Congratulations to Robert Duvall for winning the Scene Poll

The Nashville Scene has come out with their "People and Places Reader's poll, Best of Nashville 2012" issue. Along with  categories "BEST THING THAT'S CHANGED IN NASHVILLE IN THE LAST YEAR," which the Scene poll participants said was Nordstrom, (a place I have only been in once and a place I can't afford to shop) and BEST PET WALKER/SITTER' which the Scene poll participants said was Beth Joslin (whoever that is and if I had pet to walk I would walk it myself) is the categories "BEST METRO COUNCIL MEMBER" and "BEST METRO COUNCIL MEMBER YOU'D LIKE TO SEE GONE."

The results are not surprising really. I have in my mind a profile of the readers of the Scene and can predict their opinions. Well, not all of their readers of course. I read it myself, but I read a broad spectrum of stuff. I mostly read the Scene for the listings of art openings, and music performances and to see what good liberals are thinking.

My image of the average Scene reader is a higher than average income, white, pony-tailed, Birkenstock-wearing, latte-grande-sipping, avant-garde-art-loving, pretentious and condescending liberal. He has a dog but pays someone else to walk it. He is someone who sends his children to the best private schools but opposes charter schools and school vouchers. He is an avowed environmentalist and advocates cap and trade, yet has a big carbon foot-print due to owning a big house, a big dog and frequent trips by plane. He thinks society should do more for the downtrodden, but other than buying an occasional newspaper from the homeless guy, never gives anything to charity except when he contributes to WPLN and gets his free WPLN tote bag which he always carries with him to go grocery shopping at Whole Foods.

I have no idea how many people voted in the Scene's poll. They don't tell you. I didn't. I imagine few casual reader like me voted in it but mostly loyal readers who fit the profile I have imagined. Anyway, here are the results: 

BEST METRO COUNCIL MEMBER 

• Megan Barry 
• Jason Holleman 
• Peter Westerholm 

BEST METRO COUNCIL MEMBER YOU'D LIKE TO SEE GONE 

• Robert Duvall 
• Tony Tenpenny 
• Eric Crafton 

If I would have voted in this poll some of the names could have stayed the same, just switch the categories.

You can see that the voters in the Scene poll have opinions but they are not very informed opinions. Eric has been out of the Council for some time now. Despite being gone already, the voters of the Scene poll list Eric as one they would like to see gone.

Upon learning of being the number one "Best Metro Council Member you'd like to see gone" by voters in the Scene poll, Robert Duvall posted the following on his facebook page.

 I don’t read the Nashville Scene. So I didn’t know, until a fellow Councilmember called me today, that I have been named the “Best Councilmember You’d Like to See Gone.” 

 I had a bit of laugh at that for this reason. When you stand up for the people of your district and go against the wishes of the Belmont Boulevard crowd, you don’t win many points with Nashville’s elite politicians or media.

The wishes and well being of the people in my district come first. Always have. Always will. When the numbers don’t add up on huge new projects, no matter how shinny and exciting they may be, I will ask how we intend to pay for it without adding to the burden of the taxpayers. When my constituents ask me to oppose a property tax increase in a down economy, I will oppose it. When the opinion of my district is different than politicians and media, well, sorry guys. My district wins.

That is how I have conducted myself as a Councilman. It hasn’t won me friends among the cocktail crowd. But they don’t matter. What matters are good jobs and new opportunities for OUR part of Nashville. I have fought for that on the council and will fight for that in the State House. 

I congratulate Robert Duvall on his distinction on being disliked by the Scene poll participants. Sometimes you can know a person by the enemies they make.  

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Steve Dickerson working hard

After working all night at the ER.
Steve went straight to the polls and is still working at 6pm.

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Update: What the Council did on Tuesday, October 16th.

Here is the video of the Council meeting from Tuesday, October 16th.  It is less than an hour long.  Below are the highlights.


Nominations are accepted to fill a seat on the Health and Educational Facilities Board. Council member McGuire nominates Walker Batts and CM Todd nominates Susan Kenny.

At 3:47 Council Tygard takes off his sports coat and puts on a Predators sweat shirt to make a presentation honoring the coach of the Predators.

