Chris Newton participated in an interview with News Channel 9 in Chattanooga. He still doesn’t get it.

I did the best I could while in office and I’m sorry for the outcome of the last few months,” Newton says.

It’s a bittersweet election for the former State Representative. Since he was 21, he’s been an elected official for Bradley, Meigs and Polk counties.

And while he says he never sees himself running for office again, Newton ironically says he’s never felt better.

“There’s been like a load’s been lifted off my shoulders,” Newton says.

He did the best he could? I am having trouble believing that. In fact, I’m not sure that Newton even knows what that means.

“I think if there’s one downfall that I had personally, it’s that I allowed that position to consume me, to become my identity,” says Newton.

Newton says what he did was was business as usual in Nashville and that’s why he resigned November 1st.

What a perversely weak man. First, allowing the position of state representative consume you oughtn’t result in the routine taking of bribes. I would think that letting the position “consume you” would result in overzealous representation of your constituents, not personal enrichment at the expense of betraying their trust. Second, he cops out and blames it on “business as usual.” Horrible. And he says this as if it was a justification for his behavior. This “boy” (I refuse to call him a man any longer) deserves what he gets.

Newton calls money the key to political corruption, and says there’s no hope for Nashville unless the politicians get back to their roots.

“They need to take a look in the mirror and they need to ask themselves, ‘are we doing everything that we should be doing to ensure fairness, integrity, and ensure that we’re doing things in an ethical manner?’”

Newton says that’s how he plans to live his life. And he says he hopes others learn from what happened to him, cautioning, “Don’t make choices that you cannot live with.”

Newton’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for February. He faces up to 25 years in prison.

Consider the source. The entire story sounds as if he was on Oprah, bearing his soul for all to see, expecting some sort of absolution. Well, this Baptist ain’t buying it. Newton can do us all a service and completely disappear from public life. He’s done enough damage as it is.

Alphecca notes some additional amendments that will be on the ballot for a new concealed carry provision in Wisconsin. The additional bill would make it a misdemeanor if an officer drew his weapon on a citizen simply because he possesses a concealed carry permit

First, it is entirely proper that when a cop runs a check on someone that he be informed if the person has a CCW permit. I still maintain, though, that it shouldn’t have been the “deal breaker” because cops should always assume that someone is armed.

I do like the bit about punishing cops who intentionally draw their weapons on someone simply because the person stopped has a CCW. Still, a cop can claim anything he wants to get around the charge. Pretty much any jury will buy any excuse a cop gives for abusive or threatening treatment of someone.

If, as one person quoted in the story claims, these new amendments will make the bill “veto proof” then bring them on. Wisconsinites might soon be able to defend themselves away from home.

Unfortunately, Jeff’s right about what the cop’s will claim. I unfortunately see it on a routine basis. Most cops are good people, but with police in our society essentially exercising the power of God with a firearm, even a few acting independent of the law is damaging.

I like the spirit of the proposed Wisconsin law, but I too question whether or not it would accomplish the desired effect.

Gary Hart offers his opinion on Iraq.

Should we kneel in awe and reverence or just laugh?

The Regional Solid Waste Board voted 6-4 last night to push back authorization of the Bellevue land fill. Apparently the majority on the board believed the well-reasoned and legally accurate argument by board member Ray T. Throckmorton III regarding their ability to act legally. In short, the regional board lies in limbo, powerless to act, as Metro Nashville is not in compliance with state requirements. Neither the state government nor the metro government has made any effort in over a year to comply with state law.

There was some weeping and gnashing of teeth because of the delay and arguments by Throckmorton, from the usual suspects (i.e. highly placed state Democrats and state bureaucrats) who do not believe the law applies to them. I do hope some media outlet somewhere picks up on this. It’s not happening in a vaccuum. Two governments don’t just “accidentally” forget to enforce and comply with the law for 15 months without reason. Metro has 30 days to comply with the state plan and conduct an internal audit. For obvious reasons, I don’t think they can do it.

Developing…

Ezra Klein notes

• Clear areas of enemy control by remaining on the offensive, killing and capturing
enemy fighters and denying them safe-haven.

• Hold areas freed from enemy control by ensuring that they remain under the control
of a peaceful Iraqi government with an adequate Iraqi security force presence.

