Planning Commission Approves Redistricting Proposal

Eight members of the Metro Planning Commission met earlier today to discuss and vote on the recommendations of the MPC staff regarding council and school district changes.  The school districts were non-controversial and ended up passing unanimously at the end of the meeting.  The council redistricting wasn't quite as smooth.  While most praised the MPC staff for their hard work and long hours, some (for instance Rep. Gotto) questioned the speed at which the proposals and meetings were happening.

This meeting gave the Planning Commission the opportunity to discuss and amend the council districts if necessary.  The largest debate came when Commissioner Tonya Jones requested a district change (forcefully supported behind the scenes by Councilman Tygard) which would split the 35th and 22nd district along I-40, thus placing Tygard in his own district and lumping Councilman Mitchell (currently of the 35th) into a redrawn 22nd.

Commissioner Stewart Clifton led the debate opposed to the move, wishing instead to adhere to the traditional boundaries of the district as passed by the planning commission in 2001.  Ultimately, the motion failed for lack of a majority, with four members voting in favor of changing the districts (Taylor, Gotto, Gee, and Dalton), and four members voting against (Clifton, Escobar, McLean and Ponder).

Another point of contention was a proposed amendment given by Councilman Gotto on behalf of Councilwoman Karen Bennett.  This was a blatantly political move that would draw down the 8th district boundary just below where candidate Nancy VanReece lives.  The MPC legal counsel advised that this would be a violation of the voting rights act because it would through the population proportion out of whack, but Gotto insisted on moving ahead.  Ultimately though, his motion failed for a lack of a second.

Other than this, there were two Gotto sponsored amendments.  One on behalf of Councilman Dominy that slightly altered the 28th district boundaries, and one by Gotto for Gotto, that changed the 13th district boundaries around Old Lebanon Dirt Rd.  Ultimately, both of these measure passed without opposition.

The amended plan now goes on to the Metro Council where they will hold three back-to-back hearings on the measure, with an intention to pass by the end of the next week.

Update:

I checked in with Sheri Weiner, who is running to replace Eric Crafton in the 22nd district, to see how she felt about the redistricting process, and specifically how she felt about certain councilmen working behind the scene to have her district changed:

I believe that the process is designed for the maximum number of interested people to comment and offer various options as to how the districts look. It is my understanding that council members, candidates and residents are invited and encouraged to participate. I applaud the process. Bellevue is a sprawling community that would benefit from its leaders collectively working to find solutions for smart growth and redevelopment of the area, revitalizing the Highway 70 corridor and helping our neighbors who are still reeling from the impact of last year’s flood - regardless of what the final district lines look like.

[Updated] Friends In High Places

Word on the street is that while many candidates and community leaders are happier with the latest revision of the Metro Planning Commission's council district map, one former district councilman turned At-large councilman is not so pleased.  According to a source familiar with the matter, Charlie Tygard has been working the refs, in this case the members of the planning commission, to see that Revision 'A' of their map is put into fruition:

Under Revision 'A', Tygard would be placed into a district separate from Councilman Bo Mitchell, thus greatly increasing his likelihood of victory.  Its well known that Charlie Tygard is more of a Bellevue representative on the council than he is "at large," and by putting his time in on the county level, he could go back and be a district councilman for Bellevue for another two terms.

Of course, this isn't just about Tygard, it appears that Councilman Eric Crafton may have been drafted into seeing Tygard's vision of the district put into fruition.  You see, despite his feigned interest in a Mayoral run, Crafton knows that just like Craddock, he couldn't beat Dean, so he is most likely going to make his way to be a city-wide representative and wants to take Charlie Tygard's place as the conservative At-large representative from the Belleveue area.

But this isn't just about Tygard and Crafton's vision of where they'd like to be, in pushing this alternative vision, they are seriously disrupting the plans of other wannabe councilmembers, namely Seannalyn Brandmeir and Sheri Weiner who would be placed into a separate district with incumbent Bo Mitchell if Tygard gets his way.

I spoke with Brandmeir earlier today to see how she felt about the district being drawn back to revision A, according to her, "the new council districts are not only closer to the current district lines, but they also take into account population growth and the nature of the districts, mainly that the 22 nd maintains the business district and neighborhoods while being surrounded by the suburban, rural and growing aspects of the 35th. Splitting those districts arbitrarily in half doesn't make sense for the residents in the area who are used to the current lines."

If Tygard's vision is to go forward, it will take the help of members on the planning commission by way of an amendment.  While fellow Republican Jim Gotto is the most likely to take up Tygard's battle, there isn't any verification of who is supposed to be making this push.  The question the planning commission has to ask is whether they are going to bend to the will of one or two councilmembers, or are they going to listen to the many comments and concerns of the members of the districts involved who have been giving input into the process?

Update: Michael Cass got a quote from Councilman Tygard who is playing coy at the notion this has anything to do with him running for district council or Eric Crafton:

But Tygard, arguing that the lines he wants are actually the most logical from the standpoint of keeping neighborhoods together, said his plans aren’t that clear-cut.

“I’ve got all my qualifying signatures for at-large, and that would be my intention at this stage,” he said. “Clearly, if there’s a different district line, then that changes possibilities. So I wouldn’t decide that until literally the qualifying deadline. I’m very happy and challenged at running at-large and am prepared to do that.”

Metro Planning Commission Recommended Plan

The MPC staff have released their recommended plan that will be voted on by the commission.  A few slight changes, but so far it doesn't look like there are any major changes.  The Planning Commission can amend the map if they vote to do so, and as I stated earlier, it looks like Tygard is working the refs to see just such a thing happen.

Here is a list of changes (and reasons for not changing) some of the districts (pdf).

Update:

Nancy Van Reese said she requested this revision (which she says kept proportional populations) to the map, which would have unified Madison and brought the 7th further West. 

According to the MPC, "Planning staff reviewed comments received on Council Districts 7 and 8, including several conflicting recommendations, for example, a request to move more of Inglewood west of Gallatin into District 7 versus a request to move both sides of Gallatin into District 8. Staff did test shifting more of Inglewood (including portions west of Gallatin Road) into District 7, but this gave District 7 too many people and District 8 too few."

Is Your Child Worth $750,000?

Yesterday in the House Judiciary Sub Committee, representatives gathered to hear testimony from parents who had lost their children to gross medical negligence as well as criminal negligence on the part of commercial truckers.  They were speaking in opposition to HB2008 that would seek to limit the dollar amount on non-economic damages that serve to as a check against corporations who would put the lives of Americans below that of their corporate bottom line.



In the testimony you heard from the Travis family, whose 5 year old daughter was killed by a hospital they had taken her to for a routine tonsillectomy. Her anesthesiologist was a known drug addict who subsequently died of an overdose while overseeing a patient on an operating table, as well as a nurse who gave the wrong medication and fluids to their daughter, ultimately resulting in respiratory failure and death.

In addition, there was a Mr. Hardesty and Ms. Williams, both of whom had lost members of their family to negligent commercial truckers.

Ronnie Steine Announces for Re-election

Councilman At-large Ronnie Steine announced his re-election effort this morning at a breakfast fundraiser for supporters at Cabana.

