Day: January 29, 2019

Despite Perceived Ethical Problems, Hamilton County Commissioners Allowed to Use Taxpayer Money on Generous Meals

Chris Butler

People in Hamilton County might not like it, but there are rules in place that allow county commissioners to spend generous sums of taxpayer money taking constituents out to eat. A local TV station, News Channel 9, seemed to demand a formal investigation into some of these expenditures, especially those involving Commissioner Warren Mackey. But, as Commission Chairwoman Sabrena Smedley told The Tennessee Star, you cannot investigate a commissioner for doing something the rules allow him or her to do. Smedley, though, said she is unhappy commissioners can spend vast sums of taxpayer money on these luxuries. She said she’s willing to discuss changes. As reported, Mackey spent nearly $2,000 in taxpayer money taking constituents out to various meals. “I have spoken to our county’s finance department when this story broke, and they have guidelines they adhere to, very strict IRS regulations and restrictions. Then we have policies in place that set the guidelines for how we can get reimbursed for expenses,” Smedley said. “They (members of the finance department) shared with me that Commissioner Mackey really can turn those in as expenses. They were reimbursing him because, according to them, there was nothing wrong.” Mackey did not respond to…

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Governor Bill Lee: Request For Budget Cuts Means Finding Efficiencies So Funding Can Be Redirected Towards Things That Are Really Important

Laura Baigert

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – In the second of four days of cabinet budget meetings for the 2019-2020 fiscal year, Governor Bill Lee explained that his request for budget cuts  is a signal that what they are looking in his new administration is ways to find efficiencies, so that funding can be redirected towards things that are really important. Lee went into the budget process in his first week as the 50th Governor of Tennessee with meetings scheduled with 25 departments between Friday, January 25, and Wednesday, January 30, and a request for departments to cut two percent from their budgets. Joining him for the budget presentations was his Chief Operating Officer, Butch Eley; Commissioner of Finance and Administration, Stuart McWhorter; as well as Finance and Administration’s David Thurman. After hearing from nine departments on Monday, which represents more than half of the state’s appropriations, Governor Lee clarified for the press that the cuts are not to cut services. Rather, “It’s to be better stewards of the taxpayer money itself.” The cuts from inefficiencies would then be applied to “the places that are really important.” Governor Lee said that the budget process “allows us to think through what we need versus what…

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Commentary: Media Says Trump Caved on The Wall, but It’s Democrats in the Dark

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by Jeffery Rendall   Friday started off with the blockbuster news that longtime associate and occasional Trump political advisor Roger Stone was ensnared (for process crimes, no less) in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s ever-widening “Russian collusion” net, which to the liberal establishment media meant that the long-anticipated “smoking gun” had been located and House Democrats’ impeachment proceedings could commence at their earliest convenience. Later in the day word leaked out that President Trump would make a statement concerning the government shutdown, which had completed its fifth week with neither side appearing likely to concede anytime soon. At that point no one was talking about Stone anymore. Trump shocked some conservatives by announcing the government would reopen for three weeks in hopes a bipartisan congressional commission would hammer out a solution to the wall funding standoff in the meantime. The president acknowledged he was going against his vow not to throw open the government’s doors until Democrats produced money for border security – but insisted afterwards it wasn’t a concession. Caitlin Yilek reported at The Washington Examiner, “President Trump told his supporters that he was not caving to Democrats on his promised border wall after he agreed to end the partial government…

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No Comment from Bill Lee on Case of Illegal Immigrant Who Allegedly Killed Son of Knoxville Firefighter