• Build Iraqi Security Forces and the capacity of local institutions to deliver services,
advance the rule of law, and nurture civil society.

Aren’t touted as objectives but steps. The only question is, considering we’ve shown no facility at doing any of those things, what’s to say we do them now. Was all we were missing really a document counseling us to defeat the evildoers?

Well, actually we’ve shown great “facility” (wouldn’t ability be a better word?) at doing just those things. All that Bush talked about today has been going on for some time. The problem I’ve had with the president is that he has not been effectively communicating the progress that has occurred. He did that well today.

Then from ChristianLibrul

Today’s hogwash was just the first of several goerge will spew between now and December 15

What happens on December 15? Another election in Iraq. He only knows how to (give) campaign (speeches), knows nothing about governing.

Uhh, brilliant. Then The Huffington Post’s expert commentary

Midshipmen catch naps as they wait for more than an hour for U.S. President George W. Bush to deliver an address on the war in Iraq at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland November 30, 2005. Trying to counter critics of his war strategy, Bush vowed on Wednesday that U.S. forces will not cut and run from Iraq but said improvements in Iraqi security forces may clear the way for a reduction in U.S. troops.

Funny that a Democrat would note Bush wasn’t “on time” (whether this is true or not has not been confirmed) on the heels of the least-timely president in recent memory.
Paul Rieckhoff writes

First, there are still no metrics for success. Our troops must know what objective guidelines will be used to declare that a goal has been reached. They deserve to know that their road home is based on hard data and not just a subjective opinion of success.

Second, a timeline for success must be established. Whether that means one year, two years, or five years, our troops need a realistic time frame in which to achieve a well-defined mission. Without that, our Troops and their families cannot prepare to meet the obligation of our commitment to the Iraqi people.

I don’t think either of these are a realistic assessment of how wars are won, and the first alleged deficiency is duplicative of what Bush said today. The “hard data” is when Iraq is secure and free. No Excel spreadsheet of numbers can be decided upon that would effectuate anything - unless of course you list the names of all the al Qaeda fighters in Iraq and delete them one by one as we kill them, until you reach “zero”.

The time frame is open-ended. Period. If we are able to draw all the terrorists in the Middle East to Iraq to die (as it appears we are doing), it could take some time. Every day we spend doing that is worth it.

Much more liberal defeatism can be found here. Just keep scrolling.

Meanwhile, John Kerry calls for fewer troops.

Sigh.

According to some Democrats. Oliver Willis in Maryland states

George Bush is an unpopular president from coast to coast. He’s extra unpopular in Maryland, a state that went overwhelmingly for John Kerry, and has consistently voted for Democratic presidents and had Democratic senators. Michael Steele is a Bush lackey, and he wants to be the senator of our state. I don’t think so, and especially not after Steele continues to demonstrate how out of touch he is with mainstream Maryland values by hanging out with Bush and getting his endorsement. The Bush-Steele ticket is a no-go for Maryland.

Mainstream Maryland values? Once you get outside the bastions of limousine liberalism in Montgomery County and the race baiting Democrats of Prince George’s County and Baltimore City the mainstream values of Maryland become, well, overwhelmingly Republican. But what scares Democrats in Maryland most about Steele is that he is a Black Republican who doesn’t care what they think, having already been elected to statewide office with the first Republican governor in the state since Spiro Agnew. His run for US Senate in place of Paul Sarbanes, who is retiring (and who is the least offensive of the two senators representing Maryland), threatens party and racial hegemony in a state not used to seeing real options at the top. This race will certainly be one to watch - to see if Steele can win the seat, and to see how disgraceful Democratic tactics get painting him as some sort of race traitor, some of which is already happening on the Left.

David Sirota over at Huffington Post claims

The right-wing’s stealth assault on workers’ wages rages on in America at the state and local level. But every so often, we get a big victory. Today is one of those days, as the New Mexico Court of Appeals rejected Big Money’s efforts to gut Santa Fe’s living wage ordinance. The ruling has major national implications. As attorney Paul Sonn, who defended the living wage ordinance, said “It’s one of the first appeals court rulings that addresses a local wage ordinance. It’s a sweeping confirmation that cities have the power to raise wages to protect local workers. It’s a real important ruling. It will be looked to across the country.”

