Blogroll, Common Sense, Individual Responsibility, Nashville Nuggets, Politics, You'd Be Wrong Comments (1)
Legacy. Governors and Presidents worry, “What will my legacy be?”. It’s a fancy-shmancy way of asking, “What exactly will they say I DID for 8 years?”
Tennessee’s Governor, Phil Bredesen, is no different. Not up for election, and a Lame Duck, it appears he’s started thinking about his. Just before Christmas Bredesen found a building project he liked, and, likely caught up in the Christmas story’s drama, found a legacy in that season’s account of the life and death of Christ. With so many characters to choose from, you’d think the Governor would have picked someone inspirational. You’d be wrong. Instead of forging a legacy from role models such as Joseph or the wise men or even Mary; in short, instead of choosing a hero, he opted for a villain. There were three to choose from but I can’t decide which he was shooting for. So I’ll outline the options and let you all decide which role Governor Bredesen is playing. Feel free to leave your choices in ‘Comments’.
Up first is Herod the Great. This role fits many of the Governor’s actual actions. Herod was sort of Jewish but not Jewish enough for the citizens. He continually tried to win the hearts and minds of his subjects. One method used was building projects. Bredesen has lived in Tennessee for years but isn’t really a Tennessean to many. Seen as a Carpet Bagger, he’s viewed suspiciously. Still, he won enough hearts and minds to get elected. Herod, after gaining power he embarked on a building program financed by the people and erected a magnificent Temple. Like Herod, Bredesen started building but all he managed was a multi-million dollar entertainment bunker for a mansion he never uses anyway. In their own minds, the two despots were serving the public. Yet, neither group of subjects appreciated what was done for them. Probably because the projects are monuments to tyranny rather than evidence of benevolence. That, and the fact the people were taxed into poverty to pay for it. I assume the bunker will be nice.
Up next is Judas; personally chosen by Jesus and made part of His inner circle. Unfortunately Judas retained a core of selfishness he couldn’t suppress. He never managed to reconcile Service and Authority; failing the lesson his peers learned - the greatest was the servant of all. That failure led Judas to betray what he claimed to love for personal gain. 30 pieces of silver. Bredesen was chosen by the majority of Tennesseans to be their chief advocate. For years he’s led a privileged life. But selfishness proved too strong and he established his legacy with a construction project costing more than 30 pieces of silver. A lot more. Despite pleas from those who trusted him to speak for them not to waste millions on a needless bunker, the Governor betrayed Tennesseans with a kiss and went ahead with his plans. Or perhaps it was that he offered Tennesseans a part of him to kiss …
Lastly, we find Pilate. Pilate had the authority to right the wrong that unfolded before him and which originated with others. He tried to dodge his responsibility by handing the decision off to Herod. He even got good advice from his wife; “Have nothing to do with this man!” Ultimately, he was coerced into a decision by the masses which begs the question, “What good is having authority to do good if you don’t actually do good with the authority you have?” Pilate responds with his famous handwashing scene after tossing an innocent man under the bus. Just so, Bredesen’s decisions in the matter started with the actions of others. The original plan to renovate the Governor’s mansion came from Bredesen’s wife, Andrea Conte, and would have been a fantastic legacy for the First Couple. Unfortunately, the renovation mushroomed from a few hundred thousand dollars in private donations to millions in tax dollars spent on new construction. Bredesen dodged responsibility by sending disgruntled citizens to Mike Fitts, the state architect. Fitts, an innocent, was tasked with defending the indefensible and did such a good job of taking arrows meant for the Governor that Andrea Conte herself praised him while dismissing the complaints of Tennesseans.
“You are doing a magnificent job of deflecting hits and correcting erroneous information regarding Conservation Hall,” [Conte] writes. “This is an innovative design and a long time coming—what a shame partisan political hacks have targeted the project out of meanness of spirit and selfishness.”
Conte concludes her note with a hearty dose of good cheer.
“Keep a song in your heart and a smile on your face” [Conte] assures Fitts. “We will prevail.”
