What's on the Metro Council Agenda for May 21st: Budget hearings and more.

You can get your own copy of the Metro council meeting agenda at this link: Metro Council Agenda. You can find the analysis at this link: Metro Council Agenda 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 boring. 

Several of the board members of the Human Relations Commission are up for confirmation of their appointment or reappointment. The HRC is a metro agency with no function that needs to be done, that could not be done by some other agency.  The whole purpose of HRC seems to be to promote political correctness and liberal causes. One of the things they do is sponsor a youth pavilion at the Nashville Gay Pride Festival, which I think is inappropriate. I do not think Metro should be in the business of normalizing and promoting a homosexual lifestyle among young people.  I hope someone in the Council will question the appointees  about this and if the appointee supports continuing Metro's sponsorship of a youth pavilion at the Gay Prive Festival that the Councilman would vote against thay person and state the reason why. This is an occasion where a conservative leader could step forward in the Council.   
For more on this, see this link and this one. 

Public hearing on the budget: To know all you need to know about the budget, follow this link: Citizen's Guide to the Metro Budget. Also, see the Council staff analysis or see this link.

Since the Mayor is not proposing a tax increase there will be fewer people speaking on the budget than there were last year.  It seems critics of spending only show up in years in which there is a proposed tax increase. The mayor's proposed budget represents a 5.86 percent increase or about $100 million over the current budget and does not fully fund the Schools request of $44 million increase, but increases the Schools budget by  $26 million. It does not include a subsidy for the Auditorium, Farmers Market or Fairgrounds.  I normally would be opposed to subsidies for these functions, however this year I think there may be reason to subsidize the fairground.  Much of the reason the fairgrounds is losing money is because when the Mayor announced plans to sell  the fairground and turn the site into a corporate campus, those who would rent the fairgrounds for tradeshows did not do so thinking the fairground was going away.  I think there has been a deliberate attempt to make the fairgrounds lose money so there could be a justification to sell the property.  I could support subsiding the fairgrounds, this one year only.  To learn more about the fairground issue, follow this link.  

The budget dips pretty deeply into the "rainy day" reserve fund. Expect advocates of Schools, Farmer's Market, Fairgrounds,  and advocates of an employee's "step" pay increases to dominate the hearing. The budget is amendable on third reading, so it will most likely pass tonight. 

There are nineteen resolutions all of which are on the consent agenda. A resolution is put on the consent agenda if it is likely to be non-controversial and it stays on the consent agenda if it passes the committees to which it was assigned unanimously. Bills on the consent agenda are usually not controversial and tend to be routine matters, such as accepting grants from the Federal or State Government or authorizing the Department of Law to settle claims against the city or appropriating money from the 4% fund. Resolutions on the consent agenda are passed by a single vote of the Council rather than being considered individually. However, any member of the body may have a bill pulled off of the consent agenda. I expect a couple of the resolutions to be deferred to "track" the budget including  RESOLUTION NO. RS2013-670  which establishes the certified tax rate in both the General Services District and the Urban Services District.

Bills on First reading almost always pass. They are considered as a group and are seldom discussed. First reading is a formality that allows the bill to be considered. Bills are not assigned to committee or analyzed by council staff until after they have passed first reading.  I have not carefully reviewed the bills on first reading, but will before second reading. There are thirteen bills on first reading.

Bills on Second Reading. It is on Second reading, after bills have been to committee, that discussion usually takes place.  There are twenty-one bills on second reading. None of them seem terribly controversial but below are a few worth watching:

• BILL NO. BL2012-291 amends the definition of “recycling facility” to clarify that it does not include the conversion of material into a fuel product or asphalt. Public works says this bill is not necessary since state regulations do not permit a C & D landfill to have an incinerator  anyway.  This bill was on second reading last council meeting and was deferred to this meeting.

• Bill NO. BL2013-360 requires that there be a compensation and benefits study for the mayor, vice mayor, and members of council. Included in this will be a review of the lifetime health insurance benefit provided to former council member who served at least two terms. This generous and costly benefit was up for repeal or reduction twice before this council and failed.

• BILL NO. BL2013-420 creates a small business economic development incentive grant program.  As you are probably aware, Metro Council has been picking winner and looser by bribing big companies not to leave metro and "enticing" big companies to expand or relocate to Davidson County. Some have argued that this is wrong and the same enticements should be offered to small businesses. I do see this policy as a problem. By paying companies to locate or not to leave we create an incentive whereby a company would be foolish to move here unless they get their pay-off and we have created an incentive for companies to threaten to leave unless we pay them to stay.  Unfortunately, it is hard to stop playing this game since other cities are also playing it.  Cities have created an environment to where they have to pay the incentive or another city that does pay the incentive will get the big corporate headquarter relocations and manufacturing plants. I don't think the way to fix this problem is to expand it to small businesses. This bill was deferred last meeting to track with the budget ordinance. It will most likely be deferred again.

• BILL NO. BL2013-422 pertains to the procedure to be followed in designating residential permit parking areas.  I live not far from the popular 12th South Ave area and see the need for residential permit parking.  Residents off of 12th sometimes must park blocks from their homes because patrons of the popular restaurants on 12th take the parking spaces.  Two restaurants haverecently sued Metro for approving permit-only parking in the 12 South neighborhood. I expect this bill will be deferred.

