Day: March 6, 2017

Randy Boyd Announces Candidacy for Governor

Tennessee Star Staff

Randy Boyd, former Economic and Community Development Commissioner under Governor Bill Haslam, announced on Monday that he is a candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor of Tennessee. “I’m running for governor to truly make Tennessee THE state of opportunity. Please join us on this opportunity of a lifetime,” Boyd said in a statement released on his campaign website. “There is not a better time to live and work in Tennessee, but not everyone is sharing in that success. My campaign will be about expanding opportunities for every Tennessee family and community,” Boyd added. Boyd dodged taking a position on Gov. Haslam’s controversial proposal to increase the gas tax by 7 cents per gallon to fund more road construction. “In terms of the ongoing discussion on the state’s infrastructure needs, which has led to Haslam proposing a gas tax increase, Boyd said he preferred to let the governor and the Legislature move forward with their efforts,” the Knoxville News Sentinel reported. “The only thing I would say is they must come up with a solution . . . It has to be solved. We are underfunding our roads,” Boyd told the News Sentinel. The former Tennessee Economic and Community Development…

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Letter to the Editor: Repeal Obamacare Now

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Tennessee Star - Obamacare

Dear Tennessee Star, Obamacare continues to be a total disaster for families. Remember the famous saying, “If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor.” With President Trump in office and Republican control of Congress – it’s important that Congress moves to quickly repeal Obamacare. Our healthcare system is on the edge. Republicans must put forth a solid and complete replacement plan that goes along simultaneously with any repeal. Congress should work on patient-centered reforms that bring power back to the states and allows for a free market system. It’s also important that Congress ensure the repeal of the health insurance tax – which is a tax on healthcare premiums. The National Federation of Independent Business Research Foundation found the health insurance tax will cost between 152,000 and 286,000 jobs by 2023, with 57 percent of those lost jobs represented in small businesses. A study by Oliver Wyman estimates that the health insurance tax results in an extra cost to small businesses of an average of $280 per employee per year and to individuals who purchase insurance coverage on their own of $220 per year. Thankfully, there is a bi-partisan bill by Representatives Kristi Noem and Kyrsten Sinema –…

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Longtime State Senator Douglas Henry Dies

Wendy Wilson

  Former state Sen. Douglas Henry, a conservative Democrat and the longest serving member of the Tennessee legislature, died late Sunday at age 90. Henry, who served in the House from 1954 to 1956 and the Senate from 1970 to 2014, is being remembered today for his folksy and courteous manners and his ability to reach across the aisle and befriend political opponents. “He epitomized what it truly means to be a public servant and had a keen understanding of the constitutional principles on which our state and federal governments are founded,” said Sen. Doug Overbey (R-Maryville) in a statement. “He was a mentor and friend, and will be sorely missed by all with whom he came into contact.” Henry, who grew up in Belle Meade, was the father of six and had many grandchildren. His wife of 67 years, Loiette  “Lolly” Hume Henry, died in December. After his brief tenure in the House, he worked as an attorney before returning to politics in 1970, when he won a seat in the Senate where he represented District 21. In 2014, the Tennessee State Library and Archives produced a video about his life. The video tells how as a boy Henry loved…

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State Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver Dazzles Spirit of America Rally With Stirring Rendition of National Anthem

Tennessee Star Staff

The pro-Trump Spirit of America rally held in Nashville on Saturday was the best in the country in more ways than one. Not only was it by far the largest rally in the country with more than 2,000 in attendance, it also had the best music, which is only fitting for The Music City. Entertainer Ty Williams led off with the rousing public debut of his new song, “Make America Great Again.” Then State Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver (R-Lancaster), an accomplished singer-songwriter, dazzled the enthusiastic audience with a stirring rendition of the National Anthem. Tennessee may be the only state in the union where it is not surprising at all to find a state legislator capable of belting out an a capella version of the Star Spangled Banner that brought tears to the eyes of many in the audience. The crowd sang the first verse along with Weaver, who delivered the second verse as an a capella solo. You can watch the entire performance here: The lyrics to the fourth verse are: Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand Between their loved homes and the war’s desolation! Blessed with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land Praise the…

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Conservative Firebrand Rebecca Ann Burke, Proud Deplorable and Ivanka Trump Fashionista

