Thursday, July 11, 2024

The Nashville Public Library Promotes Transgenderism among Children. Your Tax Dollars at Work.

by Rod Williams, June 29, 2024- I had occasion to go to the main Public Library downtown today and found the lobby had been devoted to celebrating Pride month. Many of the displays were aimed toward promoting transgenderism of among children. Below are pictures. 

Recently, I posted an essay critical of Tennessee Stands and and Gary Humble for equating Pride celebrations to Domestic Terrorism. I stand by that essay. I condemn spreading intolerance and hate. I kind of take a live and let live approach. Liberty means tolerating a lot of actions and opinions with which you may disagree. 

However, I object to using public funds to spread propaganda promoting transgenderism among young people.  If I private bookstore wanted to have these displays then I would think government ought to stay out of it and the private bookstore has the right to do what they want. If a private bookstore wants to have drag queen story hour, then I support their right to do so; if a public library wants to have a drag queen story hour, I object. 

When the government does something, they are doing it with my tax dollars and in my name. I object. 

































About this book, from Amazon.
















From Amazon


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Tuesday, July 09, 2024

The national debt is ballooning. The next president probably won’t stop it.

By Jacob Bogage, The Washington Post, June 24, 2024 - As the national debt soars toward a new and worrisome record, neither President Biden nor former president Donald Trump is likely to bring the tide of red ink under control, experts say.

Trump is pledging to extend the enormous package of tax cuts adopted on his watch and has discussed further reducing taxes for corporations. Biden, meanwhile, also wants to extend the Trump tax cuts for families earning less than $400,000 a year, while calling for nearly $1 trillion in fresh spending over the next decade on social programs — though Biden vows to cover those costs by raising taxes on the rich.

Neither candidate has made debt reduction a priority while in the White House, according to research released Monday by the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. The debt grew by $8.4 trillion during Trump’s first term, while Biden so far has added $4.3 trillion, ... Last week, the CBO projected annual budget deficits of nearly $2 trillion for the foreseeable future. That mismatch between spending and revenue will drive borrowing ever higher, with the debt growing to more than $50 trillion by 2034 — or more than 122 percent of the nation’s overall economy — the CBO said. (read it all)

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Monday, July 08, 2024

Courtney Johnston builds fundraising war chest

Courtney Johnston
Axios Nashville, July 8, 2024- Metro Councilmember Courtney Johnston raked in $715,000 in the last three months to fuel her Republican primary challenge of U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, her campaign tells Axios.

Why it matters: The race is a political rarity for a Republican primary: an incumbent backed by former President Trump facing a legitimate, well-financed challenger.

The big picture: Johnston's fundraising haul this quarter shows there's an appetite to get rid of Ogles, the freshman House member who's been embroiled in controversy.

By the numbers: Johnston now has over $500,000 cash on hand to bankroll her campaign for the stretch run. In addition to her own fundraising efforts, an outside group called Conservatives With Character has been airing anti-Ogles television ads for about the last two weeks.

Ogles, meanwhile, is playing catch-up on the fundraising front. For much of his tenure, he disclosed a $300,000 personal loan to his campaign. Earlier this year, he amended 11 disclosures to remove the loan after becoming the subject of an ethics complaint.

After those changes, he reported just over $95,000 cash on hand. The Tennessean reported last week that Ogles' re-election effort relies on the Americans for Prosperity political group for financial support.

State of play: Trump expressed his support for Ogles last year, but that was before Johnston entered the race.

Johnston has earned the admiration of Nashville's business community during her five years on the Metro Council. Some of the city's most prominent business leaders back her campaign.

Between the lines: The race is also colored by the fact that this is just the second election in the newly drawn District 5, which represents a large portion of Nashville where Johnston lives.

Nashville, previously a single House district and Democratic stronghold, is now divided into three House districts where Republicans have large advantages.

As a result, none of Nashville's three representatives live in the city.

Reality check: Ogles still enjoys support from Republican leaders.

