An Ol’ Broad’s Ramblings
Archive for Tennessee
Doin’s Around Podunk
Job losses. High gas prices. Times are tough. That’s why we need new leadership. That’s why it’s time to vote Vance Dennis for State Representative. Vance will use his experience as a farmer and as an attorney to fight to keep our jobs and to recruit new ones. He will work hard for our children’s schools and for more health care choices for our seniors and working families. Vance will oppose higher gas taxes and will never vote for a state income tax. Vance knows West Tennessee has been overlooked for too long, and he will get us back on the right track. Thanks for your support for Vance!
You’re invited! Fish fry Monday night
Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey is hosting an early voting kickoff fish fry in support of Vance Dennis for state representative and Dolores Gresham for state senator Monday night at 7:00 PM at the Adamsville Community Center. The fish will be good, and the best part is that it is free! Come join us!
Rally with the Honorable Bill Frist, M.D.
The honorable Bill Frist, former majority leader of the U.S. Senate, will be visiting West Tennessee for a rally in support of Vance Dennis on Thursday, October 16, at 3:00 PM at the Bethel Springs Community Center, 40 S. Parkway, Bethel Springs, TN (McNairy County). Come meet Senator Frist, Vance, and other supporters!
Upcoming events
With election day only weeks a way, there are lots of upcoming events. Mark your calendar for:
- October 13: Area-wide early voting kick-off rally and fish fry featuring Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey at the Adamsville Community Center, 7:00 PM
- October 16: Rally with the Honorable Bill Frist, M.D., former Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate, Bethel Springs Community Center, 3:00-4:00 PM
- October 15-30: Early voting
- November 4: Election day
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TN Democrat’s Kid Indicted
Tenn. state rep’s son indicted in Palin e-mail hacking
A federal grand jury has indicted the son of a Democratic Tennessee state lawmaker in connection with the hacking of the e-mail account of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
David Kernell, 20, of Knoxville, the son of state Rep. Mike Kernell, was scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge C. Clifford Shirley, according to a statement from the Justice Department.
David Kernell was indicted Tuesday by a federal grand jury in Knoxville for intentionally accessing without authorization the e-mail account of Palin, Alaska’s governor, the Justice Department said.
Kernell, an economics major at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, faces a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and a three-year term of supervised release.
His father, a Memphis Democrat, is chairman of Tennessee’s House Government Operations Committee. Mike Kernell has said he had nothing to do with the hacking incident.
I honestly don’t know what to say about this. I feel bad for the kid’s family. Here, you’ve got a guy who is representing his district, I assume, the best he can, and his kid pulls some crap like this. The kid is 20 years old, he should have known better. Didn’t his parents teach him cheating, lying and stealing is NOT the way to go through life?
Oh, wait a minute….dad is a Democrat. Seriously, though, not ALL Dems are cheats, liars and theives.
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Daddy Confirms? Not exactly!
State rep confirms that son is subject of Palin e-mail chatter
State Rep. Mike Kernell confirmed Thursday that his son, a University of Tennessee-Knoxville student, is at the center of heated Internet discussion into the hacking of the personal e-mail of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
Kernell, a Memphis Democrat, confirmed that it is his 20-year-old son, David, who is being widely named on Internet blogs and chatrooms in connection with an unfolding story about Palin’s hacked e-mail accounts.
The FBI and the Secret Service started a formal investigation on Wednesday into the hacking.
David Kernell is a student at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Mike Kernell said he spoke to his son on Thursday, as he does on a regular basis.
Kernell otherwise declined to comment, or discuss his son’s whereabouts.
Now, what I’ve been reading on other sites, pops says he’s the guy that did the hacking. Well, what this article is telling me is that he only confirms that his son is being investigated and his name is being bandied about on the internet.
Until I hear otherwise, I’ll give the kid the benefit of the doubt. Yes, I can be fair…..sometimes. 
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Miss Joy’s Ongoing Battle
Gotto seeks to give Council control of eminent domain power claims
In response to the Metro Development and Housing Agency’s ongoing tussle over Joy Ford’s Music Row property, Councilman Jim Gotto has filed a resolution that would give Metro Council ultimate authority over eminent domain claims.
Seriously, I would like to know just when a case of eminent domain got tossed to a flippin’ bureaucracy?
Under Gotto’s resolution, Davidson County voters would get to decide whether eminent domain power would stay with MDHA or shift to Metro Council. The resolution calls for a voter referendum on the Aug. 5, 2010 ballot, which if passed would amend the Metro charter to shift eminent domain power to Council.
