De-Charterizing
The Memphis City Schools are
surrendering their charter:
Some Shelby County School Board members were quick to point out that they were left with little choice in the matter and that suburbanites and county residents felt as though the forthcoming schools merger was entirely forced upon them, and they are right, they've come kicking and screaming. Memphis City Schools is surrendering a State-approved schools charter and consolidating with approval only from Memphis city voters. The Memphis/Shelby County Schools affair should give the General Assembly pause, and cause them to consider a new law. When a chartered school system decides to surrender its charter and absorb into a county or consolidated school district, it should not be able to do so without approval in separate referenda from voters in both affected school districts. No one should feel that their school system must radically change because of policies in a dissolving district over which citizens in the school system of intake have no control.
Labels: Conservatism, Elections, Local politics, Tennessee politics
Stick To It
Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam would win even more respect from everyday people in this State if he would decide what his positions are
and stick to them:
We would guess that Amazon.com has indeed threatened to pull the plug on their proposed Tennessee distribution centers, because-lo and behold-Governor Bill Haslam has changed his mind again. He can call it whatever he might like, and he can warm it over in the political microwave all he wants, but his weeble is wobbling so badly at this point that he appears as though he is about to fall down.
Labels: Conservatism, Economy, Local politics, Tennessee politics
Ain't Like You're Used To
If you move to East Tennessee, remember that this isn't like
where you moved from:
The problem seems to arise not with the reality that out-of-Staters move to East Tennessee because of our low cost of living and lack of an income tax, it is that some of these people seem to want to have their cake and eat it too. Some seem to expect that they can maintain low taxes and cost of living and still have the same kind of services that they had from their local governments "up North." Take it from someone who knows-you aren't up North anymore. With that in mind, we've decided to write this short guide for anyone new to the area or thinking of moving here so that you will know what you can expect-and not expect-when you come to East Tennessee.
Labels: Conservatism, Local politics, Tennessee politics
As the Redistricting Pen Turns
Rumors sizzle with regards to
the Tennessee Senate:
Campfield told The Examiner that many in the Senate aren't yet sure just what the new districts will look like. "We are supposed to be having a Senate Republican Caucus retreat very soon, and at that gathering, we are being told that we will come to know the future of our districts and what kind of situation we'll be dealing with at the next election." Campfield did confirm that the redistricting rumor mill is spinning regarding Senate Democratic Leader Jim Kyle (D-Memphis). "Obviously, we don't know for sure yet, but Kyle looks like he may be put in a position where he ends up in the same district as another Democrat," Campfield said.
Labels: Conservatism, Elections, Local politics, Tennessee politics
Wean the Sow Off the Teet
If we are going to get serious about dealing with the national debt, we have to get
less dependent on the federal government:
We as a nation have come to expect that it is the place of the federal government to be all things to all people, and to do all things for all people. Such a mentality has landed us with $14 trillion in debt and essentially subservient economically to a number of foreign debt-holding sovereign powers, the leading one of which is Communist China.
Labels: Congress, Conservatism, Federal politics, Local politics, Political correctness, Tennessee politics
