Comment Archives: stories: News: Woods
Re: “Mike McWherter is becoming the Democrats' contender in the governor's race by default — which could be the party's best hope”
I think it is a mistake to discount Kim McMillan in the race for governor. She is a different candidate, and it makes her a different canidate. Political insiders always point to money as a means to determine votes. I understand this concept and am not naive to the power of money. However, Kim McMillan is not a typical canidate. Her campaign is grassroots. What she lacks in money, she makes up for in support, number of donors, experience and ability. McMillan was on that state with those other candidates at yesterday's forum. And there is no mistaking how much more energetic, intelligent and engaging she is-- especially in comparison to McWherter. And if all the talk is about how the Democrats are worried about beating the Reublicans in the race, then we have to look to Kim McMillan. She is the only democratic candidate that can beat the Republicans. She is the youngest candidate. She is the only femal canidate. She is the only canidate with experience in the state legislature and the state executive branch. She is a university professor. She is a lawyer. she has run her own business. She helped start a bank. She is a mother and a wife. McMillan is the only candidate who knows what it means to balance a family budget, a state budget and a business budget. I think she is the one most in tune and most connected with the people of Tennessee. (And just a warning to conservative Dems and moderate Repubs-- Haslam is not a moderate. He may "play a moderate on TV," but he is defintiely not moderate.)
Re: “Mike McWherter is becoming the Democrats' contender in the governor's race by default — which could be the party's best hope”
Whoever the Democrat nominee is is toast. Moderate to liberals' best hope is to support Haslam in the primary or we'll be stuck with one of the mouth breathers from the GOP fringe as our new governor.
Re: “The smart money's on Bill Haslam for governor, but not because he's got all the answers”
"[Haslam] admitted he didn't know whether he favored amending the state constitution to strip away abortion rights — the much-ballyhooed top priority of the new Republican legislative majority." Get your facts straight, man. Guv 2B Haslam was asked a question in Inside-Baseball-HillRat code about "SJR 127" with no explanation about what it did. It is quite refreshing to see someone look at you Hill Rats with a bit of askance. It is long overdue. HaslamsFan
Re: “The smart money's on Bill Haslam for governor, but not because he's got all the answers”
I have to disagree, Mayor Haslam is the best candiate for gov. when compared to the others. The City of Knoxville enjoys the lowest property taxes of the big four. Lower than Nashville, Memphis, and my hometown Chattanooga. This low rate has been obtained through fiscal responsiblity, not right wing complain about stimlus and take the money Wamp. Both Ramsey and Wamp have conducted their campaigns poorly, with baseless attacks on TDEC and TDOT employees. I am also concerned about Wamps connections to the Family at C-Street,and he simply refuses to answer questions about what he paid to reside at C-Street, as NPR is reporting.
Re: “The smart money's on Bill Haslam for governor, but not because he's got all the answers”
I have to disagree, Mayor Haslam is the best candiate for gov. when compared to the others. The City of Knoxville enjoys the lowest property taxes of the big four. Lower than Nashville, Memphis, and my hometown Chattanooga. This low rate has been obtained through fiscal responsiblity, not right wing complain about stimlus and take the money Wamp. Both Ramsey and Wamp have conducted their campaigns poorly, with baseless attacks on TDEC and TDOT employees. I am also concerned about Wamps connections to the Family at C-Street,and he simply refuses to answer questions about what he paid to reside at C-Street, as NPR is reporting.
Re: “The legislature — where one lawmaker calls arsenic 'not that bad' — is the place environmentalism goes to die”
Does anyone know if the coal industry donates money to McCord? If so, voters should know who bankrolls his votes.
Re: “The legislature — where one lawmaker calls arsenic 'not that bad' — is the place environmentalism goes to die”
McCord may be an embarrassment to the state legislature, but he is even a bigger embarrassment to the people that elected him. If he continues to get re-elected then it will not be just his fault if we continue to suffer from the gross greed and denialism that he is a party to - it will be the fault of the citizens that elect him.
Re: “Using a half-million federal bucks as his ramrod, Gov. Bredesen bends Tennessee's teachers over a desk”
Once again the blame is always at the feet of the teachers, for the poor performance of students. No doubt there are BAD teachers out there, but teachers only have a student for 10 months of their lives, and there's much ground that has to be made up thanks to parents in those 10 months. Teachers can't repair the damage done at home. Until lawmakers hold PARENTS responsible for the performance (or lack of) of their kids...nothing...NOTHING will change, no matter how much money that is thrown at it.
Re: “In the guns-in-bars ruling, a tricky maneuver uses handgun-permit holders’ provision against them”
Actually it is extremely easy to determine which business derives 51% of its revenue from alcohol sales. Make it a requirement that they post a sign saying so. Works great in Texas.
Re: “In the guns-in-bars ruling, a tricky maneuver uses handgun-permit holders’ provision against them”
A slight expansion of my earlier comment (more facts): 37 other states allow CCW (carry a concealed weapon) licensees to drink in establishments where liquor is served. There have been no problems. That, of course, does not mean that there have been no stupid comments about the subject from TV elitists and uninformed columnists. Actually, such establishments would be far safer if NON-licensees were forbidden: Fact: The general public is: * 5.7 times more likely to be arrested for violent offenses than CCW permit holders. * 13.5 times more likely to be arrested for non-violent offenses than CCW permit holders. http://www.concealedcampus.org/pdf/ccw_gun_facts.pdf RE: Your anecdotes of four accused (which is not the same as convicted) CCW holders: that is a rate of .002 percent of CCW licensees. What is the rate in TN for the general public again? Oh yes, homicide is at .0066 percent. (http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/tncrime.htm) Thus TN licensees are at least three times safer to be around even if you assume all of your four instances were considered to be murder and all four men were found guilty. Where are your anecdotes about incidents in TN drinking establishments during the several months the law was in effect. Could it be that there weren't any?
