A Disgruntled Republican in Nashville

Update on what happened at the Metro Council on May 21st: pay raise for Metro employees, fairgrounds and more.

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:16:00 +0000

Below is the video of the May 21st Council meeting. If you haven't watched it yet, if you will wait I will watch it for you and tell you where to go in the video to watch the goods stuff and share my opinion of what happened and what should have happened. Check back.

Council holds public hearing on Dean's budget, approves small cities agreement

By Steven Hale, City Paper, May 21, 2013 -
It was a familiar scene at the Metro Courthouse Tuesday night, as red-clad fairgrounds supporters turned out for a public hearing on Mayor Karl Dean’s proposed $1.8 billion budget.

Their numbers did not approach the unprecedented crowd that showed up for a hearing on the property’s fate in 2011, but members of the Save Our Fairgrounds group arrived Tuesday intent on reminding Metro Council members of that night as well as of a referendum on the century-old fairgrounds later that year.(link)Below is the video. It you haven't watched it, wait and I will watch if for you and tell you where in the video is the good stuff and also give you my opinions of what happened. check back.

Tennesseans really like Sen. Lamar Alexander and Gov. Bill Haslam

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Wed, 22 May 2013 22:07:00 +0000

From Dru's Blog

Tennesseans really like Gov. Bill Haslam. Vandy's May poll shows a 63 percent approval. Sen. Lamar Alexander also polls well with a 53 percent approval. Both Republicans are up for re-election state-wide in 2014. Is either likely to be "primary-ed" by a more conservative Tea Party candidate? Not likely. Alexander has a 62 percent approval from […]

Metro violates enviornmental and landfill rules

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Wed, 22 May 2013 06:38:00 +0000

WSMV Channel 4

NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) -
There is a lot of demolition and construction going on in Nashville these days, but there are serious concerns about the city's plan of action for getting rid of an old building with troublesome things inside.

The city wants to bury the materials, including arsenic and PCBs - a mixture of individual chemicals so toxic to the environment, they're no longer produced - right where they lie, just 300 yards from the Cumberland River. (link)

Thanks to Ken Jakes for yet again exposing government wrong doings. This again demonstrates how government plays by different rules than those they regulate. Whether it is violating their own rules by selling wine at farmers market, allowing a nasty dumpster to block a public sidewalk, allowing lots to be overgrown, or as in this case by violating their own rules regarding land fills and environmental hazards, government does not follow the same rules they impose on others.

Metro Nashville government employees rally for raises

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Wed, 22 May 2013 03:23:00 +0000

Channel 2, May 21, 2013. NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Employees of Metro Nashville government rallied in front of the Metro Courthouse Tuesday night as city council members prepared to hear public comments on their proposed pay raises.

The group of roughly 100 police, fire, service union members and supporters gathered to cheer the efforts to get Metro employees more pay following years of budget cuts and layoffs.

On Monday, the Civil Service Commission approved a pay plan put forth by Mayor Karl Dean. The plan includes a 1.5% pay raise for all Metro employees and restores so-called increment raises. (link)

video of the IRS protest in Nashville

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Wed, 22 May 2013 02:25:00 +0000

Chip Saltsman Joins Joe Carr Team For 4th District Congress 0521 ...

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Wed, 22 May 2013 02:17:00 +0000

Chip Saltsman Joins Joe Carr Team For 4th District Congress

Three hundred protest at IRS today

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Tue, 21 May 2013 22:33:00 +0000

I joined about three hundred other protesters today on the sidewalk in front of the Federal Court House to protest the IRS's targeting of conservative groups. Earlier this month, the IRS admitted that the IRS had targeted groups that had the words “tea party” or “patriots” in their names for additional scrutiny. Such additional scrutiny included asking questions such as the names of members and contributors and asking groups to explain any association with other named individuals, and asked groups to explain their activities, and online presence. There was not an equal scrutiny of liberal groups. Some groups had a delay of as much as two years before having their tax except status approved and some never did get an approval, but never did get a denial. This caused some groups to miss fundraising and grant opportunities.

This campaign of intimidation and delay in approving tax except status for conservative groups has been blamed on low-level staffers by IRS officials, although that claim is being challenged. Few believe that low-level staffers undertook this campaign without any direction. Many believe this campaign of intimidation may be a scandal on a scale equal to the Nixon "enemies list" and may reach all of the way to the White House.

Today's events was emceed by Ken Marrero, a blogger at Blue Collar Muse and well know activist. Speakers included radio talk show host Steve Gill, Phil Valentine, and Ralph Bristol. Other speakers were Bobbie Patray of Tennessee Eagle Forum and anti-tax activist Ben Cunningham of Nashville Tea Party. Speakers called for an in-depth investigation to get to the bottom (or top) of the scandal.

