Council committee to address role of charter Schools July 10

Despite examples of success that are almost miracles, there are powerful enemies of charter schools who are trying to kill them at every turn.  Charter schools have been able to take students from the worst inner city areas who most likely would have ended up drop-outs, pregnant, in youth detention, or dead if they had stayed in regular public schools and instead tuned them into high school graduates who are going to college.

Despite proof that charters work, there are those who are committed to protecting the status quo.  There are those who see charters as a threat to racial diversity plans and are more concerned with the integrity of mathematical diversity ratios than educational excellence. There are also those so committed to the role of the teachers union, that all they can see in charters is a threat to unionism.

The narrative of opponents of charters is that charters increase cost to the school system by diverting money to charters out of regular schools.  When a charter is established the money for the education of a child attended a charter goes to the charter school.  Opponents of charter schools argue that taking a child out of a regular classroom does not cut overhead. If having fewer students to educate should not reduce overhead that is not an indication of charters being costly to regular pubic schools but an indication of a bloated bureaucracy and mismanagement.

Councilman Steve Clover, chairman of the Council's Education Committee is a critic of charter schools. There is not a vocal advocate for charter schools on the Council.  Sometimes the mere presence of people with a particular point of view in the audience can change the dynamics of a public meeting.  While this is not a public hearing, supporters of school choice would be wise to attend this meeting and be cognizant of what our elected officials or doing in regards to education reform.

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Senator Jack Johnson's 8th Annual Boots & Jeans, BBQ & Beans is this Sunday, July 13th,

Senator Jack Johnson's 8th Annual Boots & Jeans, BBQ & Beans is this Sunday, July 13th, with special guest Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. The event will be held at the Factory in Franklin at 4 p.m. Tickets are $50 per person. To purchase your tickets follow this link.

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Happy 4th of July.

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Fund Raiser for Bob Ries, Saturday, July 12, 11AM

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July 8th is registration deadline for the August 7th election.

Do you know a Republican in Davidson County 

who is not registered to vote?

The deadline for registering to vote for the August 7 election is only days away!  The last day to register to vote in person or by postmark with the Davidson County Election Commission is July 8, 2014.  Please don’t wait until the last day!

If you have voted or registered within the last 8 years, you are still registered and do not need to register again. For forms, requirements and other information, please visit the Davidson County Election Commission’s Register to Vote page by clicking here.  You can also confirm your registration status by visiting the “Am I Registered?”page on the election commission’s website. Early voting schedule HERE

In the August 7 election, every vote will count and our Republican candidates are counting on every vote—including yours!

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update: What happend at the Council meeting of Jully 1: The pink flamingos win an indefinite deferral and Honky Tonk preservation deffered meeting.

At three and a half hours long, this is a longer council meeting that I thought it would be since there was not a lot of controversial stuff on the agenda.  However, the Sylvan Park overlay pubic hearing takes almost two hours of the meeting.

To link to the agenda, the staff analysis and my agenda analysis, follow this link. The video is much more interesting if you follow along with an agenda. I do not summarize or even watch all of the public hearings. They normally are of interest only to nearby neighbors of the proposed rezoning, so if you are interested in a particular rezoning issue, you are on your on.

BILL NO. BL2014-772 on public hearing established new restrictions on a construction/demolition landfills and recycling facilities. While we need these facilities and they keep stuff out of the sanitary landfill that do not need to be in the landfill, they can create a nuisance and probably need these additional restrictions. There is no one speaking in opposition and this passes.

BILL NO. BL2014-807 on public hearing would expand the Sylvan Park Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District by about 40 acres and 700 homes. This is part two of a battle that was fought about seven years ago. If you remember all of the pink flamingos in the yards in Sylvan Park, that was the symbol adopted by opponents of the overlay to show their opposition.  I myself live in a neighborhood with an overlay which among other things prevents someone from putting aluminum siding on their home and I am pleased that our neighborhood has it, but I can understand the opposition. With this proposed overlay, people would have to go to the Historical Commission for approval to make certain changes to their home. Also, small home could not be torn down to build  much larger more expensive home. Most of those speaking in favor are wearing green arm bands and those in opposition are wearing the pink flamingo tee shires. There are a lot articulate rational argument and a lot of overblown passionate rhetoric on both sides on this issue. This is a lengthy public hearing. See time stamp 37.25- 2:49:00.  Former Councilman John Summers is one of those speaking in favor. The bill is deferred indefinitely. That does not kill it, but it would have to come back for another public hearing if it is put back on the agenda.

