A Disgruntled Republican in Nashville

We will continue to pay the bill so wealthy environmentalist can park free

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:13:00 +0000

Tonight the Council voted to let the rest of us continue to subsidize those with expensive enviormentally-friendly vehicles, so they can park for free downtown.

Metro extends green parking program

by Michael Cass, The Tennessean, June 18, 2013 - Nashville residents with environmentally friendly vehicles will be able to keep parking for free at downtown meters after the Metro Council voted Tuesday to extend the program indefinitely. (read more)

Conservative scores from the Heritage Foundation: Corker 53, Alexander 47, Jim Cooper 33.

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:31:00 +0000

This is a great tool from the Heritage Foundation. You can sort and filter the information several different ways. Here is the link: http://heritageactionscorecard.com//members.

One interesting observation is that there is very little overlap. There are only a handful of Republicans that are more liberal than the most conservative Democrat. The most liberal Republican is Representative Chris Gibbons of New York with a score of 23. The most conservative Democrat is Rep. Jim Cooper with a score of 33.

Among Republican Senators Lamar Alexander scores a 47, the same score awarded Mississippi Senator Thad Cochran, making him more liberal than John McCain or Senator Bob Corker each with a score of 53. Of the 41 Republican Senators only 3 are rated as more liberal than Alexander.

I find it interesting that Senator Lindsey Graham, who conservatives love to hate, has a respectable score of 59.

Only three Senators scored a perfect 100 and they are Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, and Mike Lee.

It is worth keeping in mind that this scoring is based on only 19 votes. Someone else may have chosen different issues and the scores may have been different. Also, if I was doing the scoring I would give more weight to some issues than to others. If you go to the site you can see the issues included in the scoring matrix and see how any representative or senator voted on that particular issue.

Liberty on the Rocks moved location to Dan McGuinness Pub

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:38:00 +0000

From Liberty on the Rocks:

Liberty on the Rocks @ Dan McGuinness June 20th, 5:30pm – 9:00pm

Hold on to your butts, everyone, we're changing things up. Our usual haunt, Mafiaoza's, is outta commission due to some renovation work, so we're moving over to Dan McGuinness this month. Happy Hour lasts until 7pm so get there early.

Whoa! Holy moly do we have lots to discuss this month! Did you hear about that high school dropout who basically pantsed the entire United States security apparatus? How embarrassing, right? For real though, Ed Snowden's actions are world-changing, no debate about that, but there's plenty to debate around everything else about it.

Meanwhile, other stuff happened this month too. Indiana made it legal for its citizens to defend their property from criminals, even if those criminals happen to be cops. The government of Turkey decided that protesting the building of a shopping mall is an offense worthy of violent oppression. Finally, it seems that our beloved Governor, Mr. Haslam, may have been blessed with quite the windfall recently.

So come on out to Dan McGuinness starting at 5:30pm! http://www.danmcguinnesspub.comnashville

When: Thursday, June 20th 5:30pm

Where: 1538 Demonbreun Street Nashville, TN 37203

Just ask the hostess for Liberty on the Rocks or look for our logo on the tables. As always your friends, family, coworkers are welcome so forward the message! Visit http://tennessee.libertyontherocks.org to find Liberty on the Rocks in your area and sign up for email reminders

Corker blocks Afghan war funds over CIA 'ghost money' program

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 01:38:00 +0000

By Carlo Muñoz, The Hill, 6/17/13 - Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) is blocking millions in State Department funds for Afghanistan, until President Obama discloses details abut the CIA's decade-long effort to funnel cash to Afghan leaders, including President Hamid Karzai.

The ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations panel has put a hold on $75 million in government aid to Kabul “until such time as I receive sufficient information" on the CIA program, Corker said Monday. (read more)

My Comment: With so many scandals, it is hard to focus on all of them. With Bengazi, the IRS targeting of conservatives, the Obamacare shakedown, and massive spying on Americans, it is easy to let something slip by, but this should not fall through the cracks.

While supposedly trying to build a democratic nation in Afghanistan we have undermined democracy by funneling many million to Karzai and his friends. CIA funds have reportedly fueled the rampant corruption and fraud that has plagued Karzai's government since the war began. I applaud Senator Corker for sticking with this issue. I would normally not be in favor of cutting off funding to an ally at a critical juncture in which we are preparing to hand over full control of security operations to them. However, if the only thing keeping the Karzai government in power is "waking around money," then they will fall anyway when the money runs out. We need ansewers and a full acounting!

