More than 30 candidates have launched campaigns for Metro Council. Here is the list.

by Rod Williams, March 4, 2023- The below chart is part of a Tennessean article. The article is excellent. Being mindful of fair use considerations and the Tennessean's copyright I am not going to post the whole thing, but I would love to. 

I am so glad to see this article because I was going to start compiling a list of my own of which seats were open and another list of who had appointed a treasurer for their campaign. I am glad to see The Tennessean has done the hard work.

To go directly to the chart and see the full list, follow this link.

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What Exactly is a Charter School?

From The Beacon Center of Tennessee:

 

Charter schools are public schools. They’re free to attend, as in no tuition. They’re non-religious, non-profit, and there’s no admissions tests or interviews – charter schools are open to anyone who’s eligible for public education. Charters have to meet the same state testing requirements as zoned public schools, and their accountability requirements are even higher. 

Charter schools were created to help expand and improve public education. They have the flexibility to innovate and experiment. And they work! Growth scores for charters outperformed traditional public schools by nearly double. Most importantly, charter schools give parents and students more public options to receive a life-changing, high-quality education. 

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Alice Rolli, former state economic development official enters Nashville mayor’s race

Alice Rolli

BY: HOLLY MCCALL, Tennessee Lookout , MARCH 3, 2023 -  Ending weeks of public speculation, Alice Rolli, a former official with the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development and staff member for former U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, formally announced Friday she is running for Nashville Mayor. 

“I see, and I hear, that while Nashville may be a party for our visitors — it isn’t a party for everyone who lives here,” Rolli said in a statement.  “Our young families and our most vulnerable neighbors are struggling.”

“I hear that with this election we can choose to welcome visitors but insist — at every turn — that the needs of our people, our safety, our infrastructure, and our children’s education — comes first.” 

.....Rolli’s Republican credentials separate her from the other candidates in the race. (link)

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Nashville police response times have ballooned since 2020. Oversight group says that damages faith in the department

by PAIGE PFLEGER, WPLN News, MARCH 1, 2023 -There is a national trend of increased police response times, but the problem has gotten especially bad in Nashville.

In 2020, it took only 10 minutes for Nashville police to respond to a call about a shooting. Two years later, that wait time had tripled to half an hour. (link) 

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Gov Bill Lee signs the adult-oriented performances that are harmful to minors Act.

 To read the bill follow this link: SB0003.pdf (tn.gov)

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Gov. Bill Lee signs The Protecting Children from Gender Mutilation Act

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Bellevue Breakfast Club this Saturday, March 4th,

 DCRP Chairman Lonnie Spivak will host the next Bellevue Breakfast Club this Saturday, March 4th, at 8:30am at Plantation Pub (8321 Sawyer Brown Road) in Bellevue. For March, we are happy to welcome guest speaker Aaron Gulbransen, Executive Director of the Tennessee Faith & Freedom Coalition. Come hear his updates on pending legislation and upcoming elections.

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Saturday is the deadline to register for the Campaign Management School

 This Saturday is the deadline to register for the Campaign Management School being conducted by the Foundation for Applied Conservative Leadership. The cost is only $45 - but you must sign up by March 4. This all-day training will be held at The Glock Store and is great for potential candidates or campaigners. Don't miss it! Find more details and sign up at: Nashville TN CMS (facl-training.org)

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Davidson County Entrepreneurs Named NFIB Tennessee Small Business Champions

Mark Faulkner
of Vireo Systems Inc.

 NASHVILLE (Feb. 22, 2023) — NFIB, the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization has recognized Mark Faulkner of Vireo Systems Inc. and Deeannah Seymour of pH-D Feminine Health with its prestigious Small Business Champion award. NFIB State Director Jim Brown made the presentations Tuesday at NFIB’s Small Business Day at the Capitol in Nashville.

The Small Business Champion award honors NFIB members who go the extra mile to help the association promote and protect the right of its members to own, operate and grow their businesses. 