Introduced by Juvenile Court Clerk David Smith, Steine announced his intention to file his petition this morning because of his desire "redouble our efforts" to "make this community a better place".

 Steine acknowledged that the past few years have been a struggle for many in the community, especially for some of Nashville's youth, but said that we have "thrived" and that he was "proud to have been a small part of that".

Update: Press release below...

Waiting for Ravi

Nashville Prep has a video of their lottery held last Thursday to select students for their charter school:

I'd Like To Buy The World A Diet Coke

The debate over HB537 occurred today in the House Finance Subcommittee where Mike Stewart introduced his bill to put an excise tax on sugar-sweetened bottled beverages whilst simultaneously reducing the sales tax on food by 1%.

Speaking in favor of the bill, you had a couple of medical experts talking about the dangers of obesity and how these sugar (or high-fructose corn syrup as the case may usually be) saturated beverages are contributing to the epidemic.

Speaking against the legislation was a the soft-drink industry lobbyist, Raymond Thomasson.  Seeing as you've probably heard the myriad of statistics about juvenile and adult health problems related to obesity, lets focus on Thomasson's claims:



Claim 1: The soft drink industry would oppose having tax policy interrupt consumer choice. OK, can't dispute that...but, would the soft drink industry oppose having federal spending policy interrupt consumer choice? If so, I'd like to see Mr. Thomasson lead the charge in getting rid of corn subsidies that unnaturally reduce the cost of sugar saturated beverages.

Claim 2:  A 16 oz non-diet soft-drink is 52 grams of sugar. Juicy Juice white grape drink is 68 grams of sugar, a 16 oz chocolate milk has 58 grams of sugar.  This is true.  Soda at 3.25 grams per ounce has less sugar than white grape juice at 4.25 grams per ounce.  Of course, one difference is portion sizes. I can't find where Juicy Juice makes a 16 oz single serving of their product, rather, they are generally in boxes ranging from 4.25-6.75 oz, or a 10 oz bottle.  Portion sizes do effect consumption habits.


Claim 3: Calories from sugar sweetened beverages make up only 7 percent of the calories of the American diet.  This is verified in a UNC study which showed that soft drink calorie intake has risen from 2.8% in 1977 to 7% in 2001.  Notice this is "the American diet," so it factors in those who drink no such beverages and those who drink them occasionally.  All told consumption is vastly increased from a generation or two ago, along with the increase in weight-based health problems.

He then went on to say "there is no such thing as a bad sugar," which is probably true...the problem here is in consumption habits.  Sugar obtained from a fruit or vegetable is accompanied by other forms of food which will fill the consumer up, thus limiting their intake.  Soft drinks don't have this ability, and so while you can eat about 10 ounces of grapes to equal one 16 oz soda, the likelihood of you eating 50 oz of grapes in a day is pretty small compared to someone drinking 5 sodas in one day. 

This is part of the reason why I was lukewarm on this bill, because it only targets individual servings of soda pre-packaged for sale, whereas fountain sodas sold in a convenience store which often have 2-4 times the amount of beverage at a fraction of the cost, are not held to the same taxation standard.

Rule #1 of Jackson Hole, You Don't Talk About Jackson Hole

Rich Riebeling and others in the administration are struggling to see whats wrong with them taking a vacation together at the home of a contractor for the convention center who got hired without any sort of bidding process:

Deputy Mayor Greg Hinote, Finance Director Rich Riebeling, Convention Center Authority Chairman Marty Dickens and Charles Robert Bone, the authority's lead attorney, stayed at Larry Atema's second home in Jackson Hole last fall. Atema, who lives in Franklin most of the time, is the senior project manager for the Music City Center construction job...

..."Larry was nice enough to invite us out, and I thought it would be great. I'm entitled to a little bit of a personal life as well," Riebeling said. "We work hard, and getting a couple of days of enjoyment doesn't seem too much to ask."

I have to wonder if Riebeling has a plaque hanging in his office that says, "Hater's Gonna Hate" on it?

Byrd Supports a Development Project

Mike Byrd is a little miffed at his Councilmember for making a joke about his blog at a neighborhood association over the need for a zoning variance to build an 8 unit structure in his neck of the woods:

I believe in "development with a respectful approach" rather than the easy advocacy of growth at all costs in the name of trickle down increases in property values. Boosters of development by any means necessary will accuse me of opposing all growth because I won't absolutely genuflect to big money without daring a question or two. But my own council member should have a little more faith in me. I've already expressed support for this project, and since it is not changing drastically, why would I ever blog my opposition to her backing of it?

Originally blogged at Enclave, Copyright © 2005-2011. Writ, shot, cropped, & chopped by Mike Byrd

Where They Are Now Part III

Here is the list of Metro Council Candidates who have pulled papers and their new districts. 



Overall there appears to be about 13 candidates who have pulled papers in one numbered district but will be running in another.

New Maps Released Version C

The Planning Commission has released revision 'C', which looks even more like the original districts than plan 'B'. 

A couple changes of note.

District 7, which was briefly renamed 4, is back to being 7.

Brady Banks, who fought being placed into Carter Todd's district, is now in the newly created District 4.

Seanna Brandmeir is back to being in District 22 and out of Bo Mitchell's district.

I'll Take a Big K Please

Matthew Hurtt has a caveat laden post in which he proudly proclaims that he might actually agree with a Democrat on something (the act of which has apparently been trained into young conservatives to be an act of betrayal to their cause). The point of agreement seems to be with Rep. Mike Stewart on a bill that seeks to replace a penny of the sales tax on food with an excise tax on bottled soft drinks that use sugar:

According to Humphrey on the Hill, Representative Stewart proposed HB0537, which would lower the sales tax on food from 5.5% to 4.5% and institute a tax on bottled soda at a rate of one-cent per ounce.

I don’t agree with why Stewart wants to do this, but I’ll address this later.

This should be a no-brainer for Republicans in the General Assembly. If the soda tax is revenue-neutral (and this is my caveat – it has to be revenue neutral)

Heaven forbid the state get a little bit more money to pay for programs that help the people of our state.  To answer Matt's later query, yes, it does effect canned soda too as this is the legal definition of "bottled soft drink" referred to in the legislation:

“Bottled soft drinks” includes any and all nonalcoholic beverages, whether carbonated or not, such as soda water, cola drinks, orangeade, grapeade, gingerale and the like, and all bottled preparations commonly referred to as soft drinks of whatever kind or description that are closed and sealed in glass, paper, metal, plastic, or any type of container or bottle, whether manufactured with or without the use of syrup. Fluid milk with or without flavoring, natural undiluted fruit juice or vegetable juice, cider, and pure fruit juice concentrate to which no additive has been made, with only water being necessary to be added to restore the juice to its natural state, are exempted from the provisions of this section

So, basically, a 12 pack of non-diet soda will cost you an extra $1.44 per pack. A 12 pack of coke generally lists for about $4.99 at Kroger (I'd cite Pepsi but who really cares?) though its usually on some sort of sale. Either way, lets round it up to about a dollar fitty per 12 pack.