• BILL NO. BL2013-423 would swap some Metro land for some State land. The land that the School for the Arts sits on and the land that will be the site of the future STEM charter school located on the old Tennessee Preparatory School site on Foster Ave, would be swapped for the old Ben West Library site downtown at Eighth and Union Ave . Metro now owns the library and the State owns the TPS site. It is unusual that a bill is discussed on first reading, but last council meeting this one was. Councilman Bo Mitchell argued against it, arguing that it was an uneven swap and Metro was getting a poor deal, however he may have been motivated by his dislike of  charter schools. (See his remarks at this link.) There is also some opposition to tearing down the old Ben West library because some preservationist consider the building architecturally significant.  The most persuasive argument against the deal is that there is a deed restriction that requires the site to be used as a library or revert to the heirs of those who gave the land to Metro to be used as a library. I think deed restrictions should be honored as a matter of principle but as a matter of practicality we should not move forward with this deal until the title issues have been resolved. It was deferred last meeting and expect it to be deferred again. 

•  BILLNO. BL2013-432  establishes the tax levy for the fiscal year 2013-2014. This will probably be deferred. It has to pass after the budget passes.

Bills on Third Reading: Third Reading is the final reading. If a bill passes third reading it becomes law unless it is vetoed by the Mayor, which has only rarely happened.  There are twenty bills on third reading.  Most of them are zoning bills and I don't expect any of them to generate controversy.

There are no memorializing resolutions on the agenda.

Top Stories

Green Hills GOP Summit

Saturday, May 25th

Coffee, Pastries and Fellowship at 8:30 a.m. Program at 9 a.m.

Sen. Steve Dickerson Presents "On Becoming A State Senator:" All About His Winning Campaign And The Experience Of Actually Serving As A First-Time Member Of The Tennessee State Senate. 

Also—A Review Of GOP Legislative Successes In The Session Just Ended— And Some Issues On Tap For Next Year. 

We meet at St. Paul’s (Green Hills Off Hillsboro). For Directions, etc. Contact Peter Voysey at: greenhillsgop@gmail.com

Top Stories

Citizen's Guide to the Metro Budget

Everything you would want to know about the Metro Budget is online at this link: Citizen's Guide to the Metro Budget.

Top Stories

The May 21st Council Agenda is now available

If you will wait I will read it for you and tell you and explain it. If you just can't wait, here is the link: May 21st Metro Council Agenda.

Top Stories

East Nashville Republican Coffee

SATURDAY, May 18th, 2013 

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. 

Jacob's Well Coffee House 

1053 Donelson Avenue Old Hickory 

Come meet good folks, drink great coffee, talk politics, and listen to Steve Abernathy Former Election Commissioner. 

Thanks for your support ! Terry Torree & Steven Clements

Top Stories

Governor Haslam Shows Courage; Rep. Andy Holt Proves Himself a Lousy Puppet

by Daniel Horwitz

Almost two centuries have gone by since Mark Twain famously quipped that it is “better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than open it and remove all doubt.”  Over the course of his recent efforts to enact HB 1191/SB 1248, however, State Rep. Andy Holt (R-Dresden) proved once again that sage advice never really goes out of style.  Fortunately, by vetoing HB 1191/SB 1248 on Monday, Governor Haslam definitively proved that he had the political wherewithal to clean up the mess that Holt and others had created, and for that Governor Haslam should be both praised and applauded. 

For anyone who didn’t follow the legislature’s shamelessly duplicitous back-and-forth regarding HB 1191/SB 1248, the following facts about the bill that should be sufficient to explain what the bill aimed to do, who stood to gain from it, and who stood to lose:

-HB 1191/SB 1248 – officially titled The “Livestock Protection Act” by the legislature, but derided as the “Ag Gag Bill” by opponents – was pushed almost singlehandedly by the Tennessee Farm Bureau, which is easily the strongest arm of Tennessee’s agribusiness lobby.  Agriculture is also the largest industry in all of Tennessee.

-The bill’s essential provision required anyone who photographed or videotaped animal abuse both (1) to report the abuse; and (2) to turn over all unedited recordings of said abuse within 48 hours.  Had HB 1191/SB 1248 been enacted, anyone who failed to do either would have been guilty of a Class C Misdemeanor. 

-Although the stated purpose of the Livestock Protection Act was to curb livestock abuse, the bill was opposed by literally every single prominent animal rights group in the United States, spanning from the Humane Society, to PETA, to the ASPCA, to Mercy for Animals, to every other animal rights group in between.  In total, the Livestock Protection Act and bills like it are opposed by no fewer than sixtyseparate civil liberties, public health, food safety, environmental, foodjustice, animal welfare, legal, workers' rights, journalism, and FirstAmendment organizations.

When a bill purporting to prevent livestock abuse is fiercely opposed by animal rights groups yet supported wholeheartedly by the livestock industry that the bill purports to regulate, it doesn’t take a genius to realize that something is seriously amiss.  According to foodwhistleblower.org, animal rights groups oppose “Ag-Gag” bills like HB 1191/SB 1248 for three primary reasons:

1.  Short-term mandatory reporting requirements pose a serious threat to whistleblowers by making it easier for companies to isolate and retaliate against those who document animal abuse on their property.