Seymour is CEO and co-founder of pH-D Feminine Health with Faulkner in Madison, and Faulkner is CEO and founder of Vireo Systems, a Madison-based manufacturer and distributor of holistic products for people and pets. The company also has operations in Nebraska. 

Deeannah Seymour 
of pH-D Feminine Health 

“Mark and Deeannah embody what outstanding small business advocacy looks like by telling their stories and presenting their challenges clearly to lawmakers,” Brown said. “In 2021, they hosted a press conference with Governor Bill Lee and state leaders at their warehouse in support of Amendment 1 – which passed last November enshrining our right-to-work law into the state constitution. They also engaged their employees and promoted the successful effort with powerful educational videos.” 

“Additionally, they participated on a panel last December in a U.S. Senate briefing, sharing their experiences with large technology companies who use anti-competitive business practices at the expense of small businesses and consumers. They continue to express support of the American Innovation and Choice Online Act, S. 2992, which would address these challenges. They are simply stalwart leaders, and we’re grateful for all they are doing for small business here in Tennessee and across the country.”  

“I am tremendously honored to receive the NFIB Small Business Champion award,” said Faulkner, an NFIB member since 2005. “Through NFIB, we have seen successes for our business by addressing many onerous tax, labor, and regulatory challenges at the state and federal levels. Indeed, NFIB is the Voice of Small Business, and our team at Vireo knows this firsthand.” 

“I’m very grateful for the Small Business Champion award and equally grateful that NFIB helps us to address the obstacles our business continues to face,” Seymour said. “It was an honor to work with Mark and NFIB’s federal team on testimony in support of S. 2992, during which we were able to bring the collective voice of small business to Washington, D.C. last year.” 

In 2021, the State of Nebraska recognized Vireo Systems as its Business of the Year. Last week, the company added a 32,000-square-foot facility alongside its existing plant in Plattsmouth, NE, to become the first U.S. producer of the nutritional supplement creatine.  

Vireo Systems develops, manufactures and markets products and brands that enhance the health of humans and animals while delivering safe, non-toxic remedies for various public health needs. pH-D® Feminine Health provides holistic feminine wellness solutions “developed by a woman for women.” 

About NFIB

For 80 years, the National Federation of Independent Business has been advocating on behalf of America’s small and independent business owners, both in Washington, D.C., and in all 50 state capitals. NFIB is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and member-driven. Since our founding in 1943, NFIB has been exclusively dedicated to small and independent businesses, and remains so today. For more information, please visit nfib.com.

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Campaign Management Training for Friends, Volunteers, and the Neighbor next door

 

Link

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1st Tuesday guest Andy Ogles, Tuesday March 14

 

Register here.

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Audit reveals unbelievable mismanagement at TSU and Comptroller recommends major changes including vacating the Board.

by Rod Williams, Feb. 26, 2023 - The State Comptroller office recently conducted an audit of Tennessee State University, and the findings are astoundingly bad.  Here is an example of what the audit found:

During our review, TSU leadership provided inconsistent information regarding key actions and decisions. Based on our review of available information, TSU management's lack of planning and sound decision-making coupled with the institution’s history of systemic failures in fundamental accounting and fiscal areas are cause for serious concern. Key staff did not properly assess the risks inherent to increased admissions, including the basic needs of housing the student population and fulfilling scholarship obligations, and did not take substantive action for long-term solutions.

TSU does not even do basic bank statement reconciliation and made no attempt to correct prior audits. 

In the most recent Financial and Compliance Audit Report, for fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, the Division of State Audit noted uncorrected prior audit findings. These findings extended from management’s disregard of basic financial controls and fiscal management. For one issue, management has allowed systemic breakdowns of controls to result in errors in financial reporting for seven consecutive years. The report noted the lack of processes to record significant financial transactions, perform routine bank reconciliations, and manage accounts receivable, including timely collections. 

The audit examines the problem of insufficient housing for TSU students and says the university failed to consider housing students when it increased enrollment. The leases that TSU negotiated with local hotels to house students were super expensive for the University, which of course means they were paid for by the taxpaers. See the below chart. 

