Memphis to Tea Party Alongside Chicago

It’s amazing what a moment of passion can produce.  I believe it’s one of the reasons blogs are so successful.  Just a day or so ago one of CNBC’s live reporters, Rick Santelli, indulged in one such moment.  That he was tapping into the feelings of everyday Americans was evident by the reaction of those around him who took a moment from their own work to applaud his sentiments and voice their support.

What did he say?  Just that the President’s mortgage bailout plan was ridiculous, wouldn’t work and ought to be opposed by Americans.  He then offered the notion that in July of 2009, people should join him in Chicago for more than just opposition, they should come ready for protest!  He called for a Chicago Tea Party reminiscent of the infamous Boston Tea Party of December 1773 in protest of a small increase in the tax on tea.

That few moments of passion on camera has sparked a phenomenal response literally across the nation!  The video has been shown and reshown on all major networks.  It is being reported in MSM print publications and talked about on radio.  Different clips and cuts of Santelli’s comments have garnered hundreds of thousands of views.

But folks are doing more than just watching the video.  They’ve taken Santelli’s comments and are running with them.  CNBC put up a non-scientific poll at their site asking if people would join Santelli in Chicago for his Tea Party.  As of last night, 65,000Americans said “Yes!”.  As of this morning, that number had grown to 190,000!

The idea is growing.  Online activists are sorting out the different responses at Operation Twitter Tea Party with the hashtag #optwtp.   Tennessee activists are not to be outdone.  For those unable to take the time off of work or spend the money to travel so far, know the Memphis Tea Party will be happening this July as well!  The details will be more clear as plans move ahead but you can keep up with them at Memphis Tea Party!  Perhaps we should also do a Nashville and a Knoxville Tea Party.

If anyone is aware of plans to do a Tea Party in your area, please let me know.  We’ll give a go at trying to compile a list of them.  Now go be active …

If it’s Not Stimulating the Economy, What is it Stimulating?

Christian Grantham over at Channel 2’s Nashville is Talking posted Tennessee’s portion of the Stimulus Package swag.  Keeping in mind this is supposed to be spending that stimulates the Economy.  This is a joke – and a bad one.  The total amount Tennessee is to receive is $3,779,708,000 – almost $4 billion dollars to pump into the economy of the state of Tennessee.  Let’s see where the pork is earmarked to go …

The first $943,288,000 under the heading Fiscal Stabilization, whatever that means, is spent as follows:  $771,610,000 on Education and $171,678,000 on General Purpose.  How spending three quarters of a billion dollars on Education is going to stimulate the Economy is beyond me.  I know, I know … an educated populace is a prosperous one.  I even agree.  But the sky is falling, remember?  We have to pass the Stimulus now or Economic ruin is upon us.  How even $771 trillion spent on education over the next 5 years is going to do anything but prosper the Teacher’s Union is beyond me.  This is not stimulating the Economy anytime soon.  General Purpose sounds like the money is going into the state’s General Budget.  This is nothing more than Welfare for Tennessee instead of Tennesseans.  The state gets another $172 million dollars to spend on whatever it wants.  I wish we had checkbook transparency in Tennessee so we could know that money was spent in the Private Sector and thus be sure it was stimulating the Economy.  Government spending on Government is only Economically depressing as once the “Stimulus” funds are gone taxpayers still pick up the tab for the bureaucracy it created.  Two line items down, we’ve spent a billion dollars – so far no stimulus.

The next several line items are spending for various projects and we get a bit more specific.

Medicaid spending alone gets $1,100,000,000.  No stimulus here.  In 3 line items we’ve now spent over half of our share of the “Stimulus” money and have yet to stimulate anything.

Foster Care/Adoption Assistance gets $10,200,000.  Stimulating? No.

Highways and Bridges get $572,701,000.  This might be stimulating if it is spent in the Private Sector.  If we hire more state employees to do this work it is not.  Score it a maybe.  And I won’t even ask why we’re spending federal pork dollars on this.  Aren’t we supposed to have funds in our budget for this every year?  Take a look and see how that money has been spent over the last 10 years and tell me we should have to receive federal dollars to repair our roads and bridges.

Mass Transit Capital Grants gets $71,988,000 so we can have more Music City Stars losing money and whizzing past paid fares on future 4th of Julys.  These are long term money pits, not economic recovery and stimulus.

