Senator Brian Kelsey, Senator Jack Johnson and former U. S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales are among the Republican featured in this clip.
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Thursday, October 23, 2014
Top Leaders Talk About Amendment 2
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Today, Oct.30th, is the Last Day for Early Voting. Polls Open till 8PM.
Today is the last day for early voting. The ballot for the upcoming State and Federal General Election
includes races for the U.S. Congress, Governor, Tennessee State Senate
and House of Representatives, four amendments and the Wine-in-Grocery
Stores referendum.
Early voting is available at Metro’s Howard Office Building, 700
Second Ave. South, and these ten other voting locations.
- Belle Meade City Hall, 4705 Harding Pike, Nashville 37205
- Bellevue Community Center, 656 Colice Jeanne Road, Nashville 37221
- Bordeaux Library, 4000 Clarksville Pike, Nashville 37218
- Conexión Américas @Casa Azafrán, 2195 Nolensville Pike, Nashville 37211
- Crossings Event Center, 5380 Hickory Hollow Parkway, Antioch 37013
- Edmondson Pike Library, 5501 Edmondson Pike, Nashville 37211
- Goodlettsville City Hall, 105 South Main Street, Goodlettsville 37072
- Green Hills Library, 3701 Benham Ave., Nashville 37215
- Hermitage Library, 3700 James Kay Lane, Hermitage 37076
- Madison Library, 610 Gallatin Pike South, Madison 37115
For a sample ballot marked with my suggestions, see below. I am not voting in the governor's race in order to lower the threshold of votes necessary for the amendments to pass. If I was voting in the governor's race, i would be voting for Bill Haslam.
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Bobbie Patray of Tennessee Eagle Forum explains Amendment 2
While I am in favor of amendment number two, I realized that many conservative activist are opposed. I am not going to have a falling out with anyone over this issue. It is an issue about which reasonable people can disagree. In this Facebook post from May 10 Bobby Patray explains why politics is often the art of the possible and Amendment 2 is all we can hope for and is better than what we have now. Rod
There seems to be a lot of confusion about Amendment 2. I would like to bring some clarity to the discussion.
Let me start by saying -- unlike some of the posts I am reading, if amendment 2 is defeated, we WILL NOT HAVE DIRECT ELECTION OF JUDGES! We will go back to only the 'retention' elections like we have now for Supreme Court justices and appellate judges.
The debate about this issue was hot and heavy. As the debate unfolded in the General Assembly, there were three schools of thought: 1. Maintain retention (what we have now); 2. return to direct elections as the Constitution requires (which, for many reasons, does give me a bit of heartburn) or; 3. the compromise which is on the ballot.
It was only the compromise that could get enough votes to get through the long amending process and to get on the ballot. And while it certainly isn't perfect, I think it is much better than going back to the flawed present 'retention' process. And who knows how much longer it would be before we could get another amendment on the ballot. So there you have it.....one more case of "Politics being the art of the possible."
What was finally decided was to do something similar the the federal requirement for justices.
What the amendment will do is give Tennesseans three votes in the selection of our appellate judges:
Bobbie Patray May 10 · Nashville, TN
Let me start by saying -- unlike some of the posts I am reading, if amendment 2 is defeated, we WILL NOT HAVE DIRECT ELECTION OF JUDGES! We will go back to only the 'retention' elections like we have now for Supreme Court justices and appellate judges.
The debate about this issue was hot and heavy. As the debate unfolded in the General Assembly, there were three schools of thought: 1. Maintain retention (what we have now); 2. return to direct elections as the Constitution requires (which, for many reasons, does give me a bit of heartburn) or; 3. the compromise which is on the ballot.
It was only the compromise that could get enough votes to get through the long amending process and to get on the ballot. And while it certainly isn't perfect, I think it is much better than going back to the flawed present 'retention' process. And who knows how much longer it would be before we could get another amendment on the ballot. So there you have it.....one more case of "Politics being the art of the possible."
What was finally decided was to do something similar the the federal requirement for justices.
What the amendment will do is give Tennesseans three votes in the selection of our appellate judges:
• By voting for the governor, who will make the appointments.
