Redistricting Is Here
The Tennessee House and Senate redistricting
plans have arrived:
The real changes appear to be coming in the Tennessee House of
Representatives, especially for those of us in East Tennessee. What
amounts to three new districts will be created in Knox County, including
(if the map
is correct) an 89th District in West Knox County. We won't ask for
details on how 89 is consecutive with 13 through 19. Representative
Frank Niceley (R-Strawberry Plains) won't represent any part of
Knox County anymore, but he will have around 2/3rds of Jefferson and
roughly the northern third of Sevier County as his new 17th District.
Labels: Congress, Conservatism, Elections, Federal politics, Local politics, Presidential Election, Radio show
Wow...
Sometimes that is the only word that comes to mind when the
impossible becomes political reality:
There are times when watching a political result that all you can say
is "wow." Last night's Iowa Caucuses were such a moment. This writer
prays his wife will forgive him for being up until after 4:00am awaiting
the final result. We've been up all night to await election outcomes
before, but I can't recall the last time I was up all night awaiting an
outcome during primary and caucus season.
When the final result came in, even though the numbers showed former
Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney at the top literally by just a few
votes, it is former Senator Rick Santorum (R-Pennsylvania) who can be
the one to claim victory. Within a matter of a month, he came from
around 3% of the vote to effectively tie at the top of the caucus
margins.
Labels: Conservatism, Elections, Federal politics, Local politics, Presidential Election, Republican Party, Tennessee politics
Occupy the Rose Parade?
Is nothing
sacred to these people?:
Another group of Occupy protesters are set to make utter fools of themselves
before a national and worldwide audience. The annual Tournament of
Roses Parade is scheduled to get underway this morning in Pasadena,
California. The annual spectacle features floats made of roses, a
beautiful Rose Queen, and ends the day with the oldest college football
bowl game in existence, the Rose Bowl. It isn't remotely a political
place or a political event, indeed many of the floats and attractions in
the parade are geared toward children. That doesn't seem to matter to
the publicity hounds of Occupy. Rather than organize their own event,
they are going to sponge off of the hard work of the Tournament of Roses
organizers in what they are calling "Occupy the Rose Parade," where the
intend to display a giant octopus at the end of the parade route.
Labels: Democrats, Duh, Federal politics, News Media, Political correctness, Tennessee politics
Occupy Somewhere Else
Occupy Nashville may ruin it for the rest of us:
As readers recall, we have defended without reservation the constitutional right of those sitting in at the Tennessee Capitol to be there, and we were critical of the Governor and Public Safety Commissioner Bill Gibbons for attempting to evict them. Rights come with responsibilities, however, chief of which is that those exercising a right should conduct themselves with good sense so as not to ruin that same exercise for others who may wish to engage in similar activities in future for other reasons. Governor Bill Haslam's apparent move to modify the use policy of the Capitol grounds, which have traditionally always been open to the public at all times and all hours of the day and night, has its roots not with the Governor's office, but with the frustration of the legislative staff who work at the Capitol every day.
Labels: Blogging, Democrats, Federal politics, Local politics, News Media, Political correctness, Tennessee politics
Boehner's the Deal-Breaker
Apparently, the Chattanooga Tea Party won't endorse Chuck Fleischmann because House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio)
showed up at his fundraiser:
When we have said in the past that many local Tennessee Tea Party
leaders strike us as not knowing the first thing about the game of
politics, this is an example of how this writer and others have come to
that conclusion. Political parties in any political system anywhere in
the world are coalitions which exist in part to gain power over
government bodies. Once they have that power, their first and primary
goal is to do what it takes to keep that power, and in our political
system, that means raising money. A Speaker of the U.S. House of
Representatives normally wants to raise money for all of his
candidates to help them stay in office, and he or she will appear at as
many fundraisers as they possibly can for them. Appearance at such a
fundraiser is not necessarily indicative that candidate X always sees
eye-to-eye with the Speaker, it just means that the Speaker is doing
what he has to do politicaly to make sure that a seat stays in
his party's hands. If Weston Wamp or Jean Howard-Hill were to win the
Republican nomination instead of Fleischmann, it would not be the least
bit surprising to see John Boehner at a fundraiser for either of them in
the future.
