Cece Heil endorsed by Campaign for Working Families

Cece Heil, candidate for the Republican nomination for the 5th Congressional District, has received the endorsement of Campaign for Working Families. CWF is a non-partisan political action committee (PAC) dedicated to electing pro-family, pro-life and pro-free enterprise candidates to public offices.

CWF was founded by Gary Bauer in 1996 to represent the interests and values of America's traditional families in the political arena. Since then it has raised millions of dollars for conservative pro-family candidates across America.

CWF also produces an annual scorecard where they rate Senators and Congressmen. Incumbent Democratic Congressman Jim Cooper received a dismal 9% score from CWF in the most recent scoring, the next to the lowest of any of Tennessee’s nine congressmen. Cooper did score higher than Memphis’s Cohen, however, who scored a perfect zero. Tennessee Congressmen Roe, Duncan, Wamp, and Blackburn scored perfect 100% ratings in the last scoring.

Gary Bauer, chairman of CWF, has been a long-time political leader of what is sometimes referred to as the “religious right.” He is a former president of the influential Family Research Council.

In making the endorsement of Heil on behalf of CWF, Baur said, “Your tireless leadership in support of pro-family, pro-life and pro-free enterprise polices is greatly valued by CWF and all our members. I’m proud to stand with you in the fight for faith, family and freedom!”

“I am humbled and honored to receive this endorsement,” says Cece Heil. “When serving in Congress I will prove worthy of this vote of confidence.”

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Update: Is Marsha Blackburn Endorsing David Hall?

I may have been a little late in hearing this but I heard a rumor today from one of the candidates seeking the 5th Congressional District Republican nomination that David Hall's campaign had created a robo call and a audio bite posted on the Hall campaign website that appears to be an endorsement from popular 7th District Republican Congressman Marsha Blackburn.

We now know that the Marsha Blackburn endorsement is not an endorsement of Hall's current campaign but is an old endorsement from 2008 when Congressman Blackburn endorsed Hall in a campaign for a different office. Unless Hall has a good explanation, I would have to conclude that this was unethical, deceptive, and stupid.

Blackburn's office responded to an inquiry today with this statement: "The Blackburn campaign has asked Hall to remove the audio that was recorded in 2008 for Hall's State Senate race. Rep. Blackburn is not endorsing a candidate in the TN-05 GOP primary."

David Hall has been asked for a comment and I will post an update when I get it. I would like to here his explanation.

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Hartline brings message, music to campaign kickoff events around the 5th congressional district, June 12-13

NASHVILLE, June 3, 2010, Hartline for Congress – The Hartline for Congress campaign is pleased to announce campaign kickoff events in all three counties in the 5th congression district on the weekend of June 12-13 – events that will feature both the message and great music.

Supporters from all three counties are invited to attend the grand opening of the Hartline for Congress campaign's headquarters in Nashville on Saturday, June 12. Jeff Hartline and his college band, “Natural Sound,” will perform.

The campaign announces the following events:

Cheatham County – Saturday June 12, 9-10:30 a.m. Come out to RiverBluff Park and meet Jeff, hear some great music from "The Willis Clan" and have some coffee and pastries while spending the morning hearing about Jeff's campaign for Tennessee's Fifth District. RiverBluff Park in Ashland City, 175 Old Cumberland, Ashland City, TN, 37015

Davidson County – Saturday, June 12, 4-5:30 p.m. Come to the Grand Opening of Jeff's Campaign Office's for his campaign and meet Jeff as well as many of his campaign staff. There will be live music provided by Jeff's college band, "Natural Sound" and food for all! Hartline for Congress Campaign HQ, 2416 21st Avenue South, Suite 203 & rear parking lot, Nashville, TN 37212

Wilson County – Sunday, June 13, 2-3:30 p.m. Come to Charlie Daniels Park to meet and hear Jeff Hartline, hear some great music and enjoy some ice cream! Charlie Daniels Park in Mt. Juliet, 1038 Charlie Daniels Parkway Mt. Juliet, TN 37122

More news from the Hartline for Congress campaign: http://hartlineforcongress.com/pr.html .