Chris Butler

Staff for Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee would not say Monday if he plans to act in the case of Francisco Eduardo Franco-Cambrany, charged with killing a Knoxville firefighter’s son. No one in Lee’s office returned The Tennessee Star’s repeated requests for comment Monday. As reported, a judge reinstated bond for Franco-Cambrany last week, which could enable him to walk out of jail. That is, of course, unless federal immigration agents don’t get him first. Franco-Cambrany allegedly killed Pierce Corcoran, who was only 22. Prosecutors say Franco-Cambrany is an illegal immigrant. As The Star reported, Knoxville Police said Franco-Cambrany’s Chevy pickup, heading north, crossed into the opposite lanes of traffic and hit Corcoran’s Honda Civic, causing a chain reaction. According to Knoxnews.com, he swerved to the left — but not the right — because two cars in front of him suddenly braked while trying to make a right turn. Prosecutors say that swerve equals criminal negligence. But the defense claimed police didn’t talk to any of the drivers on Franco-Cambrany’s side of the road and thus can’t prove the right-hand lane was empty. According to the website Justice for Pierce Corcoran, the defense’s claim is false and video footage proves it. Lee has addressed…

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Judson Phillips Commentary: Conservatives Need to Unite and Promote Our Agenda at the Tennessee General Assembly

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by Judson Phillips   Conservatives love to rail against the Republicans who control the Tennessee General Assembly. And why not? These Republicans go out every two years (or four if they are in the Senate) and tell the voters how conservative they are. Then, once they have been given their next two year, no-cut contract, they proceed to vote the way the lobbyists want them to. Since the Republicans took control of the General Assembly in 2008, they have not met a spending plan they did not like.  The state budget has skyrocketed. And what do conservatives do? They get on Facebook and complain. Recently some of my Facebook friends were shocked to discover that American Muslim Advisory Council has a “Muslim Day” on Capitol Hill. Activists go and push their agenda to legislators.   The Muslims are not the only group that does that.  All kinds of groups do it. They range from farmers to the bat-guano crazy left. And there are a couple of center right groups that go up there. When is there a conservative day on Capitol Hill? The answer is, there isn’t. There is not a day when conservatives go to Capitol Hill and tell legislators…

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DFL Lawmakers Introduce House Bill 420 to Legalize Marijuana in Minnesota

Anthony Gockowski

DFL lawmakers took the first concrete steps to legalize recreational marijuana in Minnesota Monday by introducing companion bills in the Minnesota House and Senate. House File (HF) 420, sponsored by Rep. Mike Freiberg (D-Golden Valley), and Senate File (619), sponsored by Sen. Melissa Franzen (D-Edina), would make it legal in the state of Minnesota for a person “ 21 years of age or older” to “cultivate, possess, purchase, transfer, use, and consume cannabis, cannabis products, and cannabis accessories.” The House version of the bill already has 15 co-sponsors, while the Senate version has just two, though one is Republican Sen. Scott Jensen (R-Chaska). The bills would allow employers to adopt a policy that “prohibits the consumption of cannabis or cannabis products in the workplace” or working “while under the influence of cannabis.” They would not, however, allow an employer to “discipline or discriminate against an employee or prospective employee because the employee or prospective employee has metabolites of cannabis in the employee’s or prospective employee’s blood.” Additionally, with some exceptions, residential landlords would not be allowed to prohibit “the possession of cannabis or cannabis products or the consumption of cannabis or cannabis products by nonsmoking means by a tenant who…

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Half Of America Doesn’t Have Confidence Mueller’s Report Will Be Fair

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FBI Mueller and President Trump

by Hanna Bogorowski   The majority of Americans support congressional Democrats’ calls to investigate President Donald Trump’s past communication and financial ties with Russia, but half of them lack confidence that special counsel Robert Mueller’s report will be fair and even-handed. A Washington Post-ABC News poll released Sunday showed that 50 percent of Americans surveyed don’t believe Mueller’s probe, which is currently investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, will result in an unbiased, fair report. A random sample of 1,001 U.S. adults were asked between Jan. 21-24 how much confidence they have that Mueller’s report will be even-handed, to which 28 percent responded “Just some” and another 22 percent responded “None at all.” Just 24 percent said they have “A great deal” of confidence in the report, which stands in contrast to the large public support for such investigations. The poll, which had a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points, showed that 57 percent of respondents support a Democratic investigation into potential collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russia, 61 percent support investigations of suspected financial ties between Trump and foreign governments, and 59 percent support investigations into Trump’s relationship and communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin. At the same time, a plurality…