Legacy. So many politicians seek one. They forget they forge one via their daily decisions as opposed to manufacturing one with a few selected projects. If Bredesen had served Tennesseans as opposed to himself, his legacy might have been different from the one he’s building in a bunker. Future “public servants” would do well to remember the actual legacies of our three choices; Herod, Judas and Pilate. As for Bredesen, he’ll get his bunker by despising and belittling those he was to serve, preferring instead to serve himself. Not exactly the legacy he was looking for but it’s the one he earned.
Blue Collar Muse
Popularity: 8% [?]
Blue Collar Muse @ May 12, 2008
Business, Health Care, Law Enforcement, Tennesee Tips Comments (4)
In 1998, the several states which comprise our grand experiment in representative democracy found themselves on the receiving end of a windfall!! After years of abuse and under threat of continued litigation financed from the state’s deep pockets, the tobacco industry made peace with its enemies.
It was an easy choice considering the alternative was to be destroyed by government. Consider that in 1964 Big Tobacco was required by government to put warning labels on its product telling people cigarettes would be bad for them if they chose to smoke. Next, it was forbidden by government from advertising its legal product on TV. The last TV ad for cigarettes appeared on The Tonight Show on 1/1/71 Later still, it was forbidden to even market tobacco in and to certain segments of the population. Joe Camel and Winston’s 31 year history with NASCAR both withered and died. Government is still gunning for the tobacco Industry. Just in the last year, government has outlawed smoking in public places such as restaurants and stores here in Tennessee and elsewhere.
However, the unquestionable high point of government’s offensive against Big Tobacco arrived November 23, 1998. The end results of Big Tobacco’s product in the lives of willing and informed consumers was deemed so detrimental to the well being of the states that the industry itself was held accountable for the havoc their product wrought. Big tobacco was required to pay almost $250 billion to the states over 25 years in a settlement
…intended to cover past Medicaid costs from smoking-related illnesses in exchange for immunity for the tobacco companies from further state- sponsored lawsuits.
Such rulings are a perversion of justice. But they are typical of big government’s abuse of power. In this case, state government - with Tennessee ranked among the worst in the matter. On the one hand, we just passed a law which outlawed smoking in most public places. On the other hand, we also just tripled the cigarette tax to fund Education! Thus we’re funding a program for which the state continually wants more money with a revenue stream the state is trying to destroy. But we can trust the government on this. Just look at what a great job they’re doing.
Well, let’s consider the Tobacco Settlement funds, shall we? As noted, the money was intended to help states cover costs they incurred while dealing with health problems associated with tobacco use. But that’s not happening. Not in Tennessee and not anywhere else that I can find either.
According to The Tennessean, Tennessee is slighting lung cancer. In fact,
The $1.4 billion in tobacco settlement money that Tennessee has received since 2000 has gone into the general fund, paying for everything from state troopers’ salaries to computers in schools.
None of that money has been earmarked for lung cancer research.
A billion and a half dollars extorted from tobacco companies under threat of being sued into non-existence by the states. The states claim they are acting in the best interests of the people. Big Tobacco agrees to pay billions to offset the costs of past smoking and to fund state prevention programs. What do the states do? They do what unaccountable, irresponsible and out of control government always does - whatever they think they can get away with. Tennessee receives millions annually for state health concerns and spends nothing on it. Our neighbor to the north, Kentucky, is lauded for spending $35 million on lung cancer research since 2001. $5 million a year when they get well over $100 million. And Kentucky may be one of the good guys!
Quoting from The Tennessean again,
Because there are no restrictions on how states spend tobacco settlements, money that other states receive also often goes toward just about everything but research, said Laurie Fenton Ambrose, president and chief executive officer of the Lung Cancer Alliance, a D.C.-based advocacy group.
“We are astounded that this could be so overlooked, and are actively advocating for those resources to assist victims of this disease,” Ambrose said.
One would think that the states, which knew enough a decade ago to be concerned about the emerging health crisis they faced from smoking that they piled on on Big Tobacco, would also be smart enough to use this “found money” to address the issue directly. But we’re dealing with government here. The Tennessean adds:
For a state in which roughly one in four adults smokes, Tennessee has been notoriously bad about funding tobacco prevention programs.
But Danny McGoldrick, Tobacco Free Kids’ vice president for research, said that this year he applauds Tennessee for being “most improved.”
