MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2011 Gov.

Haslam seeks 20 percent jump in student scores (AP/Schelzig)

Gov. Bill Haslam says a goal to improve Tennessee students proficiency scores by 20 percent over the next five years would provide evidence that the states education overhaul is working. Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman said at budget hearings in Knoxville last week that his agency wants to meet that goal. W e want Tennessee to be the fastest-improving state in the country in education results, Huffman said. We think that we have a plan to do that, and we think that we have the capacity to do that. Huffman said Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program scores show 40 percent of third-graders rank as proficient in reading, while just 29 percent of seventh-graders achieve proficient scores in math. W ere also attempting to decrease gaps between groups of students while we increase overall student achievement, he said. Were attempting to close the achievement gaps that exist in this state between white children and minority children, between poor children and non-poor students, and students with disabilities. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111128/NEW S0201/311280044/Gov-Haslam-seeks-20-percent-jumpstudent-scores?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

TennCare to present budget proposal to Haslam (Associated Press)

TennCare is scheduled to make the final budget presentation Monday in Gov. Bill Haslam's series of hearings on state spending. The state's expanded Medicaid program serves about 1.2 million people in Tennessee, and has been the subject of cuts in recent years. But the failure of a special congressional panel to agree on federal spending cuts may give TennCare a reprieve this year. The lack of an agreement by the supercommittee means automatic spending reductions are set to begin in January 2013, but they don't include Medicaid cuts. Haslam's budget hearings began on Nov. 2 in Memphis, the first time they have been held outside the Capitol. The governor also held budget hearings in Knoxville last week. http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=38030751.story

State Christmas tree lighting is Monday evening (Associated Press)

Gov. Bill Haslam will light the Christmas tree outside the state Capitol Monday evening. He will be assisted by his wife, Crissy. It will be the first such ceremony as governor for Haslam, who took office last January. Two years ago, the state Christmas tree toppled over at one point during high winds. http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=38030545.story

Cities, counties receive grants for infrastructure improvements (UC Daily News)
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty recently approved a series of Community Development Block Grants that will assist in infrastructure improvements in Gainesboro and Livingston and Jackson and Overton counties. The moneys, $1.6 million in all, were provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and were allocated under a procedure authorized by the Tennessee General Assembly. Two separate $300,000 CDBG grants were assigned to Gainesboro and Jackson County. Those funds will be used for water system rehabilitation in Gainesboro, and funding for the $375,000 project will include $75,000 in local funds. In the county, $300,000 in funds will be used for fire protection. Funding for the $330,000 project will include $30,000 in local funds. In Livingston and Overton County, two $500,000 CDBG grants were awarded. The Livingston funds will be used for water system improvements. Funding for the $570,000 project will include $70,000 in local funds. The Overton County allotment will be used for water system rehabilitation. Funding for the $560,000 project will include $60,000 in local funds. http://www.ucdailynews.com/news/business/Two-UC-cities-counties-receive-grants-for-infrastructure-

improvements-134567973.html

Pat Summitt announces foundation to help Alzheimer's disease research (WBIR-TV)

Dottie Lowe said Sunday would be one Lady Vols game she didn't want to miss. No, not because her team was against #1 ranked Baylor. "Everyone wants to get in on this," she said. Instead, she wanted simply to "Back Pat." In fact, her orange "We Back Pat" shirt proved it. In fact, those shirts were worn by thousands of UT fans. In turn, those shirts raised thousands of dollars for the newly formed "Pat Summitt Foundation Fund." It made its debut Sunday at the game. The organization has been getting support by many fans. Even,Governor Bill Haslam on the sidelines to see the foundation's kickoff. "Who Pat is makes it easy was to support her and understand how serious this early Dementia is. If it could happen to Pat, it could happen to anybody," the Governor said. http://www.wbir.com/news/article/193286/2/Pat-Summitt-announces-foundation-to-help-Alzheimers-diseaseresearch

