Thursday Morning Updates

Sorry guys I haven't been on as much lately, but I am in the process of moving so updates may be sporadic for another week or so. Expect July to be heavy with updates because I will be in my new home at that point.

Supreme Court ruled this morning in a 5-4 decision that Washington D.C's blanket handgun ban is unconstitutional. With the replacement of O'Connor replaced with the much more conservative Justice Alito expect more and more conservative decisions to be forthcoming now that the only moderate vote on the bench is Justice Kennedy. This is yet another reason why we can not sacrifice another 4 years to Bush light, and must elect a progressive candidate like Sen. Obama to the highest office in the U.S. We can not allow McCain to replace Ginsberg or one of the other 3 liberal justices.

The Music City star is in financial crisis and will not have the money to operate after October. This is not good news for those who desire mass transit in the city of Nashville. As much as I DO NOT like the choice for the original line, I hope that we can keep it afloat in order to bring light rail to Nashville. Honestly Nashville, does gas have to hit 9 dollars a gallon before you'll take a bus?

A recent Rasmussen poll in Tennessee shows that McCain's lead has been split in half from 30 pts to 15 pts. Is a wave election coming...oh wonderful wave please take Marsha Blackburn out with you!

-Zak

Eminent Domain and bad decisions

A music row landowner, Joy Ford, is fighting big business to keep her little piece of the pie near the Music Row roundabout, ya know where the big naked statue is that the right wing in the city became all flustered about a few years ago. Anyways I digress. So Joy's business, Country International Records, is the last holdout in a redevelopment by a Houston based developer and that developer is angrier than a baby throwing a temper tantrum. He wants the land, and she needs to sell, it's his darn it, or at least he feels that it should be his.

The fight is now playing out in a Nashville area courtroom, and could be disastrous for individual property owners if the courts rule against Joy Ford. This blog supports Joy Ford, and hopes this country doesn't become one in that the ruling elite can take anything they want, and we are simply taking care of it till they want it.

Just for fun...here's MUSICA!

Memphis Police Brutality *Warning Video Disturbing*

Welcome to the 21st century in Tennessee. Trans violence is still accepted. The Memphis Police Department, especially these two officers, should be fired from their positions.

This brings up a larger issue, and that is it is imperative that hate crimes legislation be passed immediately in the state of Tennessee, including both sexual orientation and gender identity.

This is truly disgusting in this day and age.

-zak

Ode to Budget Cuts...

In a time of rising gas prices, the Metro Council has proposed cutting bus routes throughout Nashville. Thank you so much Nashville for once again cutting an agency that we need more and more as gas prices climb higher and higher.

This must be the way we as a society deals with tough times, by cutting what we actually need. They will also raise fares for the MTA bus system. It will now cost 4.80 for an all day pass, as well as 1.60 for a single ticket. Insanity my dears, Insanity.

They will also cut the following routes completely.

1 Vine Hill
31X Harpeth Valley Express
13 Sylvan Park
37X Tusculum/McMurray Express
16 Madison/Old Hickory
45X Oak Hill Express
30 McFerrin
Night Owl service

-zak

A word of congratulations and an endorsement...

First of all I would like to congratulate Sen. Obama on his victory in securing the nomination for the Democratic Party. It is historic that in January of next year we may have the first African-American President in United States history. We may also have the first female vice-president in US History(wink wink nudge nudge).

In saying that, I fully endorse Sen. Barrack Obama for President of the United States. Sen. Obama would right many of the wrongs of the past 8 years. It is now time to put this long primary season behind us and unite together as Democrats. We can no longer allow the Republican Party to define who we are, what we stand for, and what we believe. Together we must stand as men and women, black and white, straight and gay, Christian and Atheist, because we all believe in the promise of America for all people. Not just for the elite few.

Sen. McCain, despite his promises of unity and independence, would be a threat to the very core beliefs that we hold so dear in our hearts. LGBT equality, reproductive freedom, workers rights, and a strong voice for each individual would be trampled during a McCain administration. We can not afford to allow the primaries to weigh heavy on our minds, we must work together to insure we elect Sen. Obama as president, and at the same time usher in stronger majorities in both the House and Senate.

It will take much mending of fences over the next few months to build a winning coalition, but I believe that Sen. Obama, and Sen. Clinton can bring this party back together. As Sen. Obama so often likes to say, Yes We Can, and we can. We can change this world for the better, and it all starts with November 2008.

-Zak

CNN Projects(for the last time of the primary season)

will carry South Dakota!



has secured enough delegates to be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States.