Labels: Congress, Conservatism, Elections, Federal politics, Local politics, Republican Party, Tennessee politics
We Don't Deliver For You
In order to survive, the Post Office must have a
business model that is relevant:
Everyone knows that the real problem for the Post Office is the reality
that the institution-one of the few government offices whose creation
was authorized in the Constitution (Article I, Section 8, Paragraph 7)
has failed to adapt to the realities of the 21st Century. From colonial
times right up to the late 1990's, the majority of long-distance
communication in America was done by means of letters sent in the post.
Not only has the widespread availability of internet access allowed
people to send letters via e-mail, but long distance communication has
become cheaper and easier in general. Most wireless telephone providers
offer free long distance, and to compete, many land-line phone carriers
offer unlimited long distance plans. You don't even have to have
internet access at home to send an e-mail-You can do that from your
local library for nothing.
Labels: Conservatism, Federal politics, Local politics, News Media, Political correctness, Tennessee politics
NAACCCP
Watch it, if Tennessee doesn't repeal our voter ID law, our friends at the
NAACP are going to bring in the UN!:
Suppose that the United Nations Human Rights Commission decides that
Tennessee is violating the human rights of voters by requiring them to
identify themselves. How would the U.N. correct the problem? Would the
United Nations attempt to tell the U.S. Justice Department how to
interpret constitutional law? If the Justicew Department or the federal
government did not intervene in Tennessee, does the NAACP propose that
the U.N. send in multinational troops to enforce its will on the people
of the State of Tennessee?
Labels: Conservatism, Democrats, Duh, Elections, Federal politics, Local politics, Republican Party, Tennessee politics
The Lesson In the Cain
What is happening to Herman Cain should be a lesson to
potential Republican candidates in the future:
If the allegations against Herman Cain do prove to be his undoing
and moot the time he spent in Tennessee, let it be a lesson to anyone
considering running for the presidency in the future: What you consider
your "private life" really matters. If you ran around on your wife years
ago, or you engaged in behavior that was inappropriate at one time but
you'd never dream of doing that now that you've settled down, you had
better approach it openly before your campaign gets serious or it will come back to bite you.
It would be better, if you intend to involve yourself in major national
politics, to deal openly with your past before you begin. If the
skeletons in your closet are going to stand in your way, it is better
not to waste your party's time or the voters' time.
Labels: Conservatism, Federal politics, Presidential Election, Tennessee politics
The Not-quite Endorsement
Governor Bill Haslam has a favorite, he
just isn't making it official:
Well, let's see, Governor Haslam's father, brother, and a great many
of his closest political friends-people we might consider to be
Haslam's "inner circle" have all made a choice, and their pick is former
Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney-you know, the one who was pro-choice
and became pro-life when it was politically expedient-hed who becomes a
lot of things when it is politically expedient.
Labels: Conservatism, Elections, Federal politics, Local politics, Presidential Election, Tennessee politics
Saturday Mail
Do we really
need Saturday postal delivery?:
Yes, most restaurants and merchants are open on Saturday, but most government entities aren't and many banks are only open for half-days on Saturdays, and bank managers and financial service managers take the weekend off. Some companies-especially utilities-remit bills by mail-although that isn't necessary with most credit card prividers, since the option exists with nearly all of them to go paperless and receive bills and make payments via the internet alone. If you do receive your utility bill by mail, most utilities' billing offices are closed on Saturdays, so if you get your electric, water, or gas bill on Saturday, you can't pay it until Monday anyway.
