Lt.Gov Ron Ramsey

My day on the Hill yesterday revolved around my meeting with our Lt.Gov. The rest was just fun filler which I will describe later.

I say this alot lately, but it does matter who governs. Sitting in our Lt.Gov's office reminded me of that. Ron Ramsey has a style of governing that is reflective of his constituency. He is down-to-earth and honest with his assessments. It is about people and policy, not policy and more policy. He sees the genuine absurdity of bad policy, that is refreshing, and he offers solutions thru people not more policy. Once again, even more refreshing.

When you delve into politics on this level, there is alot of absurdity in policy.
The absurdity factor is why I will always be a champion for LESS government.

I would also be remiss if I didn't thank Sen. Eric Stewart for attending the meeting and sponsoring our bills in the Senate. We may be on opposite sides of the fence, but I actually like him alot. He was the only Democrat I have ever knowingly worked with and that was only because he was county commissioner at the time. He is a fiscal conservative and has strong family values. We may not agree on everything, but I can usually trust where his head is at when it comes to serving his constituents.

Observations from a window seat at the legislature cafeteria:

Lots of women in tight skirts and very high heels.
Lots of gray haired lions.
Lots of harried soldiers.
Lots of people with big red hand signs that said "Hands Off of our Civil Rights" or something like that.
Lots of young people in suits (I thought that was cool).

Overheard at a PTA meeting in House Chambers (Speaker was TEA rep):

Bills on Charter schools are bad.
Bills on Home Schooling are bad.
Bills on Virtual education are bad.
Tenure is good.
The new House committee structure makes us nervous (I think he was referring to the Republicans).

Attending the Consumer and Employee Affairs Committee meeting:



I was thrilled to see my dear friend Rep. Judd Matheny chairing his first full Committee. It has been a long road since 2002 and he has fought battle after battle against the absurdity that seems to permeate state government. I am sooo very proud to have him on our team and I know his constituents think so too.

The first committee meeting presentation was a meaty one. Unemployment resources and gameplan updates. I couldn't stay. It was good to see Rep. Eric Swafford, Rep. Brian Kelsey and my favorite Rep. Stacey Campfield on the committee. Like Judd, the left just loves to pick on them. That makes me like them even better.

Yep, as I reread this, my new favorite word for bad government is "absurdity". Funny how things stick it your mind like that. I must be reading too much stimulus propaganda.

Tennessee Democrats

Everyone reevalutates strategy after a defeat. Nationally, the Repubs are doing it, and in Tennessee the Dems are doing it. It is smart and necessary.

The state Dems just elected a new chairman that is going to rock everyone's world. He is an Obama follower for sure. Which means that the old school Dems like Lincoln Davis are not going to be happy. Why? Because Lincoln Davis is a conservative and his constituent base is conservative. He won our county by the biggest margin ever this past election. My people LOVE Lincoln Davis. And you know what, I kinda like the guy myself except for the Nancy Pelosi factor (he has to vote with that liberal lunatic).

So in my world, I am pretty darn happy with the state Dem chairman choice.

Forrester Calls Out Republicans for 'Racist Smear Tactics'
By Jeff Woods in Politics, WoodsMonday, Jan. 26 2009 @ 5:45AM

Demoralized and in disarray, Tennessee Democrats met at the Capitol over the weekend to elect a new chairman and proceeded to make their party's future even shakier by giving the finger to their entire senior leadership. Charles Robert Bone, son of a long-time party money guy, enjoyed the backing of Gov. Phil Bredesen, and Congressmen Jim Cooper, Lincoln Davis, Bart Gordon and John Tanner, plus Harold Ford Jr. and a bunch of former party chairs--Doug Horne, Bob Thomas, Dick Lodge, Randy Button, and Gray Sasser. (Did we leave anyone out?) So who did the party's executive committee elect? Chip Forrester.

And it wasn't even close. Forrester, the party treasurer, won by a vote of 42-25 and--surprise!--he immediately called for unity. "There's much more than unites us today as Democrats than separates us," he said, hopefully.

Insiders say the establishment now might wash its hands of the party, refusing to raise money or helping only half-heartedly. As Forrester was elected Saturday, aides to Davis and Gordon hustled out of the House chamber without talking to reporters. Party leaders favored Bone for his fund-raising prowess. They see Forrester as a flaky troublemaker. He wears bow ties and wire-rim spectacles, for chrissakes, and he had the audacity in 1992 to challenge Democratic incumbent Rep. Bob Clement in a primary.

