Agenda 21 spotted again: Alert Number 6 (free trade)

by Rod Williams, May 12, 2012 - Wow! This is unreal! I have been a conservative all of my political life and all of this time, I thought free trade was a conservative value. I thought it was part of the dogma, the ideology. I thought it was a bedrock principle. Well, what do I know? Free trade is part of the diabolical agenda called Agenda 21. Free trade is a tool of the collectivist  socialist one-worlders. How do I know?  The patriots at Wilson County Tea Party told me so. (link)


Agenda 21 does in fact advocate free trade. Chapter 2, section 5 says:

An open, equitable, secure, non-discriminatory and predictable multilateral trading system that is consistent with the goals of sustainable development and leads to the optimal distribution of global production in accordance with comparative advantage is of benefit to all trading partners.

"Comparative advantage" is a bedrock principle of a market economy, but I guess if Agenda 21 says it is a good thing, then it must be a bad thing.

Agenda 21 in 2.7 also says we need to remove "tariff and non-tariff impediments" to trade. That is an advocacy of free trade is it not?  I guess if Agenda 21 advocates free trade, free trade must be a bad thing?

Agenda 21 in 2.8 says this about the former soviet satellite countries that had become capitalist:

In recent years, a growing number of these countries have adopted courageous policy reforms involving ambitious autonomous trade liberalization, while far-reaching reforms and profound restructuring processes are taking place in Central and Eastern European countries, paving the way for their integration into the world economy and the international trading system. Increased attention is being devoted to enhancing the role of enterprises and promoting competitive markets through adoption of competitive policies. 

See, that is an anti-communist, pro-capitalist statement if I ever heard one. I don't know how you square that circle to say Agenda 21 is socialist but I guess you just denounce free trade as something evil and totally abandon all logic.

Below is the except from the Wilson County Tea Party newsletter:

According to its authors, the objective of Sustainable Development is to integrate economic, social and environmental policies in order to achieve reduced consumption, social equity, and the preservation and restoration of biodiversity (the 3Es of sustainability). They insist that every societal decision be based on environmental impact, focusing on three components; global land use, global education, and global population control and reduction.

Look at these words. They are part of the new vocabulary:

Free trade, open space, smart growth, smart food, smart buildings, regional planning, walkable, bikeable, foodsheds, viewsheds, consensus, partnerships, preservation, stakeholders, land use, environmental protection, development, diversity, visioning, social justice, heritage, carbon footprints, comprehensive planning, critical thinking, community service, regional planning.

All of these words are part of the Newspeak, the altering of the English language as a tool to promote a global government through a diabolical agenda called Agenda 21. In fact, the world will be retooled from top to bottom through this agenda and using the new vocabulary. This is not just policy but a complete restructuring of life as we know it. We not only will be taught how we must live, but where we are allowed to live; taught how to think and what is acceptable thinking; told what job we will be allowed to have; taught how we can worship and what we will be allowed to worship; and we will be brainwashed into believing that the individual must cede all to the collective.

Private property will be a sin that will be eradicated as will be free-market economics which will be replaced by public private partnerships and a planned central economy. Individualism will be rooted out and social justice will rule the land. Social justice is described as the right and opportunity of all people "to benefit equally from the resources afforded us by society and the environment." – in other words, the redistribution of wealth. This will be achieved through an organizational structure of land use controls; control of energy and energy production; control of transportation; control of industry; control of food production; control of development; control of water availability; and control of population size and growth. And all of this will be decreed under the guise of environmental protection.

I don't get the logic of how we are supposed to fear "free trade" and to think that people who talk about free trade are really one-world socialist insiders. I guess Adam Smith was a socialist?  I don't get it but then I have not been to the John Birch Society school of logic. Maybe, the real communist one-worlder socialist are the John Birch Society and the tea party factions they have co-opted. It they can get the tea party to abandon and denounce free trade, maybe they are achieving there real hidden agenda. Maybe?

