The Guns and Alcohol position from Democratic Gubers
June 1, 2009
On the Dem side, it appears that Ward Cammack, Kim McMillan, and Jim Kyle are opposed to carrying pistolas in cantena’s, while Rev. Herron thinks Jesus would have no problem with packin’ heat where alcohol is imbibed. Mike McWherter is probably formulating an opinion on the matter with his advisers.
Kim McMillan reaching out to crossover female voters
June 1, 2009
Kim is the epitome of a woman who takes charge. As the first state house majority leader and the first editor of the University of Tennessee Law Review, Kim has the capability of reaching out in a big way to crossover female voters as well as rallying the democratic base.
In the wake of serious budget cuts to health services, state employee layoffs and a contracting economy, this sounds classy:
An e-mail by Firearms Association executive director John Harris took the extra step of asking his members to review news photos and videos of the governor’s veto ceremony to “help us identify the police chiefs, officers and district attorneys who stood with Bredesen. We want to compile a list of their names, districts and supervisors,” which he said would be posted on the TFA Web site.
Harris said Friday the message wasn’t a threat, and “if they perceive it that way, they’re worried about their jobs.” He said the request is to compile information members can use to question local officials about the officers’ foray into public policy or whether to vote in the future for elected officials who support the veto.
Walk that line
February 26, 2009
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Kim McMillan in the Memphis Flyer:
In the course of a two-hour conversation, McMillan ran the gamut of subjects from tax strategy (“We have to live within our means; people in Tennessee are not ready to change our system of taxation”), to the importance of having got an early start (she was the first gubernatorial candidate to announce, in mid-2008), to the necessity of creating a network of small donors (à la the presidential campaign of Barack Obama).
She talked about her experience as a two-term majority leader in the House and the challenges of dealing with a small group of people who, as elected officials themselves, have egos and developed agendas (“It’s not easy to convince people like that that you’re the one who ought to be in charge”). And McMillan noted the two recent instances in which she successfully walked a tightrope between embittered Democratic factions — when former state senator Rosalind Kurita, also of Clarksville, was opposed by fellow Democrat Tim Barnes in last year’s election; and, more recently, when rank-and-file candidate Chip Forrester took on the establishment-backed Charles Robert Bone to get elected as state Democratic chairman. It was clear indeed that one of McMillan’s gifts is that of conciliation, and, while the Democrats who heard her out last week were maintaining a wait-and-see attitude toward a not yet complete gubernatorial field, she at the very least held her place in line.
Indeed, during the Senate dust-up McMillan was neither here nor there promoting Barnes or bashing Kurita. That seems like a good balancing act given that she’s from Clarksville- the nucleus of the 22nd Senate District which Barnes wrested from Kurita.
Ron Ramsey still a possibility in 2010?
February 24, 2009
The last I heard from Gov. Ramsey was this article in the Kingsport Times.
Tennessee Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey’s decision whether to run for governor in 2010 will hinge on one prime concern — money.
Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey says he would like to see Senate committees complete their work on everything except budget-related matters by the end of March, when Gov. Phil Bredesen is expected have submitted a finalized budget bill.
Senators could then focus on the budget and move it along quickly for prompt passage, adjourning the session by late April, Ramsey says.
Along the same lines, House Judiciary Chairman Kent Coleman, D-Murfreesboro, told a House leadership meeting Monday that he intends to close down the committee – which handles some of the more controversial non-budget issues – by the “second week of April.”
Of course, there are predictions of an early end to session annually. In recent years, none have been accurate.
Of course, Governor Ramsey cannot raise money while the legislature is in session. Good thing he can somewhat control the pace of what goes on in Nashville.
Tuesday’s message
February 24, 2009
“The only difference between Tennessee and the rest of our beloved South is that Tennessee really is God’s country.” Thomas Maxwell
The Tennessee pride I am trying to exhibit through this blog truly is corny.
More higher ed scandal
February 24, 2009
So, I’m going to defend UT president John Petersen only partially.
If the University of Tennessee wants to attract university officials, who are by now not much more than principal fundraisers for a school system, and financial officers who would can be competitive agents in the private and/or non-academic sector, then I could easily understand a generous salary and benefits package.
But if the guy was most likely going to get axed, then why offer him sixteen months of pay? So that he can lounge around in his underwear searching careerbuilder between intermittent stages of Rock Band and Guitar Hero? No, he receives nearly half a million dollars so that the university can save face with future, prospective university presidents. I get that, but I don’t see why Tennessee’s Board of Regents and our noble legislators allow the university to hire president’s who consistently engage in patterns of excess and sexism.
Vanderbilt salaries are recession proof
February 23, 2009
From the recent New York Times analysis of a Chronicle of Higher Education report, Vanderbilt breaks the top ten with two employees in highest paid private university officials category. Vanderbilt represents in the top ten in the following categories: highest paid chief executive, highest paid financial officer and highest paid academic officers.
The new Chronicle analysis of pay data listed the 10 highest-paid employees other than chief executives, the 10 highest- paid financial officers and the 10 highest-paid academic officers. Only Emory University andVanderbilt University were represented on all three lists.
Vanderbilt had two of the highest-paid employees on the top 10 list: Dr. Harry R. Jacobson, the vice chancellor for health affairs, and Norman B. Urmy, the former executive vice president for clinical affairs, who stepped down in June 2006. Each had a pay package worth more than $2.4 million.
Vanderbilt also had the highest-paid academic officer, Nicholas S. Zeppos, who earned $1,046,751, and the second-highest-paid financial officer, Lauren Brisky, who earned $1,159,197 and is retired as of this month.
In 2007, The Chronicle has reported, Vanderbilt also had the highest-paid university chief in the nation — E. Gordon Gee, who forfeited about half of his $2 million compensation package when he left to become president of Ohio State University.
Mr. Zeppos then succeeded him as chancellor of Vanderbilt last March.
Given university and board politics, I can actually see why Vanderbilt would divert vast resources to clinical and health affairs, being that research and medical residencies are highly sought after in Nashville, but overall academic affairs and management- not so much.
The Coleman Franken debacle solution
February 23, 2009
The Economist makes an astute observation, because, well, that’s what they do:
American politicos can assume a razor-thin election like this at least once in every cycle. What could be done to make it a little less agonizing?
• Lower the stakes. One reason that Mr Coleman has been so well-funded for his challenge is that arcane Senate rules don’t bend depending on how many senators are actually able to serve. Democrats still need 60 votes to break filibusters, the rule that assumes that 100 senators. If that number fell depending on how many senators were sworn in, the motivation to dig in and get a few months of leverage would vanish.
Quote of the day
February 23, 2009
We’ve traded comedy for competence, and it’s quite sad actually. From the Washington Post, on the death of Texas political influence:
I’ll miss all those Texans around Washington. The big boots, the big belt buckles, the big talk, the vaguely horrified look on the faces of network correspondents forced to do standups amid the cow pies and convenience stores ringing the Crawford White House. You think Joe Biden is gonna wake up one morning and shoot a load of buckshot into a Texan’s face anytime soon? Ah, good times.