Given that the protest only had a couple days of planning and advance notice, that it was in the middle of the day, that it was downtown where weekday parking is expensive and hard to find, and that there was a threat of sever thunder storms, I was impressed that so many people turned out on short notice. The bad weather held off until the conclusion of the protest and then there was a downpour.

Check back for updates.

Council Members: Vote against Human Relations appointees who support the Metro Youth Pavilion at Gay Pride Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Mon, 20 May 2013 20:00:00 +0000

There are several people up for Council confirmation of their appointment to the Human Relations Commission next Tuesday night. The Human Relations Commission is an organization that serves no purpose except to promote political correctness and should be abolished.

One of the things the Human Relations Commission does is sponsor a youth pavilion at the Nashville Gay Pride Festival. I am sure many Nashvillians believe that homosexual activity is deviant behavior and a sin. Metro should not be in the business of normalizing and promoting acceptance of the homosexual lifestyle among our youth.

I would hope that the appointees to the HRC will be questioned and asked if they support Metro’s funding of the youth pavilion at the gay pride event. If they do, the council members who do not believe this is a proper roll for Metro government should vote against those appointees.

Below are the list of the Mayor’s appointees to the Human Relations Commission who will be up for confirmation by the Council on Tuesday May 21^st.

Human Relations Commission
Reappointment of Ms. Debra Palmer George for a term expiring April 18, 2016.
Reappointment of Ms. Sharon Kay for a term expiring April 18, 2016.
Appointment of Mr. Richard Kennedy for a term expiring April 18, 2016.
Appointment of Ms. Tasha French Lemley for a term expiring April 18, 2016.
Reappointment of Mr. Don Peterson for a term expiring April 18, 2016.
Reappointment of Mr. Avi Poster for a term expiring April 18, 2016.
Appointment of Mr. Frank Trew for a term expiring April 18, 2016.

If you would like to let your councilman know you would like for them to question and vote against those appointees who support Metro’s funding of a youth pavilion at the Nashivlle Gay Pride festival, follow this link to find the email address of your councilman and the councilmen-at-large: Contact your Councilman.

I have written my Council member the following short message.

Dean Council Lady Moore,

I do not think it appropriate that Metro should fund a youth pavilion at the Nashville Gay Pride Festival. We should not be sending the message to our youth that homosexuality is normal and acceptable.

Several people are up for confirmation of their appointment to the Human Relations Commission next Tuesday. I would urge you to question them on their views on Metro’s funding of the youth pavilion at the Nashville Gay Pride Festival. If they support this program, I urge you to vote against their confirmation.

Sincerely

Rod Williams

I am also sending a similar message to all of the Council-Members-at-large and a hand full of other council members who I consider conservatives who I think may be inclined to think that funding a youth pavilion at the Nashville Gay Pride Festival is inappropriate.

Summary and analysis of the May 14 School Board meeting

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Mon, 20 May 2013 19:33:00 +0000

This meeting is two hours and five minutes long. The MNPS provide good agendas. To follow along on the agenda follow this link.

Below are some items worth watching:
Public Participation

Ms Sherry Etheridge makes comments lambasting the method of communicating to parents about the proposed school on Smith Springs Road. She finds the one-sided presentation via children offensive. (at 22:45 in the video)

A couple of parents speak in favor of the Explore! Community School.

Camiqueka Fuller speaks in favor of Kipp Academy and how her child has soared in reading improvement at Kipp. Later in the public participation segment, a student praises Kipp.

A lot of routine non-controversial matters pass on the consent agenda.

Dismissal of Teachers:
Director Schools Jessie Register ask that teacher Tracy L. Stevens have charges "certified" for dismissal for unprofessional conduct and teacher Sylvia McCarthy have charges certified for insubordination. It is difficult to fire a teacher and this is one step in the process. See page 88 of the agenda for the charges against Stevens and page 89 for the charges against McCarthy.

There is a presentation of preliminary report on central office reorganization. There is a move away from central office management to having more resources managed at the school level. I am encouraged by these developments. The presentation and power-point presentation starts at 48:35 in the video. Under the reorganization, schools will be organized in small networks of principles led by a lead principle.While schools will have considerable autonomy, there will be guiding principles. "The guiding principles are non-negotiable," says Dr. Register. "We are going to implement Common Core. There will be a support system to implement common core."

School Board member Elissa Kim initiates a line of discussion that sheds light on how the current method of compensating teachers based on length of service and academic degree leads to inequitable per pupil spending. (see 1:31:30)

A discussion of the MNPS budget begins at 1:35. The presentation explains how MNPS will reduce there budget by $17.69 million from what they originally requested.

IRS Protest, Tuesday May 21, noon

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Mon, 20 May 2013 02:28:00 +0000

Tea Party Patriots, 912s and several other groups are having a Nationwide protest against the IRS abuses at IRS offices across the country.

