SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2011 GM plant getting new life (ArcaMax)

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, both U.S. senators and United Auto W orkers President Bob King were on hand last week when GM announced its plans for the Spring Hill assembly plant that once produced Saturns. General Motors Co. announced it will invest $61 million to build the mid-sized Chevrolet Equinox SUV at the facility 30 miles south of Nashville, creating 685 jobs. GM plans to make the plant an ultra-flexible manufacturing facility and invest $183 million more to produce a mid-sized GM vehicle for 2015, adding 1,200 more jobs. About 400 to 500 new workers would be paid entry-level wages of less than $15 an hour, about half of what journeymen UAW autoworkers earn. Hiring begins next month. The Detroit News said about 280 UAW workers who moved to Michigan for jobs two years ago are eligible to return to Spring Hill when the plant reopens in the second half of 2012. http://www.arcamax.com/business/businessnews/s-991503

Tennessee Archives event helps shake family trees (Tennessean/Young)

DeAundra Jenkins and her cousin Delores W ilson were hoping to get past a serious roadblock in their family tree on Saturday. The pair, whispering and focused intently on a computer screen containing name after name at the Tennessee State Library and Archives, were hoping to find some information about a grandfather they shared five generations back. Theres so much more that we havent uncovered, said W ilson, 63, a northeast Nashville resident who works as an administrative assistant for the state. Our great-great-grandmother had 10 children. We found on the 1900 census that only five were living at that point. We dont know anything about the others. The cousins were two of about 50 people who visited the library and archives for its inaugural Family History Saturday, said Charles Nelson, senior librarian for public services. During Thanksgiving or other family get-togethers, there is often a lot of talk among people sitting around the table, said Nelson, who has worked at the library for about 15 years. Theyll ask questions like, Remember Aunt Ethel? or You remember so-and-so, who married so-and-so? Many of those answers, if youre from Tennessee, can be found here. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111127/NEWS01/311270087/Tennessee-Archives-event-helps-shakefamily-trees?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Highway 79, linking Montgomery and Stewart counties, almost finished (L-C)
Stewart County Mayor Rick Joiner can remember meeting with former Gov. Ned McW herter back in the early 1990s to discuss the widening of U.S. Highway 79 between Clarksville and Dover. "Gov. McWherter believed if you open up the rural areas, it would bring more economic growth," Joiner said, harkening back to a time when he previously held the county executive office, which later became county mayor. After more than a decade of construction, the dream of linking the small town of Dover to Clarksville and Interstate 24 via a four-lane, divided highway is about to come to fruition. The eastbound lanes of the final leg of construction recently opened to traffic and Tennessee Department of Transportation officials say only another three weeks will be needed to complete the westbound lanes. "The final paving on the westbound lanes will begin next week after the (Thanksgiving) holiday," said TDOT spokeswoman Nichole Lawrence. "We have a Dec. 15 completion date for all lanes to be open." Until last week, traffic through the six-mile stretch from near the Montgomery County line to state Highway 120 in Stewart County had been two lanes along the construction route with a couple lane shifts from one side of the new divided highway to the other. http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20111127/NEWS01/111270323/Highway-79-linking-MontgomeryStewart-counties-almost-finished

TWRA's Allen Ricks succumbs to cancer (Knoxville News-Sentinel/Coleman)

Allen Ricks, 62, veteran Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Education and Information officer, passed

away this morning after battling a rare form of cancer for less than a year. Ricks' daughter, Jennifer Peters, said he was diagnosed with a tumor near his liver in February. "He did treatment for couple of months and it didn't put a dent in it. He was given the option of doing drastic, experimental treatment, and he said he wasn't going to put himself through that just to prolong his life a couple months," she said. "That was in May and the doctor gave him two months, and he made it to November." Peters said her dad worked with the TWRA for 32 years, but initially his career goal was to work with numbers. "He went to UT to be an accountant and decided that wasn't the route for him. He grew up on farm around animals and the outdoors, and that was where he was happy," she said. "He was the best man in my life. He provided for us, protected us and was the best role model we could have had." Peters said her father and mother, Susan Ricks, celebrated their 40th anniversary this year. He is survived by his wife, Susan Ricks, daughter Jennifer Peters and son Jonathan Ricks. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/nov/26/twras-ricks-succumbs-to-cancer/

