The Conservative Classicist

Romney-the Face of the GOP or Independent Party Raiders?

2012-01-13T04:41:00.000-08:00

Mitt Romney will soon ride into South Carolina as the Republican frontrunner, having already won two states. A Massachusetts moderate from a non-evangelical Christian background leading at the polls should cause us all a ponderous pause. Liberals love to bash the GOP as a hard right conservative Bible thumping party, but if that is really the case, why is Mitt doing so well? I am still waiting for the liberal media to answer that question. Of course, a great answer might lie in Obama's failure to deliver on the "hope and change" he promised Democrats, independent voters and Republicans disillusioned after 8 years of George W. Bush. The Obama administration has been, with the exception of bagging Osama, an abject economic and foreign policy disaster. Thus, with Obama unopposed in the Democratic primaries, independents may have gone into the GOP looking for an alternative, and have ended up bolstering Romney against the conservative base. Either way, Obama has a problem. If the GOP with its Tea Party and Ron Paul contingents have succeeded in taking the party back to moderate Rockefeller Republicanism (a process I would say started the second Reagan left office), the Democrats' sad, tired old attacks will be as effective as the GOP's bloody shirt tactics were in the 1932 election. If Romney's rise is coming from independents and Democrats coming into the party for reasons other than "raiding" the primaries, then it shows that the Democrats have sunk back to the Carter years among independents, i.e. a party that can't get anything done and makes bad situations in economics and foreign policy even worse when they win the White House. Independents and disillusioned moderate Republicans were a key part of the Obama coalition. If he's lost them, getting an endorsement from the Band Perry won't be enough.

Perry in a Pickle Over Peculiar Petrograph

2011-10-03T15:00:00.000-07:00

Did he paint over it before...he was before...was it before or after the press took a picture of it?

Egyptian Democracy Could Benefit U.S.

2011-02-10T09:12:00.000-08:00

Egypt and Tunisia are large tourist attraction states partially dependent on the tourist trade for a large share of the economy. Not many Egyptians would welcome an Islamist regime that would have every tourist and journalist afraid to go to Cairo lest they become another victim of anti-Western terrorism. Yemen, however, also undergoing upheaval, stands as the Arab nation with the most propensity toward switching to radical Islam. With terrorist attacks having already occurred even under the current regime and little Western investment, the radicals there could impose a Taliban-like theocratic regime. Obviously Egypt has been a staunch ally of the US and has respected the sovereignty of Israel. These actions were wise and gave Egypt the opportunity to develop its economy by fostering friendly relations with the West. Unfortunately the fruits of this alliance have been enjoyed by too few Egyptians. I don't know a lot about modern Egypt, but I do know about our own Egyptian namesake--Memphis, Tennessee, where we have an NBA franchise, a shiny new Forum, and are home to the nation's distribution center. Yet Memphis also has the highest car theft rate in the nation, the highest bankruptcy rate, and foreclosures and violent crimes so numerous that it spawned two television shows, one fictional (Memphis Beat) and one based in an all too true reality (Police Women of Memphis). Perhaps the people of our Memphis should go down to our own defunct pyramid and start protesting like the people in Tahrir Square.

Spring Hill Mayor Giving the Town Away, with No Takers.

2011-01-09T05:57:00.000-08:00

Having already had one meeting to figure out how to make the town more "builder friendly", the mayor of Williamson County's most densely populated town, full of starter homes on 1/3 acre or less lots and huge apartment complexes, wants to have another meeting. This sadly is like the father of an ugly daughter that can't find a husband for her. As I have stated before, you do not oversupply the market and hope demand increases, you create an atmosphere in Spring Hill that drives demand. If you really want to get business thriving in Spring Hill, the mayor needs to have meetings with residents and homeowners to see how we can make the town "resident friendly", and that is unfortunately many times contrary to the wishes of volume builders who have ALREADY left their indelible mark on the town. It does not take a degree in urban planning to explain what is going on in Spring Hill. The recession has hit this area hard, and all real estate markets were hit hard. Why buy in Spring Hill when you can buy a house 15 to 20 minutes closer to the city in the county at a bargain price. Look at any Sunday paper in the "What you can get for..." feature, and you'll be shocked at where you can live currently for Spring Hill prices....Franklin, Brentwood, Thompsons Station, Nolensville. Many times you get more than the low square footage and sardine can sized lot Spring Hill developers offer. A second problem is the intolerable congestion on 31, an impediment to any business wanting to locate in SH, yet local politicians only want to talk about a new exit on 65. Thirdly, we must realize that until GM increases the utilization of the plant, demand for living in one of Nashville's most distant suburbs will not be what it was a decade ago, no matter how many meetings you have with builders to "give away the store."

Maury County Mayhem

2010-10-18T11:43:00.000-07:00

Schools are now back in session after a two week fall break and a power struggle between the Maury County Commission and the Maury County School Board. Ostensibly to show their disapproval at poor performance, the commission seemed to cater to the constituents with kids in Columbia Academy and those older residents without students currently enrolled who wanted to reduce funding. The current budget requires no tax increase and was simply increased by using the schools' own rainy day funds. The county commissioners failed to realize that there is a major cost associated with new growth. You can not approve any and every residential development without thought to how much it will cost the county to educate the students that move in. Both the planning commission and the county commission are charmed by the short term cash that developers throw in their face to gain approval, but then balk when that doesn't come close to covering the burdens to local government of the development. I wonder how many members of the county commission that voted against the school budget were also in favor of some of the poorly planned, poorly built and very densely populated projects that have gone up around the county.

