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Zinke Ends Obama-Era Policy Requiring Energy Companies Fund Environmental ‘Mitigation’ Projects

July 27, 2018July 26, 2018 Admin

Ryan Zinke

by Tim Pierce The Department of the Interior (DOI) is scrapping an Obama-era policy mandating energy companies mitigate development on federal land by funding offsite environmental projects. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) — a DOI-controlled agency and the largest land-owning agency in the U.S. — began forcing oil, gas and coal companies to pay mitigation fees to the BLM or a third party under former President Barack Obama. The fees would be used to fund environmental projects such as restoring habitat or protecting wetlands. The size of the fee was calculated by the BLM to cover the damage done by the proposed development. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke retracted the policy in a memo to the BLM Tuesday. “This policy means that Americans … who want to use their public lands will no longer be required to pay money to BLM or third parties as a form of ‘mitigation’ when they seek new permits from BLM,” DOI spokeswoman Faith Vander Voort told The Daily Caller News Foundation. “BLM will continue to require project proponents to avoid or minimize actual harm on public lands as appropriate.” “This policy also does not affect State mitigation programs, or compensatory mitigation under other federal laws,”…

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Beth Harwell Airs Attack Ad Targeting Black, Boyd and Lee as Children

July 13, 2018July 12, 2018 Admin

Beth Harwell

As the heat intensifies in the Tennessee Republican Primary campaign for Governor House Speaker Beth Harwell has aired her first negative ad. In the Harwell ad each of her three opponents are depicted as bickering children while she’s the “adult” in the room. Harwell touts the fact that as Speaker she has balanced the budget, lowered taxes, outlawed sanctuary cities and reduced the size of government. Beth Harwell “ADULT IN THE ROOM ad: ANNCR: “You have a choice for Governor. Behind all the fighting and posturing Diane Black, Randy Boyd and Bill Lee only offer political promises.” HARWELL: “I am the only candidate who offers proven results instead of political promises. Under my leadership as your Tennessee Speaker we’ve already balanced the budget and lowered your taxes. Already outlawed sanctuary cities and reduced the size of our state government.” ANNCR: “Beth Harwell, the adult in the room.” As Harwell’s critics have noted, EVERY Speaker has balanced the budget because it is required by law. And while some taxes were lowered as part of the IMPROVE Act, the tax cuts primarily went to big businesses while the fuel tax increase of over $300 million a year hits working families in Tennessee. Tennessee…

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Cost for English Language Learner Services in Tennessee Public Schools Increases Over 100 Percent Since FY 2016

July 11, 2018July 11, 2018 Chris Alto

ESL student

The cost to teach English to non-English speaking students in Tennessee public schools has increased over 100 percent since FY 2016. In FY 2016, the total cost for English Language Learner (ELL) services was $94,110,440. Seventy percent was funded through the state’s Basic Education Program (BEP) in the amount of $65,877,308, matched by a “required” local share of approximately 30 percent, totaling $28,233,132. In FY 2018, funding for ELL services for the upcoming school year will cost state and local taxpayers $198,150,357. The state will fund $138,705,250, a 110 percent increase from FY 2016. The required local match will increase 111 percent from FY 2016 at a cost of $59,705,107. “There are 2,872 EL teaching positions and 287 translator positions that will be funded for this [FY 2018] school year, which are funded at a ratio of 1 teacher per 20 EL students and 1 translator per 200 EL students,” according to information forwarded to The Tennessee Star by the state’s Department of Education Deputy Director of Communications. In FY 2016 the BEP funded 1,570 teaching positions and 153 translator positions, highlighting the sharp increase just two years later. According to the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights, Title VI of the…

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Commentary: Suicidal Democrats Risk Disaster by Defending the Remorseless Maxine Waters

July 11, 2018July 10, 2018 Admin

by Jeffery Rendall Isn’t Maxine Waters indefensible? It’s a question Democrat leaders must be asking themselves these days as the furor over Waters’ recent inflammatory “resist” comments has drawn apologists of the California congresswoman out of the woodworks. These people seem to think Maxine deserved a more stringent public defense of what she said a couple weeks back. Why, you ask? Because Waters is black! Victor Morton of the Washington Times reported last week, “A group of black women sent a letter this week to the two top Democrats in Congress demanding that they apologize for their veiled criticisms of Rep. Maxine Waters and threatening repercussions at the ballot box in November if they do not. “’For Black women, who are the most loyal base of the Democratic Party and the Progressive Movement, Congresswoman Waters is our shero [sic],’ declared the letter signed by nearly 200 people, mostly black female academics, activists, local elected officials, political consultants, and religious leaders, along with a few male allies. “The letter, a copy of which was posted by Politico on Wednesday, accused House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, both of whom are white, of racial insensitivity and expressed ‘our…

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State House District 56 Candidate Joseph Williams Gains Grassroots Support in GOP Primary

July 1, 2018July 1, 2018 Laura Baigert

Joseph Williams

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Republican candidate for Tennessee House of Representatives District 56, Joseph Williams, delivered comments and responses to numerous questions filled with conservative and constitutional “red meat” that was well received by a group of Nashville Heritage Action Sentinels and guests at their monthly meeting last Thursday. The Nashville Sentinel group, though fairly recently formed and continuing to expand, has had several meetings with Senator Bob Corker’s office and been active in a variety of recent issues affecting Nashville including “Resign Now! Megan Barry,” defeating the $9 billion transit plan and volunteering for the Carol Swain for Mayor campaign. Williams is running for the seat vacated by Beth Harwell who has held the seat for the last 30 years and has served as Speaker of the House since 2011. Harwell gave up the seat as she is instead pursuing the office of the state’s chief executive. Williams will face off against fellow Republican Brent Moody, a dermatologist, in the August 2, 2018, primary. In his opening comments to the group, Williams introduced his wife Palmer, who also attended the gathering, and talked about the most significant influence in his life being the older brother of a special needs younger…

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Eric Bolling Is Back: An Exclusive First Look at His New Show ‘AMericA’

July 1, 2018June 30, 2018 Admin

Eric Bolling

by Ginny Montalbano CRTV’s Eric Bolling gave The Daily Signal an exclusive first look at the set of his new show “AMericA.” Formerly with the Fox News Channel, Bolling is back, and now he’s pursuing the type of show he’s wanted to do for years: a casual, engaging show, taped at the Washington Court Hotel’s lobby bar. He will interview government officials from the Trump administration, as well as other policymakers and influential political figures, then take the conversation to people watching in the hotel to get their opinions on the policy discussions occurring in America. AMericA🇺🇸 a political talk show taped live from an actual working Capitol Hill Hotel Lobby Bar w/ host Eric Bolling that gives viewers outside the Beltway a better understanding of what’s REALLY going on inside the DC Swamp and its impact close to homehttps://t.co/GUpW1E3tCu — 🇺🇸 ERIC BOLLING 🇺🇸 (@ericbolling) June 26, 2018 [ The liberal Left continue to push their radical agenda against American values. The good news is there is a solution. Find out more ] Bolling’s work on the opioid crisis, prompted by the death of his son, Eric Chase Bolling, took him to Washington, D.C., on multiple occasions…

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When Did Democrat Activist Behind Fear Mongering Billboard Resign From Board of Emerge Tennessee?