• By voting for our state senators and representatives, who will confirm or reject the appointments.
• By voting to keep or fire the judges at the end of their respective terms.
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GOV. WINFIELD DUNN THROWS SUPPORT BEHIND DIANA CUELLAR IN STATE SENATE RACE
 |
| Gov. Winfield Dunn and Diana Cuellar |
“I am honored to have received the support of Governor Winfield Dunn. He is a wonderful man who has been a huge asset to our state throughout the years. I am equally humbled by the kind words he recently had to say,” said Cuellar.
Governor Dunn released the following statement regarding Diana Cuellar: “I am so proud to support Diana because she is a fine example of one who wishes to serve,” said Governor Dunn.
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Tonight Oct. 30th: See the Future at upcoming NashvilleNext meetings.
I have kind of lost interest in NashvilleNext. When the process first started a couple years ago, I attended several of the meeting and heard experts speak on a wide range of issue involving land use, planning, and mass transit and changing demographics. I have always been somewhat interested in these topics and do think that one of the reasons some cities are much more desirable places to live than other cities is because of wise planning. I found the sessions interesting and thought-provoking. I also took part in the on-line surveys and some of the discussion session. In the work sessions I put my opinions on little post-em notes and I put my allocated little post-em dots on the choices offered.
Recently however, I have felt like this is all one big "dog and pony show" and the results have already been determined and the public participation is just for show. Also, some of the choices come down to something like, "do you like good, or do you like bad?" I feel like we are being led to a pre determiend conclusion.
I was disappointing that there has not been much diversity of opinion at these meetings. This process started about the same time as the craziness about Agenda 21 was at its peak, when the John Birch Society was training Agenda 21 experts to resist any aspect of Agenda 21. People were being warned that there was a major conspiracy afoot to force us to give up our cars and golf courses and suburban lifestyle and all live in small apartments in the city. The Anti-Agenda 21 people were alerting us that you could id advocates of Agenda 21 if they used words like "sustainability," "communities," "affordable housing," and "justice". Everything from green ways to wide shady sidewalks to bike share programs to traffic calming was said to be part of the plot. Surprisingly, none of the anti-agenda 21 people showed up at NashvilleNext. They could have had field day! I guess I am glad they didn't show up but it would have at least presented some diversity of opinion. It would have made the meetings more interesting.
The value for planners of this NashvilleNext process is that after the plan is adopted they can say, this plan was developed by the people of Nashville in a long involved process and it really is the "people's plan," that it represents community consensus and that x number of people attended x number of meetings an x number of people participated on line. I don't know how much this process is going to cost us by the time we are finished. I tried to find that answer on line but couldn't. I think we would be about as well off it we would have let the planning department and their consultants draw up the plan, present it to the planning commission, then the Metro Council, had a public hearing, and then the Council adopt it. I don't think the NashvilleNext process makes the final product any more valid than if we would have followed the legislative process I outlined above and it would have cost a lot less.
While I have lost interest in the process, I still may attend one of the meetings to "see the possible future that Nashvillians picked." If one cares about the future of Nashville and wants to be informed, I think one should attend. I would suggest anyone who is thinking about running for Council attend and learn what is in the plan. Also, I hope that some people will dig deep into the final documents to see what it is we are exactly getting when the final plan is adopted. The process by which this plan was developed should not make members of the Council any less diligent in examining it before they adopt it.
Below is the announcement from Cumberland Region Tomorrow:
NashvilleNext: “Preferred Future” workshops announced. Make plans to attend!
Make plans to attend one of five upcoming NashvilleNext community gatherings in October and November to see the possible future that Nashvillians picked and discuss what’s next for Nashville!
During the meeting, Metro Planning will present a “preferred future”– a direction our city and county could possibly take over the next 25 years. This “preferred future” is based on thousands of comments by and conversations with community members over the past year and a half.
Public input on this “preferred future” will help shape a draft General Plan which will guide Nashville community’s growth, progress, and preservation through 2040.
