The case against cronies: Libertarians must stand up to corporate greed

Being "pro-business" is not the same as being in favor of free enterprise.  Many businessmen are pleased with their special protection from competition or their government subsidy or special tax break or regulations designed to give them an advantage.  Many business people do not object to the government picking winners and losers as long as they are the one picked.  This article explains why crony capitalism is immoral and why advocates of free markets should expose and condemn it.

Crony capitalism is not just a national issue, but evident here in Nashville when a mandatory minimum fee and regulation are designed to protect established limousine companies from competition, when special tax breaks are given to HCA or Gaylord, and when eminent domain is used to take property from one person and give it to another.

The case against cronies: Libertarians must stand up to corporate greed

Timothy P. Carney , The Atlantic, April 30, 2013 - It's time for a free-market corporate social responsibility. Conservatives who rail against government hand-outs should also blast companies who seek shelter from Washington.

The Republican attack on President Obama's economic policy has changed subtly, but significantly, in the last three years. In 2009, he was allegedly a "socialist" and a "Marxist" who lusted for government control of the entire economy. But lately, that has given way to more nuanced charges of "crony capitalism" -- of giving special, friendly treatment to certain companies and industries, or allowing powerful corporations to essentially write the laws, themselves.

Republicans shouted about Obama's green energy handouts and industry bailouts. Mitt Romney assailed him for picking winners and losers. "Free enterprise works," Romney said in early 2012. "Crony capitalism does not."
.....
When the ethanol industry writes an ethanol mandate, or H&R Block hatches a policy that crushes its small competitors, it's legal. But it's also a naked attempt to extract money from unwilling payers, restrict the freedom of competitors, and deny options to customers. This is the sort of behavior conservatives and libertarians need to denounce. (link)

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Rep. Joe Carr To Announce Decision Thursday On 4th District Congress Race

 Rep. Joe Carr To Announce Decision Thursday On 4th District Congress Race

The Chattanoogan - Rep. Joe Carr (R-Lascassas, District 48) said he will announce his decision on Thursday on whether to run for 4th District Gongress - a seat now held by Republican Scott DesJarlais. He will hold a press conference at Gateway Village in Murfreesboro at ...

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The anti-Common Core forum at Cool Springs

Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the Common Core event at Cool Springs last night.  I would have liked to have learned  more about the topic and provided my own report on the event. While the Common Core standards may not be perfect, I have tended to think Common Core was a positive education reform effort. However,  with organizations such as the Heritage Foundation taking a stand against Common Core I am open to being persuaded that it is not a positive development.

While I respect the Heritage Foundation and would value their opinion, some of the other lead opponents of Common Core and some of the organizers and sponsors of this event are from the Black-Helicopter-tinfoil-hat wing of the conservative movement. I tend to take their opinions with a grain of salt.  I know most bloggers are very opinionated and take adamant positions on issues. I guess I am not a good pundit because I don't have all the answers. I also tend not to jump on the bandwagon. I am still forming an opinion.

According to a Facebook post from Bobbie Patray of Eagle Forum,  among those attending were Sen. Mae Beavers (Mt. Juliet), Sen. Mike Bell (Riceville), Sen. Janice Bowling (Tullahoma), Sen. Dolores Gresham, Chairman of the Senate Education Committee, (Summerville), Sen. Ferrell Haile (Gallatin), Sen. Jack Johnson (Franklin), Sen. Jim Tracy (Shelbyville), Rep. Shelia Butt (Columbia), Rep. Mike Carter (Ooltewah), Rep. Glen Casada (Thompson Station), Rep. Mary Littleton (Dickson), Rep. Rep. Debra Moody (Covington), Rep. Mark Pody (Lebanon), Rep. Courtney Rogers (Goodlettsville), Rep. Charles Sargent (Franklin), Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver (Lancaster), Rep. Dawn White (Murfreesboro), and numerous members of local boards of education, many teachers, parents, and grassroots activists.

Below is the Tennesseans report of the event:

Conservatives rally against schools' Common Core standards as a federal overreach

by Maria Giordano, The Tennessean, May 1, 2013, FRANKLIN — Conservatives came from far and wide Tuesday night to rail against Common Core standards, calling them academically weak and a threat to parents’ control over their children’s education.

More than 400 parents, community members and out-of-town guests gathered in the Cool Springs Embassy Suites for a second round of panel discussions on the standards, adopted here and in 44 states for what children are expected to know as they progress through school.(read more)

Here is a link to WKRN Channel 2's  news report: Critics speak out about new Common Core standards.

