Day: October 1, 2018

Report: Corporate Welfare in Tennessee Needs More Transparency

Chris Butler

Tennessee officials hand out a good bit of corporate welfare, but they could do better to make sure the public knows how that money gets spent, according to a new state Comptrollers report. The report suggests several ways members of the Tennessee General Assembly can make matters better. As the report notes, Tennessee offers several kinds of corporate welfare. The degree of transparency for each differs to a certain extent. Some business incentives require public hearings. Some require business officials hand over annual reports on the status of an incentive program, Comptrollers said. “For other incentives, state law does not require periodic reports on the status of programs, and data and information are not posted online,” Comptrollers wrote in a press release. “The Comptroller’s Office of Research and Education Accountability found one type of business incentive with a required evaluation on a periodic basis: business tax credits,” Comptrollers wrote. But that was an exception. State officials do not require evaluations for most business incentive programs, Comptrollers added. Tennessee officials entice businesses and industries to set up shop or stay or expand in Tennessee. To do that they offer Payment in Lieu of Tax agreements, tax credits, and tax exemptions, and…

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Tennessee’s Muslim Advisory Council and Vanderbilt MSA Align With Avowed Anti-Semite Linda Sarsour

Chris Alto

This year, the aggressively vocal anti-Semite and anti-Israel activist Linda Sarsour was invited by the Vanderbilt Muslim Students Association and the Middle Eastern Students Association to talk about “Intersectionality and Allyship.” Two years prior, Tennessee’s AMAC invited Sarsour to speak in Knoxville alongside AMAC board member Drost Kokoye and Islamic Society of North American (ISNA) fundraiser Faheed Tasleem. Sarsour, an Obama “Champion of Change” and CAIR “American Muslim of the Year,” is well known for her overt hatred of Israel and all things Jewish. Born in New York to Palestinian immigrants from the West Bank, she self-identifies as a Palestinian-American and uses every opportunity including the Ferguson “intifada” to piggyback alleged oppression of Palestinians by the Israeli government. Nothing is creepier than Zionism.Challenge racism, #NormalizeJustice. Check out this video by @remroum http://t.co/q282BYT8 — Linda Sarsour (@lsarsour) October 31, 2012 Sarsour is a vocal promoter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel and a prolific tweeter of anti-Israel messages telling Muslim audiences that they shouldn’t “humanize” Jews whom she characterizes as oppressors of Arabs. According to Sarsour, she is “deeply involved in the BLM [Black Lives Matter] movement” which was birthed from the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson that…

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Hendersonville Mayor Spooked by Idea of City Paying for New Horse Stable

Chris Butler

The city of Hendersonville has four horses who work patrols for the police department, and the city’s board of aldermen want to use taxpayer money to buy a new stable to house them. Employees at the Trinity Broadcasting Network’s Hendersonville office house these horses free of charge. Yet the city’s board of aldermen want to use taxpayer money to construct a new stable on city-owned property. Hendersonville Mayor Jamie Clary wants to rein them in. Clary told The Tennessee Star the new stable will cost city taxpayers more than $500,000 — and that’s just the low bid cost. “Our city budget is just not in a good place,” Clary told The Star. “Our recent budget has a $1.4 million deficit. That is from a budget that has more spending than revenue.” When asked, Clary said the city went into deficit to hire more firefighters and police officers and to improve city-owned roads. As mayor, Clary has no veto power. His vote carries the same weight as a member of the board of aldermen. “I just run the day to day operations of the city, but the full board decides on the budget and the policies of the city,” Clary said.…

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Analysis: President Trump Uses the Power of Tariffs to Correct Unfair Chinese Trade Imbalances