June 27, 2018June 27, 2018 Laura Baigert

Carol Brown Andrews

Uncertainty surrounds the details of the departure of a Democratic activist behind the PAC that paid for the deceptive and fear mongering billboard that attacks conservative legislators from the board of directors of Emerge Tennessee, thanks to the evasiveness of the group’s executive director, Kristal Knight. Emerge Tennessee is the state affiliate of the national organization, Emerge America, that has the goal of increasing the number of Democratic women at all levels of public office. On Tuesday, Knight contacted The Tennessee Star by email, requesting the story remove a reference to Carol Brown Andrews, the Democratic activist behind the PAC that funded the deceptive billboard as having an affiliation with the Emerge Tennessee board of directors. The Star’s report on Tuesday stated: According to the Tennessee Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance website, officers of the Tennesseans for Common Sense PAC, formed on March 13, 2018, are long-time Democrat operative Carol Brown Andrews and Lebanon-based personal injury lawyer Neal Agee. In addition to her Democratic campaign research work as Vice President of Grindstone Research, LLP, with clientssuch as former Nashville mayor turned gubernatorial candidate Karl Dean, Andrews is on the board of directors of Emerge Tennessee, the state affiliate of a national organization with a goal of increasing…

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GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Randy Boyd’s Company Chose China Instead of Tennessee as Location for Manufacturing

June 15, 2018July 17, 2018 Chris Alto

Randy Boyd

One aspect of his business career that GOP gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd has not highlighted in his campaign commercials is this: Products that have helped make Boyd’s company Radio Systems Corporation highly profitable are manufactured in China. Boyd still runs the company as CEO. The company, “the world’s leading dog and cat products supplier” including such brands as PetSafe and Invisible Fence, began manufacturing its products in China in 1993, two years after he launched his business, claiming that it was “a move that improved our product quality, prices, and reliability.” Three years later his company reported $24 million in sales. According to the offering memorandum associated with the company’s planned 2001 initial public offering, an offering that was subsequently withdrawn, “the Company currently outsources virtually all of its manufacturing and assembly activities.” For the year ended December 31, 1997, approximately 80% of the Company’s products, including its standard Radio Fence pet containment products, were manufactured or assembled in China by two manufacturers. Other of the Company’s products are manufactured in Israel and France, and certain of the components of the Company’s Radio Fence products are manufactured in Taiwan. The microchips used in the Company’s products are manufactured by a supplier in…

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Trump Assails OPEC for High Oil Prices

June 14, 2018July 18, 2018 Admin

oil fields

U.S. President Donald Trump says oil prices are too high and blames the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. The 14 oil-producing nations in OPEC — Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Venezuela among them — produce about 40 percent of the world’s oil, but about 60 percent of the oil traded on international markets. OPEC’s actions, whether to cut or increase production, often heavily influence the price of oil, and by extension the prices consumers and businesses pay for fuel. OPEC’s oil chiefs struck a deal in 2016 to cut production by 1.8 million barrels a day to reduce the global glut of oil and shore up prices. Since then, oil prices have risen from below $30 a barrel to more than $70. But that rollback in production is set to expire at the end of the year. OPEC has yet to set new production levels beyond that, but the cartel’s oil ministers are meeting again next week in Vienna. Saudi Energy Minister Khaled al-Faleh said in April that the global market can absorb higher oil prices, a remark that drew a swift rebuke from Trump. “With record amounts of oil all over the place, including the fully loaded…

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Karl Dean and Former Maryland Gov. Who Endorsed Him Are Both Into ‘Big Chicken’ Industry

June 6, 2018June 6, 2018 Chris Alto

Martin O'Malley and Karl Dean

Former Maryland governor Martin O’Malley, who also served two terms as mayor of Baltimore, has endorsed Karl Dean in the Democratic primary for Tennessee’s next governor, as The Tennessee Star reported on Monday. The possibility has been floated that O’Malley will campaign in Tennessee on behalf of Dean. O’Malley, like Dean, is into the “big chicken industry” which in Maryland is considered to anchor the state’s agri-business: The 300 million chickens produced in the state rank ninth nationally, and the nearly $1 billion in sales they account for makes up 41 percent of Maryland farm cash receipts. On top of that, much of the nearly $300 million in corn sold here is linked to chicken farming, as feed. The chicken business is credited with employing about 7,000 people in the state. Dean is the Democrat’s gubernatorial “big chicken” cheerleader in Tennessee, who spent time hobnobbing with Tyson Foods CEO Tom Hayes at the Tyson Foods ground-breaking ceremony in Humboldt last week. Anne Davis, Dean’s lawyer wife left her position as managing attorney for the Southern Environmental Law Center which has opposed chicken slaughterhouses just in time to avoid potential conflicts of interest for Dean should he become governor. O’Malley like Dean, has focused on…

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Oil Companies Lay The Ground Work For Drilling In ANWR

June 2, 2018July 18, 2018 Admin

Landscape

by Jason Hopkins Several energy companies have begun the process required for drilling in ANWR, a remote Alaskan province long barred from petroleum exploration. SAExploration and two Alaska native companies — Arctic Slope Regional Corporation and the Kaktovik Inupiat Corporation — have applied to conduct seismic work next winter in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, otherwise known as ANWR. The application is a major development since Congress passed legislation in 2017 opening Alaska’s northwest region to energy development. SAExploration stated that “this partnership is dedicated to minimizing the effect of our operations on the environment,” adding that it would utilize small vehicles, sleds and biodegradable lubricants to avoid ecological damage. A provision in the GOP-led tax cuts President Donald Trump signed into law in December put to rest a decades-long battle over ANWR. Since the 1980s, Democrats and other environmental groups resisted calls to open ANWR to oil and gas exploration. Empowered with Republican majorities in the House and Senate, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski was able to push through legislation that authorized a portion of the refuge, known as the 1002 Area, up for exploration. Murkowski — a Republican who chairs the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and has been a longtime supporter of…

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Nashville’s City Council, School Board and Mayoral Candidate Erica Gilmore Want All Tennesseans to Keep Paying for Nashville’s Illegal Aliens