Spring Hill Buys GM regardless of Mexican Investment

2010-09-03T12:42:00.000-07:00

Spring Hill recently agreed to purchase Chevrolet vehicles after the local GM dealer agreed to match the price offered by Dodge. While it seems important that Spring Hill should support GM, I would say that goes only so far as GM is willing to support Spring Hill. The automaker's recent announcement that it would continue to invest and create jobs at a Mexican plant to the detriment of the Spring Hill plant is frustrating to say the least. Spring Hill indeed could have retaliated by buying the Dodge vehicles. At this point I'm not sure if the town's recent display of loyalty is likely to be reciprocated by GM, a company that borrowed millions from taxpayers, and is now shipping more of its operations to Mexico. Does it make sense that Nissan and Volkswagen are making big investments in Tennessee that are considered to be profitable while GM turns its back on the State that along with the rest of the country bailed the company out?

Mayor Dimwit Pushes to Make Town Sprawl Hill

2010-07-15T05:04:00.000-07:00

After controversial comments made earlier that the town needs to become "builder friendly", Dinwiddie is continuing his push to sell out Spring Hill's rural charm to volume builders by having a luncheon for developers at city hall on Monday. Giving developers a free hand at ruining Spring Hill is not the answer to the GM closure. In fact, the oversupply of housing statewide only hurt GM employees more since some that were returning to Michigan could not sell their homes. And now Dinwiddie wants to add more cheap housing to the city? Larger family homes on large lots might be a help to the city, but I don't think that's what Dinwiddie means by being "builder friendly". Thus, I think we can expect more low square footage starter homes and huge overpriced apartment complexes in the near future, developments by the way that have proven consistently deficient in paying for the government burdens that they create with their own property tax revenue. Now just why is it that the mayor wants developers to build more in a market that is already bulging with supply?

Amid Recession, Obama Socializes Medicine

2010-03-25T10:42:00.000-07:00

With home sales stagnant and unemployment rates in double digits, Obama helps ram through an expensive health care bill that offers nothing that will reduce health care costs. Only time will tell how much damage Obamacare will do to the best health care system in the world. Although we possibly could see a drastic decline in quality of care and longer lines and waiting lists for access to care, what we will probably see is that the bill arrived with a lot of fanfare and bragging rights for both sides, but in reality the bill will be little more than a political "flash in the pan". Obama had no choice but to push the bill through, but either way it is a lose-lose situation for Democrats. If the bill had failed, the Obama administration would go into the next election with absolutely NO accomplishments to its credit, but with the bill's approval, voters are blowing the doors off the GOP to get back into the Republican Party, as the Democrats have with the passage of the bill given us their most overt assertion of an agenda of socialism to date. Indubitably the GOP will retake Congress in 1994 fashion this November. If the economy rebounds, Obama perhaps can limp into the 2012 Presidential election on even footing, but if Obamacare inflicts even more financial uncertainty, he himself may have sacrificed his second term on a useless health care bill that is merely symbolic of the leftist leanings of his party.

Lame Duck Bredesen Clueless About Education

2010-02-20T06:54:00.000-08:00

Bredesen's insistence on competing for Obama's "Race to the Top" funds and his desire to change higher education funding from enrollment numbers to graduation rates will do nothing more than take the "Dumbing Down of America" trend to a whole new level. Folks, we don't need to "race to the top" to find out that our public high schools are teenage wastelands of zero student and parent accountability coupled with unrealistic expectations of overworked and underpaid teachers so stressed out it is no wonder things like what happened in Knox County and Huntsville occur. Now we are going to pressure colleges to pass through apathetic, irresponsible, partying college students whom professors ought to fail but will now pass in the name of improving graduation rates and increasing the college's budget. Teachers at any level, especially the collegiate level, should NOT have to choose between their professional integrity and their paycheck. I sincerely hope that Bredesen's replacement has more realistic and credible options on how to improve education in the state. Businesses indeed will not locate in a state that just gives away diplomas and degrees to people that don't deserve them. They won't be worth the paper they're printed on.

Where do Both Parties Go From Here?

2010-01-30T08:32:00.000-08:00

After the Brown victory in Massachusetts and the President's SOtU address, both parties are scrambling to figure out where they should go from here. Democrats, especially in the House, had been retreating from health care reform, fearful for their jobs with their evaluations coming up in November (i.e. the 2010 midterm election), until the President took up his role as chief of party and specifically chastized Democrats for doing so. Republicans are enjoying their newfound popularity as the party of opposition and outrage over the administration's intrusive health care plan and anemic attempts to revive the economy, but seem equally as ambivalent as Democrats about the idea of compromise, and what direction to take next. Coming together to restart the economy and create more jobs would be a step in the right direction for both parties. Clinton and the Republicans were able to share credit for such things as ending AFDC and creating government surpluses, but that was only after the 1994 wake up call. The blue collar conservatives are still wondering if they can trust a party that still refuses to embrace the common sense Reagan populism espoused by people like Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin, and Democrats seem unable to break away from their liberal base and reach out to the non-union middle class. President Obama criticized the agenda of the previous 8 years by saying, "Let's try common sense for a change" but so far neither party has embraced the idea.