Forrester won because of his long association with the executive committee--he has belonged himself since 1988--but also because of something else: He's the new champion of the party's liberal activists. He filled the House gallery with sign-waving supporters. Barack Obama's victory stirred them up. Over the years, they have watched in frustration as Democrats have put conservatives on the ballot election after election. Bredesen, Davis, Gordon, Cooper and Tanner all act like Republicans most of the time. The elected leaders say that's what it takes to win in Tennessee, although the Republican Lite strategy hasn't been working out so well for the party lately. Liberals have this crazy idea that Democrats can excite a mass following in this state, just like Obama did nationally, if they will only stay true to their core beliefs and stop pretending to be Republicans.

One of their biggest grievances has been the failure of the Tennessee party and its leaders to vigorously counter Republican attacks. In last year's losing campaigns in particular, state Democratic leaders outraged liberals by keeping a conspicuous silence as the Tennessee GOP smeared Obama and some Democratic legislative candidates. In his acceptance speech, Forrester brought the House chamber cheering to its feet by vowing to fight back against "racist smear tactics."

"I want to put the Republican Party on notice. The Democratic Party will no longer sit quietly while the Republicans run racist, demagogic falsehoods against our values, our principles and our candidates as they did this year against President Barack Obama, Representative Nathan Vaughn and other legislative candidates. When you lie about our candidates, our office holders, we're going to call you out as liars. There is no place in politics for such conduct. Robin Smith, Jason Mumpower, Bill Hobbs and Chip Saltsman, I tell you now you are put on notice. As chair of the Tennessee Democratic Party, I will not stand by and see this happen without a full-frontal attack on the racist smear tactics that you have used in this past campaign. Decent men and women in Tennessee are demeaned by your racist, bigoted attacks, and I will not stand for it and neither will the Tennessee Democratic Party. Be ready, I'm putting you on notice now, Republicans in Tennessee and those of you who support those tactics."

Also in his speech, Forrester pledged to run "95-county campaign" for governor in 2010. "We're going to make this thing happen," he said. "We're going to make the changes we know we need to make."


"First and Foremost I want to renew my pledge to you that I made to you during my campaign that we're going to open this party up to everyone, everyone who believes in the ideals of the Democratic Party, the party of hope and change. We're going to make this the most inclusive political party in the state of Tennessee which will enable us to build the grassroots organization necessary to elect a new Democratic governor, regain the majority in the House and Senate seats in 2010."
The new chairman said he would hold a summit of Democratic leaders "to look at what we did wrong and what we did right [in the 2008 campaign] and begin to incorporate what we learn into a comprehensive strategy for 2009 and 2010. From this summit, we will emerge with a program of fundraising, new technologies, grassroots organizing to truly build this party from the precinct level up. We need to stop talking about organizing and actually begin doing it."

With the party's leaders sulking on the sidelines, it's not clear at this point who might join Forrester at his meetin

Grundy County GOP

Yep, I accepted the Chairmanship. Onward Ho!

Grundy County Republican Party announces 2009-11 Leadership

On Saturday, January 17th, 2009, the Grundy County Republican Party held their Reorganization Convention and elected the following people to the 2009-11 leadership team:

Chairman – Iva Michelle Russell
Vice Chairman – Scott Pilkington Jr.
Secretary – Jim Waller
Treasurer – Marianne Waller
Vice Treasurer – Alf Adams
Finance Chairman – Matt Pilcher
Precinct Chairman – Chuck Clabber
Publicity Chairman – Jennifer Parmley
Immediate Past Chairman – Ted Smith
District 14 State Executive Committeeman – Betty King
District 14 State Executive Committeeman – Reuben Watkins

New Chairman Address:

“I am very honored to be serving as county chairman this term, especially with such an accomplished leadership team. Due to the efforts of so many conservatives across the state, we now have an historic opportunity to build our party locally due to the shifting power structure in state politics and the historic presidential vote in Grundy County. With the new majority status in the state General Assembly, we were able to elect three Republican Constitutional Officers as well as receive a majority status on all 95 Election Commissions. I am confident that our people will lead the way in preserving and expanding gun rights, pro-small business legislation and shedding the light on back-room deals that have greatly hurt the state of Tennessee and the citizens who pay the price.