May 20, 2018May 19, 2018 Chris Alto

Erica Gilmore

Predictably, Nashville’s Metro Council, school board and mayoral candidate Erica Gilmore want Governor Haslam to veto HB2315, the anti-sanctuary city legislation sitting on his desk. Nashville’s leadership wants the Governor to protect criminal illegal aliens. But Nashville’s advocacy for illegal aliens goes further, wanting all Tennessee taxpayers to continue sharing the fiscal burden for the 33,000 illegal aliens estimated to be living, working and going to school in Davidson County. Part of Nashville’s gripe is that they believe the state should give them more public money to pay for more services like English Language Learner (ELL) instruction and translators for the 15,000 or so students in their schools that need these services. Davidson County is reputed to have the highest concentration of students in the state, who need to learn the English. As it is, in FY 2017, state and local governments in Tennessee spent $122.3 million dollars to fund ELL services for all non-English speaking legal and illegal alien students enrolled in Tennessee’s public schools. It is estimated that across the state, approximately 135,000 illegal aliens including the 33,000 in Davidson County, cost Tennessee taxpayers $793 million dollars in 2017. This cost estimate does not include remittance money sent by…

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EPA Chief Scott Pruitt Fends Off Democrat Critics, Makes Case for Deregulation in Testy Hearings

April 27, 2018April 26, 2018 Admin

EPA Chief Scott Priutt

by Kevin Mooney EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt offered up a vigorous defense of his record amid negative media coverage of his travel, security, and living expenses Thursday in testifying before two House subcommittees. “Much of what has been targeted toward me and my team has been half-truths or at best stories so twisted they do not represent reality,” Pruitt said in opening remarks to the Energy and Commerce Committee’s subcommittee on the environment. The chief of the Environmental Protection Agency, who also testified before an Appropriations Committee panel, said attacks on him and his staff are part of a larger agenda to derail President Donald Trump’s efforts to cut burdensome regulations on individuals and businesses. “I simply will not let that happen,” he said. [ The liberal Left continue to push their radical agenda against American values. The good news is there is a solution. Find out more ] Although both hearings had been scheduled to address the EPA’s budget, committee members spent the bulk of their time questioning Pruitt about allegations concerning his public expenditures and management decisions. Beforehand, EPA officials distributed a 23-page document disputing what the agency describes as “false claims” circulated in the news media concerning Pruitt’s international travel, security…

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The Connection Between Russia and Two Green Groups Fighting Fracking in US

April 23, 2018July 18, 2018 Admin

Cuomo

by Kevin Mooney New Yorkers who are missing out on the natural gas revolution could be victims of Russian spy operations that fund popular environmental groups, current and former U.S. government officials and experts on Russia worry. Natural gas development of the celebrated Marcellus Shale deposits has spurred jobs and other economic growth in neighboring Pennsylvania. But not in New York, which nearly 10 years ago banned the process of hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, to produce natural gas. Two environmental advocacy groups that successfully lobbied against fracking in New York each received more than $10 million in grants from a foundation in California that got financial support from a Bermuda company congressional investigators linked to the Russians, public documents show. The environmental groups Natural Resources Defense Council and the Sierra Club Foundation millions of dollars in grants from the San Francisco-based Sea Change Foundation. [ The liberal Left continue to push their radical agenda against American values. The good news is there is a solution. Find out more ] “Follow the money trail, and this [New York] ban on fracking could be viewed as an example of successful Russian espionage,” Ken Stiles, a CIA veteran of 29 years who now teaches…

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Obama Interior Secretaries Spent More Than Ryan Zinke on Chartered Flights

April 19, 2018July 18, 2018 Admin

Ryan Zinke

by Kevin Mooney Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has spent far fewer taxpayer dollars on chartered flights than his two predecessors in the Obama administration, public records show. The Daily Signal’s examination of travel records found that on average Zinke’s two predecessors spent more annually on such noncommercial flights, despite media reports critical of Zinke’s spending on travel. The cost of such chartered flights for Zinke totaled $72,849 in his first six months as interior secretary, the travel records show. The average annual cost of such flights for his two predecessors in the Obama administration, Ken Salazar and Sally Jewell, from fiscal years 2010 to 2016 was $155,515, according to records provided by the Interior Department to the House Natural Resources Committee. Salazar and Jewell spent just over $1 million on chartered flights over the seven years, the records show. Taxpayers were billed for more than $640,000 for Salazar’s chartered flights in fiscal years 2010, 2011, and 2012. Recent media reports, however, have taken critical looks at Zinke’s travel costs. The Interior Department’s Office of Inspector General released a report Monday on Zinke’s use of chartered and military aircraft between March and September 2017, the span of fiscal year 2017 when he was interior secretary. The report came…

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Commentary: Three Simple Transit Alternatives That Could Derail $ 9 Billion Plan on May 1 Ballot

April 19, 2018April 18, 2018 Admin

nighttime traffic

by Michael Catanach Former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry unveiled a multi-billion-dollar transit plan in 2017; the proposal included an underground commuter tunnel, a light rail, as well as expanded bus services. The $9 billion infrastructure project would make Nashville one of the highest taxed cities in the country (an additional $50 more a month per a family) if passed on May 1. The estimated time of completion for the project lists 2032, while the first light rail would begin limited services around 2026. By the time Middle Tennesseans could benefit from the mass transit, several other innovations may be more efficient. Ride-Share Services On-demand services have become increasingly popular since debuting in 2009. Both Lyft and Uber provide an alternative for commuters at a low cost. The platform expanded it services to UberPOOL and Lyft Line, which allows multiple people to carpool at a time. Other U.S. cities have adopted a public-private service following a similar model to ride-share with vans after rejecting a similar mass transit tax proposal. Autonomous The National Highway and Safety Administration predicts that self-driving vehicles are expected to be fully automatic by 2025, years ahead of the light rail. LINDAR technologies uses sensors to detect…

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Dale Walker of Tennessee Pastors Network Leads Prayer in Murfreesboro To Protest Senator Bill Ketron’s Liquor on Sundays Bill

April 18, 2018April 17, 2018 Admin

Pastor Dale Walker, president of the the Tennessee Pastors Network (TNPN), held a prayer rally at the Murfreesboro Courthouse Square to pray for the families suffering the effects of horrible addictions to drugs and alcohol and to protest legislation recently passed that allows for Sunday liquor sales. About a dozen people joined Walker, and a protester clad in a “liquor bottle” costume for the rally. Some protesters held signs noting that “Our Families Can’t Afford Bill Ketron’s Big Liquor Bill.” “Pastors have to deal with the effects of alcohol after the bottle is empty,” Walker said, as he held a public prayer for those affected directly and indirectly drugs and alcohol. “We are praying for not only those who are impacted by drug and alcohol addiction, and but also our elected officials like Senator Bill Ketron who have their own addiction to special-interest money that produces so much harm for our families.” Walker expressed particular concern over Senator Bill Ketron citing Bible verses to support passage of his “liquor on Sundays bill.” There will be hell to pay for Bill Ketron misrepresenting the Word of God in order to serve his liquor lobbyist masters,” Walker told the crowd. During debate…