We're waiting on Montana. Either way it is nice to see Hillary take South Dakota, and leave on a positive note, although she has not yet given up.

-Zak

The State of the Gay Union

So I thought it would be interesting to note that 1/5 of US States now recognize gay marriage, civil unions, or some form of domestic partnership.

Gay Marriage
-California(6-17-08)
-Massachusetts

Civil Unions
-New Jersey
-Connecticut
-Vermont
-New Hampshire

Domestic Partnerships
-Washington
-Maine
-Hawaii
-Oregon
-California until marriage ruling takes effect
-District of Columbia

Issues of marriage equality will soon be debated or are currently being debated in either the court or legislature of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Vermont, and Iowa.

Issues of civil union recognition is being debated in New Mexico.

Tennessee is doing nothing, they've already banned it.

-Zak

Gay Pride Month and Hillary Clinton

Because I thought this was a lovely letter I'm going to repost it. This is from Sen. Hillary Clinton.

Statement from Hillary Clinton On Gay Pride Month

As we begin Gay Pride Month, I join the LGBT community in celebrating an historic year in which our country continues to make progress towards the fair and equal treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans. Still, we have so much work to do. I look forward to working with the LGBT community to make sure that all Americans in committed relationships have equal benefits and that nothing stands in the way of loving couples who want to adopt children in need. We need to expand our federal hate crimes legislation and pass a fully-inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act. And finally, we need to put an end to the failed policy of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Courage, honor, patriotism and sacrifice - the traits that define our men and women in uniform - have nothing to do with sexual orientation.

To each and every LGBT American, I say this: You have done so much to help this country understand your lives by simply being open and honest about who you are and living your lives with dignity. Thank you for your courage. It is time that we recognize your hard work. I know that this country is ready for changes in the law that reflect the evolution in our hearts. You deserve a government that treats you with the respect you deserve.

America deserves a President who appeals to the best in each of us, not the worst; a President who values and respects all Americans and treats all Americans equally no matter who they are or who they love. That is truly the promise of America.

******

If, and when, Sen. Obama posts something I will post his as well. As a gay Tennessean, this type of embrace from a candidate for the Presidency of the United States is wonderful.

We love you Hillary!

CNN Projects....

Will carry Puerto Rico by a large margin!

This could be a 70/30 blowout. If Hillary has lost, most Americans don't seem to think that yet.

-Zak

Have a little Pride!

Happy Nashville Pride everybody!

Today is a day to sit back, and thank God you live in a country where you can love the person you love, and not worry about going to jail or being punished for who you are.

We've come a very long way, but we stil have much work to do in taking both the US, and Tennessee to the left, and filling this city with tolerance and acceptance.

Once again Happy Pride!


-Zak

Cutting the vote in half just like a Florida Orange

is waiting for the vote!

On the measure to restore full voting rights to Florida...

12-For
15-Against

Measure Fails...

Denver is not going to be a nice place come August...if Nancy Pelosi, Barrack Obama, Howard Dean, or the DNC thinks they can reunite this party, I think they may be sadly mistaken.

On the measure to restore full delegation, each member of the delegation receiving half a vote...

27-For
0- Against

Floridians are only half citizens!

So Michigan Results....

"Was the process flawed, you bet your ass it was flawed...I don't think one election was pass the test that was laid down here."

-Harold Ickes on restoring Michigan's votes

Hillary Clinton has reserved her right to take this to the credentials committee so saith Harold Ickes...See you in Denver DNC!!!!

Michigan will be restored with each delegate receiving half a vote.

This is not going to work y'all.

-Zak

Memphis politics are sooo sleazy

I know many of you might not be familiar with the political machine of Mayor Herenton, and the general level of sleaze in that city, but his machine stinks of corruption and idiocy. The latest issue is that Mayor Herenton wants to be Superintendent of Memphis City Schools and be mayor as well.

Now if you the school system, you shouldn't be in the office that hands out the money to the school system, and vice versa. To me this makes sense. We don't let the kids in the cookie jar for a reason. They'll eat it all up.

Mayor Herenton is the 5 term mayor of Memphis City(the city and county are split there unlike in Nashville-Davidson), and from my observations he controls that town with an iron fist. He is a democrat, but I'm always quick to point out sleaze when I see it, and I see it here.

Memphis schools should soundly reject Mayor Herenton as their superintendent unless he is willing to give up his position as mayor.

-Zak

Gas Gas Gas...

A little humor the start the week, but also a very serious matter. Americans, Democrats, Republicans, liberals and conservatives all have something in common. They cannot afford the ever increasing cost of a gallon of gas. These prices are turning our country, one not prepared to institute public transportation, into a screaming mad house. We have to do something, but what do we do?