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DAVIDSON COUNTY YOUNG REPUPLICANS MEETING THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013

6 P.M., THE STANDARD, 67 Rosa L. Parks Boulevard, Guest Speaker, Grant Everett Starrett, former Coalitions Coordinator for the Mitt Romney campaign.

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Highlights Fiscal Year 2014 Metro Budget

From the Mayors Office:

Highlights Fiscal Year 2014 Budget 

Mayor Karl Dean today discussed highlights of Metro’s Fiscal Year 2013-2014 proposed operating budget and capital spending plan. “We have been conservative but optimistic, and so with this year’s budget there are no surprises,” Mayor Dean said. “We are in a good position to implement the same philosophy that has driven our budget decisions from day one: focus on services, invest in our priorities and cut back where we can. This budget allows us to continue our city’s momentum, but in a way that is prudent and fiscally responsible.”

Operating Budget
 

• Recommended budget of $1.8 billion, representing a 5.86 percent increase over FY 2012-2013.

• No proposed increase in property taxes. The tax rate will go down because of the property reappraisal and the increase in property values in recent years (by state law, municipalities cannot collect more revenue from a reappraisal).

• Projected revenue growth of $55.3 million, mostly from increased collections of the local option sales tax ($24.2 million) and property tax collections ($16.4 million).

• Metro Schools will continue to receive the largest portion of the budget at 41 percent, and public safety will get the second largest part at 22 percent.

• Metro Schools will receive an additional $26 million.

• Their budget has increased by $126 million since Mayor Dean’s first budget.

• Metro Schools’ $746 million budget is a 3.61 percent increase over the current fiscal year.

• Metro Police will receive an additional $2.8 million.

• The increase will fund staff for the city’s new DNA Crime Lab, which will open in January, and will allow DNA tests for at least twice as many cases than are currently being sent to the TBI due to the state lab’s constraints.

• The increase will also staff the new Madison Police Precinct, which only operated for part of the current fiscal year and will need a full year of funding going forward.

• Parks will receive $878,400, in large part to cover maintenance and mowing and staff two new community centers.

• Since Mayor Dean took office, the city has added 1,500 acres of new park land, all of which needs to be maintained. Other parks will be mowed more frequently.

• Community centers in Sevier Park and Joelton will open this fiscal year and need funds for staff and operating expenses.

• Nashville Public Library will receive $469,700, primarily to open the main library downtown on Mondays.

• The Health Department will receive $150,000 for three additional animal control officers. These additional positions will help restrict the population growth of unwanted animals.

• MTA will receive an increase of $4 million to fund a full year of operation for the new University Connector, the city’s first crosstown route that began operating shortly after the 28^th/31^st Avenue Connector opened last fall and the new Murfreesboro Road bus rapid transit (BRT) lite service.

• An increase of $350,000 for the Community Enhancement Fund, a program in which Metro awards grants to nonprofits that provide services in three critical areas: domestic violence, education or afterschool care, and direct community service. The increase will add a fourth category of adult literacy.

• An additional $57 million in debt service payments. Anticipating this higher debt payment, past budgets set aside additional reserves to help cover these costs. City reserves will remain higher than when Mayor Dean first took office.

Capital Spending Plan

• The largest portion of the proposed $300 million capital spending plan is $95 million for Metro Schools.

• Funding for Goodlettsville Middle School and Tusculum Elementary to be replaced, Waverly Belmont to be renovated and opened, and build a new elementary school.

• The $95 million builds on the $100 million in capital dollars Metro Schools received last year. In total, Mayor Dean has provided $388 million in capital spending to Metro Schools since taking office. 
• The rest of the capital spending plan is set aside for general government projects, including Public Works, Library maintenance, Parks improvements, fire halls and MTA.

My Comment:
Just because the Mayor has proposed a no-tax-increase budget the Council should not roll over and play dead.  The Council should look hard for inefficiencies and waste and examine the budget to insure that it reflects the values of this community and our priorities and it does not lay the groundwork for future tax increases.

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BELLEVUE BREAKFAST CLUB SATURDAY, May 4th, Special Guest Steve Abernathy

BELLEVUE BREAKFAST CLUB 

SATURDAY, May 4th, 2013 

8:00 AM BREAKFAST (Dutch)  

SHONEY'S 

7745 HWY 70 SOUTH  

Special Guest 

 Steve Abernathy 

 Past Election Commissioners, who has been diligent in wanting our voting rights as U.S. Citizens to be protected. 