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Rutherford County Mayoral Candidate Tina Jones Blasts $9 Billion Transit Plan, Calling It ‘A Wasteful Boondoggle of Epic Proportions’

April 6, 2018April 5, 2018 Admin

Tina Jones on the Transit Plan

Republican business owner and Rutherford County Mayoral hopeful Tina Jones made news Thursday with her strong statement against neighboring Davidson County’s $9 billion transit plan, “Let’s Go Nashville.” “The transit scheme initiated by Mayor Megan Barry, before she was forced from office, is a wasteful boondoggle of epic proportions and I urge Rutherford County voters to call their family and friends in Nashville to encourage them to vote “NO” on that huge and unnecessary tax increase that will make the sales tax in Davidson County among the highest in the country,” Jones said in a statement. “Advocates of that tax increase have noted that about HALF of the tax will be paid by residents of surrounding counties, which means Rutherford county citizens will be paying a big portion of a tax increase we don’t even get to vote on!” Turning her attention to fellow Republican State Senator Bill Kentron – who is also running Rutherford County Mayor, Jones said: When Senator Bill Ketron voted for the gasoline tax increase as part of the IMPROVE Act, he voted to allow local tax increases like the one being considered by voters in Nashville. His support for that transit tax in Nashville, and his…

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If Elected, Democrat Phil Bredesen Would Likely Be the Wealthiest Sitting Senator

March 31, 2018March 31, 2018 Admin

Phil Bredesen, Democrat

Financial disclosures filed Friday afternoon show that Democrat Phil Bredesen – were he to be elected to the U.S. Senate over Republican front-runner Marsha Blackburn – would likely oust fellow Democrat Mark Warner (D-VA) to become the nation’s wealthiest sitting Senator. Bredesen, who is running unopposed in the Democratic primary and is wooing Independents and moderate Republicans with rhetoric of ‘being the adult in the room,’ reports his total worth – including investments, assets, and income – at somewhere between $92 and $378 million. The large 300% swing in the total value of his net worth goes to the nature of the reporting being largely expressed in ranges. For example, the thirty-page report lists six bank accounts with cash values of as small as “$50,000 – $100,000” and as large as “$5,000,000 t0 $25,000,000.” In all, the former Nashville Mayor and ex-governor disclosed investments totalling between $88.9 and $358 million. In addition to those holdings, Bredesen says is income for this reporting period (January 2017 to February 2018) from $3.3 million to $20.1 million, which includes $8,517 from his City of Nashville pension and $110,900 from his State of Tennessee pension. The Associated Press reported that if he’s elected, he’ll resign as chairman of his solar energy company,…

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Off the Record: Busted! ‘Fast Eddie’ Smith Files an Amendment That Could Make Boyd’s Property Redevelopment Very Profitable

March 26, 2018March 26, 2018 Chris Alto

State Rep. “Fast Eddie” Smith (R-Knoxville) just “filled in” his caption bill, HB2361 last week in the House Transportation Subcommittee and the “amendment that makes the bill” as they say in the legislature, looks like it’s gonna help La Raza Randy make more millions. Think of the caption bill like a shell game. It identifies the shells, but doesn’t necessarily tell you what’s really going to be underneath them. And somehow, the intended filling isn’t disclosed until very late in the legislative session, hidden from controversy until it’s simply rushed through the system. So the bill that Smith filed at the start of the legislative session was supposed to be about reporting the number of automobiles owned or leased by the state government that could use alternative fuel. By the end of the Subcommittee hearing last week, the bill was about a public-private partnership to bring light rail to the greater Knoxville area and voting power to create a Central Business Improvement District that could be based on high land value ownership. Coincidentally (or not), two years ago, while serving as Commissioner of Economic & Community Development, multimillionaire Randy Boyd bought about 7 acres of property in what Knoxvillians call the “Old…

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Marks Skoda Commentary: Trump Genius in Action

March 13, 2018March 13, 2018 Admin

by Mark A. Skoda The recent announcement that President Trump decided to implement steel and aluminum tariffs was met with both condemnation and adulation. Looking at this action as a one-off is the absolutely wrong way to evaluate Trump’s decisions. However, as a broader strategy for job preservation and creation, Donald Trump is probably one of the economic geniuses of our time! Since his election in 2016, Trump has attacked all matter and sorts of regulations. He has begun to reduce the overreach of the EPA, reversed job-killing actions by the Obama administration and focused on re-building and regaining America’s preeminent position in everything from coal, energy production to manufacturing and now steel and aluminum. Unlike the “experts” who have never done a day’s work with their hands, Trump was building skyscrapers and hotels around the world. And what Trump understands better than all these academic critics is that you need two key elements to build these commercial projects: steel and concrete! His business acumen in the developer world offers a unique perspective that only Donald Trump fully recognizes. In addition, all of the actions together, represent a commitment to executing on his campaign promises which is unique in…

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Commentary: Democrats Won’t Defeat GOP in November But Complacency Just Might

March 10, 2018July 18, 2018 Admin

by Jeffrey A. Rendall In olden times by far the most tedious part of being a sailor had to be lookout duty. After all, in most cases the lookout’s stationed high up in the crow’s nest gazing out across the vast and empty sea searching for something – anything – that could be interpreted as a hazard to the ship. When sailing in the open ocean the chances of actually encountering a threat is slim indeed, yet the duty was vital nonetheless. A lookout can’t afford to be complacent. The last thing he’d want to do is to miss an iceberg dead ahead or an enemy ship to the port side. Or perhaps even a big wave. Tidal waves certainly didn’t occur very often, but when they arose they were destructive and deadly. The GOP would benefit from stationing a lookout in the proverbial political crow’s nest because Republicans hope to blunt a big blue wave this November. Some in the party are banking on tax reform to be their salvation from the ravages of a storm on the horizon. David M. Drucker of the Washington Examiner wrote, “[S]omething is happening to the dark blue Democratic tsunami that everyone saw coming, and it is happening just…

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President Trump Wows a Full House at Raucous CPAC 2018 Appearance

