My wife and I were talking the other night, when something occurred to me.

My wife is a social worker (and no that wasn’t what occurred to me.) When she states how much she earns, she states it in terms of “per hour.” I work in a business setting. When I state how much I earn, I state it in terms of “per year.” Why do we not use the same terms? We are discussing the same thing. It reminded me of trying to compare kilometers and miles – you need to do some math to compare the two measurements.

I have a factory friend that earns $13.50 an hour, which is pretty good money in Clarksville for a guy with only a high school diploma. Why doesn’t he say he earns $26,000 a year? If you were the factory worker, how would you answer the question? Which sounds better, $13.50 an hour or $26,000 a year? Let’s put these numbers in perspective and re-ask the question. Which sounds better, $13.50 an hour, almost double the minimum wage, or $26,000 just above the poverty level. I would propose that the working class factory worker would say that the $13.50 sounds more successful.   I do not know many people that get paid by the hour, that discuss earnings by the year.

I have a college buddy who earns $75,000 a year at a local business. Why didn’t he say $36.00 an hour? Which sounds better $36.00 an hour or $75,000 a year? I would propose that the professional class business person would suggest that the $75,000 a year sounds better. If they thought the $36 an hour sound better, I would assume that would be how they expressed their income level.  Again, I do not know many salaried employees, that discuss their earnings in relation to per hour.

Why does society use different personal earnings measurements between classes? The common answer is that the factory worker is punching a clock, doing his assigned task for his assigned time. While the business person is paid to do a job, no matter if it requires 40 hours a week of 55 hours a week. This would seem a valid point.

But wouldn’t the salaried worker working 55 hours a week, need to know if he could make the same amount of money, by working less hours for for a higher hourly wage? Wouldn’t the factory worker want to be able to compare their pay to those in factory management?

Look at even higher classes like big corporate executives.  They are not salaried nor do they get paid per hour.  The lion’s share of their earning comes from bonuses and stock options, tied to the companies performance – not task and time worked.

Why have we, as a society, agreed to use different measurements terms when relating to each other?

The result is different classes become inhibited, if only verbally, from perceiving the lines of class. The comparison of earnings becomes non-intuitive. Who earns more someone making $22.75 a hour 52 weeks a year or someone making $44,875 a year or someone with a stock option to buy 1000 shares of company stock for $10 before September 30th? I bet you need a calculator.

I am not saying that classism would go away if we all used the same measurement of earnings. That is absurd. The point I am trying to make, is that this way of talking promotes classism.  The framework of our speech masks the boundaries of classes, and to some extent the effects of classism.

On the Monday of this last July 4th weekend, I was driving back from visiting my brothers family. I passed the time listening to the satellite radio, particularly both Left and Right political talk channels.

The talk shows on the liberal channels were very similar to the talk shows on the conservative channels. They were talking about the same topics, they had the same sponsors, the same sound bytes, the same timed commercial breaks, the same news at the top and bottom of the hour…for the entire seven hours. I couldn’t take it that long, but I did listen long enough to make some observations.

The liberal channel was making the following complainants:

• Obama isn’t doing anything on gun control
• Obama isn’t advancing gay rights enough
• Obama is putting more troops in Afghanistan
• Democrats in Congress aren’t adequately addressing health care
• Sotomayor is too moderate

The conservative channel was making the following complaints:

• Obama is going to take away your guns
• Obama expanded gay rights for federal employees
• Obama is pulling troops out of Iraq
• Democrats in Congress are pushing health care reform
• Sotomayor is a liberal activist judge

If you knew absolutely nothing about American politics, and listened to these shows, the listener would have to conclude that that Obama, Democrats in Congress, and Sotomayor are hopeless moderates that can satisfy no one; not by their actions and not by their inactions.

Pundits that deliver the news via a “commentary” format usually hold extreme views (the most successful pundits anyway). Yet, polls show that 80% of Americans agree 80% of the time (actually heard that on a left wing radio program). I have coined this political tactic ‘rubberbanding,’ a term used in racing games. They preach their extreme views to those leaning to right/left, in a effort to pull the listener away from the center.

At anytime of the day, I guarantee you can turn on the radio, scan a bit, and find a political pundit talking for hours on end; 4 hours a day, 20 hours week, with listeners numbering in the millions….and there are dozens of radio pundits. Joseph Goebbels did this. So did Big Brother in George Orwell’s 1984. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury repeats the same idea using television and drugs as the medium for of social political control.

Think “incrementalism”….on meth. As Rage Against the Machine says “weapon of sound above ground.”

I believe they do us a great disservice by keeping us divided. They talk about where we differ. And where we agree, they spin the issues and try to make us more divided.

Turn it off.

Ben Wilson is a local musician via Elkton KY, now a Floridan, but always a local in my mind.  If you have read about Ben or heard someone describe his music, I am pretty sure the word “quirky” has been used.  That signature Ben Wilson “quirky-ness” is found on this cd, but there is a maturity to these songs that stands front and center.  Please do not take my use of maturity the wrong way; I am not implying his previous cd’s are childish, but on “Strange Dogs” he has turned a page in his songwriting and it shows.

My favorite song is track 10, “Elkton Trailor Park Blues.”  This Grateful Dead style blues jam is excellent. Another good track is “Anchors Aweigh,” which reminds me of the band, New Riders of the Purple Sage.  Ben’s influences of Dylan, Cash, and The Jayhawks shine through on many songs. The title track “Strange Dogs” was inspired by the many dogs and cats that he and his lovely wife Barbara, have fostered over the years.

The album just sounds good.  Ben is accompanied by other talented locals on the CD.  Adam Lacy (formerly of the ‘Non-Professionals’), on drums, is tighter than a European speedo.  I have a fetish for great backing vocals, and I am not sure if I just didn’t notice backing vocals on Ben’s other cd’s, but Charlsie Deloach (of ‘Brand New  Love Affair’ fame) and local troubadour Chris Robertson bring a fullness to the recording.  Syd Hedrick (too many bands affiliation to mention) is doing his best Warren Haynes on on “Elkton Trailor Park Blues.”  Adding more depth to the tracks is David Britton (’Brand New Love Affair’ and ‘Desperate Little Children’) on guitar and some great pedal steel guitar. The CD’s photos  are  published and were contributed by Barbara German-Wilson.

Did I mention that this was recorded in 22 hours at local studio, Toady Bear Studios?   While touring in April, Ben laid down all the music tracks in 14 hours.  He flew back up in June, on his day off work, and completed the vocals in 8 hours.  This whirlwind recording stunt, quality of the song writing and production are other reasons I think this is a milestone record for Ben.  He has always been known for his great live shows, but this cd shows that Ben is fine tuning his talents.

Speaking of live shows, Ben is touring in support of “Strange Dogs” and will be making a stop in the area for a few shows…..and they are, as always, free!  Friday, November  20th from 7-11pm, Ben will play at Dot’s (the upstairs lounge) in Hopkinsville, with The Geezers backing him on a few songs.  Saturday night, Nov. 21st, is the “Strange Dogs” release party at the Ice House in Clarksville at 7:30 til ?.  Ben will be backed at the Icehouse by all the artists that played on the album – it should be a great show.  Sunday, Ben is the guest speaker at the Clarksville Unitarian Universalist Church doing seasonally timely songs of “thanks” and “appreciation.” Did I mention all Ben’s shows are free?