Tennessee put $10 million of budget money toward tobacco prevention for the first time ever this fiscal year.The money funded programs such as the smoking cessation hot line, 1-800-QUIT-NOW, and nicotine replacement therapies for the uninsured.
McGoldrick also lauded the state’s new tax increase on cigarettes and the smoking ban in most public places.
“Last year was a big improvement, after years of doing virtually nothing,” McGoldrick said.
Previously, Tobacco Free Kids ranked Tennessee 51st, among all states and the District of Columbia, for its tobacco-prevention efforts. But the new initiatives bumped Tennessee up to 34th this year.
Tobacco Free Kids will present Gov. Phil Bredesen with its “champion award” in a few weeks for leading the efforts.
This is success? This is government for the people? No. This is typical government fraud, waste and abuse. Citizens ought to be nauseated. But we accept calling it “improvement”. We spend $10 million of our $1.5 billion on a stop smoking program and our Governor gets a “Champion” award. Meanwhile, the other 49 states’ efforts are so equally pathetic our non efforts move us up 17 places in ranking and earn us the title “most improved”. Only to government bureaucrats is this success. Each Tennessean should call his representatives and demand fiscal responsibility in this matter.
This year alone, Tennessee is due to receive almost $160 million from Big Tobacco. By the time the 25 year payout period is up, we are due to receive almost $5 billion dollars. It is supposed to be to protect our health. It is supposed to be to help educate us. It is supposed to help us stop smoking. If we, the citizens of Tennessee, permit this fraud, waste and abuse to continue then I have to ask how healthy our priorities really are; what we are really learning from what they are teaching, and; what in the world are we really smoking in the Volunteer State?
Blue Collar Muse
Wondering how the other 49 states stack up?
OHIO - Raiding Funds for Strickland’s Nebulous Stimulus
Popularity: 30% [?]
Blue Collar Muse @ May 5, 2008
Thanks to James for sending me this news story …
A man is walking through the zoo when he sees a little girl leaning into the lion’s cage. Suddenly, the lion grabs her by the cuff of her jacket and tries to pull her inside to devour her right in front the little girl’s screaming parents.
The man runs to the cage, hits the lion square on the nose with a powerful punch. Whimpering from the pain, the lion jumps back letting go of the girl, and the man returns her to her terrified parents.
A reporter has seen the whole scene and says to the rescuer: ‘Sir, this was the most gallant and brave thing I’ve seen a man do in my whole life.’
‘Why, it was nothing,’ said the man. ‘Really, the lion was behind bars and I knew God would protect me just as He did Daniel in the lion’s den long, long ago. I just saw this little kid in danger, and acted as I felt was right.
‘I noticed a Bible in your pocket, are you a Republican,’ asked the journalist.
‘Yes, and I’m a Christian on my way to a Bible study,’ the man replies.
‘Well, I’ll make sure this won’t go unnoticed… I’m a journalist and tomorrow’s paper will have this on the front page.’
The journalist leaves. The following morning the man buys the paper to see if it indeed brings news of his actions, and reads, on first page:
‘Right Wing Republican Christian Fundamentalist Assaults African Immigrant and Steals His Lunch.’
UPDATE: See also, ‘Bush Can’t Swim’
Popularity: 39% [?]
Blue Collar Muse @ May 1, 2008
Internet Interests, Judicial Matters, Law Enforcement, Pornography Comments (1)
For those of us that spend inordinate amounts of time online, there is a new danger out there for those foolish enough to browse without practicing “Safe Surfing”. Increasingly, the potential for porn to be stored on your computer’s hard drive without your knowledge or consent is becoming reality.
In early 2007, news broke about Julie Amero, a supply teacher in Connecticut who was arrested and charged with “Risk of Causing Injury to a Minor” when a classroom computer began displaying pornographic images in pop up advertisements that Amero could not stop.
Last night I ran across an ABC video depicting the plight of a 16 year old Arizonan, Matt Bandy, charged with 9 counts of Child Pornography and facing 90 years in prison for the crime.