CRT’s role with NashvilleNext is to engage our ten county region’s leaders in the development of a unified vision and plan for Nashville’s future growth and development. Please take the time to attend and provide your input at one of these important community meetings:
Thursday, October 30th at 5 pm–Rocketown (601 Fourth Avenue South)
Monday, November 3rd at 6pm–Whites Creek High School
Thursday, November 6th at 6pm–Hillwood High School
Monday, November 10th at 6pm–McGavock High School
Thursday, November 20th at 6 pm –Southeast Library Complex (at the Global Mall)
For additional information, visit the NashvilleNext website.
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Wednesday, October 22, 2014
You Don’t Know Bo. The Bo Mitchell link to Barry Stokes, mastermind behind most destructive Ponzi scheme in Tennessee history.
TNGOP releases documents, unveils YouDontKnowBo.com revealing a disturbing link between Bo Mitchell and one of the most destructive Ponzi schemes in Tennessee history
Press release, NASHVILLE, Tenn.- When
$19 million dollars goes missing, people ask questions. When an elected
official has a connection to the company that lost it, voters get mad.
 | |
| Metro Councilman and State Rep. Bo Mitchell |
Stokes was the mastermind who, as CEO and sole owner of 1 Point Solutions, LLC, a Dickson, Tennessee-based company, “engaged in the business of third party administration for various types of employee benefit plans such as 401(k) retirement plans, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)” for numerous companies and government entities. A U.S. Department of Justice press release reveals Stokes was charged with 78 counts of embezzlement, wire fraud, money laundering, and mail fraud. He embezzled “over $19 million from thousands of victims’” accounts. Stokes pled guilty to the charges.
A deeper look through court filings and rulings reveal a familiar name was connected to Stokes: Bo Mitchell. In a personal memo, Mitchell admitted to being “hired (to 1 Point Solutions, LLC) by Stokes…to establish a market share of sales within the public sector.“ In other words, Bo Mitchell was hired to target taxpayer-funded government entities. Later in the memo, Mitchell takes credit for securing “over 17,000 participants and…billing in excess of $60,000 per month.” In April of 2006, both the Stokes Ponzi scheme and the fact that 1 Point Solutions was a front company for the scheme were uncovered. Soon thereafter, Stokes and 1 Point Solutions, LLC, filed for bankruptcy. With the scheme’s house of cards caving in, Mitchell parted ways with the company and appears to have pursued a career in political consulting. Ironically, 2006 was also the year Stokes made his largest single contribution to the Tennessee Democratic Party to the tune of $20,000. Bo Mitchell—Stokes’ just-departed employee—worked as a consultant for the TNDP. Mitchell collected almost the same dollar amount Stokes contributed to the TNDP as detailed in 3rd quarter, pre-general election, and 4th quarter financial disclosures.
 |
| Barry Stokes, the politically ambitious con man died in prison in 2010 |
In 2008—two years after the shocking revelation of the Ponzi scheme and the sudden downfall of both Stokes and 1 Point Solutions, a Nashville City Paper profile of Mitchell confirms he “had the unfortunate distinction of working for 1 Point Solutions” and being connected to Stokes. In fact, it states Bo Mitchell was introduced to political insiders by Stokes. From the article, “more than one councilman said their initial introduction to Mitchell came through Stokes.”
Then in 2009, two years after he was elected to Metro Council and a year after Stokes pled guilty to the charges, Bo Mitchell filed two separate claims. One showed he cashed out his entire 401(k) Account in 2006—just prior to 1 Point Solutions filing for bankruptcy—taking the employer contribution to the account with him.
The second claim was for $40,000—money Mitchell claimed was owed to him by the bankrupt Ponzi scheme company for signing up 17,000 people. He asserted this was post-employment commission money that he should be paid. Keep in mind, this was well after it was made public the company was a front organization for a Ponzi scheme and after Mitchell should have learned he brought people into it. The second claim was rejected by the court for “insufficient documentation.” A review of the filings show Mitchell took credit for signing up Nashville Metro schools, Metro government, Hamilton County schools, and several other school systems, government entities, and companies. All told, Mitchell's clients’ losses accounted for nearly one million dollars of the $19 million lost in the Ponzi scheme, a substantial portion of which was taxpayer money.
Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Chris Devaney stated, “These documents reveal an alarming connection between Barry Stokes, the Bernie Madoff of Tennessee, and Bo Mitchell. Representative Mitchell’s actions raise serious questions about his judgment and integrity as an elected official in charge of taxpayer dollars. How does one learn that he’s responsible for signing 17,000 participants into a Ponzi scheme and then, in good conscience, attempt to go back and get more money that was obtained in such a destructive way? The voters of Nashville should be very concerned.”
To provide documentation relating to the case, the TNGOP has posted the documents and a timeline at: www.YouDontKnowBo.com.
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What happened at the Council Meeting of 10-21-14: The Gulch-Pedestrian-Bridge-is-approved meeting.
To find a copy of the staff analysis, council agenda and my commentary on the agenda, follow this link.
This council meeting is conducted by Lonnell Matthews, Jr., President pro tem of the Council whose duty it is to conduct the meeting in the absence of the Vice Mayor.
There are 14 appointments of boards and commissions rapidly confirmed as always is the case. The Council nominates two people for election to the Health and Education Facilities Board which will occur at the November 4th meeting. I am not that knowledgeable about what this board does and do not know the nominees.
All resolutions on the Consent Agenda pass and one resolution is withdrawn at the request of the administration. Included in those that pass are these resolutions of interest:
- RESOLUTION NO. RS2014-1253 which is part of the deal to build a new $35.5 million parking garage downtown. This resolution ups the price of the project to $42 million while reducing the number of parking spaces from 1183 to 1000.
- RESOLUTION NO. RS2014-1254 which appropriates $250,000 through a grant contract with Oasis Center to provide support for the Mayor’s Scholars Academy.
- RESOLUTION NO. RS2014-1265 which approves an agreement between the state department of transportation (TDOT) and the Metro Arts Commission for the installation of the sculpture called ''Stixs" at the new Korean Veterans roundabout.
Bills on Third Reading:
BILL NO. BL2014-670 is the Gulch pedestrian bridge bill which authorizes the acquisition of easements and right of ways to build the bridge. The bridge is already in the capital improvement budget and funding is authorized, so if the Council had wanted to delay or kill the $18 million bridge this was the opportunity to do it. Back a few months ago, the Council was presented with this proposal and they defeated it. At that time, it was to be funded by bonds paid for out of general revenues, and the Mayor came back with this revised proposal to fund it by Tax Increment Financing. To see my commentary on why I think the financing method is nothing more than a shell game and why I opposed moving forward with this project at this time, see this. Last Council meeting, the Council passed this on a voice vote. I am pleased to see there was a recorded vote on this.
The council votes 30-7 to approve this bill without discussion. Those voting "no" are council members Charlie Tygard, Steve Glover, Emily Evans, Larry Hagar, Bruce Stanley, Robert Duvall. and Carter Todd.
BILL NO. BL2014-838 is the bill that would remove historical overlay protection for part of lower Broadway. This is a complex issue and the Council engages in some adept and rare parliamentary procedures. To understand the issue and the maneuvers on the bill you must watch the video carefully. To see the discussion see time stamp 27:02- 50:30. Below is how the Tennessean described this issue:
In other business Tuesday, historic preservationists scored a victory, with the council voting down a plan that could have led to a makeover of the historic Trail West store building on Lower Broadway.
At issue is a block of property at Broadway and Third Avenue South still unprotected by the rest of the area’s historic overlay, as a way to accommodate a Westin Hotel proposed in 2007 but never built.
Councilwoman Erica Gilmore, who represents downtown, had proposed an ordinance to extend the historic overlay to include this block, but at the last minute had sought to exclude the Trail West property at 217-219 Broadway. There, broker Marshall Karr, who recently purchased the property, is eyeing a three-story, open-air structure anchored by a steakhouse.
Gilmore’s amendment to exclude the Trail West building from the overlay, however, failed by a 14-20 vote. Later, Gilmore’s motion to withdraw the legislation, which could have enabled the demolition of the building, failed as well by a 12-21 vote.
“Historic preservation is what makes downtown Nashville great,” said Councilwoman Emily Evans, who sought to protect the Trail West building. “It is the golden goose. Let’s not kill it.”There are two memorializing resolutions on the agenda.