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President Donald Trump is levying 10 percent tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods shipped to the U.S., rising to 25 percent in Jan. 2019, coming atop a 25 percent tariff on $50 billion of goods from China. Trump has warned if China retaliates, another $267 billion of tariffs will follow. On Twitter, Trump briefly discussed the tariffs, writing, “Tariffs have put the U.S. in a very strong bargaining position, with Billions of Dollars, and Jobs, flowing into our Country — and yet cost increases have thus far been almost unnoticeable. If countries will not make fair deals with us, they will be ‘Tariffed!’” Tariffs have put the U.S. in a very strong bargaining position, with Billions of Dollars, and Jobs, flowing into our Country – and yet cost increases have thus far been almost unnoticeable. If countries will not make fair deals with us, they will be “Tariffed!” — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 17, 2018 On the question of price increases, so far Trump is correct. While steel and aluminum have seen brief spikes in prices on commodities markets, it has no fed into overall consumer and producer inflation. If the question boils down to “Who has more to lose in a trade, the U.S. or…

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DOJ Civil Rights Investigation Expands From Harvard to Include Yale, Brown and Dartmouth Affirmative Action Policy

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by  Natalia Castro   The Department of Justice took a stand against prejudice last month when the department filed a complaint against Harvard College for discriminated against Asian American students. Now, the DOJ has taken this a step further by expanding their complaint to include three other universities known for discrimination in their admissions process. By expanding the scope of their complaint, the DOJ is reaffirming their commitment to justice and equality for all. The Wall Street Journal reported this week that the DOJ is investigating Yale, Brown, and Dartmouth colleges for holding Asian-American students to a higher standard than students of other races and use an illegal quota to cap the number of admitted Asian American students. The Asian American Coalition for Education continued in a Sept. 2018, “Compelling evidence indicates that Yale University and many other selective colleges in the U.S. fail to comply with [antidiscrimination] laws. On the contrary, they have applied de facto racial quotas, racial stereotypes and higher admissions standards to discriminate against Asian American applicants. After extracurricular activities and other factors are adjusted, an Asian-American applicant has to score on average 140, 270 and 450 points higher than a white student, a Hispanic student and a black…

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Cotton: Feinstein Will Be Investigated For Leak Of Ford Letter

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by Jason Hopkins   Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton said Dianne Feinstein’s office will be investigated for the leak of Christine Blasey Ford’s letter, a message she explicitly requested be kept confidential. Speaking Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Cotton told host John Dickerson that, not only will Feinstein and her staffers be investigated for the leak of Ford’s confidential letter, but that Ford’s lawyers will also face a Washington, D.C., bar investigation for allegedly not informing her that Senate Judiciary Committee staffers were willing to travel to California to interview her about her allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. “Those lawyers are going to face a D.C. bar investigation into their misconduct. Dianne Feinstein and her staff is going to face an investigation for why they leaked that. All of this could have been done discreetly, it happens hundreds of times … hundreds of times every year in the Judiciary Committee,” the Arkansas Republican said during his exchange with Dickerson. Feinstein — who serves as the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee — received Ford’s letter in July, describing an alleged encounter with Kavanaugh. Despite requesting anonymity, the letter was leaked to the press in September. Feinstein has denied any involvement in…

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Obama Era Lifeline Program Audit Shows Over $300M Potentially Wasted

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by Gavin Hanson   The Lifeline telecom subsidy — more commonly called “Obamaphone” — program may have wasted $336 million of its 2017 budget, according to a federal audit. A Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Inspector General released a report indicating an eight-fold increase of improper or fraudulent payments in the program from 2016 to 2017. The FCC’s IG conducted the investigation in response to a May 2017 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that found risks of fraud and wasted tax dollars in the Lifeline program. After the GAO report and a stricter 2017 audit, the Lifeline program was seen to have wasted nearly 22 percent, compared to less than three percent from the previous year. Additionally, the GAO reported that 69 percent of Lifeline beneficiaries’ eligibility for the program had not been verified. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai responded with a proposal that primarily capped Lifeline spending at nearly $1.8 billion per year — an amount he said would be enough to cover all internet and landline access for eligible Americans. The proposal is rallying Democrats around Lifeline and against the chairman. Sept. 10 was the start of the Washington, D.C. Public Service Commission’s Lifeline Awareness Week. Critics have subsequently redoubled their efforts to lambaste the FCC and Pai for the proposed budget constraint. Democrats in the House of Representatives called…