Stealth assault? It’s always a conspiracy, and is certainly stealth since “Big Money” (a Delaware corporation, I think) was caught as a party in New Mexico Court of Appeals case. As far as I know, all conservatives oppose any “workers wage”, of any sort on common sense economic grounds. A simple Econ 101 class confirms how horrible an idea such a concept is.

Let’s not get into the thought that New Mexico state appellate decisions aren’t considered binding on any other state’s cities. One errant state court decision does not a trend make. Especially since this decision didn’t even come down from New Mexico’s highest court.

Then there’s this snippet

This is the kind of thing the Progressive Legislative Action Network (PLAN) is going to fight. It is why PLAN is being created - to support those state legislators who are going to fight these corrupt, bought-off public policies that are bleeding working people dry. With the money-drenched politicians in Washington, D.C. still refusing to support a federal minimum wage increase, it is time to take our battle to the states. Today’s court ruling - along with the courageous efforts of some other states - should give us hope that at the state and local level we can prevail.

I really wish some of that made sense, because I think theoretically I’d enjoy blogging about it. I daresay that what we have here is an avid socialist espousing about a legal system and a concept that he knows little, if anything, about. It’s a shame, and another black mark on the increasingly disappointing Huffington Post.

Since I’m partial to live blogging (at least in the last 24 hours), Charmaine took it upon herself to live blog the happenings outside the Supreme Court today after oral arguments in Ayotte v. Planned Parenthood concluded (the minor abortion parental notification case). Some NOW gals didn’t take too kindly to some of the, well, attention.

As has always been said, a picture is a worth a thousand words. Just keep scrolling down.

MoveOn.org responds to Bush’s speech with even more adamant calls for surrender. From an email sent out minutes ago

Dear MoveOn member,

In a speech today, President Bush tried to answer the majority of Americans who believe we need to change course in Iraq. But he offered no plans to bring troops home—just flashy public relations.

Bush’s public relations push comes at a tipping point in the Iraq debate. A majority of Americans want troops home in 2006 and former supporters of the war in Congress like Rep. John P. Murtha (D-PA) agree.

Members of Congress are changing and examining their position on Iraq right now. It is critical that they hear from all of us. For the next two weeks we’re circulating a petition calling on Congress to insist on an exit strategy to bring the troops home in 2006. Will you sign? Click below.

http://political.moveon.org/iraq/

We’re planning a nation-wide round of deliveries two weeks from now, when MoveOn members will deliver local petition signatures to Congresspeople across the country. The more people who sign, the more clear the message will be: we expect Congress to act.

Members of Congress are trying to figure out whether the national concern about the war is reflected in their home district. And things are changing fast: just in the last weeks, Senators Obama, Clinton, and Biden have indicated that they’re more open to a quicker exit strategy. A strong showing of support for a plan to bring the troops home will send an important message that our representatives need to do their job.

It hasn’t always been clear over the last two years when Congressional leaders might come around on Iraq. But this might be that moment. Two thirds of Americans want a plan to bring the troops home and, as Congressman John Murtha and a growing group of military generals argue, that is the best course we have. That is why signing the petition is so important.

Two weeks ago Congressman Murtha, a long-time supporter of the war, kick-started a debate on Iraq by proposing a plan to bring our troops home from Iraq starting immediately and taking about six months. Rep. Murtha’s case is simple.

* U.S. troop presence is driving the insurgency, making things worse. Iraq can’t stabilize with U.S. troops there.
* Iraqis want us to leave—more than 80% of Iraqis in one survey.
* The war in Iraq is making America less safe—hurting our preparedness and global alliances.
* The challenges that remain in Iraq can only be resolved politically—not with the military.

We need to push our elected leaders to stand firm and insist on a real plan to bring the troops home—a responsible exit strategy with a timeline that starts now and brings the troops home in 2006.

Please sign our petition so we can deliver it to representatives before they leave for the holiday break.

http://political.moveon.org/iraq/

After you sign it please ask your friends, family and colleagues to sign.

Thanks for all you do.