February 23, 2018 Admin

President Trump spoke at the annual 2018 gathering of the American Conservative Union’s Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) Friday morning to capacity crowd of enthusiastic Republicans, conservatives, pundits, bloggers, and a few perhaps less-than-ebullient, mainstream-media-types. After thanking ACU president Matt Schlapp for his gracious introduction, and then thanking the crowd, President Trump began, “I’m thrilled to be back at CPAC, with so many of my wonderful friends and amazing supporters, and proud conservatives. Remember when I first started running? Because I wasn’t a politician, fortunately. But do you remember I started running and people would say, ‘Are you sure he’s a conservative?’ I think now we’ve proved that I’m a conservative, right?” Mr. Trump outlined the important role the yearly CPAC event – now in it’s 45 year – has played in promoting conservative values and shaping policy for lasting conservative victories. “For the last year, with your help, we have put more great conservative ideas into use than perhaps ever before in American history,” he said. Then in his predictably unpredictable style, the president took a moment to admire the stage and set, noting his own portrait off to the side. “By the way, what a nice picture that is. Look…

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Constitution Series: The Nineteenth Amendment

February 19, 2018December 3, 2018 Claudia Henneberry

Susan B Anthony

This is the twenty-second of twenty-five weekly articles in The Tennessee Star’s Constitution Series. Students in grades 8 through 12 can sign up here to participate in The Tennessee Star’s Constitution Bee, which will be held on Saturday, April 28. The Nineteenth Amendment was finally ratified and victoriously added to the United States Constitution on August 26, 1920 after nearly one hundred years of painstaking trials, tumult, and disappointment. Twenty-six million women were enfranchised! It states: The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. To understand the long road to political equality for the American woman, we must understand the history and events that transpired during those years. HISTORY The U. S. Constitution of 1787 was a gender-neutral document. The original Constitution referred to “persons,” not male persons, and used the pronoun “he” only in the generic sense. Not until the addition of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868 did the Constitution include the word “male.” In fact, nothing in the original document prevented women from voting. Our founders left it to the discretion…

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Steve Osborn Commentary: It’s Time for Tennessee’s Grassroots to Back Diane Black for Governor

February 12, 2018February 25, 2018 Admin

by Steve Osborn The folks in the grassroots conservative movement have been working hard these last few years trying to be the Vanguards of Liberty, and trying to undo the damage inflicted on our nation by liberals. We may disagree from time to time on issues, tactics, or candidates, but we remain steadfast and united in our common goals: defending the Constitution, restoring our constitutional Republic, and preserving our long-held American values. However, some of us have been choosing to support one candidate over another because of what is said on the campaign trail or what we’ve heard from someone else without doing any research from reputable sources on our own. In many ways, we’ve acted like we’re electing a high-school class president based on a popularity contest without truly knowing who best shares our values, or who would best represent us in the state. We have to grow beyond that. Just doing basic research of the candidates would either support what is said on the trail, or prove that a candidate is simply pandering for votes. Consequently, we’ve been electing Republicans in Tennessee who’ve run as conservatives only for them to show that they’re actually liberals once they’re in…

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Gov. Haslam Delivers Final State of the State Address

January 30, 2018January 30, 2018 Tennessee Star Staff

Bill Haslam

NASHVILLE, Tennessee–Gov. Bill Haslam delivered his final “State of the State” address before a joint session of the Tennessee General Assembly on Monday evening. In a forty minute speech, Haslam recounted the highlights of his two terms as government, and called on state legislators to act on his recently announced plan to fight opioid addiction in the state. He received a standing ovation when he noted that his administration has cut $578 million in taxes. However, when he noted last year’s IMPROVE Act, which raised gasoline taxes by 6 cents per gallon and diesel taxes by 10 cents per gallon to fund highway construction, he received only lukewarm applause. His biggest standing ovation from the gathered state legislators came when he noted that the people of Tennessee want to work, and they want their government to work as well. Several legislators told The Tennessee Star that there were no surprises in the governor’s speech, and that it was more general in nature than his previous State of the State speeches. Predictably, Tennessee Democrats panned Haslam’s speech. “Sadly, the Governor’s paltry 25 million opioid plan represents a business-as-usual approach to the opioid crisis – our communities are facing a dire emergency…

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Commentary: Mick Mulvaney Can End the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

January 15, 2018January 15, 2018 Tennessee Star Staff

By Printus LeBlanc A slew of recent reports painted an unflattering picture of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). These are the latest in a long line of suspect actions by the unconstitutional agency. It is time to do something about Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s (D-Mass.) pet agency. In December, the New York Times reported on a group of CFPB employees using encrypted messaging applications, such as WhatsApp and Signal, to communicate amongst one another on their government-issued phones. The group calls themselves “Dumbledore’s Army.” The group is using the apps to avoid creating official records of what they are doing, and according to the article, they have the goal of undermining the orders of the newly appointed Director Mick Mulvaney. This is problematic for two reasons: Actively disobeying orders to undermine your boss’s lawful order is a violation of the federal employee oath of office. Disobeying lawful orders fails to faithfully discharge the duties of the office. If the group is conducting work business with the apps, it is a violation of the Federal Records Act. The act requires all federal agencies to preserve the records of anything that relates to a government employee’s duties. Those using the apps…

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‘Let’s Talk Transit’ Event With Mayor Megan Barry Long on Slogans, Short on Substance

January 11, 2018January 11, 2018 Laura Baigert

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – At a “Let’s Talk Transit” Nashville Chamber of Commerce event sponsored by Piedmont Natural Gas on Wednesday , keynote speaker Mayor Megan Barry delivered a number of campaign slogans and one liners, but her address was short on the substantive details about her proposed $9 billion mass transit plan. Mayor Barry was introduced by Jennifer Carlat, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce Vice President of Policy, at the nicely appointed Nissan Stadium West Club where about 500 pre-registered guests were in attendance. Carlat said that most people attending said their “commute was easier than they thought,” and added that the Chamber is looking to engage members and their employees and get them the information they need before the vote on May 1. After recognizing several Metro Council members that were in attendance after a late public hearing on transit held the previous night that went from 6 to 9:50 p.m., Mayor Barry gave a “shout out” to the Titans for hosting the event. She joked that Kansas City barbecue would be coming her way, as a result of the Titans wild card win last weekend, and that she was looking forward to receiving some “Boston clam chowder,” after the Titans’ game…

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Metro’s Official Document Reveals That The Real Price Tag For Mayor Megan Barry’s Mass Transit Plan Is $9 Billion, Not $5.4 Billion