In addition to Trump, eight Republican state lawmakers endorsed Ogles' campaign. Johnston touted Ogles' work to address "border security, government accountability and inflation" to the conservative Tennessee Star outlet.

Election Day for the Republican primary is Aug. 1. Early voting begins July 12.

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Traffic + Transit Forum, Saturday July 20

 


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Trump is less Fiscally Responsible than Biden. Even Excluding Covid relief, Trump added more to National Debt than Biden.

by Rod Williams, June 8, 2024- In discussion with fellow Republicans, they may admit Trump's flaws and express concern about Trump's character and commitment to democracy but will argue that his policies are superior to those of President Biden. They will assert that Trump and Republicans are fiscally responsible, and that Democrats spend recklessly. The data does not support that.  

At one time, not so long ago, I believe Republicans were the party of fiscal responsibility. Along with abandoning many of their other principles, Republicans no longer seem concerned about the looming debt crisis and in practice are no better than Democrats at restraining our ballooning national debt. Republicans may put on a good show and threaten a government shutdown when it is time to raise the debt ceiling, but that is reckless drama. In practice, Republicans are no better stewards of taxpayer dollars than Democrats.

When one points out to a Trump supporter that Trump ballooned the deficit, they will excuse this by saying he had to deal with Covid and provide Covid relief. That is true. However, even excluding debt relief for Covid, Trump was a bigger spender than Biden. Also, you may recall, that if Trump would have had his way, the government would have even been more generous with Covid relief. At one time when Congress appropriated $600 a month Covid relief for the unemployed, Trump argued it should be $2,000 a month. (link) Democrats were more fiscally responsible than Republicans. 

The following from Committee for a Reponsible Federal Budget provides data to show that Trump has been a bigger spender than Biden.

Trump and Biden: The National Debt

The national debt is on course to reach a record share of the economy under the next presidential administration, due in part to policies approved by Presidents Trump and Biden during their time in office, including executive actions and legislation passed by Congress. 

While it is important to understand the fiscal impact of the promises candidates make on the campaign trail – particularly because they reflect the candidates’ own policy preferences and are not impacted by unexpected external events or the actions of Congress – the fact that both leading candidates have served as President also allows for a comparison of their actual fiscal records. This analysis focuses on the estimated ten-year debt impact of policies approved by Presidents Trump and Biden around the time of enactment.1 In this analysis, we find:

President Trump approved $8.4 trillion of new ten-year borrowing during his full term in office, or $4.8 trillion excluding the CARES Act and other COVID relief.

President Biden, in his first three years and five months in office, approved $4.3 trillion of new ten-year borrowing, or $2.2 trillion excluding the American Rescue Plan.

President Trump approved $8.8 trillion of gross new borrowing and $443 billion of deficit reduction during his full presidential term. 

President Biden has so far approved $6.2 trillion of gross new borrowing and $1.9 trillion of deficit reduction.


 


For the complete report follow this link

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Sunday, July 07, 2024

Tennessee U.S. Congress election: Meet Courtney Johnston, candidate for House District 5

by David Plazas, The Tennessean, July 1, 2025 - ... 

Which office are you seeking? U.S. House District 5. One of two Republicans in the primary election.

Age at the time of election: 45

What city/town in Tennessee do you live in? Nashville, Tennessee

Education: Bachelor of Science from the E.J Ourso College of Business Administration at Louisiana State with a Major in Finance

Job history: I worked at Deutsche Bank where I worked in debt service and as a debt reorganization specialist, primarily for corporate and municipal clients. I resigned from that role to pursue a career in music, which led to me to work in the restaurant and catering business. I ended up starting my own restaurant and catering business and eventually sold that business. After meeting my husband who is a general contractor, I became a real estate agent and have enjoyed that work for 10 years now.

Family: I’m married to my husband Danny of 7 years. Unfortunately, we were unable to have children. My mother moved here from my hometown in Louisiana in 2021 after my stepfather passed away and I’ve enjoyed having her so close. Danny and I have several siblings between us and many, many nephews and nieces that we enjoy immensely!