2.  Long-form investigations provide law enforcement with a much larger body of evidence to facilitate prosecution than a report of a single isolated incident.  Since reports of animal cruelty rarely result in successful prosecutions (according to findings issued by the Connecticut Office of Legislative Research, for example, of the 1,369 animal cruelty cases brought in that state between 2004 and 2007, only 182 resulted in convictions), comprehensive documentation of abuse appears to be crucial.  As Nina Margetson of Horse Haven of Tennessee explainedon April 21st, “Any good investigator knows it takes more than 48 hours to make a case that stands up in court.”  Notably, giving considerable credence to this objection, Governor Haslam himself cited “concerns from some district attorneysthat the act actually makes it more difficult to prosecute animal cruelty cases” as one of the primary bases for his veto.

3.  Despite being derided as “propaganda” pieces by the agribusiness lobby, detailed, long-form investigative pieces documenting animal abuse motivate the public to demand action. 

Beyond these three legitimate policy concerns, however, bills that force citizens to turn over their recordings to the government or else face criminal prosecution implicate serious constitutional concerns as well.  As noted by the ACLU in anApril 24th letter to Governor Haslam, for example, HB 1191/SB 1248 – which was basically an individual mandate on steroids – would have violated the First Amendment on at least two separate grounds by unconstitutionally restricting free speech and chilling freedom of the press.  An official opinionfrom Tennessee Attorney General Bob Cooper expressed identical doubts, and even added two further concerns.  According to General Cooper, the bill was unconstitutionally underinclusive in that it imposed liability only on those who document animal abuse (rather than requiring “the immediate report to law enforcement agencies by all persons with knowledge of livestock cruelty”), and it would also have violated the Fifth Amendment’s guarantee against self-incrimination in some instances because requiring citizens to turn over “unedited documentary evidence of suspected animal cruelty [may] reveal a possible violation of the law by the person recording that cruelty, such as trespass.”  These concerns, of course, are much more than just theoretical; without exaggeration, “everyconviction of a slaughterhouse or industrial farm worker has come about becauseof an undercover investigation from an animal protection organization,” and the devastating effects that anti-whistleblower bills can have on reporting animal cruelty have been extremely well-documented.  The First Amendment center, too, has officially stated its position that bills like HB 1191/SB 1248 “harmfree speech.”

Despite the myriad reasons presented above to oppose HB 1191/SB 1248, the Tennessee Farm Bureau was successful in ramming the bill through the state legislature, which is really no surprise given the political power of that 650,000 member organization.  Thanks in no small part to the bill’s House sponsor Andy Holt  (a previously unknown “supporter” of animal rights who publiclycalled the bill “a victory for animals,” the true intent of which “was to make sure that if there was livestock abuse that was going on, that it was reported and was reported in a timely manner”), The Livestock Protection Act ultimately made it through the legislature by just a single vote on April 17th.  Seemingly drunk off his temporary success, however, Holt quickly proved himself a lousy, misogynistic puppet of the agribusiness lobby over the course of the following month.  By uniting opposition against HB 1191/SB 1248 with a fury unseen since the proposal to enact a state income tax, Holt’s abrasive demeanor played a pivotal role in the bill’s ultimate defeat on May 13th, culminating in only the second veto of Governor Haslam’s entire administration.  Case in point:  

Almost immediately after HB 1191/SB 1248 passed the legislature, Holt wrote this email analogizing animal rights groups’ efforts to document animal abuse to the way that “human traffickers use 17-year old women,” and repeatedly equated documentation of animal abuse to rape.  His comments were immediately met with profound outrage, resulting in significant additional coverage for the bill and destroying whatever credibility Holt had previously enjoyed.  (Perhaps notably, though, Rep. Holt, was not the first Tennessee Republican to disregard GOP strategists’ pleadingsthat Republican politicians stop talking about rape after it cost the Party two senate seats in 2012; that distinction belongs exclusively to Rep.Joe Carr.) 

Then, after beloved Nashvillian and country superstar Carrie Underwood publicly expressed her own opposition to HB 1191/SB 1248, Holt endeared himself to nobody by retorting with the not-so-subtly-misogynistic, get-back-in-your-place type response that “ifCarrie Underwood will stick to singing, I'll stick to lawmaking.”  Classy as ever, Underwood responded that: “I should stick to singing?  Wow...sorry, I'm just a tax paying citizen concerned for the safety of my family.”  (Underwood, of course, is absolutely right to call out Holt for forgetting that his job is to represent Tennesseans – not to belittle them or try hammer them into submission for their political activism – and for that I take my hat off to her.) 

As a smarter politician than Holt might have expected, the backlash to Holt’s attempt to silence someone as popular as Carrie Underwood was immediate.  National news outlets covered both the spat and the bill itself, shoving a bill that was intended to be pushed through without fanfare straight into the public spotlight, and turning Underwood into a prominent animal rights activist overnight.  Thousands of people inundated Governor Haslam’s office with demands that he veto the legislation.  Hundreds of thousands of dollars poured specifically into Tennessee TV spots opposing the bill, despite similar battles being waged simultaneously in other states.  Local newspapers began delving into Holt’s own farm-related issues, uncovering his longhistory of non-compliance with state farm regulations.  And when the dust finally settled on Monday, Haslam vetoed Holt’s bill, leaving him to wipe away the egg on his face alone, wondering silently whether he’ll ever be able to count on futuredonations from the food lobby again as people scramble to distance themselves from the legislature’s newest pariah. 