January 6, 2018January 6, 2018 Laura Baigert

Nashville Mayor Megan Barry’s transit plan has been presented as having a cost of $5.4 billion during the 15 year construction plan through 2032. But that figure represents just the rail corridor improvements portion of the plan. But, in reality, he total cost is a whopping $8.95 Billion. The figures for costs and revenues were provided in greater detail within the Let’s Move Nashville Metro’s Transportation Solution Transit Improvement Program document dated December 13, 2017. In addition to the $5.4 Billion for the rail corridor improvements, which quickly increased from the original $5.1 Billion to address an extension to the Charlotte Avenue route, is $1.146 Billion for Bus System Enhancements, $1.185 for Interest, Principal and Financing Costs, $934 Million for Operation and Maintenance and $211 Million for Reserves for a grand total of $8.951 Billion. The corresponding $8.951 Billion in revenues are said to come from Local Option Surcharges of $3.387 Billion, Financing of $3.022 Billion, Federal Capital Improvement Program Grants of $1.434 Billion, TIFIA (Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act) of $500 Million, Contributions from BNA Airport, the Convention Center and Investment Income of $262 Million, Federal Formula and Capital Replacement Grants of $153 Million and Farebox Recovery, otherwise…

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State Senate Candidate Shane Reeves Made No Contributions to President Trump’s Campaign in 2016

January 3, 2018January 3, 2018 Tennessee Star Staff

Shane Reeves’ initial mail pieces and television spots in the special election for the 14th District State Senate seat vacated by former State Senator Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville) highlight his support for Presidential Donald Trump and his anti-Establishment agenda. However, an examination of Reeves’ record finds scant evidence of support for President Trump either during the Tennessee Presidential primary election or during last year’s general election. While Reeves has a record of supporting moderate candidates in Tennessee and nationally with campaign contributions, including Tennessee Senators Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander, and 2012 Presidential nominee Mitt Romney, there is no record at the Federal Election Commission of Reeves making any contribution to President Donald Trump in 2016. Reeves has also made a contribution to, and endorsed, self described “moderate” Republican candidate for Governor Randy Boyd. As reported by The Tennessee Star in November 2016, then ECD Commissioner Randy Boyd directed a million dollar “fast track” grant to Reeves’ company. Then, once Boyd left ECD to pursue his campaign for Governor, Reeves donated $5000 to Boyd through his PAC — and endorsed him during a campaign stop in Murfreesboro. The Boyd-Reeves connection is particularly relevant to Reeves’ campaign claim of support for President…

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Beautifully Renovated Cordell Hull Building, New Home of The Tennessee General Assembly, Has Design That Potentially Locks Public Out of Committee Hearings

December 13, 2017December 13, 2017 Laura Baigert

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – As the historic Cordell Hull Building renovations are nearing completion and legislators and staff are moving their offices from the War Memorial Building/Legislative Plaza, so, too, is the public starting to make their way to visit and tour the new home to the Tennessee General Assembly, where they may be surprised to discover new additions that lock the public out of the legislative process. The more than 300,000 square foot 11-story building constructed between 1952 and 1954 in the art deco architectural style, after nearly being demolished, underwent a top to bottom renovation approved in 2015 at a cost of $136 million, as a less expensive alternative to renovating the General Assembly’s four decades long home of the War Memorial Building/Legislative Plaza. Three floors of the Cordell Hull Building are occupied by legislators, with Senators taking up one and Representatives taking up two floors. The speaker of each house has a suite on their respective floor. State administrative offices, including Department of Treasury occupies some of the space. Legislators are now all treated to individual offices, none of them being shared as in their previous location, and all being positioned on an outside wall, allowing for…

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Commentary: President Trump Eyes American Energy Dominance

December 4, 2017December 4, 2017 Admin

by Printus LeBlanc Despite what the media is spewing, President Donald Trump is continuing his push to improve the American economy. The President made not just energy independence a priority of his campaign and now administration, but energy dominance. The President knows the U.S. has been blessed with vast quantities of energy, but the previous administration spent eight years trying to kill the energy industry and the hundreds of thousands of high paying jobs that go with it. President Trump and Secretary Zinke are taking steps to correct eight years of bureaucratic war waged against the petroleum extract industry. An independent study conducted by Rystad Energy released in 2016 estimates the U.S. now holds more recoverable oil than both Saudi Arabia and Russia. If the report is accurate, it would be worth an estimated $50 trillion. Even if the estimates are off by half, it is still $25 trillion just waiting for U.S. firms to pull out of the ground. Unfortunately, much of that is on federal lands. On June 29, while speaking at the Department of Energy, President Trump outlined six concrete steps his Administration is immediately taking to promote strength and innovation in America’s energy sector. The President’s sixth step…

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Cato Institute Expert: Nashville Mayor Megan Barry’s Mass Transit Plan ‘A Bad Investment’

November 16, 2017November 15, 2017 Wendy Wilson

A senior fellow with the Cato Institute is the latest expert to criticize Nashville Mayor Megan Barry’s $5.2 billion mass transit plan. The Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank based in Washington, D.C. Barry wants to raise taxes to pay for a light-rail network, improved and expanded bus service, and an underground tunnel downtown. Currently, the Music City Star connecting Lebanon and downtown Nashville is the only commuter rail service in the area. Randal O’Toole wrote an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal last week in which he criticized Barry’s plan for Davidson County, as well as mass transit proposals in San Antonio and Tampa. O’Toole wrote: These proposals are questionable at best and reckless at worst, given that transit ridership—including bus and what little rail these regions have—is down in all three jurisdictions. This is a nationwide trend: Data released this week by the Federal Transit Administration shows that ridership is falling in nearly every major urban area (with Seattle as a notable exception)… The main reason for this drop-off is that low gas prices and ride-sharing services have given people better options. Census data show that 96% of American workers live in households with at least one car,…

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Grassroots Conservative Clay Doggett Announces Challenge to Boss Doss in Tennessee House District 70 GOP Primary

November 14, 2017November 14, 2017 Admin

PULASKI, Tennessee – Grassroots conservative candidate Clay Doggett announced his run Monday for Tennessee House District 70, a seat currently held by the chief promoter of the gas-tax increasing IMPROVE Act, Barry “Boss” Doss. Doggett said of his decision to run that, like so many others before him, he was resolved “to stand up and protect the freedoms and liberties we now enjoy.” While Barry Doss’s role as champion of the IMPROVE Act, breaking rules and renaming it the Tax Cut Act of 2017, calls for an ethics investigation, and, subsequent to the passage of the Act, his provocative road work and front-row support of Nashville Mayor Megan Barry’s $5.2 billion transit plan would have been an easy target for Doggett, he instead stayed remarkably focused on his own positions and qualifications. A Giles County native, Doggett made his announcement at the Staar Theater in the county seat of downtown Pulaski after an eloquent and touching introduction by his six-year-old son, Coell. While there were about 100 people in attendance at the historic venue, one could nearly hear a pin drop as the audience listened intently to Doggett’s message. After going to Giles County public schools and graduating from the…