Will this reduce consumption of soda? Perhaps, but its just as likely that drinkers of this elicit cocktail of high-fructose goodness will switch it up to a store brand like Big K or something like it. Maybe they'll see the price difference between Aspartame laced chemical cocktails known as diet sodas and switch to them, if so, I recommend Diet Dr. Pepper Cherry as the least aspartamey of them all.

Personally, I'm not necessarily for or against this bill as currently written. While I see the social good in promoting healthier eating through disincentivising stuff that is bad for you, I'm not sure the market will necessarily correct itself in this manner, but if it does, then the state is losing out on revenue in a time when revenue is badly needed. Also, I think if this were to pass it should be amended to target fountain drinks too. After all, why should a 20 oz bottle of soda get $.20 tacked on while the 84 oz mega-biggie-gulp costs less and is far worse for the consumer?

Update:  And just like that, Hurtt's brief flirtation with mildly straying from conservative Republican orthodoxy has been retracted. 

I'm Afraid I'll Get Shot

In trying to argue on behalf of the liquor stores, Sen. Thelma Harper inadvertently makes the case for why people should be allowed to buy wine in grocery stores:



So Sen. Harper doesn't want to go into a liquor store because she's afraid she'll get shot. Understandable, though I think the danger is perhaps slightly exaggerated. So why is it that she would force a mom who is going grocery shopping with her kids in tow, to drive to a liquor store to get a bottle of wine for dinner, and risk "getting shot"?

Update:

It should also be pointed out that earlier, Sen. Harper basically accused this grocery store owner of trying to get his primarily black clientele "a little bit drunker" by offering wine.

Constructive Criticism Appreciated

The Metro Planning Commission has been posting comments sent in regarding redistricting.  One stuck out as both succinct and rather pointless (pdf):

To whom it may concern:
I am against the Current ‘Plan B’ for redoing the council districts.

That was all...Also, in the latest batch, it looks like the folks living in the Woodland Pointe area were most upset about the 'Plan A' and any possibility that they would be associated with Una-Antioch.

Rich White Folk Need Their Own District

Joey Garrison talks to some candidates for council who aren't pleased with the new iteration of the Metro Planning Commission's draft proposals for redistricting, though it seems the critiques are fewer and more narrow than the first go around:

There’s also the case of candidate Brady Banks, who had originally sought to run to represent the council’s Nippers Corner-area seat. The first round of changes grouped his home address with a Crieve Hall-area district. The second round has placed him inside the district represented by Forest Hills-area Councilman Carter Todd.

“It’s a different council district every week,” said Banks, who stressed he’s going to continue working hard.

“You would have lots on one side with $1 million homes,” referring to how Interstate-65 runs through the proposed district. “Where I live, it’s town homes, condos and apartments that are easily purchased under $200,000. So, there’s not a whole lot in common with that side of the interstate.”

Update:

I've got a graphical representation of the new map of the 34th, with the portion of the 31st that will get cut into Carter Todd's district:

From a strictly land area point of view, its a rather small problem. Unfortunately, the density of this portion is much greater than that of the rest of the district. There are roughly 1,400 people crammed into this section of the district. In order for the planning commission to create a new district that adheres to a more natural boundary, they'll have to do some adjusting of adjouning districts already flush with people.

Update II:

Here's a map of where the population is according to blocks:

Taking It To The Enemy's Turf

The Dean Team is trumpeting a list of supporters in the Madison area (home to Michael Craddock) who will act as his steering committee for the campaign:

Madison Steering Committee

State Senator Joe Haynes
State Representative Mike Turner
Dawn Deaner, Public Defender
Councilman Jim Forkum
Fmr. Councilman Feller Brown
Carson Beck
Tara Bessling
Happy Birdsong
Matt Campbell
Kent Cochran
Don Deering
J.D. Elliott
Patsy Forkum
Mike Gann
Teresa Gann
Ed Gross
Donna Harman
Nathan Massey
Bryson McCarley
Larry Odom
Pam Smith
Dan Speering
Jill Speering
Jennifer Todd

Breakfast with Ronnie

Ronnie Steine is taking a page from Jim Cooper and doing a breakfast fundraiser at Cabana this Thursday:

Congressman Jim Cooper County Clerk John Arriola Trustee Charles Cardwell Registrar Bill Garrett Circuit Court Clerk Ricky Rooker Property Assessor George Rooker Councilman Carl Burch Councilman Erik Cole Councilman Jim Forkum Councilman Mike Jameson Councilwoman Kristine Lalonde Councilman Parker Toler Former Mayor Richard L. Fulton	Juvenile Court Clerk David Smith Former Vice Mayor George Cate Former Vice Mayor Jay West Former Councilmembers:  David Briley Stewart Clifton Rep. Sherry Jones  Jo Ann North Willis McCallister Jim Shulman Rep. Janis Sontany Ludye Wallace Leo Waters
*Hosts as of March 13th
Please Join Us for Breakfast to Kick-off   The Re-Election of   Councilman At-Large Ronnie Steine   March 31st, 7:30am-9am   Cabana 1910 Belcourt Ave.
$100 Suggested Donation	RSVP to info@steinecouncil.com

You Say "Government" As If It Belongs To Someone Else

Our Republican Lt. Governor seems to think that he and the Republican Governor and Republican Speaker of the House aren't doing too good of a job at running the government, and as such, wants to setup a website to show just how poorly a job he and his fellow Republicans are doing at running the state.

TNRedtape.com’s mission is to be a space on the web where regular Tennesseans can have a voice and seek relief from oppressive [Republican-led] government red tape. The site offers the opportunity to small business owners to tell their story of overbearing [Republican-led] government regulation and how it has affected their lives.

Where They Are Now Part II

I've run through the list and matched candidates for council who have pulled petitions with their new district numbers. All told, the new map is a lot closer to the old one than the first Revision released by the Metro Planning Commission. Only 13 out of 84 candidates have changed district numbers based on the new map.

New Council Map Displayed

The Metro Planning Commission has released a new map, going through it now to see what the changes are...so far, a lot of the numbers have changed along with the new districts.  Inglewood is now unified but under the number 4.  The downtown area looks quite a bit different as well.  From the Planning Commission:

This is to let you know that Plan B for Council and School Board districts should be up on the Redistricting web site ( http://www.nashville.gov/mpc/redist.asp ) after 7:00 am this morning. Both plans are renumbered to be as close to existing district numbers as possible and reflect comments received thus far. The School Board plan is completely rebuilt from scratch using existing district boundaries and cluster boundaries as the basis. For the Council plan, a full explanation of the differences from Plan A and a response to comments received are provided. Detailed maps for each district (both Plan A and Plan B) are also included as PDF's for your use to download and review. They can be printed at 8 1/2 x 11.

Please note that the web page map has been enhanced to allow comparison between currently adopted districts, Plan A and Plan B. We have also added a drawing tool that allows you to add comments or draw directly on the map on the right side of the web page and email your ideas directly to us.