The Nashville Protest will be this Tues May 21, 12noon at 801 Broadway on the sidewalk in front of the Federal Bldg. I know this is short notice but it is an opportunity to raise our voices and protest this extraordinary abuse by our government.

Common Core and the Muslim Brotherhood

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Sun, 19 May 2013 18:36:00 +0000

I reposted an expose a couple week ago that tied Common Core to Agenda 21. You know Agenda 21? That is the conspricacy to kill 96% of the worlds population by posioning them with aspertame and floride. Everything from shady sidewalks to bike share programs to roundabouts to art in public places is part of Agenda 21 according to many Agenda 21 critics. (I have posted extensively about Agenda 21, you can read it hear.)

At the time I reposted the expose that tied Agenda 21 to Common core I said, "I knew the tinfoil hat brigade would tie Common Core to Agenda 21. I just knew it! I'm still waiting to see the connection to Sharia Law, the NAFTA superhighway, Chem trails, the Bilderbergs, the Trilateral Commission, the Council on Foreign Relations, Aspartame, Fluoride, and the Federal Reserve. If you dig deep enough and really believe it, you can find the connections."

Well, I didn't have to wait long. Common Core has been tied to the Muslim Brotherhood! A website called Tennesee Fully Exposed has posted Episode 27: “Common ‘Muslim Brotherhood’ Core Curriculum.” This post features an audio interview with Cathy Hinners who is the founder of the Daily Roll Call and she explains how "Common Core in Tennessee is being pushed by Muslim Brotherhood organizations and why."

As soon as I find the connections to the Bilderbergs, the Trilateral Commission, the Council on Foreign Relations, and chem trails, I will post it.

Update from Senator Bob Corker: IRS Actions Outrageous and Disturbing

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Sun, 19 May 2013 12:26:00 +0000

In a letter Wednesday to President Barack Obama, Senator Corker joined Senate Republicans in demanding that the administration fully comply with congressional investigation requests on how the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) targeted conservative groups. The senators outlined concerns regarding conflicting responses from the nonpartisan agency and said it is imperative the administration work with Congress to restore public confidence.

Last week, Senator Corker called initial reports that the IRS inappropriately flagged conservative political groups for additional reviews “outrageous [and] disturbing.”

“As I said last year, all nonprofit organizations seeking tax-exempt status should be treated fairly and equitably by the IRS,” said Corker. “The IRS’s admission that its employees were specifically targeting conservative groups – including groups in Tennessee – is outrageous, disturbing, and will further erode Americans' trust in the federal government. Swift and decisive action should be taken to punish those responsible and to assure the American people that these actions will not be tolerated at the IRS or any other federal agency.”

Last March, Corker joined Senate colleagues in asking the IRS to treat all nonprofit groups seeking tax-exempt status fairly in the designation process. In a follow up letter last June, Corker and colleagues asked the IRS to clarify what authority allowed them to request confidential donor information from organizations applying for tax exempt status.

What's on the Metro Council Agenda for May 21st: Budget hearings and more.

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Sat, 18 May 2013 23:59:00 +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.

Several of the board members of the Human Relations Commission are up for confirmation of their appointment or reappointment. The HRC is a metro agency with no function that needs to be done, that could not be done by some other agency. The whole purpose of HRC seems to be to promote political correctness and liberal causes. One of the things they do is sponsor a youth pavilion at the Nashville Gay Pride Festival, which I think is inappropriate. I do not think Metro should be in the business of normalizing and promoting a homosexual lifestyle among young people. I hope someone in the Council will question the appointees about this and if the appointee supports continuing Metro's sponsorship of a youth pavilion at the Gay Prive Festival that the Councilman would vote against thay person and state the reason why. This is an occasion where a conservative leader could step forward in the Council.
For more on this, see this link and this one.

Public hearing on the budget: To know all you need to know about the budget, follow this link: Citizen's Guide to the Metro Budget. Also, see the Council staff analysis or see this link.

Since the Mayor is not proposing a tax increase there will be fewer people speaking on the budget than there were last year. It seems critics of spending only show up in years in which there is a proposed tax increase. The mayor's proposed budget represents a 5.86 percent increase or about $100 million over the current budget and does not fully fund the Schools request of $44 million increase, but increases the Schools budget by $26 million. It does not include a subsidy for the Auditorium, Farmers Market or Fairgrounds. I normally would be opposed to subsidies for these functions, however this year I think there may be reason to subsidize the fairground. Much of the reason the fairgrounds is losing money is because when the Mayor announced plans to sell the fairground and turn the site into a corporate campus, those who would rent the fairgrounds for tradeshows did not do so thinking the fairground was going away. I think there has been a deliberate attempt to make the fairgrounds lose money so there could be a justification to sell the property. I could support subsiding the fairgrounds, this one year only. To learn more about the fairground issue, follow this link.