Eminent domain is a 5th Amendment issue, which in my book, does NOT give some third rate bureaucracy any power whatsoever. In Miss Joy’s case, just as with the Kelo V New London case, the ‘city’ is trying to take private property, NOT for public use, but to hand it over to another private enterprise. The Supreme Court made the WRONG choice!
“We have a situation right now with MDHA and the Gulch Redevelopment District where they’re trying to take her property away and give it to another private developer,” Gotto said. “And that is just not appropriate for government to do that. It truly is a slippery slope. I’m not willing to sit back and watch that happen.
“So this legislation will give the power to the people to decide if they want their elected officials to have power over eminent domain claims instead of a bureaucratic agency.”
I’m real happy to know that at least ONE person on the council is standing up for private citizens. Should this resolution pass, it will be not only a victory for Nashville, but the first ’shot fired’ in a battle against abuse of the citizenry.
Although Gotto’s measure would not be in place in time to affect Ford’s situation with MDHA, it would provide oversight to avoid a similar incident arising in the future, he said.
“I’m pleased MDHA is trying to reach an agreement, but at the end of the day if she doesn’t want to sell it, if she wants to keep her property intact as it is now, then they need to walk away,” Gotto said.
She has said, repeatedly, she does NOT want to sell her property. What part of NO are they having such a problem?
Gotto added that he was willing to file legislation that would rescind the redevelopment district and effectively take away MDHA’s eminent domain claim powers over Ford’s property.
It’s rather refreshing to see a city councilman willing to take on the big fish. I like that!
MDHA did not respond to The City Paper requests for comment.
Not surprising. They already look like the total jackasses they are. Why would they want to comment, and make it even MORE apparent?
Some history of the case here, here, here, and here. Also, a letter to the editor from a weasel.
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Weekly Headlines From Podunk
Yep, gotta do it again. Give a little news from the weekly rag, aka The Courier. Now, what annoys me most about this paper is the fact that this little paper is 75% advertisements, and if you’re lucky a max of 20% actual news. The other 5% is dedicated to ‘garage sales’. sigh…. And of course, it’s not online, so as I’ve said before, you’re going to have to take my word for it.
Here are the ‘front page’ headlines:
Warrants issued for buys of sinus drugs
Purchasing excessive amounts of meth making material violates Meth Free law
Fewer than 15 warrants remained to be served Tuesday as the Hardin County Sheriff’s Department continued a roundup of residents suspected of violating the Meth Free Tennessee Act of 2005.
Most of the warrants are not for the production, possession or sale of methamphetamine, but for a lesser known offense involving the purchase of nonprescription medical products that can be used to make the illegal drug. One actual working meth lab was reporedly found.
The article goes on to name those who have been arrested, which I won’t include here. Now, here’s the issue I have with this law. I do buy a lot of sinus medication. I USE a lot of sinus medication. I take Zyrtec nightly, and recently, a whole lot of Tylenol sinus stuff. Why? Well, I have allergies! DUH! I also have major sinus headaches caused by weather changes. Which, around here, is frequently. Are the cops going to come bang on my door, and bust me for having sinus problems?
Yes, I know there are those who do buy excessive amounts of sinus stuff, but what about those of us who actually have serious problems? I find it insulting that the majority of people are punished for the criminal minority.
Non-swimmer falls out of boat, drowns
The body of a man who drowned in the Tennessee was recovered Saturday around 10 a.m. a short distance downstream of the Harrison-McGarity Bridge at Savannah.
Roy Atkins, of (local address), also known as “Cool Ray”, somehow fell out of a 14-foot aluminum boat as he wated for fishing buddy Eric Alexander to back the trailer down the boat ramp at Wayne Jerrolds Riverside park, said Hardin County Fire Chief Melvin Martin.
He said Atkins, 42, was not wearing a life jacket and family members said he did not know how to swim.
“All Eric saw when he was backing the trailer into the river was the boat going in circles,” the chief said.
Hardin County Sheriff Sammy Daidson said it appears Atkins was standing and pulling the cord to start the motor when he fell in, and then was struck by the circling boat as he tried to reach it.
I go over this bridge on a regular basis. Looking down into the river, I can’t imagine anyone NOT wearing a life jacket out there, even a strong swimmer! My prayers are with the family, of course.
Qualls won’t get lower murder case bond
Second judge cites nature of the crime, violent past in leaving bond at $500,000
A second judge has now refused to reduce the $500,000 bond set for Ken Qualls, a Savannah merchant facing a possible life sentence for allegedly killing an employee.