New GM product, more cash for county

The reopening of General Motors idled Spring Hill plant will not only create 1,900 jobs over the next few years, it could also mean hundreds of thousands of dollars more will be put back annually in Maury Countys coffers. How much General Motors pays in its lieu-of tax agreement with the county depends on whether a vehicle is built at the local plant. The automaker paid $2.25 million to the county in-lieu-of taxes in 2009, but production of the Chevrolet Traverse was halted at the plant in November of that year. In 2010, with the plant mostly idled, the automaker paid the county $1.67 million. In 2011, GM doled out $1.73 million to the county. That will change as soon as they push one car out the door, County Budget Director Jim Bracken said of the yearly amount the county receives from GM. GM announced last week that it will start building its hot-selling Chevrolet Equinox late next year in Spring Hill, meaning the county will start receiving more of the money it has used to build roads and schools, among other capital projects. http://www.columbiadailyherald.com/articles/2011/11/27/top_stories/03gminlieuoftax.txt

Tennessee has new chief medical officer (Tennessean/Wilemon)

Dr. David R. Reagan of Johnson City is the new chief medical officer for the Tennessee Department of Health. He is leaving his position as chief of staff for the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Mountain Home to take the state job. Reagan, who has a medical degree and a doctorate in organic chemistry from Vanderbilt University, specialized in infectious diseases during a fellowship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Im encouraged by the recent improvements in many measures of health in Tennessee and realize there will be challenges in continuing those improvements, Reagan said. Im excited and ready to get to work. Newly appointed Tennessee Health Commissioner Dr. John Dreyzehner also announced that Valerie Nagoshiner will be assistant commissioner for legislative affairs for the state agency. She has an MBA from Belmont University and previously worked for the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111128/NEW S07/311280039/Tennessee-has-new-chief-medicalofficer?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Gun rights groups to challenge limitations in TN (Tennessean/Sisk)

Legislators will be pressed to relax laws Gun rights advocates in Tennessee are embracing an Arizona law that does away with a requirement that handgun owners get a permit before carrying their weapons in public part of a more aggressive push to loosen state gun laws next year. After being shut out last spring, gun rights supporters are planning to step up pressure on the Republican-led legislature to ease at least some of the states rules on carrying a handgun before they leave to campaign for re-election next year. Their wish list includes opening all parks in the state to handguns and making it easier to carry guns into school and workplace parking lots. Advocates also plan to test the water for legislation modeled after a law passed in Arizona in 2010 that would make a handgun carry permit optional, in what would be the broadest change to Tennessees gun laws in nearly 20 years. Abolishing mandatory handgun permits will be a long shot. In the wake of the Tucson, Ariz., shooting in January, Republican leaders in Tennessee worked to minimize the gun debate, and they have not expressed a desire to elevate the issue in 2012. But gun rights advocates 2

will press the legislatures Republican majority to take at least some steps toward loosening gun restrictions after campaigning on the issue in 2010. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111128/NEW S0201/311280016/Gun-rights-groups-challengelimitations-TN?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Fincher builds funds for re-election (Associated Press/Sainz)

U.S. Rep. Stephen Fincher already has raised more than $900,000 for his re-election campaign, while Democrats are targeting his 8th District seat as they wait for a candidate to come forward. Fincher, a Republican from Frog Jump, is wrapping up his first year in the GOP-controlled House. The freshman congressman has voted mostly along Republican party lines and received a prestigious committee promotion, while also building a bank account that places him in a strong position heading into the 2012 election. With Tennessees Republican-controlled General Assembly in charge of redistricting, Finchers hold on the northwest Tennessee seat could get even tighter if lines are re-drawn to accommodate more Republicans and fewer Democrats in the district. National Democrats, however, say Fincher can be beat in 2012. They claim he has turned his back on his soybean, corn and cotton farming district by moving from the Agriculture Committee to the big-bucks Financial Affairs Committee. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has blasted out several email attacks on Fincher, setting the groundwork for next year. Fincher Opposed $300,394 To Hire Tennessee Cops, says the headline of one e-mail. Representative Finchers Failure Creating Jobs, says another. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111128/NEW S02/311280043/Fincher-builds-funds-re-election? odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Armory's recruit program builds better soldiers (Times Free-Press/South)

