests were around the stadium where Rehanna just played a few nights ago and where Snoop Dog and Cee Lo Green are expected to play in a few weeks. Its not really about "repressing free speech"  I bet most of the jailing had to do with what I saw when I drove around the park after the protest. I am sure they were probably put in jail for going crazy and being part of a 
destructive "Riot". It looked like the protesters did more damage to the park themselves then they did to save it. Spray paint everywhere. Fences pulled up and trashed. Things burned and still burning. Sidewalks torn up. Barricades built in the streets, Billboards on the street cut, ripped burned, trashed. I'm not surprised a bunch of the protesters were thrown in jail for a few days. Tennessee would probably do the same
thing. 

Since the protest though,  the president backed off and said just go ahead and protest. Sort of what Tennessee did with the occupy crowd. It wasn't religious extremist when Haslam did it and its not with this president does it either. It's much ado about nothing mixed with a little bit of the presidents initial over reaction to something that I expect will burn itself out in short order with no real changes. Just like the Occupy movement did..

.

It wasn't me!

If you want to go over to my Facebook page I have video of my bus driving through the protest in Istanbul, Turkey.

Not all,  but The majority of the protesters are upset because the  government wants to put in a road over part of  a popular park. There is a rumor they are going to build a mall there but there is no known proof of that even though it is not out of the question. The government likes to move VERRRY quickly here without a lot of input from the people when doing construction projects.

They have 17 million to 20 million people here in ONE city and are trying to get the Olympics. Thats about about triple the number of people in the entire state of Tennessee in one city. This place is huge and traffic  is a mess and killing their hopes of getting it. But they have a plan and are moving on it.  

They want to build 3 entire new cities around here in short order, new roads, the worlds largest airport, huge new bridges and tunnels and a new canal. Most of it in the hopes of getting the 2020 Olympics here. The public input is minimal because of time and the historically messed up property laws (virtually no laws at all with squatters rights on par with real property owners) but the city is growing like a weed.

Can you imagine that? Trying to build 3 entire CITIES bigger then Knoxville in a few years? That is the scale and speed they are moving in this one city. If you didn't see it and talk to the people around the city and involved with the government I could see how it would be tough to imagine but when you look around you can totally see it happen. 

Most of the people here can see it as well and like it, but when there are 17 to 20 million people in a city, if  even  0.001% get angry and protest it looks like a huge thing. There have been several coups in the last few decades. This government seems pretty secure and is moving forward quite quickly and the majority seem quite happy but there are always a few who want more or are not happy with change. 

I have spoken with the free press here. They told me of the pluses and minuses as well as the things 

they don't like but that is a story for another day.

Haslam stands up for nothing.

Governor Haslam has announced he doesn't want to see any gun law changes.

Plan E.T. Mandatory achievements?

Brian Hornback digs up the dirty.

Thought of the day.

In 90% Muslim Azerbaijan they not only sell wine in grocery stores but hard liquor as well. In Tennessee? Not so much.  

Thought of the day.

What do Muslims, who aren't supposed to eat from sun rise to sun set during Ramadan, do in Alaska?

Guns in parking lot does not protect.

I hate to say I told them so but, as expected, gun owners are not protected by the guns in parking lots bill we passed this last year. A cleanup bill (my don't ask don't tell bill) might work.

Time to hear from the science deniers.

Lets see, now even  pro homosexual scientists are saying its not genetic, that its more likely a learned trait and people are changing away from homosexuality and bisexuality as they grow up and shifting to monogamous heterosexuality. In fact they say there are more former homosexuals and bisexuals than there are current homosexuals and bisexuals.