- RESOLUTION NO. RS2014-1252 request President Obama and Congress "to select public infrastructure improvements as the priority activity of the United States to upgrade the current substandard infrastructure of the nation, strengthen the national economy, and support healthy and vibrant communities in the United States." It is deferred again having also been deferred last meeting. I do not think the Council should be weighing in on national policy issues such as this and I hope the sponsor will withdraw this resolution or it is voted down when it comes back up.
- RESOLUTION NO. RS2014-1268 sponsored by Charlie Tygard is a resolution requesting the Davidson County Delegation to the Tennessee General Assembly to introduce and support the necessary legislation to allow the Metropolitan Council to make Metropolitan Government General Sessions Court judicial elections nonpartisan. The resolution had failed in the committee to which it was assigned and fails in the Council 10-13-7. Most of the "good" council members voted for it. (To see the discussion see 1:03:01- 1:07:37.)
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Tuesday, October 21, 2014
More on the Metro Council Agenda tonight: the historic integrity of Broadway threatened.
I missed the importance of this bill when reviewing the agenda. This was posted to Facebook by Council member Emily Evans.
This carve out is not fair to other property owners and defeats the original intent of the 2006 zoning initiatives to save the Trail West Building. Please write Council at Councilmembers@nashville.gov and ask them to defer BL 2014-838 for further discussion and debate on the impact to the historic integrity of the area.
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What is on the Council agenda for Oct. 21? Stix and a Bridge.
Council meeting can be really, really boring if you don't know what the council is voting on. If you have your own copy of the Metro Council agenda and the staff analysis the meetings are still boring, just not really, really boring.
There are 14 appointments of boards and commissions to be confirmed. Since the Council never rejects or questions anyone, all will be rapidly confirmed.
There are 14 resolution on the consent agenda. A resolution is put on the consent agenda if it is
 |
| Ghost Dance |
- RESOLUTION NO. RS2014-1253 is part of the deal to build a new $35.5 million parking garage downtown. This resolution ups the price of the project to $42 million while reducing the number of parking spaces from 1183 to 1000. Still, the pro forma shows parking revenue should be sufficient to repay the bonds.
- RESOLUTION NO. RS2014-1254 appropriates $250,000 through a grant contract with Oasis Center to provide support for the Mayor’s Scholars Academy. The Scholars Academy is a free summer enrichment program to help students succeed in high school and
prepare for college. In the most recent budget $650,000 was allocated for this program. In addition to the $250K, Oasis is providing another $185K in funding from other sources. I wonder if that other money is real money or in-kind services? I hope someone in Budget and Finance ask that question. I have written grants and reviewed grants. I know that some grant applications show an awfully lot of inflated "in-kind" match. Also, I wonder why this is not provided by the school system itself. Was a Request for Proposals issued or was Oasis awarded the grant without considering any other potential providers? Among the impressive members of the Board of Directors of Oasis is former Mayor Bill Purcell and Councilman Fabian Bedne.
Musica - RESOLUTION NO. RS2014-1265 approves an agreement to between the state department of transportation (TDOT) and the Metro Arts Commission for the installation of the sculpture called ''Stixs" at the new Korean Veterans roundabout. That is the new roundabout near the Music City Center where 8th and Murfressboro Road come together. I am not opposed to public art. However, I think $750.000 is a lot of money to pay for 30 painted telephone poles. Now I know some people don't like the
Schermerhorn fountain nude dancers at the Music Row roundabout. I like that one a lot. No, I don't wish they were wearing clothes. I also like that a philanthropist donated it rather than the city buying it. I also like that it is by a local artist. I think Ghost Dance across the river from the dead end of Lower Broad looks like some left over construction debris or a roller coaster under construction. I like both the fountain with the sculpture in front of the Schermerhorn and I like the one of the angle writing on a CD while looking at the Country Music Hall of Fame. I also like that they were not paid for with public money. I think we ought to rethink spending money on public art. I think some average citizens should sit on the board that makes the recommendations instead of people with an arts background, I think local artist or regional artist should be given preference and maybe from a selection of several they should be submitted to a referendum or a poll. Assuming Stix is build we are going to put up with it forever. For $750K could we not have gotten a fountain or something better? Instead of spending public money, maybe the luxury of art in public places should be a civic project funded by donations.
