Tennessee Right to Life - Today, the Tennessee General Assembly passed the Unborn Life and Liberty Act in both the House and Senate. This bill, which is now headed to Governor Bill Lee to sign, has a two-part purpose.


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A right-leaning disgruntled Republican comments on the news of the day and any other thing he damn-well pleases.
Tennessee Right to Life - Today, the Tennessee General Assembly passed the Unborn Life and Liberty Act in both the House and Senate. This bill, which is now headed to Governor Bill Lee to sign, has a two-part purpose.
By Rod Williams - SJR 2 passed the House today by a vote of 67-24-1. It passed the Senate earlier in the legislative session.
Raul Lopez is the executive director for Latinos for Tennessee, a group committed to promoting faith, family, freedom and fiscal responsibility to the Latino community living in Tennessee.
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Raul Lopez |
Conservative Groups of Middle Tennessee will host an event, "Let's have a conversation."
When: April 29, 2021, 5:30-7:30pm.Where: Pies by Gigi, 330 Franklin Ste. 906D, Brentwood, TN. 37027Who: Representatives from different conservative entities.
- Dr. David Black representing the Bible Project,
- Leader Gilbert Ramirez representing the Pilipino Chamber and the brave work actions of the Police Department,
- Michelle Forman from Tennessee Republican Assembly,
- Bobbie Partray from Eagle Forum,
1. Buffalo, New York
If you’re walking in Memphis, you may notice just how inexpensive their housing market is. The average home price is around $261,000 and apartments go for rent for around $350 less than the national average. According to Rent Cafe, the national average rent hit $1,468 in February 2020.Unemployment rates in Memphis are pretty high (about 11.9 percent) though there are a decent amount of job opportunities nearby. A 2020 study by Property Shark found that $250K, about the average home price in Memphis, can buy about 3,324 square feet. Comparatively, that’s 10 times the space the same amount of money can buy you in San Francisco. According to information pulled by Updater, Memphis (along with Oklahoma City and Knoxville, too), gained more residents than it lost residents during the pandemic and most of the increase of move-ins happened between June and August 2020. Updater adds that this trend is in line with other cities that gained a lot of residents this year, too, including Denver, Austin, Phoenix, and Las Vegas.Another pro? Tennessee also has no income taxes, though it does have a 7 percent sales tax and a 6 percent hall tax on interest and dividends.
Tennessee ranks high when it comes to getting the best bang for your buck in terms of cost of living and Knoxville is no exception. Transportation, groceries, housing-related expenses, and amenities are just a few of the things that are significantly more affordable here than in other cities. Knoxville has a median home value of $139,900 and in general, the city’s cost of living is 16.8 percent below the national average. Those who live in Tennessee already (Knoxville included) will tell you that one of the great benefits to living there is the scenery, wildlife, and access to the great outdoors. After all, Knoxville is located in the Great Smoky Mountains.
If you’re looking at other cities in Tennessee, Jackson, TN is not far from Memphis and also makes the list of cheapest cities to live in the U.S. With an average cost of living that’s 15.6 percent less than the national average, the key reasons to consider Jackson are its relatively low health care expenses and housing-related expenses. In terms of entertainment and things to do, there are plenty of museums nearby as well as distilleries and wineries, parks, and even farmer’s markets just a stone’s throw away.
To read the article, follow this link.
by Rod Williams - Last Monday, the Tennessee Senate passed SB1380, a bill that would prohibit “no-knock” warrants, and in the House the bill has advanced and is on the Criminal Justice Committee calendar for April 26th. The full Senate voted in favor, 33-0.
By Jon Styf, (The Center Square) April 16, 2021- Gov. Bill Lee has promised criminal justice reform in Tennessee, and several of his proposed bills that are set to move forward in coming weeks could have a significant effect on those in the state’s prison system.
by Rod Williams- I am posting this Metro press release as a public service:
Metro police officers will be staffing a sobriety checkpoint on Lebanon Pike in the Hermitage area late Friday night/early Saturday morning as part of the MNPD’s effort to enhance traffic safety. The checkpoint will be staffed by the DUI Unit along with extra-duty officers working through a grant from the Tennessee Highway Safety Office.In 2020, 55% of fatal crashes in Davidson County involved impairment, an increase from 2019 when 41% of fatal crashes in Davidson County involved impairment.