What do you want for the future of Nashville?

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 01:14:00 +0000

For some months now, Nashville has been in the process of developing a plan for Nashville for the next twenty-five years. If your goal for Nashville is privatization, lower taxes, less government, keeping the fairgrounds, abolishing the Human Relations Commission, Charter Schools, or something else, please speak up. You can rest assured those who want a Nashville to be a microcosm of California are speaking up. Planned or not, change will occur. If future bureaucrats and elected officials do not hear from you then they will assume the majority agree with whatever plan comes out of the Nashville Next planning process. The following is from NashvilleNext:

Please take a short survey and share your thoughts with us!

We've just published a new NashvilleNext Community Survey, and we hope you'll take a few moments to tell us what you think. Click here to get started now.

Thanks, and we're looking forward to hearing your feedback.

This is an open, transparent process, yet the "progressive" element has been dominating the input. Too often conservatives sit on the sidelines and then complain that they had no input. Please get involved.

Ron Paul is coming to Nahville

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 00:56:00 +0000

August 23rd and 24th, Downtown Sheraton, "A Night of Clarity."

The following is from the website:

“A Century of the Central Bank”

The Federal Reserve, the central bank of the United States, was established in late 1913 marking this year its 100th anniversary. Coming on the heels of the 1907 financial panic, the Fed was supposed to tame the wildcat free market. Acting as a lender of last resort, the Fed was supposed to deliver a less volatile, more consistent growth. Did the Fed deliver on this promise? History speaks for itself. Both the Great Depression and our current "Great Recession" occurred on the Fed's watch. Beyond the macro instability, the Fed has destroyed the value of the dollar, which has lost more than 95 percent of its purchasing power since 1913. In addition, the Fed acts as the Treasury’s banker, absorbing whatever debt Uncle Sam can’t foist off on the public. The obvious result: an explosion in the size and scope of the federal government, through its programs of domestic welfare programs and foreign warfare. Is all hope lost? What can the individual family or small business owner do in this environment? Come to the Night of Clarity to learn the problem—and solutions—from some of the country’s top scholars and speakers.

To see an interesting vedio and to learn more follow this link:
https://usatrustonline.com/events/night-of-clarity

The Ron Paul endorsed anti Federal Reserve film "Silver Circle" coming soon.

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 18:37:00 +0000

From Barry Donegan:

Here's the event page for the upcoming #Nashville showing of the Ron Paul endorsed anti Federal Reserve film Silver Circle Movie! Said #RonPaul of Silver Circle, "I am very excited about Silver Circle, which spreads the message of liberty and sound money via an exciting tale of a future where the Federal Reserve has killed the dollar, the US economy has collapsed, and the federal government has slid into complete authoritarianism. Fortunately, a brave band of rebels works to restore liberty and undermine the Federal Reserve’s power via an alternative currency."

Irving Kristol's The Neoconservative Persuasion topic of Conservative Fusion

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:27:00 +0000

From Gene Wisdom:

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

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

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

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

Poetry Break: A Fathers Day poem.

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:08:00 +0000

Dad's memories will always be there

by Ken Jakes

I miss my Dad, I miss him more each day.

I miss my Dad, and the simple things he'd say.

When he met you, he'd ask you " how are you peculating " ?

He'd respond back to you without even waiting.
" I'm peculating pretty goooooooood. "
I knew that response was coming and understood.
My Dad greeted everyone with a smile upon his face.
And, I never even wondered, I knew he was saved by God's Grace.
He lived it in his life, and I knew God held him a special place.
I cherish those fond memories of that smile upon his face.
He was wounded many times in battle, he was American to the core.
And he would get upset when someone would disgrace the Flag, he adored.
Though money wasn't abundant, he supplied our family all its needs.
And he taught me though he may not have known, in all his good deeds
How lucky I am to have had him for my Father, and my love will never end.
He was much more then my Father, you could even call him friend.
In his later years he would tell Mom, " Its time for Ken to come in the door "
For he knew that I would be there, if just for a moment or more.
Dad, told me many times, how proud he was of me as a son.
But to have had a Father like Leonard Jakes, I was the lucky one.