There are twelve bills on Second Reading and I don't find any of them of particular interest and don't see any of them as controversial.
There are seventeen bills on Third and final reading and only one of interest:
- BILL NO. BL2014-670 is
the Gulch pedestrian bridge bill. It authorizes the acquisition of
easements and right of ways to build the bridge. The bridge is already
in the capital improvement budget and funding is authorized, so if the
Council wants to delay or kill the $16 million bridge this is the
opportunity to do it. I am not opposed to the project. I think it would
be nice addition to the growing downtown. However, given that we have
failed to build very many new sidewalks in residential neighborhoods and
given the cumulative debt the city has taken on, I think this project
should be put on hold maybe until after the next mayor is elected. The
funding mechanism the mayor has proposed is Tax Increment Financing. TIF
pays off the debt for the project with increased revenue generated by
development attributable to the project. We often finance projects like
this. In some cases the increased revenue would certainly not have
occurred had not the project occurred. In the case of the pedestrian
bridge that is a hard argument to make. If financed by TIF, the debt
for the project will be paid
for by revenue from the area before those developments start paying money into the general fund. So, this is kind of like making a decision to pay for something out of one pocket versus a different pocket. It really doesn't make a lot of difference, it still cost the taxpayers money. When this was on second reading it passed by a voice vote and no one asked to have their vote recorded. Why, I don't know. It only takes five councilmen to ask for a roll call vote and there then must be a machine vote. Any member may ask to have their vote recorded. I will very disappointed if this is not a recorded vote. The council should not hide behind a voice vote on this issue. If a member of the Council is reading this, please call for a roll call vote.
The Gulch Pedestrian Bridge
- RESOLUTION NO. RS2014-1252
request President Obama and Congress "to select
public infrastructure improvements as the priority activity of the United States to upgrade the current substandard infrastructure of the nation, strengthen the national economy, and support healthy and vibrant communities in the United States." While our nation does have infrastructure problems, I don't think the Metro Council ought to be advising Congress of what the budget priorities should be. We have elected Senators and Congressmen to make those decisions on our behalf. So, unless the Council is going to evaluate the entire federal budget and become as knowledgeable as Congress about the choices we face, then the Council should focus on the Metro budget and let Congress focus on the federal budget. I would vote against this if I were in the Council. This was on the agenda last meeting but was deferred. I hope this is defeated or withdrawn.
Stix - RESOLUTION NO. RS2014-1268 A resolution requesting the Davidson County Delegation to the Tennessee General Assembly to introduce and support the necessary legislation to allow the Metropolitan Council to make Metropolitan Government General Sessions Court judicial elections nonpartisan. I am not sure how I feel about this. I would have to think about it. Republicans did not succeed in getting any of their nominees elected last time, and I am almost certain that some of the elected judges are Democrat in name only, so this may be good idea. Also, Council and Mayor run as non-partisan candidates, so why not candidates for judge?
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Top Business Groups Across Tennessee Support Amendment 2
Press Release, Nashville, Tenn.
–
Top business
organizations
from across the state
are urging
their
members
and supporters
to Vote YES on 2
this
November.
Amendment 2, the second of four proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot this
November
,
brings greater clarity and accountability to the way we
select
the state’s
appellate court judges
so we get
the fair and impartial judges
that Tennesseans want and
need.
“Our ability to attract and keep
businesses in our state relies in part
on
having
a stable
, fair
and impartial judiciary,” said
Clay Thompson, Chairman
of the Tennessee Chamber of
Commerce &Industry, and President of Caterpillar Financial
Insurance Services in
Nashville
.
“Amendment 2 gives
voters the chance to put
an end to the legal challenges
the
current process
has faced which threatens to
destabilize our judiciary and weaken our
state.”
Amendment 2 keeps the best parts of our current system by continuing to
have
the
Governor appoint the most qualified persons as appellate judges, while adding a new layer
of accountability by having our elected representatives in the legislature confirm or reject
the Governor’s appointees
. Most importantly, Amendment 2
protects the right of
Tennesseans to vote to
retain
or
replace
the judges at the end of their respective terms.