The budget dips pretty deeply into the "rainy day" reserve fund. Expect advocates of Schools, Farmer's Market, Fairgrounds, and advocates of an employee's "step" pay increases to dominate the hearing. The budget is amendable on third reading, so it will most likely pass tonight.

There are nineteen resolutions all of which are on the consent agenda. 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. I expect a couple of the resolutions to be deferred to "track" the budget including RESOLUTION NO. RS2013-670 which establishes the certified tax rate in both the General Services District and the Urban Services District.

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 thirteen 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 twenty-one bills on second reading. None of them seem terribly controversial but below are a few worth watching:

BILL NO. BL2012-291 amends the definition of “recycling facility” to clarify that it does not include the conversion of material into a fuel product or asphalt. Public works says this bill is not necessary since state regulations do not permit a C & D landfill to have an incinerator anyway. This bill was on second reading last council meeting and was deferred to this meeting.

Bill NO. BL2013-360 requires that there be a compensation and benefits study for the mayor, vice mayor, and members of council. Included in this will be a review of the lifetime health insurance benefit provided to former council member who served at least two terms. This generous and costly benefit was up for repeal or reduction twice before this council and failed.

BILL NO. BL2013-420 creates a small business economic development incentive grant program. As you are probably aware, Metro Council has been picking winner and looser by bribing big companies not to leave metro and "enticing" big companies to expand or relocate to Davidson County. Some have argued that this is wrong and the same enticements should be offered to small businesses. I do see this policy as a problem. By paying companies to locate or not to leave we create an incentive whereby a company would be foolish to move here unless they get their pay-off and we have created an incentive for companies to threaten to leave unless we pay them to stay. Unfortunately, it is hard to stop playing this game since other cities are also playing it. Cities have created an environment to where they have to pay the incentive or another city that does pay the incentive will get the big corporate headquarter relocations and manufacturing plants. I don't think the way to fix this problem is to expand it to small businesses. This bill was deferred last meeting to track with the budget ordinance. It will most likely be deferred again.

BILL NO. BL2013-422 pertains to the procedure to be followed in designating residential permit parking areas. I live not far from the popular 12th South Ave area and see the need for residential permit parking. Residents off of 12th sometimes must park blocks from their homes because patrons of the popular restaurants on 12th take the parking spaces. Two restaurants haverecently sued Metro for approving permit-only parking in the 12 South neighborhood. I expect this bill will be deferred.

BILL NO. BL2013-423 would swap some Metro land for some State land. The land that the School for the Arts sits on and the land that will be the site of the future STEM charter school located on the old Tennessee Preparatory School site on Foster Ave, would be swapped for the old Ben West Library site downtown at Eighth and Union Ave . Metro now owns the library and the State owns the TPS site. It is unusual that a bill is discussed on first reading, but last council meeting this one was. Councilman Bo Mitchell argued against it, arguing that it was an uneven swap and Metro was getting a poor deal, however he may have been motivated by his dislike of charter schools. (See his remarks at this link.) There is also some opposition to tearing down the old Ben West library because some preservationist consider the building architecturally significant. The most persuasive argument against the deal is that there is a deed restriction that requires the site to be used as a library or revert to the heirs of those who gave the land to Metro to be used as a library. I think deed restrictions should be honored as a matter of principle but as a matter of practicality we should not move forward with this deal until the title issues have been resolved. It was deferred last meeting and expect it to be deferred again.

BILLNO. BL2013-432 establishes the tax levy for the fiscal year 2013-2014. This will probably be deferred. It has to pass after the budget passes.

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 twenty bills on third reading. Most of them are zoning bills and I don't expect any of them to generate controversy.

There are no memorializing resolutions on the agenda.

Green Hills GOP Summit

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:46:00 +0000

Saturday, May 25th

Coffee, Pastries and Fellowship at 8:30 a.m. Program at 9 a.m.

Sen. Steve Dickerson Presents "On Becoming A State Senator:" All About His Winning Campaign And The Experience Of Actually Serving As A First-Time Member Of The Tennessee State Senate.

Also—A Review Of GOP Legislative Successes In The Session Just Ended— And Some Issues On Tap For Next Year.

We meet at St. Paul’s (Green Hills Off Hillsboro). For Directions, etc. Contact Peter Voysey at: greenhillsgop@gmail.com

Citizen's Guide to the Metro Budget

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:36:00 +0000

Everything you would want to know about the Metro Budget is online at this link: Citizen's Guide to the Metro Budget.

The May 21st Council Agenda is now available

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Fri, 17 May 2013 17:42:00 +0000

If you will wait I will read it for you and tell you and explain it. If you just can't wait, here is the link: May 21st Metro Council Agenda.