So, if you get caught in this sobriety checkpoint tonight you have no one to blame but yourself. If you have a spouse or boyfriend who tends to drink and drive and they will be traveling in the Hermitage area, warn them. These sobriety checkpoint checks are not surprises. The city post where they will be.
For more helpful hints from The Rod Williams School of Drunk Driving, follow this link.
by Rod Williams - Mayor John Cooper has been bragging that he was planning to cut tax rates, this to some praise and applause. Don't be fooled. Cooper is required to cut tax rates and it is very doubtful the property taxes you pay will decrease. Here is why.
Every four years all real property must be reappraised. However, by law the aggregate of the new values cannot result in more tax revenue for the city than before the reappraisal. The reason for the reappraisal is "equalization." Not all properties appreciate in value at the same rate. Also as new properties are put on the tax role, sometimes they are put on at a higher rate than existing properties, even though they are supposed to be put on the tax roles at a value with comparable existing homes. So over time, values get out of whack. So, the reappraisal looks at sales data anew and puts properties on the roles at what is reasonably the current value.
Since property is appreciating, if the property tax rate stayed the same, property tax revenue would increase. So, by law, the tax rate has to be adjusted so that the new higher appraisals do not result in more tax revenue. The new tax rate is called "the certified tax rate," This rollback in the tax rate is not something Mayor Cooper has any control over. The city is required to do it. It is dishonest of Mayor Cooper to act as if he is doing people a favor by lowering the tax rate.
What often happens, is that administrations raise taxes in the same year as the reappraisal. Usually this is done at the same council meeting. The council will approve the "certified tax rate," then the next order of business may be to pass a new higher tax rate. Since this new rate is usually lower than the old rate, politicians can still claim they voted for a lower tax rate than previously existed. Since most people don't understand what happened, when they get their tax bill, they blame the higher taxes they must pay on the reappraisal rather than the mayor and council for increasing their taxes.
When the city adopts the "certified tax rate," and assuming then that they do not pass a higher tax rate than that, some people's taxes will go down and some will go up and some will stay about the same. Generally, if your property appreciated more than the average appreciation; your taxes will go up. If your property appreciated less than the average; they go down.
Don't be fooled. Cutting the tax rate as required by law is not a tax cut.
…but worthy of consideration
by Vivian Jones (The Center Square) – A bill that would change how long Tennesseans can receive unemployment benefits is scheduled to be discussed Wednesday in a House subcommittee.
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.
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.
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.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?
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.
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.
From Americans for Prosperity- Tennessee
by Rod Williams, April 9, 2021 - Remember Judge Casey Moreland? You should. He was the Davidson County General Sessions judge who pled guilty to obstruction of justice, retaliating against a witness, theft from a federally funded program, destruction of records and witness tampering. Details of his offences included swapping favorable treatment of women who appeared before him in court in exchange for sex. It also involved stealing money from a non-profit foundation he sit up to help people who needed substance abuse counseling services and could not afford it. In the investigation of these crimes it was exposed that he hosted trips for other judges and lawyers and supplied prostitutes and marijuana.
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Casey Moreland |
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Casey Moreland |
by Rod Williams, 4/8/2021 - After an effort of more than ten years, finally the provision of life-time health care insurance for former council members has been curtailed. It has not been completely eliminated but significantly reduced. The bill reforming this benefit for former council members passed Tuesday night.
Currently, and it has been this way since sometime in the eighties, once a council member leaves office, he may continue to receive Metro health insurance under the same terms as a current metro employee. The former councilman pays 25% of the premium. We are the only city in America providing such a generous benefit to former council members.
As changed, former two-term council members would continue to get the metro health benefit for two years and would pay 25% of the premium. Then, for two years they would pay 50% or the premium and then the portion paid by the former councilmember would increase to 75% of the premium. When they reach age 65, the Metro insurance becomes their secondary insurance to Medicare. Probably most would drop it at that time because there are better plans for a secondary insurance rather than paying 75% of the premium for Metro insurance.
