Corker: CBO Report “Sobering.”

U.S. Senator Bob Corker, R-Tenn., released the following statement after the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office announced today that the U.S. will add over $9 trillion in new debt and nearly double Medicare and Social Security spending over the next ten years. The report also finds that the health care law will continue to negatively impact economic growth and result in 2.5 million fewer Americans working in the next decade.

“Today’s CBO report gives a sobering outlook on our economy.  It confirms what we’ve known all along: The health care law is having a tremendously negative impact on economic growth, while entitlement spending continues to drive our nation’s debt to historic levels. Reforming Medicare and Social Security so they are strong and solvent is the only way to put our country on a sound fiscal path that will allow for continued growth and prosperity,” said Corker.

Last year, Corker and U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., introduced the Fiscal Sustainability Act, S. 11, to reduce the growth of entitlement spending (Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security) by nearly $1 trillion in the next decade in order to improve the programs’ solvency. The bill incorporates many of the recommendations made by President Obama’s Debt Commission (Simpson-Bowles) as well as by former Republican Senator Pete Domenici and Alice Rivlin, budget director for former President Clinton.

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Nashville Tea Party meets Feb. 18. Joe Carr to speak.

From Nashville Tea Party:
The Next Meeting of the Nashville Tea Party will be at the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel
in their Conference Center. Tuesday, Feb 18 at 7PM,  2025 Rosa L Parks Blvd, Nashville, TN. US Senate Candidate Joe Carr, who is challenging Lamar Alexander will speak. We will have Federal and State Legislative updates. Updates from other groups such as "2 Million Bikers to DC" and "Overpasses for America" and MUCH MORE. Please Join us!" (link to Meetup page)

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2014 Women of Distinction Luncheon to feature Michelle Malkin

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Free-market Republicans are voting to set prices with new wine in grocery store bill.

In my view the new wine in grocery is a terribly flawed  bill. I have supported wine in grocery stores for so long that if I were serving in the state Senate, I would have probably voted for the bill anyway, if I thought that was all we could get. In casting any vote, one cannot look at only the merits of the bill in a vacuum but must ask, does this bill move in the right direction; is it better than what we have now?  And, is the the best we can get? I think this bill does move in the right direction. I think it is an improvement over the status quo. Is it the best we can get?

I am terrible disappointment that in our state legislature where Republicans have an overwhelming majority that this is as good of a bill as we could get.  Republicans claim to believe in a market economy, but in practice often do not vote any more pro free-market than Democrats.  I think we would eventually have wine in grocery stores, even if Democrats had the majority, and I cannot imagine that a bill passed by a Democrat majority would have been any worse.

I am pleased to see the Knoxville's Metro Pulse explain how bad the wine-in-grocery-stores bill really is for consumers and point out the hypocrisy of free-market Republicans voting for price controls. The worse part of the bill is the price fixing that requires a 20 percent markup over the wholesale price. Other bad provisions include a provision that gives nearby liquor stores a veto over a grocer selling wine until 2017 and the provision that allows liquor stores to start selling other products immediately but requires a two-years wait before consumers can get wine in grocery stores. 

If this is the absolute best we can get then the House should go ahead and pass it.  However, if  there is a chance of getting a better bill next year, I say put it off another year.

Below is the link to the Metro Pulse story: 
What About Consumers? You Can't Blame Liquor Lobbyists for Writing a Favorable Bill, but Legislators Need to Proof It

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An AMP debate, Feb. 12th

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Alexander blast Reid for prevented Republican amendment to Unemployment Extendtion Bill. GOP blocks bill by one vote.

Senate Republicans were successful today in blocking a bill to extend unemployment benefits for three months.   Fifty-nine senators, including four Republicans, voted to advance the legislation, falling one vote short of the 60 needed to break a Republican filibuster effort. Republicans want any such extension to be offset by budget cuts elsewhere but Harry Reid would not allow any amendment to the bill.

Faulting Reid for bypassing committees to bring the unemployment bill straight to the Senate floor, Sen. Lamar Alexander, (R-Tenn.) the top Republican on the Senate, Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said Reid “prevented many good ideas for helping unemployed Americans find a job from ever reaching the Senate floor.” (link)

The four Republicans who broke rank and voted with the Democrats are Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, Susan Collins of Maine, Dean Heller of Nevada and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. 

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Steve Gawrys, Candidate for the 61st District House Seat, says Rep. Sargent supported Obamacare

Press Release, BRENTWOOD, TN – Today, Steve Gawrys, Candidate for the 61st District House Seat is asking President Obama to learn from Tennessee’s economic successes when he visits here later this week.