MTSU deadline approaches (Gannett)

Incoming freshmen for the 2012 fall semester who want priority consideration for scholarships and awards at Middle Tennessee State University must apply for admission by Dec. 1. High school seniors or graduates can apply online at www.mtsu.edu/applynow or go to www.mtsu.edu/admissions for more information and details on how to reach an admissions counselor. Dec. 1 is also the deadline to apply for the Buchanan Fellowship, the highest award given to an entering freshman at MTSU. The program, named in honor of MTSUs Nobel Prize-winning alumnus James M. Buchanan, is limited to 20 students per year. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111127/NEWS04/311270041/MTSU-deadline-approaches?odyssey=tab| topnews|text|News

Problems plague Tennessee jobless benefits program (Times Free-Press/Sher)

The number of Tennesseans receiving jobless benefits remains near historic highs, but only about 10 percent of the beneficiaries have to prove they actively are seeking work. Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, the Republican Senate speaker, and business leaders say that's not good enough. They want state law changed to strengthen work-search rules. There's more trouble afoot: A U.S. Department of Labor report questions how well the state is looking after taxpayer and business dollars supporting unemployment payments to an estimated 120,000 people. The report shows Tennessee has one of the highest "improper payment" rates among all 50 states. Tennessee's rate was pegged at 14.47 percent, meaning it overpaid an estimated $310.7 million over a threeyear period. Tennessee tied with Mississippi for 11th-worst in the nation. State Employment Security Administrator Don Ingram said some aspects of the report are "misleading." He blamed most problems on a "huge influx" of jobless Tennesseans during the Great Recession and its aftermath that overwhelmed the state's 40-year-old mainframe computer. Tennessee unemployment soared from 4.6 percent in March 2007 to a high of 10.8 percent in July 2009. The October rate of 9.6 percent is above the national rate of 9 percent. Last year, 418,000 Tennesseans filed claims for unemployment benefits. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/nov/27/problems-plague-tennessee-jobless-benefits/?local

Tennessee constables aren't salaried, but they can make money (N-S/Alund)
Failure to dim bright lights. A broken taillight. No seat belt. Those are just some of the minor traffic infractions motorists are being pulled over for in Cocke County by one of its constables. And for every one of those offenses, $22 goes into Derek Wright's pocket. From Jan. 1 to Oct. 31, 2011, W right pocketed nearly $19,000 for his services one that includes stopping drivers and writing citations. He sits on Interstate 40 and nabs motorists as they cross the state line into Tennessee from North Carolina, authorities said. He's also been spotted on U.S. Highway 321. Cocke County authorities said the complaints are racking up, but they can do nothing because constables don't have superiors. The state's constable certifying agencies call it a no-no. Constables are elected officials who operate as officers at no cost to the county. But they get a kickback from the state for writing citations, making arrests and serving court summonses. The state-based fees for each service are $1 per citation, $40 per arrest and $20 per summons. The money comes out of court costs paid by a defendant or party. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/nov/27/tennessee-constables-arent-salaried-but-they-can/

Value of Tennessee constables debated (Knoxville News-Sentinel/Alund)

Positions necessary to some counties, nuisance to others Leslie Wakefield patrols Anderson County in a vehicle with an official insignia on the door and flashing blue lights. He carries a gun and a badge, he writes tickets and can arrest people. Yet, he doesn't work for the sheriff's office or a police department. Wakefield is 2

one of what could be a dying breed. He's a constable one of about 400 elected public officials across the state. Constables have had a long and storied past in Tennessee law enforcement. Their post has even added to crime-fighting jargon the acronym COP stands for Constable on Patrol. Yet, a News Sentinel survey of 35 East Tennessee counties shows that 11 no longer have constables. Whether it's due to an increase in sheriff's offices' efficiency, problems with a few troublemakers, or a clash with law enforcement and residents, constables' numbers during the past three decades are dwindling. "I'd like to see them remain and come back in counties that have abolished them," said Wakefield, who represents District 4. "We're free law enforcement, the county isn't liable for us and most of us have our own insurance. W e're just a good thing to have for the people." Constables, who serve two- or four-year terms, are public officials who have police powers in some counties. They can cite or arrest and may serve court summonses. They operate at no cost to the county by providing their own uniforms, vehicles and equipment. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/nov/27/value-of-tennessee-constables-debated/