Charged with first degree murder but not yet indicted by a grand jur, Qualls, 52, has been held at the hardin County Jail since the july 22 incident.
Charles Garrard, 2, was shot in the head while seated in Quall’ pickup truck parked outside his Water Street business, Savannah Furniture Exchange.
Last Thursday, Circuit Court Judge Donald parrish of Carroll County declined to reduce the bond.
He cited considering the nature of the offense, potential long sentence, a prior record including assault and possession of a weapon, and a 1991 incident in which Qualls fatally shot one man and wounded another, but was acquitted by a Hardin County jury.
This guy shoots and kills another person, right across the street from the county jail, has a previous murder charge, and he’s requesting a lower bond? Pfft! I don’t think so! I also saw moving trucks in front of his business yesterday, so I am guessing he’s out of business? Not sure.
Widow sues for $6 million
The wife and estate of shooting victim Charles Garrard have filed a $6 million wrongful death suit against his alleged murderer, Savannah merchant Ken Qualls.
The suit filed Aug. 25 in Hardin County Cicuit Court, claims that Qualls “intentionally with malice and forethought, shot in the head and fatally wounded” Garrard on July 22 without cause or justification.
Well, this might explain the moving trucks in front of the business.
Garrard’s widow, Leighann Garrard, also seeks damages for loss of companionship.
I thought this kind of law was for the ‘other woman’ type situations. I guess I was wrong. I feel really bad for the family of the victim, Garrard, but isn’t it kind of quick to file lawsuits?
DA file motion to disqualify attorney
District Attorney Gen. Hansel McCadams has filed a motion to remove Savannah attorney Curt Hopper as counsel for Ken Qualls in the criminal case against him.
According to McCadams, Hopper found himself representing both Qualls on the first degree murder charge, and Valerie Madon, a witness to the July 22 shooting, on an unrelated criminal matter. Madon is described as Qualls “emplyee and part-time paramour.”
Uh yeah. There’s a big DUH! HUGE conflict!
There ya go! That’s what is on the front page on our weekly paper. I’m not going to name the dead folks they’ve got listed. There is also notice of the County Fair that ends tomorrow. There is a notice about the Darrel Worley River Run, no date, but I think it’s this weekend. Unfortunately, I can’t go to either one. 
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Bredesen Appointee Halts “English Only” Initiative
Judge denies English-only a ballot spot
A controversial referendum on making English the official language of Nashville isn’t eligible for the Nov. 4 election ballot, a Davidson County chancellor ruled Thursday.
But the Metro councilman who’s championing the issue said he will appeal the decision today, then get to work on a new petition drive geared toward a later election.
Pray tell, why is it a ‘controversial referendum’? Is it controversial because they want the official language of the government of Nashville, Tennessee, a town in the United State of America, where English is spoken? Is that what is controversial? HEY, Tennessean, your bias is showing!
“We did not lose today, because we’re not giving up,” Councilman Eric Crafton said.
Heavens to Betsy, I should hope they wouldn’t give up. Personally, I’d like to see this kind of ‘referendum’ on every ballot in the US.
But Gregg Ramos, an attorney who opposes the measure, said the ruling was a victory for Crafton’s critics.
“All we asked for is that the law be upheld, and that’s what was done today,” Ramos said.
Does Senor Ramos speak Spanish at home? Or is he a full fledged American, and not a Hispanic-American, aka a hyphenated American.
Crafton wants Metro voters to amend the city’s charter to require the government to do its business only in English.
And the problem with this is?????? We ARE an English speaking country, whether the Ramos’ all around the nation like it or not!
There would be no exceptions for health or safety, though Crafton says city officials could make exceptions later.
If you live here, work here, and are a citizen, don’t you think it would be a good idea to speak the language? Granted, there will be emergencies with visitors who aren’t fluent in English, and for those, an exception could be made. Otherwise….learn the freakin’ language!
But Chancellor Claudia Bonnyman agreed with the election commission, saying the charter language is “clear and plain.”
Ah ha! The meat of the matter. Chancellor Bonnyman is a Bredesen appointee. You know, the Dhimmicrat governor we’re stuck with for the moment. The same one who is turning nannyism in Tennessee into an art form.
Roberts also argued that the charter uses the word “submitted” to refer to the date a petition is delivered to the Metro clerk, not the date of the referendum. But Bonnyman said that language also is clear.
“Whenever ’submitted’ appears, it’s in relation to submitting a subject to the voters,” the chancellor said.
So, she’s interpreting the law to suit her cronies? Big shocker.
The councilman said he could ask for a special election sooner than that and lay the cost “at Metro legal’s feet, but we’re more responsible than that.”