As a conservative Republican, I strongly believe in the philosophies’ of Ronald Reagan: Less government, less taxes and personal responsibility…especially fiscal responsibility. In a down economy, it is more important than ever to find qualified candidates who understand how to run budgets and to make every dollar count. We will also be looking for candidates that understand the need to educate our children for the jobs of the future and to give them every opportunity to succeed in life. We have many challenges ahead in our county, including infrastructure and job creation, I am confident that we will find candidates with the heart and soul to come up with solutions and to work in a non-partisan way with everyone in our community. I respect every individual and their right to choose a party that fits their belief structure. Our job will be to educate and motivate Grundy County voters to get involved in the process, and if we do our job right, vote for our candidates because they are the most qualified to represent the needs of our people.

As always, I will rely heavily on our people with military and first responder backgrounds. They understand honor codes, work ethic and a team approach to any situation. I am very thankful that my new leadership team has several members that fit this description and I look forward to finding candidates with the same convictions.

In closing, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to our Immediate Past President Ted Smith for his unwavering vision and belief structure. Great leaders learn from the mistakes and successes of the past in order to build and shape a brighter future. They must also have conviction of purpose. Ted Smith is one of those leaders. In the words of Winston Churchill “Never, never, never give up”. Thank you again for this opportunity. I look forward to serving you.”

The Rest of the Story

By now everyone (and that includes the rest of the country) has read the shenanigans of this past Tuesday at our state capitol. You really can't make this stuff up, truth is much stranger than fiction.

I came in a little later than planned on Tuesday, missed the GOP legislative breakfast, and ended up sitting in the outer chamber tv lounge next to these darling retired fire chiefs from east tennessee. They said they were there for Rep. Kent Williams which really didn't mean anything to me at the time except that it assured me we were on the same rooting bench. These guys were a hoot and we spent the morning enjoying conservation and dead-on similiar viewpoints. I will take hard-a$$ firefighters any day of the week to spend time with, especially on a day like Tuesday.

Rep. Williams came by several times to chat with them and I let him have my seat as I went to grab a drink and chat with Judd and a few others as we waited for the noon hour elections. It was like old home week, everyone was there. I met and spent some time with Linda Buckles, TNFRW Area 1 Vice President from Kingsport. What a neat woman. I also had the pleasure to chat politics with Vance Cheek and later the Shipley boys who were there to watch their dad get sworn in.

But back to the Williams saga, I digress. I sat back down with the fire chiefs and Red asked me if I wanted to know what was going to go down in the house elections. You know my answer, but after he told me I laughed real hard. Yea right. Minutes later, the fun began. Nominations were supposed to be closed, Naifeh didn't recognize a second, we had to go into Roberts Rules which took several minutes, then the Recess issue occured, Terri Lynn Weaver hit the wrong button and we were left waiting for another 30 minutes. Not a good sign. Stress was running high at this point, but I really wasn't that concerned, Jason and the team had it covered.

House gets back in session, Red gives me the signal. I watch drop-jawed as Gary Odom (he sooo reminds me of our city attorney Bill Killian) nominates Kent Williams, all Dems vote Williams, all GOPs vote Mumpower, last man called...Williams votes for...Williams. Hail to the Chief. All hell breaks loose. Red smiles.

The rest of the day is a blur, Lois Deberry(D)beats Beth Harwell(R) for Pro Tem by one vote...Williams. House Republican majority is overthrown by one man, a two year incumbent from Carter County, and a brilliant maneuver by the minority party. It took us 149 years to get here and it only took one man to sell his soul to bring it down. The devil is a crafty beast indeed.

I stayed as long as I could, then headed back to my room to regroup. We had a "victory" party at 4:30pm over at the Hermitage and I was going to meet Bob over there for a powwow before tomorrows meeting with Commissioner Whitaker. Red invited me over to Kent's "victory" party, but I really had no stomach for it. I am glad I missed the call.

The party at the Hermitage was an interesting one, we were all in one big shock wave. It took a great speech by Ron Ramsey, our fearless Lt.Gov, to get our heads back on and thinking rationally. He is such an asset to the state. He also gave his "NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP" plaque to Jason in a very touching and humorous tribute.

Great to see and chat with Monty Lankford, Mike Niederhauser and Steve Heath. You almost become like family when you see them on the campaign trail all year, so it is always good to reconnect. Got to say hello to Sam Harper who I haven't seen in forever, glad to hear he is going to start writing again. At the end of the night, was privy to a great discussion with Colby and Mike about strategic politics on a local level. Gained some very good insight. The guy is good and sincere in his passion. I like him.

So that story ends and another one begins. Constitutional officer election goes without a hitch. The legislative year has now begun.