Pretty Pol Palin Pushes Populist Power

2009-12-05T06:57:00.000-08:00

Palin's rogue Republican reputation has become so popular that a military base feared one of her book signings there would become a platform for massive protesting against the administration of the Commander-in-Chief. Like many conservatives, I am somewhat ambivalent in my attitude toward Palin and her version of why the McCain camp fell apart, and why she did not take the press to task while they were trashing her ostensibly for her lack of knowledge on foreign affairs and her affinity for expensive clothes, when in reality the left was destroying her because they were absolutely terrified of her populist appeal. Palin may not be the next Ronald Reagan, but she is the only politician out there right now standing up for the "God and Gun" crowd. Contrary to Newsweek's comment that Palin is "bad for the GOP", I tend to believe that anyone that stands up for our first amendment rights to assemble and worship as we choose, and anyone that stands up for our second amendment right to bear arms, and anyone that stands up for the sanctity of life, is...well, since no one else is doing it...is....Sarah Palin.

Poll Shows Obama Taking Us Down Wrong Track?

2009-10-29T19:16:00.000-07:00

A new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll shows that a majority of Americans think the country is going down the wrong track. The poll is surprising considering other indicators that the economy is pulling out of recession. I believe what the poll is showing is that even though some indicators are slightly improving, they are minuscule in comparison with the massive amounts of government money recently injected into the economy, thus many economists are uncertain about the longevity of the recovery. As taxpayers we don't seem to be getting a lot of bang for the buck. Unemployment remains near 10%, and the health care bill has stalled, endangered not by the minority Republicans as much as by bickering between moderate and liberal Democrats.

9/11 Community Fair Celebrates Local Government

2009-09-13T05:01:00.000-07:00

The Rutherford County Sheriff's Department pulled off another great 9/11 festival. Citizens got to check out displays from a variety of government agencies. Lavergne's police department always has the coolest vehicles and equipment, but then again, being right across the state line from the 'hood, they probably need all of it. The US Army National Guard had a fully operational helicopter that took off for the spectators, as well as Vanderbilt's hospital wing chopper. To remember the 9/11 victims, local mayors and state legislators individually rang a bell while a huge contingent of motorcycle riding POW/MIA's looked on. This is one of my favorite community events, where we get to see how our tax dollars are spent and, though opposing the massive expansion of useless federal government, can appreciate the protection of the U.S. military and the practical amenities afforded by local and state government that impact us every day. And while the MPD might have had a problem with one of its canines last week, I must say that the mounted patrol's horses were some of the most docile mounts I've seen. Kids were walking all around them and petting all over them, and they seemed to like all the attention. The county also had some of their search and rescue German Shepherds that were kid-friendly.

Opah Greek Grill

2009-08-07T20:39:00.000-07:00

I visited this establishment and freely recommend it to anyone. The sandwiches are huge and delicious. You'll get fat, hot pita bread filled with tasty meat, onions, peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, feta cheese, and cucumber or ranch dressing, accompanied by rice, hummus, Greek salad or fries, all for a low combo price. Located near the Old Fort Wal-Mart, try it out. This strip mall is located in a part of town that has been developed for a long time, so it's a smart growth choice for Greek cuisine.

From "White Only" to "No Gun Owners"--Restaurants Poised to Discriminate

2009-07-21T05:05:00.000-07:00

The restaurant industry in Tennessee, having lost out after lobbying the legislature not to lift restrictions to the hangun carry permit, now plans to pressure restaurants to post "No legal guns" signs on their doors. Not only does the posting of this sign make permit holders feel like African-Americans walking by a restaurant that has a sign that reads "White Only", but restaurants that follow their lobby organization's desires will stand to lose thousands of dollars in revenue. In this time of economic uncertainty, when so many American families are cutting back on the luxury of eating out, can restaurants really afford to tell a large segment of the population, "You aren't welcome!"?

Guns Banned on the Greenway

2009-07-10T09:10:00.000-07:00

Well, this was really a nonevent, wasn't it? Murfreesboro is an anti-gun town, a Franklin "wannabe" full of new Southerners bringing in liberal views to impose on the backwards South like a wave of 21st century carpetbaggers. The bickering back and forth will actually make the parks safer. Permit holders will watch the parks and the Greenway zealously for any news of crime so they can nail the opponents of handgun carry to the wall. The anti-gunners, which include the majority of the municipal government, will vehemently seek to beef up security in the parks to make sure that doesn't happen. The mayor and council took their stand, so don't think they aren't taking the necessary "CYA" contingencies up with the Murfreesboro Police Department. With both sides of the issue watching like hungry hawks and hounds, criminals will stay away, and we all benefit. It's a win-win situation for park users.