The new cd “Strange Dogs” will be on sale at each event, 1 for $12 or 2 for $20.  Ben even has posters available.  Even though Ben’s address is sunny Florida, he will always be a local to me.  Buy up his stuff, drink some St. Pauli’s, sit back, sing along, and have a great time!

• http://benwilsonmusic.com/index.html
• http://www.icehousecafe.net/
• http://sites.google.com/site/uuclarksville2/

I did have concerns that the book could be dreadfully boring. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how Vanderbilt kept my interest; I couldn’t put the book down. He does a stunning job of reducing decades of research into a 286 page book.

The book is not just on traffic congestion. It discusses at length issues of engineering, driver psychology, and traffic issues world wide. Instead of summarizing what the book is about, it may be better to list some of the questions/topics addressed by Vanderbilt:

• Does everyone going slower gets us all there faster?
• Would roads be safer without street signs?
• Why are Pintos are less likely to honk at BMW’s? Why are convertibles are less likely to honk at Pintos?
• Why do studies show that bicyclists are safer when they do not wear helmets and avoid bicycle lanes?
• Why we would be safer if roads were be engineered to make us feel unsafe?

One fascinating topic that Vanderbilt tackles is traffic in India. See the following youtube video

Click here to view the embedded video.

How can this be organized? Is this safer than our streets? You will have to read the book.

The New York Times Book Review said this book should be required reading for all drivers. I totally agree. It was very interesting and educational. This book is NOT available at the Clarksville/Montgomery County Public Library. I purchased from a local bookstore for $16.00. I have seen copies as low as $11.00 at Amazon.com.

Now, if I could only somehow get a discount on my car insurance for being a better informed driver… or just get every other Clarksville to Nashville commuter to go out and read this book.

Resources

• http://www.howwedrive.com/
• http://www.amazon.com/Traffic-Drive-What-Says-About/dp/0307264785

“The federal government is too big. Our founding fathers would be appalled at the size and scope of our current federal government. Even Alexander Hamilton (a Federalist), who preferred a strong central government would be appalled that the federal government is considering banning texting while driving – that should be a state rights issue, like speed limits.”

In an attempt to justify their viewpoints both conservative and progressive talk show hosts commonly claim a ideological lineage back to the founding fathers. The hope is to connect their line of thinking to the line of thinking that birthed this great country. I have always been particularly interested in the attempt to link the current conservative philosophy with that of the Federalist. And the most famous federalist is Alexander Hamilton.

Hamilton preferred an Aristocracy not a Democracy. As with most participants of the Constitutional Convention, he felt the Constitution was not the best document but the best compromise among so many competing interests. Most participants left the convention feeling that they had not gotten their preferences and voices heard. Hamilton more so, because of issues with his state’s delegatory make up. Hamilton expressed that he was content with a democracy, in that its weaknesses would eventually give way to his idea of an aristocracy.

A tax collector is tarred and feathered by anti-tax frontiersmen during the Whiskey Rebellion.

Our first Secretary of Treasury was Hamilton. During the Revolutionary War, the federal government could only request states contribute to the federal war chest. Often states would contribute only pennies on a requested dollar. The states did have a somewhat valid excuse because they were funding individual state militias. Hamilton pushed vigorously for federal taxation of states. When his plan to tax alcohol was passed, the citizens rebelled. Hamilton reacted by not merely sending armed troops to arrest the dissenters, but joined them for the mission in what is known as the Whiskey Rebellion.

The idea for a National Bank to be run by the federal government came from Hamilton and met stiff resistance. When others argued that the Constitution did not allow Congress that authority, he argued that it could be done because the Constitution did not prohibit such an action.

Hamilton was anti-regulation, but not in how current conservatives are anti-regulation. Hamilton argued that if the federal government was empowered to regulate activity, it would be far better for the government to just take over the activity and do it itself. He argued regulating watchdogs would be horribly inefficient. Their only power would to be a deterrent to negative activity through threats of punitive fines. Why try to stop bad activity and wait to punish, when the government could just do it right the first time. As part of the government the regulated process would be open, transparent, and accountable directly to Congress.

Hamilton was an immigrant. Most politicians of the time spawned their careers in the states. Hamilton had no such ties/constraints, either financial or political. Being foreign born, his patriotism and motives were often criticized.

So now that we know some facts, read the hosts comments again. The host relies on us not knowing these facts to justify his rational. He stated that “even” a “strong government” advocate would be appalled at our current situation. That is of course impossible to know for sure, but Hamilton was a big government radical back then, what reason do we have for assuming that now his views would be different.

The host then makes a classic radio talk show move, and dumbs down the entire “big government” problem to speed limits and texting while driving. Why doesn’t he mention regulation, national banking system, or federal taxes? Because we already know what Hamilton’s views were on those issues. The host picks minor issues that were non-existent during Hamilton’s time so that he can’t be proven wrong.

The liberal radio hosts do the same thing, only in reverse. They champion Hamilton as a forward thinking progressive that would argue for national banking, for increased government take over of crucial industries, and for more taxes. It is the the other side of the same coin….the exact same coin.

There is no way to tell what Hamilton would say about our current government. Speculating about it, by actively ignoring the facts, is manipulation and disinformation.

“30,000 Britons die annually from staph infections contracted in a hospital. The per capita equivalent in the US would translate into 150,000 Americans dying of staph infections annually. The actual number of Americans dying of staph infection is much lower than that, therefore, our for-profit healthcare system in the US is much better than the taxpayer funded health care system in the UK.”

My Analysis

Using round numbers, UK has a population of around 60 million, so a death rate of from staph infection is 1 in 2,000. In the United States, 80,000 Americans die of staph infections each year. With the U.S. population of around 305 million, the death rate from infection is about 1 in 3,800. Though the host’s math is not accurate, it is true that per capita more Britons die of staph infections than in Americans. But does the death rate from one infection spread a good measure of an entire health care system?

My first thought was that the use of hospitals per capita under a government provided health insurance system would be greater than the use of hospitals in a for-profit system. The logic being than a Briton can go to the hospital without having to worry about personally paying for the visit (Yes, they pay for it via a tax, but money isn’t a factor when deciding to go to the hospital). Therefore, Britons probably go to the hospital more often and by the nature of being in the hospital more often, catch staph infections, and die more often from staph infections. Americans number of death by staph infections would be suppressed by Americans not being the hospital as often as Britons. After searching the internet for statistics to support my theory, I came up empty handed. Although, I think my logic is sound, I would concede the effect of this difference is most likely nominal.

I recently read a book, “Junk Science: by D.P. Agin. It is at the Clarksville Montgomery Library on the second floor (500 Agi). Some information I learned in that book lead me to ask another question: Why is the host using the example of staph infections? Why not infant mortality rates, life expectancy data, or any other measure? It seemed to be a very specific, somewhat obscure measure to use. The World Health Organization uses dozens of specific data measures to determine the healthiness of a country. I wont rehash these here as I assume that these are well known, but I will include a link to their website. In general, we are not at the top of their list in regards to health measures.