For animal rights activists, Haslam’s veto this week represented an unlikely victory against one of Tennessee’s most powerful interest groups, and proved once again that when reasonable people are actually paying attention to the substantive merits of differing points of view, simply being louder, more aggressive and more obnoxious than one’s opponent is an ineffective way to win an argument.  Having been subjected to similartactics on this blog myself, I suspect that Underwood felt justly vindicated by her victory this week.  And for his own laudable decision to stand up to a strong lobbying interest and veto a bill that would have been both unconstitutional and terrible for Tennessee, Governor Haslam, too, deserves great praise.  For the courage that he exhibited in vetoing HB 1191/SB 1248 this week, I proudly applaud him.   

Daniel Horwitz is a third year law student at Vanderbilt University Law School, where he is the Vice President of Law Students for Social Justice.  He can be contacted at daniel.a.horwitz@vanderbilt.edu.

Top Stories

Southeast Nashville Conservatives' Breakfast Club

SATURDAY, May 18th, 2013 

Breakfast/Social (8:30 am - 9:00 am) 

Meeting (9:00 am - 10:00 am) 

Shoney's (Antioch) Bell Road/Mt. View Road (I-24E - Bell Road Exit) 

Special Guests 

2013 - 2014 DCRP Executive Board

 & 

Councilman Duane Dominy & Councilman Robert Duvall 

 "Discussion of Mayor's Proposed Budget"

Top Stories

A "Save Our Fairgrounds" Call to Action: Attend the Council Budget Hearning.

From: Save our Fairgrounds

Call to Action:

The PUBLIC HEARING for the 2013-2014 Metro Budget will be held this coming Tuesday, May 21st.
This will be our only chance to speak out in support of the Fairgrounds.
It is imperative that we have a large number of red shirted Fairgrounds supporters on hand

SaveOurFairgrounds.com urges everyone to get out their red shirts and fill the Council Chambers in support of the Fairgrounds.
A Council Chambers filled with red shirts will serve as a reminder to council members the support from Nashville citizens for the historic Fairgrounds.
Councilman at Large Stein made special mention of the large turnout for the Arts Commission Hearing. Proof that your presence is noticed and needed.
If we want the Fairgrounds to continue and prosper, we need some assistance from Metro.
The proposed subsidy from Metro would be the first needed in the storied 107 year history of the Fairgrounds.
The Fairgrounds hosts over 600 events a year.
An estimated 1.2 Million citizens and visitors help provide nearly 60 Million dollars in economic impact annually.
The Fairgrounds has provided a great deal in helping Nashville grow into the city we are today.
NASCAR was Nashville's first professional sport providing not only entertainment to our citizens but, a glimpse into Nashville on a national stage in sports. National media covering these events helped fuel our growing tourism business showing the entire country that Nashville is a great place to Live, Work, and Play.

It is VERY important to the future of the Fairgrounds to have a massive turn-out for both the Public and Budget hearings.
SaveOurFairgrounds.com and the Save Our Fairgrounds facebook page will keep you informed to any changes or additional news concerning the Fairgrounds.

The “NEW” Save Our Fairgrounds T-Shirts will be available at the Public Hearing. The cost will be $10.00. If you can give more, we can use the help.
On the back of these shirts, you will see a growing "Friends of Save Our Fairgrounds" list.
The supporters listed all provided $100.00 or more in goods, services, and cash donations.
Please give them a special Thank You when you see them.
A list of these Friends will can be found at Saveourfairgrounds.com soon.

A budget hearing for the Fairgrounds will be held Wednesday, May 29th at the Metro Courthouse.
Fairgrounds Executive Director Buck Dozier and staff will give a presentation to the City Council sometime after 6PM.
We are scheduled for 6:30 but, budget hearings are fluid in time allotted. So, the schedule shifts. We need red shirted supporters to begin arriving at 5:30PM. We will not have the opportunity to speak at the Budget Hearing but, your presence is needed.

Save the Dates:
Council Budget Public Hearing
Tuesday, May 21st
5:30 PM
Metro Courthouse.

Fairgrounds Budget Hearing
Wednesday, May 29th
5:30 PM
Metro Courthouse

We look forward to seeing you there as we continue to
Save Our Fairgrounds.
“Where Nashville comes together”

To view the Mayor budget hearing on the Fairgrounds and learn more about the fairground budget issues, follow this link.

Top Stories

The Council meeting of 5-7-2013 with summary and commentary

I am kind of late getting around to watching last week's council meeting, but here is my summary. To link to my agenda analysis and find a link to the Metro Staff analysis follow this link: What’s happening at the Council…

Bills on Public Hearing

• BILL NO. BL2013-348 is on public hearing and generates some discussion. This is the massive rezoning in mid-town of 81 acres of property which increases the housing density of the area. It passes.