What's on the Council Agenda for June 18th analysis and summary

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 02:56:00 +0000

You can get your own copy of the Metro council meeting agenda at this link: Metro Council Agenda. You can find the analysis at this link: Metro Council Agenda Analysis. Council meetings can be really, really boring if you don't know what the Council is voting on. With an agenda and analysis, they are just boring. This should be a short meeting.

Confirmation of Appointments: We have a strong mayor form of government and the Council has limited means to impact government. One of the powers that the Council does have is the power to approve or reject the Mayor's appointments to boards and commissions. This is power that the Council almost never exercises; instead it rubber stamps the Mayor appointments without questioning the appointees of their position on issues or suitability for the appointment. I wish the Council would exercise this power.

There is one person being appointed to the Farmers Market and one to the Fair Board. I wish that someone would question the appointee to the Farmers Market Board and get assurances he thinks the Farmers Market should follow the law and that he would be aggressive in cleaning up the mess at Farmers Market and make the entity self supporting and improve management practices. I would hope someone would ask the appointee to the Fair Board if he supports keeping the fairgrounds.

There are three reappointments and one new appointment to the Human Relations Commission. This is an agency whose purpose is to promote political correctness and a liberal agenda. There is little they do that either needs to be done by government or could not be done by another agency. One thing the HRC does is sponsor the Youth Pavilion at the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Festival (link). This annual event occurred this past weekend. I wish the appointees would be asked if they think this is proper role for government. If they do, I would vote against them. I would like for all appointees to be rejected until at least half of the 17 members of the HRC are moderate to conservative. We have atheist, gays and left wing activist on the board. It would be nice to have some normal people. Here are the appointees.

Reappointment of Mr. Mark Baugh for a term expiring April 18, 2016.
Appointment of Mr. Johnathan Giles for a term expiring April 18, 2016.
Reappointment of Ms. Alistair Newbern for a term expiring April 18, 2016.
Reappointment of Mr. Don Peterson for a term expiring April 18, 2016.

There are no bills on public hearing.

There are eighteen 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. Bills on the consent agenda are usually not controversial and tend to be routine matters, such as accepting grants from the Federal or State Government or authorizing the Department of Law to settle claims against the city or appropriating money from the 4% fund. 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 I don't expect that to happen.

The only resolution that may be controversial is RESOLUTION NO. RS2013-725 which approves a sole source contract with a company for maintenance and support services for the election commission’s existing voter registration system. Sole source contracts may be awarded when there is only one source for the product or service, however all sole source contracts over $250,000 must to be approved by the council by resolution. Someone may make an issue of this simply because of the controversies surrounding the Election Commission make the agency subject to greater scrutiny.

There is a late resolution (RESOLUTION NO. RS2013-743) that extends the free parking programs for environmentally friendly vehicles and for vehicle owners that purchase carbon offsets. I would vote against it if I were in the Council. There are a lot of other people more deserving of free parking than someone with enough money to afford an environmentally friendly vehicle. The reason this bill is being considered as a late resolution is because the program sunsets unless extended by July 1. It take unanimous consent to consider a late resolution. I hope someone withholds their consent.

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 fourteen bills on first reading.

Bills on Second Reading: It is on Second reading, after bills have been to committee, that discussion usually takes place. There are eleven bills on second reading. None of them seem terribly important and most of them are for the purchasing of easement. Below are a couple of interest.

ORDINANCE NO. BL2013-433 would require that all fees collected for having an extra garbage cart be used for recycling. Why should recycling have a designated source of funding? Funding for recycling should be subject to the Mayor's and Council's budgetary process just like everything else.
ORDINANCE NO. BL2013 makes it easier to "boot" your car and raises the fee booting companies can charge. 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 only four bills on third reading and they are not significant and I don't expect any of them to generate controversy.

There is one memorializing resolution, but it is not controversial.

How your tax dollars encourgage kids to be gay

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 04:02:00 +0000

Today was the 25th annual Gay, Lesbian Bisexual, and Transgender festival in Nashville and thousands attended. The Metro Human Relations Commission sponsored the Youth Pavilion at the event.

