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Saturday, October 26, 2013
Friday, October 25, 2013
For The Love Of Music: The Story of Nashville - Official Trailer of the documentary funded with flood relief money
I am bullish on Nashville. I love this city. I would not want to live anywhere else. I love that Nashville is "music city." I look forward to seeing the half-hour-long special ABC documentary on Nashville.
However, it concerns me that $300,000 of the money to produce the documentary came from federal flood relief money given to Nashville following the 2010 flood. You may also recall that $7.1 million in federal money intended for flood relief went to the downtown riverfront redevelopment.
I have no problem with federal money being used to help people recover from a natural disaster. I have no problem with federal money going to a city to help the city rebuild public schools and infrastructure damaged in a natural disaster. However, experiencing a natural disaster should not be like winning the lottery; it should not be a windfall.
No wonder our Country is broke.
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Green Hills traffic problem to be solved by replacing center turn lane with a median.
The Green Hills Area Plan calls for banning most left hand turns and developing a median in Hillsboro Rd, among other things. I like walkable pleasant cities but am skeptical that you can get people to give up their cars and can turn an area like Green Hills into a pedestrian -friendly area. Part of the plan however makes a lot of sense, such as connecting the Mall to other commercial areas so one does not have to get in the car to go a short distance and the realignment of some of the intersections. If I lived in the area, had a financial interest in the area, had to travel through the area, or visited it often, I would take the time to learn about what is proposed for Green Hills.
Community Meeting: October 28
There will be a community meeting on Monday, October 28, 2013, from 5 pm to 8pm at Hillsboro High School, 3812 Hillsboro Road, Nashville, TN 37215, to review the recommendations from the Green Hills Area Transportation Plan, other mobility solutions, and related amendments to the Major and Collector StreetPlan and the Green Hills-Midtown Community Plan. This community meeting will be held in an open house-style format, and residents are encouraged to stop by during the time frame to discuss the recommendations and provide input.Public Hearing: November 14
Additionally, the Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC) will hold a public hearing during the regular Planning Commission meeting on November 14, 2013, at 4:00 pm in the Sonny West Conference Room of the Howard Office Building, to consider amendments to the Major and Collector Street Plan and the Green Hills-Midtown Community Plan. The Major and Collector Street Plan was adopted on April 24, 2011, by the MPC. The Green Hills-Midtown Community Plan was adopted on July 28, 2005, by the MPC.The purpose of these amendments to the Major and Collector Street Plan and the Green Hills-Midtown Community Plan are to include recommendations from the Green Hills Area Transportation Plan and other mobility solutions to improve the transportation network in the Green Hills Area. The Green Hills Area Transportation Plan can be reviewed online at http://www.nashville.gov/Portals/0/SiteContent/Planning/docs/subarea10/GreenHillsAreaPlan_2011-08.pdf.
If you have questions about these meetings, you can contact Michael Briggs,Transportation Planner, at 615-862-7219 or Michael.Briggs@nashville.gov
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Thursday, October 24, 2013
Republicans need to stop demonizing those who agree on goals but disagree on strategy
My friend Gene Wisdom disagreed with my view and commented that he thinks the House battle, while doomed to failure, showed courage and commitment to principle and did not distract from election chances in 2014. The 2014 elections are still sometime away and things can change in that period of time, but I think it is undeniable that the shutdown hurt the Republican "brand." (I normally resist using trendy words like "brand" but it conveys the message.)