Thanks for your support ! Betty Hood

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RNC passes resolution opposing Common Core

On Friday April 12th, the Republican National Committee unanimously adopted a resolution opposing the Common Core State Standards. Below is the complete text of that resolution.

 

 RESOLUTION CONCERNING COMMON CORE EDUCATION STANDARDS

Whereas, the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are a set of academic standards, promoted and supported by two private membership organizations, the National Governor‟s Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), as a method for conforming American students to uniform (“one size fits all”) achievement goals to make them more competitive in a global marketplace; and

Whereas, the NGA and the CCSSO, received tens of millions of dollars from private third parties to advocate for and develop the CCSS strategy, subsequently created the CCSS through a process that was not subject to any freedom of information acts or other sunshine laws, and never piloted the CCSS; and

Whereas, even though Federal Law prohibits the federalizing of curriculum, the Obama Administration accepted the CCSS plan and used 2009 Stimulus Bill money to reward the states that were most committed to the president‟s CCSS agenda; but, they failed to give states, their legislatures and their citizens time to evaluate the CCSS before having to commit to them; and 

Whereas, the NGA and CCSSO in concert with the same corporations developing the CCSS "assessments‟ have created new textbooks, digital media and other teaching materials aligned to the standards which must be purchased and adopted by local school districts in order that students may effectively compete on CCSS "assessments;" and

Whereas, the CCSS program includes federally funded testing and the collection and sharing of massive amounts of personal student and teacher data; and

Whereas, the CCSS effectively removes educational choice and competition since all schools and all districts must use Common Core "assessments" based on the Common Core standards to allow all students to advance in the school system and to advance to higher education pursuits; therefore be it 

Resolved, the Republican National Committee, as stated in the 2012 Republican Party Platform, “do[es] not believe in a one size fits all approach to education and supports providing broad education choices to parents and children at the State and local level,” (Renewing American Values to Build Healthy Families, Great Schools and Safe Neighborhoods, p.35), which is best based on a free market approach to education for students to achieve individual excellence; and be it further 

Resolved, the Republican National Committee recognizes the CCSS for what it is -- an inappropriate overreach to standardize and control the education of our children so they will conform to a preconceived “normal;” and be it further 

Resolved, that the Republican National Committee rejects the collection of personal student data for any non - educational purpose without the prior written consent of an adult student or a child student‟s parent, and that it rejects the sharing of such personal data, without the prior written consent of an adult student or a child student‟s parent, with any person or entity other than schools or education agencies within the state; and be it finally 

Resolved, that the 2012 Republican Party Platform specifically states the need to repeal the numerous federal regulations which interfere with State and local control of public schools, (Renewing American Values to Build Healthy Families, Great Schools and Safe Neighborhoods, p. 36); and therefore, the Republican National Committee rejects this CCSS plan which creates and fits the country with a nationwide straitjacket on academic freedom and achievement. 

As adopted by the Republican National Committee on April 12, 2013.

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A humor break: A Husband and wife came for counseling...

AFTER 35 YEARS OF MARRIAGE, A HUSBAND AND WIFE CAME FOR COUNSELING.

When asked what the problem was, the wife went into a tirade listing every problem they had ever had in the years they had been married. On and on and on: neglect, lack of intimacy, emptiness, loneliness, feeling unloved and, unlovable, an entire laundry list of unmet needs she had endured.

Finally, after allowing this for a sufficient length of time, the therapist got up, walked around the desk and after asking the wife to stand, he embraced and kissed her long and passionately as her husband watched - with a raised eyebrow.

The woman shut up and quietly sat down as though in a daze. The therapist turned to the husband and said, "This is what your wife needs at least 3 times a week. Can you do this?"

"Well, I can drop her off on Mondays and Wednesdays, but on Fridays I go fishing."

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Metro School Board Workshop: Charter Schools

Register says no armed teachers in Metro Schools. 

This work session of the School Board is one hour and ten minutes long. This is not a regular school board meeting. There is no published agenda.

Board member Jill Speering provides valuable information for any student or parent of a student who will be taking the ACT test (see 3:40 in the video).

School Board member Sharon Gentry talks about the TCAP lab. This lab can increase a child's TCAP score (see 7:09).

School Board member Will Pinkston reports on the School Board's Mayor's budget hearing (see 9:22). Pinkston is the Board's chair of the Board's finance committee. We must go back to the drawing board and reduce our increased funding request by about half, he says.

