Category: Local

Refugee Resettlement and Illegal Immigration Driving Up Education Costs in Tennessee

Chris Alto
Refugees

The TN Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) is among the most aggressive opponents to the legislature’s constitutional challenge to the federal refugee resettlement program and to current and past legislative efforts to reduce illegal immigration to Tennessee.  However, TIRRC takes credit for “helping to pass a bill to increase statewide funding for English language learner (ELL) programs in public schools by $30 million.” As the legal and illegal immigrant population in Tennessee has grown, so has the cost to state and local taxpayers to teach non-English speaking students in the state’s public schools. State funding for English Language Learner (ELL) services in Tennessee public schools has increased annually bringing the 2012 $49 million up to $65.8 million in fiscal year 2016.  The required local share has increased from $21 million to $28.2 million during the same time. In September 2016,  Metro Nashville Public Schools sued the state wanting more money for ELL services, alleging that the state did not meet the Basic Education Program funding formula and as such, state funding was inadequate to pay for the proper ratio of students to teachers and translators. Tennessee Department of Education spokeswoman Sara Gast wrote that the state had provided $220 million in new…

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Randy Boyd Endorses ‘Partnership for a New American Economy’ Approach to Illegal and Legal Immigration

Chris Alto

Gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd is a named member of the Partnership for a New American Economy (PNAE). The PNAE has shortened its name to “New American Economy” but hasn’t changed its advocacy for comprehensive immigration reform which highlights the work ethic and perceived business ambitions of legal and illegal immigrants over native-born Americans. Founded in 2010, the PNAE is a powerful and well-funded coalition led by business leaders and chambers of commerce which formed to convince the public and policymakers that comprehensive immigration reform like the 2013 “Gang of Eight” amnesty bill would help grow the economy and create jobs for Americans. Included in PNAE’s “15 key economic issues of immigration reform in America” are: Supporting legal status for the 11.4 million undocumented immigrants which PNAE says pay taxes and do the jobs American citizens won’t do, and despite being in the country illegally, “even start their own businesses.” In a 2014 Wall Street Journal oped, PNAE co-founder Rupert Murdoch said that illegal immigrants who are already here should be provided a path to citizenship. Supporting resettlement of refugees who PNAE says that after living in the U.S. between 16-25 years are earning well above the income of refugees who have been here…

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Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development Used Like a Family-Owned Business

Chris Alto

The Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development operates like a closely held, family-owned business hiring family members of friends and friends of friends, but whose salaries are paid by state taxpayers. Former commissioner Bill Hagerty established this culture which was maintained by Randy Boyd. Shortly after taking office in 2011, Governor Haslam appointed Bill Hagerty as Commissioner of Economic & Community Development (ECD).  One year later, in 2012, Hagerty promoted Sen. Lamar Alexander’s son Will Alexander, from assistant commissioner for strategy to ECD’s chief of staff. That same year, Hagerty  hired Samar Ali and Alice Rolli. “Samar Ali is a superstar,” Steve Gill tells The Tennessee Star. “She had huge academic credentials, international credentials. She’s a Vanderbilt Law graduate,” Gill notes. “Her credentials are impeccable. The real question is, have other people been hired who are not as strong?” he concludes. When concerns started circulating regarding Ali’s hiring as International Director because of her background in sharia finance, Hagerty, speaking at a “First Tuesday” gathering defended his decision: “When it was known we were looking to fill a position in our office, I got a call from her father asking me if I would look at her resume. Like any…

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Illegal Immigrant Students Scheduled to Lobby for In-State College Tuition

Chris Alto

Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRCC) is organizing another effort for illegal immigrant students and allied educators to lobby state legislators for in-state college tuition benefits for these students. “Tuition Opportunity Dreamers and Educators Day on the Hill” is scheduled for March 22, 2017, and TIRRC wants all “undocumented youth and educators” to join them at the capitol: “Over the years, we’ve built a broad support for undocumented youth to have the opportunity to pay in-state tuition at Tennessee’s public colleges and universities. On March 22, 2017, we’ll be bringing undocumented youth, educators, and allies from across the state to demonstrate to our representatives at the state legislature that every student deserves a fair chance to obtain a college education, regardless of their immigration status. SAVE THE DATE!!! …We will meet at the Nashville Public Library in Downtown on 615 Church St, Nashville, TN 37219. An agenda and logistics will be announced soon!” This year’s legislative session is the third time that TIRRC, illegal immigrant students and their allies will have lobbied for the in-state college tuition benefit. TIRRC’s Nashville offices are housed in the building owned by Conexion Americas whose founder and director, Renata Soto who was elected chairman…

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Boyd Campaign Silent on Questions Related to Conexion Americas Donation

Chris Alto

One year after Renata Soto, founder and director of Nashville-based Conexion Americas was elected as chairman of the board of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd and his wife Jenny donated $250,000 to Soto’s organization. In a letter signed by Soto the Boyd donation was described as an “historic investment” and as “the single largest individual gift” to Conexion Americas in its 14-year history. Soto’s other organization, NCLR has been generously funded by George Soros. On Friday, March 10, 2017, The Tennessee Star asked the Boyd campaign’s communications director the following questions: Can you confirm whether Randy Boyd knew about Renata Soto’s leadership role with NCLR when he donated the $250K to her Nashville organization? Was he aware that Ms. Soto’s Nashville organization is a named affiliate of NCLR? If he was not aware of Ms. Soto’s leadership role with NCLR, would he have still made the donation had he known about her leadership role with NCLR? Did Randy Boyd know about Ms. Soto’s leadership role with NCLR when she was asked to join the board of Complete Tennessee? Does Randy Boyd support the Governor’s fuel tax proposal? The Boyd campaign has not responded.

