Smart Growth Needed in Murfreesboro?

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?

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

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.