Clarification: A reader made a very valid comment. My reference to the 149 years dealt with a Republican leadership in both Senate and House. Technically, we have that now. No disrespect intended for Speaker Jenkins who was the first Republican Speaker since reconstruction back in the late 60's (1969 I believe).

New Republican Speaker in TN

Too bad he is not the one we chose. Will write more later. I am off to the post mortem party and then Nashville music scene.

New TN Constitutional Officers

Tennessee's new Republican legislature majority just nominated the following people to the state constitutional offices:

Tre Hargett - Secretary of State
David Lilliard - Treasurer
Justin Wilson - Comptroller

Congrats to all that made this a reality!

Update: These may be thrown back to "up in the air" nominations after todays shenanigans. Will know on Wednesday.

This Week

My political junkie mojo is heating up fast. Some people feel the excitement of the new American Idol or 24 season, I get giddy when the Tennessee legislative session starts again.

Today, the first voting for Constitutional Officers begins (2pm). I will be keeping up with that via my favorite bloggers. Tomorrow is the House and Senate leadership elections (12pm). I will be there for the House elections. It is sure to be a heart pounder. Never underestimate Jimmy Naifeh. You can watch it via streaming video @ www.legislature.state.tn.us

The day will start early, but I will try to do some blogging while I am there. Since there is a full day of festivities I am just going to stay downtown and hit the music scene too. Then get up in the morning and meet with Commissioner Whitaker on my OHV Legislative agenda.

Let the games begin!

Update: The Tennessean just pulled a bs move in a "breaking news" story. I think someone should file an ethics complaint on them.

Choices

You know you live in paradise when you have to make a choice on attending a lecture by famed Reagan economist Arthur Laffer (Laffer Curve) or talking politics with your favorite state representative over at your favorite leaning blue restaurant.

This was truly a painful choice, but I knew my friends Scott and Rhonda had the Laffer lecture covered so I could hear a report later, but chatting with my dear friend Judd about the upcoming Republican majority legislative season was too tasty to pass up.

I have been fortunate to see the build up to this Republican majority since 2003. When I moved back home, I had just come off a state rep campaign in Illinois so I went looking for the same kind of solid, Reaganesque candidate here in Tennessee. I found Judd. He had just won a wildcard victory from an entrenched incumbent in 2002 and he was the only Republican state rep nearest to me (I live in a sea of Democrats).

Judd is a cagey fellow, honed by years in the military, police and private investigation arenas. You don't get into his inner circle very easily and I literally had to go thru Judd "bootcamp" to prove my loyalty to the cause. It is pretty comical in retrospect, I wore high heels to the first meeting and ended up in camoflage and carrying a Walther PPK. I never looked back.

The first year we started working on a TV show to bring Nashville politics back home to Judd's district. It was an interesting year to say the least. But I got a chance to see the good, the bad and the ugly in Nashville. I realized how truly broken the legislative system had become. Thug politics at its best, probably learned since birth from the small town thugs that permeate our mountains and valleys in Tennessee. There is a reason Tennessee is on the bottom rungs of every national indicator.

The subsequent years are a blur, Judd kept winning and fighting the "establishment" at every turn, I got involved in local politics and ended up running for state representative in my district in 2006. Although I had no chance whatsoever, the good guys needed help in Nashville and I knew I could stir it up around here by jumping in. When you are the underdog you work 100 times harder than the incumbent talking to people and doing grassroots politicking. That year, I learned a great deal about my district (4 rural counties, 1200 sq miles) and the needs of the people.

That is how I got involved in the OHV movement and the meat of yesterday's discussion with Judd. One of the biggest issues in my district was the quickly disappearing access to land by our Off-Highway Vehicles users. One fellow, Steve Melton, was so utterly passionate about the topic that I could not help but listen. And the more I found out, the more it pissed me off. So in 2007, I was hired by Southern Four Wheel Drive Assc to further the objectives of the 2004 Off Highway Vehicle Act which called for a statewide system of trails. The Act had effectively been circumvented and laid to death but for one project in East Tennessee. As I said earlier, the more you learn about government and politics, the more it pisses you off at how illogical and counterproductive it can be.

But I digress. Judd had carried my OHV legislation for the past 2 sessions and we were looking at next years agenda now that the political landscape had changed. Jason Mumpower had personally endorsed my legislation last year which means that Joe McCord and TWRA may not be able to stop it this year if Jason becomes Speaker. Jason is one of the good guys and one of the warriors, like Judd, who is passionate about good politics that benefit the citizens not the pockets of a few. My OHV legislation is just housecleaning and getting the program moving again. It is not rocket scientist stuff.