East Nashville Republican Coffee

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:51:00 +0000

SATURDAY, May 18th, 2013

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Jacob's Well Coffee House

1053 Donelson Avenue Old Hickory

Come meet good folks, drink great coffee, talk politics, and listen to Steve Abernathy Former Election Commissioner.

Thanks for your support ! Terry Torree & Steven Clements

Governor Haslam Shows Courage; Rep. Andy Holt Proves Himself a Lousy Puppet

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:36:00 +0000

by Daniel Horwitz

Almost two centuries have gone by since Mark Twain famously quipped that it is “better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than open it and remove all doubt.” Over the course of his recent efforts to enact HB 1191/SB 1248, however, State Rep. Andy Holt (R-Dresden) proved once again that sage advice never really goes out of style. Fortunately, by vetoing HB 1191/SB 1248 on Monday, Governor Haslam definitively proved that he had the political wherewithal to clean up the mess that Holt and others had created, and for that Governor Haslam should be both praised and applauded.

For anyone who didn’t follow the legislature’s shamelessly duplicitous back-and-forth regarding HB 1191/SB 1248, the following facts about the bill that should be sufficient to explain what the bill aimed to do, who stood to gain from it, and who stood to lose:

-HB 1191/SB 1248 – officially titled The “Livestock Protection Act” by the legislature, but derided as the “Ag Gag Bill” by opponents – was pushed almost singlehandedly by the Tennessee Farm Bureau, which is easily the strongest arm of Tennessee’s agribusiness lobby. Agriculture is also the largest industry in all of Tennessee.

-The bill’s essential provision required anyone who photographed or videotaped animal abuse both (1) to report the abuse; and (2) to turn over all unedited recordings of said abuse within 48 hours. Had HB 1191/SB 1248 been enacted, anyone who failed to do either would have been guilty of a Class C Misdemeanor.

-Although the stated purpose of the Livestock Protection Act was to curb livestock abuse, the bill was opposed by literally every single prominent animal rights group in the United States, spanning from the Humane Society, to PETA, to the ASPCA, to Mercy for Animals, to every other animal rights group in between. In total, the Livestock Protection Act and bills like it are opposed by no fewer than sixtyseparate civil liberties, public health, food safety, environmental, foodjustice, animal welfare, legal, workers' rights, journalism, and FirstAmendment organizations.

When a bill purporting to prevent livestock abuse is fiercely opposed by animal rights groups yet supported wholeheartedly by the livestock industry that the bill purports to regulate, it doesn’t take a genius to realize that something is seriously amiss. According to foodwhistleblower.org, animal rights groups oppose “Ag-Gag” bills like HB 1191/SB 1248 for three primary reasons:

1. Short-term mandatory reporting requirements pose a serious threat to whistleblowers by making it easier for companies to isolate and retaliate against those who document animal abuse on their property.

2. Long-form investigations provide law enforcement with a much larger body of evidence to facilitate prosecution than a report of a single isolated incident. Since reports of animal cruelty rarely result in successful prosecutions (according to findings issued by the Connecticut Office of Legislative Research, for example, of the 1,369 animal cruelty cases brought in that state between 2004 and 2007, only 182 resulted in convictions), comprehensive documentation of abuse appears to be crucial. As Nina Margetson of Horse Haven of Tennessee explainedon April 21st, “Any good investigator knows it takes more than 48 hours to make a case that stands up in court.” Notably, giving considerable credence to this objection, Governor Haslam himself cited “concerns from some district attorneysthat the act actually makes it more difficult to prosecute animal cruelty cases” as one of the primary bases for his veto.

3. Despite being derided as “propaganda” pieces by the agribusiness lobby, detailed, long-form investigative pieces documenting animal abuse motivate the public to demand action.

Beyond these three legitimate policy concerns, however, bills that force citizens to turn over their recordings to the government or else face criminal prosecution implicate serious constitutional concerns as well. As noted by the ACLU in anApril 24th letter to Governor Haslam, for example, HB 1191/SB 1248 – which was basically an individual mandate on steroids – would have violated the First Amendment on at least two separate grounds by unconstitutionally restricting free speech and chilling freedom of the press. An official opinionfrom Tennessee Attorney General Bob Cooper expressed identical doubts, and even added two further concerns. According to General Cooper, the bill was unconstitutionally underinclusive in that it imposed liability only on those who document animal abuse (rather than requiring “the immediate report to law enforcement agencies by all persons with knowledge of livestock cruelty”), and it would also have violated the Fifth Amendment’s guarantee against self-incrimination in some instances because requiring citizens to turn over “unedited documentary evidence of suspected animal cruelty [may] reveal a possible violation of the law by the person recording that cruelty, such as trespass.” These concerns, of course, are much more than just theoretical; without exaggeration, “everyconviction of a slaughterhouse or industrial farm worker has come about becauseof an undercover investigation from an animal protection organization,” and the devastating effects that anti-whistleblower bills can have on reporting animal cruelty have been extremely well-documented. The First Amendment center, too, has officially stated its position that bills like HB 1191/SB 1248 “harmfree speech.”