While the motto would appear to be better security and practicing safe surfing as both computers had no firewall or protection against intruders, a deeper issue of responsibility for content on what is essentially a “public” computer would seem to be developing.
For those of us who spend hours on the net, the bottom line is to make sure your machine is secure. That will take care of the problem … well, at least until folks figure out a way around it. Given the ingenuity of today’s hackers that should take all of 90 seconds as opposed to 90 years …
Blue
Popularity: 46% [?]
Blue Collar Muse @ April 29, 2008
2008 election season, Common Sense, Constitution Issues, Judicial Matters, Liberal, SCOTUS Comments (2)
I recently wrote a post titled ‘Democrats Disenfranchise Tennessee Voters’. It told of a group of 6 Democrats in the Tennessee House preventing a resolution already passed by the Tennessee Senate from coming out of committee to be voted on by the House with the possibility the issue could make it to the ballot for all Tennesseans to vote on in 2010. I took a lot of heat from some quarters for my contention this demonstrated Democrats were in favor of voter disenfranchisement.
In for a penny, in for a pound! Let me add Democrats are demagoguing the disenfranchisement issue to cover up their love of voter fraud. For the record, I believe the GOP is just as capable as Dems of trying to game the system. That’s why efforts to strengthen the integrity of the voting process ought to be applauded and supported by members of both parties. Unfortunately, while the GOP is in favor of using photo IDs at polls to verify identity, Democrats are not. Just a few hours ago the US Supreme Court weighed in and sided with the GOP.
Writing for the majority in the 6 to 3 decision, Justice Antonin Scalia said,
The universally applicable requirements of Indiana’s voter-identification law are eminently reasonable. The burden of acquiring, possessing and showing a free photo identification is simply not severe, because it does not ‘even represent a significant increase over the usual burdens of voting.
Anthony Kennedy, another of the majority Justices opined that Indiana has a
valid interest in protecting ‘the integrity and reliability of the electoral process
According to a report at Yahoo News, Stevens also
said that Indiana’s desire to prevent fraud and to inspire voter confidence in the election system are important even though there have been no reports of the kind of fraud the law was designed to combat. Evidence of voters being inconvenienced by the law’s requirements also is scant. For the overwhelming majority of voters, an Indiana driver’s license serves as the identification.
This is precisely the argument Indiana offered for their law in the first place. In addition, anyone not having an ID valid enough to permit them to vote would be issued one by the state of Indiana at no charge.
The hope of restoring confidence in the electoral process and assurance by government that any valid voter would be provided with an ID was, unfortunately, not a strong enough argument or reassurance for Democrats.
Many Democrats criticized the ruling Monday. It places “an unnecessary burden on elderly and low-income voters, not to mention other voters of disparate racial and ethnic backgrounds,” said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.
The ACLU, incorrectly cited as filing the suit on behalf of Indiana voters, participated in a consolidation of two cases. Crawford v Marion County Board of Elections and Indiana Democratic Party v Rokita. Todd Rokita, Indiana’s Republican Secretary of State praised the decision as bringing confidence back to the electoral process opining that now one needs to prove one’s identity in order to vote at least to the extent one would have to prove their identity to rent a movie. It would seem that any effort to ensure voting integrity would have to be at least that strict. It is Democrats who disagree.
It is left to a Nevada Democrat holding federal office and the ACLU to bad mouth common sense requirements. No one is being disenfranchised and the Democrats strongest argument, that there is no demonstrable fraud taking place currently, is irrelevant. That seems the same thing as saying laws against cannibalism are unnecessary since there’s not a lot of that going on right now, either. GOP counters that a Voter ID Law will help keep voter fraud difficult and rare don’t seem to interest Dems. The only question left to ask is “Why?”
Given the history of voter fraud in this country, from Boss Tweed a century and a half ago to Kennedy and Nixon in 1960 to Chicago’s infamous motto, “Vote early, vote often!”, voter fraud is generally a charge leveled at Democrats. That they fought so hard in Indiana and elsewhere around the country to keep simple, inexpensive, common sense requirements from being enacted that will combat fraud should it be attempted won’t go far to change that perception in the minds of many.
Blue
Popularity: 48% [?]
Blue Collar Muse @ April 29, 2008