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New Polling Data on Illegal Immigration

LATEST POLLING SHOWS:
Forty-three percent of all Americans say that illegal immigration is a serious problem. !
The other 57 percent said, "No hablo inglas"

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Dale Peterson for Argiculture Commission

If I lived in Alabama, I would vote for this guy. I would be afraid not to.

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RIES PROPOSES CONGRESS USE “ROBERT’S RULES”

Press Release, Nashville, 6/3/2010.

Bob Ries, Candidate for Congress in the 5th District of Tennessee, is a Conservative seeking the nomination of the Republican Party. Ries says there is an easy way to eliminate wasteful spending and earmarks, while making it easier to force our representatives to read Bills before they vote on them.

He says there is a Constitutional way to eliminate wasteful spending, earmarks and also the need for a Line Item Veto. Congress simply needs to adopt the same rules of Parliamentary Procedure used by State Governments, Municipal Governments and almost every other Organization in this Nation (except our Federal Government): ROBERT’S RULES OF ORDER.

Robert’s Rules would require that every Bill have only one main idea. It could be amended no more than two times, and each Amendment must pertain to the main idea in the original Motion. Most Bills would require very few pages, would not require assistants to pour over thousands of pages, and every bill could be easily read and understood by our elected representatives, BEFORE THEY VOTE ON THE BILL.

There would be no superfluous projects contained in the Bill, since every main idea would need it’s own Bill to be passed by both Houses of Congress. Think about it. If someone wanted to spend taxpayer money on a bridge to nowhere, to study the sex life of albino tadpoles, to build a special building in some Representative’s District, or any other wasteful “pet” project, it must pass both Houses of Congress on it’s own merits.

I am confident that few Politicians would have the nerve to introduce some of these wasteful projects (included as almost hidden riders in the past) on their own separate Bills.

I propose The House and Representatives, and the Senate; adopt Robert’s Rules of Order for their Rules of Proceedings. Since Article 1, Section 5, Clause 2 of the Constitution states: “Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings”, this would not require a Constitutional Amendment, only a common sense agreement.

Comment: This is one of the brightest ideas I have seen come out of this campaign. It makes so much sense it will probably never be adopted, but I have no doubt that if Bob Ries is elected to Congress that he will fight for it. During my service in the metro council we had a council rule that the text of a bill could not be broader than the caption, thus if the bill was titled, "An act to authorize the purchase of police car radios," one could not amend it to fund expanded library hours. If congress was under the same rational restraints we would see a more frugal government.

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Something fishy on Capitol Hill

Act Now to Stop this Irresponsible Wasteful Spending.

Members of the State Legislature left Nashville last Thursday for the Memorial Day weekend without passing a budget. They reconvene tomorrow. Normally they would not be coming back to town. They would have passed the budget before Memorial Day and would have ended the legislative session. The only point of disagreement keeping them from passing a budget was whether or not to fund $16.9 million to build a fish hatchery in Carter County, the district represented by House Speaker Kent Williams. The hatchery would create 22 new state jobs.

The State House is supporting the measure but not the Senate. The State and House must reconcile their differences in order to pass a budget. The almost evenly divided State House is nominally in the hands of Republicans, however Republican Kent Williams became speaker of the House though a back-door deal engineered by Democratic Representative Gary Odom. When electing the speaker, all of the Democrats supported Republican Kent Williams and he voted for himself thus denying the seat to Jason Mumpower who was the Republican choice for speaker who lost by one vote. As part of this deal, Democrats maintained control of some House Committees. So, in essence the Republicans are opposing the fish hatchery and the Democrats are supporting it.

Glen Casada the Republican House Caucus Chairman and the de facto Republican leader in the house has been very outspoken in his opposition to the fish hatchery provision in the budget. "We on our side, the republicans, Ron Ramsey, felt like the fish hatchery is a pork barrel project and a $16 million waste of taxpayers money and we won't give on that,” says Casada.

Democratic leader Mike Turner, on the other hand, defends the project saying, "If this isn't the time to help the people of the State of Tennessee, somebody tell me when is.”

Justin Owen with the non-partisan government watchdog group, Tennessee Center for Policy Research says the fish hatchery is pure pork. "You do the math. That's about $768,000 a job. Obviously the people who work there aren't going to get paid that. The rest is government waste," says Owen.