Four months' worth of weekend soldiering didn't make Army boot camp a breeze, but it did allow Spc. Luke Hargrove to take a nap while others fumbled with maps. Training staff at the Chattanooga National Guard Armory recognized Hargrove and other soldiers who'd recently returned from boot camp and job training. Since 2006, nearly 500 Tennessee Army National Guard soldiers have gone through the local Recruit Sustainment Program before shipping off to boot camp, said Master Sgt. Kevin Hudgins, head of the program's Chattanooga branch. Hargrove is the program's 24th distinguished graduate of his helicopter engine repair school. For that performance, the Army bestowed its Army Achievement Medal. The Warren County native's long-term goal is to become a helicopter pilot. Soon he'll begin weekend drills in Alcoa, Tenn., with a detachment of the 230th Sustainment Brigade, much of which is now deployed to Kuwait. The 30-year-old soldier said he saw immediate results in boot camp from his pre-training in land navigation, military customs and other areas to his advantage. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/nov/28/armorys-recruit-program-builds-better-soldiers/

Drug coverage gap shrinks (Associated Press/ Alonso-Zaldivar)

Health-care law affects Medicare 'doughnut hole' Medicares prescription coverage gap is getting noticeably smaller and easier to manage this year for millions of older and disabled people with high drug costs. The doughnut hole, an anxiety-inducing catch in an otherwise popular benefit, will shrink about 40 percent for those unlucky enough to land in it, according to new Medicare figures provided in response to a request from The Associated Press. The average beneficiary who falls into the coverage gap would have spent $1,504 this year on prescriptions. But thanks to discounts and other provisions in President Barack Obamas health-care overhaul law, that cost fell to $901, according to Medicares Office of the Actuary, which handles economic estimates. Discount secured A 50 percent discount that the law secured from pharmaceutical companies on brand-name drugs yielded an average savings of $581. Medicare also picked up more of the cost of generic drugs, saving an additional $22. The estimates are averages, so some Medicare recipients may do worse and others better. Also, its still unclear if the discounts will start to overcome seniors deep unease about the law. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111128/BUSINESS05/311280038/Drug-coverage-gap-shrinks? odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|s

Occupy Camps Told to Quit (W all Street Journal)

For nearly two months, Occupy Los Angeles protesters have held nightly meetings, run yoga classes and organized marches largely undisturbedthe benefit of a city where the weather and politicians have been welcoming and mild. That may come to an abrupt end starting Monday. On Friday, Los Angeles Mayor 3

Antonio Villaraigosa and Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said protesters camped in about 500 tents on the lawn of City Hall would have to leave starting Monday at 12:01 a.m. But hours before the deadline, the sprawling Occupy camp was buzzing with music and activity and still packed with tents. Children played outside while organizers carried baskets of fresh cucumbers and strawberries into a camp meeting. An elaborate, 12-foot-tall bamboo structure showed no signs of being disassembled. Occupy protesters at a camp in Philadelphia also faced eviction, starting Sunday afternoon, while protesters south of Los Angeles in Long Beach had until 10 p.m. Sunday to remove their belongings from a park, police officials and protesters said. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203935604577064654057869814.html? mod=ITP_pageone_1 (SUBSCRIPTION)

Nashville braces Post/Williams)

for

major

influx

of

apartment

buildings

(Nashville

In the mid-1990s long before dirt was moved for his Viridian and Encore condominium towers Tony Giarratana held a vision at which many locals likely scoffed. The Nashville-based developer strongly believed downtown needed a high-rise apartment building despite the citys having seen, for years prior, minimal construction of large-scale rental residential buildings within four miles of the central business district. Indeed, The Cumberland, which opened in 1998 on Church Street, was cutting-edge if not in design, then clearly in model. It required a lot of selling, not just of The Cumberland to the residents but also the concept of the lifestyle, said Woody McLaughlin, a member of the Greater Nashville Apartment Association and that entitys expert on the citys rental residential property statistics. [But] Tony is a super salesman, and if anybody could have done it, Tony could. And Giarratana did, as The Cumberland quickly garnered notice and popularity. However, it failed to spur additional large-scale urban apartment development. Instead, the early to mid-2000s saw a major construction boom of massive, multi-unit condominium buildings in Nashvilles urban core. http://nashvillepost.com/news/2011/11/27/nashville_braces_for_major_influx_of_apartment_buildings

Expect your health coach to call (Tennessean/Wilemon)