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Mexican Man Arrested In Nashville For Heroin Possession

Wendy Wilson

A man from Mexico remains in custody after being arrested in Nashville Tuesday night when caught with more than half a pound of heroin that police say he intended to sell. Hugo Contreras-Gonzalez, 34, was driving a minivan along I-65 South near Trinity Lane when he was pulled over for speeding, according to a news release issued Wednesday by the Metro Nashville Police Department. Police dog Stryker detected a narcotic odor and in searching the minivan, police found heroin in two separate grease tubes in the rear passenger area. Contreras-Gonzalez was charged with possessing heroin for resale. He did not have a valid driver’s license and presented a passport, saying he had only been in the country for 15 days. His bond was set at $82,000 and he remained in jail Friday, police spokeswoman Kris Mumford told The Tennessee Star Friday afternoon. A court date is set for March 15. Contreras-Gonzalez had previous contact with local law enforcement in March 2011 when he was pulled over in Madison for not having headlights on during a rainstorm and was given a misdemeanor citation for not having a valid driver’s license, Mumford said.

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‘Leadership Tennessee’ Promotes Political Agenda While Claiming to Be Non-Partisan

Chris Alto

“Leadership Tennessee” the 10-month leadership education program hosted by Lipscomb University and funded in part by The Haslam Foundation, Haslam family’s Flying Pilot J, the Hyde Family Foundation and the Cornerstone Foundation of Knoxville, whose board at one time included Haslam, says it’s mission is to “foster[s] collaborative, non-partisan dialogue…” Two members of Class 1 of Leadership Tennessee (2013 to 2014) are currently candidates for governor: former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean and former Tennessee Commissioner of Economic and Community Development Randy Boyd. One member of Class 1, Renata Soto, is chairman of the board of the National Council of La Raza, a group funded in part by George Soros, and the Executive Director of Conexion Americas, a Nashville based group to which Boyd and his wife contributed approximately $250,000 in September 2016. Conexion Americas is listed as a Tennessee affiliate of the National Council of La Raza. The program was launched by a four member team: Tom Ingram, a political advisor to both Republicans and Democrats including Haslam, Lamar Alexander and Karl Dean when he was mayor of Nashville who has announced he will run in the Democrat 2018 primary for governor. Cathy Cate, the executive director whose husband Mark…

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Veterinary Board Rule Change Threatens Fines and Jail for ‘Unlicensed Horse Massage’

Christina Botteri
Tennessee Star

The Beacon Center Legal Foundation announced that it has filed a lawsuit against the state Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners. The Vet Board recently defined “animal massage” as a form of veterinary medicine, meaning that merely rubbing horses now requires a veterinarian license. The Beacon Center – a nonpartisan, independent organization dedicated to developing and supporting free market solutions to public policy issues in Tennessee  – believes this law is unconstitutional and has filed suit on behalf of Martha Stowe and Laurie Wheeler of Franklin, as both of their careers and livelihoods depend on horse massage therapy. Continuing to practice horse massage therapy subjected them to fines and even potential jail time. The Beacon Center warned the Vet Board in a letter of its intention to sue, should the Board keep the bizarre rule change. The two weeks passed, the Vet Board kept the licensure requirement, and the Center, in fact, filed suit. This is the third lawsuit the Center has filed, winning its first lawsuit against the city of Nashville for its unconstitutional homesharing regulations. The group also looks likely to get a second legal victory after its challenge of a Haslam Administration expansion of a similar licensing requirement for shampooing. A repeal of that rule is in the works. Beacon Center Litigation Director Braden…

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Gubernatorial Candidate Randy Boyd Supports La Raza Chairman’s Nashville Organization

Chris Alto
TEnnessee Star

In September 2016, gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd and his wife Jenny donated a quarter of a million dollars to Conexion Americas, a non-profit Latino advocacy organization headquartered in Nashville founded by Renata Soto. A letter signed by Soto described the “historic investment” as “the single largest individual gift” to her organization in its 14-year history. Boyd made the donation while he was serving as the Haslam-appointed Tennessee Commissioner of Economic and Community Development.  He resigned from his post as commissioner in January, and announced several days ago that he will run for governor in 2018. The Tennessee Star asked the Boyd campaign to confirm the $250,000 donation, but received no response prior to publication deadline. Soto and Boyd met when they were both enrolled in the 2013 inaugural class of Leadership Tennessee, a 10-month leadership education program hosted by Lipscomb University. The program was founded and is funded in part by The Haslam Foundation, Haslam family’s Flying Pilot J, the Hyde Family Foundation and the Cornerstone Foundation of Knoxville, whose board at one time included Haslam. Cathy Cate is the executive director of Leadership Tennessee.  Her husband Mark served as the governor’s chief of staff during Haslam’s first term. The Boyds’ donation was celebrated on…

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Gov. Haslam Has a History of Supporting Tax Increases

Chris Alto

Gov. Bill Haslam has a history of supporting tax increases. His current proposal to increase the gas tax by 7 cents per gallon and diesel fuel by 12 cents per gallon in 2017 is no aberration, it is part of a consistent pattern. In 2004, newly elected Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam raised the city’s property taxes approximately 13%, but claimed the property tax rate was the lowest in several years. Former Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey challenged the claim saying that a reappraisal which lowered the overall rate, did not lower the overall percentage increase. Years earlier, Haslam was being schooled by his father on the need to raise taxes in Tennessee. Jim Haslam II, was a board member of Citizens for Fair Taxes, a group planning a public education blitz about Tennessee’s “state budget crisis” as a prelude to supporting Don Sundquists’ proposal for a state income tax. Fast forward to 2010 when Haslam, during his first gubernatorial campaign materials stated affirmatively that, “…taxes are job killers. The last thing we should do is raise taxes on a population that is already struggling and a small business community that has been forced to cut back,” and, that: “Tennessee already has the highest…

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Tuesday is IHOP’s National Pancake Giveaway to Help Children Battling Life-Threatening Illness