Restaurant Parking Lot Robberies to Continue. Thanks, Bredesen!

2009-05-28T16:29:00.000-07:00

Governor Bredesen vetoed the restaurant carry bill. Erroneously called the "guns in bars" bill by the liberal media, the bill would allow people with handgun permits to carry into establishments that serve alcohol. As the law stands now, I have to walk in and out of restaurant parking lots unprotected, leaving my gun unsecure in my locked vehicle, where it is apt to be stolen. I am incensed by the left's semantics, so for the record, let us reflect on the "bars" in Tennessee that we take our kids to all the time-- O'Charley's, Applebee's, Olive Garden, Macaroni Grill, Pizza Hut, Chili's, Outback Steakhouse, etc. These are family restaurants with kids' menus that just happen to serve alcoholic drinks. Most of us patronize these restaurants without drinking alcohol. Yet the left with its "guns in bars" hysteria has us thinking of people carrying guns into topless nightclubs at 2AM. People wanting to do that, I dare say, probably don't even know what a legal gun permit is. This was a common sense addendum to our established handgun carry program and a modification available in most other states with concealed carry permits. Let us hope cooler heads prevail in the legislature and Bredesen's veto is overridden. Only then will it be safe to go out to eat in Memphis.

County Was Right to Reject New York Developer on Bible Park!

2009-05-16T04:49:00.000-07:00

Modern day carpetbagger Armon Bar-Tur attempted to bring a theme park to Rutherford County but was rejected when he failed to achieve a two-thirds vote on a rezoning appeal. Now the county is enveloped in a chain of lawsuits from property owners and the developer over alleged unconstitutional acts. The developer's lawsuit is nothing more than "sour grapes" whining--"I didn't get my way, so I'm going to sue". Ever since the Kelo v. City of New London decision, developers like Bar-Tur feel that they can strongarm local governments into complicity with large scale developments that enrich their financial enterprises while devastating the property values of others. Theme parks are about as financially rewarding and beneficial to a community as an enclosed mall. Two Tennessee venues come to mind--the Mall of Memphis and Libertyland. Come now, Rutherford County, we all know that we are better off without eyesores like those in our community. The county should have denied the application, and we are all better off without the park, but we would not be in the litigious mess we are in if not for the 12 commissioners who voted for the proposal. The rezoning application should have been a unanimous vote "NO". Thus we would not be fighting over the two-thirds rule. I wonder if some of the 12 who voted for a theme park in the already congested and overbuilt Blackman area in truth wanted it to fail and, knowing that 9 would oppose it, chose to play politics with the two-thirds rule. That type of thinking now has us in hot water. Wilson County apparently learned from Rutherford County's mistakes. Lebanon's hostile stance was obviously so united that Bar-Tur quickly withdrew his plans without any lawsuit threats.

Obama Reaches Out to Socialist Dictator Chavez

2009-04-19T14:00:00.001-07:00

Obama gave hearty handshakes to Hugo Chavez and accepted a book blaming the U.S. for all of the ills south of the border. Hugo Chavez engages in a style of socialism known as Bolivarianism and has been lauded with honorary degrees from Russia and China. I guess Obama counts accepting the ideas of Chavez as the "change we need." In a time when Mexican drug violence is spilling across the border, Obama should be chastizing our southern neighbors and threatening to invoke the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, but instead has nothing but good to say about the Latin American states. Mexico had the audacity to claim earlier this month that the cartel violence was due to the U.S. ending its ban on "assault weapons", and Obama paralleled their effrontery by waffling on the issue instead of calling the Mexicans to task for their pitiable and lamentable job of securing their country and their grossly hypocritical views on the porous American border. I hope the GOP leadership is taking notes. All of these photo ops will be great four years from now.

American Waffle Company--Smart Growth!

2009-04-13T15:01:00.000-07:00

I had an opportunity over the weekend to visit the new American Waffle Company on Church Street. This new eatery opened in an abandoned Cheesesteak Factory location in an old strip mall with multiple vacancies (Why are we currently building new strip malls in the 'boro, then?) It is within walking distance of the Summerlake and Indian Park apartments. It is pretty much the same fare as you'd get at Waffle House. The waffles smelled really good, but I hardly ever buy breakfast out as I can do a superior job with that meal at home. I hope the restaurant is able to make a go of it. With the apartments so close, it offers a "green" choice for eating out, because you don't have to drive to get there. With the offices and banks nearby, they should do a respectable lunch business, although nearby Sonic offers some stiff competition for affordable burgers. I plan to visit them again, especially in the summer when I'm off.

EU Shows Obama No Love!

2009-03-25T18:00:00.000-07:00

Well, now that Obama is in the White House, all is well with U.S.-European relations, right? Wrong. Contrary to what Europeans and liberal Americans claimed during the election, it wasn't the Bush administration that Europeans disliked--it is our nation itself with its vast freedoms and the opportunities we afford ALL of our citizens that they view with an ardent jealousy that borders on hatred. (I'm not sure why so many people feel that the U.S. should just bow down and lick the boots of Europe anyway. Thomas Jefferson was a great diplomat in Europe, but he believed in U.S. independence and sovereignty!) Thus it was no surprise when Czech president Mirek Topolanek bashed Obama, calling his economic plan a "road to hell." So Obama is now being criticized by the liberal socialists of Europe as well as the fiscal conservatives in America. Hmm. Maybe Europe didn't fall in love with the U.S. again like the Dems promised. But, hey, maybe I like Europe again.