Upcoming Council Candidate Events

A smattering (and by no means exhaustive list) of upcoming events that have crossed my inbox:

Brock Parks for Council -- District 26--Kick Off Celebration

Sunday, March 27 · 3:00pm - 5:00pm

4809-B Trousdale Drive, Nashville, TN 37211

http://votebrockparks.com

Meet and Greet for Curt Wallen

(was District 6, written into District 13)

Sunday, March 27 · 4:00pm - 6:00pm

Nuvo Burrito, 1000 Main St

http://www.curtwallen.com/

Hans Schmidt Ice Cream Social - District 6

Sunday, March 27, 2011 3-5PM

Allium Cafe - 501 Main Street

http://www.hansfornashville.com

Tanaka Vercher Candidate Kickoff

Thursday, March 31 · 6:00pm - 7:30pm

Raz'z - 2241 Murfreesboro Pike

Vercher for Metro Council 33 (now 24)

Where We Go From Here

The Metro Planning Commission sent out an email to various candidates and interested parties regarding the redistricting process:

To all:

I want to thank each of you so much for your comments. Rest assured that we are very aware of the issues (major and minor) that have been raised so far and are working through the weekend on the next plan. We will post ‘Plan B’ on the redistricting web site http://www.nashville.gov/mpc/redist.asp Monday morning. Please review it and give us your comments on ‘Plan B’ under the comments section directly on the web page or we welcome you to attend our next workshop Monday afternoon and talk to us in person.

The approach that we are taking is to review all comments (and we are). We are continually refining and updating the plan under different names (Plan A, B, etc…) based on the comments we receive and the guidelines (listed below) that we are following. You have to realize that some comments are contradictory and we are working to provide the best alternative that is equitable and fair. In the end, in some cases it may be possible to use parts of various plans.

Based on our work since the Wednesday workshop, I am aware that many of you have submitted suggestions. I also realize that many of you have asked to meet individually. Due to the short time we have to prepare the plan, we have scheduled the workshops as the best way to meet in person. We have and will continue to staff the workshops with adequate staff to provide you the time you need to talk with us. However, it is not possible to meet individually and have the staff available to analyze the comments adequately in the collaborative format that we are using. We are working through the weekend to deal with the comments that we have received on Plan A and will incorporate our next rendition on Plan B.

If you haven’t submitted your ideas or concerns at the meeting, through an email or on the comment page previously, please do as soon as possible. The best way to get your ideas to us is by email or on the comment page.

The upcoming schedule is:

Redistricting workshop:

Monday, March 28
Metro Southeast, 1417 Murfreesboro Pike
1:30 pm - 3 pm: Community members and Council candidates
4 pm - 6 pm: Council, Board of Education, and Planning Commission members

Once comments are received through the Monday workshop, staff will work on ‘Plan C’ and post it on Wednesday

Redistricting workshop:

Wednesday, March 30
Sonny West Conference Center, Howard Office Building, 700 Second Avenue S
1:30 pm - 3 pm Council, Board of Education, and Planning Commission members
4 pm - 6 pm Community members and Council candidates

Once final comments are received through the end of the Wednesday workshop, staff will work on a recommended ‘Plan D’ and post it to the web by Thursday at noon.

Metropolitan Planning Commission consideration:

Thursday, March 31
Metro Southeast, 1417 Murfreesboro Pike
4 pm to consider potential new Council and School Board district boundaries. Please note: this is not a public hearing. The Commission is involved in the 3 workshops as the best means to provide public input and reaction.

Maynard Launching Campaign April 5th

From the inbox:

 

Save the date for:

Councilman Jerry Maynard's Re-Election Campaign Kick-Off

 Tuesday, April 5th
5:00-7:00pm

Swett's Restaurant
2725 Clifton Avenue

Casada Gets Rolled

Yesterday in the Finance Subcommittee, Speaker Emeritus Jimmy Naifeh showed why he gets to hold that title as he managed to roll Glen Casada over when he brought up SJR18, the proposed Constitutional Amendment to prohibit an income tax from being levied. Naifeh proposed and succeeded in tacking on an amendment to the bill that would also ban an increase in the sales tax beyond the 9.75% maximum after 2014.



I'd be interested to know what constitutionally prohibiting a sales tax increase or income tax might do to our state's bond rating...

Where They Are Now

Falsely assuming that the district map released today by the Metro Planning Commission will stay as-is, I've created a list of all the council candidates who have pulled papers, and what district they have now been placed in.  



Some interesting changes in races below...

[Updated] New Council Map

So, basically, Metro saw the current map and said, "hey, lets go fucking crazy with this thing!" And so they did. Here is the new council map:

  More to come...

Update: PDF version of School District map available.

Update II: PDFs of council district changes.

Consider This Meeting Opened

Sen. Herron is extolling the virtues of his amendment to a UT Bill:

Senate Bill 336 authorizes the UT Board of Trustees to designate and enter into agreements with foundations designed to raise money and support the university. Herron’s amendment requires that most meetings of the foundation be open to the public, and that all expenditures by the foundations be made public record.

“If a dollar is spent -- if a penny is spent -- it is our intent that every record and document connected to it will be open to the public,” Herron said. “Light is a great disinfectant and the best assurance that donors will know that their gifts will go to benefit the University of Tennessee.”

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

No, this is not a description of the field of candidates in a certain council district, this is the name of the DCYD event tonight launching their excursion into a legislative policy campaign.  Come out to Yazoo Brewery tonight to hear what bills they've chosen to target, commiserate with fellow Dems, and drink some good local brew:

Over the past weeks, the Republicans in the General Assembly have embarked upon a legislative agenda that is more damaging, more inefficient, and more unresponsive to the needs of average Tennesseans than we could have possibly imagined. Not only have they failed to produce a jobs bill that will put Tennesseans back to work, they have attacked some of the most important and dedicated workers in the state, our teachers. Republica...ns are ignoring the needs and desires of Tennesseans.

Its our job to let them know we wont be ignored.

The Davidson County Young Democrats are going to be a part of that effort, and we want you to join us.

At 6pm on March 22nd the Davidson County Young Democrats will introduce their legislative campaign strategy, entitled "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly."

We hope you can join us to find out more.

Also, there will be free beer -- To qualify for a free pint (limit 1 per person), bring a friend who we havent seen at a DCYD event in the past six months. The more the merrier!

Michael Allen Pulls Against Hodge

Michael Allen, the labor liaison for United Way, has pulled papers in the 30th district where incumbent Jim Hodge is seeking re-election.  Allen spoke at a labor lunch earlier this month and said he was leaning towards running for the seat.  He would presumably get heavy backing from organized labor and many in the Democratic establishment in Nashville.

Councilman Hodge was an outspoken opponent to the Contractor Non-discrimination Ordinance as well as the 2009 NDO.  During the debate, Hodge said that as "s a Christian, I cannot endorse a lifestyle that is condemned in both the old testament and new."  He then went on to compare sexual orientation to smoking or dieting:

We ask folks to leave their cigarettes outside. As a guy who's smoked for 20 years, I know how hard that it is to do. But I had to make a choice and I did and it was a hard choice. It was hard to do. Some of us have been on diets like Councilman Forkum and me last year so our joints would work. It's not easy to make a lifestyle change but it can be done.