Fixed Guideway Modernization sounds sort of stimulating but it’s only $28,000 so how much good would it do either way?

Clean Water and Drinking Water are next up at $20,394,000 and $57,814,000 respectively.  Perhaps these would pay for some upgrades, repairs and such and would be stimulating if the money is spent in the Private Sector.  But without more details, I have to call it another maybe.  And again, why aren’t these costs built in to the product they charge for or the current tax base?  This is not an item beyond the scope of local Government to address if they are fiscally responsible.  Ooops, I guess that explains it, doesn’t it?

Underground Storage Tank and Hazardous Waste are both line items without a dollar figure.  I don’t know if that means they’re burying the money and it’s hazardous to my health to know how much they’re burying or something else.  But no dollars can’t be stimulating.  Moving on …

Weatherization and State Energy Program check in at $97,467,000 and $59,065,000.  A State Energy Program is more “money pit” spending.  Who knows what Weatherization is?  But it’s enough for each county in the state to get $1 million or so dollars so I’m sure they’ll find something to spend it on.  Private Sector or Public is the question once again.  Which makes the answer, “maybe”, once again.

Immunizations at $7,199,000; Elderly Nutrition at $2,614,000; Child Care at $41,932,000; Community Services Block Grant at $19,699,000; Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program at $2,069,000; FEMA – Emergency Food and Shelter at $2,064,000 and; Vocational Rehabilitation at $11,500,000 come up as no, no, no, no, no, no and another maybe.  If the Vocational Rehab is paid to Private Sector companies, yes – if not, no.  Best we can do is another maybe.  Regarding the other spending, please spare me the “I don’t care about babies and old people!”  It’s insulting and it’s not true.  We’re discussing an Economic Stimulus plan, not another Social Welfare plan.  That spending is, in fact, Social Welfare.  If the President wants to rename his bill the Welfare Stimulus Package, I’ll reconsider and give them all a “Yes!”.  But if he’s going to keep calling this Economic Stimulus then he’s either been deceived by the Conference Committee as to what they did to his great idea or he’s not the really smart guy you all thought he was.

In a fascinating line item square dance step we swing back around to our original partner, Education, for another step or two.  K-12 Education – Elementary and Secondary Education Act Grants to LEAs gets $174,210,000 and School Improvement – Innovation and Improvement gets $50,386,000 for another $224,596,000 to go with Education’s original $771,610,000.  The big bucks get a big “No!” for being stimulating while the $50 million scores an additional maybe.

Education keeps on being stimulated with another $236,163,000 for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.  Under this expense Special Education gets $229 million and Early Intervention a mere $7 million.  Why does this sound like more payoffs to the Teacher’s Union and not an Economic Stimulus.  Again, leaving for the moment the ongoing expense of such programs after the Stimulus money is gone when taxpayers right here in Tennessee will have to pick up the tab for it.  I’m giving this an “F” in Stimulus accomplishment while noting that the program does manage to play well with other expensive Government boondoggle programs.

Education mercifully peters out at long last with a final gasp of $10,994,000 for Education Technology, $669,000 for Education for the Homeless and $1,985,000 for School Lunch Equipment.  I’m excited to be able to finally score a couple of “Yes” votes.  Ed Tech and the Lunch Equipment will almost certainly have to be purchased from a Private Sector company thereby providing non-Government jobs and capital to the only people able to actually impact the Economy.  Education for the Homeless?  Not so much…

Another long list of non-stimulating expenditures follows.  HOME Investment Partnership Program gets $30,394,000.  $49,518,000 goes to Byrne Justice Assistance Grant.  Crimefighting gets stimulated with $9,770,000 for Crime Victims Assistance, $646,000 for Internet Crimes Against Children and $4,496,000 for Violence Against Women.  $9,600,000 for State Administration Grants for Unemployment Insurance would appear to be federal money to pay for overseeing a federal program.  It might help end a bit of unfunded mandates but it’s not stimulating.  $10,945,000 for Adult Workforce Investment Act and an additional $25,353,000 for the Youth version of the same sound unlikely to do anything but produce bureaucracy.  Dislocated Workers get stimulated to the tune of $19,777,000.  $2,472,000 goes to Community Service for Older Americans and Employment Service gets $7,426,000 which, if it is to help people find work may be stimulating but I wonder how the state’s Private Sector businesses doing the same thing will feel about their tax dollars going to create Governmental competition for them?  None of this is economically stimulating.

