All political sources from across the state expect that Governor William Haslam will be running for President of the United States in the next four to eight years. What better campaign issue and agenda but to show that Tennessee is smarter after a four to eight year stint as Governor of Tennessee.
But how can Tennessee become smarter and not while a Governor is a tax and spender like Mitt Romney. Remember Romney raised lots of taxes for his RomneyCare (a state mandated health insurance plan)so Haslam doesn’t want to do that. As a matter of fact instead of raising taxes, why not lower taxes of food? Lower it a little this year, a little next year, all while getting the free publicity for being a tax reducer. While I like that, it just seems like they are doing it for political posturing.
So, for political posturing reasons the state can not raise tax revenue to make Tennessee smarter. But, if the larger counties and school systems could raise the money and get a sudden spike in test scores. Then you have a Governor that reduced taxes and made the State smarter.
So, let’s see Metro Nashville Public Schools asked for $48 million in new money. Read it here. Mayor Karl Dean proposed it and it appears they will get most if not all of it. In Knox County, the school district asked for $35 million in new dollars. But (Ruh Roh) Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett said “oh no you didn’t” and “oh no you ain’t” After a campaign by the Chamber Partnership, Great Schools Partnership and many members of the silk stocking crowd and then a campaign by those rogue pesky tea partier conservatives and “knuckle draggers” the public won out and the schools got $4 million for a “Community School Initative” they also receive the $3 million for Mayor Burchett’s proposed “reading initiative”
But that is all, $4 million instead of $35 million. No tax increase!
At least a couple County Commissioners have said they receieved phone calls from Mr. James A. Haslam, Jr. the father of Governor William Haslam advocating the $35 million in new “Knox County” tax dollars for schools.
One issue that I asked District Attorney General Randy Nichols at his press conference, State Senator Stacey Campfield at a Center City Republican Club and State Senator Becky Massey at a recent breakfast gathering of 20 professionals was this. Here in Knox County, we taxpayers send $40 million dollars to Nashville to be redistributed to the other school districts through the states BEP (Basic Education Program).
If we in Knox County could keep that $40 million here and have the state leave us alone. Knox County would be that bright shining school system in the state. Where kids are smarter, the men are stronger and the ladies are more beautiful.