BILL NO. BL2014-771 on Second reading creates a new code provision for a “contextual overlay district” which could be applied to a neighborhood to ensure that infill development is compatible with surrounding properties. It does such things as restrict the height to no more than 125% of nearby homes. Already the same thing can be accomplished with an Urban Design Overlay, but this would make it easier. I have mixed views of this, but tend to oppose it. There are some neighborhoods that have been transformed from neighborhoods with homes in the $75,000 to $100,000 range to neighborhood were the homes are worth up to $650,000. If this had been in place those transformation would not have occurred. These transformations do destroy “affordable” housing but they also respond to market demand which results in a higher tax base. Do we want upper middle class people to all move to Williamson County or do we want to let market forces make room for them to live in Davidson County? This passes on a voice vote.

BILL NO. BL2014-770 on third reading is the bill that would change the definition of duplex so one could have two units on a piece of property and they would not have to be artificially joined the way they are now, where two protruding utility rooms are the only thing joining the homes. It would also impose heights restrictions. It passes on a voice vote.

BILL NO. BL2014-776 on third reading would create the Music City Cultural Heritage Overlay District to protect our honky tonks. It would require all businesses on lower Broadway, 2nd Ave and Printers Alley to have live music or sale merchandise reflective of Nashville culture- think boots, cowboy hats, tee shirts, and tacky souvenirs. It would also ban chain establishments. This was spurred by the threat of Walgreens to open a store on Lower Broad. The buildings are already protected this would apply to use. I love lower Broad and the honky tonks, but this is just too restrictive. People may want a nice meal without live music after visiting the honky tonks all day and night. If this was already in place we would not have the Hard Rock Café. If this was in place, we would not have the ice cream store on lower Broad. We would not have the Merchants Hotel restaurant.  We once had a Planet Hollywood on Lower Broad and while I did not particularly like it, it was better than an empty building. Do we want to stop House of Blues from opening in Nashville, if they wanted to do so? While I would not want to see it on Lower Broad, a sports memorabilia store, an art gallery, or a good antique store, or a candy store on Second Ave, may provide a better experience for tourist.  This is just too restrictive. This has been disapproved by the Planning Commission.  It is differed two meetings.

Here is the Tennessean report on the Council meeting:  Fierce Sylvan Park fight goes to council; vote deferred.

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"Lamar was Right" Television ad

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Alexander Campaign Launches Obamacare Ad, Announces Fundraising Totals

Campaign reports more than $900,000 in second-quarter fundraising, with $3.4 million cash on hand

NASHVILLE –  Lamar Alexander’s re-election campaign today announced the launch of a statewide television ad demonstrating his consistent, principled stand against Obamacare, and disclosed that he’d raised more than $900,000 in the second quarter. Alexander’s cash on hand stands at more than $3.4 million.

The ad begins, “Republicans chose Tennessee’s Lamar Alexander to lead” and shows Alexander’s debate with President Obama at the White House Health Care Summit. The two spar over Alexander’s statement that the president’s plan would lead to more expensive health insurance premiums for individuals. Later, both President Obama and Fox News affirmed that Alexander was right – and the president was wrong – about the true costs of Obamacare.

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Factcheck.org says Joe Carr uses "false logic" in ad claiming Alexander responsbile for immigration crisis.

Using false logic is nothing new for Joe Carr and in a new ad attacking Lamar Alexander for his support of the 2013 Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act, using false logic is what Factcheck says Carr does. The ad says Alexander's voting for the act is "responsible" for the current surge in illegal immigration.

First of all, the bill did not even pass.  So, how could Alexander's support of it contribute to the current surge in illegal immigration? His vote made absolutely no change to immigration policy. And, even if it would have passed, it only applied to illegal immigrants who had entered the country prior to 2012.

Also, Carr calls the act "amnesty."  I know many conservatives call anything short of rounding them up and sending them all home, "amnesty" but that is a misuse of the language. Amnesty is a general pardon for an offenses.  When we let Vietnam era draft dodgers who had fled to Canada return to America, that was amnesty. The Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act may not have been a good idea but it was hardly amnesty. 

It provided greater funding for border security, doubling the number of border agents and building 350 more miles of fence on the southern border. After the border was deemed secure, then it would have allow those illegally here prior to 2012 to apply for provisional legal status and then if they met the provisions of the bill they could become citizens after 13 years. Citizenship would not have been automatic.  The alien would have had to learn English and pass the citizenship test just like all other applicants. Each alien would have had to pay a $1,000 "penalty" and $2,000 in fees for the temporary Z visa, pass a background check, and submit proof of employment and fingerprints. Then after getting the initial Z visa, in four years the applicant would have had to pay another fee for an extension of the visa. For a family of four, the total cost would have been about $15,000 and they would have had to pay any back taxes owed.