Our $3.8 billion in Economic Stimulus funds is finished up by our final entries.  Head Start, that powerful and ancient economic engine, gets $13,775,000.  $80,710,000 goes to the Public Housing Capital Fund.  That sounds too much like another Government program as opposed to actual construction work so we’ll vote “No”.  CDBG and Neighborhood Revitalization gets a “?” on the amount to be spent on it but it doesn’t sound promising.  And the final line item is … drum roll, please … $20,397,000 for Homelessness Prevention.

Our totals are quite interesting.  Of our total $3,779,708,000 – $1,246,017 goes to various Education programs, $1,100,000,000 goes to Medicaid leaving just $1,433,691,000 to spend on everything else.  Almost two thirds of the money is excluded from stimulating the Economy in just two general items.  Of the monies left, $771,282,000 also fails to stimulate the Economy, $662,409,000 falls under the “Maybe” category and only $12,979,000 has the appearance of true Stimulus spending.

This is why only 3 Republican votes could be squeezed out of Congress.  This is why hundreds of Economists, including Nobel Laureates, disagree with the President’s contention that Government must do something to fix the problem.  This is why the more people found out about the idea, the less they liked it.  This is the reason the President broke campaign promises to permit legislation to be viewed and debated before voting on it.  This is the reason millions of Americans believe the bill to be nothing but Earmarks and Pork and little or no real Economic Stimulus.

It’s also the reason Phil Bredesen and the Tennessee Legislature should simply refuse to accept the money and send it back.  While failing in its stated intention to stimulate the Economy, it succeeds quite nicely at funding taxpayer unfriendly special interest groups and non-profits.  It succeeds handsomely at invigorating the growth of Government and bureaucracy.  In short, it is actually damaging to the Economy because it creates billions of dollars in federal programs which are left to taxpayers to pay for after the Stimulus funds run out.  Not to mention they must pay back the original money, with interest.  This is not stimulating to Tennessee or Tennesseans.  Our elected officials should understand this and refuse to accept such tremendous financial burdens in the name of fiscal responsibility.

Tennessee Votes is a great example of Transparency in action

For those of you who may not be aware, The Tennessee Center for Policy Research is sponsoring a fantastic tool for Tennesseans. It’s called Tennessee Votes and is a great way for everyday, non-lawyer types to get notification of, keep track of changes to and engage in dialogue about the bills being introduced in the Tennessee Legislature.

You will need to register but the process is both fast and free. Once registered and signed in you can browse legislation by general type (education, taxes, firearms, etc…) and see the bill number, its sponsor, House or Senate designation and read a short understandable description of what the bill is intended to do. You can follow a specific bill, comment on it, watch the amendments to it and more. In short, Tennessee Votes is one of the finest tools ever for making the legislative process more open and accessible to citizens, taxpayers and voters.

This is the project’s first year in Tennessee although it has been going successfully in Michigan, from which all 50 states will eventually import the concept, for several years. The program was recently upgraded, as well. Nonetheless, I’m sure enterprising Tennesseans will think up an improvement or two for the process. If you have a moment, drop Drew Johnson at TCPR a quick thank you for providing this invaluable service to Tennessee.

Now go be informed!

TN Job Loss Patterns in Six Recessions

Promoted from John Scott’s Right at Home.

In a previous post, I called attention to some comparisons different economists, bloggers, reporters, and others have done between this recession and previous recessions.

TN College Republicans Weigh in on Williams

The Tennessee College Republicans released the following statement concerning Kent Williams and his future with the GOP. It’s worth noting the statement is not from any single chapter, but from the entire TN College Republican Federation.

Contact: Jared Anderson FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(865)748-0016
chairman@tncr.org

TN COLLEGE REPUBLICAN FEDERATION DENOUNCES REP. KENT WILLIAMS
College Republicans Call for the Removal of Williams from the Party

As a political organization of students, the Tennessee College Republican Federation endeavors to represent the interests of our state and our party. In the pursuit of the greater good for our state, we find it necessary to release a statement detailing the Federation’s response to recent happenings in the Tennessee State Legislature.

