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Tuesday, November 28, 2023
Monday, November 27, 2023
State data shows 90 percent of MNPS elementary students falling behind in 36 schools
And dozens of Metro Nashville Public Schools' (MNPS) elementary schools show even worse numbers.
An analysis by FOX 17 News found that in 36 schools, less than 10 percent of students are testing at grade level in math. Of those, 19 schools have less than five percent of students testing at grade level. (read more)
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Tax Relief or Tax Freeze may keep an elderly person or disabled person from losing their home.
These programs are the Tax Relief program and the Tax Freeze program. If you have a friend or relative who is elderly or disabled and is struggling financially, please make them aware of these programs. If you are a minister, or someone who works at a social service agency, or someone who delivers meals-on-wheels, or the president of a neighborhood organization, or anyone who encounters people with low income, please familiarize yourself with these programs. Making a timely referral may keep someone from losing their home. The following information and more information about these programs can be found at this link.
Tax Relief/Exemptions
Do the elderly, disabled or disabled veterans receive any discounts or exemptions?
Eligibility requirements include: age/ disability; ownership/ residency; and income. To apply for property tax relief you must meet these three basic criteria - these are described below. Reimbursements for the property taxes of low-income homeowners who are elderly or disabled are provided by the state of Tennessee. Reimbursements are given on all or part of the local taxes paid on property which the taxpayer owns and uses as his/her residence.
Age/Disability
During the tax year for which they are applying, an applicant must turn 65 on or before December 31. In order to apply as a disabled homeowner, a person must have become disabled on or before December 31 of the year. An applicant may apply if they are awaiting a decision on their disability claim. The state office must receive the final decision by May 31 following the delinquency date. The final decision must indicate their disability began on or before December 31 of the tax year.
Ownership/Residency
An applicant must be able to document that they had ownership of the taxable property during the tax year. Ownership may be documented by a tax bill/receipt, warranty deed, probated will, title or bill of sale for a mobile home.
Income Requirement (Elderly or Disabled Homeowners)
The combined annual income from all sources of all the living owners of record and spouse of the applicant is required and cannot exceed $31,190 for the 2020 calendar year. Annual income from all sources shall include, but is not limited to, Social Security payments after the Medicare deduction, supplemental security income, retirement and pension benefits, veteran's benefits, worker's compensation, unemployment compensation, salaries and wages, alimony, total interest and total dividends. For income from a business, include only the net income or loss after expenses.
Disabled Veterans
Disabled veterans must have a 100% disability rating. The disability must meet specific criteria under service connection, be combat - related or the result of being a prisoner of war. For veteran applicants there is no income limit. Tax relief is paid on the first $175,000 of market value of the home.
Tax Freeze
Under the program, qualifying homeowners age 65 and older can "freeze" the tax due on their property at the amount for the year they qualify, even if tax rates increase. Applicants must turn 65 on or before December 31 during the tax year for which they are applying. Applicants must present:
- Proof of age (birth certificate, Medicare card, driver's license, passport, etc.)
- Proof of ownership (current tax bill or receipt, recorded deed, etc.)
- Evidence property is principal residence (voter registration card, etc.)
Further, income records must be provided showing the total income of all owners of the property during 2020 does not exceed $44,510 for Davidson County. Income records include Federal tax returns, with all attachments, or other items acceptable to the Trustee. All applicants must sign an income verification form permitting the Trustee to contact IRS, SSA or the State Division of Property Assessment to verify income. The application is a public record, but the financial documents remain confidential.
Applications for the Tax Freeze must be filed by April 5, each year, and applicants may contact the Office of the Trustee at 615-862-6330. If you need information concerning the program, please feel free to call us with any questions.
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At what point should Metro Nashville Public Schools introduce Trans and LGBTG+ flags and ideology?
by Rod Williams, Nov. 16, 2023- According to this post from Gina Sillks on Nextdoor, this is what is going in kindergarten in a Metro school. Young children should not be subjected to this kind of indoctrination. If sometimes it seems conservative parents are on a crusade to "ban books" or otherwise censor what is taught in schools, it does not just come out of the blue. Sometimes there may be an overreaction, but there is just cause to be concerned with liberal indoctrination of children in public schools.
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Sunday, November 26, 2023
The Bastiat Society of Nashville presents, "Tennessee’s Freedom: Where Do Volunteers Stand?" with Jason Sorens
Tue Nov 28th 6:00pm - 8:00pm (CST)
Richland Country Club, 1 Club Dr, Nashville, TN 37215,
AIER’s Bastiat Society program in Nashville will host an event with Jason Sorens, Senior Research Faculty at AIER.