Actually, I thought was that a pretty reasonable approach. I did not support it simply because I do not trust the current occupant of the White House to follow the law, but in the abstract I thought it made sense. You may not like that plan, but it is no more amnesty than the current situation is de facto "amnesty."  Anyway, it did not pass, so it is false logic to blame the current border surge in illegal immigration on Alexander's support of that bill.

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What's on the Council Agneda fo July1? Pink Flamingos and Honky Tonk protection.

Council meetings are still boring but a bit less boring if you know what the Council is voting on. To get your own copy of the Metro Council meeting agenda and the Council staff analysis follow these links: Agenda, Staff analysis.

There is one resolution and 19 bills on public hearing. Most bills on pubic hearing are zoning bill which only interest the nearby neighbors. There are a couple worth watching.

BILL NO. BL2014-772 on public hearing established new restrictions on a construction/demolition landfills and recycling facilities. While we need these facilities and they keep stuff out of the sanitary landfill that do not need to be in the landfill, they can create a nuisance and probably need these additional restrictions.

BILL NO. BL2014-807 on public hearing would expand the Sylvan Park Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District by about 40 acres and 700 homes. If you recall those pink flamingos in the yard of people in Sylvan Park from some years ago who opposed an overlay, well they are back. I guess the pink flamingos are a tongue-in-cheek representation of a red neck rejection of gentrification pretentiousness. A pink flamingo in a yard represents a homeowner opposed to the overlay. I myself live in a neighborhood with an overlay which among other things prevents someone from putting aluminum siding on their home and I am pleased that our neighborhood has it, but I can understand the opposition. With this proposed overlay, people would have to go to the Historical Commission for approval to make certain changes to their home. To read the Tennessean take on this issue, follow this link.

There are twelve resolutions on the agenda and I assume all of them will be on the consent agenda, meaning they are lumped together and pass with a single vote. None of them appear controversial.

BILL NO. BL2014-771 on Second reading creates a new code provision for a “contextual overlay district” which could be applied to a neighborhood to ensure that infill development is compatible with surrounding properties. It does such things as restrict the height to no more than 125% of nearby homes. Already the same thing can be accomplished with an Urban Design Overlay, but this would make it easier. I have mixed views of this, but tend to oppose it. There are some neighborhoods that have been transformed from neighborhoods with homes in the $75,000 to $100,000 range to neighborhood were the homes are worth up to $650,000. If this had been in place those transformation would not have occurred. These transformations do destroy “affordable” housing but they also respond to market demand which results in a higher tax base. Do we want upper middle class people to all move to Williamson County or do we want to let market forces make room for them to live in Davidson County? Also, why should existing property owners who want to sell and move, not be permitted to get the highest dollar for their home? If allowed to be torn down, the lots are more valuable than the home on the lot.

A tall skinny Nashville duplex

BILL NO. BL2014-770 on third reading is the bill that would change the definition of duplex so one
could have two units on a piece of property and they would not have to be artificially joined the way they are now, where two protruding utility rooms are the only thing joining the homes. It would also impose heights restrictions.

BILL NO. BL2014-776 on third reading would create the Music City Cultural Heritage Overlay District to protect our honky tonks. It would require all businesses on lower Broadway, 2nd Ave and printers alley to have live music or sale merchandise reflective of Nashville culture- think boots, cowboy hats, tee shirts, and tacky souvenirs. It would also ban chain establishments. This was spurred by the threat of Wallgreens to open a store on Lower Broad. The buildings are already protected this would apply to use. I love lower Broad and the honky tonks, but this is just too restrictive. People may want a nice meal without live music after visiting the honky tonks all day and night. If this was already in place we would not have the Hard Rock Café. If this was in place, we would not have the ice cream store on lower Broad. We would not have the Merchants Hotel restaurant.  We once had a Planet Hollywood on Lower Broad and while I did not particularly like it, it was better than an empty building. Do we want to stop House of Blues from opening in Nashville, if they wanted to do so? While I would not want to see it on Lower Broad, a sports memorabilia store, an art gallery, or a good antique store, or a candy store on Second Ave, may provide a better experience for tourist.  This is just too restrictive. This has been disapproved by the Planning Commission so will require 27 votes to pass. It should be withdrawn and the proponents should go back to the drawing board and come up with something less restrictive or maybe we don't need it at all.  

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Major victory for religous liberty and a blow to Obamacare. Hobby Lobby wins! Tennesseans Respond.

A major victory for religious liberty was struck this morning when the United States Supreme Court ruled in a 5 to 4 decision in the Hobby Lobby case that  the government could not compel Hobby lobby to pay for insurance covering early abortion inducing drugs as mandated by Obamacare. Below are the commends of some prominent Tennesseans.