The election of the Juvenile court judge starts at 8:33 in the video. The selected candidate will replace Betty Adams Green, a longtime juvenile court judge who announced her retirement in August. Each of the nominees is given five minutes which includes introductory speeches by a supporter, testimonials and comments by the candidate. The nominees are Shelia Calloway, who had received the most recommendations in a survey of 560 members of the Nashville Bar Association; Sofia Crawford, who currently serves as a Judicial Court magistrate; and Carlton Lewis, who had the support of former Juvenile court judge Richard Jenkins.

The vote was by machine vote and the vote total is Galloway 9, Crawford 18, and Lewis 11, necessitating a run-off. The final run-off vote was Crawford 25 and Lewis 13. Here is how they voted.

Voting for Crawford:

Barry, Steine, Garrett, Tygard, Banks, Bennett, Pridemore, Jernigan, Glover, Stites, Stanley, Claiborne, Tenpenny, Allen, Baker, Weiner, Evans, Holleman, McGuire, Harmon, Blalock, Dominy, Potts, Bedne, Todd (25); 

Voting for Lewis:

Maynard, Matthews, Harrison, Hunt, Scott Davis, Westerholm, Anthony Davis, Moore, Gilmore, Langster, Johnson, Dowell, Mitchell (13). 

The President declared that Sophia B. Crawford was elected Juvenile Court Judge for a term expiring August 2014.

I observe that except for Bo Mitchell, almost all of the votes for Lewis, who happens to be African- American,  were from the African-American members of the council. I don't know that race had anything to do with the vote, I am simply making an observation.

Positions like this can be hard fought. Whoever the Council selects to fill the vacancy is almost guaranteed to be reelected by the public and most likely has a job for life. Various factions line up behind this or that candidate and councilmen may be lobbied heavily by supporters and constituents for the various candidates. I suspect that people thought Calloway was the favored candidate. I really do not what was going on behind the scene to give the vote to Crawford. If anyone can shed some light on this contest please post a comment. This election process ends at 26:25 in the video.

All resolutions on the consent agenda passed.  Bills on the consent agenda pass as a group without discussion.  All resolutions were on the consent agenda.

ORDINANCE NO. BL2012-241 by Councilman Dwayne Dominy on second reading which would require the annual contract for services between Metro and the Chamber of Commerce for the Partnership 2020 economic development program be approved by resolution of the council, was deferred two meetings and rereferred to the Budget and Finance Committee.

Partnership 2020 is a public-private partnership developed by the chamber whose purpose is to recruit new businesses to the Nashville area. Metro’s appropriation for this program in recent years has been $300,000 a year. While the program serves a ten county area, Metro funds a greater share of the program than the other nine counties combined. Many feel that Metro funds the program, yet the bulk of new relocations to the Nashville area go to surrounding counties. This is a good bill that needs to pass.

Health care for ex-councilmen. The council passed by a vote of 19-17 on second reading, a proposal that would end Metro’s policy of offering former two-term council members subsidized health care in the city’s health care plan. The bill was supported unanimously in committee yet opposed on the floor, but no one spoke in opposition. The machine vote was as follows:

 “Ayes” Barry, Steine, Garrett, Tygard, Matthews, Harrison, Hunt, Banks, Jernigan, Stites, Claiborne, Allen, Weiner, McGuire, Harmon, Blalock, Dowell, Todd, Mitchell (19); 

“Noes” Maynard, Scott Davis, Westerholm, Anthony Davis, Bennett, Pridemore, Stanley, Tenpenny, Moore, Gilmore, Baker, Evans, Holleman, Dominy, Johnson, Potts, Bedne (17); “Abstaining” Langster (1).

This bill will be voted on on third reading at the council’s next meeting, on Nov. 13.  I, as a former council member, have benefited from this program but think it should be ended. At one time, there was little turn over in the Council so there were few former council members. With term limits there is greater turn over and more former council members. This is an expensive benefit. Also, the salary of a council member is considerably greater than it was in the past when this benefit was made available and health care is more costly.

The council gave final approval to a Green Hills rezoning ordinance that will permit a new office building in the Burton Hills office park. A large crowd turned out two weeks earlier at a public hearing, many expressing concern about the traffic impact of the development. The council approves the proposal with no discussion.

The Council approves expanding the locations where one may have a micro brewery.