Tina LaFleur
Tennessee Star - Pancakes

Did you wake up this morning with a hankering for pancakes? You’re in luck! Tuesday, March 7 is National Pancake Day at IHOP. This is the eleventh year for the annual charity drive, exact day of which changes each year. No purchase is needed to participate in this offer, however IHOP does suggest diners donate to a charitable partner in return. The contributions made on National Pancake Day at IHOP restaurants benefit Shriners Hospitals for Children, the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, and Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Since its start in 2006, National Pancake Day has generated more than $24 million for charity. This year, IHOP hopes to raise $3.5 million for children battling life-threatening illnesses. All of the money raised on IHOP National Pancake Day is donated directly to local children in need. If carbohydrates are off-the-menu, and you’re looking for another way to help, IHOP customers can purchase a “Wall Icon” to pledge their support. Just talk with the cashier. “Year after year, we look forward to celebrating with our guests,” said Darren Rebelez, President of IHOP Restaurans said. “Every penny raised goes a long way in making a meaningful and lasting impact on so many kids and families in our communities.” Check…

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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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POLL: 95 Per Cent Nashville Taxpayers OPPOSE Subsidizing Opryland Water Park Deal

Christina Botteri
Tennessee Star - Sound Waves

Last week we told you about the Beacon Center’s online poll asking Tennessee taxpayers if they supported the Metro Nashville City Council’s preliminary vote to grant a tax incentive deal worth $14 million to Opryland. The early results showed that a staggering 92.5% opposed the luxury resort receiving generous tax breaks to build a private water park available to only their hotel guests. The poll is now completed, and the final numbers are in. After a full week of voting, an even larger margin of Tennessee Taxpayers – 95% – now oppose the deal. With such an overwhelming response, the Beacon Center took a look at how else that $14 million could have been used. Based on average salaries in the city of Nashville, this $14 million tax break to the Opryland hotel could have paid for one year’s salary for 276 teachers, 280 police officers, or 335 firefighters.  Mark Cunningham of the Beacon Center noted in a statement, “Nashvillians and Tennesseans are almost unanimously opposed to giving taxpayer money to a water park. A whopping 95% of Tennesseans believe that this incentive deal to the Opryland Waterpark is a bad idea, which is truly incredible. Not even 95% of people…

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State Rep. Barry Doss Dodges Key Questions on Haslam Gas Tax

Chris Alto

After Gov. Haslam ally and gas tax advocate State Rep. Barry Doss (R-Leoma) voted “yes” in the House Transportation Subcommittee on Wednesday to send the governor’s IMPROVE Act to the full Transportation Committee which he chairs, The Tennessee Star contacted him and asked three simple, yet key questions pertinent to any further consideration of the gas tax: Can you confirm that 25% of  Highway Fund user fees go to the general fund? Can you confirm that suppliers and retailers of both gas and diesel can hold the tax money anywhere from 20-51 days depending on the month before remitting to state per dept. of revenue fuel tax schedule?” Was there any particular reason these important and highly relevant issues were not raised prior to the subcommittee vote today? Rep. Doss did not respond to The Star prior to our deadline. As the House Transportation Committee which he chairs now takes the IMPROVE Act under consideration, Rep. Doss has an opportunity to bring the answers to these questions out in the open for public consideration. The answers to those questions are of great relevance to the public, since “[o]ne of the principles asserted by Governor Haslam in support of his IMPROVE…

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Gas Can Man Leads Opposition to Haslam Tax Increase

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star - Gas Can Man

    Gas Can Man cheered gas tax opponents at Wednesday’s legislative hearing. Making his grand entrance before the hearing, Gas Can Man strode in the room carrying a sign reading, “Haslam’s a Pain In My Gas.” Clearly the rock star of the event, he was photographed and videorecorded by admiring fans. Some even wore t-shirts bearing his likeness. He was surrounded by shouts of “Tank the Tax!” The packed hearing room was filled mostly with people there on behalf of the conservative group Americans For Prosperity, which opposes the tax. Having arrived early, they were able to grab a seat. People who couldn’t find a seat were sent to an overflow area outside the room where they could watch the proceedings on a TV screen. Among those who came from across the state was Chelsea Houk, who lives in Knoxville with her husband Zachary. The 26-year-old grew up in a family in which politics was rarely discussed to keep the peace. But now she finds that approach a misguided quest that doesn’t do anything to keep change at bay. “It provides a false sense of security,” she said. A farmhand who works with show horses, Houk these days finds…

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EXCLUSIVE: Gateway Pundit Jim Hoft to Speak at Nashville Spirit of America Rally Saturday, March 4

Christina Botteri
Jim Hoft

Nashville’s Spirit of America Rally organizers announced exclusively to The Tennessee Star that grassroots superstar Jim Hoft will appear at the event this Saturday, March 4th. “We are excited to announce that Jim Hoft of The Gateway Pundit will speak at the rally.  His organization has recently been granted White House press credentials to the dismay of the liberal main stream media,” Spirit of American organizer and founder of the Memphis Tea Party Mark Skoda said. “Jim has made a difference at his conservative news blog with over one million views per day during the election.  And as a new media leader, he is driving the left crazy,” he added. Jim Hoft stated, “I am really looking forward to speaking to the people of the Great State of Tennessee.  President Trump is off to a roaring start and I am proud to stand behind him today as he moves to Make America Great Again.  I plan on making a special announcement at Saturday’s rally!” Skoda noted that this confirmation of the March 4 event comes on the eighth anniversary of the first Tea Party rallies, which were held in fifty cities across the country on February 27, 2009. Those rallies were followed by…

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No Response From Sen. Paul Bailey to Dept. of Revenue Confirmation Pilot Flying J Will Benefit From Gas Tax ‘Float’