The "whereas" section of the bill (with portions highlighted by the me) explains why this change needed to occur:
WHEREAS, in 2019, Metro Council members received a $8,100 raise approved in the prior term which was recommended by the Department of Human Resources under the belief to properly compensate Metro Council would help to promote a more diverse and inclusive Council body; and
WHEREAS, the citizens of Davidson County expect the Council to manage taxpayer money wisely, yet over $800,000 per year is spent on a benefit for Councilmembers that is not offered to other part-time Metro Government Employees; and
WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Government spent $837,438 health insurance benefits for both current and former Metro Council Members in 2020. This cost is expected to increase to $1,208,134 by 2024; and
WHEREAS, July 17, 2020 the Metropolitan Council passed a $1.066 property tax rate increase in the USD ($1.033 in the GSD), constituting the highest increase in the history of Metropolitan Nashville; and
WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Government is $4.5 billion in debt, with depleted reserves; and
WHEREAS, in 2014, the Mayor's Office contracted with an independent consulting company (Deloitte Consulting LLP) to provide data upon which Metro could make decisions about current pay levels. This study revealed that none of Metro Nashville's peers offer retiree medical coverage to council members. To be consistent with common practice, the study recommended that Metro eliminate lifetime medical coverage for Council Members; and
WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Council should remove the lifetime health insurance benefits for Council members after they leave office.
I would add one more reason:
WHEREAS, when this benefit was passed sometime in the 80's, Metro did not have many former Council members. It was not uncommon for members to serve twenty or thirty years and be old men when they retired, so this benefit was not very costly. Now, with term limits and younger people serving, there are a lot of former council members and being younger, they can receive the benefit for a much longer time.
This change does not effect current former councilmembers or current members who will have served two-terms by 2027. They still will get the current level of benefit. Members elected from now on will get the reduced benefit.
While I would like to see the benefit eliminated in its entirety, there is no doubt that something stronger would have failed. Since 2012, efforts to end the benefit failed on four separate occasions.
The lead sponsor of this bill was Council member Tonya Hancock. She is commended for her taking on this fight. The bill passed by a 34-3 vote.
Council members Emily Benedict, Colby Sledge and Tanaka Vercher were the only "no" votes.
(The Center Square) – Violent crimes in Tennessee numbered 595.2 per every 100,000 residents of the state as of 2019, the third-highest rate among the 50 states, according to a new analysis from the website 24/7 Wall St.
by Samuel Stebbins, 24/7 Wall St. via The Center Square Apr 5, 2021- There are nearly 2,400 people worldwide whose individual net worth exceeds $1 billion -- and more than one-quarter of them live in the United States. All told, there are over 250 cities and towns across the country that at least one of the world's ultra wealthy calls home.
By Jon Styf, Apr 7, 2021, (The Center Square) – A measure to prevent any government in Tennessee from requiring a COVID-19 vaccine passport is making its way through the General Assembly.
I had a delightful Easter with my daughter, son-in-law, and grandson. We enjoyed French 75 cocktails, a delicious dinner of lamb and other delicious side dishes with a good Boudreaux wine. It was a delight hunting Easter eggs with my grandson.
This is bouquet I made for the occasion. All of the flowers came out of my yard. There are Irises, Wisteria, money plant, Vinca, Hyacinths, another blue flower the name of which I don't know and the yellow flower is from a bush, the name of which I don't know.
Eviction moratorium offers more time to pay, while these programs cover what you owe
by Rod Williams- Arkansas Republican governor Asa Hutchinson vetoed a bill that would ban doctors from performing gender transition surgery or offering puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones to minors. The bill “would put the state as the definitive oracle of medical care, overriding parents, patients, and health care experts,” Hutchinson told reporters at a press conference on Monday. “While in some instances the state must act to protect life, the state should not presume to jump into the middle of every medical, human, and ethical issue. This would be, and is, a vast government overreach." (link)