Many Republicans argued that this government shutdown would not be as damaging to Republicans as the 1996 shutdown. They argued that ObamaCare was unpopular and that the grassroots tea party, Fox news, talk radio, and social media had lessened the influence of the mainstream media. It appears that, that was wishful thinking. Greater blame was placed on the Republicans for the 2013 shutdown than was for the 1996 shutdown. What the polls don't measure however, is how much people care. The shutdown was not even an inconvenience for most people. If you were not on vacation trying to visit a national park, you may have not even known there was a shutdown. People may blame the Republicans more and still not really care about the issue all that much. If Obamacare is still viewed as a disaster by 2014, and there are not more government shut downs, then perhaps Republicans can recover and win some Senate seats and maintain a House majority. Time will tell, but as of now, Republicans are liked even less than in the recent past. To stand any chance of doing well in 2014 we have to recover some lost ground. Unless Republicans can improve their standing with the American people, we may lose Senate seats and may even lose control of the House.
 |
| Sept. 2013 poll |
To buy the GOP establishment’s "repeal by winning elections" alternative, you also have to believe that Republicans are going to repeal a vast entitlement that has, by then, been on the books, with millions of Americans drawing subsidies, for at least four, and more likely six or more, years.He says the House strategy of repealing ObamaCare by forcing a government shut down was a "hail Mary pass," but says the Republican strategy of repeal by winning elections is not even a hail Mary pass but is, "the art of the impossible."
So, where do we go from here? For one thing, we need to stop demonizing those who agree on goals but disagree on strategy. Those who wanted to attempt to defeat ObamaCare by closing down the government and forcing a defunding or delay as the cost of reopening the government should not be denounced as crazies and terrorist and anarchist, and those who want to repeal and replace ObamaCare by winning elections should not be demonized as traitors, RINO's and sell-outs. Good and reasonable people can disagree on tactics and strategy. We must unite and fight to elect Republicans, repeal Obamacare and cut government spending. Even a "liberal" Republican is more conservative than a "conservative" Democrat. A vote for any Republican is still a vote for a Republican majority and a Republican President of the Senate, and Republican Chairmen of committees. Those who are looking for ideological purity are shooting themselves in the foot.
The second thing we have to realize is that we may lose. ObamaCare may be here to stay. Along with ObamaCare other changes may occur. High unemployment and lessened economic growth, less rugged individualism and less opportunity for advancement, a sluggish economy and culture that does not welcome innovation and a burdensome bureaucracy that inhibits economic growth and innovation may be the new normal and our country may become a nation that more closely resemble European nations than the America of the past. Personally, living in a society that resembled England or France would not be that terrible. This passage from Charles Murray's Coming Apart, I think, says it best:
Europe has proved that countries with enfeebled family, vocation, community and faith can still be pleasant places to live. I am delighted when I get a chance to go to Stockholm or Paris. When I get there, the people don't seem to groaning under the yoke of an oppressive system. On the contrary, there's a lot to like about day-to-day life in the advanced welfare states of western Europe. They are great places to visit. But the view of life that has taken root in those same countries is problematic. It seems to go something like this: The purpose of life to to while away the time between birth and death as pleasantly as possible, and the purpose of government is to make it as easy as possible to while away the time as pleasantly as possible- the European Syndrome.I don't want it to happen. Something valuable would be lost for ever if American continues on the path we are taking. The trajectory we are on did not start with the election of Barack Obama. It has been happening for a long time. A change has been occurring in the American character. It is not just all politics and the last election. As institutions no longer work, the family structure weakens, and values decline, people are more inclined to look to government as the solution to all their problems and for their sense of identity. A guaranteed income and six weeks paid vacation becomes more important than the opportunity to achieve enormous success. Mediocrity and equality become more valued than excellence. I fear Americans no longer wants to be exceptional. We want to be average. We want to be like other modern industrialized Western nations.
I don't want the American example of free markets, individual liberty, and self-sufficiency to disappear, but I am afraid it is happening. America is becoming less exceptional day by day. We are not there yet however, and maybe we can reverse the trend and reclaim the America we knew. I am not ready to give up the fight but the future is not guaranteed.