When the left yells buy hybrids, the right says buck up and take it, we ignore the vast amount of people that live in this country that both can't afford to by one of these hybrid cars and also can't really buck up and take the prices either.

It is time to hold the oil companies accountable, OPEC accountable, and our elected leaders accountable for this national disaster. If you want us to buy hybrids start helping us purchase them. Stop spending money on new highways and build some public transportation. We can't ride public trans if it doesn't exist.

It is up to the American people to help find the solutions to this problem . Like I have advocated in the past here are some options to save you at the pump. Take a bus, ride your bike, carpool, but please don't stop going to shop and eat out. Us servers and retail employees really really really need your money... we need jobs too haha.

-Zak

See ya!

I'm out for the weekend y'all! Stop back by on Monday for more political insight from this corner of the blogosphere.

Hope Hope Hope

Yesterday, while eyes were busy watching the returns from Kentucky and Oregon, Tennessee's State Senate was passing a few amendments to the Hope Scholarship program. Now as someone who has yet to benefit from that program due to me not graduating the right year, I am happy to see the TN Senate has made some decent changes to it. First off, your first 2.5 years of college you only need to maintain a 2.75 GPA, under the compromise you would need to raise it to a 3.0 by your junior year.

Now why I find this program to be fair to most students, I think our state would be wise to invest this Lottery money not in scholarships, but directly into the budgets of State Universities and Community Colleges. The reason I say this because tuition rates continue to climb because state schools are not funded! Already this scholarship does not pay the full tuition at any state university in Tennessee, and as each year passes, it may not even pay for the textbooks.

I hope they can find a better way to spend this money, and I do not think that way is by a scholarship program. Love the idea, but honestly, it does not begin to address the real problem of funding that causes tuition to continue to rise.

-Zak

CNN projects...

Will take Kentucky by a sizable margin...showing a clean sweep of the Mid-South states I talk about so much.




Will take Oregon, but not with nearly as large a margin as Senator Clinton won Kentucky.

Congratulations to both candidates.

Only 2 States and a territory left!

A moment of seriousness...

Our good friend and ally from Massachusetts, Sen. Ted Kennedy, has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. All of those that read this blog, I ask you to keep the Senator in your thoughts and in your prayers.

-Zak

Only 6%...guess it's better than 15%

So the verdict is in from the UT College System, one of the two state school systems in Tennessee, and they will be holding to a 6% tuition increase. This is good news for UT students that thought they may be looking at a double digit increase. The announcement from TBR will be coming next week, although they have now stated they will be below double digits. Hopefully they will follow UT and stay at 6%. The TBR decision will effect quite a few more students, being that it encompasses MTSU, ETSU, University of Memphis, TSU, the states community colleges, and technology centers.

As soon as I hear news on TBR's decision I promise to pass it along to you!

-Zak

Hi Ho Hi Ho Off to Iraq we go...

The 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment of the Tennessee National Guard will be heading to Iraq come Spring 2009, thus saith the Department of Defense. This will be shortly after either Sen. Clinton, Sen. Obama, or Sen. McCain take office, and just in time for the Easter festivities. It always makes me feel warm and fuzzy when I see that they are taking those that defend the state of Tennessee against natural disasters, terrorism, etc.. are sen to Iraq instead of being here to protect us.

The article in the Tennessean states that "Though Harris said the exact deployment date isn't clear, the notice will give soldiers "more of a head start and more time to be able to take care of any issues.""...ya know like stupid things like family and friends, and their life...I know these people joined the military, it was volunteer, but why must we continue to send our Tennessee family over into that country to risk their life for a never ending war?

As Tennesseans, the vast majority of us opposed to Bush's war, we must lobby to begin to return our friends and family to the US, not send more of them abroad. Sigh, it's like we just don't care anymore.

-Zak

As California Goes so Goes the Nation

Has struck down the ban on gay marriage! Now what you may ask is what does this have to do with Tennessee? Everything. Unlike Massachusetts, California has no residency requirements, so a Tennessee gay couple can go to California, get married, come back to Tennessee, and challenge the states Constitutional Amendment that bans gay marriage. Do I think this will happen immediately...not really...but it could.

What does this mean immediately for Americans? This is the 2nd state to legalize gay marriage. This could soon be followed by New Jersey, Connecticut, Vermont, even New York. If New York was to legalize gay marriage, as the legislature is trying to do in that state, then a large chunk of the US population would have then legalized gay marriage, and we will eventually have to settle the question for not just New York and California, but for Tennessee and Utah as well.