Wow! $139 a night. That is expensive housing! As an example of how TSU compares to other state universities, the University of Memphis only houses 300 students off campus and The University of Tennessee-Knoxville only houses 250. One of the conclusions of the audit was, "TSU management's lack of planning and management exacerbated the university’s existing housing problem." Conducting the audit, TSU could not even tell state auditors who negotiated the leases. Unbelievable!

Another area of concern in the audit is the way TSU uses grade point averages in admissions procedures.  This is also unbelievable. 

According to the university registrar, the GPA considered for admissions and scholarships differ, but in both instances, TSU uses the GPA that is listed on the student’s high school transcript even when the GPA calculation is not comparable. For example, the GPA criteria used by TSU for admission and scholarship decisions is based on a 4.0 scale, but some high schools use a 5.0 scale or even a 100-point scale. However, according to the university registrar and the associate vice president for enrollment, TSU does not recalculate the GPA when making admission or scholarship decisions. 

What? I think any intelligent child could see the lack of logic is this way of using GPA scores. 

There is much much more in the 81-page report illustrating the astounding mismanagement of TSU. Here are some of the comptroller's recommendations:

•  The General Assembly could place TSU under the authority of the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR). ... Authority over TSU operations could be returned to the TSU Board of Trustees once certain conditions are met or after a specified period of time. 

• The General Assembly could vacate and restructure the TSU Board of Trustees. Since 2017, a 10-member local governing board of trustees has been responsible for overseeing the university’s management and governance, including budgeting and other important areas of operations. The board has not exercised effective oversight over TSU management regarding the university’s ongoing housing problem and fiscal practices.

• The General Assembly should consider mandating that TSU submit an annual scholarship plan and monthly reports regarding the number and value of all scholarships offered and the number of signed scholarship acceptance offers. 

• The General Assembly should consider mandating that TSU submit housing application data and enrollment application data on a monthly basis between March and September of each year. 

• The General Assembly should consider mandating that TSU provide projected enrollment classification data for the coming fall semester on November 1 of each year.

• The TSU Board of Trustees could replace current TSU management. The lack of planning and management on the part of TSU management has exacerbated the university’s existing housing problem.

• The TSU Board of Trustees should consider implementing a policy requiring the board’s prior approval of financial and budget changes, especially concerning scholarships. 

• TSU management should consider improving its responsiveness to communications received from parents and students. 

•  TSU management should consider revisiting what approvals are needed for transfers of funds from any of the university’s accounts to the plant funds and ensure that documentation is attached to any accounting entries. 

• TSU management should consider properly documenting scholarship award decisions and including a multiple-step approval process. While conducting the research for this special report, the 

To read the full audit report, follow this link. 

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Community Police Academy accepting applications.

Metro Nashville, February 14, 2023 - The Police Department is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for the 50th (spring) session of the department’s popular Community Police Academy which will be held at the Madison Precinct, 400 Myatt Drive, on Tuesday evenings for 12 weeks beginning on March 7 and running through May 23. Nashvillians interested in learning about the operations and law enforcement strategies of their police department are cordially invited to apply for this free and very informative course.

Classes will be held on Tuesday nights from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The deadline for applications is February 28.

Apply for the Community Police Academy

Participants will learn about police work through the perspective of a variety of guest speakers, including members of the police department’s specialized areas. There will be presentations from the TITANS Unit, Entertainment District Unit, Youth Services, Domestic Violence, Criminal Investigations, Violent Crimes, and Traffic Divisions. In addition, there will be an opportunity to ride along with an on-duty officer and visits to the Police Department Crime Lab, gun range, and Aviation Unit.

“The Community Police Academy is a really unique and fun way to learn about law enforcement in Nashville and our police department’s many components,” Chief John Drake said. “Folks from neighborhoods throughout Nashville are invited to apply.”

Each participant should commit to attending at least 10 of the 12 weeks, be a Davidson County resident/business owner at least 18 years old, and have no arrest record. While completion of the course gives residents an understanding of the workings of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, it does not make a participant a certified law enforcement officer.

Some 2,000 persons have attended the Community Police Academy since it began in 1995.

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