The GOP attacks Rush

2009-03-04T14:54:00.000-08:00

In the last 3 days the national news have highly publicized the GOP's disapproval of Rush Limbaugh. AOL put on its website the headline "Does Rush speak for the Republican Party?" What the liberal media chooses not to talk about, however, is that the real question is not whether Rush speaks for Republicans, but "Does the Republican Party speak for conservatives anymore?" Any conservative that has followed politics closely for the last couple of years is not surprised at all that the GOP is choosing to turn away from Rush as they have seemingly turned a deaf ear on all conservatives. The party has chosen to turn away from one of conservatism's greatest communicators because the party verily is no longer speaking for the average conservative. The current GOP is Democrat Lite, Diet Democrat, whatever you want to call it. The party gets away with it because of the resurgence of the Democrats' left wing, making THEM to voters seem like Communist Lite or Diet Socialists.

Saturn a Victim of Its Own Success and Poor Attention from GM

2009-02-18T16:03:00.000-08:00

Everyone knew that GM had too many brands, even after killing Oldsmobile several years ago. Few thought that Saturn would be killed, though. After all, the Saturn concept sought to challenge the Japanese in the 80's by making cars in America that were fuel efficient, reliable, affordable, and as fun to buy as they were to drive. The SL series that was introduced during the Reagan administration was an ugly car by anyone's standards, but Saturn's anti-Detroit attitude toward manufacturing and no-haggle pricing caught on with customers. As Saturn developed over the years, though, they seemed to become victims of their own success. The best ideas from Saturn were quickly taken and put into other GM brands, especially Chevrolet. For example, the Cobalt is a rebranded Ion, the Equinox is a VUE, and nearly all the GM brands have something based on the Aura. The customer favorite Ion (descendant of the SL) was discontinued and replaced by the ugly hatchback Astra; thus if you want an Ion you now had to buy a Chevy Cobalt. Saturn models were moved from Spring Hill so that GM could bring struggling models like the ugly crossover Traverse to the Tennessee plant's productive work force. This was a turnoff to Saturn consumers who expected their car to be made in Spring Hill, TN. While GM was busy rebranding Saturn vehicles, it neglected to rebrand any GMC or Chevrolet pickups for Saturn dealers, which hurt them immensely. As for no-haggle pricing, it was adopted by many dealers of all manufacturers, as the modern consumer with Internet access in his pocket no longer fears getting taken by an unscrupulous salesman. My last vehicle purchase was a full size Ford pickup I got at a no-haggle price, which is itself a reflection on the reasons for Saturn's demise. The question now is whether or not current Saturn owners will support GM or switch to Japanese brands. I suppose our next family car could come from Nissan's Smyrna, TN plant.

Obama's Chance and the Impending Rebellion in the GOP

2009-01-21T16:45:00.000-08:00

As Obama takes over, his charisma and resonating populism hearken back to 1981 when Ronald Reagan brought true change to Washington and his party. Hopefully Obama will be the best Democrat since JFK in the White House. His Democratic predecessors (LBJ, Carter, and Clinton) left a lot to be desired--horrible legacies that will be easy for Obama to eclipse. I do think that he will make some tough decisions that will anger some even in his own liberal Democrat Party, perhaps even the very people like Feinstein and Pelosi that were cheering for him yesterday. When Clinton became President, the country was still in good enough shape that we conservatives could take joy in making fun of Slick Willie while we watched him screw the country up royally. With this election, things are different. We are in such a precarious position now that if Obama doesn't get it right, there won't be that much of a country left for the GOP to take back in four years. I choose to be an optimist and think he'll get it right. The feeble economy and unrest in the Middle East also now control his agenda, rather than Obama setting his own. It will be hard for Obama to veer into left field and meddle with current social policies when he's supposed to be working on the economy and the wars in the Middle East.

The Republican Party can now take stock of the damage that has been inflicted over the past decade or so. Social conservatives have been gradually losing power in the party since Reagan left in 1988. Throughout his tenure Bush revealed that "compassionate conservatism" was nothing more than Nixon style repackaging and strategizing of moderate to liberal Republican thinking. The current GOP watched as the liberal media trashed Sarah Palin for, let's face it, two reasons: she believes in God, and she owns a gun. These are the two core wedge issues of the social conservatives, yet they are not supported by today's GOP leadership. Nowhere do you see the division and growing animosity between constituency groups in the GOP more clearly than here in Tennessee, where the Democrats joined with a Republican to appoint renegade Kent Williams as the Speaker of the House. Williams announced today that abortion restrictions and expansion of gun rights was at the top of his agenda. I wonder if we would have heard the same thing from Jason Mumpower if the "real" GOP nominee had been chosen. During the next four years, the GOP needs to face the fact that once again, moderate Republicans have ruined the country and the Party. Only returning to hard core, blue collar social conservatism can restore the GOP.