• BILL NO. BL2013-402 amends the Metro Code concerning various waste management land uses. It modifies the zoning districts within which construction and demolition (C&D) landfills are permitted and modifies setback requirements, landscape buffer requirements, and operating hour restrictions applicable to these landfills. This bill is deferred indefinitely.

• BILL NO. BL2013-403 limits the amount of lighting that can cover a building’s roof or walls. No one speaks at the public hearing and it passes.

• BILL NO. BL2013-418 modifies which zoning districts specific automobile related uses are permitted. I thought this might generate some controversy, but it didn’t and the bill passed. 

•  BILL NO. BL2013-419 concerns the set back requirement and "bulk" of the building permitted on lots which happen to be smaller than the standard lot for that particular zoning classification. There was no one on either side wishing to speak and it passes.

All of the resolutions that are on the consent agenda pass without any being pulled.

RESOLUTION NO. RS2013-670 which establishes the certified tax rate in both the General Services District and the Urban Services District is not on the consent agenda. This bill is deferred to “track” with the budget. State law requires that following a general reappraisal that a new tax rate be established that brings in no more revenue than the tax rate prior to the reappraisal.

About half way through the agenda the audio for all councilmembers except the Vice Mayor is lost and stays off for about 15 minutes.

Bills on Second Reading:

BILL NO. BL2013-420 creates a small business economic development incentive grant program. As you are probably aware, Metro Council has been picking winner and looser by bribing big companies not to leave metro and "enticing" big companies to expand or relocate to Davidson County. Some have argued that this is wrong and the same enticements should be offered to small businesses. I do see this policy as a problem. By paying companies to locate or not to leave we create an incentive whereby a company would be foolish to move here unless they get their pay-off and we have created an incentive for companies to threaten to leave unless we pay them to stay. Unfortunately, it is hard to stop playing this game since other cities are also playing it. Cities have created an environment where they have to pay the incentive or another city that does pay the incentive will get the big corporate headquarter relocations and manufacturing plants. I don't think the way to fix this problem is to expand it to small businesses. This bill is deferred one meeting to track with the budget ordinance. I suspect it will pass since the mayor has included money in his budget to fund it, but I don’t think it should.

BILL NO. BL2013-423 would swap some Metro land for some State land. The land that the School for the Arts sits on and the land that will be the site of the future STEM charter school located on the old Tennessee Preparatory School site on Foster Ave, would be swapped for the old Ben West Library site downtown at Eighth and Union Ave . Metro now owns the library and the State owns the TPS site. It is unusual that a bill is discussed on first reading, but last council meeting this one was. Councilman Bo Mitchell argued against it, arguing that it was an uneven swap and Metro was getting a poor deal, however he may have been motivated by his dislike of charter schools. (See his remarks at this link.) There is also some opposition to tearing down the old Ben West library because some preservationist consider the building architecturally significant. The most persuasive argument against the deal is that there is a deed restriction that requires the site to be used as a library or revert to the heirs of those who gave the land to Metro to be used as a library. I think deed restrictions should be honored as a matter of principle but as a matter of practicality we should not move forward with this deal until the title issues have been resolved. This bill was deferred without discussion.

Bills on Third Reading: 

BILL NO. BL2012-292 would liberalize the policy on home recording studios. It is deferred indefinitely. (To see the discussion, see 62:15- 67:07 in the video.) This was a bill that should have passed. Below are news stories on the bill.

Memorializing RESOLUTION NO. RS2013-665 would have created within the council a "residential caucus" to "address municipal issues of the resident citizens of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County." I do not see the necessity of this bill at all. If every member of the Council, can be on the caucus, then why have a caucus? It was deferred indefinitely. (For the discussion, see 1:02:33- 1:08:56)

Metro Council sponsor defers home studios bill

The Tennessean, May 7, 2013 - A controversial Metro Council proposal to change the city’s codes to accommodate home recording studios was deferred indefinitely by its sponsor Tuesday after some residents complained about the potential impact on neighborhoods.

Councilwoman Megan Barry, the sponsor and a likely candidate for mayor in 2015, said there was enough support to pass the bill but that it deserved to pass “by a large margin, not a narrow one.”(link)

Council defers home studio, land swap bills 

By Pierce Greenberg, City Paper,Tuesday, May 7, 2013 - The council was set to take up a bill approving a land swap agreement with the state on second reading. The agreement, which would have given Metro the former Tennessee Preparatory School property in exchange for the old Ben West library building in downtown, was deferred for a meeting.(link)

Top Stories

Jane Fonda to veterans boycotting movie: 'Get a life'

Jane Fonda, the actress known as "Hanoi Jane" for her actions during the Vietnam War, has a simple message to veterans and others who are boycotting "The Butler,” a movie in which she plays Nancy Reagan, Fox News reported Thursday.

"Get a life," she told the Hollywood Reporter. Larry Reyes, a Navy veteran who founded the "Boycott Hanoi Jane Playing Nancy Reagan" Facebook page, said the choice of Fonda for the role was the moviemakers way of "giving people like me the middle finger." (link)

I still hate Hanoi Jane. Forget hell!