Democrats who sanctimoniously paint republicans as willing to let children die because Republicans did not include funding for an infant mortality study in the budget have gone to the mat for the fish hatchery funding but not for the infant mortality study funding they profess to care so much about. Many would conclude the fish hatchery is a reward to Kent Williams for being a Benedict Arnold.

The fish hatchery was the only issue keeping the legislature from reaching agreement on a budget last Thursday, but today I heard a state law maker speak who said that now the whole budget process has broken down and everything is back on the table. By law, the state budget has to be in place by July 1. If a budget is not in place by that date I am not sure exactly what happens, but I assume the state government shuts down and employee will not be paid.

Now is the time to write your state Representative and urge them to do the responsible thing and pass a state budget without this wasteful spending project. At the same time the state is laying off 850 state employees it does not need to be spending $17 million dollars on an unnecessary project to reward Kent Williams.

To find out who your Representative is and how to contact your Representative follow this link: http://www.capitol.tn.gov/house/members.

Source of quotations is a News Channel 5 report.

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Carbon Tax Credits for Sale

I did not go out of town this holiday weekend. In fact I only put about 12 miles on my car all weekend. If you are an environmentally conscious person and took a weekend trip or a day trip, you negated all of the carbon savings you have done all year by doing such things as paying extra on your electric bill to purchase green power, by cutting your computer off at night and by lowering the thermostat. You should feel guilty for taking that Memorial Day weekend trip. I know you wanted to go the lake to kayak with your daughter or go to the beach to spend time with your mother or meet your friends at that far away concert but it takes carbon to do those things. I understand wanting to have it both ways. I want to help you.

Since I did not go anywhere this weekend, I have some carbon credits to sell you. Buy my carbon credits. I did not go on a trip so you could. If you buy my carbon credits it will be as if you did not go on a weekend trip out of town and as if you only drove your car 12 miles. Let me take your guilt. The price of my carbon credits are negotiable. To learn more visit Buy Your Carbon Off-sets Here.

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Memorial Day

In Flanders fields
by John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

As we mark this Memorial Day Weekend, let us never forget that Freedom is not free. Let us continue to carry the torch of freedom.

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Senator Mark Norris, My Hero of the Day

On Thursday night the State Senate Finance Committee voted to restore funding for conservation. Below is how the event was reported by Forever Green Tennessee:

Last night, Senate Finance Committee members voted FOR the environment! When Finance Chairman Randy McNally, (R) Oak Ridge, proposed the permanent elimination of all “dedicated” conservation funds, Senator Kyle (Democratic Leader) asked for a vote to restore the real estate transfer funds. It was seconded by Senator Norris (Republican Leader) and then received favorable 9:2 vote.

Senator Norris is to be commended for his bold action. If he had not seconded the motion to restore the conservation funds, there is little doubt that the Republicans on the Committee would have voted with Republican McNally and against Democrat Kyle. The funding would have been lost.

I realize this has probably been one the most difficult state budgets ever to pass. Due to the state of the economy, revenue projections are down. Gov. Bredesen proposed a series of tax increases as a way to balance the budget, Republicans from the Tennessee Senate favored more spending cuts and House members from both parties in the House wanted to dip into the state's reserve fund. None of the options were attractive. Raising taxes will likely kill jobs and hamper recovery although some tax loopholes could no doubt have been closed without serious pain to the consumer or negatively impacting job creation. There is not a lot of fat left in the Tennessee budget and any cuts are now painful. To dip deeper into reserves may negatively impact Tennessee's bond rating and the state may need the reserves even more next year. There were no easy choices.

One of the things under consideration to balance the budget was to take funds dedicated to conservation and put them in the general fund as has been done for the last seven years. The conservation funds comes from a tax on real estate transfers that specifically dedicates the revenue to conservation. The tax is estimated to produce about $9.5 million dollars this year. The fund is used to save critical habitats, beautiful vistas, and natural treasures such as waterfalls. It is saving for public enjoyment some of the most beautiful spots in Tennessee.

