NASHVILLE – A decade after the people of Tennessee forced the Democrat-controlled legislature to abandon its three-year quest to impose a new state income tax, Tennessee Democrats are once again showing their true colors on that issue.

Prominent Democrat lawmakers in the state Senate and state House have filed legislation to create a new state income tax. This comes less than 40 days after the Tennessee Democrat Party selected as its new chairman a pro-income tax liberal activist who was once at the forefront of the effort in his party’s state executive committee to pass a resolution which not only endorsed a state income tax but also proposed one with specific details.

“It is unthinkable that Democrats in DC and Nashville want to raise taxes during a recession, and all the more unthinkable that Tennessee Democrats are proposing to create a new and unconstitutional state income tax at a time when thousands of Tennesseans are losing their jobs,” said Robin Smith, Chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party.

“The Tennessee Democrat Party must feel emboldened to follow their leaders in Washington D.C. who are pushing for huge tax increases and mammoth increases in government spending and the national debt,” Smith said.

“Not satisfied with a pork-laden ‘emergency’ bill that will add more than $1 trillion to the national debt, President Barack Obama is now proposing $1 trillion in new taxes and $1.75 trillion in deficit spending that will have to be repaid with higher taxes in the future. And Democrats in Congress – including Tennessee’s John Tanner, Bart Gordon, Jim Cooper, Steve Cohen and Lincoln Davis – are all going along for the ride.”

TENNESSEE TEA PARTY
Joining the national effort to stand in unity for the Founding Principles of private property and the pursuit of happiness, the Tennessee Republican Party will be at the Legislative Plaza on Friday at noon. The grassroots, internet initiative is the 21st Century version of its 18th Century original Tea Party that was sparked by the outrage of taxpayers to an overreaching government.

Your voice and presence will make the event a success. Please join us and “a coalition of citizens and organizations concerned about the recent trend of fiscal recklessness in government…dedicated to the Washington, D.C. effort specifically sponsored by the American Spectator, the Heartland Institute, Americans for Tax Reform, the National Taxpayers Union, Americans for Prosperity, and the Young Conservatives Coalition.”

Go to www.nationwidechicagoteaparty.com to find a Tea Pa to find a Tea Party in your area outside Tennessee or sign up for Facebook information for the Nashville event. See you tomorrow!rty in your area outside Tennessee or sign up for Facebook information for the Nashville event. See you tomorrow!

TENNESSEE TRAVELS
The best part of my job as Chairman is being with great folks in their counties and among the true grassroots. Lee and Terry Frank were great hosts to me as I joined them in studio on “Let’s Talk Frank.” With informed callers and lively topics, the invitation to join them was a treat and demonstrates that our party’s treasure is our people standing on principle. Thanks, Lee and Terry for all you do!

CAMPBELL COUNTY CROWD
When a crowd shows up in greater number than expected, it’s an achievement, not a problem in politics! Congratulations to Josh Parker and the Campbell County Party and leadership. Senator Bob Corker, TN Senator Ken Yager and TN Senator Mike Faulk (representing Rep. Chad Faulkner) were all at the head table for the evening with Mayor William Baird on hand.

BEDFORD COUNTY BUZZ
Chairman David Evans had a great group on hand for their dinner that was energized and ready to organize and grow their party. State Senator Jim Tracy and Rep. Donna Rowland were on hand with Barbara Blanton with many other elected officials. Michael P. Leahy, Top Conservatives on Twitter & organizer of the National Tea Parties, was spotted in the crowd.

THE RIGHT DISCUSSION
With the largest spending bill in the history of our government approved in D.C. by the Democrat majority, states are now assessing the funds designated for their government coffers. The review of the “stimulus”, I mean pork spending, package is now occurring. Sadly, the review was not permitted during the crafting of the bill or even prior to the vote on the almost-2000 page document. Instead, now governors and state leadership are peering into the vast provision to find the “strings attached” and the mandates that linger after the non-recurring funds disappear.

We should all be glad that true fiscal responsibility is being demonstrated in Tennessee. The Republicans in D.C. attempted to point out these issues, but were screaming into the wind.

“NOT ONE DIME”…

President Barack Obama echoed his own statement for emphasis in his address to the Joint Session of Congress. His point: Taxes are going up but only “the rich”…you know, the ones who own companies, hire employees and pay employees..are going to see their taxes increase. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Joe Biden sprang to their feet to join the Democrat-majority in agreement.

Someone forgot to tell the NY Times.

In a Wednesday story, the far-from-moderate-or-conservative paper wrote: “But the problem can’t be solved just by taxing the rich. That top 1 percent pays only about one-quarter of federal taxes. Once the recession ends, taxes on the not-so-rich will need to rise, too.”

“Think of it this way: A tax increase isn’t so much a barrier to a society becoming richer as it is a result of a society becoming richer ,” continued the NYT article.

The entitlement spending of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security were featured in the commentary. This depiction of federal spending (federal spending = YOUR taxes out of YOUR check) is clearly out of control with no intellectually honest move to reduce or halt the growth by Democrats.