Be afraid of free trade! Be very afraid. Today it is free trade and tomorrow it is off to the gulag. I am adding free trade to my list of things that are part of the Agenda 21 conspiracy. It is getting to be a long list.

• Traffic calming
• Art in public places
• a requirement of a flagpole permit, at no charge, to verify proper footings and wind-load design
•  introduction of wolves
• Actions that "enable the retrofitting of shopping malls and shopping centers into dense, walkable, mixed-use town centers"
• Fluoride and Aspartame
• outcome based education
• sustainable agriculture
• Community assets inventory
• Traffic Roundabouts
• greenways and bikeways
• voluntary conservation easements and Land Trust
• General Land use Plans
• Neighborhood groups
• Smart growth
• Smart Meters
• Community oriented policing
• opposition to suburban sprawl
• opposition to road expansions
• requirements that parking lots be paved
• requirements that commercial enterprises have a minimum number of parking spaces for various uses.
• the effort to regulate dietary supplements and organic foods
• Walkable Communities
• multi-use dwellings
• Buffer zones

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Art Break: Indian women in the morning at the river, by Ouida Williams

Indian Women at the River in the morning, by Ouida Williams

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Chamber Should Refuse Subsidy, Avoid Conflict

NASHVILLE  - Today, leading opponents of the proposed property tax increase on Metro Nashville taxpayers released a statement on the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce's endorsement of the plan. Talk radio host Ralph Bristol, Nashville Tea Party founder Ben Cunningham, Nashville business owner Lee Beaman, and Justin Owen of the Beacon Center of Tennessee said the following:

 

Yesterday, the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce publicly endorsed Mayor Karl Dean's 13 percent property tax hike. This is unfortunate for many of its business members who will undoubtedly face a significant increase in their tax burdens, and it also raises a serious question about a conflict of interest.

 

Under the mayor's budget proposal, the Chamber will receive its annual subsidy of $300,000 from Metro taxpayers. In order to avoid a perceived conflict of interest, we are calling on the Chamber to officially refuse this handout. In its statement, the Chamber pointed to the need to raise government employee salaries and fund our schools as justification for the tax increase.  Refusing its $300,000 subsidy will help ensure that every dollar of the proposed tax hike goes to fund those programs the Chamber claims warrant the tax hike in the first place, rather than to boost its own bottom line.

 

Further, it is imperative that Mayor Dean withdraw proposed funding to any private entity that endorses the tax hike to likewise avoid any conflicts of interest.  This will ensure that no taxpayer money is used by private parties to push for a tax increase based on their own potential benefits.  It will also guarantee that the debate over the need of this tax increase remains transparent and without such conflicts.

 

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DONELSON - HERMITAGE - OLD HICKORY BREAKFAST ON THE PROPOSED 13% PROPERTY TAX INCREASE

DONELSON - HERMITAGE - OLD HICKORY BREAKFAST

SATURDAY, MAY 12, 2012

Shoney's Restaurant

546 Donelson Pike 37214

8:30 Dutch Treat Breakfast

9:00 AM Meeting

GUEST SPEAKER

KEN MARRERO

Blue Collar Muse BLOGGER and ACTIVIST

REGIONAL VICE CHAIRMAN GOP NASHVILLE

UPDATE:

ON THE PROPOSED 13% PROPERTY TAX INCREASE &

WHAT CAN WE DO AS TAX PAYING CITIZENS!!!!

ALL WELCOME

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More on Haslam not signing of the Anti-Agenda 21 Resolution

by Rod Williams, May 11, 2012 - I do not blame Governor Haslam for trying to lay low about not signing the House Joint Resolution in which, "the General Assembly recognizes the destructive and insidious nature of United Nations Agenda 21 and hereby exposes to the public and public policymakers the dangerous intent of the plan."