I am offended. I do not think our tax dollars should be used to normalize a gay lifestyle among young people. I don't really care if the GLBT community want to have a big street party but oppose Metro's promotion of the gay lifestyle, especially among the youth of our community. I am sure Metro would not sponsor an abstinence themed event if some group like Family Action Council of Tennessee was sponsoring a downtown celebration, but somehow it is deemed appropriate to host the Youth Pavilion at an event celebrating deviancy.

At Metro Human Relations Commission Youth Pavilion, young people could, "'Come take pictures and answer the question 'I have PRIDE because_________' or 'What Queer means to me in 6 words or less.'”

To learn more about the event go to https://www.facebook.com/NashvillePride. To see the Metro Human Relations promotion of the event go to http://nashvillepride.org/festival/youth-area. To see how Metro Human Relations Commissions advocates for gay marriage and everything gay, visit this site, https://www.facebook.com/NashMHRC. To view the classroom indotrination promoted by the HRC, follow this link.

They're almost as bad as NES

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 21:05:00 +0000

IG: Over 1,000 IRS workers misused gov't charge cards, agency lenient on discipline

More than 1,000 IRS employees over a two-year period misused their government credit cards, and the agency has a tendency to be overly lenient in disciplining them, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration said in a recently released audit report. (link)

That sounds very familiar, just a larger agency with more people than the Nashville Electric Service. NES had hundreds of misused charge cards and and Amazon accounts, instead of more than 1000. No one ever lost a job or went to jail due to malfeasance at NES and the agency was lenient on discipline. That sounds a lot like the IRS. You may have missed it. Except for Channel 5, our local media did not cover the scandal very much and the Council never took any strong action. It is not over however. The tenacious citizen activist Ken Jakes continues to seek justice. To read the comptrollers report about our own corrupt government agency, see here . For a lot more information about the NES scandal including viewing the channel 5 report follow this link.

Fair Board and State Fair association to talk long term goals in Joint meeting.

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 17:17:00 +0000

The Board of Fair Commissioners will meet in a Special Joint Meeting with the Tennessee State Fair Association Board of Directors,on June 18th, at 1PM. The meeting will take place at
Metro Southeast, 1417 Murfreesboro Pike, Green Hills Room, Nashville, TN. An agenda item for discussion is "Long-term goals for the Tennessee State Fair" and "strategies for working together." To see the agenda, follow this link.

The Fair Commissions Board is the metro agency responsible for the fair grounds. There duties and function are these:

It shall be the duty of the Metropolitan Board of Fair Commissioners to exercise all the powers and perform all the duties heretofore or hereafter imposed on the Board of Fair Commissioners of Davidson County, within the limitation of its budget appropriation and funds otherwise available, employ and fix the compensation of such personnel as may be necessary; and to perform such other duties as may be imposed upon the Board by ordinance.

All activities being conducted on the premises of the Tennessee State Fairgrounds as of December 31, 2010, including, but not limited to, the Tennessee State Fair, Expo Center Events, Flea Markets, and Auto Racing, shall be continued on the same site. No demolition of the premises shall be allowed to occur without approval by ordinance receiving 27 votes by the Metropolitan Council or amendment to the Metropolitan Charter.

The Tennessee State Fair Association Board of Directors is a state agency responsible for the state fair. This is there mission:

The specific purpose for which the new board was formed is to promote the education of agriculture, horticulture, the creative arts, performing arts, industry, commerce, recreation, economic development, natural resources, and related areas to the public, through the planning, promotion, conduct, and operation of an annual Tennessee State Fair.

There is no State requirement that the State Fair be held at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds. The State Fair could choose to go elsewhere or Metro could chose to host a fair that is not the state fair, or at least that is the assumption they are operating under. Last year, a dispute over money almost led to the Fair grounds not hosting the state fair and instead hosting another entity to bring a fair to Nashville. To read about the conflict last year, follow this link.

The amendment to the charter listed above in red specifically says the Fair Commissions Board will continue to host the Tennessee State Fair, however the city cannot compel the State to hold the State Fair at the fairgrounds. Our State Fair is not on as large a scale or as an important an event as other state fairs. Some county fairs in Tennessee are larger and more prestigious than our state fair. The Tennessee Valley A and I Fair in Knoxville is a bigger deal than our "state" fair. The future of the State Fair and the fair grounds continues to be uncertain. It is important that these two agencies work closely together.