The brand-new edition of Freedom in the 50 States: An Index of Personal and Economic Freedom (Cato Institute) drops this month, with data valid as of the start of this year. Tennessee has been one of the freest states in the country in recent years. Is that still true? Where does Tennessee do well, and where could it improve? How has the state changed in recent years? What does the research tell us about the effects of freedom on people and the economy?
Eventbrite Ticket Required. Register here.
Schedule:
6:00 - 6:30 pm: Networking
6:30 - 7:15 pm: Presentation
7:15 - 7:30 pm: Q & A
Ticket Prices:
$0 for Founding Members
$10 for Annual Members
$20 for Non-Members
$0 for Actively enrolled university students who register with a .edu email address. Those who register with a non .edu email address will be unregistered and asked to purchase tickets at full price.
More about the speaker:
Jason Sorens is an economist at the American Institute for Economic Research. He has taught at Yale, Buffalo, Dartmouth, and Saint Anselm College, and his work focuses on state economic policies, land-use regulation, and real estate economics. Jason received his B.A. in economics and philosophy from Washington and Lee and his Ph.D. in political science from Yale.
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Congress and Society needs Standards, Rules, Decorum, and Manners.
McCarthy and Tennessee's Tim Burchett that may or may have not turned physical. Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Peggy Noonan reports that this is not the only time this charge has been made against McCarthy. She writes that Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R., Ill.), in a memoir published earlier this year, wrote that Mr. McCarthy had twice gotten physical with him in almost exactly the same way.
This is astounding and embarrassing. This, however, is not the only indication of lack of decorum and of incivility in Congress. See this excerpt from Noonan's piece:
Also this week, in a public hearing, Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R., Okla.) challenged Teamsters President Sean O’Brien to a fight. Mr. O’Brien had gotten lippy on Twitter, calling Mullin a “moron” and “full of s—.” Why not fight it out here, at the hearing? Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) stopped it—“God knows the American people have enough contempt for politics, let’s not make it worse.” Afterward Mr. Mullin told an Oklahoma podcaster how he fights and what we missed. “By the way, I’m not afraid of biting.” “I’ll bite 100%. In a fight, I’m gonna bite. I’ll do anything, I’m not above it. And I don’t care where I bite, by the way.”
She goes on to report of other incidents of representatives calling each other "corrupt" and "liar." Marjorie Taylor Green called Rep. Lauren Boebert (R., Colo.), “a little bitch” on the House floor. Noonan reports that Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D., N.Y.) pleaded guilty to falsely pulling a fire alarm in a Capitol Hill office building, which had to be evacuated. Prior to pleading guilty to the charge, he had denied it and compared his Republican critics to Nazis.
What is this, high school? What is going on? There have been other times in our history when Congress was intemperate. In 1850 in a debate over slavery, heated debate led to name calling and one Senator pulled a gun on another, but the senator was subdued before anyone was shot. In 1856 in another debate over slavery one senator used his cane to beat another senator unconscious. And there have been other brawls, but not that often. What we are experiencing now is quite unusual for modern times.
Part of what is going on I think is that Congress is representative of society. We live in such a polarized age that people tend to think of people with a different view as evil rather than just wrong or someone with a different point of view. Compromise is seen as betrayal and lack of fidelity to principles. One should not compromise with evil, is the reasoning. Not only should one not compromise or seek common ground, but one should not even associate with the enemy.
I also think that part of what may be responsible for the intense partisanship is that members of Congress don't get to know each other as much as they did in the past. Most congress people fly in just in time for sessions and fly home for the weekend. It is reported that there is much less of a Washington culture than in the past. People who don't spend time together, probably do not get to the point of liking each other. If you personally like someone it is easier to seek common ground. It is also more likely that you can argue your position without demonizing the other person. We know that there is a great sorting going on in America. People live in clusters of people who share their values. I have a close relative who is liberal and belongs to a long-standing book club. She told me that one of the criteria for accepting a new member was that the potential member had to be a Democrat. I think that same attitude exists in Congress. Fewer Republicans and Democrats know each other.
Not only do Republicans and Democrats not know each other, they hardly share the same society. I am old enough to remember when the talk around the water cooler was how funny Johnny Carson was the night before. Now, there are fewer things people have in common. They don't share the same comedy and entertainment. Sports may be common bonding factor, but there are few such things that cross a partisan divide. And, people certainly do not get the same information. Major newspapers have declined and people consume news that expresses a point of view with which they agree. A person who watches Fox News is not going to believe something reported on MSNBC and vice versa.