Despite the myriad reasons presented above to oppose HB 1191/SB 1248, the Tennessee Farm Bureau was successful in ramming the bill through the state legislature, which is really no surprise given the political power of that 650,000 member organization. Thanks in no small part to the bill’s House sponsor Andy Holt (a previously unknown “supporter” of animal rights who publiclycalled the bill “a victory for animals,” the true intent of which “was to make sure that if there was livestock abuse that was going on, that it was reported and was reported in a timely manner”), The Livestock Protection Act ultimately made it through the legislature by just a single vote on April 17th. Seemingly drunk off his temporary success, however, Holt quickly proved himself a lousy, misogynistic puppet of the agribusiness lobby over the course of the following month. By uniting opposition against HB 1191/SB 1248 with a fury unseen since the proposal to enact a state income tax, Holt’s abrasive demeanor played a pivotal role in the bill’s ultimate defeat on May 13th, culminating in only the second veto of Governor Haslam’s entire administration. Case in point:

Almost immediately after HB 1191/SB 1248 passed the legislature, Holt wrote this email analogizing animal rights groups’ efforts to document animal abuse to the way that “human traffickers use 17-year old women,” and repeatedly equated documentation of animal abuse to rape. His comments were immediately met with profound outrage, resulting in significant additional coverage for the bill and destroying whatever credibility Holt had previously enjoyed. (Perhaps notably, though, Rep. Holt, was not the first Tennessee Republican to disregard GOP strategists’ pleadingsthat Republican politicians stop talking about rape after it cost the Party two senate seats in 2012; that distinction belongs exclusively to Rep.Joe Carr.)

Then, after beloved Nashvillian and country superstar Carrie Underwood publicly expressed her own opposition to HB 1191/SB 1248, Holt endeared himself to nobody by retorting with the not-so-subtly-misogynistic, get-back-in-your-place type response that “ifCarrie Underwood will stick to singing, I'll stick to lawmaking.” Classy as ever, Underwood responded that: “I should stick to singing? Wow...sorry, I'm just a tax paying citizen concerned for the safety of my family.” (Underwood, of course, is absolutely right to call out Holt for forgetting that his job is to represent Tennesseans – not to belittle them or try hammer them into submission for their political activism – and for that I take my hat off to her.)

As a smarter politician than Holt might have expected, the backlash to Holt’s attempt to silence someone as popular as Carrie Underwood was immediate. National news outlets covered both the spat and the bill itself, shoving a bill that was intended to be pushed through without fanfare straight into the public spotlight, and turning Underwood into a prominent animal rights activist overnight. Thousands of people inundated Governor Haslam’s office with demands that he veto the legislation. Hundreds of thousands of dollars poured specifically into Tennessee TV spots opposing the bill, despite similar battles being waged simultaneously in other states. Local newspapers began delving into Holt’s own farm-related issues, uncovering his longhistory of non-compliance with state farm regulations. And when the dust finally settled on Monday, Haslam vetoed Holt’s bill, leaving him to wipe away the egg on his face alone, wondering silently whether he’ll ever be able to count on futuredonations from the food lobby again as people scramble to distance themselves from the legislature’s newest pariah.

For animal rights activists, Haslam’s veto this week represented an unlikely victory against one of Tennessee’s most powerful interest groups, and proved once again that when reasonable people are actually paying attention to the substantive merits of differing points of view, simply being louder, more aggressive and more obnoxious than one’s opponent is an ineffective way to win an argument. Having been subjected to similartactics on this blog myself, I suspect that Underwood felt justly vindicated by her victory this week. And for his own laudable decision to stand up to a strong lobbying interest and veto a bill that would have been both unconstitutional and terrible for Tennessee, Governor Haslam, too, deserves great praise. For the courage that he exhibited in vetoing HB 1191/SB 1248 this week, I proudly applaud him.

Daniel Horwitz is a third year law student at Vanderbilt University Law School, where he is the Vice President of Law Students for Social Justice. He can be contacted at daniel.a.horwitz@vanderbilt.edu.

Southeast Nashville Conservatives' Breakfast Club

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:01:00 +0000

SATURDAY, May 18th, 2013

Breakfast/Social (8:30 am - 9:00 am)

Meeting (9:00 am - 10:00 am)

Shoney's (Antioch) Bell Road/Mt. View Road (I-24E - Bell Road Exit)

Special Guests

2013 - 2014 DCRP Executive Board

Councilman Duane Dominy & Councilman Robert Duvall

"Discussion of Mayor's Proposed Budget"

A "Save Our Fairgrounds" Call to Action: Attend the Council Budget Hearning.

