Resisting the temptation to vote for Trump

by Rod Williams, Sept. 17, 2017-As I have continued to follow the presidential campaign, I have been tempted a time or two to throw by lot with Donald Trump.  After being a partisan loyalist for my whole life it is hard to sit this one out.  When Hillary disparages a quarter of the American people by calling them "deplorables," I am tempted to vote for Trump.  When people like Whoopie Goldberg and Al Sharpton and Cher and Rosie O'Donnell promise to leave the country if Trump is elected, I am almost ready to vote for Trump.  When I reflect on what a sleazebag Hillary Clinton is and how much I detest her, I am tempted to vote for Trump.

I am not tempted to join the Trump team because I am persuaded by the argument that not voting, or that voting for Gary Johnson is a vote for Hillary.  It obviously factually is not so.  It is not true that that is the effect of not voting in the presidential election or voting for a third party.  If we had national popular elections then there would be some validity to that argument, but we do not. If I voted for Trump in Tennessee it would not cancel out a Hillary vote cast by a dead person in Chicago. The national popularity contest is not how we elect our president in this country.  We have 50 state elections for president; not a national election. Tennessee has eleven electoral votes and like most states is winner-take-all and unless the race should tighten in Tennessee then Trump is going to win all of Tennessee's votes. I can vote for Gary Johnson or simply not vote for president and it has no impact on the outcome.

My temptation to vote for Trump is an emotional response to my dislike of Hillary Clinton and anger at political correctness and liberalism.  It is not based on logic. My temptation to vote for Trump is more like saying hooray for my team.  When I see Trump edging up in the polls and Hillary falling, I want to cheer for Trump. It is the habit of a loyalist.

Trump is a a Republican who favors (1) Higher minimum wage, (2) Bigger federal government (3) Single payer healthcare, (4) Higher tariffs and trade wars, (5) Gun control, (6) Abortion, (7) Restrictions on the First Amendment, and (8)  Mandatory paid maternity leave. Why is he the conservative choice? I know some will say those are not his positions.  If they are not now, they have been in the recent past.  He also is a hypocrite, (9) claiming support for "made in America" while having his suites and some other products with the Trump label made in foreign countries. Also he has participated in using (10) eminent domain to take the property of others to benefit Trump.  In addition to these ideological and character reasons, there is the question of temperament. I do not want Trump's finger hovered over the nuclear button.  I do not trust Trump with that 3AM phone call anymore than I do Clinton.

I see this race as a race between Democrat A running as a Democrat and Democrat B running as a Republican. Democrat B is crude, egotistical, and bombastic, but other than that I do not see much difference between the two.  I do not see a clear reason to favor Trump over Hillary. 

The one argument for supporting Trump that I almost find persuasive is that he would appoint conservatives to the Supreme Court. I would find that persuasive if I believed I could trust Donald Trump, but I just do not believe he is trustworthy.  He has flip-flopped and lied or changed his mind time and time again.  He has been a life-long Democrat or at least not a declared Republican and has associated with Democrats and contributed to Democrat campaigns. If he is elected, I have no reason to believe he would appoint conservatives to the Court. Just because he said he would is not reason enough.

One reason not to vote for Trump is that he is likely to balloon the debt. Sequestration has been abandoned and Republicans have abandoned brinkmanship for now. The national debt is rapidly approaching $20 trillion. This is not sustainable, yet Trump is not making it a campaign issue.  His plan for dealing with the debt is based on the most rosy scenario that no one believes will be realized. He is not calling for entitlement reform and instead is calling for a major new entitlement.

I think the best outcome for this election is for Hillary to be elected and Republicans to hold the House and the Senate.  That is not that unlikely of an outcome. A lot of Hillary supporters are likely to split their ticket.  If however, Republicans can hold the House, even if we lose the Senate, that might be preferable to a Trump victory. If Trump is elected president, I fear Republicans would not stand up to him but would work to advance his agenda. With Trump elected president Republicans would roll over and play dead and give him what he wants.  With Hillary elected president, Republicans could be counted on to oppose her agenda.  Republican might even be able to keep her from filling a Supreme Court vacancy unless she nominated someone acceptable to Republican.  Four years of gridlock is preferable to advancing a Trump agenda.