This year the State Legislature approved legislation that would permit, with local authorization, teachers who are former or current law enforcement officers to carry a gun in the class room. Dr. Register states he is opposed to allowing any teachers to carry weapons in the classroom (see 20:22).

The reason for this workshop is to explain the approval process and timeline for approval of charter schools. The discussion begins at 22:12 in the video. Mr. Alan Cloverstone makes the presentation. There is a good slide presentation that helps explain the process. Anyone who is an active advocate of charter schools needs to master this information. I am impressed by Mr. Cloverstone. He certainly knows his subject matter and does a very good job of explaining things. I have the impression that he is smart, fair, and objective. There are six applicants for charter schools. Anyone interested in getting their child in a charter school needs to watch this presentation. To learn more about the applicants and the timeline, follow this link.

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Senator Jim Tracy's session wrap-up report

From Senator Jim Tracy:

 Friends,

After a great deal of hard work and collaboration, this year’s session of the 108th General Assembly finally came to a conclusion on April 19, 2013. Not only did the House and the Senate pass many pieces of important legislation, but more importantly we passed a balanced budget for the State of Tennessee. This year’s budget included many improvements that will provide $43 million in tax cuts. Senate Bill 502 included a 4 year plan to phase out the inheritance tax as well as an increase in funds to give senior citizens the opportunity to apply for Hall income tax relief. The will also lower the sales tax on food in Tennessee from 5.25% to 5%. This session we also worked together to take a good look at education reform. This budget incorporates funds that will increase teachers’ pay and provide $47 million to invest in low performing public schools. The budget also gives a $350 million increase to assist with TennCare inflation and other expenses that relate to it. I also feel that it is important to acknowledge the $3.9 million increase for mental health. After the various atrocities that have occurred in the United States this year, it is important that we engage in mental heath research and provide sufficient services to those who need them in order to keep Tennessee safe.

Aside from the state budget, there were many vital pieces of legislation that were passed this week to promote a better Tennessee. Senate Bill 783 improves Tennessee’s program for unemployment compensation. Along with other advancements, the bill requires the Department of Labor to increase the number of weekly audits that they perform to ensure that those who are receiving state funds during periods of unemployment are actively searching for a new job.

Another step that the legislature has taken towards promoting a safer Tennessee is in our schools. We passed a bill that will allow retired law enforcement officers to act as school security officers with the permission of the local director of schools and the school principle. This allows each school district and individual school to have the opportunity to decide whether or not allowing handguns on campus is right for them specifically. These officers will also be required to complete an additional 40 hour course which includes training for crisis management and hostile situations in a school setting. This bill will also allow teachers, who have a background in law enforcement and a handgun carrying permit, to carry a gun with them on school property. The bill is intended to take precautionary measures in response to the tragedy that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary this past December. Governor Haslam has also included an additional $34 million in this year’s budget that may be used to hire security officers for schools that cannot already afford them.

I am very excited about two bills that passed this session and will promote technology schools in Tennessee. My bill,Senate Bill 643 changes “Tennessee Technology Centers” to “State Colleges of Applied Technology.” Senate Bill 1330, which was sponsored by Senator Norris, creates LEAP (Labor Education Alignment Program) in Tennessee technology centers. This program will work similarly to a co-op program at a university by allowing students to obtain hands-on experience in their occupational field through working for a company and receiving financial compensation as well as school credit for their work. This bill is intended to provide Tennessee with more skilled workers who are ready to take on a job in their field once they have completed their technology program.

Lastly, Senate Bill 670 passed both the House and the Senate this session in an attempt to prevent drunk driving on Tennessee roads. This bill lowers the blood or breath alcohol content (BAC) from 0.15% to 0.08% to be grounds for a restricted driver license. Any convicted drunk driver will now be required to install an interlock device in their car which they will have to breathe into in before starting the car. The interlock devices will have to be equipped to take a photo of the individual as they breathe into it in order to insure that it is not someone else providing the sample.

Although this legislative session is over, we will continue working year-round to serve our constituents and to prepare legislation for next year. Please feel free to contact me with any of your thoughts and concerns. You may stop by the office or email tracyfortn@gmail.com anytime! Also, be sure to follow me on Twitter @jimtracy for news and updates.

Best Regards,

Jim Tracy

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The Mayor's budget hearing on the fairgrounds. Fairgrounds need $600,000 subsidy. Future in doubt.

For those who think that the public voted in a referendum to save the fairground and that settles it, they are wrong. The public referendum simply said it would take 27 metro council votes to close the fairgrounds instead of a simple majority. The future of the fairground is still up in the air.