–Tom, Carrie, Justin, Jennifer and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team
Wednesday, November 30th, 2005

It is telling that MoveOn considers a strategy focused solely on victory as “flashy public relations”. Anyone who actually listened to Bush’s speech earlier today objectively can only say it was filled with substance. Whether one agrees with what Bush proposed is another matter entirely.

The four bullet points are glittering generalities without a basis. Focus is placed on one “survey”, and MoveOn ludicrously proposes that America fight IED’s and suicide bombers with words. There is no political solution capable of results when dealing with an enemy mired in an irrational hatred, led by an increasingly smaller and smaller band of al Qaeda affiliated religious nuts. How winning in Iraq is making us less safe is also unclear. MoveOn wishes for an American defeat, and makes no representations to the contrary.

Hey guys - because of the US military presence, Iraq is not on the precipice of disaster but on the front end of a complete and functioning democratic representative government. Of course, this shouldn’t sway you. MoveOn has shown itself to never be a fan of democracy. Any time the people disagree with them in America, the election is “stolen”. Anytime they are ignored for their lunacy, they characterize it as censorship. The people of Iraq are voting in mass numbers, across all religious and demographic groups, and MoveOn wants to pursue a strategy of failure, and damn them to an existence of oppression under the worst of religious fundamentalism.

And the power vaccuum that would result if we left? Well, MoveOn can’t address that. It’s almost as if they want it. Either there isn’t a historian or political scientist among them, or they are actively desiring more danger for the West. It’s either sadism or ignorance. You choose.

UPDATE More MoveOn.org chicanery, caught employing UK troops as US troops for propaganda purposes. Oh well, so much for “going it alone”, and all that.

It’s amazing what can pile up even with working on vacation. More la$

Eighty percent of college-bound students have yet to pick a major, and many students will change majors two or three times once they are at their chosen institute of higher learning.

Unless you are going into a specialized field such as engineering or nursing (I will argue that an Education degree is useless for those wanting to teach, so I won’t include them in this category), I don’t see how one’s undergraduate major is of any great consequence. Students of any major can apply to law school or medical school (assuming you have the needed science courses, in the case of the latter). And, how many of us are actually in a career now that precisely uses the knowledge gained from our field of study? I think I could tell one of my advisees that he lacks an hour of science for general education requirements without having my Russian Area Studies degree to back me up. Students are so concerned with picking the right major for success, when real success will depend so much more on getting job/internship experience, committing to hard work and meeting the right people.

The University of Wisconsin system has implemented a great plan to encourage students to stop hanging around the campus and graduate already! Students who go more than 30 hours (a whole year of extra work) above the needed credit hours to graduate will face doubled tuition. Chronic coeds who stick around that long are limiting spaces for new students who are ready to get started. Bravo, Wisconsin! Tell those kids to put away the hacky sacs and buckle down!

Michelle Malkin has a great article today on the amusing accusations by the left that conservatives are angry. Janeane Garafalo believes that right-wingers “are always on the verge of punching somebody” and Bill Maher stated that “Republicans need anger management.” Where are these supposedly angry Republicans? And, why would we have any good reason to be angry? We pretty much have the federal government at our disposal (not that our leaders are doing anything productive with this opportunity).

Instead, Malkin accurately points out that the far left is really the angry bunch. She writes,

It wasn’t rabid conservatives who gloated over Ronald Reagan’s death or John Ashcroft’s pancreatitis.

It wasn’t a gut-busting conservative journalist who vowed to kill herself if Dick Cheney ran for president. (That would be the perpetually aggrieved Helen Thomas.)

It wasn’t hate-filled Republican officials who reportedly screamed “faggot” and “fruitcake” and “I’ll break your nose” at their political opponents. (Those were all Democrats: Pennsylvania state legislator Vincent Fumo, California Rep. Pete Stark, and Virginia Rep. Jim Moran, respectively.)

It isn’t fanatical conservatives joking about the assassination of President Bush and the execution of his Republican aides. (That, Ms. Garofalo, would include your Air America colleagues. But I’ll forgive you if you weren’t tuned in to them. Few are.)

These examples, I believe, are not representative of the mainstream Democrats (who seem to comprise a shrinking number within the Party). Rational Democrats want to work with the President and other Republicans and simply have a different perspective on policy and priorities from their conservative counterparts. But, the fringe extremists who so often get the publicity are certainly giving an unpleasant and angry face to the Democratic Party.