7,000 Americans die from medication errors in hospitals annually. 106,000 Americans die from adverse side effects of prescriptions. And don’t forget the staph infection death rate of 80,000 annually. The medical profession classifies these events as “iatrogenic” deaths. Iatrogenesis is defined as “induced by physicians words or therapy.” It should also be noted that I believe these occurrences are self reported by physicians. More people die by “Iatrogenesis” in the United States than by:

• Stroke (4th leading cause of death at 137,000 annually)
• Diabetes (5th at 72,000)
• Alzheimer’s Disease (6th at 72,000)
• Flu and Pneumonia (7th at 56,000)

Iatrogenesis is the third leading cause of death in the United States. I’ll let that sink in, Death by a physicians words or therapy is the THIRD LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN AMERICA. Our heath care system is killing us off faster than diabetes, strokes, mental diseases, and Influenza.

Beyond at least casting doubt on the host’s reasoning, selection of a limited measure, and sheer ignorance of other more pertinent issues, this research has lead me to ask myself a question.

Everyone is aware of medical issues like strokes, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and all the various forms of flu. The media is bombarding us with commercials for diabetes supplies, signs of strokes, entire televisions shows devoted to how to cope with the Alzheimer’s patients, the next scare tactic for the upcoming (but never arriving) flu pandemic… but where is the coverage on the bigger killer, the healthcare system itself. Before you read this, did you ever hear the word Iatrogenesis? If not why do you think that is?

Sources

• http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?ID=6
• http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html
• http://www.cancure.org/medical_errors.htm
• http://cmc-websvr.clarksville.org/aquabrowser/?q=junk+science&x=0&y=0
• http://www.who.int/research/en/

The book is reminiscent of Quirkology by Richard Wiseman. Like Quirkology, it is full of odd and interesting science experiments, such as – Why is an experiment with 4 year old child and a single marshmallow, the most accurate indicator of what that child’s IQ will be when they are 18? Except where Quirkology is mostly a collection of various odd scientific studies , Lehrer pinpoints studies done on how the brain makes decisions.

I like reading atheist literature, like Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris. The basis of their arguments are set in the concrete foundation of logic and reason. Indeed, the USA and its Constitution, and legal system were borne from the Age of Enlightenment. Common thought is that if we only apply logic and reason to all known facts involved in a particular decision, we will always make the best choice.  Just the Facts as Joe Friday would say. But what about hunches and gut feelings. Where does that hunch or feeling come from?

It bubbles up from your unconscious brain; your emotions. When make a decision, the emotion section of our brain fires milliseconds before the logically section fires. The logical section of the brain acts like a lawyer, quickly gathering facts and data which justify the decision made by the emotional section. The logical section actively ignores data and facts that contradict the emotional section. Interesting, isn’t it.

One of the more interesting experiments described by Lehrer goes like this. Participants were given a sum of money. Four decks of cards were placed in front of them. Each card had a positive reward (+$100) or a negative reward (-$100). The participants were told to flip cards over from any of the four decks, and try to end up with more money than when they started. What the participants did not know, was that two of the decks contained more favorable cards and less unfavorable cards (such as +$500 and -$50). The other two decks contained more unfavorable cards and less favorable cards (such as +$50 and -$500.)

On average, the participants realized the decks were “stacked” after flipping 80 cards. Analyzing each participants choices, scientists discovered a an interesting pattern.  Participants started selecting more cards from the favorable piles, than the unfavorable cards after 50 cards were flipped. This indicates that the participants unconsciously recognized the decks were stacked much earlier than they consciously realized. The participants were also hooked up to sensors that detected pulse rate changes and minute sweating. Pulse rate changes and sweating are attributed to emotions/gut feelings/hunches, (think lie detector test.) The pulse rates and sweat glands started working after the participant had flipped only 10 cards. So the participants gut noticed the decks were stacked at 10 cards; the sub-conscience recognized it at 50 cards; and the participant consciously realized the difference at 80 cards. In theory, the experiment shows that a participant’s gut noticed something was awry 8x times faster than the logical part of the participant’s brain.

Lehrer goes on to show that when we over think, we make mistakes; when we do not think at all, we make mistakes; and most importantly  – when we are the most certain, we are also most likely to be wrong. The Chapter on Moral Decisions was eye-opening.

But all is not lost. Lehrer takes the information gathered by science, and shines the light  on how to improve our decision making process. Such as spend time thinking about how you think. If you think something is right, spend time trying to think how you could be wrong. If you are a conservative, read some liberal literature. If you are liberal, listen to right-wing talk radio. Creating a dialogue in your mind will make you wiser. He suggested we actively eavesdrop on our internal dialogue.

So far, this is the best book I have read this year. Friends of mine also highly suggest “Predictable Irrational” by Dan Ariely, which is along the same lines, but aims at the fundamental flaw in economic theory, that individuals always act rationally.

“How We Decide”  by Jonah Lehrer is available at the Clarksville-Montgomery County Public Library on the second floor (153.83 Leh.)

“The minimum wage is going up 10%. Therefore, in order for businesses to maintain the same level of profits, we should expect 10% of minimum wage earners to be laid off. This increase in the minimum wage, effectively, increases unemployment, increases the number of people looking for government entitlements, which is exactly the opposite of what this economy currently needs.”

The host cut to a commercial break, and I turned the radio off to think about that statement. It just didn’t sound right to me. It sounded too black and white. Economics is rarely that simple. So I thought about it.

Let’s look at the facts. Out of the roughly 300 million Americans, 200 million are working; the bulk of the nonworking Americans are retired or children. 5 million working Americans work minimum wage jobs. So 2.5% of all workers earn the minimum wage. Two-thirds of those minimum wage employees are women. Over the past few months during this “Great Recession,” 500,000 working Americans get laid off every week. The minimum wage increased from $6.55 an hour to $7.25 on July 24, 2009; an increase of 70 cents or 10.6 percent. The majority of minimum wage workers work in the fast food industry. The National Restaurant Association states that 29 cents of every fast food dollar earned goes to wages and benefits.

	States with minimum wage rates higher than the Federal		States with no minimum wage law
	States with minimum wage rates the same as the Federal		States with minimum wage rates lower than the Federal
	American Samoa has special minimum wage rates

Look at that last line, that 29 cents of every dollar earned in the fast food industry goes to salary and benefits. I question whether minimum wage earners are really costing the industry very much in the benefits category, but I will use the 29 cents,. If the minimum wage increases by 10%, that 29 cents number would also increase by 10%, or to 32 cents (again I rounded up to be conservative.) This minimum wage increase of 10% would cost the fast food industry an additional 3 cents for every dollar of revenue or 3%. In his book Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser calculates that a dollar increase in the hourly rate of fast food workers would increase the cost of a hamburger by a nickel.

The radio talk show host makes a big assumption in his statement – to compensate for the increase in the minimum wage businesses will reduce expenses (lay people off) instead of raise prices. Raising the cost of a Big Mac 3% would probably not be noticed by the customers. But a 10% reduction in labor force would be noticed by the customers, since would it presumably take longer to order and get your “fast” food. So the assumption that the increase in minimum wage would cause massive lay-offs seems unlikely.