“I’m pleased the President has chosen to come to Tennessee,” said Gawrys. “I’m more hopeful that he will learn something from what he finds here about Tennessee’s continuing economic success.”

Recently, Tennessee was named “State of the Year” by Business Facilities Magazine for its growing diverse economic base. Steve Gawrys is part of that business success as an entrepreneur and job creator in Williamson County. “The President has never taken a risk and hired an employee, so he has a lot to learn about growing an economy from Tennesseans,” said Gawrys.

Gawrys continued, “The first thing President Obama needs to learn is that his failed health insurance bill is destroying small businesses across America. One of the reasons I am in this State House race is that my opponent, Charles Sargent, sponsored the bill to establish the ObamaCare State Exchanges in Tennessee.” Gawrys is referring to HB2839 in which his opponent offered the legislation to support ObamaCare in Tennessee.

“Tennessee rejected Obama in the 2012 elections and they overwhelmingly reject his failed health insurance plan. We shouldn’t have Republicans in Tennessee supporting failed policies. I think the voters of District 61 deserve an explanation.”

In the last legislative session, the Tennessee General Assembly rejected the establishment of a State-sponsored health exchange. “I would have joined the majority and voted against such a federal overreach,” said Gawrys.

District 61 includes Brentwood, and parts of Cool Springs, Franklin, and unincorporated Williamson County.

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What happened at the Council meeting of 2/4/2013: Borrowing money to buy laptops.

At 2 1/2 hours this is a long meeting. I am not going to give a play by play description. I am only hitting a few highlights. To follow the meeting in the agenda and the analysis follow this link. To see how the Budget and Finance voted on the most important issues, follow this link.

The public hearing portion of the bills takes up the first one hour and 48 minutes of the meeting.

The bill that would put new restrictions on outdoor music events is differed until the first meeting in March.

The two resolutions that are not one the consent agenda are below. Discussion of the two resolutions not on consent start at time stamp 1:55:24.

RESOLUTION NO. RS2014-948 appropriates $13,100,000 from the Undesignated Fund Balance of the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools General Purpose Fund to the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools General Purpose Fund Operational Account for the purpose of funding the purchase laptop computers, teacher technology training and a universal screener assessment for the implementation of Common Core testing, and an incentive program for teacher retirement. This is the bill by Bo Mitchell. It is deferred one meeting, which, I believe makes the second time it has been deferred. The bill was deferred "by rule" because Mitchell did not show up at the Budget and Finance Committee meeting or communicate what he wanted the committee to do with the bill. This bill will eventually be withdrawn or defeated.

RESOLUTION NO. RS2014-963 authorizes the issuance of $21 million in general obligation bonds! This is for the purchase of heavy equipment for various departments and $6 million for laptop computers to implement common core testing. The Metro charter calls for sitting aside 4% of the metro budget for the purchase of equipment and make repairs. This would be the first time the city, instead of using the that fund to purchase equipment or make repairs or other such things, will instead borrow the money to do so.  Discussion starts at 1:56:30. 

Josh Stites

For a better understanding of this bill see the B&F Committee meeting and read the staff analysis. In my view, this is a risky way to do business. The city should buy equipment as we go. The city has borrow a lot of money under Dean's administration and now we are borrowing for to finance living expenses. It is one thing to borrow to purchase a home, it is something else entirely to borrow to buy groceries and that is the equivalent of what the city is doing.

 Charlie Tygerd speaks against it but does not vote against it. Councilman Josh Stites take to the floor speaks with passion and clarity against the bill. Stites says, "This is a symptom of a much Larger problem...We are leveraging entirely too much. ....Someday the music will stop." (see 1:59:45). Congratulation Josh Stites!
Only Councilman Stites and Councilman Standley end up voting against the bill. I am disappointed in several of the Councilmen who call themselves conservative and who did not vote against this bill. This was an opportunity to take a stand against irresponsible spending. I expected a few others to oppose this bill.

The memorializing resolution which calls for adding five additional early voting sites for the May election passes.

Here is the Tennessean's report on the Council Meeting: Council approves plan to borrow $6M for equipment for Common Core testing.

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GOPAC endorces Jim Tracy.

State Senator Jim Tracy who is running against incumbent U. S. Representative Scott DesJarlais for the the Republican nomination for that seat, today received the endorsement of GOPAC.  He is only one of four House candidates to receive the organization's endorcement.