 

Top Stories

Senate Democrats Block Sen. Paul’s Resolution Condemning IRS

May 15, 2013- Today, Senate Democrats placed a hold on Sen. Rand Paul's recent resolution that condemns the targeting of Tea Party groups by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and calls for an investigation into this practice.

 

"This resolution is not about Republican vs. Democrat or conservative vs. liberal. It is about arrogant and unrestrained government vs. the rule of law. The First Amendment cannot and should not be renegotiated depending on which party holds power," Sen. Paul said. "Each senator took an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution, yet Senate Democrats chose to block my resolution and thus refused to condemn the IRS for trampling on our First Amendment rights. I am incredibly disappointed in Washington's party politics and I am determined to hold the IRS accountable for these unjust acts."

A copy of the blocked resolution can be found HERE.

Top Stories

Liberty on the Rocks, Thursday May 16th

Thursday, May 16, 2013 5:30 PM

Mafiaoza's
2400 12th Ave S
Nashville, TN 37204

Top Stories

Metro Nashville Public Schools' Salute to Excellence on May 14, 2013

Top Stories

Senator Alexander exposes Obama's Third Scandal: The Obamacare shakedown.

From Lamar Alexander for Congress, May 13 2013- Over the weekend, you might have missed Lamar pressing HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and the Obama administration on some questionable activities regarding fundraising for Obamacare implementation.  Here are some clips that will get you up to speed on what Newt Gingrich is calling "the third scandal" after IRS and Benghazi.

WHAT IS "THE THIRD SCANDAL?"

 

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has concocted an unusual way to fund the Affordable Care Act…

Source:  Breitbart.com:  “Sebelius Under Fire for Obamacare Fundraising Bypassing Congress,” http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/05/13/Sebelius-Under-Fire-for-Creative-ObamaCare-Fundraising

 

“Sebelius…has solicited sizable donations… as part of a multimillion-dollar campaign to ensure the success of President Obama’s health care law”

 

“An insurance executive said that some insurers had been asked for $1 million donations, and that ‘bigger companies have been asked for a lot more.’”

Source:  New York Times:  “Health Secretary Raised Funds for Health Care Law,” http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/13/us/politics/health-secretary-raises-funds-for-health-care-law.html?_r=0.

 

 

 “Lamar Alexander says Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius may be involved in an Iran-Contra-style health care scandal and he wants Congress to investigate it.”

 

Source:  The Daily Caller: “Lamar Alexander slams Sebelius over Iran-Contra-style health care scandal,” http://dailycaller.com/2013/05/13/lamar-alexander-slams-sebelius-over-iran-contra-style-health-care-scandal/.

 

“The Obama administration is defending the legality of soliciting donations to promote the healthcare-reform law, but Republicans led by Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander aren't buying it.”

Source:  NewsMax.com:  “Sen. Alexander:  Investigate Fundraising for Obamacare Promotions,” http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/obamacare-fundraising-promotions-investigation/2013/05/13/id/504197.

 

WHY THIS MATTERS

 

@NewtGingrich:  Lamar Alexander “has exposed the third scandal after the #IRS and Benghazi”

 Source: @NewtGingrich Twitter profile, https://twitter.com/newtgingrich/status/333963152729460736.

 

“This has all the hallmarks of a shakedown.”

Source:  Townhall.com:  “HHS to Health Care Companies, We Need your Donations to Fund Obamacare.”  http://townhall.com/tipsheet/guybenson/2013/05/13/hhs-to-healthcare-companies-we-need-your-donations-to-fund-obamacare-n1593421.

 

“I realize scandal investigations are backing up like cars on the Beltway in rush hour, but this one seems like it should go close to the front of the line.”

 Source:  The Washington Post:  “Obamacare extortion?”  http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2013/05/12/obamacare-extortion/.

 

“I'm sure people who decline her generous invitation to pay up won't suffer and negative consequences. Why it's not like we just found out today Obama used the IRS to target conservatives.”

Source:  Ace of Spades HQ:  “Holy Crap: HHS Secretary Sebilus Is Extorting Money From Health Care Industry To Promote ObamaCare,”  http://minx.cc/?post=339866.

Top Stories

Williamson schools to review textbook that Laurie Cardoza-Moore's group says is anti-Semitic

by Josh Adams, The Tennessean, May 15, 2013, FRANKLIN - A high school textbook that several parents say contains anti-Semitic passages is being scrutinized by the county school district and could be booted from the curriculum.

Superintendent of Williamson County Schools Mike Looney confirmed Monday evening that a formal complaint regarding the book, “The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography,” was filed. That triggers a review of the book that some parents began asking for months ago.
In April, Laurie Cardoza-Moore requested that school board members remove the book used in Advanced Placement classes. (link)

My Comment: If only one question is all that is offensive in a 500 page text book, maybe that question could just be ignored. I am sure that not every word in the text is read anyway and probably not ever question is assigned or discussed.  Maybe a heavy black marker could be used to hide that question.

If anyone has read the textbook, I would like to know if this one question is all that is offensive. It is worth keeping in mind, that this is a text book used to teach the students who are seniors in advanced placement classes. Next year they will be in college getting bombarded with lots of controversial thought-provoking ideas. Do they really need to be protected from the question asked in this text book? I think this question might be offensive if in a freshman text, but I am not so sure college-bound advance placement students need to be protected from exposure to controversial ideas.