Tennessee constable numbers are unknown (Knoxville News-Sentinel/Alund)

Want to know how many constables there are in Tennessee? Getting the answer isn't easy. State law requires counties to report the numbers to two Tennessee constable entities the Tennessee Constable Association and the Tennessee Constable Council. But not all counties do. State election officials didn't have the numbers. State campaign financial officials couldn't readily provide them either. Hardly anyone sends in the numbers, according to TCA spokesman Jim Gibbs and TCC President Larry Rains. But both say the best guess is an estimate on how many attend training about 400. "We put on schools and we have reporting from quite a few counties, but unfortunately there are some counties that don't report them," Rains said. Both entities are authorized by the state to provide in-service training certification for constables each year. "I wasn't aware of this (the numbers not being reported)," said state Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins, who oversees the election process. "I'm gonna take a little bit of heat on this. I don't know how much training we've provided with reporting." http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/nov/27/tennessee-constable-numbers-are-unknown/

Sullivan ends pauper burial service (Kingsport Times-News)

Die without money in Sullivan County, Tenn., and, as far as county government is concerned, your next of kin will be given two choices: donate your body for scientific research and subsequent cremation or find money someplace besides county coffers. On Monday, County Mayor Steve Godsey told county commissioners that from now on, if they are contacted by a family, funeral home, hospital or nursing home requesting assistance taking care of the dead, to provide the caller with the phone number for Restore Life USA. Thats a Johnson City-based nonprofit agency that provides human tissues for medical research and education purposes, according to its website, which also states: We specialize in providing spines and many types of orthopedic tissue specimens to researchers. James Byrd, president of Restore Life USA, said consent must be obtained from the deceaseds next of kin within 24 to 48 hours in order for the agency to obtain body parts for use by universities and research facilities across the nation. Restore Life USA recovers desired parts from the body, ships the parts to the recipient organization, and cremates the rest of the remains which are then returned to the family within two or three days, Byrd said. Godsey and Byrd said Restore Life USA already has taken some bodies. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/nov/27/sullivan-ends-pauper-burial-service/?local

Pension board to review positions eligible for Uniformed Officers Plan (NS/Donila)
Knox County officials plan to revisit the multimillion dollar Sheriff's Office retirement plan and decide whether to eliminate a number of positions currently eligible for the enhanced benefits. The move, they say, could save money and ease public concern about potential abuse. Any changes would not affect some 720 workers currently on the system or the roughly 60 retirees, but rather future employees. Two-thirds of the County Commission would have to sign off on proposed alterations before voters could decide whether to amend the county charter and accept any changes. "I believe when people voted for it, it was supposed to be for the deputies the men and women out on the streets," said County Commission Chairman Mike Hammond, also a member of the Knox County Retirement and Pension Board. "The perception is, perhaps, there are people on the plan who shouldn't be." The plan costs taxpayers $8.2 million this year almost three times what was first projected although half of that goes to paying off bond money issued to fully fund it at inception. The pension board unanimously agreed Tuesday to let its sub-panel, the Documents Committee, review the 3

retirement plan. The proposal comes in the wake of the four-part "Debt-uty Crisis" series published by the News Sentinel in mid-October that details the Uniformed Officers Pension Plan's controversial development, its financial straits and what some officials say is excessive spending by the board that oversees it. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/nov/27/knox-countys-pension-board-to-review-positions/

Lethal but legal? (Jackson Sun)

Local officials want to add regulations to existing state, federal bans on synthetic drugs Jackson families say synthetic marijuana, bath salts and other synthetic drugs that mirror the effects of cocaine, ecstasy and methamphetamine have devastated their lives. Local officials say they want to remove all synthetic drugs from shelves before more serious problems occur. Some products became illegal under state and federal regulations that ban certain chemicals used in synthetic drugs, but Tennessee cities began working to pass their own laws when manufacturers found loopholes in the state and federal restrictions on ingredients. Many producers reformulated their products and put them back on the shelves, Winchester Chief of Police Dennis Young said. Winchester was one of the first Tennessee cities to pass a more restrictive local ban on synthetic drugs. Cities throughout Tennessee have followed suit, ushering in local bans on products that mimic illegal drugs. "It's been a revolving door," Young said. Deborah Miles of Jackson said her 14-year-old grandson had to be hospitalized after he smoked a type of synthetic marijuana. http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20111127/NEWS01/111270325/Lethal-legal-