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Diane Black Campaign Says ‘Losing Toyota-Mazda Is a Tremendous, Inexcusable Loss for Our State’

November 13, 2017November 13, 2017 Admin

Last week, officials with Toyota and Mazda announced that they have eliminated the state-funded Memphis regional “Megasite” from consideration for a new automobile manufacturing facility. The gubernatorial campaign of Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-06) quickly issued a statement stating “Losing Toyota-Mazda is a tremendous, inexcusable loss for our state.” You can read the full statement here: The Diane Black for Governor campaign today reacted to the disappointing news that Toyota-Mazda has eliminated the Memphis Regional Megasite (formerly known as the West Tennessee Megasite) from consideration for its new plant. Tennessee’s Economic and Community Development Commissioner confirmed that the megasite was removed from consideration because it was not “shovel-ready.” The state purchased the land for the megasite in 2009 and taxpayers have invested $140 million thus far in preparing it for a tenant. Diane Black for Governor Communications Director, Chris Hartline, made the following statement: “Some may campaign on making Tennessee a business-friendly state, but they are overlooking their failures to make Tennessee a business-ready state. The state has had years to make the Memphis Regional Megasite ‘shovel ready,’ and has come up short once again. Losing Toyota-Mazda is a tremendous, inexcusable loss for our state. We have to take action and…

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Boss Doss Runs Away From The Tennessee Star At Megan Barry Transit Launch Event

October 19, 2017October 19, 2017 Laura Baigert

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – After sitting in the front row throughout Metro Nashville Mayor Megan Barry’s Transit Launch Event Tuesday for the “Let’s Move Nashville Metro’s Transportation Solution,” State Rep. Barry “Boss” Doss (R-Leoma) ran away from The Tennessee Star, avoiding follow-up questions on his sponsorship of the IMPROVE Act, a major portion of which was dedicated to enabling public transit systems like the $5.2 billion “Solution” Barry unveiled. Going off his prepared script to ensure Doss was given special recognition for his role in the passage of the IMPROVE Act, Democratic State Senator from Nashville, Jeff Yarbro, one of the event’s speakers explained, “This legislature’s biggest priority this year was addressing the growing traffic problems in middle Tennessee and across this whole state.” Then, gesturing to acknowledge Doss sitting in the front row, “In order to do that, we really relied on a bipartisan coalition that included people like Barry Doss,” said Yarbro as seen at 11:16 in this video. The IMPROVE Act enabled “local governments” designated as counties, including those with a metropolitan or consolidated form of government, with a population of more than 112,000 or cities with a population of more than 165,000 to implement tax surcharges to fund…

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Sumner County Property Assessor John Isbell Will Run Against County Executive Anthony Holt

October 18, 2017October 18, 2017 Admin

John Isbell, the four times elected and internationally recognized Property Assessor of Sumner County, announced Monday that he is running for County Executive against incumbent Anthony Holt in the 2018 election cycle to “bring transparency to the office and stop the crony capitalism that plagues the administration.” First elected as Sumner County Property Assessor in 2004, Isbell has served in numerous positions in both the state and the 7,000-member global association of assessing officers and is pursuing his Ph.D. in public policy. In his campaign platform, Isbell is focused on integrity, transparency and accountability in leadership. “The citizens of Sumner County deserve an honest government and they know I defeated Anthony Holt’s plan to unconstitutionally railroad a tax increase on the property owners in Sumner County,” states Isbell’s press release, which continues, I believe in transparency and plan to bring to light Holt’s policy initiatives while in office. My reputation for honesty is the reason why I have received more votes than Anthony Holt in the past three elections. The unconstitutional tax increase Isbell refers to relates to a 2014 contention by Holt and Sumner County Schools Director Del Phillips that Isbell needed to raise property values following the housing…

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Senate Candidate Andy Ogles Blasts ‘Deep State’ Health Care Bureaucracy for Shutting Off Tennessee Family Doctor Over $670 Billing Error

October 14, 2017October 13, 2017 Tennessee Star Staff

U.S. Senate candidate Andy Ogles blasted the “deep state” health care bureaucracy for revoking the Medicare privileges of Dr. Bryan Merrick, a family doctor with a practice that serves rural McKenzie, Tennessee and the surrounding communities, over a $670 billing error on Friday. “Establishment Republicans have failed to repeal and replace Obamacare, despite a constant stream of promises to do so. But while they lack the will to fix our healthcare system they are willing to unleash the full force of the U.S. government to shut down the medical practice of a country doctor who is actually delivering lifesaving care to the elderly in his community,” the conservative Republican U.S. Senate candidate said. “If they can shut down Dr. Merrick over $670 in clerical billing errors over nearly two years, then every bureaucrat at Health and Human Services and the Veterans Administration should be in jail for the epidemic of waste, fraud and abuse they have overseen and enabled for the last few decades.” Ogles, the former head of the Tennessee chapter of Americans for Prosperity, was the first candidate to announce for the Republican nomination for the U. S. Senate seat currently held by Senator Bob Corker (R-TN). Ogles…

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Conservative Activist Rebecca Burke Announces GOP Primary Challenge to State Rep. Charles Sargent

September 14, 2017September 14, 2017 Tennessee Star Staff

On Thursday conservative activist and Republican State Executive Committee member Rebecca Burke announced she is a candidate for the Republican nomination to represent the 61st District in the Tennessee House of Representatives, a seat that is currently held by State Rep. Charles Sargent (R-Franklin). The district represents parts of Franklin and Brentwood in rapidly growing Williamson County. “I am starting early because there will be a lot of political noise for voters to digest leading into the governor’s race and U.S. Senate race, not to mention local races,” said Burke, a resident of Franklin, in a statement provided to The Tennessee Star that announced her candidacy. “Many think that we should be worried about the ‘Swamp’ in Washington D.C., but my sights are focused on the ‘Swamp’ in Tennessee,” she added. In June of this year, as The Star reported earlier, Burke spent several weeks working for Republican Congressional candidate Karen Handel, who won the hotly contested special election in Georgia’s Sixth Congressional District over the heavily financed Democratic candidate, Jon Ossoff. “Burke, 62, has spent over 35 years as an aggressive and outspoken conservative activist. She has been known to out-work opponents as a campaigner and strategist and to…

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Commentary: Cultural Adversity Reveals a Lot of Weird Stuff About Today’s America