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10/22/2013 MNPS Board works sesssion on MLK magnet
This workshop deals with the future of Martin Luther King magnet school. Several proposals are discussed. Director of Schools Jesse Register is promoting a plan to the board that would add new 12 classrooms and boost capacity by 300 students. One of the problems facing the board is that with so many students in schools which feed into MLK, there is almost no capacity for students who are not in feeder school to get a shot at entering MLK. Register originally suggested doing away with 7th and 8th grades at the 7-12 school but this was met with resistance. Register's expansion plan will cost $6.6million.
To read more:
MLK expansion would cost $6.6 million
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Caffeinated Conservatives SATURDAY, October 26, 2013
SATURDAY, October 26, 2013
12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Bagelface Bakery
700 Main Street in East Nashville
Come meet good folks, drink great coffee, talk politics, and listen to:
Councilman Peter Westerholm and
Councilman Joshua Stites
For a preview of the delicious bagels and coffee at Bagelface Bakery:
http://www.bagelfacebakery.com/
http://www.bagelfacebakery.com/
Thanks for your support !
Terry Torree & Steven Clements
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Tuesday, October 22, 2013
My Uncle Frank was a staunch Conservative.
My Uncle Frank was a
staunch Conservative.
He voted straight Republican until the day
he died in Chicago .
Since then he has voted Democrat.
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Thousands get health insurance cancellation notices
Even the mainstream media cannot continue to hide the truth. NBC news reports that thousands get health insurance cancellation notices. Do you remember, "if you like your insurance, you can keep it?"
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MNPS blame budget woes on Charter Schools, Seeks More Funding. Workshop video of Special Meeting
Below is the video of the special joint MNPS and Metro Council Budget and Finance Committee meeting and the Metro Council Education Committee meeting that occurred last Thursday night.
When students leave a traditional school and enter a charter school the Metro and State per pupil funding of $9,100 follows the student to the charter school. MNPS officials argue that even though they no longer have to educate that child they still have "fixed" overhead cost and that causes the school system to be financially burdened.
Watching the workshop you will learn that the average annual school enrollment growth rate is 4% and only 5% of all Metro Public School student are in charter school. So, the number of students in traditional public schools are continuing to increase. Charter schools are suppressing the rate of growth of new students in non-charter schools but still, more students are entering the non-charter schools system every year than are being siphoned off to charter schools.
I think the argument that charter schools are a drain on the school budget is bogus. MNPS should be able to absorb a student growth that is less than it would have been if not for charter schools without facing a severe financial hardship. An organization as large as the MNSP should be able to cut overhead. Overhead is not fixed. Watching this workshop you will learn that despite twelve school located in North and East Nashville being at below 70% capacity, the School Board is not considering closing or consolidating any school.
I can't help but speculate what the argument of the MNPS would be if all of the students in charter schools were suddenly put in traditional schools. I would bet the argument would be that they need more money. They would argue that the additional students created a cost to the system greater than the $9100 per pupil increase in funding.
School Board member Elissa Kim makes the point that of all Metro Schools, only eleven are classified as "excelling" and four of those are charter schools. Thirty-six percent of all "excelling" Metro Public schools are charter schools, she points out and yet charters make up only 11% of Nashville public schools. (For Elisha Kim's excellent comments see time stamp 1:11:18.)
Instead of scapegoating charter schools, the MNPS should be learning the lessons of charter schools, cutting the bloated bureaucracy, and embracing excellence in education. This is disappointing.
Below is The Tennessean's report on this meeting:
Metro school officials continued pointing to the rising cost of operating charter schools
Thursday, but this time they had Metro Council members to their side as the two parties began a dialogue on a projected $23 million shortfall. The message from Metro Nashville Public Schools didn’t change: the expansion and increase of charter schools — 22 will be operating in Nashville next year — is expected to place a $62.2 million burden on the 2014-15 budget, up from $4.6 million just five years ago.(link)
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Monday, October 21, 2013
The National Center for Lesbian Rights files suit to force Tennessee to recognize same-sex marriages
A
lawsuit filed in federal court today by The National Center for Lesbian
Rights and four same sex couples ask the court to force the state of
Tennessee to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states.