Modifying behavior is latest trend in bid to cut illness, costs Youre sitting on the couch, watching television, eating Oreos and your health coach calls. If it hasnt happened yet, it could soon. Employers, insurance companies, hospitals and physicians are increasingly hiring health coaches to motivate people to live healthier. They have zeroed in on behavior modification to prevent illness, manage disease and cut costs. But what does that stranger on the phone know about you or about medicine, for that matter? It depends. Health coaching is a fast-growing field, but it is not a regulated medical profession. I would feel very uncomfortable going to someone who has a shingle out that says Im a health coach and not knowing their background, said Melinda Huffman, a cardiovascular clinical nurse specialist who co-founded the Winchester-based National Society of Health Coaches five years ago. The organization has more than 1,000 members, most of whom have joined in the past couple of years. But the number of people employed nationwide is hard to pinpoint. Its exploding, so we dont know the numbers today, Huffman said. I can tell you that we have Fortune 500 companies contacting us every week about training their nurses on their staff to engage their employees. Three years ago, we had very, very few. Three years ago, the requests started exploding. Membership started exploding. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111128/NEW S07/311280011/Expect-your-health-coach-call? odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Metro looks to assess its approach to gifted-learner schooling (CP/Garrison)

Inside a small classroom in the basement of Julia Green Elementary School, some of Metros best and brightest fourth-grade students are dabbling in the world of advertising. Colored pencils in hand, teams of students draw billboards and logos for products bubble gum, video games and shoes are a few of the goods while crafting marketing pitches and slogans to appeal to the masses. With only broad parameters guiding direction on this recent November morning, students take ownership of the assignment. Its harder than I thought it would be, says student Jessica Calloway, satisfied with her work, as she shows an advertisement for Power Shoes, a product she and a friend describe as multi-purpose athletic footwear: The shoe that does it all. At a separate table, two of Calloways peers have conceived a new brand of 4

bubble gum. Theyve got the right idea, but their billboards script perhaps neglects an important consideration: You havent said anything about how good the bubble gum tastes, teacher Nancy Sneed tells a boy. Work on that a little bit. http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/metro-looks-assess-its-approach-gifted-learner-schooling

MCS opens first Appeal/Roberts)

on-site

optometry

location

at

Westwood

High

(C.

For years, Memphis City Schools students who failed their in-school vision tests hoped someone would notice. Now, with their parents' permission, they're getting follow-up exams in the district's first optometry clinic at Westwood High, including a ride to their appointment. If they need glasses, they can pick from a modest selection of children's frames. The youngest get two pairs, one for school and one for home, lessening the chance they'll get lost or broken in transit. "Twenty percent of our students fail their vision screening and half or more weren't getting followup care," said Patricia Toarmina, executive director of the district's programs for exceptional children and health services. In partnership with the Southern College of Optometry and with $499,000 from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration, the eye clinic has a visiting eye doctor in the office twice a week. Three more clinics are on the way. "Because all these kids have already failed an eye exam, we are seeing the most needy children and identifying lots of really significant vision problems," said Linda Crain, coordinator of the Memphis City Schools health clinics. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/nov/28/clinic-helps-students-see-clearly/

Kingsport's search for superintendent has been out of the public eye - so far (T-N)
In a little less than a month, Kingsport City Schools will lose the leader its had for nine years. Whether his replacement will be an interim or permanent one much less who it might be remains to be seen. And so to a great extent does the process being used to select the replacement, which is a concern of the city mayor. Superintendent Richard Kitzmiller, who has spent more than three decades working for the city system and became superintendent in 2002, announced Aug. 22 he would retire effective Dec. 30. The Board of Education has indicated it wants a superintendent who will build on the foundation Kitzmiller has helped lay and keep the system moving in the same direction. The BOE subsequently voted at a regular meeting Oct. 6 to hire W ayne Qualls, a former Tennessee commissioner of education, to do a superintendent search. Since then, the matter has been low k e y. Well have to have one on board by the 31st of December, BOE President Randy Montgomery said in a Nov. 17 interview. Were looking for the right person to fit the job, to fill the position. Mayor Dennis Phillips on Nov. 14 said hes a bit concerned about the search, specifically a potential lack of public input and knowledge about it. http://www.timesnews.net/article/9038794/kingsport39s-search-for-superintendent-has-been-out-of-thepublic-eye-so-far

Electronic textbooks not on horizon locally (Times-News)