The mayor wanted to sell the fairground and turn the site into a corporate headquarters campus. The attempt to sell the fairgrounds caused great uncertainty about the future of the site and caused loss of revenue to support the fairground operations. While previously the fairgrounds never had to have a subsidy, now they need $600,000. A cynic might say, they were set up to fail.

Since the fairground referendum, the council hired a consultant to advise them on alternative policies for the site. That study stacked the deck to make closing the fairground and turning the site into a mixed use development appear to be a better option rather than improving and keeping the fairgrounds. There has now emerged another option. A private entity has proposed a long-term lease of the fairground and pledged to make physical improvements to the site and keep all of the existing functions. I hope that this third option is pursed.

 In the meantime, Metro continues to operate the fairgrounds but no longer operates the State Fair. For those interested in the future of the fairgrounds, they need to be informed and understand the issues. Below is the Mayor's Fairground budget hearing.


Buck Dozier, Executive Director of the Fairgrounds makes the budget presentation. Below is a summary of the hearing:


There are ten racing events a year at the fairgrounds, and the manger of fairground racing regularly meets with nearby neighborhood groups and has a good relationship with the community. Charging the $5 fee for parking has not hurt attendance at events. The current food vendor's contract is expiring soon and an RFP for a food vendor will go out soon.  With a new food vendor and contract there should be a considerable enhancement of revenue. The heating and air conditioning and grounds is our "greatest challenge" said Mr. Dozier. State Fair is no longer ran by Metro. Dozier discusses the dueling offers to run the fairgrounds.

Attendance at the State Fair was up 10% last year. Racing attendance is up. The quality of the races is up. Formosa is doing a good job.

The flea market attendance is up 5% above last year. There are opportunities for improving the flea market by providing entertainment and better food options.

Our facilities cannot attract the best commercial trade shows. Uncertainty about the future of the fairgrounds hurts marketing.

The budget request is for $3.1million with anticipated revenues of $2.5 million. The fairgrounds has drawn down its reserve fund balance and no longer has a rainy day fund from which to draw. This is only the second time the fair board has asked for money from the general fund to offset the operating deficit. "When everything settles down," says Dozier, "I think the fairgrounds can make a profit." Dozier stresses that "the uncertainty" of the future of the fairgrounds is hurting the fairgrounds. Much business was lost due to vendors thinking the fairgrounds was closing. Corporate sales will still be hurt without certainty since many vendors want to book events three to five years out.

For more insight into understanding the fairground issues, follow this link. 

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We need a corp of citizen activist

Last year I watched almost all of Mayor Dean's budget hearings. This year, with the Mayor pledging not to propose a property tax increase, I have been less inclined to watch each hearing.  I would hope that Council members are paying as much attention to government efficiency and are as conscience of looking for wasteful spending now as they are in a year with a proposed tax increase. Unfortunately, the way I view this is much the way I suspect the Council and others view it.  Departments get much less scrutiny in years in which there is not a proposed tax increase.  It seem human nature is such that attention wanes when there is not an immediate impact to ones own well being. We seem to care more about efficiency when if will effect us in the near term.


If anyone wants to watch the budget hearings they are readily available and easily accessible. It has never been easier to become a citizen activist, stay informed,  and get involved in local government.  The meetings of boards and commissions are often video taped and posted online and agendas and budgets and numerous documents are posted online. Sunshine laws and pubic information request rules make government operate in the open and make what they do be accessible to citizens. At many meetings, citizens can address the policy makers and most elected and appointed officials are approachable.

I encourage you to get involved.  We need a corp of citizen activist who will be government watchdogs. Ideally, it would be great if we had a lot of citizen activist who would divide up the task of keeping an eye on government. It would be great if citizen activist would pick a particular department, become an expert in that field and watch that department like a hawk.

With only one daily newspaper and fewer news reporters, we can not depend on the press to keep us informed the way we could when daily newspapers competed and when their were more reporters. While there is a lot of attention paid by political activist to what happens in Washington, their is less attention paid to what happens at the State level and even less attention paid to what happens at the local level, yet what happens at the local and state level may effect your life as much as what happens nationally. Crime rates, response time of your fire department, utility rates, quality of life, level of taxation, and quality of schools are primarily local issues.

The Mayor's budget hearings are online as well as Council meetings, School Board meetings and various other videos concerning local government. You can find them at this link: Metro Nashville Government Videos.

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