Michael Allen serves on the Central Labor Council and the Metro Civil Service Commission.

Where Doth Downtown Go?

Not This Guy

It looks like there is another District 6 candidate popping up, Hans Schmidt, a lawyer with Baker Donelson.  Seems like a nice enough guy from his website, but one thing I find interesting is his tying in of the downtown portion of the district into his campaign slogan, "A neighborhood leader from high-rise to the backyard."

Looking at the census figures, I'm not quite sure the downtown portion of the 6th will in fact remain in the 6th.  We'll find out more tomorrow, but some simple math shows that in all likelihood, East Nashville is probably going to have to lose a district in order to make up for the population loss we've undergone (still haven't quite figured out why that is).  East Nashville is basically comprised of four districts, the 6th, servicing the southern portion and comprising of five points.  The 5th serving the western side of East Nashville, the 7th, serving the eastern side, and the 8th, serving the north side.

How it looks now

If you add all four districts up as currently drawn, you get about 60K people or 19,853 if you split that into three districts.  By my calculation, there are roughly 2100 people living in the downtown portion of the 6th, take those out, and you get an average of 19,158.  Still high, but add in the 4th district (north of the 8th comprising of Madison), divide by four and you get 18,245...within the window established by Metro Planning.

Artist Rendering

Considering there will likely need to be another district created in south and southeast Nashville to accommodate the population increases, this seems to me to be the more likely scenario for redistricting.  It would allow for North and South Inglewood to be unified under one councilman in the 7th, you can shift the 6th over slightly into the 7th and 5th, have the 5th district go further north into the 8th, bring the 4th down into the 8th.  In other words, cannibalize the 8th district and fold them into the existing 4th, 5th and 7th.

The downtown portion could be folded back into the 19th district, and part of the 19th can get folded into the 17th which needs to expand anyways.

How Is This Military Action Legal?

The constitutional powers of the President as Commander-in-Chief to introduce United States Armed Forces into hostilities, or into situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances, are exercised only pursuant to (1) a declaration of war, (2) specific statutory authorization, or (3) a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces.- War Powers Resolution

If this were a UN led mission, or a NATO led mission, I could perhaps see how the US bombing of Libya could be legally justified without explicit congressional approval, but so far as I can tell the UN Security Council resolution simply allows for nations or groups of nations to act militarily to enforce the no-fly-zone. And as far as I can tell, this is not a NATO controlled military operation. So, if we are acting on our own volition, albeit in concert with other nations, then it would be incumbent upon the President to seek Congressional approval, which he has not.

While I'm not sold on nor necessarily opposed to any military involvement in the Libyan uprising, there is a way to do it right.  President Obama has done what Bush did not do in seeking (and obtaining) United Nations support for the use of military force.  That is to be commended.  But the will of the international community does not trump the will of the United States Congress.  There is no legitimate reason why the President could not have sought out Congressional approval of military action before engaging Libya.  Even if it were a preliminary "in case something happens, you are authorized to use limited force" resolution, rather than an all out declaration of war, that would be more favorable to the current, "Congress, what Congress?" approach. 

I can defend the actions in Pakistan against suspected Taliban/Al-qaeda on the basis that they were involved in attacks against America (although the case against the Taliban is pretty weak in that regards), but this isn't an action against non-state actors or terrorists, the bombing of Libya is an act of war against the military of a sovereign power.  We are at war right now...how limited or broad in scope it will ultimately be remains to be seen, but bombing and killing members of a foreign military are clear acts of war.  The President, as much as I may personally trust and have faith in him, needs to be following the rules our system has in place, he is not, and that needs to change.

Legislative District Data

I got a hold of the population data for legislative districts in Tennessee (posted below).

Senate (total average per district 192,306):

The bottom five Senate districts in terms of population are 29, 30, 28, 19, and 2, four of which are held by Democrats, average population of 162,604.

The top five Senate districts are 22, 18, 13, 16, and 23, four of which are held by Republicans with an average population of 231,132.

House (total average of 64,102):

The bottom five House districts are 87, 92, 90, 91, and 98 (avg 48,417). All are held by Democrats...in fact, the 15 lowest populated House districts are all currently held by Democrats.

The top five House districts are 95, 57, 68, 63, and 34 (avg 91,190). All Republican, and once again, the top 15 House districts in terms of population are GOP controlled.

Basically confirms what was already assumed, Democrats are screwed come redistricting time.

Council District Population Totals

I did some digging on the census website and found the council district population data represented in the map I posted earlier.  The 21st district is currently the most underpopulated district with 13,577 people, just under the 7th with 13,568.  The most over-populated district is the 31st with 29,274 or nearly 11,000 more people than permissible under redistricting (numbers below).

Hispanic Concentrations in Nashville

Another part of the data released by the Metro Planning Commission are maps of racial/ethnic concentrations in the city. The map of Hispanic population shows that the 30th council district, currently held by right-wing Jim Hodge, has the greatest concentration of Hispanic constituents, with the 28th (Duane Dominy) and 16th (Anna Page) following close behind.

2010_census_hispanic_or_latino

The MPC also has a map showing African-American population concentrations around the city, with the highest being in North and East Nashville, as well as Southeast areas.

East Nashville Under Populated

The Metro Planning Commission is starting to release data based on the 2010 Census numbers that just came in. In one map, they show the current Metro Council districts and whether they are over/under represented. While I've heard talk that North Nashville would be most hit, it appears that East Nashville's 5th, 7th, and 8th districts, along with Edith Langster's 21st, fall into the category of most under populated (15-24% under ideal population of 17,009-18,801). On the flip side, Antioch and Donelson/Hermitage districts 12, 31, 32, and 33 have seen the greatest growth of 15-61% over the allowable range (pdf).

Council Estimates 2010

What this means exactly I'm not sure, other than Antioch is likely to gain a couple districts, and the East Nashville/Madison area might see one combined. The first public hearing will be held next week:

Wednesday, March 23
Sonny West Conference Center, Howard Office Building, 700 Second Avenue S.
1:30 pm - 3 pm: Council, Board of Education, and Planning Commission members
4 pm - 6 pm: Community members and Council candidates

Update: More info on population counts in each district.

Why Not Take Their Parents Houses While You're At It?

Sen. McNally doesn't think that a misdemeanor charge of civil disobedience is punishment enough for a couple of University of Memphis students who decided to stand (or sit as may be the case) up for workers who are being punished for not giving enough cash to the GOP over the years:

A state senator called Thursday for the University of Memphis to expel students who were arrested this week for disrupting a committee meeting about anti-union legislation.

“If I did something like that, I’d be long gone back when I was there at the university,” Sen. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, told reporters just after criticizing the protesters on the Senate floor.