With the proliferation of e-readers, smart phones, notebook computers and other devices used to read electronic texts, e-textbooks are just a step away. Right? Well, its a little more complicated. Although Sullivan South High School this year is piloting a Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT) program and Holston Middle School in January is to have a one-to-one ratio of iPads to students, local school officials say the age of electronic textbooks hasnt quite emerged here. During a work session of the Kingsport Board of Education Nov. 17, board members got an update on technology from Assistant Superintendent Damon Cathey and eLearning coordinator and homebound instructor Jeff Burleson and asked about electronic textbooks. Much of Burlesons presentation was on the systems online course offerings, as a way to get classes otherwise unavailable for high schoolers, for students who need to retake a class, and for homebound students. Burleson also addressed new technology as well as technology related pages he recently added to the school systems Web site. Superintendent Richard Kitzmiller said one prediction is that within three years, half of all students will take an online course. http://www.timesnews.net/article/9038797/electronic-textbooks-not-on-horizon-locally

Maine: State's New Trick: Old Dogs (W all Street Journal)

Maine Sees Retirees as Assets, Seeks to Attract Them W ith Tax Cuts on Pensions With the highest median age in the nation, Maine faces the usual concerns of a graying state, from sustaining a robust work force to offering sufficient health care and transportation. But policy makers also view seniors as an economic 5

engine and want more of them. Maine's Republican governor, Paul LePage, is proposing to exempt all public and private retiree pension income from state personal income tax, which would lower taxes on 75,000 people but cost an estimated $93 million in annual revenue. It would help Maine compete for retirees with places like Nevada and Florida, which have no state personal income tax, Mr. LePage said at a round of town-hall meetings this month. Already, 16% of Mainers are 65 or older, compared with 13% for the nation. Retirees tend to flock to the quaint, pine-forested towns that dot Maine's rocky coast from Kittery to Bar Harbor. State officials say they are a real asset. They volunteer, help pay for schools without using them and create demand for everything from medical services to home repair. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203764804577056164143100858.html? mod=ITP_pageone_1 (SUBSCRIPTION)

Maine: Federal Cuts Give Maine a Chill as Winter Approaches (New York Times)
Michele Hodges works six days a week but still cannot afford a Maine winters worth of heat for her trailer in Corinth, a tiny town where snowmobiles can outnumber cars. Ms. Hodges and her two teenage daughters qualified for federal heating assistance last year, but their luck might have run out. President Obama has proposed sharply cutting the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, and Maine is at this point expecting less than half of the $55.6 million that it received last winter, even as more people are applying. The average state benefit last year was about $800 for the season; now it may be closer to $300. Eligibility requirements have tightened too, and with oil prices climbing the average in Maine was $3.66 a gallon last week, up from $2.87 a year ago many here are anticipating days or weeks of forgoing heat. Well survive, said Ms. Hodges, who is 49 and works as an accountant and a sorter at a recycling center. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/28/us/federal-cuts-give-maine-a-chill-as-winter-approaches.html? _r=1&adxnnl=1&ref=todayspaper&adxnnlx=1322483105-fgLliadGqHvEmmpPCFSfJg

OPINION Free-Press Editorial: Medicine and price controls (Chattanooga Times FreePress)
There's good news and there's bad news. The good news is, Tennessee is not burdened by the government-run health care system that is devastating the budget of the state of Massachusetts. The bad news is, the entire United States is being subjected to ObamaCare, which was modeled on the unsustainable Massachusetts system. Massachusetts adopted its medical care program in 2006 with the goal of providing coverage to lots of uninsured people. Costs were an afterthought. But gaining medical "coverage" does not necessarily mean uninsured residents of Massachusetts gained medical "access." Most Massachusetts family doctors are no longer even accepting new patients, and wait times to get an appointment have risen. Family physicians also are less likely to accept insurance provided through Massachusetts' government-run program than insurance from other sources. And lots of people are still going to emergency rooms -- at great cost -- for non-emergency care. Now, a special commission appointed to look at skyrocketing medical costs in Massachusetts has estimated that per-capita health care spending in the state will rise from around $10,000 in 2010 to almost $18,000 by 2020! http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/nov/28/medicine-and-price-controls/?opinionfreepress