Another fundamental flaw in the radio host statement is that he ignores that an increase in the minimum wage, puts more money in the pocket of the worker. Guess what people do with money? Spend it at businesses. At 40 hours a week at the old minimum wage, a worker gets $262.00 or $13,624.00 a year. Someone is living off the minimum wage, is probably working more than 40 hours a week, but again, I am just use the 40 hours work week for math purposes. (Interesting side note, another large employer of minimum wage workers, Wal-Mart, consider 32 hours a week full-time.) Under the increase minimum wage, they earn $290.00 a week or $15,080 annually. So the worker gets an additional $38.00 a week or $1,976.00 each year. Lets apply that increase to the roughly 5 million minimum wage workers, and assume they spend it. (With income of $15,000 a year, it seems illogically that they could actually afford to save the money.) But if 5 million workers had an extra 38.00 a week that was spent that is pumping $190 million into the economy every week or nearly $10 billion a year…and unless the wage is ever decreased, this goes on forever. In an economy that is in desperate need of people spending money, an increase in the minimum wage immediately and consistently will pump billions of dollars into businesses.

So with a little time, a little math, and little thinking, it seems t the radio host thinking is incorrect. It ignores the revenue side of the equation (laying off people vs. a minimum price increase) ind s purposefully manipulative. Using the facts laid out above, it seems that a much better supported argument could be made that the minimum wage increase is good for the economy.

The radio show host was “up against a hard break” and maybe after the top of the hour, he realized the errors of what he said, but its doubtful. Maybe his listeners, did like I did, and thought about it for a while and did a little math, again I doubt it. Or maybe I am what he calls a “Van Gogh” listener and do not find misinformation said tongue in cheek entertaining.

Sources: http://money.cnn.com/2009/07/06/news/economy/minimum_wage/index.htm

http://www.qsrmagazine.com/articles/features/116/minimum_wage-1.phtml

Let me give you some back story.  When I read a book, I use a blank sheet of paper as the bookmark.  As I read, I jot down ideas for what I might want to read next.  So by the end of a book, I have a bookmark with scribbles like, the Whiskey Rebellion, Michael Parenti, or The Flying Burrito Brothers (I also jot down artists/songs for further consideration from pandora.com, but that is another review entirely.)  I take those scribbles and head to the Clarksville-Montgomery County Public Library’s website and search to see what hits look interesting.  So far, this process has been very rewarding, yet somewhat time consuming.

But that was pre-goodbooks.com.  Goodbooks has an extensive database of books, which you can put on your online bookshelves (I’ll come back to the bookshelf feature.)   A user can search the database, locate books which you have read, rate the book, and if you choose review the book.

Now comes the social networking feature.  I can see what “my friends” have on there bookshelf, how they rated the book, and read there review or comment on the book.  If I see a book from there bookshelf, I can select the book to put on my “To Read” bookshelf.

So back to the online bookshelves.  A user can create different bookshelves.  My current book shelves are “Read”, “To Read”, and “Currently Reading”.  But I can see as my library grows, more classification would be useful to both me and my nosy friends.

This weekend I needed to find a book to read.  I opened goodbooks and the library’s website at the same time, and conveniently toggled back and forth. The website is also linked to online bookstores, so you could easily transition to a website to make a purchase of the selected book.

The website let’s you silently gloat about what you read and how much.  My online library grew quickly.  Perusing other friends bookshelves, I noticed they had read books I had also read but forgot about – so I added those to my bookshelf.  My online library grew to over 60 books really quickly.  It is also a bit voyeuristic to see what others read, what they like, and what they don’t like.

The website also has an extensive library of videos of interviews of authors, a nice database of quotes, events calendar of book signings and discussion groups, as well as a place for you to post your ebook for the world to see.

I highly recommend this site.  If you join, please look me up….

George Orwell

I recently read the following George Orwell quote:

In a world where the prime necessities were money, titled relatives, athleticism, tailor-made clothes, neatly brushed hair, a charming smile, I was no good.

My initial impression was just WOW; what a great sentence.  My eyes lingered over the last four words, “…I am no good.”   The ending conveyed sense of worthlessness and low self esteem.  But its Orwell, “1984″ and “Animal Farm” aren’t exactly “feel good” reads.  But he “was no good” compared to what?

So I read it again; paying more attention to the list of social standards to which he was comparing himself.  This time, the quote struck me as strangely uplifting and slightly rebellious.  No, extremely rebellious.  Against the standards of great hair, fashionable clothes, bleached teeth, being “no good” takes on a different meaning doesn’t it. He is cheering you on to be yourself, undaunted by the materialistic world and the shallow impressions of others.  I had to share the quote with someone.

So I called my wife, who is always up for a good quote.  I got the first four words out of my mouth, and she bust into laughter.

In a world…

Just a little back story, I have a pretty deep voice and struggle with smoking.  So when I said “In a world..”, my wife thought I was aping the “movie trailer guy.”  You know the voice.  Read the quote again, and think of it being set to a big James Bond Hollywood action trailer.  Orwell goes from someone with low self esteem to James Bond, kicking the door down and defiantly saying “I was no good.”

George Orwell's Big Brother

I was struck by how this double meaning is rampant in Orwell’s works.  I read “1984″ during the Bush Administration and “Animal Farm” during the Clinton years.  Even though with those two periods of our history were staged in dramatically different environments (.com boom vs. real estate bust, war vs. peace etc.)  Both books were easily connected with the world around me.  Orwell is timeless.   He describes the horror that mankind is capable of and its equal capacity for being complacent in the face of such horror.

I ran across this quote, reading 120 page cliff note type booklet on Orwell’s “1984″.  The booklet was published in 1965.  I thought it would interesting to see how people in the 1960’s related to Orwell.   Quite interesting, indeed.

So what was the context of George Orwell’s quote?  He was describing his experiences at a British prep school.  Orwell was a poor kid that was making his way through the rigid educational system on scholarships and getting by on his smarts and the  goodwill of others.  He felt he was treated vastly different than the well to do, social elite that attended the same school.  This theme seems an ever present inspiration for Orwell.

In many ways his real life mirrored “Animal Farm” and “1984.”   At times his experiences left  him feeling  burdened with low esteem.  At other times, he could appreciate his indiviuality and see the shallowness of socital standards. In this quote, he shows he can elegantly be both at the same time.

In a Republican led move that appears to place more importance on candidate’s party affiliation than actually qualifications, your new Constitutional Officers are as follows:

• Secretary of State – Tre Hargett (formerly Riley Darnell)
• Treasurer – David Lilliard (formerly Dale Sims)
• Comptroller – Justin Wilson (formerly John Morgan)

The press was more interested in the Comptroller and Treasurer candidates, and seemed to give Mr. Hargett a pass.  Phil Williams, of News Channel Five ran several special investigative reports on Justin Wilson, David Lilliard, and Ira Brody.  Here is a little summary of what Mr. Williams found out about these nominees.