So my choice of hearing Arthur Laffer talk about how the "Redistributionists" are going to lead us straight to economic hell or talk about exciting opportunities that could exist in our newly empowered state legislature was one that was painful, but oh so sweet. I LOVE living here in paradise!

Legislation fun

I was up in Nashville dealing with my own bill two-step when this issue was occuring in Judiciary. Although I missed the actual incident, the fun was captured on YouTube for later enjoyment. I am glad there is a Stacey Campfield up there, he is quite refreshing.
M

Tennessean Article - 4/22/08

The bill dies. The debate lives on.

When House Bill 1523 came up in the state House Judiciary Committee last week, the committee wasted little time banishing the legislation, which would have allowed fathers to shed legal obligations for children proved through DNA tests not to be their own.


Within five minutes, the bill was all but dead. But before the bill was sent to the purgatory known as summer study, Rep. Rob Briley unleashed a blistering barrage of questions against the sponsor, Rep. Stacey Campfield, questioning him about pre-marital sex, infidelity and child support.

The unexpected attack from Briley, a Nashville Democrat, has earned the bill a second life of sorts on YouTube, where the testy give-and-take was posted after the legislation sank in the committee.

The clip is hardly unusual. YouTube has become a repository of memorable political moments, among them the video footage of Briley's own arrest for drunk driving last year.

His apology on the House floor was, in turn, also posted to the site.

Political fortunes increasingly rise and fall on such moments. During the 2006 U.S. Senate race, Harold Ford Jr.'s so-called "Memphis Meltdown" — a widely viewed parking lot confrontation with opponent Bob Corker — is considered to have been a factor in Ford's failed run.

And on the national stage, U.S. Sen. George Allen's comment derisively calling a rival's campaign worker "macaca" is seen as a turning point eventually leading to Allen's loss in Virginia.

There are plenty of congenial moments in Tennessee politics enshrined on YouTube, such as Rep. Curry Todd's comments on the House floor poking fun at Rep. Frank Buck's fashion sense, House Republican Leader Jason Mumpower's presentation of orange pants to House speaker Jimmy Naifeh, and Sen. John Wilder's retirement speech in the Senate.

The discussion of Campfield's bill, though, is notable for its testiness and personal nature.

Campfield — who may be the House's most outspoken conservative — described the intent of the bill as relieving non-biological fathers of their responsibility for paying for child support for children who are not theirs. Briley then opened up by calling the bill "the most anti-child piece of legislation I've seen in 10 years, by far."

Briley then asked Campfield, "Do you believe that pre-marital sex is appropriate?"

Campfield responds, "I don't see what that has to do with this bill."

Briley fired back, "It has everything to do with this bill."

Campfield responded: "Explain to me how."

After more back and forth, in which Campfield looks by turns irate and flustered, Briley asked, "Do you believe, in your opinion, that adultery is appropriate?" Campfield responded no, prompting Briley to ask, "yet you want to punish the child that may result from an adulterous situation?"

"No," Campfield said. "Well, that's what you're doing here," Briley shot back.

After more sniping, at the end of which Campfield complained, "I don't understand your question," Briley asked for the bill to be sent to summer study. Chairman Kent Coleman, D-Murfreesboro, took a voice vote and obliged.

The segment ends with Campfield's plaintive conclusion: "Thank you Mr. Chairman — I guess."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3NfNAkhDzk


Contact Theo Emery at 726-4889 or temery@tennessean.com.

It's all about Water

Being from Monteagle, I know more about water issues than I care to admit. I recently read a National Geographic article about the history of water issues out west and how an entire civilization just disappeared one year because of an extended drought. I don't think we are going anywhere, but this border war can only get more heated with the dry summer season almost upon us.