GOPAC has been around since 1978. It was founded by founded by Delaware Governor Pierre S. du Pont, IV. Former Chairmen have included Michael Steele, J.C. Watts, and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. GOPAC's mission statement says, " we realize Republicans must champion the ideas that unite voters around a vision of creating jobs, getting government spending under control, making government more effective, and keeping America safe. This is why Republicans turn to GOPAC for coaching and best practices on effective ways to communicate conservative ideas and solutions." Along with GOPAC's enforcement will come financial contributions up to the maximum allowed by Federal law.

Most conservatives do not find fault with  with Scott DesJarlais voting record but cannot stomach the pro-life doctor's habit of talking wives and girlfriends into getting abortions. That is why I am supporting Jim Tracy.  Also, I think Jim Tracy will make an excellent U. S. Representative. Congratulations Jim Tracy on getting the GOPAC endorsement.

To visit Jim Tracy's website and make a contribution, follow this link.

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The AMP just got worse. More expensive. Property condemnation will be required!

At tonight's AMP meeting at  Cohn Adult Learning Center it was announced that TDOT has refused to grant Metro's request to allow traffic lanes along the AMP route to be reduced from 11 feet to 9 feet.  Still Metro is planning to move ahead! 

This means the price tag will be considerably greater than the current $174 million price tag. The current AMP design of a center loading platform and dedicated lanes in both directions cannot fit in the existing roadway. To build the AMP as planned, the roadbed will have to be widened. This will require property condemnation and rebuilding of sidewalks. An estimate of how much more the project will cost than the current estimate of $174 million was not available. In addition to an increase in cost and a destruction of the esthetic appeal of one of the most beautiful streets in Nashville, this will mean it will take more time to build the project and a longer period of disruption of traffic and a longer period of restricted access to businesses along the route.

With this latest bit of  news it is time for Metro to admit that what was already a poorly conceived and planned project, just got worse.

It is time to pull the plug on the AMP and go back to the drawing board. 

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Budget and Finance Committee meeting of Feb 3. Should we borrow money to buy laptops? How many early voting sites?

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 Bo Mitchell's bill, RESOLUTION NO. RS2014-948 appropriating $13.1 million from the Undesignated Fund Balance of the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools General Purpose Fund to the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools General Purpose Fund Operational Account for the purpose of funding the purchase laptop computers, teacher technology training and a universal screener assessment for the implementation of Common Core testing, and an incentive program for teacher retirement is deferred "by rule." The sponsor was not present and did not communicate with the Chair as to what he wanted to happen to the bill.

RESOLUTION NO. RS2014-963 which authorizes the issuance of $21 million in general obligation bonds for the purchase of heavy equipment for various departments and $6 million for laptop computers to implement common core testing .  Rich Reibling, Director of Finance explains the financing mechanism but I am still not persuaded this is a wise move. To learn more see the video see time stamp .27- 16:24 . Charlie Tygerd ask some good questions but he ends up voting for it and the bill passes committee unanimously. I am disappointed.

Charlie Tygerd's memorializing resolution asking the Nashville delegation to the State legislature to authorize a dedicated source of funding for mass transit in Nashville is deferred one meeting to track with bills on First reading that address the same topic. Good move.
 
A late, as yet unnumbered, resolution  asking the Election Commission to provide five additional early voting sites for the May primary passes. The Election Commission has been planning only one site for early voting. For the discussion see time stamp 36:48-48:22. 

For more info and links to the agenda and analysis, follow this link.

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What's on the Council Agenda for Feb. 4th with analysis and summary

If you don't know what the Council is voting on, Council meetings are really boring. With an agenda and an analysis they are just boring. To follow along, you can get your own copy of the Metro council meeting agenda at this link: Metro Council Agenda. To get your copy of the Council staff analysis download it at this link: Council Staff analysis. There are a lot of zoning bills on public hearing, so if a few of them are controversial, this could be a long meeting.

There are 5 Confirmation of Appointments on this agenda. None of them are to the more troubled or controversial Boards or Commissions but it wouldn't matter anyway as the Council always rubber stamps whoever the Mayor appoints.

Public Hearing:
There are 24 bills on public hearing. All of them are zoning bills and should be of interest to only nearby neighbors. The only exception is the following resolution.

BILL NO. BL2014-651 would establish new stringent regulations of temporary music event on commercial property. I hope some members of the music community or present to oppose this bill. I do not know why we are trying to kill the music in Music City. If there is a particular problem, I would assume the current noise ordinance and other laws would be sufficient to address it. In my view those who want to live adjacent to or in commercial areas should tolerate a little music and noise. I will be interested in hearing both sides of this issue.