Expanded lawsuit includes U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (TFP/Carroll)

U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann is now a defendant in a lawsuit alleging that Chip Saltsman, his chief of staff, defamed and slandered an aide for the congressman's top rival during last year's Republican primary. "As Chuck Fleisch-mann's lackey, Mr. Saltsman acted only upon the instruction and approval of Chuck Fleischmann and on his behalf," said a court filing for Mark Winslow, the former aide to Robin Smith. Financial disclosures show Fleischmann's campaign has already paid $7,565.38 to the Nashville law firm defending Saltsman, raising the question of whether a sitting congressman can use campaign donations for his own legal defense. Jordan Powell, a spokesman for Fleischmann, said the congressman "was advised by counsel not to comment on any pending litigation." Earlier this year, Fleischmann's office consulted with the federal agency that oversees election law. In a May 26 advisory opinion, the Federal Election Commission determined the Saltsman legal expenditures were campaign-related and not for "personal use." The opinion did not address whether a congressman is allowed to use such funds, but it hinted at the issue. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/nov/27/expanded-suit-includes-fleischmann/?local

Black enjoying 1st year in Congress (Associated Press/Johnson)

Freshman Republican Rep. Diane Black knew she had done something special when she was sitting in a committee meeting and received word that President Barack Obama supported her legislation and it hadn't even made it to the U.S. House floor. Her proposal sought to close a loophole in a federal law that would allow some middle-class Americans to receive benefits from Medicaid, the health care program for the poor. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the problem would cost the federal government roughly $13 billion over 10 years. "One of the members of the committee tapped me on the shoulder and showed me on the Blackberry that we actually had a statement from the president to support my bill," Black recently told The Associated Press. "Then I knew that I really had something ... to have the president support your bill before it even hits the floor." The measure, which passed the House with bipartisan support and was unanimously approved by the Senate this month, is now headed to the president for his signature. The success makes Black the only freshman in her class of 94 to have legislation pass both chambers. http://www.dnj.com/article/20111127/NEW S01/111270312/Black-enjoying-1st-year-Congress

Law enforcement agencies take on meth cleanup with loss of funds (CA/McKenzie)
Methamphetamine lab seizures in Tennessee plummeted for four months this year, but not because makers of the illegal drug cooked any less. An abrupt end to federal funds used to pay private contractors to clean up meth labs triggered a statewide drop in lab busts, according to Tennessee Methamphetamine Task Force 4

statistics. However, clandestine meth lab seizures have rebounded since July. The reason: With no new federal money to pay for private contractors, a do-it-yourself system in Tennessee now has police officers like those with the Memphis Organized Crime Unit dismantling and packing up potentially toxic meth labs themselves. "It's a much more effective and efficient method," said Tommy Farmer, director of the state's Chattanooga-based methamphetamine task force. Last year in Tennessee alone, $4.5 million in federal funds funneled through the Drug Enforcement Administration was spent on cleaning up meth labs, Farmer said. "We're looking at reducing that in millions of dollars," Farmer said. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/nov/27/law-enforcement-takes-on-meth-02/

New immigration laws could hit farmers, drive up food prices (Tennessean/Sisk)
Inside a spartan shed thick with the smell of moist tobacco, temporary laborers from the Mexican state of Nayarit deftly stripped a truckload of the plants broad leaves from its hardened stalks. A foreman, Pedro Pea, handed racks of dark air-cured tobacco down to another worker, Lupe Villegas, who loaded each one onto one of two sets of chain drives. As the racks went along the drive, teams of eight workers laid the stalks bare and sorted the tobacco into three grades, all in less than a minute. A final worker removed the exposed stems and loaded them into a V-shaped crib. Without these 19 men, most of whom have been coming back every fall for a decade, George Marks could not bring in the three varieties of tobacco he farms, he says. The same is true of dairy cows, which he also raises on his Montgomery County farm, and a host of other crops grown in Tennessee peaches, tomatoes, gourds, apples. If, theoretically, you did get rid of all the Mexicans, youd be hungry in a week, Marks said. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111127/NEWS0201/311150089/New-immigration-laws-could-hit-farmersdrive-up-food-prices?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Tough job market in store for veterans (Tennessean/Williams, Marsteller)