Re: “In the guns-in-bars ruling, a tricky maneuver uses handgun-permit holders’ provision against them”
37 other states, allow CCW (carry a concealed weapon) licensees to drink in establishments where liquor is served. There have been no problems. That, of course, does not mean that there have been no stupid comments about the subject from TV elitists and uninformed columnists. Actually, such establishments would be far safer if NON CCW licensees were forbidden: Fact: The general public is: * 5.7 times more likely to be arrested for violent offenses than CCW permit holders. * 13.5 times more likely to be arrested for non-violent offenses than CCW permit holders. http://www.concealedcampus.org/pdf/ccw_gun_facts.pdf RE: Your anecdotes of four accused CCW holders: that is a rate of .002 percent of CCW licensees. What is the rate in TN for the general public again? -dan z-
Re: “In the guns-in-bars ruling, a tricky maneuver uses handgun-permit holders’ provision against them”
Ah, we see the Joyce Foundations lap dog is yapping it's ceasless and meaningless cry of the sky is falling again, all based on an organization whose numbers and reports have been proven repeatedly to be fabricated lies. Doesnt say much for such journalists. We would wish you a happy Thanksgiving, but communists like you dont celebrate such AMERICAN holidays!
Re: “In the guns-in-bars ruling, a tricky maneuver uses handgun-permit holders’ provision against them”
This is something the legislature will fix next session. Clearly, an inalienable right to protect one's self extends to restaurants ... and yes, even bars.
Re: “Council members feel the burn as the Music City Center fight heats up”
Prediction: Some time before the January vote, Gaylord will fall in line behind this wonderful boondoggle, and the organized opposition will fall mysteriously silent. Months later, someone will discover a secret memorandum to the effect that the management of the Convention Center and its hotel will be contracted out to an experienced hospitality corporation whose name starts with G. The management contract will be paid for by taxpayers. You read it here first.
Re: “Council members feel the burn as the Music City Center fight heats up”
4... count them 4 Council members showed up for the "information" session with Sanders. That is over $1000 per member. Quite an expensive recap of nothingness....
Re: “Council members feel the burn as the Music City Center fight heats up”
All Moostie Sharp has been taught to do is parrot Woody "There Ain't Never Been a City That Listened to Me" Sanders. How much are you paying Woody to come in Monday night, Moostie?
Re: “Council members feel the burn as the Music City Center fight heats up”
I am always amazed at the obligatory MOOST reply of "not lived up to consultants expectations" What does that mean? Does it mean what it seems to, that they promised a 200% increase but only got a measly 75%. I hate it when the profit is not quite as huge as you had hoped for.....
Re: “Council members feel the burn as the Music City Center fight heats up”
Ol' Moost Sharp pulls the Woody Sanders tricks of simply going back to the same old conventions centers and talking about them, whether anyone else is talking about them or not. What is this garbage you keep throwing out, Moostie, about the project being shelved. That's total crap and you know it. Furthermore, there is no veil of secrecy. The financing package for this project is being worked out, and you, Emily Evans, Mike Jameson and the other Gaylord puppets continue to prattle on about a financing package that doesn't yet exist.
Re: “Council members feel the burn as the Music City Center fight heats up”
You will find there that each of the centers you mentioned filed to meet the expectations placed upon them by the consultants hired to produce those numbers. The Milwaukee center is nice (odd but nice) but the expansion was done because the previous build was completed without meeting those promises. The expansion was touted as the cure for the already expensive underperformance. So the second investment was made to meet the expectations of the first project. Coincidentally it was at the Milwaukee convention center that I heard economists talk truthfully about the real tragic effects of tourism on the economy as a whole. Dr. Fox simply reinforced that with his state of the economy presentation a few months later. You will now discover that Milwaukee for the last 4 years has returned to the usage that it was previously experiencing. Just like in Atlanta where a billion dollars has brought them a net 1% gain in meeting attendance and facility usage in 10 years. One billion dollars in Georgia taxpayer money for 1%. That gain of course was from two years ago. The GWCC now is losing record amounts of money and projects even larger losses in FY 2010 and FY 2011 with promises to return to 2001 performance in FY2012. Baltimore officials expect to spend their buffer on the new hotel in three years instead of the 5 year operating loss budget. Dallas officials admitted that their new hotel will actually cost the convention center money since it will keep its own hotel motel tax money instead of forwarding it to the convention center like every other Patel in town does. Portland officials pulled the plug on their cc hotel because it did not make sense to build play things while the other parts of the actual government was dealing with cutbacks and layoffs. Las Vegas, same thing with their center expansion. No large public center has met expectations let alone escaped the red ink in 4 years. As I said before MDHA is rushing to close on property in order to get it torn down. Then we will be told the project is frozen. That is the reason for the cloak of secrecy. Obviously proponents are not capable of giving complete pictures. But they can make incomplete ones look really good. We will be able to handle 90% of all meetings. OF course that doesn't mean any more actual meetings, but what do you expect for a billion dollars, 30,000 new jobs and a million new visitors. Who will call them on it when this obviously does not happen?
Re: “Mike McWherter is becoming the Democrats' contender in the governor's race by default — which could be the party's best hope”
I agree with the last poster - Kim McMillan has more on the ball than McWerter and better credintials. I've heard both speak in a recent Q&A forum. McWerter was bland, almost scripted while McMillan was energetic, obviously intellient, well spoken, and up on the issues at hand. Ned was an okay governor, but that doesn't mean that his son will measure up just because he has the name. I think McMillan would make a better alternate choice to whomever the Republicans end up choosing. As a political independent I always hope for a contest between two good candidates rather than the "lesser of two evils."