Building Debt
The Jefferson County Commission needs to take a long, hard look at the proposed school building plan and try to
come up with a less debt-ridden solution:
The truth of the matter is that Mayor Palmieri's concerns about the fiscal viability of the current building plan are spot on. Yes, much of what is contained in the plan really is needed and no matter how we get what our schools need, the money will have to be raised to pay for it. The county can only raise taxes so high before the high taxes have a diminishing impact on jobs (12% unemployment rate in Jefferson County) and infrastructure because people and businesses will either move where the taxes are lower or-just as likely in this day and age-they'll move to where they might get more bang for their tax buck. When families need something and don't have the money for all of it, generally they get what they need one or two pieces at a time. That would be the right way to proceed with the school building project. The school board, parents, and most importantly, kids, wouldn't get everything that is needed at once, and would again have to play the waiting game in many cases, but if a building proposal were authorized and bonded one project at a time on a pay-as-you-go basis, the county would be in a better financial position to fund much-needed school improvements without dramatic increases in property, wheel, or sales taxes on a seemingly continuous stream.
Labels: Conservatism, Local politics, Political correctness, Republican Party, Tennessee politics
Walkin' In Memphis
Memphis Republican Charlotte Bergmann is
trying to shock the world:
Memphians and Shelby Countians have an opportunity to embrace real change, however, while electing someone who grew up among them, lived a life similar to what so many Memphians would know, and lives as their neighbor and an active member of the community if they'll choose Charlotte Bergmann to represent them in Congress. Bergmann is pro-life, pro-family, and much like another Republican political nominee in another State, Charlotte can really say to her listeners "I'm you." In her life, Bergmann has known both poverty and success, and in the present economy, someone like Charlotte Bergman can better understand the everyday needs of potential constituents because Bergmann, one of ten minister's children, has experienced many of the same hardships.
Labels: Congress, Conservatism, Elections, Federal politics, Tennessee politics
Georgiana Off the Vines in 7th Senate District Coverage
The
Knoxville News Sentinel has changed reporters covering the
7th Tennessee Senate race:
Jack McElroy, the News-Sentinel's editor-in-chief, was straightforward with The Examiner about the situation. "It is my understanding that Georgiana is currently dating someone who has made a contribution to Mr. Walker's campaign, stated McElroy, "we have long had a policy that staff members are required to refrain from partisan political involvement." McElroy went on to explain that there is really no way to prevent the spouses or significant others of the newspaper's staff from being more involved in politics because they aren't employees. "As a matter of course, we try to keep people out of assignments where they could have a conflict of interest, because there have been staff who have had family members who were active politically so we want to keep those staff clear of assignments where there is a conflict. Even though Ms. Vines is a former member of our staff, she is currently a freelance writer for the News Sentinel. Because we hold members of our staff to that standard, we let Georgiana know that we didn't want anymore coverage from her of that [7th District] campaign."
Labels: Democrats, Elections, Local politics, News Media, Political correctness, Tennessee politics
Faison the Music
Tennessee State Rep. Eddie Yokley certainly is
in Tennessee House District 11:
"I decided to do this on Election Night in 2008 when I saw Barack Obama win the election on the votes of people who thought they were voting for change and didn't seem to understand what they were really voting for," Jeremy Faison told The Examiner, "and it was right then that I said to my wife 'that's it, I'm getting into politics.' She thought I was crazy at the time."
Labels: Conservatism, Democrats, Elections, Local politics, News Media, Republican Party, Tennessee politics