Southeast Nashville Conservatives' Breakfast

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 00:35:00 +0000

Saturday, June 15

Shoney's Bell Road @ Cane Ridge Road Antioch (I-24, Bell Road Exit)

Breakfast &Social: 8:30 am - 9:00 am

Meeting: 9:00 am - 10:00 am

Guest Speaker State Senator Ferrell Haile, D.PH.

Report on the Tennessee Republican Minority Coalition at The Standard

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 00:26:00 +0000

by Chase Montgomery

Wednesday night at The Standard Restaurant in Nashville was a sight to see. A group of individuals from all different backgrounds and walks of life coming together in support of their common political beliefs, and it was not a Democratic Party event. On the contrary, It was the kick off fundraiser for the Tennessee Republican Minority Coalition, a group that aims at uniting republicans of all walks of life in a common cause.

Despite the "A list" of speakers there was little mentioned about the purpose of the group. So allow me to expand on this point. Our purpose is a concise and simple one; get groups of people with similar values of faith, family, freedom, and fiscal responsibility to unite in their efforts to uproot an ever continual socialist leaning government. Once again it is a simple purpose indeed. I think President Woodrow Wilson put it best "If you come at me with your fists doubled, I think I can promise you that mine will double as fast as yours; but if you come to me and say, 'Let us sit down and take counsel together, and, if we differ from each other, understand why it is that we differ, just what the points at issue are,' we will presently find that we are not so far apart after all, that the points on which we differ are few and the points on which we agree are many, and that if we only have the patience and the candor and the desire to get together, we will get together.”

If we can get the Minority groups to rally around the Republican Party and the 60 percent of values that they have in common rather than the 40% of trivial differences between them then we can effect positive change for years to come.

Chase Montgomery is the Director of Media Relations for the Tennessee Republican Minority Coalition. He is a graduate of the University of Alabama and works in the financial services industry. If you would like more information about the Tennessee Republican Minority Coalition, please contact Chairman Tony Roberts, 615-720-1147.

Bob Corker still seeks answers about the CIA cash to karzai

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 22:35:00 +0000

GOP Sen Corker presses Obama on Karzai CIA cash claims
Yahoo! News (blog)
Sen. Bob Corker, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is still trying to get answers from President Barack Obama regarding Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai's claims that he has been getting deliveries of CIA cash for years.

Tennessee Charter School Seniors Are College Bound!

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 21:34:00 +0000

TCSA - As graduation ceremonies cap off the 2013 school year, charter school seniors are leaving behind a remarkable legacy. The Tennessee Charter Schools Association (TCSA) is pleased to announce that 88 percent of Memphis charter school seniors have been accepted to post-secondary institutions, earning more than $19 million in scholarships and grants. “These students should be extremely proud of what they have achieved,” said TCSA Executive Director Matt Throckmorton. “Years of hard work, perseverance, and scholarship have prepared this group of seniors to become leaders in their communities. We are honored to commend these scholars, along with the families, teachers and school leaders who have encouraged them to excel.” Highlights of each of the five Memphis charter schools boasting graduating seniors follow.

City University School of Liberal Arts

100 percent of students in the senior class received acceptance letters to post-secondary institutions
94 percent of the class was accepted to four-year colleges and universities
The class received over $7 million in scholarships and grants

Memphis Business Academy

45 seniors received a total of 117 letters of acceptance to post-secondary institutions
The class earned more than $1.1 million in grants and scholarships
Students will be studying at more than 20 different colleges and universities in the fall, including Middle Tennessee State University, Spelman College, Aeronautical University of Embry Riddle, and Emory University.

Memphis Academy of Health Sciences

94 percent of students in the senior class were accepted into post-secondary institutions
The class, more than half of which are free and reduced lunch students, received more than $1.3 million in scholarships and grants
Salutatorian Jemelah Brassell received $245,608 in scholarships and grants and was accepted to six schools, while valedictorian Kierra Wheeler received $278,032 in scholarships and grants and was accepted to nine institutions of higher learning.