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What’s Ahead for US Supreme Court as It Starts New Term

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United States Supreme Court

by Masood Farivar   With Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hanging in the balance, the high court is scheduled to open its new term on Monday with oral arguments on a range of issues before eight ideologically divided justices. This is not the first time the high court has had a vacancy at the start of a new term. In 2016, the court faced a similar situation after Justice Antonin Scalia died earlier in the year and Republicans in the Senate refused to hold confirmation hearings for President Barack Obama’s nominee, keeping the seat vacant for nearly a year. If Kavanaugh wins confirmation, he is expected to provide a critical conservative vote that could tip the court’s balance on key issues this year and beyond. Legal experts say the justices may reschedule for re-argument some of the cases that have been set to be heard early in the term. The high court usually accepts less than 100 of the more than 7,000 cases it’s asked to review every year. So far this term, it has taken 44 cases with about half of them set for argument during October and November. Big cases coming Duke University law professor Brandon Garrett says…

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Commentary: The Art of the Never-Ending Investigation

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Brett Kavanaugh

by Karl Notturno   Over the past couple of weeks, we have seen Democrats and the media execute a strategy on which they have become increasingly reliant. They are currently using this strategy in an attempt to delay and destroy Judge Brett Kavanaugh. Unfortunately, some Republicans—namely Senator Jeff Flake—do not understand this strategy and continue playing into Democrats’ hands. Herewith is a brief primer to help confused Republicans like Flake understand how they’re being played and help them grow a spine. Make a damning accusation that is difficult to prove but nearly impossible to disprove. A charge of attempted rape is devastating—even when it is alleged to have occurred nearly four decades ago. It is hard enough to prove a negative, let alone prove one 36 years after the fact. Memories fade and warp and the facts get increasingly difficult to pin down. Few prosecutors would touch a decades-old case and many states (not including Maryland) have statutes of limitations to encourage victims to step forward while memories are still relatively fresh. No jury would convict Kavanaugh based on the evidence we have heard and no responsible prosecutor would take a case like this to trial. Shift the burden of proof onto the…

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917 Society Needs Help Giving Out Constitutions to Tennessee Eighth-Graders

Chris Butler

The 917 Society has given out 35,000 pocket copies of the U.S. Constitution to eighth-graders in Tennessee, but there are 50,000 more eighth-graders who still haven’t gotten one. Thus, 917 Society members have started a new fundraising movement to help fill the gap. The goal, said 917 Society Founder Joni Bryant, is to reach those 50,000 students before December 15, which is Bill of Rights Day. “Before these students go to high school, psychologically, it is a great time to reach our young people because they are forming their identity of who they are and we want them to know about the Constitution,” Bryant told The Tennessee Star. “In four years, these eighth-graders will be out voting, and we want them more informed and educated and excited about participating in our form of government.” Nashville physician Ming Wang has already donated $1,000 for the cause, according to a press release. Donations are due by Nov. 1 to guarantee printing and delivery of pocket Constitutions to classrooms before Dec. 15. Anyone interested in Founding Club Member status should donate $1,000 or more and commit to renewing your donation each year before Sept. 17 of next year. Founding Club Members may attend…

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Still Lacking Evidence Of Sexual Assault, Democrats Now Want Kavanaugh Investigated For Perjury

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by Peter Hasson   Still lacking corroborating evidence of disputed sexual misconduct accusations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, some Democrats now want Kavanaugh investigated for perjury in the latest iteration of their months-long campaign to derail his confirmation. The perjury push comes as Democrats still lack corroborating evidence to support professor Christine Blasey Ford‘s claim that Kavanaugh tried to drunkenly force himself on her while the two were in high school. Other than Ford, none of the alleged party attendees — including Ford’s longtime friend, Leland Keyser — have any recollection of the event happening. [ RELATED: Rhode Island Man Apologizes For Claiming Kavanaugh Sexually Assaulted His Friend, Claims He ‘Made A Mistake’ ] Two other Kavanaugh accusers similarly lack corroborating evidence for their claims. Deborah Ramirez, Kavanaugh’s former Yale classmate who accused him of drunkenly placing his penis in her face during college, was reportedly unsure if Kavanaugh was the perpetrator shortly before she came forward. No other eyewitnesses have corroborated her account. Maryland woman Julie Swetnick accused Kavanaugh of being present while girls, including herself, were drugged girls in order to gang rape them. No other eyewitnesses have confirmed Swetnick’s account Swetnick has previously been sued for sexual harassment and an ex-boyfriend of hers once filed a restraining…