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Big Donors Staying on Sidelines in Early Days of 2020 Primary

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The presidential primary is jolting to life without a traditional mainstay: the big money donor class. More specifically, their contribution checks. With as many as two dozen Democrats potentially running for the White House and no immediate front-runner, the money race in the early days of the primary is largely frozen, according to fundraisers. Though some donors have a preferred candidate, others who are spending are spreading their money across the field to hedge their bets. More often, donors are staying on the sidelines until the contours of the primary take shape. “I’m not aware of anyone who is giving now,” said Andy Spahn, a Los Angeles-based fundraiser and conduit to Hollywood wealth who has been courted by multiple contenders. “People first want to know who will actually be in the race.” The slow flow of campaign cash from the big money donor class coincides with a seismic shift in Democratic fundraising. Driven by a restive base that turned opposition to President Donald Trump into an unprecedented flood of small-dollar online contributions, some now question whether big money donors will continue to hold the same sway. Take California Sen. Kamala Harris, who announced her presidential candidacy last week. In just…

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White House Eyes Reducing Capital Gains Taxes Without Congress

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by Fred Lucas   The White House is having internal discussions about the prospect of executive action by President Donald Trump to hold down capital gains taxes, said Larry Kudlow, director of the president’s National Economic Council. “I personally have campaigned for inflation indexing of capital gains for at least three decades,” Kudlow told The Daily Signal during a press gaggle Thursday at the White House. The Trump administration’s goal, in theory, would be to end unfair taxation on income from stocks, real estate, or other investments that come from inflationary gains. “I still strongly support it and I know the president has a very positive view about it,” Kudlow said of indexing. “We are talking about it internally. We are still talking about it internally.” [ The liberal Left continue to push their radical agenda against American values. The good news is there is a solution. Find out more ] The development comes after 51 leaders of conservative groups  asked for the executive action in a Jan. 22 letter to Trump. Among the groups are Americans for Tax Reform, Citizens Against Government Waste, and the American Legislative Exchange Council. The Daily Signal asked Kudlow whether the law allows the president to…

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The Destruction of Venice Beach Epitomizes California’s Idiocracy

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by Edward Ring   Venice Beach, California, used to be one of California’s great places. A Bohemian gem, nestled against the sand between big Los Angeles and the vast Pacific Ocean. Rents used to be a little lower in Venice compared to other coastal neighborhoods. The locals mingled with surfers, artists, street performers, and tourists. People from suburbs further inland migrated to Venice’s beaches on sunny weekends year-round. Venice was affordable, inviting, inclusive. That was then. Today, Venice Beach is off limits to families who used to spend their Saturdays on the sand. It’s too dangerous. On the sand, beached seaweed now mingles with syringes, feces, broken glass, and other trash, and the ocean has become the biggest outdoor toilet in the city. More than 1,000 vagrants now consider Venice Beach their permanent home. At the same time as real estate values exploded all along the California coast, the homeless population soared. In Venice, where the median price of a home is $2.1 million, makeshift shelters line the streets and alleys, as the affluent and the indigent fitfully coexist. What has happened in Venice is representative of what’s happened to California. If progressives take back the White House in 2020, it will…

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Border Patrol Wives Who Rebuked Nancy Pelosi Speak Out