Let’s review: Every time President Barack Obama has spoken about his “fiscal responsibility,” the financial markets have fallen; fallen to levels of 1997. President Obama has led the Democrats’ charge into your wallet to take your money for the national treasury for redistribution to those who didn’t play by the rules. President Obama and his radical “progressives” are promising more non-targeted spending to stimulate government, rather than the economy. Lastly, “not one dime” is the promise smoothly dripping from the Orator- in-Chief’s lips while proclaiming he’s going to cut the multi-trillion-dollar deficit. Wake up!

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Republican Party adds its support to the grassroots movement growing nationwide in opposition to the Obama administration’s relentless march to enact endless “bailouts” and “economic stimulus” packages that are pushing America trillions of dollars deeper into debt while putting the American taxpayer on the hook for the bill for hundreds of billions of dollars in pork projects and payoffs to liberal special-interest groups.

This Friday, Middle Tennessee will join a growing list of locales around the country where Americans will gather to protest and hold symbolic “Tea Parties,” inspired by CNBC reporter Rick Santelli, whose anti-mortgage bailout rant from the floor of the Chicago Commodities Exchange sparked the nationwide modern-day version of the Boston Tea Party that helped spark the American Revolution.

The Middle Tennessee Tea Party is scheduled for noon to 1 p.m., Friday, February 27, 2009, at Legislative Plaza, located at Sixth Ave. and Union Street in downtown Nashville.

“A decade ago, thousands of Tennesseans from all walks of life gathered at Legislative Plaza for a series of protests that ultimately led to the defeat of a proposed state income tax. Tennesseans know that public protest has the power to stop bad policy, and this Friday Tennesseans again have the opportunity to stand up and make their voices heard in protest of the reckless fiscal policies of the Obama administration,” said Bill Hobbs, communications director for the Tennessee Republican Party.

“This is not about political parties or partisanship,” Hobbs said. “It is about the future, and whether we will continue to heap trillions of dollars in debt on our children and grandchildren.”

The Middle Tennessee Tea Party is organizing via the Internet, with a web page on Facebook.com.

The national Tea Party movement is online at www.NationwideChicagoTeaParty.com.

The Williamson County Republican Party is offering its headquarters at 104 East Main Street in Franklin as a staging area starting at 10 a.m. for sign-making and arranging carpools.

Make It Your Homepage!

The new Tennessee Republican Party website (www.tngop.org) continues to feature new updates, a new blog and press releases. Make it your homepage to link to your social networks and stay up to date on Tennessee politics.

For Stimulus; Against Entitlement

The Republicans in Tennessee’s Congressional Delegation were clear in their votes and statements: Our financial crisis needs to be addressed with targeted funds for initiatives to create jobs, not random spending for the sake of dumping newly-printed money into circulation.

The two philosophies of Democrats and Republicans on proposing a solution for the economic crisis display vivid and vast differences. Democrats are exploiting this “crisis” and “catastrophe” to shatter the Welfare Reform of 1996. Republicans are committed to increasing the velocity of money in the economy through specific proposals for unfreezing the credit industry for worthy investors and addressing the housing collapse.

Both of these problems began with the government demands to lower loan standards for individuals which has resulted in the sub-prime lending crisis with government corporations (Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac) holding toxic loans. Yet, President Obama railed in his remarks in Phoenix, AZ, “Banks and lenders must begin to accept their responsibility in this crisis…”

What about Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, Maxine Waters, and other Democrats who screeched that these loan practices were appropriate and that a “lynching” was being attempted when the Bush Administration and Republicans worked to halt the loan offerings to those with no ability to repay them?! Oh, that’s right. They’re the ones now writing the policy that “solves” the problem.

The reality is that those of us who have paid our bills on time, those of us who struggle from month to month but manage, those of us who only want a hand up, not a handout when we stumble are now carrying the load of debt for all those who failed to honor their financial commitments and were awarded these loans despite their lack of sufficient credit history.

Margaret Thatcher summed it up: “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.”

Second Thoughts

The National Rifle Association sent a letter Feb. 10 to the Memphis Commercial Appeal to protest the paper’s decision to publish a database of Tennesseans who hold permits to carry handguns. A week later, the paper had not published the 213-word letter, although it did publish a 2,500 word piece by the paper’s editor attempting to defend the paper’s decision to publish the carry permit information. Here is the letter, written by Chris W. Cox, Executive Director of the National Rifle Association – Institute for Legislative Action in Fairfax, VA. Cox grew up in Jackson, TN, and is a graduate of Rhodes College in Memphis.

In Nashville, a number of Republican lawmakers are pushing legislation supported by the Tennessee Firearms Association that would make state records of carry permit holder information confidential. In 2008, Democrats blocked similar legislation.

Republican Rep. Glen Casada addressed this issue in an editorial published in the Chattanoogan.com. Republicans have been consistent and committed to the rights of Tennesseans to protect themselves by owning and carrying firearms, rather than adopting stances that are valuable only in election-year politics.

Party..! or ?

Discussion has begun among state legislators around the issue of voters registering by political party in the state.