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‘I Stand In Solidarity’: Karen Monahan Tosses Support Behind Juanita Broaddrick

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by Chris White   A woman accusing Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison of assaulting her when the two were in a relationship has come out in support of Juanita Broaddrick, who accused former President Bill Clinton of assault in the 1990s. Karen Monahan, an activist who claims the Democrat assaulted her during a years-long relationship, tweeted support Sunday morning after Broaddrick demanded an “immediate FBI investigation against @keithellison for his assaults.” “I am so sorry for what you went through. Thank you for being a voice for women around the country,” Monahan wrote in a Twitter post Sunday morning. “I stand in solidarity with you and survivors all around the world.” I am so sorry for what you went through. Thank you for being a voice for women around the country. I stand in solidarity with you and survivors all around the world. #MeToo https://t.co/FtsFKX6YWg — Karen Monahan (@KarenMonahan01) September 30, 2018 Investigations into Monahan’s accusations are ongoing. Minnesota Democrats’ self-described “independent” investigation into domestic abuse allegations against Ellison is being handled by the party attorney’s legal partner. Ellison, the deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee and nominee for Minnesota attorney general, has repeatedly denied the accusations. Minneapolis lawyer Susan Ellingstad took over…

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Commentary: The Left and the Rule of Lawlessness

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by Thaddeus McCotter   Even as the U.S. Senate appears ready to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, the Left has already moved on to the next phase of its battle to destroy the rule of law in America: declaring the Supreme Court illegitimate and, thus, that it has no power over them. Per the Left, an uncorroborated allegation against an individual and their rightfully indignant defense against it render said person unfit to serve on the Supreme Court. In Kavanaugh’s case, whether he is a guilty “gang rapist” or an innocent but “angry partisan,” the Left and some NeverTrumpers believe that no 5-4 decision in which Kavanaugh is part of the majority need be heeded. You can see this in Senator Patrick Leahy’s (D-Vt.) remarks that the (expected) Kavanaugh confirmation will—magically—“politicize” the court (a risible claim for many reasons, beginning with the court’s history); and, of course, Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), proving again the Left accuses its targets of what the Left is doing: “I have never seen a nominee for any position behave in that manner. Judge Kavanaugh used as much political rhetoric as my Republican colleagues—and what’s more, he went on the attack.” As with the bogus Steele dossier…

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Marsha Blackburn: Tennessee Voters Want Brett Kavanaugh Confirmed

Chris Butler

NASHVILLE, Tennessee–Republican U.S. Senate candidate Marsha Blackburn says voters across Tennessee want Brett Kavanaugh confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Blackburn also said voters have told her what they think of sexual assault allegations a California woman has made against him. U.S. senators hosted the woman during a Judiciary Committee meeting last week. “They think this is a PR stunt by the Democrats. They look at this as character assassination, and they do see it as dirty politics,” Blackburn said Saturday at a Vanderbilt football tailgating event. “They are looking at the Kavanaugh thing and thinking ‘I can’t imagine how I would feel if this was my brother, my dad, my son, my spouse. How would I feel when there’s an accuser who has no one that corroborates what she said?’” “People see this as an issue of fairness,” Blackburn said. Blackburn is currently running against Democrat Phil Bredesen, Tennessee’s former governor. Other Tennessee Republican Party officials attended the event. They said last week’s Kavanaugh hearings in Washington, D.C. — and voters’ reactions to them — will influence this fall’s U.S. Senate election. Tennessee Republican Party Chair Scott Golden, who attended Saturday’s event, told The Tennessee Star the hearings have “exposed…

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