The Metro Council Agenda for July 2 is now available.

The Metro Council Agenda for July 2 is now available. If you will wait, I will read if for you, it you can't stand the suspense, here it is.

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School Board meeting of 6/25/2013

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Lamar Alexander Says Minimum Wage Should Be Abolished

WASHINGTON, Huff Post Politics - Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the ranking Republican on the Senate's labor committee, said in a hearing Tuesday that he would prefer to see the minimum wage abolished. 

Alexander's declaration came amid a back-and-forth between a witness from the conservative Heritage Foundation and Sens. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). The trio had been debating what kind of impact a higher minimum wage would have on a theoretical worker, and it seemed Sanders wanted to know whether the witness opposed raising the minimum wage or having a minimum wage at all. 

"There are some conservatives who do not believe in the concept of the minimum wage," Sanders said to the witness, James Sherk, a labor policy analyst at the think tank.

"Let me jump in," Alexander then said. "I do not believe in it."

The policy debate had been lively, with interruptions all around, and Sanders grew excited at Alexander's interjection.

"So we have a ranking member," Sanders responded. "Alright! There we go!"

Sanders turned to Alexander.

"So you do not believe in the concept of the minimum wage?"

"That's correct," Alexander responded.

"You would abolish the minimum wage?"

"Correct."   (read more and watch the video exchange)

My Comment:  I am proud of Senator Alexander for showing the courage to speak the truth. The minimum wage cuts off the bottom rung off of the ladder.  Every time the minimum wage is raised, it makes it harder for people to enter the labor market. With an increase in the minimum wage low-end jobs are replaced with labor saving devices or simply eliminated. Without a minimum wage, we would have people pumping gas for you and carrying your groceries to the car. It is better for one to have a job that pays $7.25 an hour than not have a job that pays $7.50 an hour. 

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Irving Kristol's The Neoconservative Persuasion topic of Conservative Fusion

It is tonight. Join us.

From Gene Wisdom:

Neo-cons.  Those nasty neo-conservatives.  Suspect to many conservatives of other stripes, whether traditionalist, libertarian, paleo, or crunchy con, neo-conservatives have been described as liberals who were mugged by reality.  They are often, however, both misunderstood and misrepresented.  Many are labeled by another bugaboo--"Straussians"--by people who haven't read the first word of either neo-conservatives or Leo Strauss.  While their premises are often quite different they share many policy views of other conservatives and have learned lessons, from liberal policy failures, that many conservatives know implicitly.  Irving Kristol is perhaps the original neo-conservative.  This month's focus for Conservative Fusion Book Study is The Neoconservative Persuasion, a collection of Kristol's essays.  The study is an excellent opportunity to better understand neo-conservatism.  

 

Conservative Fusion was originally a group started through Meetup.com.  We have now moved to the next step, dropping the Meetup association and re-forming as a Facebook Group.  Join us for this study and future meetings!

This meeting will be at the home of Rod and Louella Williams on June 26th at 7PM. A Meetup automatic posting stated it would be June 19th. the correct date is June 26th.  Please RSVP to Gene Wisdom, hvillenavy@yahoo.com .

Comment from Rod: If you order the book for overnight delivery, you can still get it in time. I ordered mine on amazon and paid one penny, plus shipping! I don't know if the library has a copy or not. This is an important work and enjoyable reading. If you can get the book and can't read it all then start with the essay, "What is neoconservatism" and the essay "The neoconservative persuasion." If you can't read the book, but would like to come listen to the conversation, you can come on. I would be glad to have you. My home is conveniently located off 8th Ave South near Wedgewood. Reply to Gene at the above email for the address.

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A humor break: Wife: Honey, if I die would you get married again?

Wife: Honey, if I die would you get married again?
Husband: No dear.
Wife: I'm sure you would.
Annoyed husband: Okay, I would.
Wife: Would you let her sleep in our bed?
Husband: Yeah, I guess so.
Wife: Would you let her wear my clothes.
Husband: No, she is taller than you....and skinnier.

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James DeLanis appointed to County Electiion Commission, replaces Jim Gotto.

James DeLanis, an attorney at Baker Donelson has been appointed to serve on the Davidson County Election Commission, replacing Jim Gotto who resigned in protest of the treatment of former Election Administrator Albert Tieche.

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School board approves 4 charter schools, rejects 2

The Tennessean, June 26th, 2013 - Metro Nashville school board members followed the advice of their charter school czar Tuesday and approved four of the six charter schools that want to open for the 2014-15 school year.