The Republican National Committee has passed a resolution opposing Agenda 21.  Many county Republican party chairmen across the state, including unfortunately Nashville's own Kathleen Starnes, have jumped on the John Birch Society steered bandwagon denouncing it.  Tea party groups, bloggers and numerous conservative activists have joined the chorus. If I were Governor Haslam, I also would  not have signed the hysterical nonsense that is House Joint Resolution 587, however I would not pick a fight with the whole Republican establishment and an army of conservative activist who have drank the John Birch Society's conspiracy theory Kool Aid.

I am sure Governor Haslam thought he could just quietly let the resolution go into effect without his signature and thus not sign it but not have to veto it and call attention to his opposition. Unfortunately for Governor Haslum, he is not getting off that easy. Blue Collar Muse, yesterday, reported that the House Joint Resolution had gone into effect unsigned by the Governor.  I then opined on the issue praising the Governor for not signing the resolution, saying I thought I was the only sane Republican left and stating how proud I was of him for not signing it.

Now, the fact that the Governor has not signed the resolution has been picked up by Nashville Public Radio WPLN. They report that a spokesman says that while Haslam doesn’t support Agenda 21, he “didn’t feel compelled and isn’t required to take any action on the resolution.” They then report, "almost two thousand joint resolutions have passed since Haslam took office last year. WPLN searched through hundreds and couldn’t find a single other time the governor didn’t sign one."

This may be the end of the story.  However, if the more zealous factions of the tea party smell blood in the water, they may not let this issue die. If they aggressively go after the Governor the main stream press may take interest.

Governor Haslam, I am sure, would rather continue his focus on creating jobs and improving government efficiency and managing the affairs of this state rather than deal with this distraction. However, at some point someone is gong to have to stand up to the paranoid conspiracy theorist who have gained a foot hold in the Republican Party. Governor Haslam may be the one to do it.

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Governor Haslam Will Not Sign Anti-Agenda 21 Resolution

Thank God, there is at least one Republican who has not jumped on the paranoid nut-fringe bandwagon!

Unless you are active in the tea party or very active in the Republican Party, you probably have never heard of Agenda 21.  However, a lot of people are very concerned about it.  Earlier this year the Republican National Committee issued a resolution condemning it and in the just concluded Tennessee legislative session our Republican-dominated state legislature passed a resolution warning of the dangers of Agenda 21. Governor Haslam has refused to sign that Resolution and it will go into effect without his signature. However, a resolution is nothing but the legislature expressing an opinion about something and has no force of law.

Agenda 21 is a 20-year-old nonbinding U.N. agreement signed by 178 nations that encourages environmentally sustainable development. It has no force in law and has never been ratified as a treaty by the US Congress.  Many see it as an attack on individual liberties and property rights and some say it is a plan for mass murder of 95% of the world’s population.

The paranoid conspiracy theorist of the long-discredited John Birch Society is the primary force behind “educating” people about Agenda 21. I have read numerous articles and blog post about it and watched video. I am trying to read it and have read 8 of the boring 40 chapters and do not see anything to be terribly alarmed about so far. I see some things that I disagree with and much that I do agree with but nothing that is terribly alarming.  I really doubt that any of the Republicans in the state legislature who voted to warn us of the dangers of Agenda 21 or any of the local republican leaders who are urging us to be informed of the dangers of Agenda 21 have read it. 

People all over the country are spotting Agenda 21 policies. If the paranoid hysteria was not so alarming, it would be funny. Here is a list of things that are supposedly Agenda 21 policies and things we should really be concerned about. 