So, when you were going to school, any criminal charge, no matter how minor, would result in expulsion? Instead of punishing these students, the University of Memphis ought to be holding them up as examples of students who take an active interest in their political system. Civil disobedience has been a key factor in the improvements of life in our society, and what those kids did was in that tradition. Mike Turner summed it up pretty well:

This is still America,” Rep. Mike Turner, D-Nashville, said. “People have a right to protest. We’ve not taken that right away yet. However, I fear sometimes we may be headed down that road. Those people had every right to protest what they did. They locked arms. They weren’t cooperative but they weren’t trying to beat anybody up or anything like that. This country was founded on protest.”

Taking away workers rights to organize and support candidates is not the last step, but the first step in the GOP's war of political retribution. It won't end this year, it won't end this term, it won't end until Republicans are out of power.

Perhaps This Was The Problem?

Liz Garrigan wrote a lengthy and brutal assessment of the Dean administration for the Nashville Scene.  Garrigan, who was seen as one of Dean's head cheerleaders in the 2007 election, now lives in Italy Paris but has quotes a plenty from both current and former administration officials, most of whom wish to remain anonymous.  One quote that wasn't anonymous and that stuck out to me was that of Alexia Poe:

"It's not realistic to think that a company is going to want to go there until the site is ready," says Alexia Poe, who recently left her job as director of the Mayor's Office of Economic and Community Development to become Gov. Bill Haslam's communications director. "There was some education that needed to be done about how economic development works, and that was actually a bit of a surprise, so we may have underestimated how much education there was to do."

In other words, people who opposed us were too damned dense to see our genius at work.  This is a good example of why it might be a good thing that Poe has moved on to redder pastures over at the state capital.  I'm not saying there weren't idgets involved in the pro-fairgrounds debate, but there were also some intelligent critiques and reasonable skepticism about the projections being offered.

Go Hump Yourself

I ran across this tidbit while going through some old news articles on Tennessee's secession. Its from a Colonel Comb of White County who was at a nominating convention for the 3rd Congressional District. I found it amusing (pdf):

I am not a Republican.  I am not a Radical.  I thank God for it.  I am a rebel, and I am proud of it. [Applause.] A Conservative is a man that is on the fence.  I repeat, that I am no Radical, no Republican, I am no Conservative, I am a Rebel-Democrat! [Applause.]  If anybody wants to make anything out of that, let them hump themselves.  I am not afraid to say where I stand.

The content is awesome, the context it was given in? Not so much...

Jerry Maynard Files for Re-election

Jerry Maynard announced today that he has filed his qualifying papers to run for re-election as Councilman At-large in a press release* citing his accomplishments in which he says that he wants to continue to "help lead the fight in improving education, reducing crime, and making sure that all of Nashville's residents can find work, homes, and have access to health care.”

Jerry Maynard Announces for Re-election


He also received the "Advocacy Award" from the Tennessee Tribune.

*[Disclaimer: I have done some paid consulting for this campaign]

Anti-Bike-Lane Crusader [and/or Pro-Bike-Lane Satirist] To Run For Council

The 26th council district, currently served by Greg Adkins, is up for grabs this year and so far two major players have emerged.  Chris Harmon, a former legislative aide and current state employee, and attorney Brock Parks are the two front runners for the seat, but yesterday it appears that a wild-card choice emerged when Michael Poindexter pulled papers.

Poindexter has written letters to the editor and posted numerous comments in opposition to bike lanes and charitable races, and has a distinct level of hatred for the Metro Planning Organization because of what he considers "heavy handed socialism".  He was also banned from various listservs for "aggressive behavior".

Update: Michael Poindexter comments that the letter to the editor seeming to oppose bike lanes was really written in satire. He says that he is "all for bikes on the roadways in Nashville. Cycling is a great sport and recreation. I support the creation of bike lanes, bike ways and greenways."

Update II: Poindexter did not qualify for the elections in August. 

Brad Parish Creates "Tennessee's Future Caucus"

Brad Parish, who has emerged to become a somewhat prominent critic/challenger to Chip Forrester on the TNDP Executive Committee, wants to start up "Tennessee's Future Caucus," a group within the EC that allows outside "affiliate membership", that seeks to strengthen the party operations while also seeking accountability:

This proactive group will drive Party accountability. This group shall be known as Tennessean’s Future Caucus of the Tennessee Democratic Party. Voting membership into the Caucus shall be open to the Executive Committee members of the Tennessee Democratic Party with affiliate membership open to all interested Democrats and working people of Tennessee. The goal of this Caucus is to be a unifying system that respects our diversity and varying perspectives as a unique strength for innovation.

You can find out more info at http://www.futurecaucus.com/

So, Wait...Government Can Create Jobs?

A little while ago Governor Haslam bristled at the notion that government can create jobs, saying that instead it could get "out of the way" in some areas so the private sector can create jobs. However, during tonight's State of the State address, his prepared remarks indicate that yes, indeed, government can and will create jobs:

The Tennessee Department of Transportation may receive a $13 million federal grant for a port facility at Cates Landing. With a $7 million state appropriation, the Northwest Tennessee Regional Port Authority will provide a port facility that is within one day's truck haul of 76 percent of the nation's major markets.

At a time that the citizens in Lake and other surrounding counties in upper West Tennessee are dealing with the closure of the Goodyear Tire plant, I am pleased to announce this project as a stimulus for new jobs and new business investment.

Perhaps he meant that his administration couldn't create jobs unless Obama's administration leads the way?

Is Our Children Learning? Evolution Edition

Jeff Woods' article about the focus of the GOP legislature reminded me about the proposed bill to allow discussion about various "scientific" criticisms of evolution [shorthand for Darwin's Theory of Natural Selection I presume] and other scientific facts. 

In the first hearing on the matter, the sponsor of the legislation, Rep. Bill Dunn, wanted to quickly move for passage, but Rep. Naifeh asked for speakers on the subject, so the three in the audience were ACLU Executive Director Hedy Weinberg, TEA President Jerry Winters, and Dr. Robin Zimmer.

Winters and Weinberg spoke in opposition to the bill, Weinberg saying it tramples on first amendment protections, Winters saying the bill is poorly drafted and convoluted. Zimmer spoke in favor of the bill under the pretense of wanting better scientific analysis and critical thinking, however, what he failed to mention is that his doctorate is in environmental science and that he is the director of a pro-creationist website that seeks to put a scientific spin on the book of Genesis.  Here's the video from the hearing.

To Go or Not To Go

Karl Dean went to Japan on a previously scheduled economic development trip at the behest of the Japanese government.  This isn't sitting well with some critics of the mayor.  Catherine McTamaney called it "astoundingly bad taste" as well as "crass, tactless, and unbecoming" for Dean to not reschedule his trip.  Mike Byrd wasn't thrilled either, asking:

what makes a Nashville Mayor so important to Japan that he can do what so many people around the world with more stakes in the game than Karl Dean cannot do, get a flight to Japan? My second question was: is pursuing economic development for Nashville in Japan too much too soon given that we do not even have a handle yet on the magnitude of the disaster or on the demands of relief? [Copyright © 2005-2011. Writ, shot, cropped, & chopped by Mike Byrd]

I understand the criticism, and quite frankly it doesn't look all that good for him to go at this time. However, keep in mind, he's a guest of the Japanese government. He's got meetings scheduled with Japanese companies and officials. It should be their decision whether or not they can or want to accommodate the mayor at this time, not his. If their judgement is that they want him to continue on his trip, they are more informed about the situation in Japan than Dean, so wouldn't it be kind of arrogant for him to decide that they can't handle or accommodate his visit?