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:04:00 +0000

From: Save our Fairgrounds

Call to Action:

The PUBLIC HEARING for the 2013-2014 Metro Budget will be held this coming Tuesday, May 21st.
This will be our only chance to speak out in support of the Fairgrounds.
It is imperative that we have a large number of red shirted Fairgrounds supporters on hand

SaveOurFairgrounds.com urges everyone to get out their red shirts and fill the Council Chambers in support of the Fairgrounds.
A Council Chambers filled with red shirts will serve as a reminder to council members the support from Nashville citizens for the historic Fairgrounds.
Councilman at Large Stein made special mention of the large turnout for the Arts Commission Hearing. Proof that your presence is noticed and needed.
If we want the Fairgrounds to continue and prosper, we need some assistance from Metro.
The proposed subsidy from Metro would be the first needed in the storied 107 year history of the Fairgrounds.
The Fairgrounds hosts over 600 events a year.
An estimated 1.2 Million citizens and visitors help provide nearly 60 Million dollars in economic impact annually.
The Fairgrounds has provided a great deal in helping Nashville grow into the city we are today.
NASCAR was Nashville's first professional sport providing not only entertainment to our citizens but, a glimpse into Nashville on a national stage in sports. National media covering these events helped fuel our growing tourism business showing the entire country that Nashville is a great place to Live, Work, and Play.

It is VERY important to the future of the Fairgrounds to have a massive turn-out for both the Public and Budget hearings.
SaveOurFairgrounds.com and the Save Our Fairgrounds facebook page will keep you informed to any changes or additional news concerning the Fairgrounds.

The “NEW” Save Our Fairgrounds T-Shirts will be available at the Public Hearing. The cost will be $10.00. If you can give more, we can use the help.
On the back of these shirts, you will see a growing "Friends of Save Our Fairgrounds" list.
The supporters listed all provided $100.00 or more in goods, services, and cash donations.
Please give them a special Thank You when you see them.
A list of these Friends will can be found at Saveourfairgrounds.com soon.

A budget hearing for the Fairgrounds will be held Wednesday, May 29th at the Metro Courthouse.
Fairgrounds Executive Director Buck Dozier and staff will give a presentation to the City Council sometime after 6PM.
We are scheduled for 6:30 but, budget hearings are fluid in time allotted. So, the schedule shifts. We need red shirted supporters to begin arriving at 5:30PM. We will not have the opportunity to speak at the Budget Hearing but, your presence is needed.

Save the Dates:
Council Budget Public Hearing
Tuesday, May 21st
5:30 PM
Metro Courthouse.

Fairgrounds Budget Hearing
Wednesday, May 29th
5:30 PM
Metro Courthouse

We look forward to seeing you there as we continue to
Save Our Fairgrounds.
“Where Nashville comes together”

To view the Mayor budget hearing on the Fairgrounds and learn more about the fairground budget issues, follow this link.

The Council meeting of 5-7-2013 with summary and commentary

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:15:00 +0000

I am kind of late getting around to watching last week's council meeting, but here is my summary. To link to my agenda analysis and find a link to the Metro Staff analysis follow this link: What’s happening at the Council…

Bills on Public Hearing

BILL NO. BL2013-348 is on public hearing and generates some discussion. This is the massive rezoning in mid-town of 81 acres of property which increases the housing density of the area. It passes.

BILL NO. BL2013-402 amends the Metro Code concerning various waste management land uses. It modifies the zoning districts within which construction and demolition (C&D) landfills are permitted and modifies setback requirements, landscape buffer requirements, and operating hour restrictions applicable to these landfills. This bill is deferred indefinitely.

BILL NO. BL2013-403 limits the amount of lighting that can cover a building’s roof or walls. No one speaks at the public hearing and it passes.

BILL NO. BL2013-418 modifies which zoning districts specific automobile related uses are permitted. I thought this might generate some controversy, but it didn’t and the bill passed.

BILL NO. BL2013-419 concerns the set back requirement and "bulk" of the building permitted on lots which happen to be smaller than the standard lot for that particular zoning classification. There was no one on either side wishing to speak and it passes.

All of the resolutions that are on the consent agenda pass without any being pulled.

RESOLUTION NO. RS2013-670 which establishes the certified tax rate in both the General Services District and the Urban Services District is not on the consent agenda. This bill is deferred to “track” with the budget. State law requires that following a general reappraisal that a new tax rate be established that brings in no more revenue than the tax rate prior to the reappraisal.

About half way through the agenda the audio for all councilmembers except the Vice Mayor is lost and stays off for about 15 minutes.