• Traffic Calming
• Art in public places
• a requirement of a flagpole permit, at no charge, to verify proper footings and wind-load design
•  introduction of wolves
• Actions that "enable the retrofitting of shopping malls and shopping centers into dense, walkable, mixed-use town centers"
• Fluoride and Aspartame
• outcome based education
• sustainable agriculture
• Community assets inventory
• Traffic Roundabouts
• greenways and bikeways
• conservation easements
• General Land use Plans
• Neighborhood groups
• Smart growth
• Smart Meters
• Community oriented policing
• opposition to suburban sprawl
• opposition to road expansions
• requirements that parking lots be paved
• requirements that commercial enterprises have a minimum number of parking spaces for various uses.
• the effort to regulate dietary supplements and organic foods
• Walkable Communities
• multi-use dwellings
• Buffer zones

It is unfortunate that people all over the country are being “educated” and are trusting people who labeled President Dwight D. Eisenhower a willing tool of the Communist conspiracy and who subscribe to a theory that ever since about 1776 all of the political movements, including Nazism and Communism, and all the wars and depression have been orchestrated by the Illuminati and today the Illuminati continue to pull the strings though sinister groups such as the Council on Foreign Relations, The Tri-lateral Commission and the Bilderbergs .

I have been so disappointed that people who I though of as intelligent and informed have jumped on this John Birch Society tin-foil hat band wagon.  I am proud of Governor Haslam for not doing so.

Post Script: Governor Haslam's office has not issued a statement on the Governor's refusal to sign the Anti-Agenda 21resolution.  Ken Marrero of  Blue Collar Muse is the source of the information that the Governor had allowed the Joint House Resolution on Agenda 21to go into effect without his signature. You may read Ken Marrero's article on the topic at this link.

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Meeting to Stop Karl Dean's Huge Proposed Property Tax Hike

From: Ben Cunningham
A Meeting for ALL Nashville/Davidson County Taxpayers who would
like to STOP Karl Dean's Huge proposed Property Tax Hike

Please join us and we can work together to stop this disastrous tax hike

Time: Thursday May 10 7PM
Location: Real Estate Investors of Nashville Seminar Room
2416 Music Valley Drive behind Cracker Barrell (see map below)

More info: 615-852-6343 or stopkarl@nashvilleteaparty.com

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Lonnie Spivak on Open Line opposing the Dean tax hike

Last night on Channel 5's Open Line program, Lonnie Spivak was the guest, speaking in opposition to a property tax increase. Here are the video.

Great job! He explains why a tax increase will drive business and homeowners out of Davidson County, why it is difficult to defeat the Mayor's budget (2:48), about schools (4:13) and spending per student and teacher-student ratio and teacher salaries and student performance, and Q & A.

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District 17 Candidates Forum

Saturday, May 12, 2012, 

 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. 

at

John Wesley United Methodist Church, 901 Benton Avenue, Nashville

Candidates Appearing on the August Ballot to Represent District 17: 

State-District 58 and School Board-District 5 Have Been Invited to Participate 

Please RSVP to Council Lady Sandra V. Moore Telephone 615-386-9246  

Hosts: Council Lady Sandra V. Moore and Sunnyside Neighborhood Association 

In State House District 58, the contest is a Democratic primary contest between Harold Love, Steve Turner and Mary Pruitt. There is no Republican candidate in the race.

In the non-partisan District 5 school board race the candidates are: John E Haubenreich, Elissa Kim, Erica Lanier, and incumbent Gracie Porter, who currently serves as Chairman of the Board.

If you are aware of a candidates forum please send details to RodWilliams47@yahoo.com and I will post the announcement on this blog.

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School Board Meeting of May 8, 2012: A massive public "no" to a charter School.

video and additional reporting to follow.

Great Hearts charter school faces resistance in Nashville
May. 9, 2012, The Tennessean 

Officials with Arizona-based Great Hearts Academies charter school chain say they never have had resistance trying to start schools around Phoenix like they’re having in Nashville. After laws changed in Tennessee to lift a cap on the number of charter schools that can open, and also allow any student to enroll, Great Hearts targeted the Volunteer State and Texas to expand. But about 50 Metro school parents stood before a microphone at Tuesday’s school board meeting, half asking members not to approve the charter school’s opening in 2013. (read more)

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Update: Agenda21 - The New Serfdom

Agenda21 is global socialism directed through the United Nations. “Smart Growth” is doublespeak for planned communities. “Sustainable Development” means a centrally planned economy. “Industry Clusters” are government work factories. “Green Design” is the clustering of people in 700 sq/ft, 14 story “pack and stack” living quarters with your personal universe restricted to walking distance or light rail travel to your place of work. This is the reinvention of Mao’s China. (link)

Now, do you understand Agenda 21?