David Lilliard: Republican, Tax attorney, and Shelby County Commissioner touted his 1 year on the Shelby County Retirement System Board of Trustees as enough experience to qualify him to head up the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System (TCRS).  In the job interviews, application, and resume, Mr. Lilliard repeatedly states his one year experience was his main qualification.

Reporter Phil Williams notes that during the turbulent economy of 2008, Shelby County Retirement System lost 36% of its value, whereas the TCRS under Treasurer Dale Sims lost just 22%.  Williams also points out that TCRS is 37 times as large as Shelby County retirement system ($27 billion vs. $800 million).  Williams asks Lilliard why he thinks he can produce better results that Treasurer Sims.  Lilliard’s answer is surprising:

“My own personal philosophy is somewhat different than the people who control other pension funds, for example the Shelby County Pension fund, I only served a year on the board down there and one of the reasons was because I think it should be conservatively invested.”

So which is it?  Is his year experience enough or was it “only a year”?

Just to contrast, Treasurer Dale Sims (Democrat) started his career is state government in 1980 as a auditor with the Comptroller’s Office.  In 1982, he transferred to the Department of Treasury as a staff assistant.  In March of 2004, Mr. Sims, after working his way through the ranks of the Department for over 22 years, was elected State Treasurer.

View the special report:

http://www.newschannel5.com/global/story.asp?s=9661172

Justin Wilson: a Republican and Environmental Lawyer, was the sole Republican applicant for the Comptroller or as Mr. Wilson says “the job of money cop.”  Mr. Wilson served as a Deputy Governor under Governor Sundquist.  You may recall that the Sundquist Administration was marred by a major scandal that involved state contracts.  Along with the FBI, TBI and IRS, the scandal was investigated by the Comptroller’s Office, the Office Mr. Wilson now holds.  Sundquist appointee Joana Ediger was sent to prison for rigging a $2 million dollar contract for a friend of then Governor Sundquist, John Stamps (who also pled guilty).

Ron Ramsey told Williams that Justin Wilson would make an excellent Comptroller.  It should be noted that during Mr. Wilson’s interview for the position, no Republican legislator brought up the scandal.  As Comptroller, Mr. Wilson is the final approver on all state contracts.  When Williams asked why no one asked about Wilson’s possible involvement in the contract scandal, Ramsey stated did not know anything about the contract scandal under the Sundquist Administration.  The scandal occurred in 2003; Mr. Ramsey has been serving in the Legislature since 1996.

Wilson refuses to discuss what he knew about the contract scandal citing Attorney Client privileges.  Ben Cunningham, a “Tax Watchdog “ explains it this way, “”If somebody is running for a very important oversight position like this is and they are unwilling to answer the question, it’s a huge red flag.” Ron Ramsey implied this was a non-issue and that he was not concerned.  So Ramsey is unconcerned of any possible involvement by Wilson in a scandal that Ramsey admittedly knows nothing about?

Reporter Phil Williams also found some possible violations of election finance laws, involving former Governor Sundquist and a Political Action Committee operated by Justin Wilson.  Phil Williams also alleges that Mr. Justin Wilson’s Master’s degree in taxation is from Kennedy Western University, which has been described by Congressional auditors as a bogus diploma mill.

Again, to contrast, Comptroller John Morgan has almost three decades of  experience in state government working in a variety of capacities from the Department of Finance and Administration (2 years),  Fiscal Review Committee (2 years), Department of Treasury (2 years), and the Comptroller’s office (20 years, 10 as Comptroller).

View the special report:
http://www.newschannel5.com/global/story.asp?s=9628560

Clarksville’s Elected Officials Vote

I contacted Clarksville’s elected state officials to get their insight and intentions on the vote.  Rep. Joe Pitts (D) and Senator Barnes (D) fully supported the re-election of all three constitutional officers citing their extensive on the job experience and proven track record over the past couple of decades.  Both voted for the re-election of Comptroller Morgan, Treasurer Sims, and Secretary Darnell.  I have included their response to my email below.

Curtis Johnson (R) failed to respond to my email, but he voted to replace all the sitting Constitutional Officers with the Republican nominees.

View the special reports on Ira Brody:

http://www.newschannel5.com/global/story.asp?s=9649600

http://www.newschannel5.com/global/story.asp?s=9643416

Email from Rep. Joe Pitts

Thank you Blayne for your message.  I plan to vote to retain Comptroller Morgan, Treasurer Sims and Secretary of State Darnell.  During this dire economic situation I believe changing to unproven individuals in the key areas of financial management of this state would be a serious mistake.  I too have witnessed first hand the very effective and even handed way all three people have performed and we are blessed to have them in their positions right now.

I look forward to reading your piece in ClarksvilleOnline.

Regards,

Joe

Other useful links:

http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/

http://politics.nashvillepost.com/

http://taxingtennessee.blogspot.com/2008/12/constitutional-officers-candidate.html

This year the Republican gained control of the Tennessee House and Senate; the first time in 140 years. Therefore, they have the numbers to replace the current Constitutional Officers (all appointed by Democrats). In Part 1 on this series, I discussed the Constitutional Officer of the Comptroller. Part 2 discussed the position of Treasurer.  This article will discuss the duties and candidates of Secretary of State.

Per the Secretary of State website, the Secretary of State is charged with  keeping a register of official acts and proceedings of the governor and, when required, the legislature.  Like  the other two Constitutional officers, the Secretary of State sits on numerous state boards and committees.  The most visible duty of the Secretary of State has to do with the fact that the State Election Commission, the Tennessee Ethics Commission and the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance are attached to the Department of State for administrative matters relating to receipts, disbursements, expense accounts, budgets, audits and other related items.  The Secretary of State appoints each county’s election officials.

The Candidates:

David Shirley, 66, is from Memphis, where he owns David Shirley Construction and is a co-owner of Connor/Shirley Realtor.  Per Mr. Shirley’s application he attended, but did not graduate, from University of Memphis.  No other higher education information was listed.  He served in the Tennessee Legislature as an elected Representative from 1980-1996.  He has also served on the Shelby County Republican Steering Committee, as well as being honored in 2008 by Volunteers of America as a “Community Partner of the Year.”

Mr. Shirley stressed that his years of experience in running two successful business, combined with 16 years of legislative experience, puts him in the unique position of being well qualified for the position of Secretary of State.  Per campaignmoney.com, Mr. Shirley made no political donations in the last election cycle.

Tre Hargett, 39, is the current Chairman of the Tennessee Regulatory Authority. He has served five terms in the Tennessee House of Representatives (District 97 from 1996-2004), twice elected as the leader of the House Republican Caucus.  Mr. Hargett also was the Vice President for the Southeast Region of the Rural Metro Corporation (publicly held), where he over saw a 500 employees that generated over $40 million in annual revenues.  Per the company website, “Rural/Metro Corporation is a leading provider of emergency and non-emergency medical transportation services, fire protection and other safety-related services to municipal, residential, commercial and industrial customers in approximately 400 communities throughout the United States.”

Mr. Hargett holds a B.B.A. and M.B.A. from University of Memphis.  Per campaignmoney.com, Mr. Hargett made no political donations in the last election cycle.