The Conservative Classicist Says "Merry Christmas"

2008-12-14T18:29:00.001-08:00

I rode the WGNS truck's courtesy float today in the Murfreesboro Christmas parade. It was intended as a ride for those siblings and parents of Cub Scout Pack 197 who couldn't march, but not many chose to ride it, so it ended up basically being my family and another scout's mom on the whole trailer. It was quite appropriate since 1)I'm thinking about a Riverdale JCL float with a classical theme next year and needed a good view of the route and 2)I'm a conservative blogger, and WGNS does broadcast conservatives G. Gordon Liddy and Michael Reagan. Thanks to WGNS for the ride, and the "real" Pack 197 float and cub scouts that were behind us did very well in the judging, winning best scout entry.

Jeff's is a Great Example of Smart Growth

2008-12-07T20:58:00.000-08:00

You've often heard me preach the virtues of patronizing Premiere 6 rather than the new Carmike. Here's another Murfreesboro "smart growth" choice in the field of restaurants--Jeff's on Hancock. This fairly new restaurant set up in a preexisting building in an older part of Murfreesboro off of Mercury. The restaurant serves good home cooked food, and the people that run it are very nice. The chess pie I had featured a crust so light I thought the plate was going to levitate off the table. The smothered pork chop is their specialty and will make you want to break out into the old Joe Diffie tune "Good Brown Gravy". Try them out. You will like the food and are giving your money to people that care about their customers and their community.

Cason Construction

2008-10-21T04:23:00.000-07:00

I submitted this to the Daily News Journal, but as yet they have not printed it. I suppose they accept too much money in ads from out of state volume builders and developers to print it:

In the worst economic crisis of our time, it is easy to simply blame Washington and Wall Street for our troubles, but with the overmarket of construction at the heart of the problem, planning authorities and legislative bodies at the local level must also be accountable for their role in our falling home values. I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees something terribly wrong in approving a massive apartment complex on Cason Lane, one of the most congested streets in town. With major employers in the area slowing down and school enrollment increases lower than projections, you would think we would see a slowdown in sprawl, but as the Daily News Journal reported last week, planners seemingly have "no qualms" about approving anything and everything. I just moved here from the Cordova area of Memphis, and I would hate to see Murfreesboro go down the path of my former city, where corrupt developers completely control public policy. There neighborhoods now start to bust before they have fully boomed. The developers just move down the road and do it all over again, leaving the rest of us to deal with the crime, sprawl, and foreclosures that stem from growth that is not sustainable.

History Repeating Itself with the Economy

2008-10-06T16:36:00.000-07:00

Despite the federal government's injection of 700 billion, the economy still continues to fall. This is also precisely what happened in 1929 when first Richard Whitney, and later William C. Durant and the Rockefellers, attempted to inject more money into the system to bolster confidence and stop the fall. In my opinion, the government should buy mortgages directly from the PEOPLE, not the banks. Many people facing foreclosure would like to simply sell their home at appraisal value or less to get out and purchase a cheaper home they can afford. Many people have homes they desperately need to sell so they can purchase another home in another area due to relocation. During the Great Depression, the government had to enact policies to stop overproduction in farming. With the culprit in this downturn the housing overproduction, local, state, and federal government needs to come up with a plan to deal with the oversupply of housing now and a plan to prevent it in the future. To me the glut of subdivisions and strip malls is the equivalent of the stock buying boom of the 1920's. In the 20's people borrowed money for stock that deflated, and now millions of homeowners have borrowed money for homes that have devalued. Buying homes back from struggling homeowners saves the banks and the people from ruin, whereas simply taking toxic subprime mortgages off the bank ledgers still leaves people facing foreclosure of their homes (by the government now rather than the previous private bank owner). The federal government could then use the oversupply of homes purchased for government housing programs through agencies such as HUD or property grants to the states for their own local housing programs. The government still does this for farm products now. That's what commodities are (you know, "government cheese" and the like). It's time to do something like that with houses.

Don't Bail out Banks so Developers Can Do it Again!

2008-09-29T21:10:00.000-07:00

Bailing out banks suffering from devalued mortgage backed securities without also addressing the glutted housing surplus that created the financial crisis simply feeds the problem. It is easy to point the finger at Washington and the failing banks who made risky subprime mortgage loans, but local elected bodies and planning commissions in this county and elsewhere must acknowledge their complicity in approving the massive residential volume construction and commercial developments that have proven to be unsustainable. I would hate to see Murfreesboro go the way of Memphis, where developers completely control public policy and have devastated the community with "boom and bust" development after development, irresponsible behavior that has created untenable sprawl and suburban decay.