I happen to be able to sit here for a few minutes and live blog Bush’s war on terror “Plan for Victory” speech at Annapolis

UPDATE A good start, from an expectedly warm crowd. Governor Ehrlich from Maryland is present, as well as Senator John Warner.

UPDATE Bush starts by praising students at the Naval Academy for their role in winning the war. “The enemy must be defeated on every battlefield. The terrorists have made Iraq a central front…”

UPDATE A “clear strategy requires an understanding of the enemy.” He speaks of three enemies in Iraq, starting with the “rejectionists”, consisting of many Sunnis and Baathists who enjoyed the spoils of Hussein’s regime. Bush notes that most Sunnis now have formed political coalitions and are participating in the democratic process.

UPDATE The second group is “smaller but more determined”. Loyalists to Saddam (Saddamists), which seems to be a subgroup of the first group.

UPDATE The third group is “the smallest, but most lethal.” Consists of al Qaeda operatives from other countries, and who are responsible for the atrocities we see. Zarqawi (sp) is mentioned as the leader, desiring a power vaccuum to control the country.

Their desire is to create a “totalitarian Islamic empire that reaches from Indonesia to Spain.”

UPDATE The terrorists in Iraq share the same ideology as the terrorists that have attacked the United States, London, Jordan, Bali and Iraq.

UPDATE If we weren’t killing them in Iraq, they would not be idle. “We will never back down, we will never give in, and we will never accept anything less than complete victory.”

UPDATE Our strategy in Iraq is comprehensive. A free Iraqi society is our goal. Iraqi forces are assisting the effort, holding territory taken from the enemy.

UPDATE The main prong of the strategy is training Iraqi police and military, noting that Iraqis bring knowledge to the fight that we cannot. “They know who the terrorists are.”

UPDATE 80 Iraqi battalians are involved in the fight, with half of them leading where they operate.

UPDATE The message continues to be that Iraqi military are now effective in fighting for their own security. Bush uses a good quote from an Iraqi private that I was too slow to type, to the effect that the Iraqi soldier is not afraid, but only wanting to kill the terrorists.

UPDATE Forward operating bases are now under Iraqi control (over 12 so far), to include Saddam’s old digs in Tikrit, where a number of missions have been launched.

UPDATE We are also training the Iraqi army to protect against external threats. All Iraqi army recruits receive about the same amount of training as individuals in the US Army. Leadership training is also a focus. A new generation of Iraqi officers is being trained.

UPDATE Iraq has 6 police academies with 1 in Jordan, with 3500 new officers every 10 weeks. They are trained to conduct road blocks, diffuse IED’s, and function with AK-47s. Now Iraqis are training Iraqis, instead of coalition forces doing the job. There is no shortage of recruits. Fatwahs have been issued by Sunni clerics for young Iraqis to join the defense force.

UPDATE Mocks critics who say only one Iraqi battalion is independent from coalition forces. President explains that the standard the Iraqis are being held to by critics is a standard many Western armies could not meet. “They are in the fight today, and they will be in the fight for freedom tomorrow.”

UPDATERegional and base support units have been placed throughout the country. Iraq now has its own small air force. The new Iraqi navy is assisting in protecting ports. Intelligence schools have been founded. We are helping Iraq become self-supporting.

UPDATE Bush notes that some performance is uneven in some areas, but the units are getting better. Now the country takes the force seriously. He mentioned a Lt. from Richmond Hill, Georgia (where I was over Thanksgiving, near Ft. Stewart where the 3rd ID is) training Iraqi troops. They are far better trained and far better equipped than they once were. Our troops will return home to a proud nation.

UPDATE We will stay as long as necessary to complete the mission. Troop presence has been increased from 137,000 to 160,000 in preparation for the upcoming elections. We will increasingly move out of Iraqi cities and conduct fewer patrols and convoys as the Iraqi forces .

Decisions about troop levels will be based on facts on the ground, not by artifical timetables set by politicians in Washington. He quotes Joe Lieberman as saying that an aritificial timetable will discourage our troops, and the Iraqi people. Setting an artificial deadline to withdrawal sends a message of weakness to the world, and would vindicate terrorist tactics.

