U.S. district judge Roger Vinson ruled today that Obamacare is unconstitutional and void. He threw out the whole 2200-plus page law saying that to simply void the mandate that people must purchase insurance would leave an unworkable law and that it was beyond his ability and authority to determine which of the rest of the law would be workable without the mandate.
He struck down the law saying the Commerce Clause did not give Congress the power to mandate that people purchase insurance arguing,"the Commerce Clause can only reach individuals and entities engaged in an 'activity' and because the plaintiffs maintain that an individual’s failure to purchase health insurance is, almost by definition, 'inactivity,' the individual mandate goes beyond the Commerce Clause and is unconstitutional."
The judges decision will be appealed the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals but will likely end up in the Supreme Court. In making his decisions the judge quoted the Federalist Papers and James Madison. Reading the judges decision is inspirational. It is good to know that we have judges who take their duty seriously. To read the entire 78 page decision click here.
A Great Meeting. Emily Evans frames the Fairground Debate.
by Peter Voysey
After a one week postponement due to inclement weather, the morning of Saturday, January 29 was sunny, much warmer and very hopeful. Although the appointed time was 8:15 a.m. for the beginning of the breakfast service, some folks showed up at 8 a.m. all ready to go with our Green Hills Kick-Off Meeting For 2011.
This was our first time at our new meeting venue—Swett’s of Green Hills---located in the Retired Teachers’ Building at 2209 Abbott Martin Road, in the heart of the Green Hills Business District. The Swett family rallied around to serve everybody a hearty breakfast and then we settled down to hear about The Hottest Topic In Davidson County—The Tennessee State Fairgrounds Issue.
Our fellow group member and Metro Council Representative, Carter Todd (District 34) served as the program chairman for this meeting, and he introduced the topic and our special guest speaker, Council Member Emily Evans (District 23). Emily Evans’ background includes two decades of experience in the area of municipal finance and she drew upon this in her discussion. She pointed out that Mayors want to attract businesses to their area (they invariably see it as a part of their ‘legacy’). In Nashville (and other cities) free land for companies to build upon is especially important, along with tax abatement and other inducements. Interestingly, the “Economic Impact Study” done in connection with the Fairgrounds site was said to be only some two (2) pages in length.
Both Carter and Emily spoke of the historical importance of the Fairgrounds throughout the history of Nashville, and Emily believes that this was not fully appreciated by those pushing for redevelopment of the property. It was also pointed out that some 40 acres of the site are located in the Flood Way.
Other council members in the audience commented that the Flea Market and other commercial events held at the fairgrounds are very important to the financial success of a very large number of independent small businesses who rely upon this income-producing opportunity.
At least one audience member expressed concern about the effect the racetrack at the fairgrounds could have upon residential property values. In response, Emily noted that council members had received a diversity of viewpoints from individuals living in the neighborhood. Some—whose property is located right next to the racetrack—love racing and the racetrack. All of this was reflected in the close vote on a key proposal before the Council in the course of the overall consideration at the recent public meeting attended by over 1,000 people.
It was a fascinating meeting for our group, with over 40 enthusiastic attendees. Peter along with his wife Gail are Event Chairs of the Green Hills Summit. Peter is also on the Executive Committee of the Davidson County Republican Party.
I did't know Metro engaged in "Central Planning." In fact, I think it is impossible for a local government to engage in central planning. Central planning is what Russia and China did. We have a general plan which addresses land use and guides zoning decisions and we have a street plan and a parks plan and lots of plans but central planning usually refers to a system of extensive central government control of the economy. Those libertarians get carried away sometimes. Nevertheless, I would welcome a couple libertarians on the Metro Council. You can be sure they would vote against the abuse of eminent domain. I would like to see a lot of new faces on the Metro Council.
"I still don't believe the memo has been received" said Bob Corker in response to a question about President Obama's State of the Union address. "I know we must do things much, much, more serious and severe than were laid out last night."
Corker discussed the need for Washington to act courageously to bring spending under control during CNBC’s “Squawk Fiscal Summit.” He was member of a panel that included Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D., Economist Alice Rivlin, and former Service Employees International Union (SEIU) president Andy Stern.
During the fall, Corker spoke to 43 audiences across Tennessee and delivered sobering statistics about America’s fiscal situation.
• In 2009 the federal government spent $1.4 trillion more than it took in, borrowing nearly 40 cents of every dollar.
• The gap between spending and revenue is almost four times the historic average. Even when we reach historic revenue levels, we are still projected to be spending nearly six percent more of our gross domestic product than we take in, and the gap will continue to widen.
• By 2035, on our current trajectory, our debt will reach 185 percent of GDP. If this occurs, interest payments on our debt will reach nearly nine percent of GDP – as much as we currently spend on national defense, education, roads, and all government agencies combined.