Councilman Standley had on the agenda two memorializing resolutions proposing that it be “a top priority” “the replacement of the entire fleet of public buses powered by diesel combustion engines with hybrid-electric buses." In my view, no bus should be replaced until it has outlived its useful life. These two ordinances were deferred until the second meeting in November.

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Early Voting Information

Location Addresses
Belle Meade City Hall  4705 Harding Pike
Bellevue Community Center 656 Colice Jeanne Road
Bordeaux Library  4000 Clarksville Pike
Coleman Park Community Center  384Thompson Lane
Crossings Event Center   5380 Hickory Hollow Parkway
Davidson County Election Commission  800 2nd Avenue South, 1st Floor
Edmondson Pike Library  5501 Edmondson Pike
Friendship Baptist Church  1109 32nd Avenue North
Goodlettsville City Hall  105 South Main Street
Green Hills Library  3701 Benham Avenue
Hermitage Library  3700 James Kay Lane
Madison Library 610 Gallatin Pike South

                Schedule
  Day / Date               Open      Close
Wednesday, October 17     8:00AM     4:30PM
Thursday, October 18        8:00AM     7:00PM
Friday, October 19             8:00AM     4:30PM
Saturday, October 20        8:00AM     4:30PM
Monday, October 22           8:00AM     4:30PM
Tuesday, October 23          8:00AM     7:00PM
Wednesday, October 24     8:00AM     4:30PM
Thursday, October 25        8:00AM      7:00PM
Friday, October 26             8:00AM     4:30PM
Saturday, October 27         8:00AM     4:30PM
Monday, October 29           8:00AM     4:30PM
Tuesday, October 30          8:00AM     7:00PM
Wednesday, October 31      8:00AM     4:30PM
Thursday, November 01      8:00AM     4:30PM

Please note that the above is the early voting schedule for Republicans and independents. Early voting for Democrats begins November 2. Check back for schedule and locations.

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POLL WATCHING SEMINAR..

From Nashville GOP

SATURDAY OCTOBER 20, 2012

10:00 AM (approx 1hr)

no obligation

Romney Ryan Storefront

4108 Hillsboro Rd (next to McDonalds)

 

Early Voting and Election Day Opportunities

Please RSVP to: Sabrina Orr @  brilaw@bellsouth.net

If interested but not able to attend this Saturday pls respond and we will have another workshop before the election

 

Kathleen Starnes

ChairmanDavidson Co Republican Party

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The Tennessean endorses Romney!

I was pleasantly shocked this morning to open the Tennessean and see an endorsement for Romney.  It was a weak endorsement, but an endorsement none the less. I had assumed the Tennessean was so predictably knee-jerk liberal that an endorsement for Obama's reelection was a given. I'm glad I was wrong. In appreciation for the Tennessean endorsing Romney, I am going to go a whole day without saying anything bad about the Tennessean.

Below are excerpts from their endorsement.

.....few elections have been so critical to the country. In 2012, the United States faces crippling debt; seemingly endless military conflicts and terror threats; an aging population; and sweeping workforce and geopolitical changes that threaten to turn our society upside down.

 And while Mr. Obama may have reassured a lot of people about the response to the Libyan consulate attack in Tuesday’s debate, there is too much dissension in his own administration about the right approach to terrorism.

The next president must be the one with the best chance to get the crushing, $16 trillion national debt under control, coupled with the more immediate need of enabling a vibrant job market.
It is because the economy is paramount that The Tennessean endorses Gov. Mitt Romney for president.

Mr. Romney has the business experience that gives him better understanding of the needs of real job creators.

To read the full text of the endorsement follow this link.

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Still No Action From Phillip North Even After Senate Aide Is Fired For Political Work On State Time

NASHVILLE, TN. TNGOP – On Tuesday, an aide to Senator Ophelia Ford (D-Memphis) was fired after a TNReport story exposed the aide was doing political work on state time for Democrat State Senate candidate Phillip North. The aide was drawing a $30,468 annual salary from taxpayers while also being paid by the North campaign to serve as its field director.

According the news report, “Over the past three months, Hummel had apparently been conducting political activities during state business hours on his state-issued computer, according to phone records, Facebook postings and documents reviewed by TNReport.”