Therefore, the Tennessee College Republican Federation declares the following:

1. The actions of Representative Kent Williams, a Republican representing Tennessee’s 4th District, are contrary to the voice of the voters as spoken on November 4th, 2008. The election results showed a desire for change in the way Nashville was run.

2. Representative Kent Williams, having broken a signed agreement to support the Republican caucus’ nominees for Speaker of the House and President Pro Tempore of the House, should be removed from the Republican Party. The Tennessee College Republican Federation commits itself to endorsing candidates running against Kent Williams, further reiterating the Federation’s belief that we cannot campaign or support Rep. Kent Williams.

3. The Tennessee College Republican Federation, in conjunction with the Republican Party and Republican legislative candidates, commits itself to preserving and expanding the Republican legislative majority in Nashville, to prevent Democratic maneuverings to halt the work of the people of Tennessee.

4. Representative Jason Mumpower, House Majority Leader, should press onward, doing the work that the people of Tennessee elected Republicans to do, committing himself to conservative values and conservative governance.

Jim Cooper on how Democrats have been governing

From Erick Erickson over at RedState comes this short and sweet on the way Democrats in Washington have been making decisions.  No wonder they’ve driven the approval rating into single digits!

Well, everyone has been saying she’s gotten on her high horse. In Washington, people have been referring to her as President Pelosi.

Obama seemingly has decided to smack her down.

But he probably did not expect Congressman Jim Cooper (D-TN) to admit it on the radio.

Well, I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but I actually got some quiet encouragement from the Obama folks for what I’m doing,” said Cooper, one of about 55 House Democrats to sign a letter criticizing Speaker Nancy Pelosi for suspending normal debate and committee rules on the $819 billion package.

He went on — and on:

“They know its a messy bill and they wanted a clean bill. Now, I got in terrible trouble with our leadership because they don’t care what’s in the bill, they just want it pass and they want it to be unanimous. They don’t mind the partisan fighting cause that’s what they are used to. In fact, they’re really good at it. And they’re a little bit worried about what a post-partisan future might look like. If members actually had to read the bills and figure out whether they are any good or not. We’re just told how to vote. We’re treated like mushrooms most of the time.”

Should Tennessee refuse bailout funds earmarked for the state?

What a difference an hour or two can make.

This morning I attended two meetings. The first featured WTN talk show host Ralph Bristol from Nashville’s Morning News and the second featured Jason Mumpower, the GOP Majority Leader for the TN House. The bailout and the Government’s role in influencing the lives of citizens via dispensing cash was a topic at both meetings.

In the first meeting, Bristol addressed Mitch McConnell’s plans to impact the US mortgage market. Linking to the Fox News story, Bristol noted,

McConnell on Monday demanded an amendment to President Obama’s “economic stimulus” package to give government-backed, 4% loans to homeowners – any credit-worthy borrower, including those who are seeking to refinance their loans. McConnell estimates it will save the average homeowner $466 a month — $5,600 a year, or – over the life of a 30-year mortgage — $167, 760.

He went on to say even though he stood to personally benefit from such a proposal he opposed it on principle because it was wrong for Government to be involved in the mortgage industry in such a fashion. It was little more than an appeal to voters to support him and his party because they were promising to impact citizen’s lives in ways the Constitution did not allow for. He added that until those who did not stand to benefit from a measure could vote for it and those who stood to benefit from a measure could vote against it – both votes on principle as opposed to personal benefit – the country would be at the mercy of whichever politician or political party promised the most. It was the general consensus of the meeting that sort of governance was currently the norm and there was little confidence, human nature being what it is, such tactics by Government could be stopped.

In the second meeting, Leader Mumpower mentioned Federal Bailout money in the context of how it might impact Tennessee’s state budget. Mumpower said he had some concerns about bailouts and noted Governor Bredesen might delay releasing his budget proposal until after it was clear how much money Tennessee was scheduled to receive. During the Q&A session, I asked Leader Mumpower what discussion the GOP caucus might have had about simply refusing to accept bailout money; sending it back instead on general principle. Mumpower responded the GOP Caucus had not had substantive discussions on the matter and that budget conversations would be upcoming but that there were those in the caucus who shared that sentiment.