Next week Senator Corker and Senator Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., will introduce legislation to dramatically cut spending over the next 10 years.
I am proud to have Bob Corker as my Senator and think everyone needs to hear his message, especially the people of Iowa.
Last night, Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey spoke to a group of conservative leaders and laid out a conservative agenda. He was speaking to Conservative Groups of Middle Tennessee which is a loose coalition of conservative, Republican, Libertarian, and Tea Party leaders in middle Tennessee. The group has no officers or agenda, but provides a networking opportunity for right-of-center leaders in the area. . Last night’s meeting was at Logan’s Roadhouse on Elliston place and the meeting room was packed.
Governor Ramsey spoke at length about the Republican agenda, including cutting the size of state government and improving education. Ramsey was enthusiastic and energetic. He spoke for about fourty-five minutes and took questions for about as long. He said with a Republican governor and Republicans controlling both houses of the State Legislature, Republicans had a rare opportunity to put Republican ideas into practice and prove we can govern.
He stressed the need to mobilize citizens to counter the lobbing power of the Tennessee Education Association. He said some recently elected good conservatives were already starting to get weak in the knees at the prospect of standing up to the TEA. He said TEA is formidable and can flood the State legislature with phone calls and emails at a moment’s notice. Conservative need to increase their cooperation and create a network that can match TEA in mobilizing citizens to lobby their legislators, said Ramsey. He was critical of teacher tenure and teacher collective bargaining and said TEA stood in the way of real education reform.
Ramsey also spoke about the situation in Memphis, where Memphis city schools which have some of the worst schools in the state are attempting to disband and Shelby County which has some of the best schools in the state does not want to have to have to absorb the Memphis failing schools. The State Constitution requires each county to maintain a public schools system but there is no such requirement for cities. In the case of Memphis, the Memphis school system is much larger than the Shelby County school system. He said this is a perfect opportunity for the state to take over a failing school system and use innovation and reform to improve public education.
Today I was honored to witness something I have never seen. Down at the Federal courthouse here in Nashville, immigrants were sworn in as legal, naturalized citizens.
I was there to watch my friend, Leo, become an American. He was one of 60 people from 29 different nationalities being sworn in. Some of these individuals hailed from countries such as Canada, Guatemala, Cuba and Iran.
My friend was born and raised in Mexico. His wife is an American and they had met while she was vacationing in his home country. After some time, they got married and he moved here to the United States.
As long as I have known Leo, he has wanted to get his American citizenship. Today, after years of work and many fees, he earned it.
Right now we have anywhere between 15 and 20 million illegal immigrants residing here in the United States. None have gone through the process to become naturalized citizens nor do they appear to want to. They have not even begun to make the efforts that Leo has.
In the meantime, our politicians are fighting to grant these law-breakers citizenship without having to go through the same process as everyone else. In other words, our own elected officials are willing to have illegal immigrants jump in front of those working towards their citizenship and receive it first and possibly for free.
It cost my friend roughly $3500 in applications, travel, and other related expenses to get where he is. Would these politicians force those here illegally to pay the same monetary price?
Any politician who preaches amnesty also preaches putting an individual above the law. They feel that someone who breaks our laws is entitled to as little punishment as possible and the cherished gift of citizenship.
Each of those 60 people who became American’s today worked incredibly hard to earn this. They undoubtedly cherish what they now have. How do they feel knowing that politicians are willing to give their gift to someone else who did not sacrifice for it? Would those here illegally cherish their gift of independence?
The judge presiding the ceremony made an excellent observation: each person
Receiving their citizenship today gets to celebrate two days of independence every year. They get to bask in the festivities of the 4th of July to honor our nations independence and they get to celebrate every January 27th their own personal holiday. They celebrate their own independence.
No one in that room would dare take for granted what they have achieved. We should all be honored that they went to these great lengths to become our countrymen. This is something that our politicians should not desecrate through an amnesty bill. The achievements made are something that should never be legislated.
Matt Nemeth is the host of the West Nashville Eggs and Bacon Summit. It meets every 3rd Saturday of the month at the Shoney’s on White Bridge Rd. Matt works as a salesman and currently lives downtown with his dog, Sam.
To those who think the only good Muslim is a dead Muslim and to those who get all of their news about the Muslim world from Islamophobic groups like ACT for America, you probably missed this good news:
Egypt's Muslims Attend Coptic Christmas Mass, Serving as 'Human Shields'
Egypt's majority Muslim population stuck to its word Thursday night. What had been a promise of solidarity to the weary Coptic community, was honoured, when thousands of Muslims showed up at Coptic Christmas eve mass services in churches around the country and at candle light vigils held outside.