But Ramos said Crafton was being irresponsible with taxpayers’ dollars anyway by pursuing his legal case for the sake of a charter change that would face serious, possibly insurmountable legal challenges.
Excuse me, but I don’t mind my tax dollars being spent on something as important as having OUR language put on the ballot in Nashville. I’m hopeful, when such a law passes, it will be picked up by other cities in the state, and that in the end, the state itself will have such a referendum on the ballot.
Ramos noted that Bonnyman dismissed Nashville English First from the case on the grounds that it did not have legal standing because it wasn’t a legally recognized entity.
“From this point forward, it’s unambiguous that Eric Crafton is driving this train,” Ramos said. “He’s being inconsistent with his claims of fiscal conservatism.”
There’s right, and there’s wrong. You, Mr Ramos, are wrong. It is important! And fiscal conseratism would be well served if all the pamplets and forms were printed in only ONE language. What a money saver that would be for the taxpayers of Tennessee!
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Open Government, Or Lack There Of!
I’m going to do a bit of copy and paste here.
What Passes for Open Government in Tennessee
The biggest enemy of the People’s right to know what Government is doing is not an apathetic citizenry. It is Government itself! That truth is one of the key reasons I stand for smaller Government with much less power and authority. The self preservation and non-citizen-representing character of Government is nowhere better illustrated than here in Tennessee.
Randy Neal reports “…the recently enacted TN Open Records Act … also established an Advisory Committee on Open Government …” He’s quoting a member of that committee, Dorothy Bowles, “… [a] U.T. Professor and member of the East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists.”
Ms. Bowles reveals the Advisory Committee released “…a proposal that was only this week distributed by the legal counsel’s office.” Because Government takes the responsibility of fully serving and representing the citizens of Tennessee, the Advisory Committee has scheduled a hearing on this proposal, which makes it much more difficult for citizens and journalists to access Government records, for Friday - just two days from now. Further, the deadline for written comments on the proposal is Thursday - tomorrow - at Noon. Written comments can be submitted by email to open.records@state.tn.us
This is how Government serves the citizen? Not only does it make it harder for citizens to hold Government accountable by making it easier for Government to shirk being responsible to taxpayers and citizens, it does so under the cover of night, bureaucracy, no publicity and no time for anyone but other Government employees to examine and debate the matter.
Read the rest here!
I’m fairly new to Tennesee, and am still learning about the goin’ ons in the state. I’ll be honest, I do not understand the roadblocks that the gubmint keeps putting in the way of ‘open government’. As with the U.S. gubmint, I was under the impression, it is OUR government!
With Muse’s help, I hope I’ll start to figure it all out. In the meantime, he’s the one to go to for information for
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Nashville Council Doesn’t Like English?
Lawsuit: Metro blocks English-only vote unfairly
A group that hopes to make English the official language of Nashville filed suit against the city Thursday in an effort to put the issue up for a vote this fall.
Nashville English First sponsor and Metro Councilman Eric Crafton acted two days after the Davidson County Election Commission refused to put the referendum on the Nov. 4 ballot, despite the pro-English group’s collection of enough county voters’ signatures to do so.
Once again, the pro illegals in local government tries its best to thwart the ‘will of the people’!
City attorneys have said the Nov. 4 election will fall three days short of a two-year gap required between petition-driven referendums on proposals to change the Metro Charter. The last such referendum was held Nov. 7, 2006.
But Jim Roberts, an attorney for Nashville English First and Crafton, said Metro attorneys read the law in a way that was rigged to keep voters from deciding the issue.
“Rigging” is exactly what they are doing, in favor of a small portion of the population who can’t be bothered to learn the language!
“They don’t want the voters of Davidson County to vote on this referendum,” Roberts told reporters after filing the lawsuit in Davidson County Chancery Court. “The only way they could prevent that was to stop it before it started.”
I would suggest the folks of Nashville start making phone calls, send letters, and emails to their so called representatives. Let them know that you feel their actions are contrary to what you want in representation of your elected officials.
The proposed charter amendment would require that all Metro meetings, communications and publications be conducted or published in English, with no exceptions for health or safety. Critics have acknowledged that they’ll do what’s necessary to keep the measure from becoming law, including challenging supporters’ ability to put it up for a countywide vote.
The forces against such a measure just baffles. Why shouldn’t all government business be conducted in ENGLISH? That’s the language we speak in this country! If they are concerned about health and safety, they might want to have a chat with those who push for a bilingual education, and ask them what could be more safe than having the people who live and work in the US speak the language?