August 27, 2017August 26, 2017 Tennessee Star Staff

by Jeffrey A. Rendall In watching footage from the Charlottesville riots recently I was struck by one fact in particular: there were almost as many people recording the event on their smart devices as there were Nazis and leftist thugs taking part in the melee. The scrolling pictures didn’t lie — whenever an Antifa goon would move towards a white supremacist idiot or vice-versa invariably there was a host of bystanders inching ever closer to get a good look and secure the best vantage point to electronically preserve the physical altercation. There were many times where it was difficult to distinguish the perpetrators from the amateur video documenters. What an odd world we live in where there are people who actually run towards such incidents solely to chronicle them for who knows what… fame on YouTube? A credit on the evening news, perhaps? An “I was there” post on Facebook? A personal thrill? Mental illness? It wasn’t as if there was a rare solar eclipse high overhead or a newly active volcano erupting in the distance. But maybe these curiosity-seekers thought it’s more stimulating to see miscreants beating on each other and throwing bottles filled with urine than…

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Constitution Series: The Eighth Amendment and Cruel and Unusual Punishment

August 7, 2017August 6, 2017 Tennessee Star Staff

Tennessee Star

This is the fifteenth of twenty-five weekly articles in The Tennessee Star’s Constitution Series. Students in grades 8 through 12 can sign up here to participate in The Tennessee Star’s Constitution Bee, which will be held on September 23. The Eighth Amendment contains one of the most famous phrases in American judicial history: “cruel and unusual punishment.” That phrase over the past half century has been the rallying cry around which opponents of capital punishment gather. But the Eighth Amendment is an important protector of two other rights: the prohibition of excessive bail requirements and the prohibition of the imposition of excessive fines: Excessive bail shall not be required, not excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted. The amendment protects the rights of the individual by prohibiting three specific acts of the state: (1) Excessive bail shall not be required. (2) Excessive fines shall not be imposed. (3) Cruel and unusual punishment shall not be inflicted. We begin our discussion of the Eighth Amendment with the best known clause: the prohibition of “cruel and unusual punishment,” which opponents of capital punishment have cited over the past half century as proof that the execution of prisoners for murder or any severe crime is…

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EXCLUSIVE Interview With State Rep. Jimmy Matlock On Announcement He Is Running For 2nd Congressional District Seat

August 3, 2017 Laura Baigert

State Representative Jimmy Matlock (R-Lenoir City), citing Rep. John J. “Jimmy” Duncan’s (R-TN-02) announcement Monday that he will not seek re-election to Congress, announced his organization of a campaign to run for the 2nd District Congressional seat. In an exclusive interview with The Tennessee Star, Rep. Matlock shared that his official announcement “Is really my heart, and I tried to share why I felt like I have the abilities through my business, through my 11 years of public service. The really the body of work, the opportunities that come across my day in this business and in my public service are so varied and so much unique, that I think I can transition that into the Congressional seat.” Matlock relayed parallel scenarios in his business and political life, saying “I can take a phone call in this business from a multi-million dollar banker and the next phone call would be from a single mom who needs to hold a check for $35 until Friday. With constituent work, you can talk with the Governor of the state and hang up from there and have a veteran on the phone who can’t get his benefits right.” “You’ve got to be able to…

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OFF THE RECORD: Commenter Nails Gubernatorial Candidate ‘La Raza Randy’

June 27, 2017August 13, 2020 Chris Alto

Tennessee Star

Tennessee Star readers are the bomb when it comes to creative, but fact-anchored monikers for Tennessee’s public figures. Yesterday’s story about gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd and his quarter of a million dollar donation to a Nashville La Raza affiliate while still not dissing Metro Nashville for wanting to formally become the MOST LIBERAL SANCTUARY CITY IN THE U.S., seems to have inspired a Tennessee Star reader to comment on our story Monday, “Gubernatorial Candidate Randy Boyd Donated $250,000 to La Raza Affiliate And Has Not Renounced Nashville Sanctuary City Ordinance,” that “La Raza Randy . . . shows his real colors.” So now, “La Raza Randy” joins “Boss Doss” in our list of favorite fact-anchored monikers, because public figures aren’t entitled to be insulated from ridicule for the decisions they may ultimately wish they hadn’t made. The Tennessee Star is in the business of reporting FACTS. Unfortunately, we can’t help it if the FACTS show that when Boyd made his $250,000 donation, “the single largest individual gift” to the coffers of a named La Raza affiliate the founder and director of the Nashville organization was also already…. the Chairman of the Board of….La Raza! “La Raza Randy”? Sort of rolls off your tongue.

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State Revenues in Month of May Exceed Budget By $53.1 Million; Year-To-Date Surplus Now at $677 Million

June 22, 2017June 22, 2017 Laura Baigert

Department of Finance and Administration Commissioner Larry Martin reported this week that May revenues exceeded the month’s budget of $1 billion by $53.1 million. That makes nine out of ten months in the 2016-17 accrual year where collections exceeded the budget and the prior year’s collections. Year-to-date over collection of taxes is now up to $677.6 million. The most controversial and predominant legislation this past session was the gas-tax-increasing IMPROVE Act, with a large part of the arguments by proponents focusing on the “user fee” that they claim is diminishing due to increased vehicle fuel efficiency. Before the gas and diesel tax increases go into effect on July 1, fuel tax collections for the year are $44.3 million above the budget and $18 million ahead of last year’s collections. The Highway Fund in total, which, in addition to the fuel tax, is funded by some but not all potential “user fees,” is 4.83 percent over budget and 1.88 percent ahead of this time last year. So far this year, that’s an additional $28 million for road projects, a month before Tennesseans start paying the four-cent per gallon gas and six-cent per gallon diesel tax increases. The data tables are available on…

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State Rep. Judd Matheny to Grassroots Activist Group: ‘I Have Not And Will Not Compromise On Conservative Principles’

June 21, 2017June 21, 2017 Laura Baigert

MURFREESBORO, Tennessee – State Rep. Judd Matheny (R-Tullahoma), speaking to a group of about 50 grassroots activists, the majority of whom were Heritage Action Sentinels, made a statement that may best summarize his popularity with Tennessee conservatives. “I have not and will not compromise on conservative principles,” he told the group. The Rutherford County Heritage Action Sentinel group was founded by Katherine Hudgins, who is a Heritage Action Sentinel Wall of Honor awardee and is now a Sentinel Builder for the organization, and Jackie Archer, President of Tennessee Textbook Advocates. The group holds meetings or activities on a monthly basis, the previous one being an appreciation luncheon for U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-TN) for his Heritage Action score, which at 93 percent ranks him the most conservative of the Tennessee delegation. Rep. Bryan Terry (R-Murfreesboro), who represents the district where the meeting was held, attended and extended an invitation to his 4th Annual Empowering Women Event on July 10, co-hosted by Rep. Dawn White (R-Murfreesboro). Rep. Matheny was invited to speak to the group about his plan to run for Tennessee’s 6th Congressional District, should Rep. Diane Black decide to leave the seat to run for governor, as well as…

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