“The state government has taken swift actions to address this situation, but we have yet to see even so much as a response from Phillip North,” said Tennessee Republican Party Executive Director Adam Nickas.

“North owes every Tennessee taxpayer an explanation as to why he would allow a campaign staffer to do political work while being paid by taxpayers and using government property. Mr. North also needs to immediately repay taxpayers for the bill they’ve been stuck with to subsidize his campaign. He has broken the trust of the citizens of Nashville and shown utter disregard for basic ethics. I would think that since he is a lawyer, he would have understood the severity of this situation a little better.”

To read the latest news report, click HERE. 

Comment: I could not agree more.  

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Community Meeting: Fairgrounds consultants will discuss draft report

Wednesday, November 7, 6-7:30 pm

Sonny West Conference Center in the Howard Office Building, 700 Second Avenue South

 

 

Consultants on Phase 1 of the Fairgrounds Master Plan will present highlights of their preliminary report at a public meeting November 7.  Phase 1, the “Fair and Events Analysis,” addresses potential fairgrounds and event uses for the Fairgrounds property.

 

The second and final phase of the study will determine the highest and best scenario for mixed-use redevelopment of the site, and compare that with the analysis presented in Phase 1 to generate a “Recommended Master Plan.”

 

The Fairgrounds Master Plan Study is being done at the Metro Council’s direction, and the Council will make the final decision on the Fairgrounds site’s future.  Details of the study so far and community comments from previous meetings are on the Planning Department’s Fairgrounds Master Plan Study webpage.

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Debate moderator Candy Crowley: Romney was right in main Libya argument, but ...

Debate moderator Candy Crowley admitted that Romney was right to address the president’s response to the attacks on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, but he “picked the wrong world.”
 
Crowley explained that she re-read Obama’s Rose Garden speech transcript before the debate, noting that the president referred to “acts of terror.”

Romney insisted that the President refused to call the attacks an “act of terror” which Obama countered with the transcript of his Rose Garden speech.

But Crowley admitted that she also agreed with Romney during the debate, when he said that the Obama administration spent two weeks telling Americans the attacks were about “a tape and this riot outside the Benghazi consulate, which there wasn’t.”

“He was right in the main, I just think he picked the wrong word,” Crowley concluded. (Read more).

My Comment: I am glad she is sitting the record straight but after the fact it does little good. The debate moderator should not interject herself in the debate and and challenge the accuracy of a statement made by a debate participant.  See the below piece from the Wall Street Journal to see the context of what the President said in the Rose Garden.

Replay: Obama’s Rose Garden Remarks on Libya

The Wall Street Journal, Oct.17, 2012

In Tuesday’s debate, President Barack Obama for the first time accepted responsibility for the security lapses that contributed to the death of the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans on Sept. 11 in Benghazi, Libya. He sought to turn the issue against Mr. Romney, accusing him of playing politics with a national-security crisis.
 
Mr. Obama said he called the Benghazi attack “an act of terror” during a statement in the Rose Garden the day after it occurred, challenging Republican accusations that the administration had been misleading when it described the attack as a demonstration sparked by an anti-Muslim video.

“I want to make sure we get that for the record, because it took the president 14 days before he called the attack in Benghazi an act of terror,” Mr. Romney said.
“Get the transcript,” the president replied.

Mr. Obama did make reference to the fact that “No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation,” but his comments that day also appeared to reference the video, when he said, “We reject all efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others.” The administration changed its description of the attack, eventually describing it as a terror attack linked to al Qaeda sympathizers. Read more and see video here.

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Last night's Presidential debate

I again enjoyed the Presidential debate at  the debate watch party at the Republican storefront office in Green Hills. Louella and I and about 50 other people  had Pizza and wine and politics before watching the debate on two big screen TVs.

Obama obviously did much better than he did in his first debate, but Romney stood his ground and challenged the President on his misrepresentations and failed policies.   I thought Romney hit Obama hard on his record, including his broken promise to pass comprehensive immigration reform,  the increase in the number of people on food stamps, the drop in household income, the increase in health insurance premiums, the number of people out of work including those no longer counted as unemployed because they have given up seeking employment and Obama's blocking of the Keystone pipeline.