Also, the role of social media and 24-hour cable news has changed people's behavior. Reasoned discussion does not get noticed and this means there is less of it. Action and loudness and inflammatory rhetoric gets one noticed and behavior reflects this. I also think Donald Trump poisoned the well. He brought an entertaining reality TV showmanship to politics. He made bullying and name calling an art form. His behavior paid off and he has a lot of emulators.
Also, I think, more than anything there has been a change in our society regarding manners and respect and decorum. Starting in the late 60's the attitude of "let it all hang out" came to the forefront and this has only grown since then. Telling people what you really think became a virtue. Manners were seen as hypocrisy and formality was seen as phony. "Get real," "tell it like it is," and "don't sugar coat it" became admonitions as ways a person should conduct themselves. I think it is this attitude that can lead to bullying, name calling and punches.
A few months ago in Tennessee we had an incident in which three members of the State House refused to follow the rules and took a bull horn and led chants from the House floor. When expelled for their behavior, they became national celebrities and were hailed as heroes, even being honored at the White House. If this is the kind of behavior that gets honored, this is the kind of behavior of which you will have more. Taking to the floor and leading a mob is not democracy. Democracy does not work without rules and boundaries and decorum.
Many speeches in Congress in which one is going to disagree with a colleague begin with, "My good friend from the great state of _______, said ...." That is not being phony. It is setting an attitude of respect.
I even think the way one dresses reflects respect for the institution and office one seeks or holds. It is not uncommon for people to even show up at funerals and weddings dressed like they are going to the gym. Durning the recent mayor's race, at one of the mayoral forums, of the crowded nine or ten people on stage only one of the women looked well-groomed and professional and only one of the men wore a necktie. Several of them looked like they had just come in from doing yard work. I think the relaxation in office work attire from the days when one always had to wear a tie is a good thing. When working, I liked "casual Friday." However, I want my mayor, minister, and banker, and Congressman to wear a tie. The Senate almost changed its dress code so Senator Fetterman could wear his hoddie and gym shorts, but common sense prevailed, and the change was not made. At least for now, that small degree of respect for the institution remains.
Society and Congress needs to endorse standards and rules and decorum, and manners. Saying "please," "excuse me," and "thank you," is the lube that keeps people civil. Being slow to take offense is a matter of habit and does not imply weakness. Listening and trying to understand the other point of view is not a violation of one's principles. Some points of view do not fit on a bumper sticker or Facebook meme and one should not try to reduce all arguments to such. Being thoughtful is not being wishy-washy. Having rules by which to proceed in a debate or conduct a meeting is not anti-democratic. One needs rules to play a game and one needs rules to conduct business. The absense of the rules is mob rule and leads to chaos.
I do not want to return to a time of extreme formality, but we need rules and decorum and respect. If rules, and decorum, and politeness, and manner, and respect are hypocrisy, hypocrisy is a virtue.
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Thursday, November 23, 2023
Log Cabin Republicans Christmas Party, This Saturday, December 2
 Enjoy an evening of fellowship with Morgan Ortagus and other fellow Republicans at the Log Cabin Republicans Christmas Party from 6pm to 9pm at The Conrad Hotel. Click HERE to RSVP. |
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This Saturday, December 2, The Bellevue Breakfast Club welcomes longtime political commentator and businessman Crom Carmichael.
The Bellevue Breakfast Club welcomes longtime political commentator and businessman Crom Carmichael. Meet the man behind the voice for a special morning full of "Crommentary" at The Plantation Pub (8321 Sawyer Brown Road). You are encouraged to bring a child's coat and/or unwrapped toy to donate, as well! |
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Wednesday, November 22, 2023
Transition team recommends Nashville mayor consider proposing 2024 transit referendum
O’Connell plans to hire a Transportation Policy Director before the year’s end to determine the possibility of a transit referendum on the 2024 ballot.
WSMV4, Nov. 21, 2023 ... the transition team suggested it be on the November 2024 ballot, when turnout is highest. The last transit referendum, which proposed several light rail and rapid bus transit lines, failed in 2018. O’Connell said Tuesday that he does not anticipate proposing an extensive light rail service but instead a dedicated bus system with a network of transit centers across the city.
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Tuesday, November 21, 2023
FIRST TUESDAY NASHVILLE WELCOMES Tennessee State Senator JACK JOHNSON
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