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by Nick Givas   Two wives of border patrol agents who rebuked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appeared on “Fox & Friends” Monday to explain the letter they wrote to her. “I just felt that it was really important that our leaders come here and see what’s happening firsthand. It’s important for them to meet with the people that are here on a daily basis,” Jill Demanski said. “What they witnessing and the effects that it has on our country. And we want them to come here and make an informed decision and to see what’s really going on.” The letter invited Pelosi to McAllen, Texas, to get a firsthand look at the border and asked the speaker to “stop pretending” that she cares about federal workers. “If you did [care], you would care for their safety, not just their paychecks,” the letter read. Renea Perez said her husband feels overwhelmed at the border because they lack the adequate backup and technology to do a sufficient job. “It can be overwhelming. I mean, they do a fabulous job of protecting us. We feel safe in the valley because of them. But they definitely need a wall or a barrier in the high traffic areas,” Perez…

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Federal Court Refused To Unseal Documents Justifying FBI Raid On Reported Clinton Foundation Whistleblower

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by Richard Pollack   A federal court refused to unseal government documents that permitted the FBI to raid the home of a reportedly recognized whistleblower who, according to his lawyer, delivered documents pertaining to the Clinton Foundation and Uranium One to a presidentially appointed watchdog. The U.S. District Court of Maryland’s Chief Magistrate Judge Beth P. Gesner, a Clinton appointee, also sealed her justification for keeping the documents secret in a single-page Dec. 20 order. On Nov. 15, federal Magistrate Judge Stephanie Gallagher authorized the raid on Nathan Dennis Cain’s Union Bridge, Maryland, home. She sealed the government documents justifying it. The Daily Caller News Foundation asked Gallagher on Nov. 29 to unseal the documents, noting that Cain’s attorney has said his client, a former employee of an FBI contractor, is a recognized whistleblower. The documents should be released in light of “an urgent public interest” surrounding the case, TheDCNF wrote. Attorneys and experts who defend government whistleblowers told TheDCNF the court should disclose whether prosecutors told Gallagher that Cain (pictured above) was a protected whistleblower under the Intelligence Community Whistleblower Protection Act. Cain enjoyed his whistleblower status as early as last summer when he handed over documents to Department of Justice Inspector…

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Report: North Carolina Charter Schools Outperform Traditional Counterparts

A.P. Dillon

A recent report given to state lawmakers shows that overall North Carolina charter schools are outperforming their traditional counterparts. The report also shows that North Carolina charters are in high demand and are also attracting more economically disadvantaged and minority students. Except for high school math, subgroups in charter schools performed better than non-charters in English/LA, Elementary and Middle Math, and Science,” Rhonda Dillingham, Executive Director of the NC Association for Public Charter Schools told Battleground State News. When North Carolina opened the legislative door to public charter schools back in the late 1990s, there were just a little over 4,000 students enrolled in charter schools. In 2012, there were just over 45,200 students in 100 charter schools across the state. Five years later, there were roughly 168 charter schools serving around 91,800 students. Now, North Carolina currently has 184 charters operating in the state which enroll more than 109,000 students or 7.3 percent of state’s total average daily membership. And the demand for charter schools is high. There are roughly 55,000 students on charter school waiting lists according to a presentation given to the State Board of Education by David Machado, Director of the Office of Charter Schools. Thirty-five…

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Buckeye Institute Legal Fellow to Lead Ohio Task Force to Fix ‘Broken’ Prison Bail System

Andrew Shirley

Friday, the Buckeye Institute announced that Daniel J. Dew, a legal fellow with the institute, would lead an Ohio Supreme Court Task Force, focused on reforming the bail system throughout Ohio. Dew has done some of the most extensive research and analysis on the state’s current bail system and his findings are rather shocking. He notes; The traditional cash bail system allows accused murderers, child rapists, armed robbers, and dangerous gang members to be arrested and released into our communities to await trial. Meanwhile, otherwise law-abiding, harmless citizens sit in jail for days, weeks, or even months for drunken jaywalking, violating dress-codes, or failing to pay traffic tickets. These absurd incongruities stem from a pretrial release system rooted in money rather than a careful, scientific assessment of the risks that the accused pose to our neighborhoods. One of the most tragic examples featured in his work; “Money Bail: Making Ohio a More Dangerous Place to Live,” tells the story of Dragan Sekulic. In 2015, he was charged with domestic violence, “felonious assault, domestic violence, and, and operating a vehicle while intoxicated,” all directed at his ex-wife. After posting a $100,000 bond, he left jail as a free man until his trial. He…