The Tennessee Code Annotated specifies that political parties govern primary elections in our state and the office of the Coordinator of Elections serves to “administer” the process. Voters do not, however, have to declare a party affiliation through a formal registration currently. Instead, voters make a “declaration” in requesting a Republican or Democrat ballot during primary elections and the Presidential Preference election.

Over the years, there have been concerns that primary elections have been impacted by orchestrated efforts of the opposing party in voting “across party lines.” This is an appropriate discussion to have in the public arena.

The Tennessee Democrat Party Chairman has stated he sees “no compelling reason” to change the current process. This is likely based upon the reality that many rural conservatives that have traditionally self-identified as Democrats because of tradition might not “register” as such. Their reluctance is understandable:

To “register” as a Democrat is to commit publicly and in writing to support a party that believes an expansive government is the answer to all needs and questions (a hand out, always).

To “register” as a Democrat is to commit publicly and in writing to support a party that support appeasement with terrorists and enemies of America, even while men and women are in harm’s way, defending our security and freedoms.

To “register” as a Democrat is to support abortion, even up to the last trimester of pregnancy; to support the notion that special rights for homosexual couples are akin to the Civil Rights fought for by and on behalf of African Americans for decades.

To “register” as a Democrat is to admit publicly that you view tax dollars as possessions of the government and a “patriotic duty” rather than money taken from hard-working citizens and a reduction of individual freedom, that you support doing nothing effective about illegal immigration, rather than addressing the legal and lawful entry into our country as a priority for those who want to work and study legally as citizens.

These issues, among many others, are very distinctive differences between the two state party philosophies as evidenced by voting records, legislative support and public record. If individuals indentified by issues, rather than a party identity, more Tennesseans would be more closely aligned with the authentic beliefs, values and principles of Republicans.

Tennessee’s Republicans Stand for Better Solution

The financial crisis that BEGAN with government’s demands that lending institutions lower the requirements for loans for individuals who could not ordinarily qualify due to their inability to meet their obligation to repay the loan. The banks carrying these “toxic” loans have taken an incredible loss and have “frozen credit” available that has resulted in the need for the “TARP” (Troubled Assets Relief Program) funds in an attempt to unlock money available for businesses and credit-worthy individuals.

Democrats, led by President Obama, have now passed a “Stimulus” package that is the most expensive piece of legislation in the history of our nation that economists declare to be untargeted and less than “stimulative” in creating jobs. What has been overlooked are the Republican proposals that were not only ignored, but Republicans were locked out of any meetings to write the “Stimulus” legislation. One Republican proposal would have created twice as many jobs at half the cost compared to the Democrat-written plan.

Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker, Congressmen Phil Roe, Jimmy Duncan, Zach Wamp and Marsha Blackburn voiced their opinions for better solutions rather than wholesale entitlement spending. Their votes were not against the need for a stimulus package. Their votes were for a better stimulus package that met the needs of the citizens and institutions involved without strapping the burden on the backs of those who have saved, invested, sacrificed and met their obligations.

Make sure that the message of justification trumpeted by Democrats and the media doesn’t eclipse the truth in this matter.

NASHVILLE – What are you doing for Valentines Day? Tennessee Congressman John Tanner – who claims to be a fiscally conservative Democrat – is taking his wife to Paris, France – and you are paying for it.

This will be Rep. Tanner’s second taxpayer-funded trip to Europe since the November election. He traveled with a Congressional delegation to Valencia, Spain, and Rome, Italy, in November. This weekend, he’s leading another Congressional delegation – 13 Congress members and 10 spouses – on a nine-day trip to Europe include Brussels, Rome, Vienna, Paris on Valentine’s Day, and a stop at a famed ski town in the Bavarian Alps.

While the average American in tough economic times looks for bargains when they travel, Tanner and the delegation will be flying with an entourage of spouses, staffers and military escorts on a military plane at huge expense.

“The estimated average tax cut that middle class Americans will receive for the last six months of the year as part of the bloated ‘economic stimulus’ package that John Tanner and the Democrats passed in Congress today is $13 a week,” said Bill Hobbs, communications director for the Tennessee Republican Party.

“At $13 a week, it would take the average American several years to save up enough money to take their sweetie to Paris for Valentine’s Day, but John Tanner and Bart Gordon aren’t average Americans,” Hobbs said. “They are Democrat congressmen who claim to be fiscal conservatives but are right now jetting off to Europe at taxpayers’ expense instead of coming back to Tennessee to explain why they voted for billions of dollars in pork projects and payoffs to special interest groups but only $13 a week for the average middle class taxpayer.”

The front page of Tanner’s congressional website notes today that each American’s share of America’s $10.7 trillion national debt is $35,038.15. On Friday, before jetting off to Europe, Tanner and Gordon voted to add $787 billion dollars to the national debt. Your share of that – more than $2,600 – would be enough to pay for a weekend in Paris.

In December 2007, Tanner gave a speech on the House floor in which he criticized continued borrowing to pay for today’s federal spending., calling a proposal to add $50 billion to the national debt “irresponsible.”

Tanner Dec. 2007 press release.