How the U.S. Helped Putin

2008-09-13T12:36:00.000-07:00

Now I would say that Esquire magazine is definitely not a source conservative bloggers rush to for insightful political commentary, but I found some of the articles in the October issue refreshing for a magazine that panders to the Dolce & Gabbana crowd of out of touch liberals. In a stunning article, C.J. Chivers chronicles the rise of Vladimir Putin and Russia's growing dominance, all thanks to the U.S. military. How, you ask? Well, before we went on the offensive and took the fight to the Islamic homeland, jihadists were flocking to Chechnya and, as 9/11 would prove, the United States. Smugglers in former Soviet republics made a pretty penny trafficking in illegal immigrant Muslim freedom fighters. The U.S. decision to invade Iraq created a new front and reduced the numbers of Muslims travelling to Chechnya, allowing the Russian military to take control of the region and claim victory. Instead of thanking the U.S., however, uninformed Russians came to the conclusion that Putin was behind the sudden turn of events. Now Putin is poised to begin a reassembly of the Soviet Union, beginning with Georgia. Now folks, we need a Ronald Reagan, and while McCain may not be an exact fit for Reagan's shoes, he's definitely more qualified to protect America than Barack Hussein Obama.

Palin's Power Has Democrats Pouting

2008-09-06T20:26:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama continued to attack Sarah Palin on the campaign trail. You'd think that Palin was running for President, and McCain was the Vice-Presidential candidate. If Obama keeps this up, he may just give the Republican electors a great idea, because an elector can actually do that. In 1988 a Democratic elector voted for Lloyd Bentsen for President and Michael Dukakis for Vice-President. Seriously though, the focus on Palin is proof that she has attracted attention from the undecided and has invigorated the party's conservative base who up to this time were "calling in sick" when asked to work on this campaign. Obama attempted to go after Palin on "earmarks", but can a Democratic candidate who proposes massive tax increases and entitlement expansions really take her to task on that issue and expect voters to take him seriously? One thing that was stated at the GOP convention rang true, and it was nice to hear--we sent the GOP to change Washington, but Washington changed the GOP. Palin's presence on the ticket is a strong move in correcting the damage, and the Obama camp knows it, which is precisely why they are acting as if she has to be defeated, not McCain. With Palin taking the side of the oldest President elected to a first term, she would be the most populist and politically active VP since Teddy Roosevelt, and we all know how that turned out. Is this barracuda the bull moose the GOP has been looking for?

In local news I would encourage everyone to patronize the Premiere 6 theatre in Murfreesboro. The popcorn is great, there is less traffic than on that awful Cason Lane, and the theatre has less traffic. Going to Premiere 6 is also the environmentally friendly, anti-sprawl thing to do, since Premiere has been here for years, and Carmike represents new construction in a congested, sprawling area that could have negative effects for Murfreesboro in years to come.

Palin Poised to Court Conservatives (and Women)

2008-08-29T19:32:00.000-07:00

McCain's choice of Governor Palin was a great strategy on two fronts. Disenchanted female Hillary supporters now have a woman on the national ticket who has a record of standing up for herself as a woman, such as responding to criticism in Alaska over her pregnancy while in office. On the other hand, Palin is a member of the NRA and hails from the state where the .357 Magnum is considered a wimp load; her selection now energizes the right wing of the GOP already incensed at solidly anti-gun Joe Biden's placement on the Democratic ticket. In my opinion Palin was the perfect choice to both play to Hillary's voters and to the conservatives who've been waiting for a reason to vote for McCain. Even outspoken liberal media outlets have admitted that Palin is a "totally regular person", so she will likewise draw independent votes as well. The Vice-Presidential candidacy is all about attracting votes and not about experience; thus McCain and his advisers chose prudently. Palin can herself use the candidacy to bolster her own career, putting herself in an excellent position to contend for the nomination and control of the Republican Party in 2012 whether she is living in the U.S. Naval Observatory at that time or not.

Biden Choice May Bite Obama Camp

2008-08-23T08:06:00.000-07:00

While the GOP searches for a way to activate its apathetic base, the Obama campaign may have just given them a much needed shot in the arm. All of Obama's progress toward reaching out to disenchanted Republicans may have just taken a U-turn with his selection of Joe Biden as running mate. Joe Biden's "F" rating with the NRA, coupled with his vociferous support for gun control measures of all flavors, make it highly unlikely that any gun owner will now be able to vote for the Democratic ticket, no matter how great the ambivalence toward McCain. With Biden a staunch liberal, the Democrats have elected to go with a double "L" ticket, gambling that anti-Bush sentiment is so high they can comfortably veer to the far left with impunity. Perhaps they are correct, but likewise it virtually guarantees that the first term of an Obama administration would create such an ideological sea change that would fail so demonstrably, the country would be begging the GOP back in 2010. Indeed, I'd look for the biggest turnout in an off-year election in 2010 since 1994.

On a lighter note, I attended the inaugural Battle of the Boro last night. Oakland took advantage of Riverdale's smaller, weaker defense and snapped the Warriors' seemingly perpetual winning streak. Riverdale defenders couldn't even use their small size to their advantage, as several tackles were missed as the Warriors just couldn't catch up to heavier Patriot runners. Warrior offense seemed OK except for some foolish penalties, but of course the Riverdale "O" was only on the field for a few minutes of the entire game. Well, you can't win them all (defending champ Smyrna dropped a loss as well). Antioch is next on the Riverdale "chopping" block. What other surprises await Middle Tennessee this season under the Friday night lights?

Smart Growth Needed in Murfreesboro?