It would be one thing if this was a Presidential trip, requiring street closings and massive security...but somehow I doubt that the mayor of Nashville is going to have a big security entourage, or require any sort of special accommodations beyond that of any other business man.

What Is Your Definition of Immutable?

In a letter to the Metro Council, relayed to us by Michael Cass, Richard Land and some fellow cohorts at the Southern Baptist Convention have predictably come out against the proposed contractor NDO being debated in the council.

In the letter to the Vice-Mayor Neighbors, Land and friends lay out their case for why the GLBT community does not deserve protections, and their first line of reasoning for their opposition is that the NDO would "elevate sexual orientation and gender identity to the same level as such immutable characteristics as race, ethnicity, and religion, creating a preferential status not enjoyed by other groups."

I'm sorry, but in what way, shape, or form is religion an "immutable characteristic"? Webster's defines the word immutable as "not capable of or susceptible to change."  If you were to somehow segregate a newborn child from popular culture, and pull them out of isolation 20 years later, that child isn't going to come out a believer in Jesus, Jehovah, or Ganesha.   Religion, as a characteristic, is entirely changeable, as evidenced by the millions of dollars religious organizations spend every year on proselytizing, mission trips, dress t-shirts and bicycle helmets.  Even if you believe that there is a religious gene that predisposes someone toward the belief in the supernatural, which deity they choose is entirely environmental in nature.

Conversely, there are many studies that might indicate that you take that same child, pull them out 20 years later, and they could very easily be attracted to a person of the same sex.  But even if you don't adhere to the notion that a child is born gay, straight, bi-sexual, etc...their orientation is just as, if not more, immutable than religious beliefs. 

The point being, if politicians want to limit anti-discriminatory law to qualities that can't be changed, there is a much stronger case for sexual orientation to fit into that category than for religious beliefs.

Republicans and One Democratic-Republican Pass Tenure "Reform"

The Senate voted earlier today to pass Governor Haslam's tenure changes that would extend the probationary term for teachers from three to five years.  The Senate Democrats, with the exception of Jeffersonian Senator Douglas Henry, voted against the measure.   Their public opposition though seems to be more against the area of emphasis, rather than the substance of the actual bill.

In a press release, Sen. Stewart says that they "announced a plant expansion in my district yesterday, but we’re not up here talking about jobs creation," and Sen. Kyle is "waiting for Republicans to start blaming teachers for our rising unemployment.”

Frankly, while the efforts to punish teachers unions by getting rid of collective bargaining, or kicking TEA members off various boards and commissions, are plainly seen as part of the GOP War of Political Retribution, many Democrats I've talked to are less opposed to this aspect of the "education reform" package Republicans are putting forward.  The general consensus seems to be that going from three to five years isn't the worst thing in the world, though Dems seem to have some qualms with the requirements for tenure having not been fully implemented yet.

Me for President

I don't intend to turn this blog into a campaign platform, but in case you were wondering, I've decided to try my hand at running the Tennessee Young Democrats for the next two years.  We've got a statewide convention coming up in June, most likely to be held in Wilson County, and I'm running to succeed Claudia Weaver as President of the organization.

There is more information up at the Facebook page, but if elected, my intention is to help the organization expand across the state by developing chapter building programs to grow county and local organizations, as well as be more involved in helping young candidates in the early stages of the campaign.

TNDP Wants To Print Ketron Bucks

The TNDP is looking to raise a little cash off Sen. Bill Ketron's attempt to get Tennessee to have its own gold or silver backed currency:

To honor “Dollar Bill” Ketron’s ludicrous plan to adopt a state currency, the Tennessee Democratic Party is going to hand deliver a sack filled with Ketron-inspired cash to the lawmaker himself.

For every U.S. dollar you donate to the TNDP today, we’ll deliver a Ketron buck to the Murfreesboro state senator. Help us fill the sack!

Ease Up Off, Son

Sen. Andy Berke wants to keep the debate over whether or not to punish teachers and workers for not giving the GOP enough money as civil as possible:

Sen. Jim Summerville, R-Dickson, issued a blunt warning during a floor speech, telling teachers not to try to obstruct Republican educational initiatives.

“Make no mistake, the final responsibility is ours — and we are warriors,” Summerville said.

He then paraphrased a speech from Shakespeare’s “Henry V,” saying “we will bend public education to our awe, or break it all to pieces.”

That prompted Sen. Andy Berke, D-Chattanooga, to complain.

“Our education policy is best when we work with teachers, as opposed to telling teachers: ‘Here’s what you’re going to do,’” Berke said. “Our language up here does matter. It matters to people back home and it matters to me.”

The End is Nigh

Around 7 o'clock tonight we'll know if Ken Wilber, the Democratic nominee for the 18th district, will have been able to pull off one of the bigger electoral upsets in the last decade.  If he does, it won't be because of money, Ramsey and the Senate Caucus have flooded Roberts with cash.  Rather, the likelihood of any upset probably rests on the work of a handful of dedicated volunteers, along with a riled up union and teacher base that are the victims of the GOP war of political retribution.

If you are free today and want to help Ken Wilber keep another cookie-cutter Republican spouting hackneyed conservative platitudes out of the State Senate, they are still looking for volunteers to phone bank.

As Dave Would Say, FREEDOM!!

"[W]hen the freedom [the Athenians] wished for was freedom from responsibility, then Athens ceased to be free." - Ronald Reagan

Last night the Republicans in the House, aided by a handful of Democrats, did us all a solid by voting to make it the law of Tennessee that no man or woman shall ever be required to take responsibility for their health care by carrying insurance. Well, that is of course if this bill had any teeth, which it really doesn't.

It would seem to bar state employees from facilitating a requirement that individuals have health insurance, but the mandate is enforced via the IRS, so its hard to see where a state employee might be involved in the whole process.

Regardless, the next time some Republican prattles on about how poor people need to take responsibility for their own well being, it will be nice to have this to hold up in their face.

Realtors Back Dean in Re-election Bid

Not that there was much doubt, but the Greater Nashville Association of Realtors has jumped back on board the Dean bus for his re-election bid in August. According to the head of the trade group:

“The Greater Nashville Association of Realtors is very pleased to be able to endorse Mayor Dean’s re-election campaign. Under his leadership our community has faced significant challenges as well as opportunities,” remarked Alice Walker, 2011 President of the Greater Nashville Association of Realtors. “His leadership is focused and consistent and we look forward to having him continue serving as Mayor of Nashville for another term.”

While I don't have much in the way of official statistics, the numbers at Trulia show that the home real estate market has made a fluctuated but overall positive rate of growth since the housing crash in 2008/2009, and we are up significantly from home prices of just a year ago.

The Local Week in Review

The Metro elections seem to be quickly shifting into a higher gear as candidates in various districts begin to announce and organize for their respective races.