From my perspective, Romney won. However, it was a close called match, not a knock-out punch, and I am sure partisan Democrats could think Obama won. I doubt the debate moved the poll numbers much. If Romney is gaining momentum, I don't think this debate slowed it.

I was very disappointed in the performance of moderator Candy Crowley.  At one point she totally abandoned any objectivity and sided with Obama when he claimed he had been been calling the murder of our ambassador in Libya a terrorist attack from the beginning. Everyone knows that initially the administration claimed the event in Libya was a demonstration over a YouTube video that got out of hand. Candy Crowley should never again moderate a debate.

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Update: What is on the Council Agenda for October 16th.

Not much that is controversial. Partnership 2020 issue. Expanding Nano breweries.  Council should use caution before making replacing of good buses a priority. 

You can get your own copy of the Metro council meeting agenda at this link:Metro Council Agenda. From the agenda you can link to the analysis. Council meetings can be really, really boring if you don't know what the Council is voting on. With an agenda and analysis, they are just really boring.

I read the analysis and agenda for you so you don't have to. There is not much that is controversial on this agenda and I expect it will be a short meeting.  

All of the eleven resolutions on the agenda are on the consent agenda which means they passed the committees to which they were assigned unanimously and are deemed non-controversial and will be considered all together and pass by a single vote, unless someone pulls them off of the consent agenda.

Have you ever attended the big band dances in Centennial Park? Louella and I used to attend and for a couple of seasons we attended faithfully.  They are a lot of fun. Have you ever wondered how those free performances were financed? $5,900 comes from the state arts commission to the Metropolitan board of parks and recreation to supplement the Big Band dance program. Metro matches that grant with a $5,900 subsidy. Accepting this grant is one of the bills on the consent agenda. 

All bills normally pass on first reading without discussion.  One bill on first reading which will probably not be controversial but which is worth watching is BILL NO. BL2012-281. The effect of this bill is to bring the scandal-ridden Transportation Licencing Board under the authority of the Public Works department. The TLC will no longer be an independent agency and their employees will be employees of the public works department.  This was a recommendation of the consultants who studied the department.  You may recall that TLC inspectors were caught harassing drivers and impersonating police officers among other offenses.

ORDINANCE NO. BL2012-241 by Councilman Dwayne Dominy on second reading is a good bill that deserves to pass. It  requires the annual contract for services between Metro and the Chamber of Commerce for the Partnership 2020 economic development program be approved by resolution of the council. Partnership 2020 is a public-private partnership developed by the chamber whose purpose is to recruit new businesses to the Nashville area. Metro’s appropriation for this program in recent years has been $300,000 a year. While the program serves a ten county area, Metro funds a greater share of the program than the other nine counties combined.  Many feel that Metro funds the program, yet the bulk of new relocations to the Nashville area go to surrounding counties.

This ordinance would require the grant contract with the chamber to be approved by the council by resolution receiving 21 affirmative votes. The contract would have to be approved by resolution annually before any funds are disbursed to the chamber.

BILL NO. BL2012-249 on third and final reading is a good bill that should not prove controversial. It passed second reading without opposition. It would permit "nano breweries" in mixed use and commercial areas. Now, microbreweries are permitted only in the downtown area or in industrial zoned areas if out side of downtown.  Now one could not open a craft brewery establishment in 12th South or Five points, or Hillsboro Village or any of the other growing sections of town that might be good location for such establishments. It this passes, they could.

Caution! Caution! Councilman Standley is proposing two memorializing resolutions urging the school system and the MTA to make "a top priority program the replacement of the entire fleet of public buses powered by diesel combustion engines with hybrid-electric buses."  Wait a minute. That is pretty ambitions and pretty strongly worded. In my view, no bus should be replaced until it has outlived its useful life. If however we were under a court order to clean up our air or we would have to halt construction, then that may be a reason for such a move, but as far as I know that is not the case. If this does not make economic sense we shouldn't do it.  I hope these resolutions get serious discussion in committee. While a memorialize resolution simply expresses the will of the council and does not carry the force of law, I do not think the council should go on record with such a resolution. There are a lot of public needs. Is replacing serviceable buses with hybrid buses more important than other needs?

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Ben Claybaker fundraiser Tuesday Oct. 23rd

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The Obama phone lady has made it into a campaign ad.