Wendy Wilson

  Rebecca Ann Burke began her speech at Saturday’s Spirit of America Rally by addressing the crowd as “adorable deplorables” and announcing that she was wearing an Ivanka Trump sweater. She also said good morning in Russian, joking that the Russian ambassador told her to say that. The longtime Middle Tennessee conservative activist campaigned hard for President Trump, spending weeks in Florida knocking on doors and heading up a call center. “We have won an amazing battle, but the war is not over,” she said at Saturday’s rally. Burke described Trump as a “street fighter” and the “General Patton of our day.” She also credited grassroots conservative activists with turning social media into a “dangerous weapon” to get out their message and fluster the “withering, whining leftist movement.” She said there is still much for conservatives to do to combat the progressives who have held considerable influence in our culture and politics. “Our resistance is not over. It’s just beginning,” she said. “We need a full bench of battle-tested activists to replace career politicians.” Burke is known for her work for Sen. Fred Thompson’s presidential campaign. In 2008, she was named Williamson County Republican of the Year for developing a…

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Carol Swain at Pro-Trump Spirit of America Rally: Progressives Are Misleading Christians

Wendy Wilson

  Conservative professor and author Carol Swain said at Saturday’s Spirit of America Rally that too many Christians are being misled into supporting a political party that doesn’t represent Christian values. Swain, a professor of law and political science at Vanderbilt University, said many Christians are being “duped” by the Democratic Party. She accused Democrats of obfuscation and hypocrisy in not caring enough about high rates of abortion among blacks and Hispanics, which she said is tantamount to “genocide” and would be called that if endorsed by conservatives. She also said some Christian religious and political leaders are advocating positions that reflect aspects of “socialism, Marxism and communism.” Swain said progressives are influencing the culture with “deception, lies and more deception.” Part of the problem, she said, is that people calling themselves Christians don’t have a deep understanding of biblical teachings and the gospel. “They’re just out there with a label.” Initially a supporter of Ted Cruz in the 2016 primary race, Swain later defended President Trump against attacks from Christian Never Trumpers. She said Saturday that she believes “the Lord’s hand was on this election,” referring to Trump’s victory in November, and that Christian conservatives can play a role…

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Three Children Hold Steadfastly On to American Flag at Pro-Trump Rally in Nashville

Tennessee Star Staff

In the midst of the speeches and songs that energized the huge crowd of 2,000 at the pro-Trump Spirit of America rally in Nashville on Saturday, one image emerged that captured the significance of the event. Three young children stood on the stage, holding steadfastly on to the American flag, gazing out over the crowd just as the event was about to begin. That image explains succinctly the oft-heard response among Tea Party activists, many of whom have now passed the age of sixty, when asked why they devote so much time and passion to the cause of liberty. “We are doing this for our grandchildren,” they say. “So that they will still have the great American republic we grew up in when they become adults.” But all of these efforts won’t do much good, after all, if the succeeding generations for whom the Tea Party activists have toiled so long fail to embrace the American values of their parents and grandparents. A quick look around at the culture–the conformist statism of the public schools and universities, the blatant bias of the media, the often anti-American attitudes that dominate pop culture and entertainment–suggests that there should be little surprise why…

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Mark Skoda: Congress Needs to Support Trump

Wendy Wilson

Mark Skoda pulls no punches when talking about what he thinks progressives are doing to America. “I think what the left is doing is obscene,” he said in an interview with The Tennessee Star before Saturday’s Spirit of America Rally, which Skoda organized. Conservatives need to push back, but in the right way, he said. “It’s very easy to tear things down. We’re here to build things up in a way that reflects the values of most Americans.” Founder of the Memphis Tea Party and an internet radio host, Skoda is a longtime conservative. At age 18, he voted for President Nixon in 1972, the first time 18-year-olds could vote in a presidential election. Although he grew up in a Democratic family, Skoda at a young age began having doubts about the effectiveness of social welfare policies. He had started working full time for UPS while finishing high school, an experience that introduced him early to the adult world. Skoda credits President Trump with being able to adroitly communicate directly to the people through rallies, speeches and tweets, something Skoda hopes will continue throughout his presidency. Now it’s up to Congress to make sure that Trump is able to get…

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