“Tennessean’s want fair and impartial judges held accountable to the people,” said Gary
Shorb, President of the Tennessee Business Roundtable, and CEO of Methodist LeBonheur
Healthcare in Memphis. “We think Amendment 2 strikes the right balance in meeting
that
test.
We encourage all Tennessee businesses to work in support of it.”
Some of the
state’s major
business organizations
already
working in
support
of
Amendment 2 include:
• Tennessee Chamber of Commerce &
Industry
•
Tennessee Business Roundtable
•
Tennessee Bankers Association
•
Tennessee Hospital Association
•
Tennessee Business Partnership
•
Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce
•
Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
•
Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce
•
Chattanooga
Area
Chamber of Commerce
•
Rutherford County
Chamber of Commerce
•
Knoxville Chamber of Commerce
•
Kingsport Chamber of Commerce
Amendment 2
has also been endorsed by
a diverse and bipartisan group of
top
leaders
from across the state
,
including Governor Bill Haslam, former Governor Phil Bredesen,
former U.S. Senator Fred Thompson,
former Governor Winfield Dunn, Lt. Governor Ron
Ramsey, House Speaker Beth Harwell, House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh,
former U
.
S
.
Attorney General Albert
o Gonzales,
large bipartisan majorities in the State House and
Senate who voted to place the amendment on the ballot,
as well as other leading
organizations including
the
Tennessee Sheriff’s Association,
Tennessee Farm Bureau
Federation, League of Women Voters, Fraternal Order of Police, Tennessee Bar Association,
and the Women’s Political Collaborative.
Election Day is November 4, 2014, and early voting begins October 15, 2014.
For more
information, visit
VoteYES2.org.
My Comment: I am in favor of all four proposed amendments. Some conservatives are opposed to amendment two because they are angry because they believe we are not currently following the Tennessee Constitution that says appellate judges shall be elected. Currently the governor appoints a judge from a panel of three submitted by a judicial selection committee. The judges serve a period of eight years then stand for a retention election. The Tennessee Supreme Court has ruled that a retention election is an election. I think the Supreme Court is wrong. I am sure when the writers of our constitution said judges would be elected they did not intend that election to be a retention election. Some opponents of amendment two see a vote for the amendment as a capitulation. I understand that. However, I think on its merits, the proposed amendment two is a superior method of selecting judges. It mirrors the way federal appellate judges are appointed. It improves our current system by requiring a governor's appointee be confirmed by the legislature. If amendment two fails, we will not start having contested elections for appellate judges. If amendment two fails, nothing changes.
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Monday, October 20, 2014
Diana Cuellar Lands Major Endorsement In Nashville Senate Race
Press Release, Nashville,
TN – Diana Cuellar, Republican nominee for the District
21 State Senate seat, just received a major endorsement.
Dr. Carol Swain, Vanderbilt
University Law Professor, award winning author, and frequent guest on National
news, has endorsed Diana Cuellar in the 21st District State Senate
Race.
Watch the endorsement here: http://votedianacuellar.com/diana-cuellar-lands-major-endorsement-in-nashville-senate-race-against-jeff-yarbro/
Transcript:
Greetings, I’m Dr. Carol Swain. November 4th is Election Day across the nation. It’s the day we the people get an opportunity to elect news leaders and oust those who betray our values and principles. In Tennessee’s 21st Senate District we have the opportunity to elect a woman who understands fiscal responsibility, the importance of balanced budgets, the value of hard work, and the need for our federal government to address problems with immigration.
Diana Cuellar is a Latina woman, works as a financial advisor, she understands the needs of the district, and its rich diversity. Diana is not beholden to special interest groups and big-pocketed lobbyists like her opponent. She will make the needs and interests of the people in her district her first priority.
If you believe it is time to elect a qualified candidate, that truly understands the needs of the people…one that will stand up to the lobbyists and special interest groups…then vote for Diana Cuellar on November 4th. This is your opportunity to be the people.
Elect a woman who will make a difference.
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