Like all charter school discussions, however, the meeting was not without friction. (link)

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First Tuesday guest July 2, Stephen Fincher

From First Tuesday:

1ST TUESDAY members and friends,

First... let me apologize for being tardy getting the invite to you for our guest, Congressman Stephen

Congressman Stephen Fincher

Fincher  [R, TN-8] on Tuesday, July 2nd.

Some of you know its been a more-than-tragic time for multiple families and friends of mine. ....

As you know, Washington DC continues to be ALL-A-BUZZ with ever more information coming on multiple fronts. Congressman Fincher will be a wealth of 1st-hand insights and information. 

MORE coming next week, but in the mean time let me encourage you to secure your seat via our 1ST TUESDAY website ASAP !  www.1sttuesdaynashville.com

AS MANY of you will recall, our normal meeting room at Waller is undergoing a renovation. SO.. we are meeting in the 26th floor room that holds on 70 seats.   IN SHORT.. it will be those  1ST to SECURE their seat(s) who get to join us !

As USUAL... we will meet at The Offices of WALLER LAW  -- 511 Union.. 26th floor for this special event ! ... Doors open at 11AM for  Coffee and Social time..  Lunch will be at 11:30AM and program starting promptly at NOON..  Lunch is $20 for MEMBERS and $25 for Guests.. a waiting list will be started once we hit 70 RSVPs. 

Lunch for those on the waiting list who do get join us will be $25 and collected at the door.    

MORE info soon !

Thanks again for you patience... and please keep Kim and our other friends in your prayers in the days.. ahead....   [ "BIG Guy".... you will be missed ]

See you July 2nd !

Tim Skow

Host of 1ST TUESDAY

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School Board to vote on Charter Proposals tonight

The consideration of charter school proposals is the only thing on the School Board agenda tonight. The Metro School Board produces good agenda's.  To learn about the charter school evaluation process and more about each school, see the agenda at this link.

The staff recommendation regarding The Thurgood Marshall School of Career Development is to deny.

The staff recommendation for Explore! Community School is to deny.

The staff recommendation for Rocketship Education Tennessee is to approve.

The staff recommendation for Nashville Academy of Computer Science is to approve.

The staff recommendation for KIPP Nashville College Prep Elementary is to approve.

The staff recommendation for Valor Collegiate Academy is to approve.

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It is time to pass immigration reform

Until tonight, I was undecided about how I felt about the proposed Senate immigration bill. Without Hoeven-Corker, I knew I was opposed to the bill as written by the gang of eight but was hoping it could be amended to make it better and I believe Hoeven-Corker does that.

I have read numerous opinion pieces and analyses and news reports about the bill and have wavered back and forth on whether or not it is good bill. Tonight I watched the debate between Senator Bob Corker and Senator Jeff Session on CSPAN and was persuaded that this is a good bill, with the proposed amendment, and we need to move forward with immigration reform.  Some of the organizations and people I respect continue to oppose the bill and I am reluctant to disagree with organization such as the Heritage Foundation, but I must. Maybe, the bill is not perfect, but it is a good bill.  It greatly increases security on the boarder and imposes five "triggers" that must be fulfilled before immigrants now hear illegally can be granted green cards. If those things are done then the earliest illegal immigrants could get a green card would be ten years from now. 

The security requirements in this bill are things conservatives have asked for for years. These are the security triggers in the Hoeven-Corker amended bill:

• 20,000 more Border Patrol agents. This would more than doubling the current force.
• $4.5 billion in specific technology and equipment requested by the Border Patrol which would achieve full surveillance of the border.
• 700 miles of fencing must have been completed along the southern border. This doubles the current 350 miles.
• A new electronic visa entry/exit system must be fully implemented at all air and sea ports of entry where U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers are currently deployed. This system will improve the identification of those who overstay their visas.
• E-Verify must be in place by all employers in the country.

Only after all five of these things are done and at least 10 years have passed can those now here illegally apply for a green card.  

Am I persuaded that this will mean no one will ever work in this country who is here illegally or that no one can ever illegally enter the country again?  No, I am not. E-verify will not catch everyone.  A lot of illegals work for themselves and will continue to do so and evade detection.  If you contract for someone to do your lawn care, you are not their employer, you are contracting for a service so some of those self employed people will continue to operate without a green card.  Also, documents can be forged and some people will continue to take their chances and hire people without using E-verify and no border can be made 100 effective.  Just as the Berlin Wall was not 100% effective in keeping people in, a militarized border will not be 100% effective in keeping people out. So, no system will be absolutely perfect.  It will be much better than what we have now however.  We now have de facto amnesty and the border leaks like a seive. It is impractical to talk about rounding up and deporting over 11 million people. Think about the logistics of deporting 11 million people. It is just not going to happen. A vote against this bill is a vote for continuing the status quo.