Chris Alto

State Senator Paul Bailey, Chairman of the State Senate Transportation Committee, has not responded to an inquiry from The Tennessee Star to explain the Tennessee Department of Revenue’s correction of his assertion that Pilot Flying J, the truck stop company owned and operated by Gov. Haslam’s family, will not benefit from holding on to the extra cash generated by the proposed gas tax increase for 20 to 51 days. The Tennessee Department of Revenue has corrected Sen. Paul Bailey’s statement regarding the timing of when fuel taxes must be remitted to the state.  According to the Department of Revenue’s  Communications Director, Kelly Cortesi, “The gasoline tax is imposed when the fuel is first imported into Tennessee. The diesel tax is imposed when the fuel is sold to the wholesaler. In either case, the taxpayer is the importer/supplier, and the return is due on the 20th day of the following month.” Sen. Bailey is the general manager and vice-president of Charles Bailey Trucking Company. The Department of Revenue was forwarded Sen. Bailey’s statement and was asked to confirm whether it was accurate in light of the fact that the Department’s website says that fuel taxes are not due to the state until…

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Dept. of Revenue Confirms Pilot Flying J Will Hold on to Extra Cash from Gas Tax Increase for 20 to 51 Days

Chris Alto

Last week The Tennessee Star asked State Sen. Paul Bailey, chair of the Senate Transportation Committee and general manager and vice-president of Charles Bailey Trucking Company, about the possible impact Gov. Haslam’s proposed gas tax increase will have on Pilot Flying J’s business operations and whether it would be in the public interest to have a full and open discussion in a committee hearing about this issue. Pilot Flying J, the fourteenth largest privately held company in the country, owns and operates more than 500 gas and diesel truck stops around the country, approximately 40 of which are in the state of Tennessee. The Haslam family owns Pilot Flying J, and Gov. Haslam, while not involved in the operation of the business, has a significant equity interest in the company, though he has never fully disclosed the exact amount of that interest. While supportive of discussing the general issue of whether the “float” that unremitted fuel taxes benefit a fuel supplier, Sen. Bailey raised the additional question of exactly when the taxes collected are paid to the Tennessee Department of Revenue: “The payer of these taxes remit payment to the state upon delivery to their terminals; therefore, the only ‘float’ comes to…

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Tennessee Latino Group Backs Trump’s Immigration Plans

Wendy Wilson

Latinos For Tennessee has issued a statement backing President Trump’s plans to crack down on illegal immigration while keeping protections for those who entered as minors. “The reality is that if we are to remain free and prosperous, no one can be above the law,” said Raul Lopez, the conservative group’s executive director. “What’s more, to rebuild trust with the American people to push for a permanent immigrant solution, our government needs to immediately expel those that have come here to our country to commit crime and be a burden on society.” Lopez noted that prior administrations have taken similar steps and that even President Obama was called “Deporter in Chief” by the National Council of La Raza for deporting millions during his administration. Lopez said his group is supportive of immigrants and that “we must discourage continued illegal immigration and work to improve the legal avenues for legal immigration.” “We are confident that President Trump understands this and we support him and his administration for doing what is necessary to ensure that we remain a country of laws, and also a country of immigrants,” Lopez said. Lopez said President Trump showed compassion in “accommodating young adults that were brought to…

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Governor’s ‘Transparent Tennessee’ Does Not Apply to Fuel Tax

Chris Alto

Three years ago when the “Transparent Tennessee” website was launched, Governor Haslam said: “A state government that is accountable to Tennessee taxpayers is an important part of being customer-focused, efficient and effective. The advanced function of this website will allow citizens more access to information about how state dollars are spent.” Last year Haslam disclosed that the 2016 budget would repay the transportation fund $261 million dollars that was transferred to the general operating fund during the Sundquist and Bredesen administrations to close budget shortfalls. “We have a covenant with our citizens that the gas tax charged by the state at the pump is dedicated to transportation-related purposes and not something totally unrelated,” State Sen. Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville) said several months before the 2016 legislative session began, urging that this repayment be made. This is called “dedicated funding” and according to TDOT, “[n]o money from the state’s general fund, which relies on the sales tax, is used in any of the programs of the Tennessee Department of Transportation. But it seems that not all state fuel tax monies reach TDOT before being diverted to the general fund. Issues raised after Wednesday’s Sumner County gas tax town hall call into question the transparency…

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House Transportation Subcommittee Vote on Haslam Gas Tax Scheduled Today, No Representative from Pilot Flying J Has Yet Been Called to Testify

Chris Alto

The first test of Gov. Haslam’s proposal to increase the gas tax to fund road construction is scheduled to take place when the House Subcommittee on Transportation votes today on whether to move the bill to the full Transportation Committee. The Subcommittee has heard testimony from various supporters and opponents of the bill, but to date has not yet heard testimony from representatives of one private corporation that will be impacted by the proposed gas tax increase: Pilot Flying J, the company owned and operated by Gov. Haslam’s family. Questions have been raised by opponents about the potential conflict of interest posed by Governor Haslam’s proposed fuel tax increase if it benefits the privately held, family owned business Pilot Flying J, a distributor and a retailer of gas and diesel fuel. Critics of any fuel tax increase, whether it is the governor’s plan or the alternative Hawk plan, have questioned whether cash flow increases on the distribution side from collecting and holding the increased tax and/or increased profits on the retail side, could aid Pilot’s recovery from its $162 million payout related to the company’s rebate fraud case. The Tennessee Star asked committee members whether a representative from the ranks…

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TN Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition Pushes for Sanctuary City

Chris Alto

On January 25, 2017, President Trump issued his executive order “Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States” calling for appropriate enforcement of U.S. immigration laws, including a directive to withhold non-mandatory federal funding to jurisdictions that don’t comply with deportation of illegal aliens, aka, sanctuary cities. Several days later, the TN Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC), issued a state-wide call to organize against efforts by U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement to follow the President’s orders: Last week the president shared his blueprints for mass deportation and made clear he needs state and local agencies to act as his deportation force. Join with TIRRC members in your local area to stop your city/county from collaborating with ICE and to create communities of trust where all residents feel safe. Sign up here: www.tnimmigrant.org/trust . TIRRC advocates for what they describe as “just and humane immigration reform,” using the lexicon of amnesty such as “undocumented immigrant” and “family reunification” and advancing a platform that violating immigration laws should not a bar to any benefits available to U.S. citizens. Before leaving office, then Attorney General Loretta Lynch issued guidance that city officials must be in compliance with 8 U.S.C. 1373 which:…