11 questions for the candidates

Why are you running for this office? (read more)


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City to Set New Goals, Outline Strategies and Develop Policy Recommendations to Advance Affordable Housing.

Nashville.Gov, reposted July 7, 2024- Metro Nashville’s Housing Division is developing a Unified Housing Strategy (UHS) that will set goals, outline strategies, and provide policy and program recommendation to advance access to affordable, safe, and stable housing for all Nashvillians.

The UHS will build upon other existing and on-going studies, including the 2021 Affordable Housing Task Force report, to provide detailed policy and program recommendations on how to increase housing security. The Housing Division has partnered with HR&A Advisors, Pillars Development, and MEPR Agency to support the development of the UHS.

This summer the Housing Division invites input from stakeholders through the following channels:

Metro Nashville’s Housing Division will be hosting four community listening sessions in late June and July that are open to all residents. Please see below for information about those sessions.

  • Unified Housing Strategy Community Listening Session, Monday, June 24, 5:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m. at Southeast Community Center (5260 Hickory Hollow Parkway, Suite 202)
  • Unified Housing Strategy Community Listening Session, Tuesday, July 9, 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. at the Main Library (615 Church Street)
  • Unified Housing Strategy Community Listening Session, Thursday, July 11, 5:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m. at East Park Regional Community Center (600 Woodland Street)
  • Unified Housing Strategy Community Listening Session, Thursday, July 18, 5:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m. at Bordeaux Branch Library (4000 Clarksville Pike)

Please contact Randi Semrick at randi.semrick@nashville.gov if you require accommodations, including translation services.

The Housing Division has also partnered with more than a dozen community-based organizations – “UHS Community Ambassadors” – to hold listening sessions with target populations during June and July. Residents interested in joining a session hosted by a UHS Ambassador may contact the organization directly. Please see below for a list of Community Ambassadors and their contact information. (follow link for list)

Rod's Comment: Last summer a proposal was introduced in the Metro Council that would significantly increase housing density and revamp Metro zoning codes. The proposal was known as NEST. The proposal was met with fierce opposition and was withdrawn. While NEST is not mentioned in the above announcement, it is expected that the Unified Housing Strategy will address some of the same issues as was the basis of the NEST proposals.

While many Nashvillians simply place preserving the character of their neighborhood above all other concerns, the problem of urban sprawl and lack of affordable housing must be addressed. If you are interested in the future of Nashville and the issues of housing affordability, you may want to engage in this planning process. 


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It’s Time for President Kamala Harris

 

It’s Time for President Kamala Harris

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Joe Biden is a delusional and amazingly stubborn man.

 By MARK ANTONIO WRIGHT, National Review, July 5, 2024 - I avoided all commentary before watching Joe Biden’s sit-down interview with ABC News’s George Stephanopoulos because I didn’t want to risk being influenced by other people’s opinions in any way — I wanted to see and hear and feel this thing firsthand and viscerally so that I could gauge the condition of the president of the United States.

Here’s what I think: 1) Biden looked and sounded terrible. ... 2) Biden’s stubbornness and obstinacy will come off as completely inexplicable to normal Americans. They’ll conclude that Joe Biden is a selfish politician primarily interested, above all else, in his own status and his own power. .... (link)

Rod's Comment: The above pretty much mirrors my view of the Stephanopoulos interview. 

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The 25th Amendment Should be Invoked to Remove Biden from Office.

by Rod Williams, June 29, 2024 - Now the whole world knows that Joe Biden is a senile old man who is incapable of fulfilling the duties of the office of president, where does that leave us?

The Democrats could replace Biden if he would agree to decline the nomination and voluntarily release his delegates. Even if he does agree to step aside, the window for replacing him is short. Even if Biden agrees to release his delegates and let the convention chose a candidate, it would be difficult. Some state laws would conflict with Party rules and replacing Biden as the candidate and releasing the delegates would not automatically remove Biden from the ballot everywhere. And if Biden is not persuaded to voluntarily step aside, it will prove even more difficult, almost impossible, to replace him. 

