thetennesseestar--2020-11-24--Follow the Money: CARES Act Update

Follow the Money: CARES Act Update

Congress passed the CARES Act last March , sending many taxpayers $ 1,200 , giving $ 100 billion to health providers , and boosting unemployment benefits by $ 600 a week , according to Govtrack .
The $ 2 trillion stimulus bill also sent $ 150 billion to states and localities across the country .
Virginia received about $ 3.1 billion dollars , with a separate $ 200 million sent directly to Fairfax County .
“ This was the package intended to benefit state and local governments , ” Senator Emmet Hanger ( R-Augusta ) said .
Hanger is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is exploring a run for Governor .
“ Usually it was prioritized for immediate actions needed for some protective equipment , for testing , and what have you .
Strings were attached to it .
As far as the uses that could be made of it , it had to be something attributable to the coronavirus , ” Hanger said .
According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury , CARES Act money can only be used for necessary expenditures caused by COVID-19 that were not included in pre-COVID state budgets .
Additionally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on costs incurred from the beginning of March through the end of December 2020 .
Governor Ralph Northam used his emergency powers to allocate the money .
For example , in April , Northam allocated $ 70 million to a program making child care more affordable , according to a press release .
In October , he announced $ 220 million in CARES Act funds allocated for schools .
Smaller allocations included $ 6 million for criminal justice , and $ 1.7 million for community development programs in Virginia ’ s peninsula .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in round numbers had been allocated by the Governor ’ s office , by the administration , before we went into special session , ” Hanger said .
Hanger said Northam and his office maintained clear communication through the process .
He said Northam and Secretary of the Treasury Aubrey Layne made judicious choices , but it would have been better for Northam to work through a legislative committee .
“ As a rule , money is not spent by the administration unless it has been approved in the budget as passed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ And in this instance we were dealing with some pretty big dollars that were flowing at the discretion of the chief executive.
” The General Assembly and Northam worked together to allocate the remaining state-level CARES Act funding in the budget , which also confirmed Northam ’ s previously-announced allocations .
Hanger said the money was obligated to be spent or allocated by early 2021 .
The CARES Act also allocated money specifically to localities .
$ 1.3 billion was disbursed roughly according to population , according to Hanger .
Fairfax County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money directly .
Localities opted to spend their money in a variety of ways , including emergency communications equipment , additional childcare funding , and workforce training programs .
Hanger said there are some hidden costs to the funding , which comes from the increasing federal debt .
“ The treasury has been writing some pretty huge checks , and obviously with good intentions in terms of stimulating the economy , ” Hanger said .
“ If we continue to deficit spend at the federal level , obviously at some point we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that.
” Heritage Foundation Research Fellow Joel Griffith said a loosely-controlled $ 2 trillion stimulus package of money funded by federal debt was not the best way to handle a self-imposed economic crisis .
“ Really , every type of spending measure that Congress passed should have gone through the prism of how do we get it in a targeted , direct manner to those who need it most , ” he said .
Hanger said the money has artificially boosted Virginia ’ s economy , and that hard times might still be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that recent economic performance across the country shows that the stimulus money shouldn ’ t get the credit for an improving economy .
Instead , he credits the reopening economies of many states .
Griffith predicted “ bigger [ economic ] recoveries in those re-open states than the other ones that are really , really just lagging , because of the shutdown , because there ’ s just a lot more uncertainty there about what the governors are going to do , because they ’ re going backwards now.
” More stimulus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration takes office , Hanger said .
However , he thinks a vaccine will come out soon enough to allow Virginia ’ s economy to stabilize without more stimulus dollars .
Hanger said , “ My hope is that things are going to turn around fairly quickly and we won ’ t have as great of a need as we might expect .
But right now I think the decision makers in Washington are discussing that they think we need another large infusion.
” Eric Burk is a reporter at The Virginia Star @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Email tips to [ email protected ] .


thetennesseestar--2020-11-24--Minneapolis Park Board Repeals Nudity Ordinance

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board unanimously voted in favor of repealing its Proper Attire Required ordinance ( PB 2-21 ) during a Wednesday meeting .
This discussion had been tabled from a July 16 Park Board meeting .
The conversation about the nudity ordinance was prompted by an incident of alleged public nudity in July at a Golden Valley beach and the subsequent media response .
PB 2-21 states , “ No person ten ( 10 ) years of age or older shall intentionally expose his or her own genitals , pubic area , buttocks or female breast below @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less than a fully opaque covering in or upon any park or parkway , as defined in PB1-1 .
This provision does not apply to theatrical , musical , or other artistic performances upon any park or parkway where no alcoholic beverages are sold.
” Since no state or city law explicitly forbids toplessness , the only place in Minneapolis where it was illegal for females to be topless was in parks and on parkways .
Minneapolis resident Helena Howard drew attention to this over the summer by biking topless throughout the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minnesota Sun reported .
According to Ms. Alana Mosley , the Minneapolis Park Board legal counsel , PB 2-21 contains discriminatory language which targets female breasts , lacks an exemption for breastfeeding , and also includes an artistic performance exemption that “ is not needed and has been abused in the past.
” Ms. Mosley stressed that the Minneapolis City Attorney ’ s Office already had adopted a new policy to not prosecute women charged with indecent exposure “ if the only aspect to it is a woman is topless .
If there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of sexual behavior or conduct that is seeking attention , then it might bring charges.
” Public criticism from the last several years over prosecuting charges of toplessness served as the catalyst for that policy at the attorney ’ s office .
Commissioner Steffanie Musich argued for the repeal of the ordinance because city and state law will still prohibit lewd behavior .
“ When we ’ ve discussed ordinances previous to this that were superseded by state law , we ’ ve just repealed the ordinance because there are laws on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is behaving inappropriately in a park .
This seems to me to be the same thing and that we would not need to implement a park rule or modify the ordinance , ” she said .
Additionally , Commissioner Londel French and Commissioner Chris Meyer appealed to the United States Constitution ’ s 14th Amendment , which requires equal application of the law of all citizens .
They argued that an ordinance that has certain requirements of women ( in this circumstance , wearing shirts at public parks to cover their breasts ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Minneapolis Park Board voted unanimously in a 9-0 decision to repeal PB 2-21 .
Madeleine Albrecht is a young professional and freelance writer in the Twin Cities .
Photo “ Minneapolis Park ” by Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board .

The Tennessee Secretary of State’s office now lists 24 individuals as collecting petitions in the campaign for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District.
There are 16 Republicans, four Democrats, and four Independents collecting qualifying petitions for the TN-5 race.
Candidates of all parties have until noon on April 7 to turn in their qualifying petitions, a deadline which is fast approaching. Candidates must collect 25 valid signatures from registered voters in the district. Those seeking the Republican nomination must be verified as bona fide Republicans by the Tennessee Republican Party in order to appear on the GOP primary ballot.
Challenges have been filed against the bona fide Republican statuses of the three carpetbaggers in the race, Morgan Ortagus, David Vitalli, and Robby Starbuck. Action will occur on those challenges after the April 7 filing deadline.
On the Republican side, Morgan Ortagus, former Speaker of the Tennessee House Beth Harwell of Nashville, businessman Baxter Lee of Nashville, Robby Starbuck of Franklin (listed as Robert Starbuck Newsom), Geni Batchelor of Lebanon, Natisha Brooks of Nashville, Timothy Bruce Lee of Nashville, Annabelle Lee of Madison, Alan Clement Sharp of Nashville, David Vitalli of Brentwood, Stewart Parks of Nashville, Richie Lee of Nashville, General Kurt Winstead of Franklin, Tres Wittum of Nashville, Jeff Beierlein of Nashville, and Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles are listed as collecting petitions.
Former Williamson County GOP Chair Omar Hamada of Franklin is still listed as collecting petitions but he dropped out of the race and endorsed Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles in the GOP primary.
On the Democrat side, Clay Faircloth, Richard H. Harris, Justicia Rizzo, and Joel Michael Hurbert, all from Nashville, are collecting petitions.
Derrick Brantley of Nashville, Patrick O. Halfacre of Hohenwald, Daniel J. Cooper of Spring Hill, and Richard A. Shannon of Franklin are the independents collecting petitions.
The Tennessee Secretary of State’s office has been updating its list on a weekly basis. This list is current as of Friday, April 1.
Reports are expected to be available for the January 1 through March 31, 2022 Federal Election Commission campaign finance first-quarter period in the coming days. Those reports are expected to shed significant light on which candidates are considered viable. The bulk of the field entered the race after the December 31, 2021 reporting deadline.
The primaries are scheduled for August 4, 2022.
The newly-redrawn 5th Congressional District consists of parts of Davidson, Williamson, and Wilson counties, as well as all of Maury, Marshall, and Lewis counties.
– – –
Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected] Follow Aaron on GETTR, Twitter, and Parler.
Photo “U.S. Capitol” by Andrew Can Huss.


thetennesseestar--2020-11-24--Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger Silent on Demands He Audit Absentee Ballots