After the meeting broke up a reporter for the Memphis Commercial Appeal approached me and asked me what my thoughts on the idea of refusing bailout money were. I responded that until people were willing to do the right thing regardless of personal cost, few substantive accomplishments would be realized. Those people who believe bailouts and faux Stimulus Packages are wrong have an obligation to back up their words with their actions or their words could rightly be questioned. The reporter noted that he had asked two elected representatives, also in attendance, to comment on the idea of refusing the money. He noted one simply laughed and walked away while another said if constituents found out that sort of money had been turned down when it could have been used to improve their district there would be trouble. These were Republican lawmakers. One would guess of the more conservative bent.

It’s not an outrageous proposition. Haley Barbour is considering it for Mississippi. So is Mark Sanford in South Carolina. Predictably, there has been a knee jerk reaction against the idea, with no discussion of the idea’s merit. Hopefully, the issue will get a fair consideration and airing both in the public square and in Legislative Plaza. It’s time to stand up for what we believe. If bailouts are bad, then so is taking bailout money. If bailouts are a good thing, then let’s have bailouts for everyone and not just a few. I’m curious to see what discussion this will bring to the Hill. Stay tuned …

Kent Williams commits to vote for Jason Mumpower in radio interview

Brian Haynes at East Tennessee Conservative provides a link to a radio interview Kent Williams did on AM 910 WJCW, January 6, 2009, just a week before the Tuesday election for Tennessee’s Speaker of the House. Anyone still thinking Williams only promised to vote for “a Republican” for Speaker needs to listen to the radio clip. The hosts ask Williams if he is still on board with Jason Mumpower for Speaker. Williams replies that he is. The money quote is at about 25% of the way into the clip.

With the current timeline on the Williams betrayal showing he had already met with Odom concerning becoming Speaker himself, Williams is clearly shown as a liar who, for reasons known only to himself, shattered his party’s plans and ability to implement them with a surprise 11th hour move. Interestingly, Williams may have telegraphed his intentions during the interview. He notes that he cannot think of any reason he would have to change his intention to vote for Jason Mumpower for Speaker but allows that, in politics, anything can happen.

Why is Mayor Karl Dean deceiving you about Nashville’s other proposed amendment, Hear the People?

One of the most valuable rights available to us as Americans is the right to petition Governement for the redress of grievances. So valuable, in fact, it is recognized as one of our unalienable 1st Amendment rights along with free speech, freedom of the press and peaceful assembly. It puts Government in its place. Government governs with the consent of the governed. It’s Government of, by and for the People. It should surprise no one, then, if the most active opposition to Government being responsive to the People comes from Government.

Perhaps the most powerful tool the People have to force Government to be responsive is the Initiative and Referendum (I&R) process. Unfortunately not all Americans enjoy what ought to be a universally available tool. Ballotpedia.org’s US I&R map shows 22 states have no provision for citizens to force Government to deal with specific issues. Tennessee is such a state. The larger Tennessee cities, however, do have an I&R provision. But local Government is no more eager to give the People I&R power than other state Governments.

On January 22nd Nashville voters will decide whether or not to amend the city charter on 2 points. Nashville English First (NEF) would make English Nashville’s official language for city business purposes. Agree or disagree, putting this question to the people is precisely what the I&R process is for. But in my mind the 2nd charter amendment, Hear the People, is more important because it addresses the process by which I&R issues make it onto a ballot in the first place.

Nashville Government, its business allies, the media and the coterie of liberal non-profits feeding at the public trough will only discuss NEF. They’ve adopted a joint, coordinated strategy of addressing and demonizing only NEF. Despite literally NO discussion or explanation of Hear the People, the coalition opposing NEF urges voters to “Vote No” on both amendments, as if they were part and parcel of the same issue. Nashville For All of Us, a coalition formed specifically to defeat English First, is a perfect example. Go to the website. Watch the video. Read the material. They only discuss NEF. Yet featured prominently in all material is the encouragement to “Vote Against” both 1 and 2. Karl Dean and Nashville Government are deceiving Nashvillians about their rights and about how their Government works.