Labels: Economy, Federal politics, Humor, Local politics, News Media, Political correctness, Tennessee politics
The Grand Design
The supercommittee that was designed to fail
did what it was designed to do:
No Democrat on that committee was going to agree to cut entitlements to the degree needed to restore the full faith and credit of the United States because it will undermine the Democrats' core constituency groups. No Republican would agree to tax increases without significant cuts and reform to entitlement spending, nor should they. The even numbers on the committee in light of those realities insured that the process would fail before it even began. The President likely wanted it that way, because now he can cut national defenses so deeply that he will make this country a weakling and a by-word in the earth, but he'll find ways to increase entitlement spending if Obama should, God forbid, remain in office. Failure is what the President wanted all along, since failure is what his administration is all about.
.
Labels: Congress, Conservatism, Democrats, Duh, Economy, Elections, Federal politics, Local politics, Republican Party, Tennessee politics
Mitt's Media Problem
If you want to know why Mitt Romney hasn't quite closed the deal with the Republican base,
actions like this may be why:
You'll never find this writer telling a candidate that they can't have a
private fundraiser. However, when that fundraiser just happens to be in
a major public space in the middle of downtown Knoxville, and the
candidate is a major candidate for the 2012 Republican Presidential
nomination, it may not be a good idea to ban all media from an event in such an openly public space. Furthermore, when the Presidential candidate does
come to town, it stands to reason that the candidate and his supporters
will likely get some pretty bad press in the local area where this
occurs if it happens to get out that the news photographer who was
covering the candidate's visit was denied access to the building, and a
news reporter seeking a short interview was apparently escorted away by private security.
Labels: Conservatism, Federal politics, Presidential Election, Tennessee politics
Occupy the Courtroom
A New York State Supreme Court Judge yesterday proved me wrong, but there may have been
reasons other than the obvious:
Secondly-and far more importantly-as several people have pointed out to me in the last 24 hours, Zuccotti Park is actually private property. It is owned by a private company, Brookfield Properties, which has an agreement with the city that allows the land to be used as a park. Since Brookfield owns the turf, you can be certain that they weren't pleased that their lovely green space was being turned into a festering, desease-ridden, crime infested public health hazard. We may never know whether it happened or not, but it might be a fair bet that the Brookfield folks went to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and told him to clean up the mess or the long-standing agreement to allow Zuccoti to be used as a park by the city would be brought to an end based on the city failing to keep the place in good order.
Labels: Duh, Federal politics, Local politics, Miscellany, Political correctness
Bloomberg Takes A Page from Nashville
Apparently New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg forgot that trying to remove Occupy protestors
has backfired elsewhere:
Apparently
Mayor Bloomberg didn't get the word that this was tried in Tennessee,
where the protests weren't particularly popular, and it had the effect
of making people side with the protesters who would not otherwise be so
inclined to do so.
Labels: Duh, Federal politics, Local politics, Miscellany, Tennessee politics
Occupy About-face
Governor Bill Haslam has done a complete 180
on Occupy Nashville:
By dropping the charges, the administration will begin to deflect
positive attention from the sit-in at the Capitol, and once again force
the question: What purpose does this sit-in serve, and what do the
protestors want the Tennessee General Assembly to do? What demands do
the protestors wish to put on the Speakers of the House and the Senate,
or the Governor? What good will being there do when the General Assembly
does not convene again for over two months?
Labels: Conservatism, Democrats, Federal politics, Local politics, Tennessee politics
Taking Responsibility
Now that Occupy Nashville has won their First Amendment fight, they must take responsibility for keeping
order and decency on the Plaza:
By choosing to remain at the Capitol after hours, Occupy Nashville has
chosen to assume the risks associated with doing so. As a result, the
protestors should assume the responsibility associated with maintaining
cleanliness, decency, and order in a public forum that belongs to all
Tennesseans-not just those who agree with Occupy Nashville.
Labels: Duh, Federal politics, Local politics, Tennessee politics
Occupy Nashville Overkill
Okay, the Governor may
cost Tennessee taxpayers millions:
Nevertheless, the reaction of State officials in how to deal with the
protest has been overly broad and is blatantly unconstitutional, and
whatever the circumstances of the sit-in at this point, the State has
acted in a way that brings danger to the rights of all of us. First, the
State abruptly changed the rules
for assembly on Legislative Plaza, banning protests without a
permit-one was not previously required until Friday-and closing the
Plaza from 10pm to 6am. The Capitol grounds were not closed to the
public at any hour of the day or night until today. Clearly, this sudden
change of rules-while it may apply to all of us later-was aimed at
Occupy Nashville right now, and that means that the State of
Tennessee has invited a lawsuit, will probably have it by nightfall, and
those suing will be in a position in which liberals rarely find
themselves-on the constitutionally correct side of the issue.