David Fowler of the Family Action Council of Tennessee comments on the lawsuit.
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Despite scant evidence that there is any advantage to pre-K, MNPS proposes $6 million in new spending to fund it.
Despite scant evidence that there is any advantage to pre-K education and with an alleged budget shortfall of $23 million, blamed on the growth of charter school, Metro Nashville Public Schools official are nevertheless proposing a “move toward universal pre-K,” bankrolled entirely with local funds.
To see and argument that pre-K is a waste of money, if not actually counterproductive, see this essay by Representative Bill Dunn. Below is the report from The Tennessean where local MNPS official advocate funding for 1300 new seats of pre-K funding for 4-year old at a cost of $6 million.
Metro Schools willing to expand pre-K as state remains undecided
Frustrated by the state’s inaction on expanding preschool education, Metro Nashville school officials are proposing to bankroll it locally in hopes of covering most of the Davidson County 4-year-olds who qualify for it but lack seats today.
Calling it a “move toward universal pre-K,” Metro Director of Schools Jesse Register said he intends to finalize a proposal next month to expand prekindergarten slots in Nashville by 1,300. The plan, dependent on school board approval and landing a place in Metro’s 2014-15 operating budget, would require an additional $6 million in annual local funds. (link)
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Rep. Bill Dunn: Pre-K is one of the biggest educational disappointments ever to be experienced by the citizens of Tennessee
by Rep. Bill Dunn
Pre-K is one of the biggest educational disappointments ever to be experienced by the
citizens of Tennessee. The taxpayers were promised for every dollar
spent on this program, we would save $16; that graduation rates would
increase and educational attainment would soar. Advocates even predicted
that there would be 80 less murders and 6,400 fewer assaults in
Tennessee if taxpayers would only spend the close to a half billion
dollars per year a universal Pre-K program would cost. The results are in and the promises have turned out to be just words.
 |
| Rep. Bill Dunn |
Supporters of this expensive governmental program cite non-representative studies from other states. For
example, the advocates invariably cite the Perry Preschool Program as
proof of the power of Pre-K. The Perry Preschool project existed between
1962 and 1965. It was a study of 58 seriously at risk inner city
minority children who were bordering on mental impairment. The program was far more intensive and expensive than Tennessee’s Pre-K and it still resulted in many
of the 58 children dropping out of school, being arrested and becoming
pregnant at an early age. To use this study to predict a positive
Tennessee Pre-k outcome would be scientific malpractice.
The best way to predict what the TN Pre-K program will do is to study the TN Pre-K program. In fact it has been studied by experts twice.
What
are the results in Tennessee? The state comptroller commissioned a
study of Tennessee’s Pre-K program using statistical analysis to compare
children who attended the program and those who did not. The study
showed that any early gains disappeared quickly and that Pre-K students
did WORSE in every, not some, not most, but every category (reading,
math, social studies, and science) in 3rd, 4th and 5th grade when compared to like students who did not attend Tennessee Pre-K. Vanderbilt
University is doing an even more comprehensive study. The results
through the first grade are in and they are just as dismal as the
previous results.
The cognitive differences between participants in the Pre-K program and non participants were no longer statistically significant by the end of kindergarten except in one category in which the Pre-K students did WORSE. The result was the sameby the end of first grade, no statistical difference except in one category in which the Pre-K students did WORSE.
The non-cognitive outcomes were not much better. There was no statistically significant difference for
social skills, for work-related skills, for preparation for grade, for
peer relations, for behavior problems or for feelings about school. No
difference despite the millions spent.
The
Pre-K students needed more special education services when they reached
kindergarten and first grade. This meant more tax payer dollars spent
on top of what was already spent on the program. It may sound counter
intuitive, but a case could be made from the Tennessee data that Pre-K
actually has a long term negative effect when it comes to cognitive
outcomes.