James Rollins, 49, is new to politics.  He owns Maaco  Collision Repair and Auto Painting in Clarksville, Tennessee, and has extensive background is security services.  Mr. Rollins has a B.S from University of Tennessee, M.S. from Tennessee State University, and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Redding University.  He teaches Psychology as an adjunct professor Austin Peay State University, and has also taught at Middle Tennessee State University.

Inspired by a radio show to apply for the position of Secretary of State, Mr. Rollins was one of the few candidates that did not indicate he would immediately replace all the election officials in all 95 counties.  Per campaignmoney.com, Mr. Rollins made no political donations in the last election cycle.

Jerry Scott, 67, from Murfreesboro, is a retired Brigadier General from the United State Air Force.  Mr. Scott is a partner in a business that installs and services security cameras.  He has served as a circuit court judge,  and as a judge on the court of criminal appeals and the Tennessee Court of Judiciary.  He has also served as the City Attorney for the city of Waynesboro.

Mr. Scott graduated from Austin Peay State University in 1962; obtained his JD from Vanderbilt in 1965; and obtained his LLM (Masters in Taxation) from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1986.  From 1970-1995, he taught Law as an adjunct professor at Columbia State Community College.

Per campaignmoney.com, Mr. Scott made no political donations in the last election cycle.

Jim Bryson, 47, is the Chairman of the Board for 20/20 Research Inc., one of the fastest growing companies in Middle Tennessee and rated as one of the top research firm in the world by the American Marketing Association (2008).  It started from two employees and now has over 100 in three states.

Mr. Bryson was elected to State Senate in 2002, named Republican Freshman of the Year in 2003, and ran as a Republican for Governor in 2006.

Mr. Bryson has  bachelor from Baylor University (Finance) and a M.B.A. from Vanderbilt (concentration in Marketing).

Per campaignmoney.com, it appears Mr. Jim Bryson made one political donation in the last election cycle ($1,000 Fred Thompson Political Action Committee , 12/21/07).

Larry Scroggs is an attorney from Shelby County.  He served in the Navy, and received numerous decorations.

Mr. Scroggs graduated from Harding University in 1963 with B.S. in journalism and social sciences.  He obtained his JD from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1971.  He was appointed as a Municipal Judge in Germantown from 1980-1986.  He represented District 94 in the State Senate from 1966-2002, including being elected Republican floor leader.  Mr. Scroggs is currently the Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Counsel for the Juvenile Court of Shelby County.

Per campaignmoney.com, it appears Mr. Scroggs  made one political donation in the last election cycle ($500 John McCain 2008 Inc. , 12/20/07).

Randy Stamps, 49, obtained his B.S. in Government Public Administration from David Lipscomb in 1981.  He went on to obtain his JD from Pepperdine University in 1984.  Mr. Stamps has over 20 years of political experience in Tennessee, having served 10 years in the House of Representatives, five years as political director and state director of the Republican party, as well as other assignments.  He also served as an interim appointment as Sumner County Circuit Court Judge in 1999, as well as on the Sumner County School Board from 2000-20008.

Per campaignmoney.com, it appears Mr. Stamps made no political donations in the last election cycle.

William Baird, 56, is currently the Mayor of Campbell County.  He has also represented State District 36 from 1988-2008 in the House of Representatives.  From 1997 – 2008, he served as the Executive Director of the USDA/FDA in Campbell County.

Mr. Baird graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1987 with a degree in Agricultural Business.  Mr. Baird also serves on the Campbell County Boys and Girls Club, as well as other local civic organizations.

Per campaignmoney.com, it appears Mr. Baird made no political donations in the last election cycle.

Current Secretary of State Riley Darnell, 68, is a  former captain, U.S. Air Force, serving as judge advocate general 1966-69; he holds a B.S.  from Austin Peay State University, 1962; J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School, 1965; was selected to attend Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers University, 1973; and is a member of Civitan Club, Clarksville Chamber of Commerce, American Bar Association, Montgomery County Bar Association.

While representing state Senate District 22, he served as Senate majority leader 1989-1992. He was the speaker’s designee to Fiscal Review committee in addition to being a member of the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Southern Legislative Conference of the Council of State Governments. First elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1970, he represented the 67th House district in the 87th, 88th, 89th, 90th and 91st General Assemblies. Elected in 1980 to the Tennessee Senate, he served in the 92nd, 93rd, 94th, 95th, 96th and 97th General Assemblies. He was elected Tennessee secretary of state in January 1993.

Conclusion:

I commend the Republicans for attempting to make the process “transparent”; however, it is only transparent to those that are looking at it.  I encourage you to take some time to read up on this issue, the candidates and the process.  Contact your Representative and Senator and express your opinion, and follow up on how they vote in January.

Resources:

http://www.state.tn.us/sos/

http://taxingtennessee.blogspot.com/2008/12/constitutional-officers-candidate.html

http://www.ruralmetro.com/

http://campaignmoney.com/

This year the Republican gained control of the Tennessee House and Senate: the first time in 140 years.Therefore, they have the numbers to replace the current Constitutional Officers (all appointed by Democrats).

In Part 1 on this series, I discussed the Constitutional Officer of the Comptroller. In this article I will discuss the position of Treasurer, including a description of the Treasurer’s job duties and information on each potential candidate, including the current treasurer, the Honorable Dale Sims.
First, what does the Treasurer do?

Per the Treasurer’s website, the Treasurer is responsible for the following:

• Receiving and disbursing public funds.
• Managing all State investments, including the pension fund (at June 30, 2007 the value of the pension plans was over $32 billion dollars with over 322,000 participants).
• Administering three major employee benefit programs, including the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System, the Deferred Compensation Program, and the Flexible Benefits Plan.
• Operating the Unclaimed Property, College Savings (Section 529 Plans), and Small and Minority-Owned Business programs.
• Overseeing the risk management program and handling and adjudicating all claims made against the State.
• Seats as an advisor on numerous state boards

David Lillard has served on the Shelby County Commission since 2002 and is the current Chairman.  Mr. Lillard serves as Chairman of the Public Works Committee (Shelby County) and has also served as an Election Commissioner on the Shelby County Election Commission (April 1993 to January 2002), including service as the Secretary of the Election Commission. He also served as a public member of the Tennessee State Board of Accountancy (1995-1998), president of the University of Memphis National Law Alumni Association (1998 to 1999), and was on the Board of Directors of The University of Memphis Society. Mr. Lillard was Finance Chairman of the Race for the Cure of the Memphis-MidSouth Affiliate of  the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation (2000-2003).

He is a member of the law firm of Burch, Porter & Johnson, PLLC. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Memphis and is a graduate of the University of Memphis School of Law.  He also received a Master of Laws in Taxation (LL.M. in Taxation) from the University of Florida.

In Mr. Lillard’s interview, he stated he has served on the Board of Trustees for the Shelby County Retirement System and on the system’s Investment Committee which determines the system’s investment.  He stated before the market declined, the system held about $1 billion of assets.   He spoke in detail of the actuarial issues that are used in funding the retirement system.