Members of the State Executive Committee of the Georgia Republican Party have asked Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to order an immediate audit of the absentee ballots cast in the 2020 general election .
Georgia Republican Party Chair David Shafer told The Georgia Star News by text Monday that Raffensperger had acknowledged receiving the state GOP ’ s letter , but Shafer said nothing further .
“ As you are aware , we urged you during the general election to issue a bulletin authorizing our monitors to observe the absentee ballot verification process .
This bulletin was regrettably not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to whether or not proper verification took place , ” the Georgia Republican Party told Raffensperger .
“ In Fulton County , two members of the Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections voted against certifying the returns of the election because of concerns over absentee ballot verification in that county .
Georgia Republican Party Chairman David Shafer and Congressman Doug Collins on behalf of President Donald J. Trump wrote to you immediately after the election requesting an audit of the absentee ballots cast in the 2020 General Election prior to certifying the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certified the returns without auditing the absentee ballots , Governor Brian Kemp publicly called on you to conduct an absentee ballot audit.
” Georgia GOP State Executive Committee members also said in the letter that “ an audit is imperative to assure the integrity of the election and restore the shattered confidence in our electoral system.
” As The Georgia Star News reported last week , Shafer also said thousands of ballots vanished .
And no one counted them .
“ One batch was labeled 10,707 for Biden and 13 for Trump — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The actual count for the batch was 1,081 for Biden and 13 for Trump , ” Shafer said .
“ Had this counting error not been discovered , Biden would have gained enough votes from this one batch alone to cancel out Trump ’ s gains from Fayette , Floyd , and Walton .
We were limited to one monitor for every 10 counting tables and we were kept some distance from the tables .
There is no telling what we missed under these unreasonable restrictions .
The miscounted batch had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shafer also tweeted one or more unidentified people discovered a total of 2,755 uncounted votes in Fayette County , with more uncounted votes discovered during the hand count , mostly for Donald Trump , because no one uploaded a memory card .
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-11-24--Lynchburg-Area Counties Considering ‘No Shutdown’ Resolution

A resolution to block Governor Ralph Northam ’ s COVID-19 shutdown executive orders is circulating in the counties around Lynchburg .
According to reporting by WSET , Boards of Supervisors in Campbell , Bedford , and Appomattox Counties are considering drafting a resolution repudiating Northam ’ s interference in local business .
“ [ H ] ere at the Virginia Constitutional Conservatives [ VCC ] , we are working to urge counties to adopt our ‘ No Shutdown ’ Resolution that actually requires the County to arrest and detain any State agent or official who attempts to enforce Northam ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Virginia Constitutional Conservatives said in a recent email blast .
“ Appomattox believes totally in the intent of the resolution , ” Appomattox County Supervisor John Hinkle said .
“ However , as any person with knowledge of Virginia government knows , the Board of Supervisors can not order the Sheriff or Commonwealth ’ s Attorney to do anything .
So that language is unacceptable to us , ” he told The Virginia Star in an email .
VCC Director S. Chris Anders told The Star in an email , “ [ C @ @ @ @ @ @ @ county can , at their discretion , remove any other law enforcement official or agent from the state or the federal government from their respective counties and prevent them from exercising acts that are contrary to the Constitution.
” Anders added , “ For far too long the radical left has created sanctuary cities and essentially nullified federal immigration law which is constitutional .
So in turn , we are going to nullify unconstitutional power grabs by Governor Northam because he is not permitted under the Virginia Constitution to exercise these powers.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not the executive .
And the legislature can only create law within the very tight confines of the Constitution of Virginia .
So yes , these resolutions are indeed lawful and are the rightful action to take against tyranny and treason , ” Anders said .
Hinkle is considering using language from a similar resolution passed in Eastland County , Texas .
The Eastland resolution is largely symbolic .
The resolution states that all businesses are essential .
It declares the county a “ sanctuary county for all businesses ” and recognizes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states , “ Eastland County shall not , in accordance with state and federal law , take any direct action against any businesses or individuals based solely on their actual or perceived business status.
” Hinkle expects the Appomattox Board to consider a no-shutdown resolution at the next meeting at the end of December .
“ I ’ ve had calls from Washington D.C. , Connecticut , New York , northern Virginia , southern Virginia , western Virginia , eastern Virginia , central Virginia , ” Hinkle said .
“ My email and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with support and only one call saying they don ’ t support it.
” Eric Burk is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
Email tips to [ email protected ] .
Photo “ Appomattox County Courthouse ” by Doug Coldwell CC3.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-11-24--Senator Amanda Chase says the Democratic Party of Virginia is Racist

State Senator Amanda Chase ( R-Chesterfield ) , a Republican gubernatorial candidate for 2021 , called the Democratic Party of Virginia racist and said that the group hates white people .
On Friday night , Chase posted the statement to her Facebook page in response to an article about Virginia Democrats calling for Richmond General Registrar J. Kirk Showalter to either be removed from the position or to resign on her own .
“ Make no mistake .
The Virginia Democratic Party is racist to its core , ” Chase wrote .
“ The Democratic Party of Virginia has asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quit or be fired .
They hate white people .
They want the Richmond registrar to resign because she ’ s white.
” In a phone interview on Monday night , Chase doubled-down on her comments .
“ I do think they are a racist party , I totally stand by my comments , ” Chase told The Virginia Star .
“ Listen , I ’ m just going to speak the truth , ” Chase said .
“ It may not be politically correct and I know that there are some people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handle the truth , but that is the truth.
” Chase also said that she is using the platform of running for governor to speak her mind and will continue to do so regardless of whether or not that leads to votes come election time .
Sen. Emmett Hanger ( R-Augusta ) , who is mulling a run for governor , said Chase ’ s statement was not quite fair .
“ That ’ s a pretty broad statement and I would say Amanda , she is a colleague in the Senate and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has a knack for making statements that make people notice I suppose , ” Hanger said in an interview with The Star .
“ Of course the race issue is very relevant obviously nationally and here in Virginia and it ’ s something we all need to pay attention to , certainly in politics but also in everyday life.
” “ I think that is just a broad generalization to make a statement like that because , while people of all races , creeds and political persuasions can have various degrees of racism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be unfair to just say Democrats are racists , or Republicans are racists for that matter , ” Hanger continued .
Hanger added : “ [ Racism ] is something that we all need to be aware of and we just need to learn to be a little nicer with each other , respect where we came from and just try to get along a little better.
” The Star reached out to Delegate Kirk Cox , another GOP candidate for governor , for comment , but did not get a response by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is still several months away and will take place on June 8th , 2021 .
Jacob Taylor is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
Follow Jacob on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ]


thetennesseestar--2020-11-24--Michigan Board of Canvassers Certify Statewide Election Results

The Michigan State Board of Canvassers on Monday voted to certify the Nov. 3 election results on a 3-0 vote with one member abstaining .
“ I ’ ve reviewed every section .
I haven ’ t found anything about an audit , ” Van Langevelde said .
“ I found nothing about authority for us to delay certification because we ’ re waiting for more accurate results .
I found nothing about making certification contingent on an audit .
I found nothing that gives us the authority to review complaints for fraud.
” GOP member Norm Shinkle voted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boards in Wayne County and arguing that Michigan voters “ deserve better.
” Roughly 26,000 people were watching on YouTube while the board took public comment for roughly three hours .
Christopher Thomas , a 40-year veteran of the Bureau of Elections , recommended certifying the results .
Thomas said the remedy for unbalanced counting boards – an audit – would be taken after the certification .
Thomas said if the canvassers have completed returns from the 83 counties , canvassers have a duty to certify the election .
Michigan GOP Chair Laura @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so they could “ remove distrust ” about election irregularities .
John James ’ campaign lawyer Charles Spies said he thought the board had to power to order an audit , citing statute that board members must “ ascertain and determine the result of an election.
” James was a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate , but lost to Democratic incumbent Sen. Gary Peters .
Speaker of the House Lee Chatfield , R-Levering , welcomed the decision .
Chatfield said the board “ fulfilled its legal duties today in certifying the results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move forward .
This is America at work.
” “ I am also glad the conspiracy theories pushed by far too many Democrats and some talking heads in the media for attention and personal or political gain have finally been put to rest .
As we have been saying consistently for weeks , the Legislature will uphold the law and respect this result as it works to improve the process for next time , ” Chatfield said in a statement .
“ That includes continuing our work in the House and Senate Oversight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people across our state who are concerned about the integrity of the process and giving them the peace of mind they deserve .
That too is America at work.
” Scott McClallen is a staff writer covering Michigan and Minnesota for The Center Square .
A graduate of Hillsdale College , his work has appeared on Forbes.com and FEE.org .


thetennesseestar--2020-11-24--Michigan’s EGLE Denies Conservation Group’s Challenge to Nestlé Water Withdrawal Permit

The Michigan Department of Environment , Great Lakes , and Energy dismissed a case challenging the department ’ s issuance of a permit to increase water withdrawals by Nestlé Waters North America ( NWNA ) in Osceola County .
EGLE announced on Friday it would dismiss the case , which was filed in 2018 by the Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation ( MCWC ) and the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians .
An EGLE statement stated the groups “ erred in not appealing the permit directly to circuit court.
” An administrative law judge determined permitted withdrawals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ near Stanwood did not violate Michigan ’ s Safe Drinking Water Act due to the company ’ s adherence to monitoring and safety protocols related to the state ’ s water resources .
“ EGLE remains committed to protecting our state ’ s valuable water resources , but as a regulatory agency we must act within our statutory authority , ” EGLE Director Liesl Clark said in a statement .
The Safe Drinking Water Act only allows EGLE to hold contested case hearings under very limited circumstances which are not present in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issued during the administration of former Gov .
Rick Snyder , when the department was called the Department of Environmental Quality , and “ represents the most intensely scrutinized permit in the agency ’ s history.
” EGLE also said the Nestlé operation is “ the most intensively monitored water withdrawals in the state.
” Monitoring by EGLE and the U.S. Geological Survey stream gauge bolsters the department ’ s confidence in Nestlé ’ s water withdrawal activities in Michigan .
“ According to EGLE ’ s own data , Michigan ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less than .01 % of water used in the state , ” a NWNA spokesperson said .
“ Our water use in Michigan ranks us far down on the list of the state ’ s top water users.
” Public comments opposing the permit expressed concerns the company does not pay fees to the state or local community for water withdrawal .
Clark stated EGLE is not allowed by law to charge for groundwater withdrawals for bottled water .
She did say , however , that EGLE under her leadership supported legislation that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state ’ s water resources .
The Nestlé website states that 90 % of the water bottled from Michigan stays in the Midwest .
The company also says it employs 280 Michigan residents , and is indirectly responsible for another 765 jobs in the state .
The company also states it has generated an estimated $ 160 million of economic activity in Michigan , including $ 50 million of goods and services purchased from in-state companies .
“ Since 2002 , NWNA has made capital investments totaling more than $ 267 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s economy , ” a NWNA spokesperson said .
“ With an annual payroll of nearly $ 16 million , our economic activity generates about $ 5 million each year to support state and local taxes that fund local schools , fire and police departments , local parks , and other essential services .
We also purchase more than $ 50 million in goods and services each year from Michigan companies to support our business operations.
” Peggy Case , president of MCWC , told The Center Square her organization will issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to EGLE ’ s dismissal of her group ’ s challenge .
She said she hadn ’ t had a chance to read fully EGLE ’ s rationales for dismissing the case , but described the department ’ s decision as “ a little disturbing.
” According to Case , MCWC began seeking help from Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel this past summer .
“ We hope the attorney general will find time to look into it , ” she said .
Bruce Walker is a regional editor at The Center Square .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mackinac Center for Public Policy ’ s Michigan Science magazine and The Heartland Institute ’ s InfoTech & Telecom News .
Image “ Nestlé Waters North America ” by Nestlé Waters North America .