From the well-known to the unknown, Muslims had offered their bodies as "human shields" for last night's mass, making a pledge to collectively fight the threat of Islamic militants and towards an Egypt free from sectarian strife.
"We either live together, or we die together," was the sloganeering genius of Mohamed El-Sawy, a Muslim arts tycoon whose cultural centre distributed flyers at churches in Cairo Thursday night, and who has been credited with first floating the "human shield" idea.
I was surprised to see the Nashville fairgrounds story make the New York Times. In my view this is a balanced report on the issue.
In Nashville, Debate Over Racetrack Pits Nostalgia and Change
By CAMPBELL ROBERTSON, New York Times, Published: January 20, 2011
NASHVILLE — Shannon McCullough has a favorite lullaby, and it begins with the revving of a carbureted V8 engine. From her house on Merritt Avenue she could hear it most of her life, the hypnotic, oscillating drone as the stock cars approached and receded, approached and receded. (link)
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is the latest victim of the Muslim Jihadist witch hunt. The anti-Muslim bigots looking for Jihadist under every bed are not going to be happy until they have tarnished the reputation of every Republican who does not share their bigotry.
Chris Christie is a solid conservative and a rising star in the Republican Party. Chris Christie's crime, however, is that he appointed a prominent Muslim immigration attorney to a judgeship. As an attorney, this appointee had defended several Muslim-Americans who were picked up for “suspicious” activity following the September 11th attacks. All of the men were subsequently cleared of any kind of connection to the attacks of 9-11.
Pamela Gellar has said Christie is "in bed with the enemy." Others have said he has taken the first step to turning New Jersey into a Sharia state.
To the anti-Muslim bigots, guilt or innocents doesn't matter; all Muslims are the enemy and the only good Muslim is a dead Muslim. The anti-Muslim paranoids do not only not believe in freedom of religion, neither do they believe in the presumption of innocents and the right to the accused of due process. They do believe in guilt by association. (link)
This has been a fun weekend! I attended the inaugural concert on Friday night, and the prayer service, the inauguration and the ball on Saturday. It was a weekend of celebration, spiritual renewal, good will, sharing a good time with a brother and sister, networking and hobnobbing and greeting friends, patriotic stirrings, reflection, and dancing and partying.
One thing that struck is, that despite the terrible events of Tucson just a few days ago, our elected officials are still very accessible. Thre was no checking of handbags, or pat downs or metal detector scans. I had the opportunity to shake hands and exchange pleasantries with Governor Haslam, Governor Winfield Dunn, and Senator Bob Corker. While, I recognize the security risk for our elected officials, I am glad they are still accessible and that our concern for security had not curtailed our freedom of assemble or our ability to interact with our elected officials.
Below is my report of inaugural events:
The Concert: The concert was a benefit for TN Achieves a scholarship program for community college students. This is a great program that makes it possible many students to attend a community college who otherwise could not afford to do so. The show featured opening act Bo Bice who did a three-song set, accompanied only by a single guitar player. It was low-key but Ok for an opening act. Bice has had some success and was second to Carrie Underwood in the fourth season of American Idol but I was not familiar with him .
The second act was Diamond Rio. For those who don't know them, they have been around since 1984 and have had had the same band members the whole time. They got their start at the old Opryland theme park. They have had a string of hits and won numerous CMA awards and ACM award and nominations for Grammy awards. They are talented performers and musicians. They played past hits and material from a new album. If you are not sure who they are, Meet in the Middle and One More Day were two really big hits from the band. They provided a high-energy show and preformed for about an hour. I had seen them a couple times in the past so was very familiar with their performance. One thing they did that was different is they performed a set of 70 rock classics with a banjo and mandolin in a bluegrass style. They put on an enjoyable show.
Sara Evans closed out the show and also performed for about an hour. She has also had a string of CMA and AMC awards. One of her biggest hits of recent years was "Suds in the Bucket and clothes on the line." She has a tremendous voice and can hold a note forever. I enjoyed her performance much more than I anticipated.
Bill Haslam and Christy were seated front and center and before the show and during the intermission between Rio and Evans, well-wishers had the opportunity shake hands and greet them. Also, former Governor Winfield Dunn was there sitting in front and was gracious in greeting the public. Kix Brooks of the Brooks and Dunn duo addressed the crowd with remarks honoring Haslum and Haslum spoke briefly.
I was surprised that the show was not a sold-out show. The 4500 capacity venue was only a little over half full. $10 is a cheap price for a concert with two hit acts and the money went to a good cause. I would have thought that country music fans would have attended the show, even if they were not die-hard Republicans.
The Prayer Service. This event was very moving and spiritual. I got a blessing. The Bible passages and prayers called for people to pray for our leaders and to love and respect one another and to seek God's guidance.