Update: I thought I better clarify this post.  Someone congratulated me for this, but I don't think they got it. I am not endorsing the view express in the above quoted post. I am offering this post as an example of  a nut-job idiot whose paranoia has pushed him over the edge. This is an example of the way the paranoid right-wing fringe is describing agenda 21 and "sustainable development" and "smart growth" and everything from traffic calming to bike lanes.

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The Beacon Center on The Mayor's Taxing Budget

In response to Nashville Mayor Karl Dean’s proposal to raise property taxes by 13 percent, Beacon’s graphics team has put together an infographic on the mayor’s proposed budget. You can view it below or click below to download your own PDF copy.
Click here for a PDF of “The Mayor’s Taxing Budget”

 

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Ken Jakes filing formal NES complaint with the Comptroller of the State of Tennessee

Ken Jakes, a former candidate for Metro Council and  local citizen activist with a history of exposing abuse of power, mismanagement and corruption by department and agencies of local government, has today initiated the process of filing a formal complaint against the Nashville Electric Service, charging NES with accepting show tickets and gifts in exchange for $56,000 of electric service.

Below is the letter Mr. Jakes wrote to Justin Wilson, Comptroller of the Treasury:

From: "Ken Jakes" <ken.jakes@comcast.net>
To: "Justin wilson" <Justin.wilson@cot.tn.gov>
Sent: Tuesday, May 8, 2012 11:36:36 AM
Subject: Fraudulent activity believed by NES

Mr.Wilson, my name is Ken Jakes and I would like to make an appointment with you to show you information where I believe that Nashville Electric Service has been fraudulent with the revenues owed them by Gaylord. Many of the Brass or upper management have received gifts in lieu of a payment for an invoice that I have where NES invoiced Gaylord. I hold a contract between NES and Gaylord which mentions in lieu of payment of this particular invoice they are providing such gifts as show tickets, dinner tickets, free parking passes, free room nights in Opryland Hotel, and free Golf Passes.

I informed Phil Williams of Channel 5 who saw the need to report this on an investigated report. I will post the link that shows just some of the information that Phil Williams used in his reporting. I have numerous documents to provide additional information.

I have emails where employees are saying that Gaylord is giving them free tickets and another employee responds that he would like to have eight show tickets.

The contract specifies in exchange or lieu of payment of $ 56,000.00 dollars owed by Gaylord they will furnish to NES as Gaylord call it a " Value Added Package." How in the world could these be FREE TICKETS ?

Please allow me a moment of your time to share what I hold for your review.

Link to just a few of the documents I provided to Phil Williams.
 http://t.co/pEVSvqKA

Thank you,

Ken Jakes

I appreciate the effort of Mr. Jakes in uncovering this latest outrage. Ken does Freedom of Information request, battles people with something to hide, and then spends day after day  pouring over hundreds or thousands of emails and reports and records, following leads and rumors to discover and document corruption. Ken is not a law enforcement official or an auditor nor an investigative news reporter.  He is a citizen who believes in justice, good government,  and honest and efficient government. Thank you Ken Jakes.

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Agenda 21 spotted again: Alert number 5 (traffic calming)

Agenda 21 on 12th Avenue South

Large unnecessary traffic island slows traffic.

Agenda 21 polices are everywhere; everywhere I tell you! I have now discovered that "traffic calming" is part of the Agenda 21 plot. And, it is happening right here in Nashville! Places where you can see traffic calming  are on lower Broadway, and downtown old Woodbine, and especially in Hillsboro Village and on 12 Ave South. The pictures accompanying this story are pictures of traffic calming on 12th Avenue South.