Labels: Conservatism, Duh, Federal politics, Local politics, Tennessee politics
Who Are They Trying to Influence?
The Occupy Nashville crowd has been given until 8pm tonight to
clear out of the Capitol:
Since the Constitution guarantees the right of protesters to peacefully
assemble and "petition the government for a redress of grievances," it
is fair to ask: If the Occupy Nashville protesters continue to be camped
out at Legislative Plaza, what are they asking the Tennessee General
Assembly specifically to do? Have they presented a list of their
collective demands to Governor Bill Haslam, Lieutenant Governor Ron
Ramsey, or House Speaker Beth Harwell? Are the demands of the protesters
things that a State legislative body has the constitutional authority
or ability to act upon? Perhaps most importantly, are many of these
protesters even aware of the fact that the Tennessee General Assembly is
a part-time legislature, that most of its members have a life outside
of the Capitol and that, by the way, they aren't in session in October?
It would appear that the answer to all of these questions is no.
"Occupy Nashville" might see an occasional legislator duck in and out of
a committee meeting from time to time, but if they are looking to wield
influence, camping out at the Capitol in the middle of October isn't
the way you do that in Tennessee-the General Assembly isn't there.
Labels: Duh, Federal politics, Local politics, Political correctness, Tennessee politics
Sinking Ship
Tennessee Democrats
are in deep trouble:
As can be expected, Tennessee Democratic Chairman Chip Forrester tried to put a brave face on those very negative numbers in a statement which said that no Republican got a majority. Obama's negatives are so high, however, that the State's Democrats must be concerned about how a large-scale defeat for the President within Tennessee would impact the down-ticket, especially in races for the Tennessee House of Representatives. In the wake of the 2010 General Election, Republicans won 64 seats in the House. Under the standing rules of the body, it takes 66 votes to cut off all debate, and redistricting will come into play for the 2012 election cycle. Since the GOP only needs two more seats in order to reach the 66 they need in order to pass whatever they please with no credible opposition, it might be that 66 comes as part of redrawing districts. Anger with Democrats over that party's perceived support of the man who may be the single most unpopular President in Tennessee history could push the Republican majority in the Tennessee House to 68 seats or higher.
Labels: Conservatism, Democrats, Duh, Federal politics, Local politics, Presidential Election, Tennessee politics
9-9-9
Herman Cain may be a great candidate, and very well could be the Republican nominee in 2012-but he
might want to rethink the third 9:
As Tennesseans are aware, we are fortunate in this State not to be burdened with a State income tax, and that means that the State is dependent on sales tax revenue for its daily operation, and many counties and localities throughout Tennessee are at least partly dependent on sales tax revenue to keep their books in balance. In Jefferson County, where this writer lives, that means that we pay a combined sales tax rate of 8.75% on non-food items, and-thanks to a Republican effort to lower the grocery tax at the State level-7.25% on our grocery bills. A tax chart from the Tennessee Department of Revenue gives the reader a very good idea of what we pay in combined sales taxes, and it drives up the cost of goods and services quite a bit, though it is worth it to avoid an income tax. However, the Cain 9-9-9 plan would cause the combined 8.75% tax rate in Jefferson and many other Tennessee counties to double to 17.75%, since we would have to add the new federal 9% sales tax to the government's take of our bills for goods or services. The 9-9-9 plan would cause the sales taxes that most East Tennesseans pay to increase anywhere from 100% to 125%-something that Tennessee Republicans would, in recent times at least, call an act of tyranny.
Labels: Conservatism, Economy, Federal politics, Local politics, Presidential Election, Tennessee politics