The obvious question is, “Why?” The answer lies in what Hear the People does. Stripped of the emotion, “Hear the People” accomplishes three things:

1) It eliminates the need for costly special elections by amending the current charter to replace the language “…“nor shall any such amendment or amendments be submitted by petition more often than once in each two years” with “The people may submit amendments to the voters at any regularly scheduled general election, and by special election once per calendar year ending December 31st .”

January 22’s special election will cost Nashvillians over $350,000 in large measure because NEF was kept off the free Nov. 4th ballot when opponents challenged the meaning of the phrase “each two years”. Hear the People eliminates the need for special elections since properly filed ammendments automatically appear on the next regularly scheduled free general election.

2) It standardizes the number of signatures needed to get a petition on a ballot by amending the current charter to replace the language “… ten (10) percent of the registered voters of Nashville-Davidson County voting in the preceding general election” with “1% of the total registered voters in Nashville-Davidson County.”

The upcoming special election serves as an excellent illustration of the change Hear the People would bring. On 1/21/09, the “preceding general election” would be November’s presidential election. Under current law, petitions turned in on that day would need about 25,000 signatures to be valid since about 250,000 people voted in November. On January 23rd, however, the “preceding general election” would have taken place just the day before. if we assume 25,000 people vote in the 1/22/09 election, that same petition would then need only 2,500 signatures to be on the ballot. 48 hours means 22,500 fewer signatures. If Hear the People had been in place, regardless of voter turnout, the number of signatures needed to put a petition on the ballot would have been the same on each day, about 3,500. 1% of the 350,000 people registered to vote in Nashville.

3) It prevents Government from immediately overturning amendments the people vote into law by amending the current charter adding the language “An amendment approved by the people may not be amended by a Metropolitan Council-proposed resolution within four (4) years of its approval by the voters.”

Without this language, the People could put an amendment into law on election day and the Council could vote it away the next day. Indeed, candidates for Council could campaign on that very tactic. “Vote for me on Tuesday and I’ll vote Amendment #1 away on Wednesday!” Hear the People requires the Council to live with the wishes of the People for 4 years before they can tinker or do away with it.

That’s it. Clearly, Hear the People is totally unconnected to English First and it accomplishes a very, very different purpose. Karl Dean wants you to think of the two as if they were one. Hear the People simplifies the process of telling Government what it must do. I cannot find a single place where Karl Dean or any of the opponents of Hear the People explain what Hear the People does and why they oppose the changes it would bring about.

I understand the Mayor and other politicians don’t like Hear the People. But it’s despicable that they would hide the truth from you, twist it or abandon it altogether. The less power you understand you have over them, the more power they have over you. Keeping you from understanding the reality of your power and authority over them is what politicians do best. Now that you see them at their worst, it’s time to use some of that authority. On January 22nd and in early voting, VOTE YES ON #2. Vote for your right to be heard! Vote FOR Hear the People!

What Price Power?

Promoted from Bear Creek Ledger.

When is the price of power too high? When does it take over the soul? These questions were answered Tuesday, January 13th in the Tennessee House of Representatives.

The name of Kent Williams is now well known. The East Tennessean, one term Republican, rose to fame by deceiving his fellow colleagues and then pulling a fast one. He made a deal with the opposition and voted for himself for Speaker of the House thus depriving his party of the majority.

We are not really surprised by the Democrats. This behavior is now in the DNA of their party. The party of Barney Frank, Christopher Dodd, William Jefferson, and ACORN. Lest we say that there is no difference between the political parties, that all politicians are the same. Remember Mark Foley, the Florida Congressman who wrote inappropriate e-mails to a young aide? He was gone by week’s end. Ousted by the Republican party. Republicans purge. Democrats promote.

The practices of the national Democrat party has filtered down to Tennessee. They found a weak link in Kent Williams and the carrot ( or was it an apple) was just too appealing. He is now Speaker of the House. Does he have the respect of the Republicans? Do the Democrats trust him? Character does matter. It shows the measure of the man and Mr. Williams has come up short.

We Republicans will recover and if we hold fast to our basic convictions, a true majority will be achieved. The Democrat’s power is slipping and they know it. Deceit is now synonymous with the name Democrat. The party that so many good and responsible Democrats are holding to, is gone. Until they recognize this, their party will continue down this destructive path taking the country and state closer to socialism.

Is the price of power too high yet?

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