Notice the oversize neon sign and the sign in the

middle of the street.

What is traffic calming? That is techniques to slow traffic and make streets safer for pedestrians. Traffic calming involves things like narrowing streets with bike lanes and painted lanes on the street that create an illusion of a more narrow street and planters and trees adjacent to the street and oversize sidewalks and green space that could otherwise be used for traffic lanes. Pedestrian peninsulas  that extend sidewalks out into the street at intersections are part of Agenda 21 Traffic Calming. Stop signs may even be part of Agenda 21 if the purpose is to slow traffic. Worst of all are speed bumps that force you to slow down. Anything that slows traffic and creates a safer environment for pedestrians and would encourage people to walk is "traffic calming."

People all over the country who have become John Birch Society trained Agenda 21 experts are exposing and denouncing traffic calming as part of the diabolical plot to destroy our American way of life. This is from wake County, North Carolina:

The Wake County Commissioners, a number of months back, established a "Sustainability Study Task Force". Fortunately, a member of our Wake County Taxpayers Association was appointed to that Task Force and has been a voice for us, although she seems to be a lone voice on the Task Force who is even aware of the dangers of Agenda 21. The City of Raleigh has for several years been pushing "Sustainability" concepts including a big to-do on "Smart Growth", "Traffic Calming", and the three big "Es" (Economy, Environment, and Equity). (read more)

Here is another exposé of Traffic Calming:

This design slows traffic at intersections and

makes it easier to cross the street.

“Traffic calming devices” include lane reductions, planted median strips, corner bump-outs, cement roundabouts, speed bumps and chicanes occupying former parking spaces. They are all different types of hazardous obstacles -- whose purpose is to delay you or discourage you from using your automobile. Traffic calming is not just physically hazardous. It harms our way of life as well. (read more)

You don't even have to take the words of the critics of Agenda 21 to learn that Traffic Calming is part of Agenda 21. In many parts of the world, Agenda 21 is not something that is sinister and exposed but it is something that is openly advocated and embraced. In many countries there are official committees that call themselves "Agenda 21 Committees" and they work to promote sustainable development and pedestrian safety and green ways and bike lanes and other diabolical things. This is from Ealing, England:

Cycling could be the answer to many of Ealing's transport problems. The local Agenda 21 Transport Group is realistic about the constraints facing the Council and BRETS in the adoption of measures which positively discriminate in favour of bikes and pedestrians, but we feel these are ideas whose time has now come. The Department of Transport is beginning to permit new ways to calm traffic and promote cycle mobility, and national attitudes are changing. (read more)

See how the rest of the world is acquiescing to Agenda 21? Well not in America! In America we know that it is un-American to share the road. It is our God-given right to drive as fast as we can. So what if you run over a family pet or an elderly person slowly crossing the road or a child chasing a ball? They shouldn't be in the road! Roads are for cars! And, if you hit a bicyclist? Well they shouldn't have been wearing those sissy little lycra bicycle pants anyway. Those are obscene. They deserved it!

Trees create an illusion of a more narrow street and

create comfort for pedestrians.

Somewhere it must be in the Constitution that roads are for cars, or maybe it is in the Bible, but we know traffic calming is wrong! It is un-American and is part of the plot to destroy our way of life. Thankfully we have the Republican National Committee, a lot of local Republican leaders and the Republican-dominated State Legislature protecting us from Agenda 21.

Be afraid of traffic calming! Be very afraid. Today it is traffic calming and tomorrow it is off to the gulag. I am adding traffic calming to my list of things that are part of the Agenda 21 conspiracy. It is getting to be a long list.