As a leftist liberal, I'm a bit concerned about the backlash, but I'm in wait and see mode. Here's to hope!

-Zak

Memphis Suburb Turns a light shade of blue

Mississippi 1 has turned blue tonight after decades of Republican rule in that district. This special election is another example of the Democrats growing viability in rural/red state America. Democrat Travis Childers bests Republican Greg Davis in this extremely red district. Here's to a slaughter in November!

Although not all precints have reported, our friends over at Swing State Report(see my favorite blog listing to check them out) have posted the following result...

Candidate	Party	Votes	Percent
Travis Childers	(D)	50,401	52%
Greg Davis	(R)	46,160	48%

This district is basically a suburb of Memphis, but an extremely red suburb. This is a victory for Tennessee and a victory for Mississippi!

Go dems!

-zak

UPDATE

Candidate	Party	Votes	Percent
Travis Childers	(D)	57,276	54%
Greg Davis	(R)	49,314	46%

All Precincts Reporting Childers won an 8 percent victory!

CNN projects...

Hillary Clinton will win West Virginia by CNN's projection. Anyone surprised? We don't have numbers yet so we don't know how much she won by. On to Kentucky and Oregon...

-zak

UPDATE

Clinton 67%
Obama 26%
Other 07%

89% of Precincts Reporting

If the numbers stay like this I would consider West Virginia a blow out for Senator Clinton.

West Virginia, Mississippi Oh My

So I currently have 36 minutes until polls close in West Virginia. This is a bellwether state, whether or not the Obama Camp would like to admit it. If Obama does get the nomination, he has quite a bit of explaining to do to bring Hillary's voters back to his camp. As a feminist, I cannot stand the sexist remarks across the board from the Obama supporters as well as from MSNBC.

I did not want to jump into the Presidential Election unless it directly effected Tennessee politics, but in a way it does. If West Virginia goes to Clinton(most people believe it will), and then next week Kentucky goes to Clinton then you have the entire mid south going to Clinton, and that includes Tennessee. The states of Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and West Virginia have supported George W. for the past 8 years, but they were strong Clinton territory in 92 and 96.

Are the Democrats going to continue to sacrifice the moderate Midsouth area, or will they finally nominate a candidate that can win! I am certainly happy that Obama can bring back Colorado and some Western States, but if he can't win the Mid South, Florida, Michigan, etc...

Mississippi is also holding a special election tonight that could give Democrats a seat that the Republicans have held for decades. If they win, they really need to decide who has the best chance of carrying these down ticket races to victory in November.

-Zak

Slash that Budget Bredesen

Guess what Bredesen and the state legislature are aiming to do now? Make a peach cobbler, legalize gay marriage, something useful? If you guessed any of those you'd be wrong but if you guessed budget cuts you'd be right on the money. All of a sudden Bredesen and his friends on the Hill have found out they don't have the money to run the state next year. So what does Bredesen suggest to do about this? Cut the workforce, gut Tenncare even more, cut education spending, extreme cuts across the board, yet he made sure to come out in full force for banning gay marriage during his reelection campaign.

With the cuts against Tenncare, higher education, and against labor, no wonder many in liberal circles regard Bredesen as a Democrat in name only. This man has no good side, and I can't imagine our state would be very different if we had a Republican in control.

Liberal Tennesseans did not receive an ally when we elected Bredeson to be Governor of Tennessee. So often do we compromise our core values to get the (D) next to a candidates' name. This is one man that I'm glad will be term limited the next election cycle. Hoping against hope that someone better will grace the state stage, and we won't be forced to pick between dumb and dumber.

Verily Verily I say unto you...get out of my f*ckin church!

Ahh there is something refreshing about seeing mega-churches, especially Two Rivers Baptist Church in Nashville, in turmoil. If you watch Nashville news you couldn't help but hear about Pastor Sutton, the guy that uses his church as a bully arena for conservative politics, and his fight with some of his church members over financial records. Well we have new information direct from The Tennessean. It seems yesterday Pastor Sutton took the very Christian step of voting out 70 members of the church that had filed the lawsuit asking for the financial records.

This reminds one of the Catholic Church during the dark ages that would excommunicate anyone that did not agree with exactly what they said. This church has lobbied against Metro's anti-discrimination ordinance for gays and lesbians. They have hosted extreme right wing candidates, and they are all together a political organization masquerading as a church.