Editorial: City, county need to address pension costs sooner rather than later (NS)
The failure of the congressional "supercommittee" to reach a plan on the federal government's long-term debt should make Knoxville and Knox County officials determined to avoid a similar wreck when confronting their biggest long-term financial issue growing pension obligations. The recession and the subsequent roller-coaster ride of the stock market have smashed revenue projections, leaving defined-benefit pension plans in Knoxville and Knox County reeling. Both governments must figure out a way to control costs and provide the money to keep the plans funded at a healthy level. The city has taken the first steps toward addressing its pension programs by forming a task force to explore options. Its members have their work cut out for them. A report from the city's actuaries earlier this month recommended the city should increase its annual contribution to its pensions from $11.3 million this year to $13.1 million next year. The actuarial 6

consultants also advised the city to reduce the anticipated long-term returns from 8 percent to 7.5 percent, a reflection of the staggering stock market. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/nov/28/editorial-city-county-need-to-address-pension/

George Korda: The flop that plays us all for fools (Knoxville News-Sentinel)
The complete flop that was the congressional deficit-cutting super committee wasnt a surprise. The way the U.S. Congress is dealing with Americas hideous debt situation is a fake, a farce, a sham and a shame. Were all being played for fools. United States taxpayers cannot afford this government. In our names, our national leaders have run up a $15 trillion debt and are accumulating annual budget deficits in the $1.3 trillion to $1.6 trillion range. Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker points out that the federal government is now projected to spend more than $44 trillion over the next decade. The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, otherwise known as the super committee, was assigned to come up with $1.2 trillion in spending cuts over 10 years! For those who are counting, thats a bit more than $100 billion a year on annual budgets that, as Corker says, will average $4.4 trillion. Thus, those cuts would be next to nothing. Just show. Just talk. Just preening. Now an equivalent amount of cuts is supposed to kick in. Dont be stunned if Congress figures out a way around them. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/nov/28/george-korda-flop-plays-us-all-fools/

Editorial: Sen. Bob Corker is more interested in action than applause (J. Sun)
We read with interest a report that Sen. Bob Corker was roundly booed and jeered at by auto workers during the recent announcement that General Motors is bringing auto production back to the Spring Hill facility near Nashville. Being an engaged, activist politician is a two-edged sword. What you are hailed for one day could be what you are booed at for the next. Corker's response was to stand at the podium and take the heat for a reported 20 seconds. We respect him for that and for his thoughtful and informed stances on many key issues that affect our nation. When GM closed the Saturn plant and eliminated the Saturn model from it U.S. auto lineup, most Spring Hill workers lost their jobs. Many people believed Corker was partly responsible for GM closing the plant because of this outspoken opposition to the auto industry bailouts. This newspaper criticized him for his stance at the time, and while we disagreed, we never lost respect for our senator. Corker is a conservative senator, but more than that, he is a pragmatist. He is more interested in getting things done than in getting every last detail done his way. That is how progress is made, and these days it is a technique in dangerously short supply in Washington. http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20111128/OPINION01/111280302/Our-view-Sen-Bob-Corker-moreinterested-action-than-applause

Times Editorial: The Occupiers' achievement (Chattanooga Times Free-Press)

Whether the Occupy Wall Street movement and its local offshoots have been helped or hurt by the wrongheaded, needlessly brutal police tactics deployed against the occupiers by mayors and elite university executives across the country depends on your perspective. Americans who understand what the movement represents likely would give it credit for illuminating the enormous income inequality that mars the soul of the nation and wrecks our notions of equity, prosperity and a supposedly classless and upwardly mobile society. As the protesters have emphasized, their initiative is to advance economic justice for "the other 99 percent" of Americans -- not just the top echelon of the top 1 percent of Americans whose fortunes Congress -- mainly Republicans -- so assiduously protects and nurtures. The actual figures reflecting unfair economic treatment are not hard to come by. A recent study by the Economic Policy Institute reports that the top 1 percent of Americans now possess greater net worth than the entire bottom 90 percent. That makes America more divided by a financial aristocracy than any of the European nations that were once know for such class divisions. The income of the top 1 percent, another study shows, grew 10 times faster in the 2002-2007 period than the income of the bottom 90 percent. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/nov/28/the-occupiers-achievement/?opiniontimes

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