“America will not run in the face of car bombers and assassins as long as I am your Commander in Chief.”

UPDATE We are also helping them build a democracy worthy of sacrifice. We are 15 days away from a fully functioning constitutional government. Each vote cast sends a message - we will not be intimidated. “The future of Iraq belongs to freedom.”

(ed. this is a good speech)

UPDATE “If by stay the course, they mean we will not allow the terrorists to break our will, they’re right. ”

UPDATE To men and women in uniform, the debate over the war can be unsettling. What’s not in dispute is that the American people stand behind you. We shouldn’t fear the debate in Washington. “I will settle for nothing less than complete victory.”

Victory will come when the terrorists and Saddamists cannot threaten the Iraqi democracy.

UPDATE Mentions the prevailing of freedom over fascism in WWII. Freedom defeated communism in the Cold War. Today, these nations are allies in the war on terror. Today “the unstoppable power of freedom” will prevail over terrorism. By strengthening Iraq’s democracy, we gain an ally. This is a new generation’s call.

“Freedom is the destiny of every man, woman and child on this earth.”

UPDATE A time of war is a time of sacrifice. Corporal Starr who died in Iraq, “Others have died for my freedom, now this is my mark.” (note, if memory serves, the same fallen soldier taken out of context by the New York Times).

UPDATE Encouraging words to the cadets, before finishing up.

This was a fantastic speech. This is where Bush is good.

UPDATE TO POST Hugh Hewitt compiles a list of blogospheric reaction to the speech. Our own Bill Hobbs makes the list for his dismantling of the LA Times’ journalistic credibility.

My former representative Congressman Jack Kingston (1st District -Ga.) blogs over at RedState about his recent trip to Iraq

We just left Iraq. As expected, the trip was a great success.

First and foremost: the war that we saw is not the same war that we are reading in the media everyday. In fact, our soldiers are very frustrated that the media is only reporting the bad news instead of highlighting the progress being made.

Our troops are in high spirits and are doing well. Their morale is high, and they are proud of the work that they are doing.

Jack is a good guy - he gave me my first taste of politics as an intern in his regional office the summer after graduating high school. There is no question in my mind as to integrity - I certainly put more trust in him than in CNN.

Click over to the post to get Jack’s emphasis. It’s not a long post, as it appears to have been dictated from the air, but it sends a good and emphatic message. Jack’s congressional blog is here.

Thanks to Bill Hobbs for the pointer.

BLACKBURN TO BUSH: TIME FOR TALK IS OVER, AMERICA WELCOMES PRESIDENT’S SUPPORT FOR IMMIGRATION REFORM

November 28, 2005

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Representative Marsha Blackburn (TN-7th District) issued the following statement today in response to President Bush’s address regarding illegal immigration:

“The illegal immigration problem didn’t creep up on us. Illegal immigration was a problem before September 11th and it’s a problem that’s only getting worse. The President’s leadership is welcome, and the first order of business has to be the successful policing of our borders. I agree the aim must be catch and return rather than catch and release, but I’m ready to see more than just rhetoric on this issue. Our constituents are tired of talk and ready for action.”

“We have no business discussing guest worker programs until we can actually prevent illegal entry. I will not support any provisions that include amnesty, but I will support a physical wall, working surveillance equipment, and policing measures that give our border enforcement officers the ability to address this problem.”

“This isn’t just a matter of national security, but of fundamental fairness and rule of law. We send the wrong message to those who’ve spent time and money to become legal residents and citizens by rewarding lawbreaking. The House Judiciary Committee has been working on this issue for the past three years, and I hope the President will support the House efforts to address this serious problem.”

Blackburn testified before the House Judiciary Committee earlier in November regarding her bills to ensure federal contractors are hiring individuals who can legally work in the U.S. and enforce penalties for those companies that knowingly hiring illegal aliens. The House is scheduled to take up the issue in December.

America Unplugged
By Peter Zeihan

The presidency of George W. Bush is failing.

Love him or hate him, Bush has had the most dramatic international impact of any U.S. president in a generation. But as Bush’s fortunes ebb, his ability to control events in Washington and much further afield are fading as well. Geopolitics, like nature, abhors a vacuum, and there is no shortage of players hoping to profit from the political equivalent of U.S. self-flagellation.