I think this could be an effective ad.  Many middle class American do not know people in the dependency class.  They think of poor people as people down on their luck.  Many are of course and there are many hard working decent low income people, but there are a lot of people like this women.  If welfare becomes a way of life it destroys a person's incentive and moral character.  This women is representative of many people in the welfare class and the reason she will vote for Obama is the reason many people will do so.

This Obama's policies are turning millions more Americans into moochers looking for every handout. When more people are on public assistance than are working, we are doomed. You can be assured that this lady will never want to work.  She cannot afford to work.  It is expensive to give up free housing and food stamps and medicaid and transportation vouchers and your free phone. She has probably never worked and most likely has been so incapacitated by the welfare system, that no one would ever hire her. She is most likely a permanent parasite. Obama's policies are expanding the parasite class. It is turning normal people into people like this women.

I am sure this ad will be denounced as racist by some, but those are people who were going to vote for Obama anyway. Showing a video clip that shows what motivates a large segment of the population to  support Obama is not racist.  Political correctness should not get in the way of telling the truth. We should not be cowered by those who will play the race card.

I just sent a contribution to Tea Party Victory Fund to help pay for this ad to run in Ohio. Please click here to go to a secure website to make a contribution.

Below is the fund raising email from Tea Party Victory Fund:

Dear Conservative,

Mitt Romney can't win the White House unless he wins Ohio. That's where we come in. Have you seen the Obama Phone lady? If you haven't, click here right now.

We believe that this shocking video of an Obama supporter in Cleveland claiming that President Obama "Gave us a phone" is so damaging that it could be fatal to the President's hopes of winning Ohio.


This is it--this is the October surprise. We just need to get this ad on television today. Will you help us?

This commercial is a microcosm of the difference between Republicans and Democrats. Republicans want to create an environment where free people make their own choices and pursue their dreams. President Obama and the Democrats want to create a dependency on Government that ensures that Americans will continue to rely on Washington from cradle to grave.

What this lady said is so offensive because it's so blatant--she finally comes out and says what we all know that the Democrats really think. That's why this ad is so damaging to the President here in Ohio.

Let me tell you something, I'm from Ohio--I was elected statewide as the Secretary of State, and Ohio State Treasurer--this ad is effective. If swing voters in this state see this ad, they simply will not support President Obama, and he will lose Ohio.

I believe that Ohio will determine the fate of our country for the next four years. If Republicans lose here, it's over. If we win here, it's going to be very hard for Obama to get re-elected.

In my experience, the hardest part of making an ad is finding something that cuts through the noise and the clutter and gets attention. This ad does exactly that. This commercial will really move numbers. But we need your help, right now if we are going to get it on TV.

The Obama record is atrocious. Chew on these numbers for a second:

* 1 in 7 Americans on food stamps today, the most ever! No wonder Obama has been called "The Food Stamp President."

* Obama has increased our debt to 16 TRILLION dollars! That's a legacy of debt and enslavement that our children will be forced to pay for generations to come. That's not just bad policy, it's immoral.

* 10 million jobs lost. President Obama's policies have strangled any hope of a recovery. He has to go.

We must make sure that every swing voter in Ohio sees this commercial, right now. We need your help. Will you join us?

Let's make the ObamaPhone Lady famous, and make Barack Obama a one term president.

For America,

Ken Blackwell
Chairman, Tea Party Victory Fund

P.S. I believe this commercial has a chance to be the single most devastating attack on the President of this campaign so far. If we get it on TV here in Ohio, we can end his hopes of Victory here, and deny him another term in the White House. Will you stand with us?

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Debate Watch Party Oct. 16, Nashville

LET'S CHEER FOR OUR CANDIDATE

AT THE

PIZZA AND POLITICS

TOWN HALL Debate

4108 HILLSBORO RD (next to McDonalds)

Bring a chair!!!!

Come early and make phone calls into Ohio for Romney-Ryan

Debate begins 8:00

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More trouble at the Election Commission

In the most recent primary, the Election Commission was using a new electronic voting system that causes some ballots to default to the Republican ballot.  This created quit a bit of controversy including some grandstanding by a certain Council member seeking a state house seat. The cause of this error was fully explained and the issue resolved.