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Ilhan Omar Politicizes Holocaust Remembrance Day to Condemn ‘Right-Wing Extremism’

Anthony Gockowski

Sunday marked the 74th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) took the opportunity to condemn the rise of “anti-Semitic” ideology in America. “Today we remember the murder of 17 million people, including 6 million Jews at the hands of the Nazis,” Omar wrote. “With the rise of anti-Semitic and neo-Nazi ideology, it’s more important than ever we learn from the atrocities of the past and commit to fighting intolerance.” Today #WeRemember the murder of 17 million people, including 6 million Jews at the hands of the Nazis. With the rise of Anti-Semitic and Neo-Nazi ideology, it's more important than ever we learn from the atrocities of the past & commit to fighting intolerance. #HolocaustMemorial https://t.co/8jpJ8olBaD — Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 27, 2019 Omar, of course, has been repeatedly accused of anti-Semitism, most notably for her tweet in which she claimed that Israel has “hypnotized the world,” but also for her support of the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement, and her ties to anti-Semite Linda Sarsour. As Daily Wire senior editor Emily Zanotti pointed out, Omar’s Sunday tweet was actually a “really clever minimization of Jewish suffering in the Holocaust.” “10 million died in the…

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North Carolina’s Lt. Governor Dan Forest Announces 2020 Gubernatorial Exploratory Committee

A.P. Dillon

One of the most anticipated announcements in North Carolina politics is on the path to becoming a reality.  According to a video released Monday, North Carolina Lt. Governor Dan Forest is officially looking at a run for Governor in 2020. The Facebook video, released on Forest’s campaign page, announces the formation of an exploratory committee for the North Carolina Governorship in 2020. The announcement was also posted to the club section of Forest’s campaign website. When asked about the themes in his announcement video, Lt. Governor Forest tells Battleground State News that given the vitriol going on in politics today, we need ‘something to rally around’. “We need something that’s going to bring all North Carolinians together and stop this ludicrous identity politics that pits every group against another group,” said Forest. “I don’t think that’s what the majority of North Carolinians believe by any means,” Forest said. “I think there is an opportunity for change. I think good leadership can do that.” Forest said he believes the state can benefit from someone who has a background in business, can envision a better future for the people and set a positive tone for what we want North Carolina to be. “I think…

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Tennessee Independent Baptists for Religious Liberty Identifies General Assembly Bills to Watch

Jason M. Reynolds

A Tennessee Independent Baptist lobbyist group has compiled a list of state legislative bills that may be of interest to its individual church members. The Tennessee Independent Baptists for Religious Liberty issued the list in an email newsletter Monday for Tennessee General Assembly bills. Some earned the organization’s approval, all filed by Republicans, while more earned disapproval – most, but not all, were filed by Democrats. The Tennessee Independent Baptists for Religious Liberty’s website is here. The organization was formed in 2016 and is supported by autonomous churches around the state. Bills receiving the organization’s approval, by topic, include: ABORTION HB0077   Rep. James (Micah) Van Huss (R-TN-06) Prohibits abortions from the point a fetal heartbeat is detected; requires fetal heartbeat testing prior to an abortion; creates exceptions. HB0078 Rep. James (Micah) Van Huss (R-TN-06) Increases by $500 the minimum fine imposed for a first or second violation of the requirement that a physician who reports suspected sexual abuse due to being requested to perform an abortion on a minor include in that report information regarding the sampling and preservation of embryonic or fetal tissue; increased fine amounts will be $1,000 and $1,500 respectively. (Another bill receiving the group’s support, HB0014, to…

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