QAnon: As American as Apple Pie

by Nora Fellas, Social Media Director, Vanderbilt Political Review​, April 13, 2021 - In recent months, we have seen conspiracy theories—like the idea that President Joe Biden stole the election from Trump—increasingly accepted into the mainstream, as politicians, including former-President Donald Trump, encouraged them. Websites like QAnon, Facebook, and Parler have seemed to add fuel to the fire. But a closer look at the American tradition of conspiracy theories shows that we aren’t dealing with anything new, nor are conspiracy theories merely a fringe phenomenon. (continue reading)

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Gov. Bill Lee proposes two-week sales tax break on dining out, groceries in budget amendment

State of Tennessee press release, Tuesday, April 13, 2021,  NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced his amendment to the proposed Fiscal Year 2021-2022 budget.

The amendment includes $580 million in available funds as a result of fiscal prudence. These funds will be invested in strategic long-term projects that focus on a return to pre-pandemic priorities and deliver critical services while not growing government. The budget amendment also includes nearly $100 million for a two-week sales tax holiday on all grocery sales, purchases at restaurants, and all prepared food. 

“This proposal supports Tennesseans by strategically investing in long-term initiatives that will move our state forward,” said Gov. Lee. “I’m especially proud to provide tax cuts to get money back to Tennesseans to encourage them to frequent industries that have been disproportionately and negatively impacted this year.” 

 

This amendment reflects the Governor’s priorities and includes record investments in broadband, economic development, safety and law enforcement, increasing reserves, and education. 

“Due to Tennessee’s strong financial leadership, Tennessee has been ranked number one in fiscal stability by US World News & Report in both 2019 and 2020,” said Commissioner of Finance and Administration Butch Eley.

  

“Our prudent and cautious approach has established Tennessee as a leader in fiscal conservatism, and we thank the General Assembly for their partnership in these efforts.” 

Notable investments in the FY 21-22 budget amendment include:

 

Tax Cuts 

• $25M for a two-week sales tax holiday for groceries 
• $75M for a two-week sales tax holiday for restaurants and all prepared food 
• $16M to reduce the professional privilege tax by 25 percent 

K-12 Education and Mental Health 

• $250M trust fund to assist K-12 families who are facing significant mental health issues in the wake of COVID-19 
• $18.5M to transportation to students for summer learning 
• $2M to provide an additional 4 high quality, grade aligned books and resources over the summer for the 88,000 rising first graders in Tennessee 

Higher Education 

• $79M to eliminate current TCAT waitlists statewide, currently at 11,400 students 
• $25M to Tennessee Promise to permit increases in the Hope Scholarship 
• $4M to increase Agriculture Extension Agents at University of Tennessee and Tennessee State University 

Rural & Agriculture 

• $50K to support the state fair (in addition to the $250,000 recurring in originally proposed budget for total of $300K and $5M non-recurring) 
• $3M to provide additional funding for rural projects as part of the Rural Economic Opportunity Fund (in addition to $21M in originally proposed budget for total of $24M) 

Safety 

• $500K to provide gun safety programming for children 
• $17M to replace radios for state troopers 
• $18M to improve the statewide disaster communications system 
• $680K to add 4 new Homeland Security Agents 

Economic Development 

• $5M to provide grants to restore and preserve historic downtowns across the state 
• $3M to increase employment in Tennessee through the Small Business Innovation program

Transportation 

• $3M recurring and an additional $10M nonrecurring to provide additional direct funding to airports across Tennessee through the Transportation Equity Fund (total $50M investment in air infrastructure) 

To view the full budget amendment, click here.

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I got a fundraising letter from the Tennessee Democratic Party today.

by Rod Williams - I doubt many Republicans get Democrat fund raising letters but I like to know what the other side is up to so I subscribe to the Tennessee Democratic Party newsletter and occasionally get a communication or fundraising email from the Tennessee Dems. 

Now, I don't take fundraising letter rhetoric very seriously. They are by nature inflammatory. Both sides, in order to motivate their supporters to give, have to get them riled up. Pointing out how evil the other side is seems to work better than touting the benefits of your side's policy positions and accomplishments, so often partisans resort to demonizing the other side. I am okay with that because I think Democrats need to be demonized. Abortion-on-Demand, Defund the Police, Socialism, The Green New Deal, advancing Critical Race Theory, trampling the constitution, and bankrupting America deserve demonetizing. Hell, Dems may be demons, or demon possessed or demon fellow-travelers and demon apologist. Demonize away! 

While there are many caring and good people who vote Democrat, and I have some among my family, the philosophy for which they vote, I do think is evil.  These people I love are not themselves evil, but they vote for evil. It is okay to demonize evil. 