Now there is more controversy at the Election Commission.  The sample ballot the Election Commission mailed out has a small black box next to the name of Republican candidates in races where a Republican is competing against a Democrat in a State House contest.

Those who are so inclined to believe the Republican dominated Election Commission is conniving to give an advantage to Republican candidate will be more sure of that than ever now.  The election commission has explained that this was simply an error.  When laying out the sample ballot, initially the format was to have two candidates’ names on the same line, and a black box was put between the two names for ease in reading. They then adjusted the format to have a separate line for each candidate and the person doing the formatting, failed to remove the little black box.

I am accepting that explanation but I am sure many Democrats will not. The Election Commission did not need this new controversy.

According to the article about this in the Tennessean, "some Democrats believe the boxes still could lead some voters to think the candidates whose names are next to the markings are the ones they need to vote for."

That statement says a lot about Democratic voters.  There is a large segment of mostly Democratic voters who let someone else tell them how to vote. If some one is so stupid that they look at the ballot and think they are "supposed" to vote for the person with the black box by their name, they are so dumb, they should not be voting. 

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Metro Council Education Committee Meeting for 10/15/2012

This is over an hour long. I will watch this video and summarize anything important and tell you where to go in the video to see the anything that is interesting.Watch for an update.

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Beth Harwell host Ben Claybaker reception

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Wealthy Nashvillians cash in on law meant for farmers

The Tennessean, Oct 14, 2012

This is hardly farm country. But Bredesen and several neighbors are cashing in on a state law intended to protect farms, forests and open space from encroaching development. Because the former governor cuts hay on a portion of his $13-million, 89-acre estate, and grosses at least $1,500 a year in farm income, he saves $62,000 a year in local property taxes. (link)

Comment: I don't condemn former Governor Bredesen for "cashing in" on the law intended to protect open spaces from development.  I think no tax payer should pay a cent more in taxes than they are legally required to pay. A legal deduction on your income tax is not a "loophole."  If the law allows you to put your estate into a conservation easement and avoid $62,000 in local property tax, then I don't condemn you for doing it.  The problem is not with those who legally avoid paying taxes, the problem is with the code that permits it.

I also feel pretty much the same way about people who get food stamps or other forms of public assistance. If they are legally entitled to a form of public assistance, and are not committing fraud to get it, then I do not condemn them for getting it.  I recognize that accepting welfare corrupts one's character and creates a dependency and a sense of entitlement.  I admire those who refuse the assistance, but I don't condemn those who take.  The fault is with the program, not the recipient.

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Mark Rogers on "The Walking Dead:"  The Walking Dead are not from Memphis. Those are the 'Voting Dead.'

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Scott DesJarlais explains scandal in his own words

Open Letter to My Supporters

You have probably seen the recent media coverage regarding details of my divorce from over a decade ago. I had genuinely hoped this election would be about my record in Congress – not a 12 year old divorce.

Unfortunately, my opponent is making the same types of accusations Lincoln Davis used in 2010 when he ran what was described as the nastiest campaign in the nation in an attempt to dominate the headlines.

I know that many of you were disappointed to hear the news regarding allegations of a relationship I had while separated during my divorce proceedings. I am deeply sorry for that. But what was reported in the media was not only inaccurate, it doesn’t even begin to tell the whole story.

First, there was never any pregnancy and there was no abortion. Second, my ex-wife and I had been separated for quite some time before this incident. There was an agreement in our separation that both she and I could see other people while finalizing the divorce. To say that I had a mistress or that I had an affair is inaccurate. Third, the media wrongly reported that I recorded the conversation myself. I was recorded unknowingly and without my consent.

Here is what is true. While legally separated from my wife, I was involved with a woman who I had briefly treated for a foot injury. The relationship was completely mutual. After approximately four months after we had last seen each other, she told me she was pregnant. I won’t go into details out of respect for those involved, but I had several reliable reasons to believe this was false. I had a conversation with this woman over the phone that was recorded without my knowledge. During this conversation I was incredibly frustrated. As such, I used rather strong rhetoric in hopes that it would lead to her admitting the truth – that there was no pregnancy.

I appreciate that this was an imprudent approach to this situation and I’m not proud of it. In retrospect I should have dealt with these matters in a more diplomatic fashion.