Despite new tax credits, employers reluctant to hire Middle Tennessee employers and workforce experts say new federal tax breaks approved by Congress to entice companies to hire veterans may amount to no more than half a loaf when it comes to helping a wave of soldiers exiting the military find civilian jobs. Veterans will get an extra advantage when applying for open positions with private and government employers, but the benefits may not be enough to persuade a civilian company to add to its payroll if the economy doesnt pick up more momentum. Under a program signed into law by President Barack Obama, employers that hire veterans could qualify for up to $5,600 per veteran under a so-called Returning Heroes tax credit, or $9,600 for a veteran who qualifies as a Wounded Warrior. With 850,000 veterans out of work including 12.1 percent of vets who have served since 9/11 the measure to help them find jobs is a good place to start, said Jan McKeel, executive director of the South Central Tennessee W orkforce Alliance. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111127/NEWS01/311270051/Coming-Home-Tough-job-market-storeveterans?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

States run up debt on unemployment programs (Stateline)

Employers in 20 states will have to shell out more in taxes next year as a penalty for the states not paying back federal loans that kept unemployment programs afloat during the recession. Altogether, states still owe $37.6 billion to the federal government that they borrowed when their unemployment insurance trust funds sank to zero. Most states have dealt with the problem by raising state payroll taxes on employers, making benefits to workers less generous; or a combination of the two. A handful, though, have opted to issue bonds. Idaho did it earlier this year, and Texas did it last year. And just this month, Illinois lawmakers approved legislation allowing the state to issue bonds to pay back the $2 billion the state owes the federal government for unemployment relief. Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has applauded the package and has indicated he will sign the measure. The state figures it will get an interest rate lower than the 4 percent it would have to pay the federal government, saving the state and businesses millions of dollars. Laurence Msall, president of the nonpartisan Civic Federation in Chicago, called the move reasonable and necessary given the states budget problems and the extraordinary demand for jobless benefits during the recession and fragile recovery. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111127/BUSINESS01/311270075/States-run-up-debt-unemploymentprograms?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|s

Teachers unions decline (Tennessean/Hubbard)

5

Membership drops after state restricts bargaining rights Middle Tennessee educators are dropping their union memberships by the hundreds since state lawmakers wiped out teachers unions collective bargaining rights. In October 2010, about 1,150 Sumner County teachers paid union dues from school paychecks. Union membership has dropped to 650 or lower now, a school board attorney estimates. Metro Nashville Education Association membership is down about 500 teachers. This year, the legislature stripped teachers unions of their legal right to bargain with school boards over contracts, their primary purpose. Without that right, unions are left to handle professional development and grievances, and fewer teachers are seeing the need to pay around $300 a year for those services. Rutherford County is the exception. There, all but 100 teachers are sticking with their union and asking the school board to negotiate a contract with its representatives in 2012. Teachers in fewer than 25 of the states 136 school districts have asked for their unions to continue negotiating pay, class sizes and evaluation appeals for next school year, said Tennessee Education Association Executive Director Al Mance. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111127/NEWS04/311270043/Teachers-unions-decline?odyssey=tab| topnews|text|News

Data system to unite Memphis, Shelby County school statistics (CA/McMillin)