If Hillary is elected, I seriously doubt she could win a second term.  The only reason she has a shot this time is because Trump is so despicable. Hillary only looks good in comparison to Trump. She has high unfavorables. The last time the party in power won a third term was when Bush followed Reagan and he only served one term.  Before that we have to go back to Roosevelt-Truman to see a party capture office for four terms and that was in time of war and a death of a president in office. Not only is Hillary unlikely to win a second term, but even if Republicans lose the Senate, they are likely to recapture it two years later.  Much of the Democrat electorate are low-information or low-engaged voters who simply vote in presidential years and otherwise skip elections. There is little likelihood that Republican will lose the House and little likely hood that Republicans will lose the Senate for more than two years.

If Hillary is elected she will only have two years to advance her agenda, then the Republicans can regain the Senate and two years after that can regain the White House. Our Republic can endure that and that may be the best outcome.

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September 17th is Constitution Day

Constitution Day commemorates the formation and signing of the U.S. Constitution by thirty-nine brave men on September 17, 1787. On this day, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention met for the last time to sign the document they had created.  To learn more about this day set aside for reflection and celebration and to read the Constitution and learn more about the founding fathers, visit the Constitution Day website.

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Republicans Kissing women on the mouth, drinking alcohol and smoking pot at the legislature, allegedly.

Casada, Sargent deny Durham kiss and hug claims

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Rep. Durham's letter to his House colleagues

Rep. Jeremy Durham who was ousted from the House of Representatives yesterday sent an eight-page letter to his House colleagues on Monday in which he defends himself, attacks the women who accused him of sexual misconduct and blasts House leadership for its handling of the investigation. Below is a copy of  that letter.

I do not defend sexual harassment but I am not sure that what Durham did rises to that level.  There is no indication he threatened or coerced  a women into doing anything she did not want to do.  I may be virtually alone in my evaluation of Durham. While I think his behavior was inappropriate and do not think he is a gentleman, I am not convinced that he was treated fairly or that he deserved ouster.  I kind of believe that it "takes two to tango," and that one does not know a sexual advance is unwelcome until it is offered and rejected.  I also suspect that for every powerful man who takes advantage of some helpless women, there is probably a temptress who uses her sexual charm to advance her own interest.

Here is Durham's letter to his House colleagues.

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A Humor Break: Deplorable, Hillary's Health, and more,

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Police promise to arrest violators of gun ban at Tennessee Valley Fair

No one had been threatened with arrest for violating Knoxville's ban on firearms at the Tennessee Valley Fair, so Second Amendment activists on Tuesday sought out the threat. And they got it, from the Knoxville Police Department's deputy chief of patrol, Monty Houk, as they stood outside a gate leading to the fairgrounds.

Seven members of the Tennessee Firearms Association gathered outside Gate 8 at East Magnolia Avenue and Beaman Street about 6 p.m. to obtain a promise of arrest in order to garner standing for a lawsuit. The group has already filed a lawsuit against a ban on carrying guns at the fairgrounds but wanted to bolster its case.

"It looks like the judge is going to throw (the lawsuit) out because no one was thrown out of the fair," said Raymond Bergeron, a Heiskell man who has fought for years for legislation expanding the rights of handgun carry permit holders.

Bergeron and his wife, Kimberly, asked Houk specifically what would happen should the permit holders try to enter the fairgrounds while armed. Raymond Bergeron, 61, was armed at the time. His wife was not. Both had their $10 entry tickets in hand.

Both, Houk assured them, would be subject to arrest on a charge of criminal trespassing should they violate the gun ban. TFA members shot video of the exchange.