Memphis Academy of Science and Engineering

97 percent of the senior class earned high school diplomas
47 graduates have been accepted into more than 30 different colleges and universities
Valedictorian Jordan Spearman was accepted to four institutes of higher learning, including the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and Vanderbilt University and earned more than $100,000 in scholarships and grants

Soulsville Charter School

100 percent of the class of 2013 was accepted to more than 90 different four-year colleges and universities, including Wake Forest University, Tufts University, Morehouse College and Rhodes College.
The graduating class received more than $9.2 million in scholarships and grants Valedictorian Stephanie Brownlee received a $250,000 scholarship to Brown University

TCSA also congratulates the first graduating classes of two Chattanooga charter schools, Ivy Academy and Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy. Graduates from these two schools have been accepted into colleges and universities across the country, including Xavier University, the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Louisiana State University, East Tennessee State University, Alabama A & M University, Middle Tennessee State University, Fisk University, and Tennessee State University.

My Comment: This is phenomenal. Everyone should be celebrating this achievement. Unfortunately, some are more concerned with egalitarian outcomes than they are with some students achieving phenomenal success. If all students can't achieve this kind of success, they reason, then none should do so.

My cousin, Thomas Carter Upchurch is an assistance principal at the Soulsville Charter School. His students are all Black, most are from single mother homes, are on free or reduced lunch programs and many come out of public housing. Soulsville added a grade a year over a several year period and last year was the first graduating class of the school and 100% of the students last year got accepted to college. I understand that almost all of them also got scholarships. If not for this charter school, probably none would be headed to college, most would be drop outs, some would be in prison by now, some would be dead and about half of the girls would have already had there first child or be pregnant. What is happening in some charter schools is almost a miracle. We should create more charter school and try to learn what makes schools like Soulsville work and try to replicate it in non-charter public schools.

Video, Summary and Commentary on the School Board meeting of 6/11/2013

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 17:22:00 +0000

"Balanced" calender and Policy on Academic Excellence dominate the meeting.

This meeting of the school board is two hours long. For anyone wanting a clear understanding of what the school board is doing, I suggest you follow along on the agenda as you watch the video. The School Board produces great agendas. One can see all of the documents that School Board members see. This agenda is 170 pages long. You can download your copy here: Agenda..

Public Comments:
During the public comments section of the meeting (starting at 5:30 in the video), Chris Moth a parent of a child at J.T more speaks about the positive things happening at J. T. Moore and criticizes Boy's Prep Charter School in particular for their marketing which disparages regular public schools and, he criticizes charter schools in general and says it is time to take a breather from charter school proliferation.

Other parents speak out against the massive number of test children are required to take and ask for more information about which test are given and when test will be given.

The Budget:
Will Pinkerton gives a brief overview of the budget. To see a copy of the final school budget go to page 32 in the agenda.

A "balanced "calender:
Starting at 22:50 in the video there is a presentation and a discussion about the 2014-2015 school calender. This topic takes about 50 minutes. Part of the discussion focuses on "intersessions," which is the spring and fall breaks designed to give struggling students extra instruction, so they can catch up. Instead of intersession, the School Board may add extra school days for everyone. Board member Michael Hayes asked if the board may add additional teacher work days without additional salary. Dr. Register says they may, but he would not recommend it.

Board member Elissa Kim makes a great point about the policy of greater school autonomy and how it relates to the school calender. "This is were the rubber hits the road," she says. She ask if schools can adjust the calender to fit their own needs. They cannot. She says that needs may differ drastically from school to school and she believes schools should have more autonomy to make those decisions. "I do not believe charter schools should be the only ones with autonomy," she says. "The needs of the schools are so vastly different that trying to manage it as a monolithic entity is just ...tough." I am really impressed with Ms Kim. To see her comments, see 53:09 in the video.

To see how The Tennessean covered the calender topic, follow this link: Nashville schools may drop intersession breaks.

Board Policy on Academic Excellence:
The Board adopts a resolution proposed by Board member Will Pinkston that establishes Board Policy on Academic Excellence. Board member Michael Hayes argues the standards are not nearly ambitions enough. "I hope we can push ourselves and set the goals higher," he says. One of the goals which he argues is not high enough is that "upon or before the conclusion of the 2017-18 academic year, 50 percent of MNPS high-school students score 21 or higher on the ACT assessment of college readiness." To see a copy of the resolution go to page 155 of the agenda. To see the discussion in the video see1:03:22 to 1:28:55.