In what they say is a harbinger of things to come, Memphis City Schools and Shelby County Schools have agreed to share costs and operations for a comprehensive data management system that could begin making a positive impact inside classrooms even before the systems merge. A teacher will be able to access results of every benchmark test a student has taken, going back to the very first assessments and updated daily, in order to see patterns. A principal will at one glance be able to look for trends at the class, grade or school level. And at the district level, alerts will be triggered when various data reveal emerging problems -- for example, patterns showing higher risk of dropouts for certain students. Metro Nashville schools, which is in its second year of using the data "warehouse" concept designed by the Atlanta-area tech company OtisEd, provided a demonstration for MCS and SCS staff on Nov. 11. "W e thought it was great to see both systems together; the timing of doing this while they merge is good," said Laura Hansen, Metro Nashville's director of information management and decision support. "To have data systems that can pull all the information together and allow them to look at the district as a whole -- and also in parts depending on how it all fleshes out -- should help ease some things." http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/nov/27/data-system-to-unite-mcs-scs-statistics/

OPINION Tom Humphrey: Haslam remains coy about presidential endorsement (N-S)
Some observations on the lay of Tennessee's political landscape with the year 2011 winding down: Gov. Bill Haslam remains officially neutral in the Republican presidential primary, but his sideline seat on the endorsement bench is widely seen as a matter of strategy rather than genuine indecisiveness. Here's a gubernatorial comment on the matter as uttered recently: "Given the timing of Tennessee's primary, I don't know that there's any urgency to (making a presidential endorsement). I think there are some other things that can and will play out. At some point in time, I will endorse. I'm just not there yet." Suggested translation: He's for Mitt Romney, just as he was in 2008 (except during Fred Thompson's brief run for the nomination) and just as his father, brother, Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty and several other political friends are today. But there's no point in announcing that fact at the moment. Better to wait until the dust has settled or is further stirred during the early primaries next year. Then, say two or three weeks before Tennessee's March 6 presidential primary vote, make the big announcement when typical state GOP voters, not just a handful of political junkies, will actually notice. 6

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/nov/27/tom-humphrey-haslam-remains-coy-about/

Guest columnist: Teacher training holds the key (Tennessean)

Earlier this month, the Tennessee Department of Education released our states 2011 results on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Tennessee students scored about the same as two years ago. But by standing still, we dropped in the national rankings from 45th to 46th in the nation in fourth-grade math, and 34th to 41st in eighth-grade reading. These results remind us that our work has just begun to ensure every child graduates from high school prepared for post-secondary education and the workforce. Still, it has been encouraging to see the growing sense of urgency among Tennesseans to make meaningful improvements in public education for our states highest-need students. We know that to create a truly effective system it will require hard work, collaboration, sound policies, and most certainly the energy of strong leaders in our classrooms. In 2009, SCORE issued its Roadmap to Success. Based on the consensus of state education, political, business and community leaders, it detailed more than 60 policy recommendations aimed at embracing high academic standards, cultivating strong school and district leaders, ensuring excellent teachers are in every classroom, and using data to enhance student learning. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111127/OPINION03/311270031/Teacher-training-holds-key? odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Opinion|s

Brian Kelsey: Bill would make local officials more accountable (Tennessean)
Senate Bill 2150 will help keep your property tax bill low. It could provide families as many as five more trips to the grocery store per year if it is used successfully. The bill requires voter approval by referendum for really excessive property tax increases. For Metro-Davidson County, these are tax increases of roughly 25 percent. Currently, homeowners pay about $2,000 in property taxes per year for a $200,000 home. If Metro proposed to raise taxes by more than $500- to $2,500-plus, the bill would kick in and trigger a referendum. Only if a majority of voters participating in the referendum voted in favor of the tax increase would it go into effect. Some have misunderstood the bill to apply to tax increases of more than 1 percent of the current tax rate. That is not correct. The bill applies to tax increases of 1 percentor more of assessed value. For example, in Metro, the tax rate is roughly 4 percent of assessed value. Increasing the tax rate from 4 percent to 5 percent of assessed value would actually be a 25 percent increase in total taxes. Voter approval of property taxes is not a new idea in Tennessee. Since 2006, Metro has required all property tax increases to go to a referendum, regardless of the size. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111127/OPINION03/311270037/Bill-would-make-local-officials-moreaccountable?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Opinion|p