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Nashville ‘Indivisible’ Organizer Leads Soros-Funded National Council of La Raza

Chris Alto

Renata Soto, a native of Costa Rica and resident of Nashville, was elected to chair the board of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) in 2015 after serving as vice-chair since 2012. In December 2016, she also became a Nashville “Indivisible” organizer. La Raza lobbies for Hispanic racial preferences, bilingual education, mass immigration, and amnesty for illegal aliens. La Raza’s commentary and position statements characterize the U.S. as a nation with widespread white racism and discrimination. The organization has opposed most of the post 9/11 U.S. counterterrorism efforts. George Soros has generously funded Soto’s NCLR organization over the years in amounts typically exceeding $2 million. Soto became an Indivisible organizer almost immediately after the election. In her December 2016 opinion piece, Soto invited others to join Indivisible, a campaign intended and designed to obstruct President Trump’s agenda for the nation including enforcing U.S. immigration laws. Soto’s December Indivisible event was held at Casa Azafran, the community space built and owned by Conexion Americas, the Nashville Latino advocacy organization founded and led by Soto. Casa Azafran has been developed to serve multiple purposes including as an Election Commission polling site and housing a Metro Nashville Public Schools pre-K program. It also…

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BREAKING: Protesters Shout Down State Rep. Mark Pody and Sen. Mae Beavers Press Conference

Christina Botteri

An outbreak of protesters first disrupted, and then caused the cancellation of Mark Pody’s (R-Lebanon) and Sen. Mae Beavers’ (R-Mount Julie) joint press conference address Tennessee’s “Bathroom Bill” and Defense of Natural Marriage Act. Local NewChannel5 reporter Brandon Marshall recorded a portion of the disruption: Seconds after Rep. Pody started speaking about the proposed marriage bill, people in the audience repeated "pull the bill" @NC5 pic.twitter.com/58IdJ8OlGU — Brandon Marshall (@BroMarshall1) February 15, 2017   Via Humphrey of the Hill: A press conference State Rep. Mark Pody, R-Lebanon, and Sen. Mae Beavers, R-Mount Juliet, was first disrupted by protesters, then cancelled on Wednesday afternoon. Some of the protesters then followed the legislators into a Legislative Plaza hallway, confronting them with slogans and critical commentary, until Beavers and Pody were escorted from the Plaza by state troopers. The Wilson County lawmakers had announced in an email to media they would “discuss HB888/SB771 (Bathroom Bill) and HB892/SB752 (Defense of Natural Marriage Act)” at the news conference. The “bathroom bill” would requires transgender persons to use the rest room designated for their birth gender. The “Defense of Natural Marriage Act, according to the summary on the legislative website, “states the policy of Tennessee to defend natural marriage…

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Tennessee Watchdog: Eleven Tennessee Utilities Squander Taxpayer Money on Broadband

Tennessee Star Staff

This article is reprinted with permission from the Tennessee Watchdog. By Chris Butler February 13, 2017 More than 200 municipal broadband networks in the U.S. have placed taxpayer money in jeopardy, and 11 of those networks are in Tennessee, a new report from the Taxpayers Protection Alliance says. The Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit unveiled a graphic this week pinpointing the locations of those networks. “Government-owned (i.e. taxpayer-funded) network projects have needlessly reduced resources available to help more pressing needs such as improving education, infrastructure and public safety,” according to a TPA press release. “These networks also unfairly compete against private businesses. Worst of all, these projects have proven to put taxpayer dollars at risk, leaving hardworking constituents to foot the bill, often at a steep cost.” Among the networks listed in Tennessee: • Memphis Networx, which, the TPA said, Memphis Light, Gas and Water created in 1999 and “was a financial drain on taxpayers.” “In 2007, with the Internet experiment on the verge of bankruptcy, Memphis Networx was sold off for $11.5 million,” the TPA said. That, the TPA added, was a loss of $20.5 million on the city’s $32 million total investment in the project. • E Plus Broadband, created…

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Local Group With Alleged Ties to George Soros Protests MTSU College Republican Event

Chris Alto

“Rutherford Indivisible” staged its first protest outside of a town hall meeting organized by the MTSU College Republicans on Thursday. The Capital Research Center, a conservative think tank that investigates nonprofits has alleged that at least three of Indivisible’s principals “have ties to organizations funded by George Soros.” U.S. Rep. Diane Black, and state legislators Sen. Jim Tracy, Rep. Bryan Terry and Rep. Mike Sparks were the invited panel.  Joining in the protest was the Green Party, Planned Parenthood and MTSU’s College Democrats. Members of the audience got a little heated at times with questions and comments about the planned repeal and/or replacement of Obamacare. “Indivisible” makes no pretense about its goal as posted on its website: A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR RESISTING THE TRUMP AGENDA Former congressional staffers reveal best practices for making Congress listen. The Guide, authored by self-described progressives intending to stop President Trump, provides what is claimed as insider information about everything from “How to Have a Successful Town Hall” to how to start organizing for action, to scripted messages on everything from “Oppose Steve Bannon’s Role on the National Security Council” and “Combat Donald Trump’s Arch-Conservative SCOTUS Pick.” Seventy-three Indivisible affiliated groups are listed within 100…

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As Gas Tax Sinks and Casada Bolts, Haslam Schedules Emergency Call to WWTN’s Ralph Bristol for Thursday Morning