Technology: There is a presentation on a technology plan for the classroom. To view the video presentation go to 1:29:17 and to see the handouts and learn more go to page 157 in the agenda.

Alexander Votes To Defend States’ Rights On Common Core Education Standards

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 21:44:00 +0000

Alexander Votes To Defend States’ Rights On Common Core Education Standards

The Chattanoogan.com, June 12, 2013 - Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tn.) on Wednesday defended states’ rights on common core education standards when he voted against requiring states to obtain approval from the U.S. secretary of education on their education standards and tests.

Referring to the Democratic education bill, the subject of today’s committee meeting, Senator Alexander said, “If your proposal passed, and the state of Tennessee – which adopted the ‘common core’ standards before the secretary ever included it in Race to the Top or anything else, and even helped write the standards – then wanted to change its standards, it would have to amend its state plan, send it to the secretary, he’d peer-review it, and he could approve it or disapprove it. That’s my objection. That transfers authority to Washington from the states. (read more)

With Tea Party support, Tennessee's Alexander looks safe

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 21:36:00 +0000

With Tea Party support, Tennessee's Alexander looks safe

The Examiner,Jun 12, 2013, Washington D.C. - Two-term Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander has pulled off a surprise for Washington-based Tea Party groups eagerly looking for a more conservative alternative to make a primary challenge in 2014: He's already the movement's cup of tea.

A new poll from Vanderbilt University's Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions found that 62 percent of Tennessee voters who describe themselves as Tea Party activists approve of Alexander, a one-time presidential candidate and education secretary under former President George H.W. Bush.(link)

June 18th Metro Council Agenda now available

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 17:44:00 +0000

If you will wait, I will read if for you. If you just can't wait, here it is: Metro Council Agenda.

Beating the bushes to beat Lamar: You can't beat somebody with nobody

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 17:39:00 +0000

Campaign Without a Candidate

Metro Pulse, June 12, 2013- An organization has been formed to find and support a candidate against U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander in next year’s Republican primary. The Real Conservative National Committee will have volunteers canvassing the five major metropolitan areas of Tennessee on Saturday (June 15), organizing a ground game as part of its “Beat Lamar” campaign. The goal is to knock on a total of 5,000 doors in Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga, Knoxville, and the Tri-Cities.

Alexander has been expecting a challenge from the right and has been amassing a campaign war chest. FreedomWorks, a conservative Super PAC, has been around the state interviewing potential candidates, including Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett.(link)

The Real CNC invites you to participate in Beat Lamar Alexander Ground Game Day Saturday, June 15, 2013

The Real CNC - Join conservative activists throughout Tennessee in this day of door to door canvassing. This is the first step you can take to help conservative candidates challenge incumbent RINOs in the House and Senate in the 2014 Republican primaries! The Real Conservatives National Committee intends to change the way the Republican primary election game is played so as to give qualified, boat-rocking conservative candidates like Ted Cruz and Rand Paul far better chances of defeating establishment Republicans.(link)

Who will run against Lamar?

Glenn Thomas Jacobs, AKA "Kane"

If the best they can come up with to run against Lamar is the professional wrestler known as "Kane," I don't think Lamar has anything to worry about. Glenn Jacobs is a libertarian and a Ron Paul supporter. He considers the tea party "too Republican" for his taste (link). He blogs, mostly on economic issues, and advocates going back on the gold standard and abolishing the Federal Reserve. You can find his blog at this link:Adventures of Citizen X.

Rep. Joe Carr Sends “Open Letter” to Senators Alexander and Corker

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 15:11:00 +0000

Press Release, June 11, 2013 - Representative Joe Carr delivered an open letter to Senators Alexander and Corker urging them to oppose the “Gang of 8” amnesty legislation up for debate in the US Senate. The letter, signed by Carr, the Nashville Tea Party, Tennessee Republican Assembly and 40 other Republican lawmakers and conservative leaders cited the legislation’s devastating financial burden on American taxpayers, the provisions expanding government bureaucracy and regulations and the failure of the federal government to secure the border and enforce existing immigration laws.