2008-07-31T08:30:00.000-07:00

I haven't lived in Murfreesboro long, but some questions come to mind when looking at all the new development going on. Why did Krystal need a new restaurant? Why did Old Navy need a new building? Why are there two Shoney's within a stone's throw of each other? Most have already heard about the nationwide downsizing of Starbucks which will affect most cities including Murfreesboro. Such unwise business practices in collusion with city planners are not in the best interest of Murfreesboro. In this economic recession, we are sure to see more and more vacancies and businesses going out of business. It doesn't make sense to give developers a blank check to develop open property when there are a growing number of vacant existing structures ready to be leased. One only has to look at my old community in Cordova(Memphis)to see where this type of "boom and bust" development leads--straight to an overabundance of commercial and residential property, lower property values, rising crime, and the desire of many to "move down the road". Don't get me wrong--I love Murfreesboro, but I see some Cordova-ish development practices that are going to ruin the city if they aren't restrained.

Britain's "Labour" Party- For the People Working Hard or Hardly Working?

2008-07-10T21:04:00.000-07:00

Today I read an interview with Sir Michael Caine in GQ. Caine spoke out about Britain's high income tax on the wealthy, which he claims at one time was 82%, leading many celebrities like him to emigrate. Caine also mentioned the UK's bloated welfare state, where 1 in 6 households is supported by Britain's handouts. A survey found that in 4 out of 5 of those households "on benefit", the people aren't even looking for jobs, content to let foreign immigrants do the work while the British government (supported by high taxes on the working) pays their way for the rest of their lives. While the problem is nowhere near as bad in the U.S., thanks to people like Ronald Reagan, we still have large numbers on some sort of welfare and a simultaneous influx of illegal alien workers to fill vacant positions. One wonders if U.S. liberals would like to continue to make America more like Britain. As Caine remarked, the way the UK runs its economy, "why wouldn't people want to sit on their arse?" Isn't it quite ludicrous that the left in Britain is called the LABOUR party?

Parents Displeased with Public School Discipline

2008-07-02T20:07:00.000-07:00

An AP poll released June 27th revealed that some 85% of parents feel that a general lack of student discipline is a serious problem, edging out "gangs and violence" as the number two problem, just behind getting and keeping good teachers (at 87%). Of course, the teacher retention problem is consequential to the discipline problem. If 85% of parents are dissatisfied with school discipline, what do you think the percentage of teachers who feel the same way would be? I personally just left the Memphis area after teaching in the public schools there for over ten years. My reasons for leaving were many and varied, but the atrocious behavior of disrespectful students coupled with anemic board disciplinary policies and administrators apathetic to classroom disorder were extremely motivating factors. Parents, students, and teachers can all agree on one thing, though; according to the survey, only 58% of parents thought that a need for more instructional time was a serious problem, second only to the availability of athletic facilities as the least pressing problem. The poll could be helpful if school boards would take a hard look at the data in these results and promulgate tough policy changes to address the fact that more than 83% of parents think that school boards set low expectations for students, leading to both low test scores and inappropriate behavior in school.

D.C. vs. Heller May Help Democrats

2008-06-27T08:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's Supreme Court decision striking down D.C.'s ridiculous gun ban was a great affirmation of the 2nd amendment and does restore a little sanity and credibility to the high court, especially after SCOTUS blew it on the Louisiana death penalty case. After all, the 2nd amendment is one of the shortest and easiest to read in the Constitution. It says what it says and is what it is in plain English. The municipal gun bans in liberal cities across the nation were in defiant opposition to the rule of law and have been in need of judicial review for decades. Now armed with the right to defend themselves, law-abiding citizens of D.C. just might be able to make the nation's capital a fairly nice place to live and visit. The landmark decision is one of only a scant few achievements Bush has in his legacy, as the Scalia decision was supported by his appointees Justices Roberts and Alito. Democrats, however, have much to gain from the decision. With the decision firmly putting gun owners at ease, and if the Democrats can suppress the anti-gun extremists from within their party, Obama could effectively go after millions of votes of gun owners upset over the economy and the Iraq war, with the gun issue taken out of the electoral equation. McCain possibly could benefit, but only if he gets voters to realize that 5-4 decisions like D.C. vs. Heller won't be going conservatives' way in the future if Obama gets to replace a justice or two during his administration.

Obama Can't Play on a Level Playing Field

2008-06-20T06:55:00.000-07:00

For the first time in recent history, a presidential candidate will not accept the $85 million in public funding for the presidential campaign. Obama has elected to forfeit the public money so he can spend double or triple the amount raised in private donations. McCain has pledged to use the public funds, limiting the GOP to that amount. Obama's behavior should make voters take a hard look at Democratic values. Isn't the Democratic Party always harping on "leveling the playing field" with their liberal policies? Yet now Obama is setting the stage to cheat by being able to outspend McCain. As his excuse Obama basically said that the GOP has learned to win on a level playing field, so he has to cheat to win. Also, aren't the Democrats the "working man's" party? Yet Obama is electing to give up public funding so that he can accept millions from liberal celebrities, entrepreneurs, and trial lawyers. Obama has affirmed what conservatives have claimed for years, that the DEMOCRATS are the party of rich and privileged crybabies.