Per campaignmoney.com, Mr. Lillard has made several small political donations in the last election cycle to Senator Lamar Alexander Campaign ($500, on 9/23/08) and to the Tennessee Republican Party ($300, 3/26/07, and $200, 8/27/08).

Again (as they asked of the Comptroller applicant), the panel discussed that previous Constitutional Officers using their offices as a “bully pulpit” to advance certain issues (read income tax).  Mr. Lillard stated that believed that policy should be made by the legislative body, and not the officers.  He stated he would “simply respond to questions and lay out options” as opposed advocating for a particular legislative action.

Vance Cheek Jr. is a graduate Science Hill High School at the age of 15, East Tennessee State University at age 19, and the UT School of Law at 22.  He passed the Bar Exam in 1990 when he was only 23.  In 1994, he started his own law firm. In 1997 he was elected Vice Mayor fo Johnson City; he successfully ran for the office of Mayor in 1999.  In 2001, he was appointed to be as a trial judge until 2004, when he decided to run in an unsuccessful attempt for Congress in 2006.  In July 2001, he was appointed as the Commissioner of Claims for the East Grand Division of the State of Tennessee; that term expires in August 2009.

The State Board of Claims falls under the supervision of the Treasurer.  As a Commissioner of Claims, Mr. Cheek works regularly with that small part of the treasurer’s office.  Mr. Cheek stated he had some experience with pensions as Mayor of Johnson City.  In the interview, Mr. Cheek stated he would “put together a fantastic staff”, implying that he may make some personnel changes in the Department of Treasury.  But he also stated that he would not use the “preverbial light saber to cut jobs.”

The panel discussed that previous Constitutional Officers using their offices as a “bully pulpit” to advance certain issues.  Mr. Cheek stated that it is not the Treasurer position to make public policy, that is the duty of the legislature.  He would share ideas and opinion in support of the legislature.

Per campaignmoney.com, no political donations could be located for the last election cycle on behalf of Vance Cheek Jr.

D.W. “Bill” McGaughey (left)  is from Memphis where he currently serves as the Executive Vice president for Community and Business Development at Trustmark National Bank.  He has over 41 years of baking experience.  He has served on the Germantown Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors (2004-2006), Memphis Shelby County Health Ed Board (204-present, Memphis County Sports Authority as Chairman (2006-present), and numerous other boards and councils.  He served as an Alderman for Germantown (1984-1992) as well as serving on the City of Germantown Retirement/Investment Committee.

Mr. McGaughey graduated from the University of Memphis with a degree in finance and the University of Wisconsin AIB School of Banking with an emphasis in Community Banking.

During the interview, Mr. McGaughey stated he applied for the position of Treasurer after being approached to do so by the Tennessee Bankers Association. He stated that the job duties of the Treasurer match his current job duties as a banker. The panel discussed that previous Constitutional Officers using their offices as a “bully pulpit” to advance certain issues.  Mr. McGaughey stated elected officials set policy, and the staff takes the policy, sets a vision an utilizes it as intended by the legislature.  He stated that the Treasurer’s job is to assist the legislature and not campiagn for specific policy. Mr. McGaughey stated that the primary function of the Treasurer is to maintain the “saftey and soundness of the assets” and that his extensive experience in the banking industry makes him qualified for this position.

Per campaignmoney.com, no political donations could be located for the last election cycle on behalf of D.W. “Bill” McGaughey.

Ira Brody is currently a partner and Chief Operations Officer and Chief Financial Officer (since 2004) of Inscap, LLC, an investment banking company.  He was the state chairman of the Republican Party’s Victory 2008 campaign as well was a “First Day Founder for Senator Fred Thompson’s presidential bid.”  He ran as a Republican for New York State Senate in 1996 and the Rutherford County Commission in 2006.  He served as Executive Director of the New York Olympic Games Commission.  He founded, with his wife a non-profit organization , Rutherford LEAP, which provides laptops to the 7th graders of Rutherford County.  From 1995-1996, he served as the Assistant Secretary to the Governor of New York, as well as various other high level positions in New York state government.

The panel discussed that previous Constitutional Officers using their offices as a “bully pulpit” to advance certain issues. Mr. Davis stated that the opinion of the Treasurer is important but should not be making or adovcate non-Department of Treasury poliies.  He stated that his woudl be to provide information for the legilsature to make the most informed decision possible.

Mr. Davis felt that his involvement in auditing the government and over 30 years of professional accounting experience would prove to be an invaluable resource fulfilling the job duties as Treasurer. As part of his auditing expereince has included auditing several small/mid sized pension plans for clients and has worked with actuaries.

Per campaignmoney.com, no political donations could be located for the last election cycle on behalf of Barry Davis.

Current Treasurer Dale Sims is a native of Charlotte, North Carolina. He received his Bachelors of Science Degree from Western Carolina University in 1978 and did graduate work in Public Administration at Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky.  Mr. Sims’ public service career began in 1980 as a Program Auditor with the Comptroller of the Treasury where he also served as a Research Analyst for the Senate Finance, Ways, & Means Committee.  In 1982 he began work with the Department of Treasury where he served as Staff Assistant to then Treasurer, Harlan Mathews.  In 1987 Treasurer Steve Adams promoted him to Executive Assistant to the Treasurer.  When Mr. Adams retired in October 2003, Governor Phil Bredesen appointed Mr. Sims as Acting Treasurer.  On March 1, 2004, the 103rd General Assembly unanimously elected Mr. Sims to serve the remainder of Treasurer Adams’ term.  Mr. Sims was re-elected in 2005 by the 104th General Assembly and in 2007 by the 105th General Assembly.

Per campaignmoney.com, no polictial donations could be located for the last election cycle on behalf of Dale Sims.

As with every article in this series, the content is intended as a brief overview of each candidate and the author encourages readers to educate themselves on the specifics provided.  The author’s sources are noted below and are provided to allow the reader to further educate themselves on the issues discussed.

Sources:

http://taxingtennessee.blogspot.com/2008/12/constitutional-officers-candidate.html

http://www.tn.gov/treasury/

http://www.tn.gov/treasury/tcrs/TCRS-AnnualReport.pdf

http://www.shelbycountytn.gov/FirstPortal/dotShowDoc/Government/ShelbyCountyCommission/dlillard.htm

http://www.bpjlaw.com/cms.aspx?TabID=80

www.campaignmoney.com

http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/Detail.php?Cat=LOCALNEWS&ID=66314

http://thedailytimes.com/article/20081214/OP03/812139992

http://www.tnbankers.org/govt_news/grpage

http://www.thedailytimes.com/article/20081211/NEWS/312119991

http://www.tn.gov/treasury/about.html

]]> http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2009/01/06/constitutional-officers-the-treasurer/feed/ 0 http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2009/01/05/election-of-tennessee-constitutional-officers-comptroller-of-the-treasury/ http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2009/01/05/election-of-tennessee-constitutional-officers-comptroller-of-the-treasury/#comments Mon, 05 Jan 2009 16:00:28 +0000 Blayne Clements http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/?p=13329 This is the first in a three-part series by Clarksville Online author Blayne Clements. The series continues on Tuesday, January 6 and Wednesday, January 7.