There is no question that I had a very long and very difficult divorce. In fact, it seems almost as if I’ve never run against another candidate – only a 12 year old divorce. That being said, I understand that I am an elected official and therefore am subject to public scrutiny. But I also have a family. I think that often gets overlooked by those who resort to these sorts of smear tactics.

Through grace and redemption, God has truly given me a second chance. I have had an incredible marriage to my wife Amy of ten years and have been blessed with an opportunity to raise three wonderful children. I have a strong pro-life record in Congress and history of fighting for values important to Tennesseans. I hope you will judge me on these facts because that is who I am.

It speaks volumes that my opponent and his political mentor Lincoln Davis would gleefully exploit this private and personal issue for political gain. I suppose they must be confident that they are completely without sin.

I am not trying to justify my actions or say that I am without fault. But I am not the hypocrite my opponents and some liberal media outlets are portraying me as.

I hope that you will continue to fight with me for issues important to the people of Tennessee’s Fourth Congressional District. We face big problems and we need big solutions – not desperate personal attacks.

Thank you for your support and understanding, and I stand ready to speak with you personally and answer any questions you may have.

 Scott DesJarlais

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Governor Haslam Endorces Charles Williamson for State House of Representatives

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Bob Woodward: There Are A Lot Of Unanswered Questions From White House On Libya

 This we do know:

• Despite requests submitted to the State Department, the administration failed to provide additional security for the U.S. Consulate
  
  
• The President engaged in a cover up, repeatedly blaming the events in Libya on a spontaneous uprising resulting from that YouTube video which we now know had nothing to do with this planned attack.

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Charles Williamson needs help

We need you!

 

We need smiling, waving folks holding Williamson signs at the polls … during early voting AND on Election Day.

 

We have 4-5 polls to cover during early voting:

·         Madison

·         Goodlettsville

·         Bordeaux

·         Bellevue

·         Downtown/Election Commission

Can you spare a few hours? A full day … or more in support of Charles?

 

We have 20 polls to cover on Election Day!

 

PLEASE reply or call me!

 

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING CHARLES WILLIAMSON FOR STATE REP!

Claire

615-476-3200

ipcc@comcast.net

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Lame Duck Legislators take going-away gift

Lame Duck Lawmakers Ring Up $13K Tab at Chicago Junket

TnRepot, Oct. 5, 2012

As a parting gift before leaving the state Legislature, five outgoing lawmakers spent more than $13,000 of taxpayer money to go on a four-day junket to Chicago, according to state records.

Here is a list of outgoing lawmakers and how much taxpayers spent sending them to the NCSL annual summit:
Sen. Mike Faulk, R-Church Hill, $2,404.43
Rep. Bill Harmon, D-Dunlap, $2,757.79
Rep. Richard Montgomery, R-Sevierville, $2,739.61
Rep. Jimmy Naifeh, D-Covington, $2,759.34
Rep. Jeanne Richardson, D-Memphis, $2,726.74

Comment: Why should out-going legislators take a trip on the tax payers dime?  I question the need for a lot of these out of town legislative conferences, but there is certainly no justification for an out-going legislator to attend one.  Please note that the speaker of both houses signed off on these trips. What were they thinking?  There seems to be a sense of entitlement once one gets elected and it doesn't matter if you are Democrat or Republican.

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New TV spot: Dr. Steve Dickerson for State Senate District 20- Doctor and Small Business Owner

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Robert Duvall welcomes new Habitat homeowners

From Lumination network, Lipscomb University's official student news service,

Elizabeth Manyok, Paurl Manyok, Robert Duvall, and

According to Robert Duvall, a councilman for District 33 where the 15 houses are being built, said Habitat’s work is also bringing new life to a financially troubled community. “We had more bankrupt subdivisions than any other area in Davidson County, and this community needed to come back together,” Duvall said.

For the homeowners, Duvall said this is “a moment of joy and pride.” He added that the project is an example of the good that comes when people work together, noting that volunteers from across the United States and various parts of Davidson and Rutherford counties were present.

“This is what America is all about,” he said. “This is what Council District 33 is all about. Council District 33 is a very blended community. We’re proud to live here and be a part of it.” (link)

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