This makes sense if you consider that starting a child to early in school may lead to educational problems due to frustration.Also, there is only one teacher in the classroom teaching, but there are 15-20 four year
olds “teaching” each other and it isn’t always good. Finland, which is
at the top in educational achievement, does not have compulsory
education until the child is 7 years old.
In fairness, there were two areas where Pre-K students did better, less chance of retention and slightly more days of attendance. Neither of these justify almost a half billion dollars in taxpayer dollars.
It is imperative that the legislature wisely use the tax dollars entrusted to it, especially in the case of education. If
Tennessee continues towards the path of fully funding a universal Pre-K
program, there will not be enough money for teacher raises, new
technology, new classrooms or programs proven to work.School
Boards and politicians will be right back asking for more money, more
taxes to pay for the things they should have prioritized in the first
place.
Pre-K
advocates may have good intentions, but it is important for the
Governor and legislators to have good policy. It is time to start a
bipartisan discussion on an alternative to the previous course of
action. Pre-K was given a chance, but failed the test.
###
Rep. Bill Dunn(R-Knoxville) has
a M.S. in Extension Education from UT, serves on the House Education
Committee, is Chairman of the House Calendar and Rules Committee and is
the father of five children.
This article was first published in the Commercial Appeal and unfortunately it is behind a paywall. I am reposting from the Camp4u website, assuming neither Rep. Bill Dunn nor Sen. Stacey Campfield object. If I am infringing on a copywrite by reposting, please notify me and I will remove immediately. Rod
This article was first published in the Commercial Appeal and unfortunately it is behind a paywall. I am reposting from the Camp4u website, assuming neither Rep. Bill Dunn nor Sen. Stacey Campfield object. If I am infringing on a copywrite by reposting, please notify me and I will remove immediately. Rod
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Sunday, October 20, 2013
Marsha Blackburn: On Voting Against Ending the Government Shutdown and Avoiding Default on the Debt
From Marsha Blackburn:
 |
| Marsha Blackburn |
Last night the House and
Senate voted for a bill to avoid the immediate debt ceiling, but did not
do anything to prevent the occurrence in the future. We have had
hundreds of calls, emails, and letters. I know the vast majority of our
district agrees with the vote I cast. I wanted to take a minute and let
you know how I voted and why. I’ve said here many times, you might not
agree with me, but you will always know where I stand.
I voted
against the deal struck last night. While I believe it is important to
make sure our nation does not default on our debt, I could not support the Senate proposal.
Last night’s proposal does not keep to one of the Republican goals- a
minimum of one dollar in cuts for every dollar of lift in the debt
ceiling. This proposal had no spending restraint, no reductions, and no
commission to find additional reductions.
Last
night’s bill did not include the required Balanced Budget Amendment that
would force government to live within its means. As well, it allowed
extraordinary measures that would give more authority to the Treasury
and the Obama Administration to spend without Congressional approval. We
need to be strengthening, not weakening, the people’s house.
The
Continuing Resolution did not provide us with any of the restraints that
were needed to address the exorbitant cost of Obamacare or the growth
of the program to a minimum of $2.6 trillion. I went to the House Floor
to address this need earlier this week. Watch here. The program has simply become too expensive to afford.
We’ve
hit $17 trillion in debts and Obamacare is set to add another $2.6
trillion over the next 10 years. We’ve got a lot of fighting left to do.
I’m honored to be on the same team with you as we lead the charge.
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Bob Corker: On Voting to End the Government Shutdown and Avoid Default
From Bob Corker:
 |
| Bob Corker |
“There’s much more work to do to get on a path to fiscal solvency, and I look forward to continuing that important work.” The Budget Control Act, passed by Congress and signed into law in 2011, helped reduce total government spending for two consecutive years. It will cause non-emergency discretionary spending to be decreased from $1.090 trillion in 2011 to $967 billion this year.
In an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Thursday, Senator Corker discussed the path forward to getting our nation’s fiscal house in order.
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