Top Stories

Demand Bi-Partisan Investigative Hearings on the IRS Scandal!

There needs to be an outpouring of public outrage over the IRS attack on conservative groups.  We cannot allow the IRS to become a politicized secret police agency that goes after political opponents of the administration. Citizens of this country should not accept the line that what happened was simply the result of some over zealous low-level employees. Did this scandal reach all the way to the White House?  Also, the AP phone tapping scandal, the health care shake down, and Benghazi betrayal should be investigated. It is time for Congress to appoint a special prosecutor. I do not trust this administration to investigate itself. Below is another opportunity to sign a petition. This one is from the Tea Party Express.

From Tea Party Express:

We Demand Bi-Partisan Investigative Hearings on the IRS Scandal! Be the First to Take Action!

Tea Party and other conservative groups have been under attack from the Internal Revenue Service. Liberal bureaucrats within the agency have admittedly targeted conservative groups in an attempt to intimidate leaders and silence their efforts. This is an attack not only on conservatives, but also on all Americans who believe in an honest government. The IRS should not be able to enforce a partisan agenda of silencing political opposition and limiting our freedom of speech. It is up to us to demand accountability through Congressional bi-partisan investigative hearings.

Please take a moment to sign this petition and send it to all of your federal representatives. It should not take more than 90 seconds!  Just fill out the form and then PLEASE send it to EVERYONE you know to help us apply pressure.   Our strength is in numbers. 

Tell President Obama and Members of Congress "We want the truth!"

  

Here is what the Petition says:

Dear President Obama and Members of Congress,

The bombshell admission from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) demands your immediate and decisive action. I insist on the formation of a bi-partisan hearing in both the Senate and the House of Representatives to investigate the disgraceful actions of the IRS.

The IRS has pursued a dangerous partisan agenda that cuts into the very fabric of our nation. Our founding fathers provided checks and balances in our government in order to control the misuse of power. It is now your responsibility to exercise your check on a federal agency that has admittedly used its power to intimidate conservative groups.

We cannot allow any political ideology to threaten the integrity of our government and our freedom of speech. Please aggressively pursue justice by quickly forming Congressional hearings to identify those who are responsible and holding them accountable.

- Sign the petition here -

Top Stories

State approves final report on Davidson County election troubles ...

State approves final report on Davidson County election troubles ...

Four days after the Davidson County Election Commission fired its top administrator, the State Election Commission accepted the final version of the ...

... Despite having little appetite for discussion, the State Election Commission agreed to let two people in the audience speak. Former Davidson County Election Commissioner Steve Abernathy expressed frustration with some of Goins’ findings, which he said “could be considered unfairly biased or even personal.”

....Jim Gotto,....who cast the only vote against Tieche’s firing, said .... he resigned to protest the treatment Tieche received at two recent meetings.

“I have seen hostile witnesses treated with more respect than Mr. Tieche was treated with,” he said. “There’s just no place for that.”


My Comment: After the Davidson County Election Commission voting 4-1 to fire Administrator of Elections Albert Tieche, I would not have expected any different outcome from the State Election Commission. It is a shame that Mark Goins listened to the likes of left-wing activist Mary Mancini and railroaded a good man like Albert Tieche. Thanks to Jim Gotto and Steve Abernathy for taking a stand.

Top Stories

Sign the petition and demand that the IRS and the Obama Administration come clean

From Republican National Committee

Rod,

Last week, the Internal Revenue Service admitted to using its power to target and harass conservative organizations.

It is an absolutely indefensible abuse of power for our federal government to target groups of citizens based on their political beliefs, and the President and his administration owe the American people answers.

Sign the petition and demand that the IRS and the Obama Administration come clean on this flagrant breach of the public trust.

Sincerely,

Mike Shields
Chief Of Staff, RNC

Top Stories

Please join me in supporting Jim Tracy for Congress.

from:

Friends,

I wanted to take the time to thank everyone for their prayers, thoughts, and support since I announced my candidacy for the 4th Congressional District back in January. Trena and I are truly overwhelmed and grateful to everyone who has stood behind us through this process.

Because of YOU, we were able to raise over $436,000 during the first quarter from over 400 individual donors. Fundraising not only allows me to communicate my message to the district, but it shows my team's depth of support for our effort and principles. I can't thank you enough for being a part of Team Tracy, together we can get our country moving in the right direction.   

I have traveled and visited with Tennesseans in Rutherford, Maury, Lincoln, Marshall, Moore, Bedford, Rhea, Bledsoe, Franklin, Meigs, Van Buren, Bradley and Warren counties. I have met concerned Tennesseans like you that believe Washington is broken- both morally and financially.  In the next few weeks, I will have the opportunity to visit several more 4th Congressional District Counties and I look forward to meeting you and your families to learn what is most important to you.

My State Senate district overlays with 5 of the counties in the 4th Congressional District. The 4th Congressional District covers a good portion of Southern Tennessee. To reach these voters, I need your financial support. If you haven’t already, please join our team today by donating $250, $100, $50 or whatever you can afford. Other leaders of our team include Governor Winfield Dunn, Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey and many more political and business leaders throughout this great State.