thetennesseestar--2020-11-25--Trump Grants Michael Flynn a ‘Full Pardon’

President Donald Trump on Wednesday pardoned former national security adviser Michael Flynn , bringing to an end a nearly three-year @ @ @ @ @ the retired general ’ s guilty plea as part of the special counsel ’ s @ @ @ @ @ my Great Honor to announce that General Michael T. Flynn has been granted a Full @ @ @ @ @ .
Flynn pleaded guilty on Dec. 1 , 2017 to making false statements to the @ @ @ @ @ phone conversations he had with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak .
Flynn reiterated his guilty plea @ @ @ @ @ December 2018 , but he began angling to withdraw from the agreement months later .
@ @ @ @ @ motion on May 7 to drop charges against Flynn , citing evidence that the FBI @ @ @ @ @ s legal team .
Judge Emmet Sullivan , who presided over Flynn ’ s case @ @ @ @ @ request .
Chuck Ross is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation .
Photo “ @ @ @ @ @ Flynn .

One of the principles asserted by Governor Haslam in support of his IMPROVE Act and its proposed increase of 7 cents per gallon in the gas tax is that “users” of roads should pay for road construction.
The gas tax is proper, he argues, because people who purchase gas to fuel their cars are the users of roads, and the gas tax is the best mechanism to charge them for that usage.
For at least a decade, however, revenue sources originally designed to fund highway construction have been intermingled, and that “user” fee principle has not strictly been applied to the funding of road construction. The IMPROVE Act does not fully address the co-mingling of funds.
The Highway Fund receives road construction “user fee” revenues from gasoline tax, motor fuel tax, gasoline inspection tax, motor vehicle registration tax and the motor vehicle title fees. At least 25 percent of those road construction “user fees” go to the General Fund, Education and Debt Service.
Though the majority of these “user fee” revenues have been allocated to the Highway Fund, between 25 percent and 29 percent of those fees -ranging from $177 million to $196 million annually– have been diverted away from the Highway Fund between FY 2011-12 and FY 2017-18, as Table 1 below illustrates.
Table 1
Highway Fund ‘User Fees’ Allocated to Funds Other than the Highway Fund
FY 2011-12 to FY 2017-18
Fiscal Year Highway Fund”User Fees ” Directed to General Fund, Education & Debt Svc. As % of Highway Fund Total Sales & Use Tax Revenues Sales Tax $ to Highway Fund % Sales Tax to Highway Fund Data Source (Link to Document) Page of Data Source 2017-18 $187,100,000 26.2% $8,861,100,000 $22,600,000 0.26% Estimated 99 of 558 2016-17 $195,200,000 26.5% $8,564,100,000 $22,600,000 0.26% Revised Est. 98 of 558 2015-16 $189,572,000 26.2% $8,267,224,400 $22,625,400 0.27% Actual 97 of 558 2014-15 $177,611,900 25.1% $7,706,018,700 $38,165,000 0.50% Actual 97 of 550 2013-14 $196,234,300 28.9% $7,286,164,500 $53,797,600 0.74% Actual 97 of 542 2012-13 $194,365,000 28.4% $7,012,028,700 $60,902,800 0.87% Actual 97 of 545 2011-12 $193,243,800 28.2% $6,899,944,000 $64,574,000 0.94% Actual 111 of 656
The state of Tennessee budget documents detail the revenue sources and the basis of apportionment for those revenues. For every one of the “user fee” revenues, the Tennessee Code Annotated that directs funds away from the Highway Fund is cited.
There are also allocations to the Highway Fund, such as Gross Receipts Tax-Other and Beer Tax, that would otherwise be considered General Fund revenues, as the majority of those revenues are allocated to the General Fund. However, the increase of 25 to 29 percent to the Highway Fund is net the General Fund dollars.
In the upcoming 2017-18 budget year, the redistribution of “user fees” strictly to the Highway Fund would increase the Highway Fund by $187 million, and combined with the past six years would have added a total of $1.3 billion to the Highway Fund, all without a gas tax increase.
The co-mingling of funds goes both ways.
“Sales and Use Tax” revenues have been and continue to be allocated to the Highway Fund.
During Gov. Haslam’s administration, the percentage of state sales tax revenues allocated to the Highway Fund ranged between 0.26 and 0.94 percent. Essentially, the alternate “Hawk Plan,” named for Rep. David Hawk of Greenville, which allocates 0.25 percent of the sales tax revenues to the Highway Fund has been in effect for years to an even greater extent.


thetennesseestar--2020-11-25--Tennessee Board Approves $35M Grant to Retrain GM’s Spring Hill Employees as Part of $2B Deal to Pro

Tennessee Board Approves $35M Grant to Retrain GM’s Spring Hill Employees as Part of $2B Deal to Produce Electric Cadillac Vehicles

A state board on Tuesday approved a $ 35 million jobs training grant to encourage General Motors to retain workers at its Spring Hill plant as the company looks to invest approximately $ 2 billion to produce electric vehicles , including the Cadillac LYRIQ .
The State Funding Board approved the FastTrack Job Training Assistance Grant .
More information is available here .
The grant will help retrain the 2,000 workers to produce the new electric vehicle ( EV ) , according to State Funding Board documents .
Spring Hill will be GM ’ s third plant to manufacture electric @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michigan , the documents say .
The state ’ s investment will allow the paint and body shops to experience major expansions .
General assembly will receive upgrades including new machines , conveyors , controls and tooling .
The plant is the company ’ s largest facility in North America .
State Funding Board documents say renovation and expansion work will begin immediately .
The Tennessee Star reported last month that GM will invest nearly $ 2 billion in the plant to produce fully electric vehicles , including the LYRIQ .
Maury County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maury County competed against another location — which he did not specify — for the $ 2 billion investment .
He said the Spring Hill GM facility currently has 3,100 employees .
In addition to the new electric LYRIQ SUV , traditionally powered Cadillacs that include the XT6 and XT5 will continue to be assembled in Spring Hill , the State Funding Board documents say .
The average hourly wage for the 2,000 jobs will be $ 31.79 .
GM ’ s employment in Tennessee produces a 6.8 employment multiplier , the Tennessee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , citing the Center for Automotive Research .
That means there are 5.8 other jobs in the Tennessee economy for every direct GM hourly and salaried job in the state .
Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years ’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes .
Photo “ Spring Hill GM Plant ” by GM .