With that, the members of the association thanked Houk for his time, thanked him for the job he did, wished him well and ended the conversation. They got what their attorney had told them they needed to satisfy Knox County Chancellor John F. Weaver's questions regarding whether their lawsuit had been filed by an injured party.  - KnoxvilleNews Sentinel

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Liberty on the Rocks

Thursday, September 15, 2016, 5:30 PM at  Smokin Thighs, 611 Wedgewood Ave Nashville, TN. To RSVP, click here.

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Diane Black on Hillary Clinton’s health concerns and on Clinton’s ‘basket of deplorables’ comment

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Diane Black (R-TN-06) made her debut appearance on a major Sunday show this weekend, appearing on CNN’s State of the Union to discuss why Hillary Clinton is unfit to be Commander in Chief. A partial transcript of Black’s comments is provided below. To watch video highlights of Congressman Black’s appearance, click HERE.

On Hillary Clinton’s health concerns:

“I’m a nurse and I don’t want to speculate what went on with Hillary Clinton, we don’t know – that’s up to the physicians to determine. But what I will say is that I’m concerned about her policies on healthcare. I look at my own state of Tennessee and the Affordable Care Act is just imploding there. 63 percent will be the rise in premiums there in the state of Tennessee. We lost our co-op.  25,000 people lost their insurance in one day. I’m more concerned about what she’s saying about healthcare that is true healthcare for our nation and in particular for my state … I think, as has already been said, it’s probably legitimate to ask ‘what is her health?’ and I think she has to be honest with the American people whether she is healthy enough to serve the country.”

On Clinton’s ‘basket of deplorables’ comment:

“I don’t care what the title is – whether it’s a Republican or a Democrat - I don’t want my Presidential candidates putting people in baskets . . . I think it is deplorable for someone running for President to start out by saying ‘By the way, if you don’t agree with me, you’re a bigot or you’re a racist’ and that’s what she’s saying. I’m insulted by that, and I think the American people will be insulted by that . . . I think for a Presidential candidate, they need to get away from this calling names on both sides.”

Black endorsed Presidential candidate Donald Trump in May and recently met with Donald Trump Jr. during a visit to Nashville to discuss the importance of maintaining Republican Congressional majorities and defeating Hillary Clinton this November.

To see the full-length CNN panel segments featuring Rep. Black, click here and here.

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Davildson County GOP Grand Opening of Party Headquarters

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Sunset on the South Harpeth, September 17, 2016

Sunset on the South Harpeth

September 17, 2016

Activities include Sunset Hot Air Balloon Rides, Horseback Riding, Kayaking, Hayrides, Reptiles, Raptors, Climbing Wall, Electro-Fishing Demonstration, Nature Hikes, Birding Hikes, Walden's Puddle Presentation, Face Painting, Yard Games, Volleyball, and an evening Bonfire.

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Musical performances by Fiddle Frenzy, Mountain Forest Hymnal, Miss Soraya Parr's Performing Students of Fairview Guitar and Repair, and Lee Lindsey!

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Food, Drinks and Activities included in the ticket purchase; vegetarian options available. Overnight camping packages are available.

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Adult ticket: $40, Child Ticket: $10. Children under 5 are free!

from 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM (CDT)

 Benefitting the Tennessee Parks & Greenways Foundation

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Purchase your tickets today at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sunset-on-the-south-harpeth-tickets-24626243758

Climbing, Kayaking, Horseback Riding, Wildlife, Music… what more could you want? Purchase your Sunset on the South Harpeth tickets today! 

This is a fun event, supporting a good cause. I hope to see you there.  Rod 

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“Inclusionary Zoning” Rests on Faulty Economics

by Robert P. Murphy - A recent article in the Tennessean discussed an affordable housing bill that includes “inclusionary zoning,” which would require landlords in Nashville to set aside 14% of their new units with prices the government deems “affordable.” Although variants of such policies exist in almost 500 local governments in 27 states, the proposal is an incredibly inefficient way to address the needs of low-income families and will only invite corruption.