Bills on Second Reading:

BILL NO. BL2013-420 creates a small business economic development incentive grant program. As you are probably aware, Metro Council has been picking winner and looser by bribing big companies not to leave metro and "enticing" big companies to expand or relocate to Davidson County. Some have argued that this is wrong and the same enticements should be offered to small businesses. I do see this policy as a problem. By paying companies to locate or not to leave we create an incentive whereby a company would be foolish to move here unless they get their pay-off and we have created an incentive for companies to threaten to leave unless we pay them to stay. Unfortunately, it is hard to stop playing this game since other cities are also playing it. Cities have created an environment where they have to pay the incentive or another city that does pay the incentive will get the big corporate headquarter relocations and manufacturing plants. I don't think the way to fix this problem is to expand it to small businesses. This bill is deferred one meeting to track with the budget ordinance. I suspect it will pass since the mayor has included money in his budget to fund it, but I don’t think it should.

BILL NO. BL2013-423 would swap some Metro land for some State land. The land that the School for the Arts sits on and the land that will be the site of the future STEM charter school located on the old Tennessee Preparatory School site on Foster Ave, would be swapped for the old Ben West Library site downtown at Eighth and Union Ave . Metro now owns the library and the State owns the TPS site. It is unusual that a bill is discussed on first reading, but last council meeting this one was. Councilman Bo Mitchell argued against it, arguing that it was an uneven swap and Metro was getting a poor deal, however he may have been motivated by his dislike of charter schools. (See his remarks at this link.) There is also some opposition to tearing down the old Ben West library because some preservationist consider the building architecturally significant. The most persuasive argument against the deal is that there is a deed restriction that requires the site to be used as a library or revert to the heirs of those who gave the land to Metro to be used as a library. I think deed restrictions should be honored as a matter of principle but as a matter of practicality we should not move forward with this deal until the title issues have been resolved. This bill was deferred without discussion.

Bills on Third Reading:

BILL NO. BL2012-292 would liberalize the policy on home recording studios. It is deferred indefinitely. (To see the discussion, see 62:15- 67:07 in the video.) This was a bill that should have passed. Below are news stories on the bill.

Memorializing RESOLUTION NO. RS2013-665 would have created within the council a "residential caucus" to "address municipal issues of the resident citizens of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County." I do not see the necessity of this bill at all. If every member of the Council, can be on the caucus, then why have a caucus? It was deferred indefinitely. (For the discussion, see 1:02:33- 1:08:56)

Metro Council sponsor defers home studios bill

The Tennessean, May 7, 2013 - A controversial Metro Council proposal to change the city’s codes to accommodate home recording studios was deferred indefinitely by its sponsor Tuesday after some residents complained about the potential impact on neighborhoods.

Councilwoman Megan Barry, the sponsor and a likely candidate for mayor in 2015, said there was enough support to pass the bill but that it deserved to pass “by a large margin, not a narrow one.”(link)

Council defers home studio, land swap bills

By Pierce Greenberg, City Paper,Tuesday, May 7, 2013 - The council was set to take up a bill approving a land swap agreement with the state on second reading. The agreement, which would have given Metro the former Tennessee Preparatory School property in exchange for the old Ben West library building in downtown, was deferred for a meeting.(link)

Jane Fonda to veterans boycotting movie: 'Get a life'

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Wed, 15 May 2013 21:18:00 +0000

Jane Fonda, the actress known as "Hanoi Jane" for her actions during the Vietnam War, has a simple message to veterans and others who are boycotting "The Butler,” a movie in which she plays Nancy Reagan, Fox News reported Thursday.

"Get a life," she told the Hollywood Reporter. Larry Reyes, a Navy veteran who founded the "Boycott Hanoi Jane Playing Nancy Reagan" Facebook page, said the choice of Fonda for the role was the moviemakers way of "giving people like me the middle finger." (link)

I still hate Hanoi Jane. Forget hell!

Senate Democrats Block Sen. Paul’s Resolution Condemning IRS

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Wed, 15 May 2013 21:01:00 +0000

May 15, 2013- Today, Senate Democrats placed a hold on Sen. Rand Paul's recent resolution that condemns the targeting of Tea Party groups by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and calls for an investigation into this practice.

"This resolution is not about Republican vs. Democrat or conservative vs. liberal. It is about arrogant and unrestrained government vs. the rule of law. The First Amendment cannot and should not be renegotiated depending on which party holds power," Sen. Paul said. "Each senator took an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution, yet Senate Democrats chose to block my resolution and thus refused to condemn the IRS for trampling on our First Amendment rights. I am incredibly disappointed in Washington's party politics and I am determined to hold the IRS accountable for these unjust acts."

A copy of the blocked resolution can be found HERE.

Liberty on the Rocks, Thursday May 16th

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:51:00 +0000

Thursday, May 16, 2013 5:30 PM

Mafiaoza's
2400 12th Ave S
Nashville, TN 37204

Metro Nashville Public Schools' Salute to Excellence on May 14, 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Rod Williams) — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:41:00 +0000