thetennesseestar--2020-11-25--Commentary: By Every Legal Means Necessary

The rising chorus of those demanding the finalization of Joe Biden ’ s election victory or merely deluging the president with sanctimonious claptrap about “ affirming the system ” and being a gentleman and practitioner of fair play and good sportsmanship , ignores both the law and the underlying significance of the arguments .
It can scarcely be coincidental that in 44 states the election went off smoothly and in most of them almost all of the votes were counted effortlessly within about six hours of the closing of the polls .
There have been no allegations whatever of irregularities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Georgia .
The Democrats began a comprehensive assault on the electoral system several years ago in many states ; they consecrated great resources to electing the secretaries of state who effectively administer federal elections within their states ; they agitated and litigated in many states to change voting practices and to facilitate ballot harvesting through unsolicited mass mailings to the entirety of the voter rolls and the collection and delivery of ballots with increasingly dubious verification that they represent the will of the voters ostensibly casting them .
Many of these processes were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movement to alter the election process decisively in favor of those who could exploit mass mailings to the whole voters ’ lists , which inevitably include a great many people who have died or moved , was greatly strengthened by the onset of the coronavirus pandemic .
The public health crisis was seized upon as an excuse for a general move to mail-in voting .
President Trump warned that this was an open door to massive electoral fraud but the media generally ignored this and the Democrats responded with another campaign of malicious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particular , the postmaster general of engaging in “ voter suppression ” and reducing the effective right to vote of minorities .
Neither the Democrats nor the national political and social media organizations that made their campaign for them ( in deference to the infirm and inarticulate candidate , Joe Biden ) , had any expectation of a close election .
So out of touch were Democratic leaders with their former supporters in the working- and lower-middle classes , and so unreservedly did they drink their own bathwater as administered by their puppet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ability they had acquired to manipulate votes could be confined to the four democratically governed states of Michigan , Nevada , Pennsylvania , and Wisconsin , as well as Georgia .
In a phrase borrowed from their effort to deny Trump election in 2016 , this was “ an insurance policy.
” It is difficult to interpret the voting results from those states in any other light .
The president led all of them on election night ; most or all of the counting inexplicably stopped , and large ballot ” drops ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delivered the states to Biden , with the further assistance of completely inadequate procedures for verification of authenticity and counting oversight by both parties .
The president alleged fraud from the beginning and the response from the beginning has been that he and those making the argument for him failed to produce convincing evidence .
This is in some cases a genuine lack of familiarity with how civil lawsuits proceed : a statement of claim is made and the evidence is adduced later .
In other cases , it is the predictable attempt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenges in advance by heaping abuse on its credibility and relying upon all those NeverTrump Republicans who have been hiding under their beds for the past four years to come out and fatuously urge acceptance of the result , even if some aspects of it are suspect .
It is unfortunate that there appears to be some dissension amongst the president ’ s counsel , as the formidable and battle-proven Sidney Powell , counsel for Lt. General Michael Flynn and a former prosecutor who has lifted the rock on the corruption of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ justice generally , has apparently had a falling out with Rudy Giuliani , the most prominent of the president ’ s lawyers .
Powell said on Saturday that the coming lawsuit in Georgia would be “ Biblical , ” and it was confirmed in a separate statement by Jordan Sekulow , another member of the president ’ s legal team , that the lawsuit—when it comes—will be a shocking revelation of manipulation and vote-altering .
There are strenuous allegations of programs for election-rigging built into the electronic vote counting equipment , and extravagant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other Communist regimes .
There is room to criticize the tactics of Giuliani and Powell in opening up their case before what they called ” the court of public opinion ” before they had anything ready for a court of law , and getting their claim so far out ahead of any production of evidence invited skepticism about such extraordinary unsubstantiated charges .
Tactical suavity has never been one of the hallmarks of the Trump political phenomenon , and although he warned for months prior to the election of the dangers of unprecedented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he and his party seem not to have been very well prepared for it .
But the president ’ s declared objective remains to assure that all legal votes are counted and that no illegal votes are counted , and although that becomes difficult when the anonymity of voting has been preserved by separating mailed ballots from anything that might be used to authenticate them , there remain enough questions about the sudden arrival of lopsided bulk votes for Biden and the lack of bipartisan oversight of counting to justify and require @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the system on the tight deadlines imposed by the Constitution , as well as the evident reluctance of U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts to touch a case that could determine the outcome of the presidential election preclude any remedy , Republicans will have to remember that the authority resides with the state legislatures to send delegates to the Electoral College .
It is possible , based on all we know now , that the president ’ s counsel , whether the estimable Sidney Powell is among them or not , will not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Supreme Court in time .
It is possible that for all the fanfare and the herniating masses of affidavits , there will not be a case that rises above the traditional occurrence of voting irregularities and appears not to disturb the result of the election .
But if profound doubts are raised about the validity of the apparent election result , and there is not adequate access to the courts to address them , Republican state legislators should be ready to act where possible to prevent injustice by their choice of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clashes violently with American civic traditions .
But for the single apparent reason that he has assaulted the functioning of the almost permanent federal state and the elected representatives in both parties who protect it , President Trump has been unprecedentedly and often illegally harassed and obstructed since even before he was elected .
If it is now attempted to remove him illegally from the presidency , every constitutional means , including the explicit right of state legislators to determine the identity of those who vote in the Electoral College , should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counsel John Durham has dragged his feet unconscionably in not producing a timely analysis of the shady origins of the Trump-Russia collusion fraud .
Durham followed upon John Huber , whom former Attorney General Jeff Sessions claimed was investigating the same subject , but he didn ’ t do anything .
There is a disconcerting pattern of endless illegal harassments and obstructions of President Trump and every available legal means must be used to assure that he is not pushed out of office improperly , and by the same measure , if he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ result is the consequence of a fairly conducted and tabulated election .
Conrad Black has been one of Canada ’ s most prominent financiers for 40 years , and was one of the leading newspaper publishers in the world as owner of the British telegraph newspapers , the Fairfax newspapers in Australia , the Jerusalem Post , Chicago Sun-Times and scores of smaller newspapers in the U.S. , and most of the daily newspapers in Canada .
He is the author of authoritative biographies of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Richard Nixon , one-volume @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and most recently of Donald J. Trump : A President Like No Other .
He is a member of the British House of Lords as Lord Black of Crossharbour .


thetennesseestar--2020-11-25--Biden Selects Former Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen for Treasury Secretary, Would Be First

Biden Selects Former Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen for Treasury Secretary, Would Be First Woman to Hold Position: Report

President-elect Joe Biden is expected to name former Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen for secretary of the Department of the Treasury , The Wall Street Journal first reported Monday .
Yellen , 74 , who was the first woman to serve as Federal Reserve chair after she was confirmed by the Senate in 2014 , would be the first woman to head the Treasury Department , according to CNBC .
Yellen is widely considered to be a “ safe ” pick with a high likelihood of confirmation by a closely divided Senate .
“ She ’ s well liked , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic-advisory firm MacroPolicy Perspectives founder Julia Coronado told The Wall Street Journal .
“ One of her underappreciated talents is the ability to drive a consensus in pretty convincing ways .
She got stuff done.
” President-elect Joe Biden hinted that his pick for treasury secretary would be widely accepted within the Democratic Party on Thursday , according to The WSJ .
Progressive Sen. Elizabeth Warren was floated as a possible pick for the Treasury Department , but was passed over due to the party division within the Senate , CNBC reported .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ she goes into a room with finance ministers from other countries , she ’ s going to be the best prepared person in the room — probably the smartest person , too , but certainly the best prepared , ” said Alan Blinder , a former Federal Reserve vice chairman who served with Yellen , according to The WSJ .
Yellen will be tasked with leading the U.S. economy back from the devastating toll caused by the coronavirus pandemic , according to The WSJ .
Millions of Americans remain unemployed and job growth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ idea that Congress should guide the economic recovery by increasing spending , The WSJ reported .
She said it was the role of Congress to fight unemployment and support small businesses by spending more .
“ There is a huge amount of suffering out there .
The economy needs the spending , ” she said in September , according to The WSJ .
President Donald Trump replaced Yellen with current Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell in 2018 .
Yellen had previously served as San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank chairwoman and chaired the Council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinton ’ s administration , according to CNBC .
Following the report that Biden would pick Yellen for Treasury secretary , the stock market jumped , according to CNBC .
Thomas Catenacci is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation .


thetennesseestar--2020-11-25--Trump Scores Two Wins as Michigan Legislature, Federal Appeals Court Agree to Election Reviews

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thetennesseestar--2020-11-25--Biden’s Pick for Homeland Security Chief ‘Exerted Improper Influence’ in Visa Program for Rich Forei

Biden’s Pick for Homeland Security Chief ‘Exerted Improper Influence’ in Visa Program for Rich Foreign Investors

President-elect Joe Biden ’ s pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security was accused in a government watchdog report during the Obama administration of exerting improper influence to help high-profile Democrats navigate a government visa program to help their wealthy foreign investors .
Biden ’ s transition team announced on Monday that he will pick Alejandro Mayorkas , the former deputy secretary of homeland security , to lead the agency .
Mayorkas , who also served as director of U.S. Customs and Immigration Services ( USCIS ) during the Obama administration , is credited as the architect of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) program , which granted permanent resident status to illegal aliens who were brought to the U.S. as children .
Mayorkas was investigated during the Obama administration over his role helping prominent Democrats navigate the EB-5 visa program .
The program grants green cards to foreigners who invest at least $ 500,000 in American companies .
It has come under intense scrutiny , with critics alleging that it is rife with fraud .
The DHS inspector general ( IG ) found that Mayorkas “ exerted improper influence ” in his handling of visas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company controlled by Terry McAuliffe , the former chairman of the DNC and former Virginia governor , and Tony Rodham , the brother of Hillary Clinton .
“ Mayorkas communicated with stakeholders on substantive issues , outside of the normal adjudicatory process , and intervened with the career USCIS staff in ways that benefited the stakeholders , ” the IG said in a report released on March 24 , 2015 .
The report described numerous interactions between Mayorkas , McAuliffe and Rodham regarding GreenTech .
It also said that USCIS staffers said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ related to GreenTech .
Career officials initially opposed allowing GreenTech to use the visa program , but USCIS changed course after Mayorkas became involved , the IG report said .
The report also criticized Mayorkas over his interactions in 2013 with then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid regarding an EB-5 application for a casino represented by the Democrat ’ s son , Rory Reid .
Mayorkas has denied any wrongdoing , saying during a congressional hearing in July 2013 that the allegations that he helped political allies were “ unequivocally false.
” Mayorkas could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmation vote .
Republicans tried unsuccessfully in 2013 to block a vote to confirm Mayorkas as deputy director of DHS .
They cited the ongoing inspector general ’ s investigation into Mayorkas ’ handling of the EB-5 program .
The Senate voted 54-41 on Dec. 20 , 2013 to confirm Mayorkas to the position .
Biden ’ s transition team announced several other selections for Cabinet and White House positions .
Tony Blinken will be nominated to be secretary of state , and Jake Sullivan will be Biden ’ s national security adviser @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Photo “ Alejandro Mayorkas ” by World Travel & Tourism Council .
CC BY 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-11-25--Ty Herndon and Kristen Chenoweth Release ‘Orphans of God’