Tennessee Star Staff

Stung by Majority Leader Glen Casada’s (R-Franklin) embrace of the Hawk Plan to fund road construction through the reallocation of 0.25 percent of the current 7 percent state sales tax rather than his own gas tax increase proposal, Gov. Haslam scheduled an emergency call in to 99.7 FM WWTN’s Nashville Morning News with Ralph Bristol radio program for Thursday morning. Casada went public in a big way earlier this week. On Tuesday, he outlined his support for the Hawk Plan in an interview that was published, along with an accompanying YouTube video, early Wednesday morning at The Tennessee Star. Then later on Wednesday morning, Casada appeared on 99.7 FM WWTN’s Nashville Morning News with host Ralph Bristol. “The governor has a good idea, but I think Rep. Hawk has a great idea,” Casada told Bristol. It was polite and respectful language, but the political impact of the message signaled a revolt by conservatives against Gov. Haslam’s gas tax increase proposal, very similar to the grassroots revolt back in 1999 when Gov. Sundquist’s proposal to impose a state income tax was crushed in a populist uprising. Playing Devil’s Advocate, a role at which he excels, Bristol challenged Casada to take Gov.…

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Ralph Bristol Commentary: Nashville Sheriff Fumbles Unique White House Opportunity

Tennessee Star Staff

This is the transcript of the premeditated Ralph Rant delivered by Ralph Bristol, Host of Nashville’s Morning News, 99.7 WTN, at 6:35 am on Thursday, February 9, 2017. Davidson County, Tennessee Sheriff Daron Hall has skillfully, productively and reasonably navigated some pretty challenging immigration waters in the last 10 years, from the time he first enthusiastically embraced, and then dropped, the federal government’s 287(g) program to help local law enforcement aggressively pursue illegal immigrants for deportation. When Hall launched the 287(g) program in 2007, on the exact same day I started broadcasting on 99.7 WTN, George W. Bush was President and the political climate was decidedly against illegal immigrants, perhaps especially in middle Tennessee. Since then, Sheriff Hall has adjusted his department policies and maintained good ties with, first the (then) new Obama administration in 2009, and after that, an increasingly liberal Democrat city government that became more protective of illegal immigrants. He didn’t quit cooperating with the Feds, like sanctuary sheriffs in other liberal cities have done, but he backed off of the more aggressive posture of a decade ago. Fast forward to 2017 and the new Trump administration, whose policies renew some of the previous federal aggression against…

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State Senator Mark Green Tells WWTN’s Dan Mandis ‘I’m Opposed to the Gas Tax Increase’

Tennessee Star Staff

“I’m opposed to the gas tax increase,” State Senator Mark Green (R-Clarksville) told WWTN 99.7 FM talk show host Dan Mandis on Wednesday in an exclusive interview. “Looking towards the future, you’ve formally filed paperwork to run for governor. You went on a 34-stop listening tour across Tennessee. Tell me what you found out,” Mandis asked Green. “There’s just a stack of ideas that people have on how to make Tennessee better. It’s just awesome,” Green said. “One of the things they said they don’t want is a gas tax or a diesel tax increase. Tennesseans were pretty strong about that everywhere I went,” he added. “Now I’ve seen the polls, but I know what my anecdotal evidence is. Everywhere I went people were like ‘How dare you raise taxes in the face of a $1.8 billion surplus! You’ve overtaxed us $1.8 billion and you want more!’ And I’ve got to tend to agree with them,” the former Army doctor said. “It doesn’t make any sense that we would tax more in the face of such a large surplus,” he added. “So, I’m opposed to the gas tax increase,” the future candidate for governor declared: There were certain aspects of…

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Subcommittee Showdown: Haslam Gas Tax Increase Versus ‘Hawk Plan’ Sales Tax Reallocation

Tennessee Star Staff

Chris Bungard at WKRN reports that a House Transportation Subcommittee showdown looms next week between “Governor Bill Haslam’s sweeping plan that would raise the state’s gas tax by seven cents a gallon, while cutting other taxes, like those on groceries . . . [and] . . . a competing bill announced last week by House assistant majority leader David Hawk that would take a quarter of one percent of the state general sales tax and solely dedicate it to the state transportation fund.” State Rep. Barry Doss (R-Leoma), who supports Gov. Haslam’s gas tax proposal, but opposes the indexing element of it, chairs the House Transportation Committee. Hawk’s proposal, referred to by its proponents as “The Hawk Plan,” has the support of House Majority Leader Glen Casada (R-Franklin), as The Tennessee Star confirmed in an exclusive interview on Tuesday. State Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver (R-Lancaster), a strong conservative who has the respect and support of a number of grassroots groups, chairs the House Subcommittee on Transportation. Chairman Doss also serves on the subcommittee, as does State Rep. Dave Alexander (R-Winchester), State Rep. Courtney Rogers (R-Goodlettsville), State Rep. Jerry Sexton (R-Bean Station), State Rep. Sam Whitson (R-Franklin), State Rep. Barbara Cooper…

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The Tennessee Star Has 3,000 Unique Visitors on Launch Day

Tennessee Star Staff
Franklin

“The Tennessee Star website had more than 3,000 unique visitors on Monday, the day we launched,” managing editor Christina Botteri said shortly after midnight after all the day’s results were counted. “The remarkable thing about our traffic on launch day is that each visitor came back and visited different stories on the site several times during the day. The total number of page views and visits for Monday was well over 9,000,” Botteri added. “That means people are very interested in the kinds of stories we are covering, and how we report on them,” she concluded. Across Middle Tennessee, conservatives who have not had a reliable media outlet cheered the arrival of The Tennessee Star on the scene. Every story on the website is free of charge to readers, a marked contrast to the policies of the dominant left-leaning newspaper in the Middle Tennessee area. Botteri added that when people sign up on the site and give their email address, they are subscribing to the free Tennessee Star Daily email summary of important news, which will arrive every morning to set the tone for what’s on the news agenda in Middle Tennessee that day. The Tennessee Star Facebook page also…

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House Transportation Chair Favors Gas Tax Increase; Opposes Haslam’s Proposal to Index for Annual Inflation