• Art in public places
• a requirement of a flagpole permit, at no charge, to verify proper footings and wind-load design
•  introduction of wolves
• Actions that "enable the retrofitting of shopping malls and shopping centers into dense, walkable, mixed-use town centers"
• Fluoride and Aspartame
• outcome based education
• sustainable agriculture
• Community assets inventory
• Traffic Roundabouts
• greenways and bikeways
• conservation easements
• General Land use Plans
• Neighborhood groups
• Smart growth
• Smart Meters
• Community oriented policing
• opposition to suburban sprawl
• opposition to road expansions
• requirements that parking lots be paved
• requirements that commercial enterprises have a minimum number of parking spaces for various uses.
• the effort to regulate dietary supplements and organic foods
• Walkable Communities
• multi-use dwellings
• Buffer zones

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Grassroots Gathering with Congressman Scott DesJarlais

9.12 Project Nashville

Friday, May 11, 2012
2:00 PM

Papa's Butt's and BBQ
2910 Old Fort Parkway
Murfreesboro, TN 37128

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Update: How do Nashville teacher's salaries really compare?

If you repeat a falsehood often enough people will accept it as the truth. The Tennessean in its editorial today in support of Karl Dean's proposed tax hike said, "Without a new starting salary of $40,000 for teachers, Nashville will continue to lose talented educators to districts (including 29 districts within Tennessee) that already pay more — at a time when Metro’s 80,000 students are just beginning to raise their level of educational achievement."

Yes, 29 districts do pay more. Twenty-nine of 133 districts pay more. That is 21% pay more. Nashville teacher starting salary is in the top 22% of all school districts. That is not that bad.

How much more do they pay? The one immediately above Davidson County in the ranking pays $119 more in starting salary. The next seven who pay more, pay less than $500 a year more. Not much difference.

Where are these better paying districts? Only one, Murfressboro City is this vicinity.  Others are Memphis which and Sevierville and Maryville and districts over 200 miles away. Several including Bristol, Johnson City and Kingsport are more than 300 miles away.

Nashville starting teacher salaries are competitive with starting salaries of middle Tennessee school districts. There are a lot of reasons people choose to live and work where they do. I do not believe we are losing talented educators to other districts, If we are, it is not due to starting salaries.

Please look at the chart below for a actual comparison of starting salaries. This information is available to the Mayor, the Director of Schools and the Tennessean. Why will they not tell the truth.

How do Nashville teacher's salaries compare?

 posted 04-14-2012

The Director of Schools is proposing that Nashville's starting teacher salary be raised to $40,000. That is going to be the one thing that will push a tax increase. Police and Fire and a few other departments want more funding also, but the biggest thing pushing a tax increase will be an increase for education. It will be "for the kids." 

Everyone would like more money but Nashville's starting salary for teachers is not out of line. If you look at the chart below, of Tennessee's 133 school districts there are 29 that pay more and 102 that pay less. I do not thing being in the top 30 of 133 is a bad place to be. 

The argument for raising starting salary is that we need to pay more to attract the good teachers. I really doubt that that many teachers would choose to teach in Memphis over Nashville just for the salary difference. There are other reasons people live and work where they choose to live and work. 

Also worth noting is that the salary difference between districts in many cases is very small.

I have highlighted in yellow the school districts surrounding Davidson County. Except for Murfressboro City Schools, we pay the highest.