NASHVILLE , Tennessee – When country crooner Ty Herndon announced he was releasing a duet with the talented Tony Award Winner Kristen Chenoweth , I wanted to find out how this came to be .
With Herndon , he grew up singing from a young age and never really had a choice .
He comes from a musical family and they traveled the south singing at camp meetings and tent revivals .
He even considered being an evangelist at one point .
His family listened to the Grand Ole ’ Opry and singers like Tammy Wynette .
As time went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for country music and he was good at it .
He started chasing that dream when he was 16 .
He got a job at Opryland USA and worked there as a singer/performer for five summers .
That is where he met Chenoweth for the first time as she was a performer there as well .
A few years ago , he went with good friend Chely Wright to New York to see Chenoweth do a show .
Herndon went backstage afterward and she jumped into his arms .
She screamed his name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my friend forever.
” We kept in touch after that .
Two years ago , his guitar player , Josh Bryant , said , “ Hey , I am dating this girl , and I ’ m going to need some extra security tonight since she is coming to our show.
” It turns out Bryant was/is dating Kristen Chenoweth .
Herndon thinks they are perfect together and now Chenoweth is part of the family .
We both agree that Chenoweth is one of the best singers we know .
However , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could hang with her in a duet .
Herndon has a passion and commitment to his music that continues to play out in his lyrics .
“ If I haven ’ t lived it , I haven ’ t sung it , ” he admits .
During this time of COVID , few people are putting music out and it is difficult for artists to be heard .
Herndon reflected , “ It ’ s been a terrible time for people in Nashville , and people in entertainment in general.
” Herndon was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his label canceled his album for this year along with a documentary and 142 tour dates .
He was devastated .
Chenoweth recommended , “ Why don ’ t you just put one song out ?
” Several months went by his manager advised that his original Christmas album was 20 years old this year .
“ Why don ’ t we rehash that and put it out and add one new song ?
” Although technically it ’ s not a Christmas song , “ Orphans of God ” was a song @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and release for several years but it didn ’ t fit anywhere .
Adding it to the release of his Christmas record Regifted seemed like the perfect place to put it .
“ Orphans of God ” is about faith , about God and it ’ s a message over the holidays that we need to hear .
“ To know that you ’ re loved , you ’ re thought about is what matters , ” adds the artist .
Except for the newly released , “ Orphans of God ” , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Regifted album were sung at his Grandmother ’ s Calvary Baptist Church Christmas Cantata ( Including Rudolph ) .
“ They did it every year , ” he laughed .
They remastered to original songs to make them “ cool again ” .
Chenoweth heard the album and exclaimed , “ Every time I thought you were going to turn left , you went right.
” “ Orphans of God ” has meant so much to Herndon and seen him through a lot of dark places .
He stated , “ God always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ OK .
This song has been my go-to when I ’ m down.
” He recorded “ Orphans of God ” with friends Chenoweth and pianist Paul Cardall during this very difficult time in the life of our nation .
“ It ’ s more important now than it has ever been before to remember that we are all created equally and that God loves us all just the same .
I hope this song can be a beacon of hope to anyone who ’ s feeling lost , overwhelmed , or suffering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Herndon produced Chenoweth ’ s vocal part on the song .
He was reluctant to direct the brilliantly gifted songstress , but she declared , “ You need to tell me what to do.
” “ To sing with Ty Herndon was a dream .
But to sing a song with lyrics that we both believe was so special .
I hope as you listen to the song , you hear the words , and they speak to your heart , ” said Chenoweth .
Cardall continued , “ Ever since receiving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s been my life ’ s work to use music to help heal the hearts of others , which is why I ’ m excited to join with my friends Ty Herndon and Kristin Chenoweth in echoing an important message through this song — a truth that there are no orphans of God .
Everyone is welcome to my table , and as a Christian , I believe to suggest otherwise undervalues God ’ s sacrifice.
” “ Orphans of God ” was written by Joel Lindsey and Twila LaBar and originally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Former Avalon band members Melissa Greene and Michael Passons provide backing vocals on the updated track .
With a country musician , a Broadway performer , and a gifted pianist , the remake of “ Orphans of God ” should appeal to all who listen .
In today ’ s world , no song could be more relevant .
You can order Orphans of God here .
You can pre-order Regifted here .
You can follow Ty Herndon on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , Soundcloud , and YouTube .
You can follow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Instagram , Spotify , and YouTube .
• Go Tell It on the Mountain • O Come O Come Emmanuel ( With Waylon Payne ) Bethany Bowman is a freelance entertainment writer .
You can follow her blog , Instagram , Twitter , and YouTube .
Photo “ Ty Herndon and Kristen Chenoweth ” by Ty Herndon .


thetennesseestar--2020-11-25--Kentucky AG Files Restraining Order to Block Religious School Closures

“ Kentucky ’ s attorney general is suing his own governor in an attempt to keep private religious schools open , despite the state ordering virtual classes during the coronavirus pandemic , “ according to Fox News .
Attorney General Daniel Cameron and the First Liberty Institute on Friday asked a federal court to issue a temporary restraining order that would block Beshear ’ s order from being implemented .
An emergency hearing took place on Monday .
In the petition , Cameron argued that Beshear ’ s latest executive order infringed on Danville Christian Academy ’ s and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Governor Beshear continues to impose limits on religious gatherings that are blatantly unconstitutional , ” said Roger Byron , senior counsel at First Liberty , which represents the Christian academy .
He added that “ [ t ] he CDC made it clear that one of the safest locations ’ students can be at during the pandemic is in school .
The court should reject Governor Beshear ’ s order and follow the CDC and the law.
” Last week , Beshear announced the new restrictions after the state recorded a spike in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and private K-12 schools to stop in-person classes starting Nov. 23 .
Middle and high schools will be required to remain in remote instruction until January .
The governor argued that the state was “ experiencing a potentially catastrophic surge in COVID-19 cases ” and that Kentucky law granted him the authority to close all public and private schools .
The executive order mandated that virtual instruction begin Monday .
Other restrictions that went into effect Friday evening include limits on restaurants and bars , private social gatherings , gyms and event venues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Beshear ’ s office reported the highest number of daily COVID-19 cases for a Sunday on record .
“ I wish more than anything that we could go back to normal safely , but we can ’ t , ” Beshear said .
“ In order to protect our only line of health care workers and all of our fellow Kentuckians , keep gatherings small ( eight people or fewer and two households at most ) , wear a mask , wash your hands and stay six feet apart.
” The governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major surge of COVID-19 cases after Thanksgiving , our hospitals will simply not have the capacity to give everyone the care they need .
Nothing is worth that risk.
” First Liberty , a legal organization which exclusively defends religious liberty and represents clients around the country , noted that it obtained a temporary restraining order on a coronavirus related case earlier this year on behalf of Tabernacle Baptist Church of Nicholasville , Kentucky , according to Fox News .


thetennesseestar--2020-11-25--Nashville Unveils New Policing Policy Commission Report

This , according to a press release that members of Cooper ’ s staff emailed this week .
As The Tennessee Star reported in August , many of the commission members lean left politically .
The report said that the Metro Nashville Police Department staff members must better reflect the diversity of Nashville and more often document how they use force against citizens .
“ In particular , MNPD must build trust with African Americans , Muslim Americans , immigrant-origin communities , and the LGBTQ+ communities , ” according to the report .
Cooper asked commission members to produce a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That report , Cooper added , will influence who he and other city officials select to replace former Police Chief Steve Anderson .
Community Oversight Board Chair Ashlee Davis , in a press release last summer opined about the new commission , of which she is a member .
The Community Oversight Board has independent authority to investigate allegations of misconduct against the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department .
As for the new commission , Davis said she wants a transgender person to serve .
Davis , according to her LinkedIn page , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manager for AllianceBernstein in Nashville .
She also worked at the White House under former President Barack Obama .
As reported last summer , Anderson vacated his position at the police department sooner than he previously stated he would — without explaining .
Left-wing activists and Metro Council members pushed for either Anderson to resign or for Cooper to fire him .
As reported , members of the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee also called on Anderson to resign .
In particular , ACLU members expressed frustration with Anderson ’ s alleged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Board , which was established in 2018 .
This , after the deaths of Jocques Clemmons and Daniel Hambrick .
The board has independent authority to investigate allegations of misconduct against the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department .
The Star reported in September that Metro Human Resources members have finalized a review committee to find the city ’ s next police chief .
Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star .
Follow Chris on Facebook .
Email tips to [ email protected ] Photo “ Metro Nashville Police Car ” by @ @


thetennesseestar--2020-11-25--Debbie Dooley Commentary: Georgia Secretary of State Raffensperger Ignores Georgia Law and Cowers to

Debbie Dooley Commentary: Georgia Secretary of State Raffensperger Ignores Georgia Law and Cowers to Stacey Abrams and Democrats