Tennessee Star Staff
State Rep Barry Doss

State Rep. Barry Doss (R-Leoma), chairman of the House Transportation Committee, told his fellow panelists and studio audience at the WWTN Gas Tax Town Hall on Thursday that he favors Gov. Haslam’s 7 cents per gallon gas tax increase, but opposes the part of governor’s proposal that would index the tax for future annual increases tied to the consumer price index. “There are those of us up here who disagree with indexing. That’s putting a perpetual tax increase on the people,” Doss said. “If we get rid of indexing and we lower taxes above and beyond what the Governor has proposed, guys, we hope to be able to leave this session in the end of April this year saying we did not raise taxes.” Andy Ogles, executive director of Americans for Prosperity-Tennessee, which opposes both the proposed 7 cents per gallon gas tax increase and the Governor’s proposed indexing, explained the simple math of what he called a very bad idea. If the General Assembly had approved indexing in 1989, when the gas tax was increased to 20 cents per gallon, it would today be a whopping 41 cents per gallon, Ogles said. ( A 1.4 cent per gallon special…

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State Senator Bell Agrees ‘With Most of What I Hear on Flame-throwing Conservative Talk Show in Nashville’

Tennessee Star Staff

State Sen. Mike Bell (R-Riceville) told the Cleveland/Bradley Economic Development Council he listened to the WWTN Gas Tax Town Hall moderated by Ralph Bristol on the Dan Mandis Show on Thursday, the Cleveland Daily Banner reported. “As I drove here, I was listening to a flame-throwing conservative talk show in Nashville, and I listen to it when I am up there and agree with most of what I hear,” Bell said. “What was interesting was out of the whole panel they had, and they had an audience of 100 people as well, there wasn’t a single person–even those who oppose the plan–who did not say we had a need,” Bell said. “So at least we’ve got opponents agreeing that we’ve got a need,” he added. The Tennessee Star, which attended the event, reported that the studio audience size was about 20. The panel at the Town Hall included three State Representatives, two State Senators, a representative of Gov. Haslam, Andy Ogles, executive director of Americans for Prosperity-Tennessee, and former Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey, representing the Transportation Coalition of Tennessee. While all members of the panel, including gas tax increase proposal opponent Andy Ogles of Americans for Prosperity-Tennessee, stated that there was a…

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Tennessee Watchdog: Nashville Metro Council Collaborates with Hotels to Curb Airbnb’s

Tennessee Star Staff

by Chris Butler February 6, 2017 Reprinted with Permission from the Tennessee Watchdog (Bureau chief’s note: This is the second in a three-part series about home-sharing programs and Nashville’s attempts to regulate them) Nashville Metro Council members who push for new regulations on Airbnbs seem to do so at the behest of powerful hotel interests, which resent the competition and are now leaning on government for support. Many people have made the claim, and evidence exists to support it. Nashville Metro Council member Burkley Allen has put forward new licensing requirements for anyone in the city who runs an Airbnb or a similar home-sharing program. As reported, these home-sharing options operate much like an Uber app. Instead of people using their cars to compete with cab drivers, they share their homes. Burkley told Tennessee Watchdog in an email she got involved only after Airbnb’s competitors reached out to her. “This issue was first brought to my attention by properly zoned historic bed and breakfast operators who asked that the city level the playing field between them and properties that were operating short term rentals without any regulation,” Burkley wrote. According to the Beacon Center of Tennessee, a Nashville-based free-market think…

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Mt. Juliet Says No to Illegal Immigration

Wendy Wilson

As controversy heats up over sanctuary cities across the U.S., many Mt. Juliet residents are backing the city’s promise that Mt. Juliet will never be one. Frustrated by burdens illegal immigrants place on police and public services and grieved over the loss of a couple killed by an illegal immigrant drunk driver, many people have had enough. In late November, the city commission unanimously approved a proclamation saying it won’t shield illegal immigrants from enforcement of federal immigration laws. Around 300 cities across the U.S. are regarded as sanctuary cities. Nashville Mayor Megan Barry has signaled that she wants Nashville to be welcoming toward all. However, Nashville is not officially a sanctuary city, having not stated an intent to refuse to comply with federal immigration officials. Immigration activists quickly denounced the move by Mt. Juliet commissioners. On its Facebook page, the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) called the resolution “unacceptable and irresponsible” and urged its supporters to encourage commissioners to rescind it. The resolution, according to TIRRC, will have a “chilling effect on immigrant families trying to build their lives, start their businesses, and raise their families.” Supporters of the resolution, however, see it as an effort to ensure…

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Nashville Metro Schools Director Reacts To President Trump’s Immigration Executive Orders

Wendy Wilson

Metro Nashville Director of Schools Shawn Joseph says President Trump’s executive orders on immigrants and refugees are causing concern for foreign-born families and staff. In his two orders on border security and interior enforcement, President Trump called for allowing state and local law enforcement agencies to cooperate with federal immigration officials. However, schools are likely to be unaffected, at least directly. A 1982 Supreme Court ruling prohibits school systems from denying children a free public education based on immigration status. In a 5-4 decision, the court found in Plyler v. Doe that doing so violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. A federal judge has blocked for now a third executive order temporarily barring immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries and suspending the nation’s refugee program. In a Jan. 30 statement, Director of Schools Joseph sought to reassure those troubled by the three executive orders by expressing the district’s commitment to welcoming immigrants and protecting Muslim students from hate speech. “As a public school district, it is our responsibility to ensure that our schools are safe spaces where all children are supported not only academically, but socially and emotionally as well,” Joseph said. In October, the Metro Nashville school board passed a…

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Activists: “Get ICE Out of Nashville”