Last week, District 7 candidate Anthony Davis had a successful campaign kickoff that packed Watanabe in Riverside Village.  Anthony spoke of the great progress Inglewood has made over the last few years under the leadership of Erik Cole, and how he wanted to continue those successes. 

This Saturday, Karl Dean opened up his campaign headquarters stationed at 1816 Hayes St.  Dean was introduced by the former Chief Justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court, A.A. Birch Jr., who had endorsed Dean in the first election and came back four years later saying that Dean had kept his promises to make education a priority, move the economy of Nashville forward, and bring crime down. 



Finally, District 18 candidate David Glasgow kicked off his campaign at the home of Matt and Lisa Wiltshire on Sunday.  Glasgow, who came in third in the 2009 special election, is the only announced candidate and has garnered the support of current Councilwoman Kristine LaLonde.  Glasgow said that he wanted to be able to support creative entrepreneurs in the district, like Randy Rayburn, as well as environmental and neighborhood activists in the district.

Fear Not Teachers, You Have a Choice

The East Tennessee GOP's mouthpiece at the Knox News Sentinel, Greg Johnson, has an interesting piece out in which he extols the virtues of an "alternative" to the Tennessee Education Association, called Professional Educators of Tennessee.  This group is just like TEA except it doesn't have an effective lobbying arm (they have three registered lobbyists who happen to also run the group), and it has no power (or more importantly desire) to bargain on teachers behalf to get better pay, benefits, teaching environments, etc...

PET touts its lower association price, $149 compared to $500, for which members get a liability insurance, a life insurance policy, and legal representation by some guy named Larry Crain...oh, and lest we not forget, newsletters!  Yes, you get to hear from none other than Walter Jewell who in his last newsletter said, after rambling on about some contest show he watched the other night, that "those who hate our country for some reason and especially have distaste for our traditional culture have realized the power of the teacher and in many cases entered teaching to indoctrinate those vulnerable young minds to their ideas." 

Yes, if you want more in your paycheck, you must hate America and all it stands for.  The group eschews the NEA for giving money to groups that support progressive social policy, and in the newsletter (pdf), suggests members send Christmas cards to the ACLU and American Atheists with bible passages.   It also, along with opposing collective bargaining, opposes any form of teacher tenure.

Basically, what Greg Johnson is trying to say, is that if you are dying to give away your money, don't give it to a group that will fight for you, give it to a group who will take your money and give you obnoxious, poorly written newsletters bashing liberals and unions.  What Johnson bills as "non-partisan" is just an ideological front designed to take power away from teachers.  Sure, they may not give money to politicians, but that could simply be because they don't have any.

The Oregon Trail

Chronic cold sufferer?  Well, it might be time to slowly load up on your favorite pseudoephedrine based cold medicine as it appears Tennessee is well on its way to making it more difficult for consumers to purchase, so as to reduce the problem of meth production in Tennessee.


According to Tom Humphrey, Speaker Ron Ramsey is slowly warming to a proposal to make pseudoephedrine based medicine available by prescription only:

Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey said Thursday that he supports legislation to establish a new electronic tracking system for pseudoephedrine sales, but is "getting closer and closer" to an alternative bill that would require prescriptions for purchases.

Currently two states have made pseudo available by prescription only, Oregon and Mississippi. In a 2010 hearing, the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control looked into the effects of Oregon's restrictive law. According Oregon AG John Kroger their prescription law has been a resounding success (pdf):

The impact of this change has been astounding. In 2004, before the law was passed, Oregon law enforcement officers busted and shut down 472 meth labs in our state. In 2007 we shut down only 22.2 That sharp decline has continued. In 2009, for example, the number of meth labs seized in Oregon fell to 10, the lowest number in over a decade. In comparison, there have been 186 lab seizures in Washington in 2009.

In contrast, Sheriff of Daviess County in Kentucy, Keith Cain, feels that the tracking program they created, and that Tennessee would join if Beaver's bill is passed, assists law enforcement in finding and busting meth labs (pdf):

The disadvantages of a prescription system include higher health care costs to the legitimate consumer, no real time sales tracking, no sales blocking, less access to this information by law enforcement, and none of the previously mentioned limits on prescription amounts. Determined smurfers will continue to obtain pseudoephedrine through the prescription system as they have with so many other controlled drugs traced by state prescription management systems. Indeed, currently the fastest growing segment of substance abuse in the nation, and in Kentucky, is prescription drugs. Cheyenne Albro, Director of the Pennyrile Narcotics Task Force in western Kentucky, and past president of the Kentucky Narcotics Officers’ Association, says this: “According to KASPER, (Kentucky’s prescription monitoring program), there are enough prescriptions filled for hydrocodone, (a schedule II controlled substance), in his twenty county area that each and every citizen could have their own bottle of pills. Making PSE prescription-only will not solve the problem.”

Quite frankly, I tend to believe that making pseudo prescription-only would in fact make it harder for meth producers to obtain it, and thus would reduce the production of it in our state and country if it were to expand nationally. However, I think it could equally disadvantage many people who take pseudo-based cold medicine for legitimate purposes, and who don't have the time, money, or insurance coverage to seek a prescription in a timely manner.  Oregon politicians such as Sen. Wyden and AG Kroger have said they haven't received any complaints about access to pseudo for legitimate purposes...that could very well be, but there should be a more empirical study of that.

Also, we should understand, that reducing or eliminating the production of meth in the United States will not likely solve the problem of meth addiction in the United States, any more than prohibition has hindered the sale and usage of cocaine, marijuana, heroin, etc... It will make it less available and higher priced, which will potentially reduce usage, but it will also give dangerous drug cartels in Mexico and other countries more money and power, thus further harming our neighbors to the south.

Watch the Senate hearing on the matter below:

Chris Anderson Takes On Potential Dem Switcher

Chris Anderson, TNDP Committeeman from the 10th District, is taking Chattanooga Councilman Andrae McGary to task for a failure to represent his district, and his recent announcement that he might switch to the Republican party:

Perhaps the meteoric rise to power blinded Mr. McGary, but he almost immediately turned his back on the citizens of his district. Those whose help he courted just months early would now no longer have their phone calls returned. His only devotion was to his future career and his only constituent was himself. This was evidenced in votes that were harmful to his district: annexing areas of the city who didn’t want it, supporting the ban on take-home cars—further reducing police presence in a district with crime problems, and refusing to support neighborhood centers that were vital to the health of our community.

It should be no surprise that Mr. McGary has now officially floated the idea of switching parties. A few local Republicans have probably convinced him that he will do well in their party. Most African American politicians are not willing to support the party that oppresses them, but Mr. McGary apparently sees value in this if it can further his career. It will not, as I believe that voters will choose a candidate who is genuine over one who is only pandering, despite their stated political party.

On his radio show today on 102.3 in Chattanooga, McGary spoke to his fellow candidate for the 8th District race in 2008, Dennis Clark. The subject was broached about party, and McGary said that "I'm a moderate Republican, and a conservative Democrat, which makes me an independent, and that is what I will tell people."