Tennessee Education Association
Tennessee School Systems Profile Rankings

Ranking of Scheduled Salaries, Bachelor's Degree Minimum 2011-2012
Rank	System				Salary			Rank	System				Salary			Rank	System				Salary
1	Memphis City			$	41,310			47	Robertson County			$	33,576			92	Maury County			$	32,459
2	Shelby County				41,062			48	Sumner County				33,550			93	Greene County				32,441
3	Bristol City				37,870			49	Haywood County				33,537			94	Macon County				32,397
4	Johnson City				37,240			50	Houston County				33,525			95	Elizabethton City				32,374
5	Lebanon SSD				36,836			51	Stewart County				33,513			96	Alamo City				32,365
6	Tipton County				36,710			52	Tullahoma City				33,440			97	Overton County				32,324
7	Paris SSD				36,645			53	Warren County				33,437			98	Trenton SSD				32,253
8	Kingsport City				36,533			54	McKenzie SSD				33,385			99	Carter County				32,242
9	Manchester City				35,997			55	DeKalb County				33,376			100	Smith County				32,238
10	Bradley County				35,805			56	Huntingdon SSD				33,352			101	Jefferson County				32,051
11	Franklin SSD				35,571			57	Loudon County				33,344			102	Union County				32,044
12	Dayton City				35,525			58	Rhea County				33,312			103	Morgan County				31,974
13	Lenoir City				35,524			59	Decatur County				33,303			104	Lawrence County				31,940
14	Oak Ridge City				35,519			60	Washington County				33,285			105	Lewis County				31,862
15	Maryville City				35,306			61	Crockett County				33,265			106	Jackson County				31,845
16	Cleveland City				35,272			62	Dickson County				33,261			107	Grundy County				31,802
17	Meigs County				35,140			63	Coffee County				33,220			108	Humphreys County				31,758
18	Montgomery County				35,118			64	Lincoln County				33,171			109	West Carroll SSD				31,723
19	Roane County				35,085			65	Henderson County				33,166			110	Humboldt City				31,706
20	Athens City				34,981			66	Benton County				33,153			111	Campbell County				31,685
21	Murfreesboro City				34,968			67	Grainger County				33,148			112	McNairy County				31,664
22	Clinton City				34,916			68	Hamblen County				33,136			113	Giles County				31,641
23	Alcoa City				34,913			69	Lake County				33,041			114	Bledsoe County				31,586
24	Fayetteville City				34,900			70	Madison County				33,040			115	Union City				31,550
25	Rogersville City				34,823			71	Moore County				33,013			116	Hawkins County				31,510
26	McMinn County				34,810			72	Carroll County				33,006			117	Chester County				31,476
27	Sweetwater City				34,652			73	Weakley County				32,950			118	Scott County				31,450
28	Sevier County				34,600			74	Newport City				32,945			119	H-Rock-Bruceton SSD				31,448
29	Etowah City				34,593			75	Richard City SSD				32,885			120	Perry County				31,443
30	Davidson County				34,474			76	Lexington City				32,871			121	Marion County				31,390
31	Rutherford County				34,456			77	Bedford County				32,855			122	Trousdale County				31,257
32	Marshall County				34,413			78	Johnson County				32,814			123	Cocke County				31,230
33	Polk County				34,203			79	Cheatham County				32,770			124	Cumberland County				31,107
34	Hamilton County				34,198			80	Hardeman County				32,756			125	Bradford SSD				31,089
35	Sequatchie County				34,160			81	Milan SSD				32,752			126	Fentress County				31,076
36	Anderson County				34,155			82	Bells City				32,714			127	Claiborne County				30,970
37	Fayette County				34,128			83	Obion County				32,695			128	Oneida SSD				30,795
38	Greeneville City				34,097				Wilson County				32,695			129	Cannon County				30,688
39	Putnam County				34,092			84	Gibson County SSD				32,686			130	Van Buren County				30,680
40	Hickman County				34,065			85	White County				32,680			131	Hardin County				30,536
41	Williamson County				33,950			86	Unicoi County				32,677			132	Wayne County				30,282
42	Henry County				33,854			87	South Carroll SSD				32,661			133	Clay County				29,680
43	Dyersburg City				33,800			88	Blount County				32,582				Hancock County				29,680
44	Franklin County				33,790			89	Dyer County				32,566				Pickett County				29,680
45	Knox County				33,770			90	Sullivan County				32,561
46	Lauderdale County				33,617			91	Monroe County				32,558
																	Average				$33,287

Source:	Tennessee Education Association, Survey of Local Annual Salaries for Classroom Teachers, 2011-2012

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