Lamar Alexander

U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander, the senior Republican on the Senate health committee and one of 88 members of Congress who joined in filing an amicus brief on behalf of Hobby Lobby, released the following statement on the Supreme Court’s ruling: 

The Supreme Court’s decision today makes clear that the government cannot force Americans to defy the basic tenets of their faith simply because they own a business. I am glad the Supreme Court has preserved our Constitution’s protections of religious freedom from another overreach by the Obama administration.

Senator Bob Corker:  This result is a huge victory for all who believe in separation of powers and the rule of law. 

Marsha Blackburn

Congressman Marsha Blackburn:

By attacking the religious convictions of the Green family, the Obama Administration has once again shown its distain for the free expression of faith. With this ruling, I am relieved that the Supreme Court has somewhat blunted the President's endless assault on our individual freedoms and liberties. Barack Obama and his administration need to remember that he was elected President, not king; and that people should be able to practice their faith without fear of big government trampling on the Judeo-Christian values upon which our great nation was founded.

Additionally, this is an important victory for the job creators in our economy. For the past six years, the Obama Administration has destroyed jobs with its insatiable desire to regulate and control. Successful business owners know how best to manage their affairs, not unelected bureaucrats in Washington. The more this Administration meddles in the economy, the fewer jobs that will be created and the more families that will suffer from the lack of a steady income.

The fact that this case needed to be heard at all should demonstrate to all of us that the struggle to preserve American liberty is never-ending.

George Flynn

Dr. George Flynn, candidate Republican nomination for U.S Senate, issued the following statement:   

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered a victory to the American people in its ruling that employers can opt out of providing coverage for contraception if they have religious objections. While this is a huge success, the fight is not over.

We must continue to fight to return the Doctor/patient relationship to healthcare, which has been stripped through Obamacare. I have seen this first hand as a doctor and this is why I have worked to develop a the Patient Centered Health Plan, one which includes principles such as portability, free markets, and the right of conscious. We must continue to fight and not give up until we are completely free of Obamacare and its harsh regulations.

David Fowler

David Fowler, President of The Family Action Council of Tennessee (FACT), issued the following statement:

Today’s decision by the Supreme Court is a great day for religious liberty in our country. The Court rightly recognized that in our country the law should not require individuals to violate the tenets of their religious beliefs in order to operate their private businesses. They have upheld the promise made by our Founding Fathers that this would be a nation in which religious liberty would forever be freely exercised without oppression by civil government.

The abortifacients mandate in Obamacare put individuals in the position of having to choose between obeying the law or the dictates of their conscience. All freedom-loving people in America owe a debt of gratitude to the owners of these two companies for being the latest in a long line of courageous Americans who have stood for freedom against government tyranny and religious oppression.

Hopefully, today’s decision will serve as a strong rebuke to those who have expansive views on the reach of civil government and a disdain for individuals whose religious viewpoints form the basis for their decisions and actions. It is good to know that individual business owners can still carry their religious beliefs into the marketplace when they leave home.  

For statements by other prominent Tennesseans follow these link: Joe Carr, Congressman Scott DesJarlais,  Congressman Fleischmann
Check back for more updates and commentary. 

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Newt Gingrich and Art Laffer endrose Lamar Alexander.

In case you missed it, last week Senator Lamar Alexander picked up the official endorsements of Newt Gingrich and former Ronald Reagan economist Art Laffer. link.

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Sens. Rand Paul and Lamar Alexander visiting Nashville on Monday to talk Obamacare

Senator Rand Paul and Senator Lamar Alexander will be in Nashville tomorrow to host a roundtable discussion about the Affordable Care Act with state health care professionals. The roundtable is set for the Nashville City Center on Monday morning. Both lawmakers will hold a news conference after the event at 11 a.m.  Tor read the Tennessean story follow this link.

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MTRW luncheon Tuesday, July 8th

From MTRW:

Middle Tennessee Republican Women

Check out our upcoming events and mark your calendar!

  MTRW luncheon Tuesday, July 8th

11:30-1:00 pm
Frost, Brown, Todd Law offices,  The Pinnacle Bldg, 19th FL, 150 Third Ave South
 WE WILL BE DISCUSSING OUR CANDIDATES AND THE AMENDMENTS ON THE BALLOT. DON'T MISS THIS INFORMATIVE LUNCHEON! 

Lunch is $15 for members and $20 for non-members. Credit and debit cards are accepted at the door, but please let us know your payment method in your RSVP. RSVP to stachiagop@gmail.com.

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Show Hobby Lobby some love. Today. 3PM

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