Consent Agenda:
There are 13 resolutions, all of which are on the consent agenda at this time. 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. 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 but it doesn't happen often. Below is the only resolutions, that I think may be controversial: 

• RESOLUTION NO. RS2014-948 appropriating $13,100,000 from the Undesignated Fund Balance of the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools General Purpose Fund to the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools General Purpose Fund Operational Account for the purpose of funding the purchase laptop computers, teacher technology training and a universal screener assessment for the implementation of Common Core testing, and an incentive program for teacher retirement.
  
  The Director of Finance has refused to sign the resolution as to the availability of funds, saying it would be fiscally irresponsible to spend a significant amount from the schools fund balance giving the funding deficit projected by the schools going into the coming fiscal year. This resolution was on the agenda for the last two meeting and was deferred both times. I am certain it will not be on the consent agenda Tuesday night.
  
  The bill is sponsored by Councilman Bo Mitchell. Given that the school board lost millions of dollars of State funding by unnecessarily picking fight with the State and defying the State by refusing to approve Great Hearts charter school and given the school board's continued blaming of their budget woes on charter schools, and given the hefty increase in funding they got last budget year, I think this resolution should be defeated. Since the Mayor's Director of Finance will not sign off on the resolution, I would assume that this resolution is doomed. I suspect this be withdrawn or defeated this time.
  
  Some of what this resolution would fund, the teacher retirement incentive, has already been funded. There is another resolution on the agenda, RS201-963. that would fund the laptop computers. Not mentioned in the staff analysis and something I have heard no one say, but something I think should be a consideration, is that Common Core is not a sure thing. There are several bills in the State Legislature that would curtail or have the state back out of common core. Before Metro spends money on Common Core, we ought to wait and see what the State is going to do.

• RESOLUTION NO. RS2014-963 authorizes the issuance of $21 million in general obligation bonds! This is for the purchase of heavy equipment for various departments and $6 million for laptop computers to implement common core testing. The charter calls for sitting aside 4% of the metro budget for the purchase of equipment. This would be the first time the city, instead of using the fund to purchase equipment or make repairs or other such things, will instead use the 4% fund to pay bonds. For more on this proposal, see the staff analysis. This appears risky to me. I wonder if it is even legal to use the 4% fund for this purpose. In my view we should only issue bonds for long-term projects. The 4% fund should not be used to pay debt service. I am looking to Council members Tim Garrett, Charlie Tygerd, or Emily Evans to take to the floor to oppose this. If it is not opposed, then I hope someone will explain why this departure from normal process is a good idea. Unless persuaded otherwise, if I was serving on the Council, I would oppose this bill. 

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 21 bills on first reading. Several of them concern funding for mass transit.

Bills on Second Reading:
It is on Second reading, after bills have been to committee, that discussion usually takes place. There are seven bills on second reading. The following items are interesting:

• BILL NO. BL2013-569 would change the regulations of car lots. There is a lot of opposition to used car lots in some parts of town. It seems any vacant building or piece of land can be opened as a car lot for very little investment. This bill would remove the distinction between used car lots and new car lots and impose new restrictions. This bill was on first reading on public hearing on October 1 and to my surprise no one spoke on it on either side. From that meeting it was deferred and then deferred again to this meeting. For a better understanding of why this is on the agenda, see the staff analysis. This bill was disapproved by the planning commission.

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 seven bills on third reading. None of them have unresolved issues or of much importance.

Memorializing Resolutions: There are three memorizing resolutions on this agenda. Unless someone objects they will be added to the consent agenda and passed as group with other resolutions. Memorializing resolutions do not have the force of law and simply express the will of the council. Most often memorializing resolutions simply honor someone on their retirement or recognized a sports team for a victory but on occasion they are used to express the will of the Council advocating a policy position on a State or National issue. Here are two worth noting:

• RESOLUTION NO. RS2014-984 requests the Davidson County Delegation to the Tennessee General Assembly to introduce and support the necessary legislation to provide a dedicated funding source for local mass transit. While I have reservations about the AMP and oppose its current route and configuration, I believe that it is time for Nashville to begin to develop an improved system of mass transit. The fare box cannot pay the cost of mass transit. I am not ready to endorse any increased tax to support mass transit, but may reach that point. I could support this resolution which would permit Nashville to establish a dedicated source of funding. We could have the argument about the size and what the source of funding is at a later date. Since several bills addressing mass transit are on First Reading, I wish this would be put off to track the other bills on this topic, but would not oppose it.
• RESOLUTION NO. RS2014-985 honors Senator Douglas Henry on the occasion of his retirement as a Tennessee State Senator. I suspect this will be moved to the front of the agenda and Henry will be honored with a large scroll and a standing ovation. Senator Henry is the last of his kind and one of my very favorite Democrats. He deserves to be honored.

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