 

I recently got an email from Hendrell Remus, Chair of the Tennessee Democratic Party.  There is nothing earth shattering in this April 14th fundraising newsletter but I thought readers might find the tone interesting. Here are a couple excerpts. the bold highlighting is mine.

Rod, 

Bill Lee, Marsha Blackburn, Bill Hagerty – they’re all the same. They are Trump’s legacy and will continue to push his hateful ideology and dangerous agenda as long as they remain in power. That’s why the TNDP is laser focused right now on our Build Back Blue program, and why we need help reaching our mid-month goal. We still have $4,790 to raise before midnight tomorrow. Will you help? 

Notice the anti-Trump emphasis.  We can expect this for years to come. While some may not like Trump or be disappointed in him, it is hard to overstate how much Democrats hate him.  I myself am not a huge Donald Trump fan.  I certainly preferred his policies to those of the Democrats but thought Trump a bully and a BS artist with an oversized ego and was not even sure he was a conservative. I doubted he had an ideology or even core values to which he was committed.   Democrats, however, think he is "a monster," or "the greatest threat to mankind since Adolph Hitler."  Their hatred of Trump was visceral and that was from day one. They will use Trump to raise money as long as Trump is around. 

More:

The TNDP has been long overdue for an overhaul, and that’s exactly what we’re doing now.

"Long overdue for an overhaul;" is this a slap at  former chair Mary Mancini?  She did not reverse the losing streak of Tennessee Democrats and in fact I think the number of Dems holding office continued to shrink in Tennessee while she was chair.  I thought she was the wrong person to build the party but was pleased to see her in the role as chair because I did not want to see the party rebuilt.  I did not think she would be able to appeal to that moderate rural voter in say, Carol County or White County.  In fairness, I don't think any chair could have done much better. Maybe, someone with a Tennessee accent and Tennessee roots could have done a little better, but not much.  The Democrat Party has moved so far to the left that they can not appeal to most Tennesseans.  

For one thing, there is not much of a middle.  We are divided into our respective camps and there are not many people who are wavering or are persuadable or undecided. Face it, the Democrat Party's values and policies are not attractive to most Tennesseans. The Democratic Party is simply too woke, too socialist, and too radical to appeal to Tennessee voters. The Democratic Party is out of touch with Tennessee voters.

Currently the Democrat party has two blue islands in a sea of red. Democrats have a lock on Memphis and Nashville.  Democrat prospects for wining beyond these two liberal strongholds depend on immigrants moving into the state and voting for the same policies that created the disaster of the places they fled; not in changing the minds of Tennesseans who vote Republicans.  While their parents and grandparents may have voted Democrat, Tennesseans recognize that the Democrat Party of John F. Kennedy is not the Democrat Party of today. I don't think many Republicans will be persuaded to return to the Democrat fold.  I don't think an overhaul will help the Tennessee Democrat Party.

Continuing:

The TNDP has been long overdue for an overhaul, and that’s exactly what we’re doing now. On April 22, our Build Back Blue Kickoff event will mark a turning point in our efforts towards defeating Bill Lee and his co-conspirators.

"Bill Lee and his co-conspirators?" This is just thrown out there without any explanation. How did Bill Lee conspire and with whom did he conspire and what did he conspire to do?  I really do not know what he is talking about. 

Continuing:

P.S. Please, only donate if you can afford to. The impacts of this pandemic are real, and we completely understand if times are tough right now.

What??? I guess as long as Dems have the super rich liberals they don't need money from the little ole ladies on Social Security.  I have never seen a Republican fundraiser letter excuse a person for not giving.  I get inundated with Republican fundraising letters and never have I been given and escape hatch for not giving. I think Republicans would talk the grandma on social security eating cat food out of a can, out of her last dime.  Maybe, in some ways, Democrats are kindler and gentler. 

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Truth in Taxation will give TN taxpayers a fighting chance to stop a massive tax hike.

From Americans for Prosperity- Tennessee

Listen to the AFP-TN team breakdown "Truth-In-Taxation." 

Truth in Taxation will give TN taxpayers a fighting chance to stop a massive tax hike. When a city has a reckless spending & debt problem ( Nashville) they will be required to give advance public notice before raising taxes. 

Let your lawmakers know you support (HB 1315 / SB 1353) by emailing them here: www.truthintaxationtn.com 

Or, join us in person at the Property & Planning Subcommittee hearing:

When: Tuesday (4/13) at 4:30pm

Where: Cordell Hull Building (425 Rep. John Lewis Way N, Nashville, TN 37243) -- Hearing Room III (3).

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A Voter ID laws Comic Book

 

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