Day: February 17, 2017

Reagan Economist Art Laffer to Subcommittee Hearing on Gas Tax: ‘We Don’t Need More Taxes In Tennessee’

Laura Baigert

“We don’t need more taxes in Tennessee,” well-known economist Arthur Laffer told the House Transportation Subcommittee on Wednesday at a hearing about Gov. Haslam’s proposed gas tax increase. Laffer, who gained international prominence during the Reagan Era as the author of “the Laffer Curve” –which showed government revenues increase as high taxes are cut– testified before the subcommittee at the invitation of House Transportation Subcommittee Chair State Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver (R-Lancaster). He is probably most well-known for his role on the Economic Advisory Board under President Reagan. He has a B.A. in Economics from Yale University and his Ph.D. from Stanford University. The renowned economist “made a calculation” and came to Tennessee 10 years ago, leaving the heavily taxed state of California. He hasn’t looked back. “Economics is all about incentives. People like doing things they find attractive and dislike doing things they find unattractive. Taxes change the attractiveness of activities,” Laffer told the subcommittee: If you look at taxes, all taxes are bad, but some are worse than others. What you want to do is you want to collect your tax revenues in the least damaging fashion possible and you want to spend the proceeds in the most beneficial fashion…

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‘Day Without Immigrants’ Not For Everybody in Nashville

Wendy Wilson

Stay open or close? The managers at Fresh and Fresh International Market went back and forth before deciding they’d stay open on the “Day Without Immigrants.” It was business as usual Thursday at the Nolensville Road market, despite nationwide protests that saw many ethnic stores and restaurants close to protest President Trump’s immigration plans. Many immigrant workers and students stayed home or took to the streets for rallies and marches. By their absence, immigrants hoped to make Americans aware of how much they contribute. But there also were many, including in Nashville, who chose not to participate. Rosa Bernal, an assistant manager at Fresh and Fresh, said the store stayed open to serve its diverse customer base, which includes both immigrants and non-immigrants. The store sells Hispanic and Asian groceries and recently has started adding Middle Eastern fare. Some employees, however, did not come to work. “We respect their decision,” Bernal said. Bernal said some customers Thursday were happy the store stayed open so they could buy things they needed. Others questioned the decision, asking employees if they supported President Trump. Bernal said employees didn’t respond to those inquiries because they didn’t feel they had to justify their decision to…

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Former Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey: ‘I Have Never Felt the Need to Have Anything in Writing’ From Legal Counsel on Consultant Role to Pro-Gas Tax Group

Tennessee Star Staff

Former Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey tells The Tennessee Star that his legal counsel, James Weaver, a partner with the prestigious Nashville law firm Waller Lansden Dorch & Davis, who has advised him that his appearance at a WWTN Gas Tax Town Hall to advocate in favor of Gov. Haslam’s gas tax increase, a position held by his client, the Transportation Coalition of Tennessee, is “perfectly acceptable under all Tennessee laws” has done so verbally, but not in writing. “James and I have had lots of discussions about what I can and cannot do in this first year,” Ramsey tells The Star in an emailed statement. “James is an expert in this area. As my council, I have never felt the need to have anything in writing from him. I simply wanted his advice and council,” Ramsey adds in the statement. At former Lt. Gov. Ramsey’s invitation, The Star has reached out to Mr. Weaver and anticipates providing more details on the Tennessee statutes as they relate to guidelines for consulting and lobbying as they apply to former members of the Tennessee General Assembly during their first 12 months out of office. At issue is whether Ramsey, as a paid consultant…

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Commentary: Knoxville News Sentinel Provides Former Editor Platform To Promote Left Wing Anti-Gun Propaganda

Richard Archie

The Knoxville News Sentinel recently provided former editor Frank Cagle a huge platform to influence and educate the public on the views of the left in regards to both the Tennessee State Constitution and the rights of the citizens that live and work in this state. The issue this time for the left is their pet peeve of firearms ownership. What I find worrisome is how they exaggerate information even when the facts are laid before them in black and white. Cagle is no exception to that rule and that is not surprising. Cagle, in order to make a plausible argument, must first create the villain and in doing so he must attach as many negative adjectives as he possibly can to bring the passion of the Tennessee reader to a boil. Words like scoundrels, rogues, blackguards, miscreants or lobbyists in the political world usually do the trick. Of course we are smarter than that. A lobbyist can be anything from a group of 10,000 to a group of one attempting to sway legislatures. But of course he wanted you to think the Tennessee Firearms Association (TFA) was out running around tossing money left and right. He wants you to believe…

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World Relief Refugee Agency Closes Down Nashville Office

Chris Alto

Refugee resettlement contractors are blaming President Trump’s temporary suspension of the program for forcing them to reduce staff, close local offices or put local offices in jeopardy of closing. World Relief explained the five local resettlement offices closures including Nashville: “As a direct result of the recent decision by the Trump Administration to dramatically reduce the number of refugees resettled in the U.S. throughout fiscal year 2017, World Relief has been forced to make the difficult decision to layoff 140+ staff members across its U.S. Ministry and close local offices in Boise, Idaho; Columbus, Ohio; Miami, Florida; Nashville, Tennessee; and Glen Burnie, Maryland. Collectively, these five offices have resettled more than 25,000 refugees over the past four decades.” WR’s Nashville website says it has a staff of 30 and the Memphis office has 13 employees. The last available data from fiscal year 2012 shows the Nashville office proposing to resettle 708 refugees. World Relief (WR), based in Baltimore, is one of nine national refugee resettlement organizations that sign a “Cooperative Agreement” with the U.S. State Department for the “Reception & Placement”(R&P) grant.  This is taxpayer money allocated for each refugee. Some of the money is used to provide basic necessities…

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