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger ignited a firestorm when he announced in March of this year that he was appeasing Stacey Abrams and Georgia Democrats by sending out absentee ballot requests to 6.9 million active registered Georgia voters during the Primary elections .
Georgia conservatives were outraged he was doing this because of the potential for rampant voter fraud involved with absentee ballots .
Voters over 65 could request general election ballots when they requested their primary ballot .
Raffensperger ’ s office was flooded with phone calls from angry Republicans demanding he not do that .
Raffensperger arrogantly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no plans to send out absentee ballot applications for the general election .
Once the applications went out , voters reported receiving ballot applications for people that no longer lived at their address and that had been deceased .
It was a disaster .
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger states in this letter , when he was requesting an almost 11 million dollar grant that they mailed out 6.9 million absentee ballot applications for the primary election and that a contractor was mailing the ballots to voters .
Raffensperger also stated that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primary runoff and general election .
Raffensperger allowed an outside contractor to mail out absentee ballots .
The fact he did this shows that Raffensperger had no clue about ballot security .
Gabriel Sterling is listed in this letter as the Voting System Implementation Manager and gives Sterling ’ s business email address [ email protected ] Using a gmail address for communication about the voting system is not secure .
Sterling previously used [ email protected ] as his email address .
Sterling has been all over media giving interviews as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ machines .
A few questions that I hope will be answered with open records requests that I intend to pursue vigorously .
1 .
Is Gabriel Sterling still an employee of the Secretary of State ’ s office and if not , when did he leave ?
2 .
Did Raffensperger outsource voting system to Sterling ’ s company and how much did Sterling ’ s company get paid ?
3 .
How many other contractors/business entities received contracts involving voting system implementation/training since January of 2019 and what were the amounts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wondering if Stacey Abrams and Democrats are in charge at the Secretary of State ’ s Office .
NEW : Georgia Elections Officials Extend Use of Ballot Drop Boxes For January Twin Senate Runoff Georgia elections officials on Monday voted to extend the use of ballot drop boxes for the January 5 twin Senate runoff where the Republican majority in the Senate is on the line .
The use of ballot drop boxes , which opens the door for illegal ballot harvesting , was set to expire in December , but the 5-member @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the use of drop boxes .
The five-member Georgia State Election Board , chaired by Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger , voted on Monday to extend the use of the 24/7 monitored drop boxes for use through the runoffs .
Use of the boxes was originally set to expire in late December .
The move comes amid a surge in absentee ballot requests in the runoff elections .
Officials said that as of Monday morning 762,000 requests for absentee ballots had been submitted .
A second rule adopted allows counties to continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before Election Day – but now also mandates them to start processing them no later than a week and one day ahead of the election .
But as per Georgia law , none of the ballots would be tabulated and counted until the polls close on Jan. 5 .
This is in direct violation of Georgia law .
Georgia Code Title 21 .
Elections § 21-2-385 clearly states that absentee ballots are supposed to be either mailed or delivered in person to the local election board office .
A drop box is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election board requires they be monitored by video , but the videos are not made public and the local election board can charge you up to $ 15,000 to get a copy so you can view them .
The rule allowing counties to begin processing absentee ballots two weeks before election day violates Georgia law .
During verification the local election board would verify signatures and make sure the ballot is filled out .
Will poll watchers be allowed during this time ?
The rule violates Georgia Code Title 21 .
Elections § @ @ @ @ @ @ @ processing can not begin until at 7:00 am election day .
The March 2020 settlement that Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger agreed to in order to appease Stacey Abrams and the Democrats is in direct violation of Georgia law .
This settlement drastically changed how absentee ballots were handled.. Raffensperger agreed to allowing absentee ballot signatures to match either what is on file with the local election board office OR match the signature on the absentee ballot request .
This is a major issue that opens the door wide open to ballot harvesters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agrees that if the initial review finds that the signature doesn ’ t match , a review panel looks at it for final determination .
This is a direct violation of Georgia Code Title 21 .
Elections § 21-2-386 which states : “ ( B ) Upon receipt of each ballot , a registrar or clerk shall write the day and hour of the receipt of the ballot on its envelope .
The registrar or clerk shall then compare the identifying information on the oath with the information on file in his or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or mark on the oath with the signature or mark on the absentee elector ’ s voter registration card or the most recent update to such absentee elector ’ s voter registration card and application for absentee ballot or a facsimile of said signature or mark taken from said card or application , and shall , if the information and signature appear to be valid and other identifying information appears to be correct , so certify by signing or initialing his or her name below the voter ’ s oath .
Each elector @ @ @ @ @ @ @ listed by the registrar or clerk on the numbered list of absentee voters prepared for his or her precinct .
( C ) If the elector has failed to sign the oath , or if the signature does not appear to be valid , or if the elector has failed to furnish required information or information so furnished does not conform with that on file in the registrar ’ s or clerk ’ s office , or if the elector is otherwise found disqualified to vote , the registrar or clerk shall write @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rejected , ” giving the reason therefor .
The board of registrars or absentee ballot clerk shall promptly notify the elector of such rejection , a copy of which notification shall be retained in the files of the board of registrars or absentee ballot clerk for at least two years .
Such elector shall have until the end of the period for verifying provisional ballots contained in subsection ( c ) of Code Section 21-2-419 to cure the problem resulting in the rejection of the ballot .
The elector may cure a failure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signature , or missing information by submitting an affidavit to the board of registrars or absentee ballot clerk along with a copy of one of the forms of identification enumerated in subsection ( c ) of Code Section 21-2-417 before the close of such period .
The affidavit shall affirm that the ballot was submitted by the elector , is the elector ’ s ballot , and that the elector is registered and qualified to vote in the primary , election , or runoff in question .
If the board of registrars or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identification to be sufficient , the absentee ballot shall be counted .
Georgia conservatives continue the fight for making sure every legal vote counts and illegal votes do not count .
Unfortunately , the Georgia Secretary of State ’ s office seems more interested in appeasing Democrats than making sure there was no election fraud regarding the absentee ballots .
President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for checking voter signatures as part of a recount in the race , which he lost to Joe Biden by more than 12,000 votes .
And Gov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party have called for auditing voter signatures to double-check the work of local election workers .
But at a press conference Monday , a top state election official confirmed it would be impossible to fulfill Trump ’ s request .
And though the kind of audit sought by the governor is technically feasible , the election official said there is no specific evidence of wrongdoing to warrant more scrutiny of voter signatures .
“ We can ’ t open investigations based on generalized , ` we ’ re not happy with the outcome @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gabriel Sterling , the state ’ s voting system manager .
“ If somebody comes to us with specific evidence , we investigate that.
” We are making phone calls and sending emails .
You can see the action alerts below I just sent out .
Call Governor Brian Kemp and ask him to either call a special session of the legislature in order to secure the election and ballot security or to file a court action against Brad Raffensperger and the Georgia Election Board for changing Georgia law when they did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and render both the rule changes and settlement agreement null and void .
Phone number – 404-656-1776 Newt Gingrich also encouraged Brian Kemp to take action .
“ Governor Kemp may have an opportunity to make real progress on election reform in Georgia.Last friday November 20 he called for the Secretary of State Raffensberger to audit the absentee ballot envelopes for signature match with applications.He also called for election law reform ” “ Would have been better if Governor Kemp had acted on November 12 when Trump Recount Chair Doug Collins and GOP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a review of the signatures on absentee ballot applications and envelopes.
” “ Why did Governor Kemp wait until AFTER certification to ask for an audit of the absentee envelopes ?
In 2018 3.5 % of the absentee votes were thrown out for not matching signatures and not being valid .
In 2020 with 4 times as many absentee ballots only 0.3 % have been rejected.
” “ The difference in absentee ballot acceptance from 2018 to 2020 is about 39,000 votes .
Biden ’ s entire margin in Georgia is 12,670 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rate had been implemented it would be more than three times Biden ’ s margin of winning.
” Contact Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and the SOS Voting System Manager Gabriel Sterling and demand they conduct an audit of signatures .
Debbie Dooley is the President of the Atlanta Tea Party


thetennesseestar--2020-11-25--Two Moves Trump HHS Is Taking to Make Government More Accountable

In another Trump administration move to boost transparency and roll back regulations , the Department of Health and Human Services issued two statements of policy on Tuesday that will affect any future imposition of regulations going forward .
The first policy requires the department and its agencies to demonstrate to the public how they reached a conclusion on the economic cost of a regulation .
The other policy would require HHS and its agencies to demonstrate that future proposed regulations do not duplicate a rule already on the books .
These policies should be able to outlast the Trump administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told The Daily Signal .
“ We believe these are going to endure , ” Harrison said .
“ Anything that gives the American people more power or more ability to know what their government is doing should be popular.
” Federal agencies have been required to do an economic review of regulations since the Reagan administration .
The difference under the new policy is that agencies don ’ t currently have to show how they reached the conclusion about the cost and the benefit of a specific regulation to the American public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that by requiring HHS officials to show how they reached the conclusions about cost and benefit .
“ When a regulation is promulgated , this would just require HHS to show our work , just like we expect a sixth grader to do on their homework , ” Harrison said .
“ Show how you reached that conclusion in the analysis to the American people.
” The second proposal would require all HHS agencies and offices that prepare regulations to “ ensure that any rule is not inconsistent with , and does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already been issued through an agency within the Department , ” according to the text to be placed in the Federal Register .
While past Cabinet secretaries and presidents have eliminated or promised to eliminate duplicative regulations , a difference is that the burden of proof would be at the front end of a proposal for an agency to demonstrate that proposed regulation is not redundant .
“ This is taking the step that if you propose a regulation , you have to demonstrate that it does not overlap with regulations the HHS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fred Lucas is chief national affairs correspondent for The Daily Signal and co-host of “ The Right Side of History ” podcast .
Lucas is also the author of “ Abuse of Power : Inside The Three-Year Campaign to Impeach Donald Trump .
”


thetennesseestar--2020-11-25--Nashville Has Arrested 11 Hosts of Large Home Parties During Pandemic, Tennessean Says

Under emergency health orders , Nashville police have arrested 47 people as of mid-November , including 11 accused of hosting large gatherings , The Tennessean newspaper said .
The newspaper said it based its report on its research of court documents and other data .
Reportedly , 79 percent were in violation of Metro Health orders by failing to wear a mask in public .
Some of the hosts allegedly held house parties of up to 600 people at a time , according to police , which could result in up to a year in jail and a $ 2,500 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jeffrey Mathews , a dentist , and Christopher “ Shi ” Eubank were arrested for alleged violations of emergency health orders of holding an event of more than 25 people , and not requiring the use of masks or social distancing .
WKRN said online videos showed hundreds of people attending the party , which was called “ The Fashion House.
” Metro Nashville Police broke up a large Halloween house party in East Nashville on Oct. 31 , NewsChannel 5 reported .
Witnesses reported about 100 people at the party , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The organizer allegedly had not received permission from the city for a gathering of 25 or more , the station said .
Metro Nashville Health Department said it was investigating .
NewsChannel 5 did not report any arrests .
The Metro Nashville Health Department has a button on its homepage asking people to report violations of the city ’ s Phase Three “ Roadmap For Reopening Nashville ” plan .
Nashville Mayor John Cooper is getting even more restrictive on gatherings in time for Thanksgiving , The Tennessee Star reported .
The “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at restaurants and at homes in most cases .
Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years ’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes .


thetennesseestar--2020-11-25--Marketing Guru and California Refugee Craig Huey Discusses His Business of The Huey Report, Reality

Marketing Guru and California Refugee Craig Huey Discusses His Business of The Huey Report, Reality Alert, and JudgeVoterGuide.com

Live from Music Row Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed California refugee and direct mail pioneer Craig Huey to the studio .
At the top of the second hour , Huey discussed the megatrend of California conservatives moving to Tennessee and described his business ventures , The Huey Report , Reality Alert , and JudgeVoterGuide.com .
Leahy : Joining me in the studio is a pioneer in the movement of conservative refugees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guess I started the trend back in 1990 when I moved from Sonoma , California to Nashville and then onto Williamson County .
But joining me in the studio is another pioneer , Craig Huey .
Craig , welcome to The Tennessee Star Report .
Huey : Hey Michael .
It ’ s great to be here and it ’ s exciting to be in Tennessee .
Leahy : You know , I think I ’ ve felt that way since 1990 myself .
But you actually are sort of one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Common sense people from California saying , where am I going to go where can I actually make a living ?
Huey : Yeah , you know what ?
There is a megatrend of people coming from California to Tennessee .
And of course , I consider myself a refugee from California .
Leahy : Well , you know , this is the kind of refugee resettlement program that we like here in Tennessee and not the kind that our Governor Bill Lee has endorsed .
And now with the election of Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the annual number of refugees coming to the United States as he can do by law from the 18,000 that Donald Trump had .
None of them from hotbeds of terrorism to 125,000 .
Most of them probably coming from hotbeds of terrorism starting September of 2021 under a potential President Joe Biden .
The number of refugees from Syria and Somalia etc .
coming into Tennessee thanks to Governor Bill Lee ’ s refusal to sign on to the lawsuit .
The Tenth Amendment lawsuit the General Assembly put together and by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s offer to say no to refugees .
I mean both of these he did without talking with the Tennessee General Assembly .
Now , we ’ re going to get that kind of refugee .
But I think Craig we ’ d like to have conservatives from California like you .
Huey : Well , you know , they ’ re coming .
A lot of them are coming .
Of course , you have Ben Shapiro .
Huey : Well , he is in the Glendale , Los Angeles area .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Palos Verdes area .
In California , we go by how far you drive .
It ’ s about an hour and a half .
Huey : Virtually next door by Tennessee standards and would be 15 minutes .
Leahy : So yeah , we ’ re going to have a party and it started out for Ben Shapiro who I know from our days together at Breitbart .
And then the entire staff of The Daily Wire has moved to Nashville .
Leahy : And we are going to have a party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decided since you know , Roger Simon my old boss at PJTV and the founder of PJ Media and who is now a columnist with The Epoch Times .
Roger is going to be at that party .
Candace Owens has moved to Nashville .
Sean Davis who founded The Federalist lives in Nashville .
You live in Nashville .
Now tell us about your writing .
You have The Huey Report .
What is that and how long they ’ ve been doing it ?
Huey : So I have 200,000 subscribers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a marketing and advertising newsletter .
Leahy : So you make money telling people about marketing and advertising .
Huey : That ’ s how I support everything that we done over the last 25 years .
In fact , when I started my business , I started with marketing conservative , libertarian , and Christian organizations and candidates .
And because I found so many weren ’ t paying their bills , I transitioned into the investment field and people who were geopolitical in the investment field .
Leahy : You said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have great ideas .
Especially on our side .
But they don ’ t have a lot of money .
And now interestingly enough we ’ ve talked about this many times Craig .
On the left , if you have a harebrained idea , but it ’ s left , George Soros and his crowd of billionaires who you know hate America will write you a check .
Leahy : No questions asked .
But if you are conservative then you ’ ve got to scrape together to get that money and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : It ’ s not easy at all .
So with the foundation of the business , I have The Huey Report which is a free-market political conservative newsletter .
And then I have Reality Alert and that is a Christian worldview political newsletter .
Leahy : And so you ’ ve got what 200,000 subscribers ?
Huey : 200,000 subscribers .
And then I ’ ve got judgevoterguide.com which is a voter guide on who ’ s the judicial activist and who ’ s the strict constructionists across the United States .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that used to be just for California going down from city council all the way up to the top of the ticket .
One for the faith community and one for the political general community secular .
And I ’ ve transitioned that as an experiment to Tennessee right now .
Leahy : Well now that I want to talk about when we get back .
More with Craig Huey of The Huey Report .
A very successful marketer , conservative , and a refugee from California who we are glad to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .


thetennesseestar--2020-11-25--California Refugee Craig Huey Explains Why He Fled to Find a New Home in Tennessee

Live from Music Row Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed creator of The Huey Report and direct mail expert , Craig Huey , to the studio to discuss his reasons for leaving California and moving to Middle Tennessee .
Leahy : We ’ re joined in studio by our good friend now and our new friend a refugee from California who left California because it was untenable .
And he is finding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ great home .
Craig Huey , welcome to Nashville .
You ’ ve moved here in June ?
Huey : Right .
I moved here in June .
It was a major move , Michael .
I was born in California .
I love California .
And you know , the weather in California is great .
But the oppression , the regulations , the crime , the homelessness , and the taxes .
There are so many reasons .
Five-point five businesses a week leave California .
You ’ re talking about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who left California .
Leahy : Well the good news is they ’ re being replaced by illegal aliens .
( Laughter ) Huey : To some extent .
But California is going to lose one or two , maybe three congressmen in this new census redistricting .
Leahy : Their population growth has not been sufficient compared to previous years .
So tell us about your life and where you grew up .
Tell us where you were born and where you went to school .
And tell us about your business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees working here in Middle Tennessee .
And you moved from California .
Tell us your story .
Huey : Well , I thought for sure I would never move out of California .
You know , I started my company out of college in a recession .
Leahy : So this would be in the 1970s , 1980s .
Leahy : In the late 70s and you went to Long Beach State .
Leahy : It ’ s right on the coast .
Huey : Right on the coast .
Leahy : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of port activity there .
Huey : Los Angeles Harbor is right near there .
My house in California overlooks LA Harbor .
Leahy : Now you still own that house in California ?
Huey : I still do but I am going to be selling it because what has happened in LA County is a degeneration of the infrastructure and of the entire society .
Michael with the way I described it is it ’ s now either a free state of Tennessee versus a slave state of California .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ve been there several times since I moved here , it ’ s like oppression exists over there .
Oppression of fear and anxiety .
And the area where I live used to be a safe area .
The gang unit has been abolished by the LA police force in part of their defunding of the police .
A radical George Soros district attorney has been elected .
The homeless encampment is all around me .
One of my business clients is a wealthy entrepreneur , multi-millionaire in Bel Air , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brand-new home .
The homeless are starting to encamp up in the Bel Air area .
When the riots took place in the summer , Beverly Hills , and on Rodeo Drive , the stores were broken into and everything robbed along that drive .
And protesters coming up into Bel Air and the police doing nothing .
He ’ s moving to Tennessee .
Leahy : Is he moving to Middle Tennessee ?
Leahy : Well , why wouldn ’ t you ?
Now the thing is the people moving from California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how many people are moving to Middle Tennessee from California are coming with conservative values ?
And how many are trying to take the California values that have destroyed California and are trying to transplant them to Tennessee ?
What would be your guess ?
Huey : Michael , I would say since I ’ ve been here in June .
I have had 20 to 25 people look me in the eye and say I I hope you ’ re not bringing California values to Tennessee .
Leahy : 26 now .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ re not .
Huey : And so I know that ’ s it ’ s a concern .
Where I ’ ve moved to everyone I ’ ve met… Huey : In Williamson County , everyone I ’ ve met is a conservative .
They are refugees just like me .
Many owners of companies .
Leahy : They are capitalists fleeing California , and coming to Tennessee .
Huey : Totally .
It ’ s unbelievable who ’ s coming here and they have to because of the regulation and taxes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ flee California , a wise decision on your part .
I fled California back in 1990 , by the way .
And I saw it coming .
I could see it coming at that time .
I had a small business there .
And it wasn ’ t a small business-friendly at all .
I could see that .
It ’ s a venture capital , you know , sugar daddy shall we say friendly environment .
So if you ’ ve got a venture firm back in there with 10 million dollars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you are a small business it ’ s virtually impossible… Leahy : To do business in California and it ’ s gotten worse every year .
Huey : It is so bad .
Leahy : So you looked around the United States of America .
You have a successful business , and we ’ ll talk about that business in a bit .
And now you have 25 employees here in Middle Tennessee , Leahy : We ’ ll talk about that as well .
You had 49 other states and the District @ @ @ @ @ @ @ How did you go about choosing Middle Tennessee ?
Huey : Well , my wife and I went to Texas .
We looked at Arizona .
We looked at a variety of different states and Tennessee had an advantage .
I have five children and one of them worked for my ad agency .
His name is Caleb .
And Caleb goes , Dad , I ’ m leaving California .
I said Caleb why ?
You like to surf and you love the sun .
Yeah , you know you love California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says well , Dad , I ’ ve got to move to Tennessee .
I ’ m going to go to Nashville .
I said why Caleb who ’ s going to pay your bills because I ’ m not paying you in Nashville .
And he said , listen , I ’ ll start an office in Nashville .
And we ’ ll have an office in California and an office in Tennessee .
And I said well , okay .
We ’ ll try this .
Leahy : Well , why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Huey : I asked him that and he said Dad if I stay in California , I ’ ll have to pay taxes .
In Tennessee , I don ’ t have to pay income tax .
Leahy : By the way .
Yes !
That was why back in 1990 I chose Tennessee .
It came down to North Carolina moving from Sonoma , California .
The choice was North Carolina or Tennessee .
Both good states but North Carolina has a state income tax and Tennessee also had a pastor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The combination of Rubel Shelly as a pastor and no state income tax .
It was a no-brainer .
Second best decision I ever made in my life .
Huey : Yep .
Well , I ’ m sure that this is going to be one of my top decisions for sure .
Then he goes , Dad , in California I can ’ t live .
In Tennessee I can all of my bills will be 40 percent less .
And then he said finally Dad , if I stay in California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home .
And in Tennessee , I can .
So he moved out here last year and he got his first home and it was a great decision .
And so as I kept seeing California falling… Leahy : So your son is having a good experience in Nashville , Tennessee ?
Huey : Exactly .
Exactly .
And I ’ m starting to see you know the potential here .
And so we decided after a lot of investigation , Nashville would be the place .
Leahy : A wise choice .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ about your business .
You have 25 employees .
You started it in the late 1970s when you got out of college at Long Beach State .
what does your business do ?
Huey : Well , we started off with political and Christian groups and then we transitioned into what was investment newsletters at a time of hyperinflation in the U.S. Huey : All those days .
And so I was talking about politics and economics in marketing these newsletters .
And from there we grew clients .
We launched businesses .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ corporations and over the years we ’ ve won 97 awards for the marketing we ’ ve done turning entrepreneurs into multimillionaires .
Leahy : That ’ s one of my favorite topics .
Go on the web at CraigHuey.com , you can sign up for The Huey Report there .
Listen to the full second hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .
Photo “ Tennessee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BY-SA 2.0 .