Senator Norris and the Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee did the right thing for three reasons: (1)The fund is important. It is saving beautiful natural treasures for future generations. (2) It is immoral to pass a tax for one purpose and spend it for something else. We see this done all the time. A blatant and notorious example occurred in Nashville some years ago when a water bill rate increase went to fund the bonds to build the Titans football stadium. Often taxes are raised to support education and then diverted to other purposes. (3) Republicans should not be the party always opposed to conservation and environmental protection. Hunters and fishermen and hikers and birdwatcher and people who enjoy the great outdoors and people who want clean air and clean water are not all Democrats. The Republican Party should not cede this constituency to Democrats. To be perceived as the party opposed to the environment does not help Republicans. Conservation and environmental protections should be non-partisan issues.

The final budget has not yet passed and something could yet happen that endangered the conservation fund, but it appears the fund will be in the final budget. Probably without Senator Norris' second of Senator Kyle's amendment, that would not have happened. That is why Senator Norris is my Hero of the Day.

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Early Voting to be Restored!

While it is not a done deal until the Metro Council passes the budget, it looks like early voting is to be restored in Davidson County.

At the Budget and Finance Committee meeting of the Metro Council on Tuesday evening, the Election Committee requested $52,000 to fund five additional early voting sites for a period of six days for the August election. The budget and Finance Committee voted to add the funds to the “wish list.” No one on the committee opposed the move. Also, Budget and Finance Chairman Ronnie Stein said that the request had overwhelming support in the council. There is every reason to believe the funds will be in the final budget document. After the council has completed all of the budget hearings, the council will then develop a substitute budget which will replace the Mayors budget and then the council will vote on the substitute budget. The Council must pass the budget by June 30th or the Mayor’s budget becomes law.

With the addition of the five new early voting sites Metro will still have fewer sites than normal and will have far fewer sites than the 21 early voting sites that comparably sized Shelby County will have and fewer than the nine sites that smaller Knox county will have but it is a great improvement over the one site the Election Commission had planned for August.

The reason Metro was going to only have one early voting site is because that is all the Election Commission requested. When the mayor develops his budget to present to the council, the mayor first ask each department to present a budget to the mayors office and then the mayor holds hearings on the budget of each department. The Election commission only asked for funding for the one early voting site in their request to the Mayor. Instead of requesting funding for the early voting sites, the Election Commission asked for a pay raise for poll workers.

While it would be nice to increase the pay for poll workers, what Nashville currently pays their poll workers is pretty much in line with what other cities in Tennessee pay them. Many people work the polls out of civic duty and while the modest increase in pay would be nice, it is doubtful that that would have done much to increase the number of people willing to serve as poll officials. Since no one in Metro got a raise this year and it was known no one would be getting a raise, it did not seem wise to request an increase in poll workers pay this year. The mayor did not approve the pay increase and as a result, neither poll workers raises nor early voting was funded.

It only became public knowledge about six weeks ago that only one early voting site was scheduled for August. Many of us have been working since then to change that decision. The Election Commission was lobbied to change their position and urged to request early voting. The chairman of the Election Commission initially resisted changing his position and defended having only one early voting site. Unfortunately the Election Commission which has a Republican Chairman and a 3 to 2 majority on the Election Commission did not seem to appreciate the need for early voting and was not responsive to the Republican request for early voting.

This year in Davidson County is the first time since reconstruction that there is a chance for Republicans to take offices in Nashville. There is a lot of excitement on the Republican side. There are ten active candidates seeking the nomination to oppose Congressman Jim Cooper. Also, all of the interest in the Governors race is on the Republicans side where three major candidates are seeking the nomination while on the Democratic side there is only one lackluster candidate. If there is ever going to be a Republican year in Davidson County, this is it.

Republicans take advantage of early voting more than do Democrats, so there is a Republican advantage to having early voting. It is disappointing that the leadership of the Election Commission resisted supporting early voting. We should have early voting simply because people have become accustomed to it and to take it away will suppress voter turn out. We should have it because it is the right thing to do. Also however, Republicans should support it because it would benefit Republicans. I am not sure there is any advantage of having a Republican majority on the Election Commission if they do not represent the interest of the voters and consider the interest of the Party. I think maybe a Democratic dominated Election Commission would have been easier to persuade.