The event was in the Ryman auditorium. The Ryman is my favorite venue in town. It is historical, has great acoustics and while it can seat over 2300 people, it has an intimate feel and there are no bad seats. The sun was shining through the colored windows of the building creating a nice glow. The building was at capacity.
The Nashville Choir was fantastic! I was not familiar with them prior to this performance. There must be 250 members and they were great! They performed the Doxology and Agnus Dei and it was very moving. Later in the program they sang How Great Thou Art. Other performances in the program was a solo by Melinda Doolittle, a graduate of Belmont University and another American Idol winner who has gone on to have a successful gospel music career. A version of Amassing Grace was performed a capella by the Oak Ridge Boys.
The program was ecumenical. The opening prayer was by Davidson County General Sessions Judge Leon Rueben, who is Jewish. Other prayers were delivered by Father Edward Steiner of the Cathedral of the Incarnation and a pastor of a Baptist Church and a pastor of a Presbyterian Church.
Selected bible passages were read by various dignitaries including Beth Harwell, Speaker of the House; A. C Warton, Mayor of Memphis; and former Governor Winfield Dunn. A sermon was delivered by Reverend John Wood of Cedar Springs Presbyterian church, Bill Haslam's home church in Knoxville.
Reverent Wood reference the passage from Jeremiah that had just been read by Governor Dunn. The passage calls for the captive children of Israel to seek the peace of the city where they were held captive. The passage says that if those holding you do well, it benefits you. Reverend Wood, said if God wished for the captive of Israel to pray for the peace of the city in which they were captives, should we as free people not wish the best for our nation and those who are govern us even if they are of another party.
The Inauguration: It was very stirring event. I still get goose bumps when the National Anthem is played and when a mass of people recite the Pledge of allegiance. I enjoy the military band music, the presentation of the colors, the taking of oaths and all of the ceremonial aspect of events such as this.
The sun was shining bright, and the air was still and the 45 degree temperature did not seem cold. Everyone spoke well of each other. Outgoing Governor Phil Bredesen got warm applause and praise and everyone was gracious. Bill Haslam gave a good speech saying that to compete for jobs, Tennessee must continue to improve education. He said we are not only competing with other states for jobs but compete with other countries and improving education would be his number one goal as govenor. He said the challenges for governing the state are huge. He said government must do more with less. He quoted columnist Thomas Fiedman who recently said government at all levels could no longer give more to people but must enter a phase of taking away benefits and services from people.
Prior to the speech by Governor Haslam, during a performance by a military band, there was a loud boom. I don't know if I was the only one, but I immediately felt fear and thought it was an explosion. However, it was the first cannon of a cannon salute. I am not sure how many times cannons fired but it was several as the band continued to play. At the end of the performance, there was a fly-over of military aircraft flying at roof top level. That was very impressive and exciting.
The Ball. The ball was a blast. It was at the Opryland Hotel, which has had $185 million dollar makeover after the devastating flood of seven months ago. The Opryland hotel is fantastic- the large atriums with fountains and streams and palm trees and waterfalls and art work throughout the hotel. The hotel is also massive. If you have never seen it, see it. It is an experience. You feel like you are somewhere other than Nashville.
For most of us, there are few time in our life to get dressed in our best and party. I enjoy it. I love women in glittery clothes, wearing very high heels and showing cleavage and everyone in a giddy mood. I am normally a fugal person, but rather than deal with self parking or shuttle buses I paid for valet parking just like a rich Republican.
My sister Kathleen who often has to lobby the legislature as Executive Director for the Parks and Greenways Foundation was with me and she knew a lot of people in attendance and met and introduced me to a lot of legislators. Also, my brother Tim and his wife Amy were in town from Knoxville and if was fun being at this event with family.
Louella, Rod, Amy, Tim and Kathleen
It is hard to estimate how many people attended. There was one band playing in the ball room where prior to the ball there had been the dinner. In one of the large atriums, spread out and on several levels, there was a party and another band. While the bands had a little variety in their music, both bands were similar and they were both primarily Rhythm and Blues party bands. The dance floor was packed and people partied hard as the band played. Shout, (Well, you know you make me wanna' (Shout) Kick my heels up and (Shout) Throw my hands up and (Shout) Throw my head back and (Shout) Come on now (Shout) ...) seemed to go on for every and wore me out.
We had a great time. My darling wife Louella was a fashion plate wearing a velvet black dress with a slit up to mid thigh and stockings with seems up the back and very high hills. She looked fabulous.
This was a great weekend and left me feeling joyful and happy and optimistic.
As the author of A Disgruntled Republican I often post items which I think may be of interest to the conservative, Republican, libertarian or the greater community. Posting of a press release or an announcement of an event does not necessarily indicate an endorsement. Rod
Posts