thetennesseestar--2020-11-25--Commentary: Toward a Better Social Media

As a “ socially distanced ” Thanksgiving nears , and as the worst year of modern American history begins drawing to a close , our readers can be excused for thinking there are very unwelcome developments and needed adjustments extant in our culture and society .
Clearly that ’ s the case if we ’ re going to have to spend the next four years with Joe Biden in the White House .
That ’ s a prospect that augurs something really unappetizing .
Namely , that 2021 could very well be a worse year than 2020 has been .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ we are is that most Americans have allowed social media to have some power over our lives .
That should be a good thing .
Social media should democratize information , allow us to more easily stay connected with friends and family and stay plugged into the world while keeping our own schedules .
We may be getting some of those things out of Facebook , Twitter , and some of the other Big Tech oligarchs .
But what we ’ re also getting is , frankly , terrible .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Twitter have behaved in ways that aren ’ t just inappropriate but dangerous .
Their suppression of news and science on COVID-19 , for example , has stifled public discussion .
And not in productive ways .
And the suppression of valid information affecting the election has been nothing short of atrocious .
The market , which has been attempting to break free of the grasp of Facebook and Twitter for some time , is finally moving .
Parler has spent several weeks as one of the hottest apps in the app @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move forward as well .
Alternative social media channels and platforms are likely to pop up in droves over the next several months to satisfy the demand for something new .
Because it ’ s certainly time , for conservatives at least , to move on from these fascistic , creepy incumbents .
But there ’ s a reason why those newer platforms haven ’ t taken off to date , and it ’ s a bit scary .
For one thing , the Big Tech giants have made a practice of buying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as real competitors .
That ’ s an anticompetitive practice that probably should have been looked at in the antitrust arena by now .
But for another , those who wouldn ’ t sell out to Big Tech have found themselves targeted for destruction .
Just look at Gab , which billed itself as a free speech platform , an alternative to the censorship of Facebook and Twitter .
That billing meant many of the users setting up shop on that platform embraced “ unpopular ” views , which shortly got Gab branded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neo-Nazis , and other undesirables .
Before long , there were problems with servers , with banking , with listing in app stores .
If you ’ re running a social media platform , your app ’ s source code could well be a fatal problem .
Last week Jason Lehr , the founder of a nascent streaming platform called Creado Media — it ’ s the one actor Nick Searcy is helping to get off the ground — wrote an extremely interesting newsletter on what it takes to get one of these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s what Lehr said : Since we began this process a few years ago and throughout our research period we have seen many companies rushing to market in our space .
Each of these companies have the best of intentions trying to create a solution in this era of censorship and cancel culture .
The biggest for these startups is that unless they understand the depths of big tech and have the right team in place to build an infrastructure they will all be reliant on competitor technology and always at risk for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure control the market when it comes to hosting .
Unfortunately , all run their cloud technology through Chinese data centers… .
The hot new commodity launched in December 2018 was the social site Parler .
Parler was founded with investment from the Mercer family ( large conservative donors ) and the Matze ’ s brothers .
A great idea in theory as a competitor to Twitter and Facebook , which quickly had success before tech glitches and a bad user interface made it completely difficult to navigate .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Parler in September and has become a face for the ownership group now .
They are now experiencing a second growth period as conservatives are flocking to it .
For the time being it ’ s an alternative , but they have to fix the user interface and functionality and ultimately address their growth potential .
The other company receiving publicity as a replacement for YouTube is Rumble , which Bongino invested in as well .
While you never build anything based on politics or for one focused group of people , true @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the core for all of your customers .
The bigger problem for both of these companies is that they have built both of their platforms on Amazon AWS infrastructure , which is owned by far-left billionaire Jeff Bezos .
In such a polarized landscape where cancel culture and free speech are at a boiling point , both of these companies are reliant on competitor technology and at any moment can have their sites shut down .
Or , best case they would have their resources throttled back making their sites impossible to use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free from censorship ” and certainly are not protecting your data .
To remove themselves from AWS would require these companies to completely rebuild most of , if not all of their infrastructure .
It is very important to understand the depths of big tech , the monopoly they have created and why they have been able to control every aspect of content and its delivery .
One of the things Lehr ’ s company is working on , beyond the creation of a pro-American streaming service that could someday rival Netflix ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to build a backbone of infrastructure and source code independent of Amazon , Google , and Microsoft .
If Creado is successful and that backbone is available to be contracted out to other apps and services , one could perhaps envision a true First Amendment–friendly internet , something we certainly do not currently have .
When that day comes , a Gab or a Parler will be a true competitor to Facebook .
At that point they ’ ll no longer have a sword of Damocles hanging over their heads .
But there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or actually a pair of problems , which the next generation of apps ought to address .
First , as covered in the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma , mentioned in this space some weeks back , you the user are not the customer of these apps , and that ’ s problematic .
In fact , you ’ re the product .
You ’ re a hen in a hatchery , a cow in a dairy .
They want you to reveal your psychographic and demographic profile so they can monetize it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ value to them but to be manipulated into clicking on the hypertargeted ads they show you .
When that ’ s the business model , these people are not your friends .
And you shouldn ’ t be doing business with them .
But there ’ s a bigger problem with the current social media space , which nobody is likely considering .
Namely , that it ’ s killing the very democratization of information it promised to promote .
Consider the plight of a content creator — an author , a web @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — who isn ’ t tied to the corporate media that does more to pay obeisance to China and stifle innovation and creativity than anything else .
Your humble correspondent fits into a couple of those categories , so I know this of which I speak .
As a content creator you ’ re supposed to build a robust presence on social media .
Get yourself a nice blue checkmark .
Say interesting things that generate engagement .
This will make you an important person and generate a large following for you that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to your website .
That ’ s supposed to make you rich , or at least that ’ s the elevator speech Big Tech offers to induce content creators to post things that attract and engage users on these platforms and therefore market them for free .
But thanks to Big Tech , and specifically Google , Facebook , and Amazon , who control the digital advertising market , revenues from digital advertising networks to publishers of websites are at all-time lows .
So all that traffic you ’ re working so hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you next to nothing revenue-wise .
If you ’ re a YouTuber , things aren ’ t much better ; those Google ads running inside of the YouTube videos on your computer mostly generate beer money and not all that much more for the independent channels producing them .
There ’ s a reason why the production values for so many independent YouTubers are so basic : there ’ s no money coming in for anything else .
Worse , the following you ’ ve built on , say , Facebook no longer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in its algorithm Facebook actually refuses to show material from your Facebook page to your followers , some of whom you might have spent money with Facebook to attract , without your paying even more to “ boost ” Facebook posts you make .
They beat you coming and going .
There is a not-small number of independent publishers , not just in the news and politics space but elsewhere as well , who have recognized this reality gives them no future .
They ’ ve quit .
That has the perverse effect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the independent media that was stealing its market share is fading away just as quickly .
Some of them are trying out things like Substack and Patreon , which run off subscriptions at , essentially , boutique rates .
The problem there is as a consumer , do you really want to maintain a dozen or more subscriptions to Patreons and Substacks and others every month ?
The new “ free speech ” platforms don ’ t really reverse this problem .
Parler is certainly a haven for independent publishers , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offer in terms of fixing the monetization problem .
And it has to be fixed , or we ’ re going to lose a lot of independent content creators — who are the people we need if we ’ re going to break the corporate media ’ s hold on the culture .
So here ’ s an idea that I ’ m going to be working to develop in the next few months : what if there was a platform that had as its main impetus serving as a connector not just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but between them and those content creators ?
What if it wasn ’ t driven by advertising and didn ’ t steal away the personal information of ordinary folks ?
What if it was driven by revenue from ridiculously cheap subscriptions and the content creators shared in that revenue with the platform , such that the content creators were incentivized to grow their presence on the platform ?
What if independent publishers , podcasters , YouTubers , authors , and others found a friendly marketplace that wanted them to succeed ?
And what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out a few bucks a month for social media not built on manipulating their consumer patterns as adults ?
It seems like an impossible dream at this point , of course .
But it isn ’ t all that far away .
Scott McKay is publisher of the Hayride , which offers news and commentary on Louisiana and national politics .
He ’ s also a novelist — check out his first book “ Animus : A Tale of Ardenia , ” available in Kindle and paperback .