Guest columnist: Property tax bill an attempt to subvert will of local voters (TN)
Ideological move undercuts elected city, county bodies Recently, some state legislators have considered introducing legislation limiting a municipalitys ability to raise property taxes. In the spirit of transparency, I am not advocating for higher property taxes government should be far more accountable when demonstrating how additional property tax revenues will be used. Regardless, I believe it is short-sighted and hypocritical for state government to unduly limit the ability of local governments to meet the needs of its citizens. Unforeseen circumstances like a historic flood or tornado will occur, and local governments must be nimble. Aside from being short-sighted, the legislation is hypocritical and establishes a dangerous principle. The government that is most effective is the government that is closest to the people. If the proposed legislation passes, the collective will of local citizens will be trumped by the ideological will of state legislators. The same legislators who claim to be fervent defenders of states rights are the same officials proposing this legislation. They argue the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution limits the role of the federal government. However, in usurping the authority of local government, these legislators overlook the laws of the Tennessee General Assembly that established local governments. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111127/OPINION03/311270028/Property-tax-bill-an-attempt-subvert-willlocal-voters?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Opinion|p

Guest columnist: TVA overcomes adversity in 2011 (Tennessean)

Agency responds to disasters while preparing for cleaner future The Tennessee Valley Authority seized opportunities and overcame challenges in 2011 that ultimately put the agency in a stronger position to serve our region. We met milestones on the path to becoming a national leader in low-cost and cleaner energy by 2020. W e responded when deadly tornadoes ravaged the Southeast, destroying large parts of our 7

transmission system. And when a natural disaster in another part of the world brought greater scrutiny on nuclear power, we demonstrated that at TVA, safety comes first. Our work impacts each of the 9 million people who call the Tennessee Valley region home. In the past year, we continued efforts to improve our power generation portfolio, pushed our record of 99.999 percent reliability to a 12th straight year, increased energy efficiency, and helped power the economic recovery across the region. TVA helps drive our economy not only by offering competitively priced power that attracts businesses and jobs but also through marketing efforts that spur investment and job creation. In 2011, we helped attract or retain 43,000 jobs in our region and helped influence a capital investment of $4.9 billion. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111127/OPINION03/311270032/TVA-overcomes-adversity-2011? odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Opinion|p

Free-Press Editorial: Improving local housing market (Times Free-Press)

It has been painful over the past few years to see millions of Americans lose their homes to foreclosure. It's more painful still to realize that many of those foreclosures resulted from a combination of job losses and irresponsible federal government policies that promoted home ownership and mortgages even for people who really could not afford to buy homes. But while the housing market nationwide remains weak, with a glut of foreclosed homes sitting empty, it is encouraging that things are looking brighter in the Chattanooga area. In metropolitan Chattanooga, sales of existing single-family homes rose by 15 percent in the third quarter of this year. And that increase did not come exclusively or even primarily from people who were buying foreclosed homes at very low prices. Not only the number of homes sold locally but the price of those homes seems to be going up. The median price paid for an existing home in the Chattanooga area in the third quarter was $128,700. That was up more than $11,000 from the price paid in the same period a year earlier. In fact, the median price of existing homes sold in Chattanooga in the third quarter increased by more than prices rose in any other Mid-South market, according to the National Association of Realtors. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/nov/27/1127f-fp2-improving-local-housing-market/? opinionfreepress

Steve Barrett: Occupy slackers want others to repay their student loans (TFP)
Any lingering hope that the Occupy Wall Street set isn't infested with sloths and slackers can now be pitched without ceremony into the nearest Cuisinart. Amid OWS' hot denials that it is a magnet for the shiftless, the entitled and the infantilized, it has begun urging a mass heist against taxpayers. Here is the plan, announced in Manhattan's Zuccotti Park by a branch of OWS with the brazenly lackluster title "Occupy Student Debt": People who borrowed money to attend college will sign a pledge vowing not to repay their debt. When 1 million people have pledged thus, they will put a fiscal gun to the heads of the American people and, as casually as they might tweet about their choice of granola, pull the trigger: They'll stop paying on their loans. The precise effect of this action is impossible to know, but it could be devastating. The federal government is responsible for 85 percent of student loans, and student debt is in the neighborhood of $1 trillion. That's more than the American people owe on credit cards. A flood of deadbeats suddenly overwhelming the system to the point that it cannot effectively collect on student loans would shift at least part of that bill onto taxpayers. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/nov/27/27f-occupy-slackers-want-others-to-repay-their/? opinioncartoons ###