Carr, an expert on immigration policy who led the successful fight to reform Tennessee’s illegal immigration laws in 2011, argued that the Schumer-Rubio plan undermines existing US laws and does nothing to curb illegal immigration. “I am an ardent advocate of legal immigration. Immigration positively impacts our country and makes us a stronger, more vibrant nation. Illegal immigration does just the exact opposite. It has put a tremendous strain on our healthcare providers, reduced the number of jobs available to law-abiding citizens and created a culture of dependency on government. The Gang of 8 amnesty bill will only exacerbate the problems endemic to our broken immigration system,” Carr added.
Carr’s persistent leadership resulted in Tennessee passing some of the toughest illegal immigration laws in the country. His e-verify legislation, passing the House 96-0, ensures the integrity of Tennessee’s workforce. He also pushed through legislation requiring anyone seeking public benefits to prove they are in the country legally.

Carr stated the solution to national immigration reform begins with securing the border and enforcing existing laws. “The Obama administration, the previous administration and Congress have all collectively failed to secure the border. The American people are understandably skeptical that immigration reform will occur under this administration and Democratic controlled Senate. They understand that it makes absolutely no sense for lawmakers to craft an overly complex, Obamacare-style immigration bill while we don’t even enforce existing laws on the books,” he said.

“The American people have a crisis of confidence in the federal government. We’re urging Senators Alexander and Corker to lead on immigration reform by rejecting the Rubio-Schumer amnesty bill and demand Congress fulfill its Constitutional duty to secure the borders. Our leaders in Congress swore an oath to uphold the Constitution, but that oath is being violated. Everything else is really tertiary. Only after our leaders resolve to respect the Constitution and the rule of law, will we regain the trust of the American people and have the moral foundation in place to reform our immigration system,” Carr said.

What happened at the June 11 Council meeting: Capital improvement budget passes. ARC moves forward

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 15:00:00 +0000

Josh Stites' Charlotte Ave amendment to ARC funding fails on voice vote.

From The Tennessean:

Council approves $300M capital spending program

by Michael Cass, June 11, 2013- The Metro Council approved Mayor Karl Dean’s $300 million capital spending program Tuesday, sending the mayor’s controversial bus rapid transit plan to the next station while pumping nearly one-third of the new money into school building and renovation projects.

Dean’s plan includes $7.5 million for final engineering and design of the mass transit project known as “The Amp,” a 7.1-mile rapid bus line from the Five Points area of East Nashville to the White Bridge Road area along West End Avenue. The Metro Transit Authority will only spend the money if the federal government — an essential partner — selects Nashville for the next stage of project development.(link)

Councilman Josh Stites wants BRT route study for Charlotte Avenue

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 17:37:00 +0000

Josh Stites

Good for Josh Stites. I don't know the best route for the proposed BRT but do think other routes ought to also be considered.. There is a lot of opposition to the West End portion of the proposed route and concern about the impact on West End vehicular traffic, and there are people who actually want a Charlotte route. Charlotte would be less disruptive.

I accept that the ARC needs to connect two destinations and it needs to go downtown. Connecting White Bridge Road and Five Points makes sense and passing by universities and hospitals makes sense. Also, Mid Town is set to have increased density and mass transit needs density to work. I would think a route that connects Green Hills to downtown would also make a lot of sense. We need to start somewhere and that route may be in the future. If we want to create a mass transit system that is used my more than just the urban poor, the West End route is more attractive than the Charlotte route. However, before we fund any route we should at least look at other options and have some public input.

Nashville councilman wants BRT route study for Charlotte Avenue

by Michael Cass, The Tennessean, June 11, 2013-A Metro councilman wants to amend Mayor Karl Dean’s capital spending plan to require the Metro Transit Authority to study the feasibility of a bus rapid transit route along Charlotte Avenue.

The amendment, filed by Councilman Josh Stites for a council vote tonight, would preserve the $7.5 million in engineering funding Dean is seeking to advance the project known as The Amp. But while Dean has said the proper route is from the Five Points area of East Nashville to the White Bridge Road area of West Nashville along West End Avenue, Stites’ plan for the funding would “include a feasibility study of the use of Charlotte Avenue as an alternate route. (To read more and see an animation that shows riding bus rapid transit in Nashville follow this link.)