The Republicans have gained control of the state house and senate, and  have the numbers to replace the three current constitutional officer: Secretary of State, State Treasurer, and State Comptroller.  On Monday, December 15th, Republicans held interviews of potential candidates for these offices.

Per a recent article in the Tennessean,  “Senate Republican Leader Mark Norris of Collierville, said it will create a “level playing field” and transparency for what has long been a closed-door system of selecting political insiders.”

I have been listening/watching the interviews of the Republican candidates for the Constitutional Officers (link provided at end of article).  After reading their resumes, listening to the  interviews, I thought it would be nice to share what I have learned in an effort to promote the transparency of the process.

My goal is to do an unbiased article on each position, and the prospective candidates.  First up, Comptroller of the Treasury. For those that want to see Mr. Wilson’s interview, he is the first candidate in Part 1 of the video.

Duties of the Comptroller

Per the Comptroller’s website:

“Statutes prescribe the comptroller’s duties, the most important of which relate to audit the state and local government entities and participation in the general financial and administrative management of the state.  In addition to the Department of Audit, the Office of the Comptroller includes the divisions of Management Services, Bond Finance, Local Finance, Local Government, Property Assessments, State Board of Equalization, Offices of Research and Education Accountability and State Assessed Property. The Comptroller of the Treasury is also a member of over 35 committees, boards and commissions.“

Basically, the Comptroller is charged as the state watchdog and financial adviser, selling bonds, auditing state and local government, and advising the legislature on financial issues.  Mr. Wilson, the  only Republican applying for the position, described the position as the state’s  “money cop” when he was interviewed this week by a panel of Republicans.

It is my understanding that the current Comptroller, John Morgan, does not need to formally apply, but will be considered in the General Assembly’s election.  But with the Republicans in the State Legislature acting on a perceived mandate having taken control of both the state house and senate for the first time in 140 years, his chances appear slim.

The Candidates:

Justin Wilson

Mr. Wilson is a well known environmental lawyer.  In September 2002, the Cumberland Trail State Park was renamed to “The Justin P. Wilson  Cumberland State Park” in recognition of Mr. Wilson’s “dedication and leadership in catalyzing the efforts to rebuild the trail.”  Gov. Sundquist wrote an Executive Order (#33)  naming him “Conservationist of the Year” in 1996.  He was also a Deputy Governor under Sundquist.

In 1996, he served as Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.  As Commissioner he was responsible for 3,500 employees, 53 state parks, and the state’s regulation of its air, water and other natural resources.

Mr. Wilson has been a past treasurer for the Tennessee Republican Party.  In 2001, he was an alternate delegate for the Republican National Convention.  Mr. Wilson’s was also  a part of the Bush-Cheney transition team in 2000-2001, for environmental issues.  Bush ‘41 nominated him to a seat on U.S.  Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit Court.  Democrats never voted on his nominations, and his nomination expired with the election of President Clinton. He teaches adjunct at Vanderbilt University (and was a past president of the Vanderbilt Blair School of Music).

According to an article by Knoxnews.com on State Majority Leader Mark Norris’ website, Mr. Wilson has given over $127,ooo to Republican causes.  Senator Norris doesn’t think that is a problem, “I don’t think anybody is trying to buy those positions,” he said, though adding there could be concerns about public perception to the contrary.”

Mr. Wilson also has a LLM, which is a Master’s Degree in Taxation, and is the Chairman of the Nashville Electric Service.  NES sells bonds on the open market, which should be helpful because selling state bonds is main duty of the Comptroller.  Also at NES, Mr. Wilson is the co-trustee of the NES pension plan, consisting of $210 million dollars of assets.

Current Comptroller: John Morgan

Here are a few details on the current Comptroller, John Morgan, straight from the comptroller website:

“Morgan graduated from Austin Peay State University in 1974. He did graduate work at Louisiana State University from 1974 to 1976.  He entered state government as a research assistant for the Legislative Fiscal Review Committee in 1976. From 1978 to 1980 he was a research assistant in the Department of Finance and Administration, and from 1980 to 1982 was an administrative assistant to the State Treasurer. In 1982 he began working in the Office of the Comptroller of the Treasury as assistant director of Bond Finance, and in 1983, as director of Bond Finance. In 1987 he also became assistant to the Comptroller, as well as Director of Bond Finance. In October of 1987 Morgan left state government and was vice president, director of Public Finance of Third National Bank in Nashville. In February of 1989 Morgan returned to state government as executive assistant to the Comptroller of the Treasury, and in January 1999 was first elected Comptroller of the Treasury by the Tennessee General Assembly. He was reelected to this position in 2001, 2003, 2005, and 2007.  Morgan is a member of the Association of Government Accountants and the American Society of Public Administration. “

Side Note:

Republicans make clear in their questions to the candidates that they think that the current Treasurer and Comptroller have used their positions as a “bully pulpit” (their words not mine) to advance an state income tax during tough times.  The tone and wording of these questions indicate they feel that the current officers pro-income tax position hinders them from providing the Legislature with independent, quality council on fiduciary matters.

Conclusion:

I commend the Republicans for attempting to make the process “transparent”; however, it is only transparent to those that are looking at it.  I encourage you to take some time to read up on this issue, the candidates and the process.  Contact your Representative and Senator and express your opinion, and follow up on how they vote in January.

Sources:

Link to interviews and resumes – http://taxingtennessee.blogspot.com/2008/12/constitutional-officers-candidate.html

http://www.comptroller.state.tn.us/

http://www.tennessee.gov/environment/parks/CumberlandTrail/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Wilson_(lawyer)

http://tennessee.gov/sos/pub/execorders/sundquist%20executive%20order%20no.%2033.pdf

http://www.zoominfo.com/people/Wilson_Justin_14051440.aspx

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20081116/NEWS02/811160410

http://www.norrisnow.com/media2008/11-24-08a.htm

http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20081102/NEWS01/81102007/-1/newsfront2

http://www.wallerlaw.com/attorneys?alpha_start=w&id=47144

http://politics.nashvillepost.com/2008/12/05/the-constitutionals-list-former-sundquist-deputy-guv-sole-comptroller-candidate/

Author with "lost" locks

Today, I got a haircut.

Over the past five years, I have “harvested” my hair twice for the organization, Locks of Love.  Locks of Love provides hairpieces to disadvantaged children that have lost their hair due to a medical illness.

It takes 6-10 ponytails to make one hairpiece, and the minimum length is 10 inches.  Shorter hair is accepted but it is not used in hairpieces but sold to help offset manufacturing costs.  The retail cost of the custom, vacuum-fitted hairpieces start at $3,500 but Locks of Love provides them free of charge or on a sliding scale based on the family’s financial need.  They also accept monetary donations, a great tax deduction.

Most any salon will do a “locks of love” cut.  Some beautician’s do not charge for the haircut, and some do.  Some will mail the hair for you, others provide you with the materials to mail it yourself.  The locks of love website has a directory of participating salons, but you can do it yourself at home as well.

Its a great cause, and great reason for this Grateful Dead Head Pencil Pushing Desk Jockey to have long hair.  Seriously though, I truly do it for the children.

http://www.locksoflove.org/

Blayne "before"

"During"