I think some people have been so locked into a position of opposing amnesty that there is no bill that could satisfy them. They will support nothing short of rounding them up and sending them home. For those with legitimate concerns about the bill, there is still room to address those concerns. Tonight after the 67 to 27 procedural vote to move the bill forward, Senator Corker made that point and had this to say:

“This vote provides strong bipartisan support for an amendment that unquestionably strengthens border security and moves us toward solving the immigration problem that we have struggled with for decades. There are certainly provisions in the underlying bill that can be improved, but it is my hope that tonight's overwhelming vote will lead to the passage of a strong bipartisan bill out of the Senate later this week."

One of the things I think many Republicans are concerned about, but hesitant to admit, is that they fear that eventually adding 11 million new voters to the rolls will be that many new votes for Democrats. I understand that concern, but with it being l0 years before these illegal immigrants can get green cards and be eligible to begin the process of becoming citizens, I do not assume that they will all be Democrats.  During the first ten years they will not be eligible for welfare. I think they have a strong work ethic and I do not think they will automatically become Democrat voters supporting the welfare state. I think Republicans can compete for the vote of these immigrants once they become citizens.  I believe our values of individualism, economic opportunity, and limited government can be sold to anyone who has not already been socialized to be welfare dependent.

I think it is time to pass immigration reform. For anyone who wants to read the full text of the bill as amended, follow this link.

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Another reason Lamar Alexander and Marsha Blackburn should have voted against the Farm Bill.

In addition to opposing the Farm Bill because it is anti-free market and is welfare for farmers, the  Farm Bill should have been opposed because 80% of the $939 billion in the program funds food stamps. If Senator Lamar Alexander, Representative Marsha Blackburn and the rest of the Tennessee Republican delegation, with the exception of Representative John J. Duncan and Senator Bob Corker, could not vote against the farm bill because it is  Soviet-style economic planning that distorts production and consumption and adds to the growing deficit, then they should have voted against it because food stamp spending is out of control and widely abused. 

Since 2009 the number of people on food stamps has increased from 15 million to 47 million.  Part of this is due to the recession and more people became eligible, but most of is is because the eligibility was changed to make people who previously would not have been eligible, become eligible.

While there are times when people do need assistance, food stamps have became a way of life for many people. Along with numerous other welfare and benefit programs, food stamps breeds dependency. They create a sense of entitlement.  Also, they are widely abused. People will claim children living with them that don't in order to qualify.  They will not report all of their income. The mother getting food stamps does not report the income of the live-in babydaddy. Food stamps are part of the economy of many poor neighborhoods. The going rate in Nashville, the last I heard, was 50 cents on the dollar.  A person on food stamps will let someone use their debit card to go shopping and if the bill is a hundred dollars they will pay the person on food stamps fifty dollars.

I have worked in the social services field for years. I have seen the various ways people game the system.  Once people are attuned to how the system works, it is not hard to figure out how to get free phones, food stamps, earned income tax credits, extended unemployment benefits and more. Welfare, including food stamps, changes a person's character. People do not think it is immoral to get benefits to which they are not entitled. It make people liars and thieves. The hand-outs create permanent poverty, because poverty is subsidized just enough that it becomes too expensive not to be poor. 

If our Republican Senator and Representatives could not vote against the Farm Bill because it is Soviet-style planning, or because it creates government dependence and keeps people in poverty, there is another reason; it creates Democrats. Once people began getting a handout, they want to keep it.  They don't know how they could ever get by without it. They feel entitled.  The more people that are on food stamps, the harder it will be for Republicans to win elections.

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DAVIDSON COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY PIcnic 11:00 Am, not 11:30

DAVIDSON COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY 

Summer BBQ Picnic 

Saturday, June 29, 2013 

11:30 am 11:00 am- 2:00 pm (Rain or Shine) 

 Ellington Agricultural Center Ed Jones Auditorium 

Meet your elected officials and 2014 Candidates - U.S., State and Local 

$20/person, $50/family, $10 for students with valid ID 

Former Governor Winfield Dunn

State Senator Steve Dickerson & his band "No Good Deed"

Door Prizes!

BBQ &all the fixins and  Desserts by French Confection Cakes

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