If Biden agrees to step aside and the conventions chooses a new nominee, who would it be? Kamala Harris is not well liked. She could not win. It will not be Kamala. At first glance Gavin Newsome of California has the good looks to be an attractive candidate, but California is a basket case. The high taxes, over regulation, corporations fleeing the state, income inequality, homelessness, and crime would be highlighted. There is a lot of fodder for destroying a Newsom candidacy. I don't think people would want the rest of the country to become a copy of California. Newsoms star would fade quickly. Maybe there is a dark horse candidate that could emerge that could have potential of attracting support, but I don't know who it would be, and the time is almost too short for even the perfect candidate to gain traction. 

The Democrats have been insisting that Donald Trump is an existential threat to democracy. I accept that. I also believe he is. However, I am beginning to question if Democrat leaders really believe it. If so, why did they not tell the truth about Biden's condition and find a viable candidate to challenge Trump. Democrat leaders and their allies in the media have covered up Biden's condition and left us with a senile candidate who should not be trusted to take care of himself, let alone be in control of America's nuclear arsenal and conduct the affairs of the nation. Biden needs to be in a nice assisted living facility; not the White House and those in the know, knew it.

I will never vote for Donald Trump again. January 6th was only one day, but the effort to overturn election results started on November 3rd, 2020 before the polls closed. Trump and his surrogates plotted to overturn the election results, pressured election officials to find votes for Trump, put up fake electors and called a mob to the capital to "stop the steal."  Trump is "practically and morally responsible” for the Capitol insurrection. He deserves to be in jail, not back in the oval office.

Unfortunately, at this point Donald J. Trump will again be the next President.  I don't see how he can be stopped. You can't defeat somebody with nobody, and Joe Biden is out for lunch and might as well be a nobody. All I can think of to do is simply hope and pray that Trump will not be as bad as he could be for our country. We will just have to wait and see how he governs and hope that in fact he does not become a dictator. 

While we wait and hope and pray, that means that for now, Joe Biden is still the man in charge and that is scary. We should deal with this now.

The twenty-fifth amendment to the constitution deals with presidential succession and disability. Section four of the 25th says that if the Vice President and a majority of the cabinet declare in a written declaration to Congress that the President is unable to discharge his duties, immediately the vice president becomes acting president. They should do it. I do not want Kamala Harris to be president, but at least she is not mentally incapacitated. If the VP and cabinet will not do it on their one initiative, Congress should pass a resolution asking that the VP and cabinet invoke the 25th. Joe Biden should not only not serve another term, but he should not be allowed to complete this term. 


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423 guns have been stolen from vehicles in Nashville

Metro Nashville Press Release, July 2, 2024- The Nashville Police Department strongly encourages Nashvillians to lock their automobile doors, secure any valuables---especially guns, and remove the keys.

So far this year, 423 guns have been stolen from vehicles in Nashville, 11 were taken from autos just last week. The total number of guns stolen this year in Davidson County is 594, which means that 71% of guns stolen so far in 2024 have been taken from automobiles. Last year at this same time, 663 guns had been stolen from vehicles, a 36% decrease so far this year.

MNPD’s special initiative to combat car theft and related crimes, begun on February 1st, has resulted in 589 arrests and the recoveries of 318 stolen vehicles and 119 guns.

Going hand in hand with vehicle burglaries is vehicle theft. Too many automobiles remain easy targets because keys are left inside or made available to thieves. Just like guns taken from vehicles, these stolen autos are also routinely involved in criminal activities, including carjackings and robberies.

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Saturday, July 06, 2024

If Joe Biden does not step aside, his legacy will be a second Donald Trump presidency

The Tennessean, July 5, 2024:  If Joe Biden does not step aside, his legacy will be a second Donald Trump presidency

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