No one denies that there are many struggling families who find it difficult to afford rent or mortgage payments. Yet, even if we thought using government power were a valid means of addressing the problem—rather than purely voluntary means of assistance—it makes little sense to pass a rule forcing landlords to set aside an arbitrary percentage of their stock as affordable. This rule would force landlords to bear the brunt of the cost of a social goal, and would have many unintended consequences that economists spell out in introductory textbooks.

To see how inefficient the inclusionary zoning approach is, imagine it were applied in other areas. For example, most Americans agree that the government should step in to help low-income families obtain food and to provide their children with a basic education. Imagine if the government tried to achieve these goals by forcing farmers to make 14% of their crops “affordable,” or to require all private schools to give up 14% of their slots to low-income students who were charged a much lower price than other students.

It should be clear that these hypothetical measures would be a very inefficient way to make food and education affordable. Most obvious, by placing the restrictions on the producers of food and education, these hypothetical measures would make it less attractive to go into farming or to start a private school.

A similar pattern holds for housing. Artificially capping the revenue a landlord can earn on 14% of his rental units will make it less attractive to build new apartment buildings in the first place. So yes, those low-income families who find housing will appreciate the price break, but there will be less housing to go around.

More generally, all of the problems with rent control apply to inclusionary zoning as well. For example, if certain units in an apartment complex are designated for the program, then there will be a long list of families eager to get into these units—because they are deliberately priced below the true market rate. Other things equal, landlords won’t be nearly as eager to keep these customers happy, compared to those paying full rent. When the water heater blows at 5:00 am, or the hallway needs a new coat of paint, the owner will not be as responsive because his or her incentives have been artificially changed. Thus, even the low-income families who obtain the special, cheaper housing better come with lower expectations as well.

Finally, this proposal is just asking for corruption. The Tennessean article stated: “Also at issue will be whether the city assists developers with incentives or allows projects to avoid requirements in exchange for making cash payments—money that, as proposed, would go into the affordable housing fund.” It is a dangerous affair if the city effectively says to certain business owners: We’re going to limit how much money you can charge your customers, unless you pay up.

Although there is a genuine problem with low-income families affording housing, the idea of “inclusionary zoning” rests on faulty economics. It would actually reduce the amount of housing available—for both rich and poor—and would reduce the quality of housing even for those tenants still able to find places. If the people of Nashville want to make housing more affordable for the poor, there are more sensible approaches.

Robert P. Murphy is an economist who lives in Nashville. He is the author of Choice: Cooperation, Enterprise, and Human Action (Independent Institute, 2015).

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Sheriff Daron Hall guest of First Tuesday, Sept. 12th

From Tim Skow:

1ST TUESDAY Members and friends !

On Monday, Sept. 12 [yes, Monday] .... 1ST TUESDAY welcomes back Nashville’s noted Sheriff,

Daron Hall

DARON HALL !!

 Nashville is experiencing silly explosive growth. New Federal and State concerns are complicating the situation. With a new Mayor, a virtually new Metro Council, a new jail, and HOT TOPICS including the decriminalization of marijuana to deal with, Sheriff Hall has MUCH going on you need to know about !

As mentioned, to avoid the lull after Labor Day, we will meet Monday, Sept. 12th. Doors open at 11:00am at Waller Law [511 Union Street]. Lunch starts at 11:30am with Program at Noon. Q&A ends at 1:00pm sharp! Secure seating for you and your guests at www.1sttuesdaynashville.com Lunch is - $20 for Members &  $25 for Guests. [NOTE: ...Guests ...please use the $25 button saying ''DUES''. Its also $25. Our Guest button has a technical glitch. Thanks in advance. ]

Expect a variety of noted guests including Metro Councilmembers, Legislators and candidates on the November ballot ! Look forward to seeing you on MONDAY, Sept. 12 !!

Tim Skow
Host of 1ST TUESDAY

Update:  Councilman Robert Swope will  also be speaking, discussion the recent Pot Bill, Google Fiber Bill, Inclusionary zoning bill and other legislation passed by the Council and other issues facing the city. 

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