Whether or not Sutton spent money in an inappropriate manner doesn't really matter. The issue is that whenever you are at the helm of any power you should be completely transparent about where money goes, and it always seems fishy if you rid your organization of those that ask for transparency.

This is yet another example of the Christian Right and its utter hypocrisy.

Thanks Pastor Sutton!

Zak

Wishin and Hopin for Public Trans

Tennessee is one of the few states that does not currently have a single toll road. You can drive on any road in the state without paying, but that may be changing if the bridge connecting Davidson and Sumner County is built. Once built, it could take traffic off of I-40, and allow for quicker commute times for those that live in the two counties. With the Nashville Metro area expanding quickly we do need ways to reduce congestion, but is this the way, I don't think so.

Our elected officials too often try to stick us with additional fees and charges quietly and under the table. Although they are holding public meetings it will be interesting to see if they actually listen to the will of the people that the Toll Bridge will impact , or if just like 840, they will follow their own hearts desire and ignore their constituents.

Tennessee and Nashville would be better served by a comprehensive Mass Transit system, as well as a regional transit system that would take people off the road, and put money back into the hands of the people. As a city, and as a region, we have become too dependent on oil, and we must invest in future transportation projects that will actually reduce that dependence, not make it easier to exploit it.

Sumner and Davidson County residents would be better served by an extension of the Music City Star, than it would be by the toll road. As we grow as a city we must look beyond expansion of roads, and begin to lay the infrastructure for rapid transit throughout the region.

-Zak

Do you smell the pork? TN Students looking at double digit tuition increases

You always know it is May in Tennessee when your allergies are screaming, the sun beats down on you, the weather hovers in the 70s and 80s, and the Legislature cuts more money from higher education forcing them to give us another double digit tuition increase. With Bredesen passing on 55 million in budget cuts to higher education both state college systems(UT and TBR) are grasping at straws to prevent students from experiencing what could be a 15 percent rate increase, and to keep it below double digits.

While college students scramble to find additional funding for their education leave it to Memphis Democrat Karen Camper to ask for 500,000 dollars for the Pink Palace Museum in Midtown Memphis. Now I am all for giving money in good fiscal years to pet projects like this, but this is not the year. Other legislators asked for $97,000 for the Chattanooga Zoo, and a $50,000 for a security fence. Where is the impassioned plea from our elected officials to cut the pork and give college students a break? Every year we are shouldered with an increasing tuition bill that is shouldering us with so much debt that we will be paying for college long after we're dead if the trend continues.

So my message to the TN Legislature is cut the pork, and fully fund education, or you may just find yourself sitting with President Bush in Crawford after the 08 election.

-zak

Rasmussen Poll for TN Senate Race

Tennessee Survey of 500 Likely Voters
April 3, 2008

Lamar Alexander (R) vs. Bob Tuke (D)
Lamar Alexander (R)	59%
Bob Tuke (D)	30%
Some Other Candidate	4%
Not Sure	7%

The "race" for Alexander's Senate seat...or what race?

Many of you may know that seats are up for grabs in the US Senate in states like Virginia, Maine, Minnesota, and Oregon but there is also a Senate race right here in good ol' Tennessee. Wait, you haven't heard about it? I'm not surprised. The powers that be in the TN Democratic Party are making no more than a whimper challenging Lamar Alexander(R-TN) for his seat, and I can find little, if any information about the race. Here's what we know. Bob Tuke, former TN Democratic Party chair, is running against Alexander, but being a Tennessean, I didn't know he existed until oh roughly 20 minutes ago, and I'm assuming that holds true for most Tennesseans.

This is a race that can be won, even though Alexander is popular, if we run someone that is known state wide and is popular in the state(i.e. Bredesen), yet most people believe that the popular Democrats in the state aren't willing to waste their chance against him and I think they are waiting for Corker's seat to be up for grabs(people in TN still don't know who he is and he's been our Senator for 2 years), or for the 2014 election where, if keeping with TN tradition, Alexander would retire leaving the race open.

It will be interesting to see if the Anti-Republican sentiment in the state will be enough to carry it for Tuke, or if the Democrats have once again blundered an opportunity in this purple state which they all but ignore every single election cycle.

If Al Gore would have carried the Clinton territory of Tennessee, Arkansas, and West Virginia then we wouldn't have had 8 years of George W. Bush.


-Zak

First Entry/Otherwise Left of Center

Welcome to Moving Tennessee Left. I hope to document Tennessee's march toward the left of National and Local politics, as well as comment on current national and local politics that impact the left wing of Tennessee politics. Can't wait to begin, hope you will join in for the ride.

Your humble blogger,
Zak