Following it becoming known that there would be only one early voting site, activist sprang into action. At most of the nine Republican breakfast groups, I spoke on the issue and urged people to lobby their councilmen. I personally emailed or called the Vice Mayor and the five at-large Council members and my district councilman and spoke to other council members I know personally. The leaders of the various Republican Breakfast groups lobbied the council and worked to motivate the members of their breakfast groups to do so. Other activist also joined the fight including the 9-12 groups and others.

While the effort to restore early voting was led by conservative activist, the push to fund early voting was non partisan. Kathleen Starnes, Chairman of the Davidson County Republican Party spoke to her counterpart in the Democratic Party and he also publicly advocated a restoration of early voting. Many of the non-partisan groups such as neighborhood groups helped spread the word. Council members heard from their constituents. If there had not been an effort to lobby the Election Commission and the Metro Council, early voting would not have been restored.

While many good people, both Republican and Democrat, worked to restore early voting there were some disappointments. Along with the Republicans on the Election Commission who disappointed me I am also disappointed in the League of Women Voters who refused a request to join the fight and advocate for early voting and I am disappointed in the Tennessean which completely ignored this issue.

I would like to thank all of those Councilmember who responded to the desire of the people to have early voting. All of the members I spoke to were concerned and supportive and they thanked me for bringing this issue to their attention. Moving money around in the budget is a difficult task. To fund one thing means money has to be taken from somewhere else. It is easier to just accept what the mayor proposes rather than make too many changes and I realize that this is a tight budget year. I commend the councilmember’s who advocated for early voting and who are doing the hard work of developing an alternative budget.

Special recognition needs to go to Kathleen Starnes, chairman of the Davidson County Republican Party, who worked behind the scene and publicly to persuade the Elections Commission to reverse its stand and support early voting. I would like to commend the Republican breakfast group leaders who motivated people in their groups to contact their councilmember. If it had not been for the grassroots effort early voting would not have been restored.

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STOP VOTER SUPPRESSION!

As you probably know, during the May primary there was only one early voting site and that was Howard School. Now, I learn that there is only one early voting site scheduled for August!

This is an outrage! In the August primary in Memphis, Shelby County will have 21 early voting sites. Why, at this time of a conservative resurgence, did the powers that be decide this was the time to do away with early voting? In previous years there have been eight to ten early voting sites.

Over the years, more and more people have stated voting early. For people in the outlying parts of the county, a round trip to Howard School is a fifty mile round trip. A lot of people will never go downtown. Many elderly will simply not vote rather than drive to Howard School. Families with only one car or no car can't get downtown.

This is not a Republican or Democratic issue. Everyone who believes in the right to vote should get involved and demand that early voting be restored. The key to getting early voting reinstated is to put pressure on the Metro Council. The council can put the funding back in the budget of the election commission. We need an outpouring of calls to council members complaining about this. Tuesday, May 25, 2010 at 4:00 p.m. the Election commission will have their budget hearing before the metro council. The Council needs to hear from the public before that date! If they hear from enough people they will restore the funding for early voting. Time is short, please act now! Please contact your councilmember today.

Please contact the Vice Mayor, the five at-large members and your own council member and urge them to restore early voting. What is happening is blatant voter suppression. Please call them or email them. Please use your own words, but this is what I wrote my council member:

Sample letter:

Dear ______,
I am your constituent and my wife and I live at __________. I have not yet voted in the May 4th election but I plan to. I would have voted early but the only early voting site was Howard School. Usually there are several sites.
I now learn that the only voting site for the August election is also going to be Howard School. What is going on? This is an outrage! I know money is tight, but the right to vote is sacred. Too many people fought for the right to vote to allow such blatant voter suppression.
I urge you to not allow this travesty to occur and to restore early voting.
Thank you.

Nashville should have had multiple early voting sites even before the flood, but now there is more reason to have early voting sites that ever before. During the flood, many people lost their cars and getting to a polling place will be more difficult for many people. And, people are busy dealing with the flood aftermath and they need flexibility for when they vote. We should not be making it more difficult to vote than in any previous years since the start of early voting. Giving the problems caused by the flood, we should be making it more convenient to vote.

Here is a link were you can find the council roster along with phone numbers and email addresses. Also, if you do not know who your councilman is, there is a map where you can find out which district you are in. http://www.nashville.gov/council/council_roster.asp

Please spread the word on networking sites and get your friend to write their councilman.

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