With your help, I can communicate our message to voters. Please consider joining my team right now with a contribution or sign up to volunteer at www.tracyfortn.com. I appreciate your time and your commitment to our Country and State.

Best Regards,

Jim Tracy

Team Tracy Full Leadership Team:
Betty & Governor Winfield Dunn
Sindy & Lt. Governor and Speaker of the Senate Ron Ramsey
Jill & Speaker Pro Tempore Bo Watson
Chris & Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris
Theresa & Senate Republican Caucus Chairman Bill Ketron
State Senator Randy McNally
State Senator Rusty Crowe
State Senator Steve Southerland
Deanna & State Senator Jack Johnson
State Senator Dolores Gresham
State Senator Brian Kelsey
State Senator Becky Duncan Massey
Kay & State Senator Ferrell Haile
Katrina & State Senator Steve Dickerson
Sylvia & State Senator Todd Gardenhire
Camie & State Senator Mark Green
Gina & State Senator Joey Hensley
State Senator John Stevens
State Senator Jim Summerville
Mary & State Rep. Pat Marsh
State Rep. Jeremy Faison
State Rep. Ryan Haynes
Felicia & State Rep. Mike Sparks
Kim & State Rep. Billy Spivey
State Rep. Ron Travis

State Rep. Dawn & Chad White

State Rep. Rick Womick
Karen & Andy Adams
Cindy & Fred Adams
Kay & Lee Adcock
Connie & Councilman Marc Adkins
Jimmy Allen
Jade & Tom Anderson
Cathy Arter
Rita Ash
Kent Ayer
Janet & Jim Ayers
Christina & Glenn Barber
Linda & Rick Barker
Wanda & Phil Barnes
Bill Bates
Ann & Thomas Batey
Elma & Dr. Farris Beasley
Lesa & Al Bellenfant
Wayne Blair
Sid Blalock
Jill & Greg Brock
Jim Brock
Pam & Barry Buckley
Lynn & Butch Bullen
Brenda & Dr. Jimmy Clark
Alison & Scott Cocanougher
Tanya & David Coffey
Holly & Adam Coggin
Councilman H.G. Cole
Marian & Wayne Coomes
Barry Cooper
Lisa & Kerry Couch
Lucy & Ewin Cowley
Janie & Larry Craig
Kay & Ed Davenport
Mary Ann & John Davis
Kristin & Peter Demos
Teresa & Jerome Dempsey
Fred Dettwiller
Brandi & Mayor Tony Dover
Francis & Jimmy Earle, Sr.
Dana & Phillip Edwards
Barbara & John Evans
Rhonda & Richard Farris
Beth & Harvey Fischer
Jessica & Lance Frizzell
Lynn & Marc Foster
Judy & Ed Garner
Shirley & Paul Gaw
Amy & Brooke Grubb
Lori & Clint Hall

Janice & Ward Harder

Debbie & John Harney

Thesa & Denny Hastings

Bill Hayes
Keith Heflin

Terry & Johnie Hines

Dean & Tommy Hodges
Ann & David Hoke

Kay & Johnny Holden

Carrie & Aaron Holiday
Holly & Jeff Hollingshead

Melissa & Mike Hollingshead

Linda & Doug Howard
Mandy & Jeffrey Howard

Bruce Hull

Debbie & Joey Jacobs

Pat & David Jent

Joy & Councilman Paul Johns
Doris & Clyde Jones

Pallie & David Jones

Pamela & Tim Keach

Amy & Stan King

Christie & Councilman Lance Lee

Sonya & Terry Leeman

Mary & Fred Lovelace
Carol & Bill Marsh

Beth & AJ McCall

Virginia & Albert McCall

Hubert McCullough

Beverly & Dr. Warren McPherson

Gloria & Doyle Meadows

Celeste & Michael Middleton

Barbara & Jim Moon

Donna & Councilman Tim Morrell

Drs. Mary & Max Moss

Kitty & Matt Murfree

Trish & Dr. Bill Nash

Mike Niederhauser

David Nipper

Anita & Mark Pirtle

Airica & Dr. LG Puckett

Sherry & Mike Randles

Stacy & Brad Rector

Julie & Jeff Reed

Amanda & Shane Reeves

Richard Reeves

Holly & Mike Rittenberry

Candy & Gene Ritz

Vicki & Danny Robbins

Chelsea & John Rose

Carol & Steve Ruckart

Lisa & Dewayne Sadler

Amy & Rick Sain

Patricia & Commissioner Sonny Shackelford

Michelle & Chris Shrader

Denise & Steve Smith

Judy & Tommy Smith

James Smythe

Mayor Bob Spivey

Anne & Charles Stewart

Liz & Wes Stowers

Lynne & Dr. Carl Swafford

Kelly & Matt Swallows

Joyce & Chuck Taylor

Anne & Admiral James Taylor

Billie & Jim Thompson

Margrey & Dr. Roy Thompson

Janet & Landis Turner

Anne & Mayor John Ed Underwood

Teri & Tracy Vannatta

Lynn & Mike Vaught

Brandon Vincent

Sally & Howard Wall

Mike Waller

Corinne & Jimmy Ward

Mary & Jack Weatherford

Please join me in supporting Jim Tracy for Congress.

Top Stories