American Paralysis

In August, we wrote that the United States was beginning to move “Beyond the War on Terrorism.” We argued that the United States had achieved the bulk of what it had set out to do in first containing, and then pursuing and dismantling, al Qaeda.
(more…)

Oh, how the schools have been financially abandoned! From Mayor Purcell

A request by developer Tony Giarratana for $12 million in city economic incentives for his proposed Signature Tower won a key endorsement from Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell this afternoon.

The Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency’s board will consider the request for tax-increment financing on Dec. 13. MDHA Executive Director Phil Ryan, speaking as Giarratana presented his plans for the 55-story Signature Tower to Purcell, said he expects to recommend approval to his board.

Gee - and here I thought we had to shut down schools. I’m all for downtown development, but don’t dare tell me and the rest of Nashville that our schools are destitute and without resources because of a skyscraper. Get it straight. It’s becoming more and more apparent that we have few leaders in this city.

Glen Casada has promised to push TABOR in the Tennessee State House in the 2006 legislation session. This is good news, contrary to the flawed opinions held by some to the contrary, especially our state paper of record, The Tennessean. But to say as the paper does that the shift of concentration from ethics is simply incorrect. Contrary to The Tennessean’s hopes, fiscal responsibility and ethics reform are not mutually exclusive

Colorado is the epicenter of the anti-tax movement and it is the state where TABOR began. But earlier this month voters there agreed to turn that state’s TABOR law into something much less restrictive and give up $3.7 billion in tax refunds over the next five years. Critics of the law said that its provisions kept Colorado’s revenues from rebounding from recession as quickly as the economy recovers. Casada said that a Tennessee version TABOR can be tweaked so such problems do not occur here. He and Sen. Jim Bryson will try to drum up support for the plan to try to sway fellow lawmakers who are against the idea.

Unfortunately for this line of thought, this is simply not true. I addressed this thoroughly in a previous post. It is not the first time The Tennessean has attempted to minimalize the importance or success of TABOR in Colorado. Weak politicians get a pass on a routine basis with our local paper, and this is no exception.

Meanwhile, Sherry Jones dreams up unneeded legislation

A proposal that would close a loophole that allows ex-cons to install home burglar alarms. Rep. Sherry Jones, D-Nashville, said that while companies who primarily install alarms must conduct background checks on their employees, some electricians who install alarms do not. If someone who had been convicted for burglary in the past was working for one of these electricians, and wanted to turn off a homeowner’s alarm, “they would have a leg up,” on getting into your home, Jones said. “They could go to install an alarm and would know exactly how the alarm worked.”

Jones said she’s not heard of any problems on this issue, but, “it’s just something that seemed logical to me.”

Well, I guess we have such problems. Certainly there is nothing more important or visionary to work on than this. Without reservation, I can confirm that Ms. Jones is no visionary in the state house.

Contrast this with Paul Stanley’s proposal

Rep. Paul Stanley, R-Memphis, said he wants to push economic development with a tax credit. If his bill becomes law, any company creating jobs by attempting to innovate through, for example, biotech research, could get a credit equal to 15% of the amount its spends on that research and development.

“Economic development is important,” Stanley said. “We need to lure companies here that are expanding.”

A roadblock, Stanley said, is that legislative researchers estimate that such a credit could cost the state $70 million in tax revenue the first year it would be on the books. Stanley vigorously disagrees with that estimate.

There would be no cost - static estimates would only denote this proposal as costing anything. But than again, how often does anything dynamic come out of government.

A dog owner buried his pet alive to teach him a lesson. Apparently, the dog would not stop digging holes. The dog survived in the hole for a day, having enough room to breathe but not move.

I have developed a strong love for dogs since Nathan and I got Maggie a couple of years ago. The thought of her being harmed is very upsetting to me. However, the actual burying incident is not even the part of the story that stood out the most to me. Instead, the end of the article really caught my attention:

Now Animal Control has to petition for custody of the dog before he’s available for adoption. That could take several months.

It takes several months to complete the adoption paperwork for a dog? I see that the ridiculous red tape and laws that surround adoption in this country aren’t limited to the human species.