Timeline: Georgia-Tennessee border war


03/06/08

1777: Georgia is admitted as the fourth state into the union with its northern border as the 35th parallel according to its charter.
1796: Tennessee was admitted into the union by the U.S. government and deeded lands west of North Carolina above the 35th parallel.
1802: Georgia cedes the Mississippi Territory to the United States. Under the agreement Georgia's western border would reach and cross the Tennessee River at Nickajack at the 35th parallel.
1817: Mississippi is admitted into the union with its northern border identified in its state charter as the 35th parallel.
1818: Georgia and Tennessee commission a joint survey of their border, whose mission was to identify the 35th parallel and mark it on the ground. It is believed that due to poor equipment and outdated astronomical charts, the survey party mistakenly placed the line a mile south of its actual location at Nickajack. Georgia never officially accepted the border as marked.
1819: Alabama is admitted into the union with its northern border identified in its state charter as the 35th parallel.
1887: Georgia passes an act calling for commissioners to meet and establish the Tennessee line.
1889: The Tennessee legislature enacts legislation expressing "grave doubts as to the location of the state line between Georgia and Tennessee on that part of the line between Dade County, Georgia, and Marion and Hamilton Counties, Tennessee, creating trouble and inconvenience between the two states."
1890: Tennessee forces Mississippi to correct a survey that placed the border between the two states four mile too far north into Tennessee. The border between the two states was corrected and placed along the 35th parallel according to the charts of both states.
1890, 1905, 1915, 1922: On four occasions, Georgia disputes border between itself and Tennessee.
1941: Georgia General Assembly reopens dispute of the entire Tennessee line by creating yet another Boundary Line Committee, with no reaction from Tennessee.
1947: Georgia passes acts authorizing a committee to look into the matter and authorizing Georgia’s attorney general to file suit in the U.S. Supreme Court if the committee could not resolve the dispute. In response, Tennessee’s governor met with the Georgia committee, but nothing was resolved.
1947-71: Many governors of Georgia contemplated reopening the border dispute but none did.
1971: The Georgia General Assembly enacts a joint resolution calling for Georgia governor Jimmy Carter to talk with the Tennessee governor about resolving the border dispute.
2005: Dade County officials sign an agreement with the water firm of Brown and Caldwell in Walnut Creek, Calif., to research the possibility of an agreement with Tennessee to pump water along a pipeline into Dade from the Tennessee River.
May 2007: Brad Carver, an Atlanta utilities lawyer and a water expert from the University of Mississippi, begins investigating the history of Georgia’s 190-year dispute with Tennessee over their shared border.
Feb. 8, 2008: The Georgia House and Senate introduce bills to form a commission to investigate the disputed Georgia-Tennessee border.
Feb. 20: Georgia House and Senate approve a Border Line Commission to work with Tennessee and North Carolina officials investigating of the disputed border. Tennessee Rep. Gerald McCormick calls Georgia lawmakers backing the plan “idiotic” and “crazy.”
Feb. 20: The measure to move the Georgia border one-mile north heads to Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue for approval after being approved by the state legislature.
Feb. 25: Tennessee House Majority Leader Gory Odom files legislation to address Georgia General Assembly’s claim to portions of the southern border of Tennessee. The resolution states that no member of the Tennessee General Assembly would partake in discussions with Georgia’s Border Line Commission.
Feb. 26: Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen dismisses Georgia’s resolution to claim land from Tennessee’s southern border.
Feb. 27: Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield responds with “Give our Georgia Friends a Drink Day.” Littlefield asked area Chattanooga residents to donate bottled water to be given to the Georgia General Assembly in Atlanta.
Feb. 27: Matt Lea, a representative from Mayor Littlefield’s office, delivers Chattanooga’s water donation to the Georgia General Assembly.
Feb. 27: Polk County, Tenn., commission passes a resolution to dismiss plans of Georgia lawmakers calling for the annexation of land from Tennessee’s southern border.
March 3: Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield calls on lawmakers from both Tennessee and Georgia to begin trying to seriously resolve the disputed border claim.
March 4: Tennessee General Assembly members take up a resolution in committee strongly opposing Georgia’s border dispute claim.

Observations from "a day on the hill"

I recently spent the day "on the hill" after watching my bill being navigated thru an early morning subcommittee meeting. Being a political junkie, I thought I would follow the whole day process and attend every committee meeting I could schedule in. Here are my thoughts...



Legislators really do care what the citizens think, so I guess it surprises my why more people don't get involved in the process.



I really didn't see too big of a difference between Dem and GOP thought processes. I guess committee meetings are thankfully more about work then about dark agendas (I have revised my opinion on this since the post was written. Committees meetings have definitely turned dark).



I especially liked Rep. Fraley's way of handling his Transportation committee. Quick and to the point.



There are way too many unfunded mandate bills for my taste. Why can't there be a committee to delete unproductive restrictions on people and local governments instead of just adding more for the sake of adding more.



Lobbyists are people too. I met the greatest guy from Johnson City who had been one of the old guard legislators while sitting in the "lobby" waiting for the next committee to start. Just a great guy still wanting to make a difference. I guess the true love of the political process never leaves you. How refreshing.