Wendy Wilson

Activists want federal immigration enforcers out of Nashville, but a bill sponsored by state Senator Mark Green would impose penalties on Nashville or any other Tennessee locality that becomes a sanctuary city. At a rally Wednesday in Nashville, the Tennessee Immigration and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) slammed President Trump’s executive orders calling for stricter enforcement of immigration laws and blasted the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the city. “ICE is here in our communities today. They are working in our sheriff’s department, taking people out of our jails,” cried Stephanie Teatro, TIRRC co-executive director. She encouraged the crowd to sign up to help with efforts “to get ICE out of Nashville.” While Mayor Megan Barry has voiced support for immigrants and refugees, Nashville is not officially a sanctuary city shielding illegal immigrants. City officials have not enacted policies refusing to comply with federal immigration officials. Mayor Barry said on Twitter Jan. 25 that the city’s law department was reviewing President Trump’s executive orders. “While we cannot control border policies here in Nashville, we can pull together as a city by embracing the immigrants and refugees who are an integral part of our community,” she said. Sen. Green (R-Clarksville)…

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WWTN Town Hall Audience Virtually Unanimous in Opposition to Gas Tax Increase

Tennessee Star Staff

The studio audience at WWTN’s Gas Tax Town Hall on Thursday was virtually unanimous in its opposition to Gov. Haslam’s proposed increase in the state tax on gasoline from the current level of 21 cents per gallon to the proposed level of 28 cents per gallon. About twenty people filled the seats in the small WWTN performance room to listen to moderator Ralph Bristol, show host Dan Mandis, and eight panelists from the General Assembly, Gov. Haslam’s office, and two public interest groups discuss the merits of the proposed gas tax increase. In the first hour of the program, several audience members opposed to the proposed gas tax increase asked questions of the panel. During a break, moderator Ralph Bristol asked if anyone in the audience favored the proposed gas tax increase and wanted to ask a question. No one raised their hand. Bristol then asked if anyone in the audience was undecided. Jessica Colon, recently retired from the Army, now working as a nurse in Middle Tennessee and living in Robertson County, raised her hand. In the second hour, Bristol called on Colon, who asked a question of the panel. After the program ended, The Tennessee Star asked Colon…

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Details of Gov. Haslam’s Gas Tax Proposal From His State of the State Address

Tennessee Star Staff

Gov. Haslam dedicated about one-third of his State of the State address, delivered to the General Assembly on January 30, to his gas tax proposal. Haslam refers to his proposal using the acronym in the bill that includes the details: the IMPROVE Act (Improving Manufacturing, Public Roads and Opportunities for a Vibrant Economy). You can read the complete text of the address here: Here’s the full excerpt of the address related to gas tax proposal, with emphasis added by The Tennessee Star: With the IMPROVE Act we’re proposing to increase the gas tax 7 cents and the diesel tax 12 cents per gallon, and all new revenue goes only to address our transportation needs. The legislation will mean 962 projects in all 95 counties, both urban and rural. It will also mean 78 million dollars annually in increased revenue for counties and 39 million dollars annually in increased revenue for our cities. Scores of mayors across Tennessee – cities and counties, rural and urban – have told me that, if we don’t do something to address the fuel tax, they will have no alternative but to raise the property tax in their municipalities. I know some of you think we…

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Nashville Immigration Activists Strengthen Ties with Left

Wendy Wilson

For immigration activists, the fight against President Trump kicked into high gear in December before he took office. That’s when Nashville was the host city for the annual National Immigrant Integration Conference, drawing groups from across the country to the Omni Hotel. Speakers at the event made repeated calls to unite with other progressive causes in the name of social justice. The list of allies they highlighted included Planned Parenthood, LGBT activists and activists for racial and ethnic minorities. The conference was co-hosted by the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) and the National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA). The conference featured a screening of Forbidden, a documentary about a young undocumented gay man growing up in the rural south. Moises Serrano, the Mexican-born subject of the film, is involved in the UndocuQueer movement and his mission is “to unite the immigration and LGBTQ movements, seeing them both as a struggle for human rights.” That human rights continuum also includes a progressive version of racial justice. An activist with the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) said that African-Americans are still fighting for full citizenship in the U.S., making immigrants their natural allies. The group’s website says, “Everyday, people of color in the United States are being criminalized…

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Ralph Bristol’s Exclusive Interview With Gov. Haslam About His Gas Tax Proposal

Tennessee Star Staff

One day after he announced his proposal to increase the tax on gas by 7 cents, from 21 cents per gallon to 28 cents per gallon, Gov. Bill Haslam gave an exclusive in-studio interview to Ralph Bristol, host of Nashville’s Morning News on 99.7 FM, WWTN, on January 18. Haslam made the case for his gas tax proposal, which he elaborated on in his “State of the State address” at the Capitol on January 30, which the General Assembly is now considering. “Can you legitimately bring that [Hall Income Tax cut]  forward to balance now against the gas and other tax increases to make it an even balance?” Bristol asked to begin the interview. “Sure. Let’s start here,” Haslam answered. “Our administration and the legislature has already cut $270 million in taxes. The most any administration or legislature had ever done before was $60 million. We’re proposing another $270 million cut in this budget,” the governor continued, adding: Your point is we already cut the Hall Tax last year. But we didn’t. We passed a bill to do that. It still has to come out of the budget. It’s like you and your spouse saying were going to make a…

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Tennessee Has Paid for Highways With a Gas Tax Since 1924

Tennessee Star Staff

Tennessee has paid for highway construction and maintenance with a gas tax since 1924, when a 2 cent per gallon tax Gov. Austin Peay proposed and the General Assembly passed the previous year went into effect. At the time, Tennessee’s roads were so poor the Volunteer State was often referred to as a “detour state,” according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation website: Tennessee’s funding resource for transportation is called “dedicated funding,” because the funding resource is directly related to the service or product provided. That philosophy began in 1923 when Governor Austin Peay recommended to the state legislature the burden of highway improvements be transferred from property owners to motorists to fund faster work on state highways. During the 1920’s, Tennessee had become known in the southeast as a “detour state” because it hadn’t kept up with road improvements like sister states. The first gas tax of two cents was passed and enacted in 1924 specifically for highway purposes. Peay, who was the only Tennessee governor to die in office, put the revenue generated by the gas tax to good use, as the Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture notes: By the time of his death in 1927, Tennessee’s…

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