The lawsuit also says Metro allowed two charter amendment referendums within a two-year period in the 1990s and is ignoring a clear precedent. Referendums were held Nov. 5, 1996, and Nov. 3, 1998.
But every charter amendment proposal in 1996 was submitted by the Metro Council, not by voter petition, Elections Administrator Ray Barrett confirmed. The charter says the council can’t put charter referendums on the ballot more than twice in a four-year term, but it makes no reference to the time between those two submissions.
What this says to me is that the council doesn’t give a flying flip about the people’s wishes, only their own, as a governing body. Yep…..tells me a WHOLE lot about those folks up there in Nashville! Kind of makes me wonder if they are taking campaign donations from anti English/American groups.
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Make a Donation!
I have a link for Vance Dennis over there on the side. He’s the Republican candidate for state senate, Tennessee’s 71st district. He’s now updated his site to include PayPal donations. Please, click and donate a few bucks. I don’t wanna live in a Dhimmi district! PLEEEEEEEZE?? 
Right down there on the bottom of the home page, left hand side, there’s a button.
Looks like this!
I’m sure you’ve seen one like it before. Go, click!
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English On The Ballot!
English-only vote may be illegal, Metro attorneys say
A vote on a measure to make English Nashville’s official language was placed in jeopardy late Monday when Metro’s legal department ruled it may be illegal to put the measure on the ballot.
The fate of the English-only charter amendment may come down to a question of the meaning of the word “submitted,” and a matter of just three days.
Don’t they have dictionaries in Nashville? Here, let me help you out!
sub·mit /s?b?m?t/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[suhb-mit] verb, -mit·ted, -mit·ting. –verb (used with object)
1. to give over or yield to the power or authority of another (often used reflexively).
2. to subject to some kind of treatment or influence.
3. to present for the approval, consideration, or decision of another or others: to submit a plan; to submit an application.
4. to state or urge with deference; suggest or propose (usually fol. by a clause): I submit that full proof should be required.
–verb (used without object)
5. to yield oneself to the power or authority of another: to submit to a conqueror.
6. to allow oneself to be subjected to some kind of treatment: to submit to chemotherapy.
7. to defer to another’s judgment, opinion, decision, etc.: I submit to your superior judgment.
I think #3 is the one they might want to look at in their consideration.
Metro lawyers said that by law, two votes on a petition-driven charter amendment cannot take place in a single two-year period. An amendment which gave voters some control over Metro tax increases was on the Nov. 7, 2006, ballot.
I’m honestly baffled by citizens of the United States, where we DO speak English, will go out of their way to find any stumbling block, real or imagined, to put in the way of people who believe daily business of the government should be spoken, and printed, in the language of the land. In this particular land, it happens to be English!
Councilman Eric Crafton, one of the driving forces behind the English-only measure, argues that the key date in this matter is when signature petitions were “submitted” to the Metro clerk.
English-only petitions were submitted to the Metro clerk on Aug. 15. That date falls “well over two years” from the last time petitions for a charter amendment — the tax change — were submitted to the Metro clerk, on Aug. 8, 2006, Crafton said.
Ok, so it’s the date of the petitions being submitted (see above definitions), NOT the date of the elections. Yes, I’d say those 7 days makes a difference. The folks in Nashville signed the petitions, and sent them in. Their voice should be heard….on that ballot!
Crafton says the measure will either appear on the Nov. 4 ballot or wind up being voted on later, perhaps during a mayoral race.
“We expected they would twist the meaning of the Metro charter and concoct some sort of opinion that supports the mayor’s opinion on this,” Crafton said.
I’d suggest that the good folks of Nashville start looking for a pro American mayor! The one they’ve got right now doesn’t seem to ‘get it’!
Parsing the legal definition of the word “submitted” may well be an issue for the courts, not the Election Commission.
Again, see the above definition. Dang! You would think reasonably educated people could figure this out!
This time, Ramos said, he would like to work with Crafton on positive steps to help the entire community, such as extra funding for overfilled English-language classes.
I don’t remember stories about my grandmother taking tax payer provided English classes! She learned on her own, by immersing herself, and her family in the American culture!
“On Oct. 7, the presidential debates will be held at Belmont. The eyes of the entire world will be on Nashville,” he said. “I’m hoping we can keep this English only (referendum) off the ballot … so this won’t obscure all the great, beautiful things about Nashville, Tennessee.”
Oh, you DO want this on the ballot! Trust me! You DO! One great thing about this country….people still have a voice! What you DON’T want if for Nashville to be in the spotlight as an anti English city.
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