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SUNDAY, JUNE 10, 2012

Redistricting pits state Sens. Kyle, Marrero of Memphis in race (CA/Locker)Democratic primary voters across a broad swath of Memphis must choose between two of the party's Mempleaders -- State Sens. Jim Kyle and Beverly Marrero -- as a result of this year's redistricting of the stlegislature. Shelby County is losing one of the six Senate seats it has held since the 1960s because of slowpopulation growth than other areas, placing Kyle and Marrero together in a newly configured Senate District It covers m ost of the northern part of the city, from Danny Thomas Boulevard to the River Oaks areas eastInterstate 240, including all of Frayser and Raleigh. With similar voting records, the two senators are focustheir campaigns for the Aug. 2 primary on jobs, education and crime, but with different themes. Kyleemphasizing his 29 years of Senate experience, his position as the Senate's Democratic leader "and the fact tas a result, I have the opportunity to do more for my community." Marrero is running a grassroots campa

emphasizing her work on issues affecting women, children and families. She served three years in the Houbefore moving to the Senate in 2007 .http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/jun/10/kyle-marrero-face-off-in-race / (SUBSCRIPTION)

Nashville budget proves tough to cut (Tennessean/Young)A handful of Metro Council mem bers met Saturday to discuss possible changes to Mayor Karl Dean’s proposbudget. Organized by Councilman Steve Glover of Hermitage, the two-hour meeting focused on how to cut ab$92 million from the $1.7 billion operating budget, which has already passed on two readings in the council aincludes a property tax increase of 53 cents. “I tried to lift every rock there was and only got up to $62 millioGlover said. “Even with this amount, it’s ugly. There’s not a person in Nashville who won’t feel it.” In a slideshpresented during the meeting, Glover showed that every Metro government department would be affected by proposed cuts. Among the hardest hit on Glover’s list were schools, with anywhere from $7.5 million to $

million in cuts, and Metro General Hospital, with $10 million in cuts. “I’ve got people in my district saying thdon’t want to pay the increased property taxes,” Glover said. “Everything we discussed here today is whawould look like, broad stroke, if we cut. The purpose was to walk through what the numbers would look like wthe cuts and turn it over to a legal adviser to get an idea of how many people would be impacted.”http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120610/NEWS0202/306100068/Nashville-budget-proves-tough-cut?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNews&nclick_check=1(SUBSCRIPTION)

Haslam sees boost from tax reform (Chattanooga Times Free-Press)Gov. Bill Haslam said last week that ending the state's inheritance and gift tax will generate m ore money Tennessee than what it will cost the state's tax coffers. The Tennessee Legislature this year voted to phase the state's inheritance and gift taxes. The Volunteer State was one of 19 states that taxed estates. Connecticu

the only other state to impose a state tax on gifts. "Ending the inheritance tax will leave more capital in the staand the more capital we can get to come or stay in our state the better it will be for Tennessee," Haslam treporters and editors at the Chattanooga Times Free Press. "I do think we're headed in the right directionTennessee, and I feel very good about where we are competitively among the states." The TennessDepartment of Revenue estimates the state will lose an estimated $104.1 million in revenue annually when tinheritance tax is fully eliminated by 2016. The gift tax will end July 1, costing the state about $15 million a yeahttp://timesfreepress.com/news/2012/jun/10/business-brie fcase/ 

TDOT to develop traffic information app (Tennessean/Sisk)The Tennessee Department of Transportation is putting together an app for Android and Apple phones t

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would give real-time traffic information, Gov. Bill Haslam said at a tech conference Tuesday.Haslam and an asaid TDOT hopes to release an app by the fall that would pull data from the department’s network of tracameras. Haslam told information technology specialists at the D igital Government Summit in Nashville that department currently has all the data on hand (traffic info is already fed into the Tennessee EmergenManagement Agency’s Ready TN disaster-preparedness app), but the trick is getting it to drivers immediatelyyou’re the governor and you’re riding around with state troopers and you’re wondering how does I-40 lookwhat’s the best route home today — I can get all that information real easily,” he said. “We want to make thatthat everybody can.“It might mess up some of my fast ways hom e, but I’m willing to take that chance.”http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120610/NEWS01/306100067/Political-notebook-TDOT-develop-traffic-information-app?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNews&nclick_check=1(SUBSCRIPTION)

Gov. Haslam to stump for Debra Maggart (Tennessean/Sisk)A third Friend of Bill has been identified in the person of state Rep. Debra Maggart, the House RepublicCaucus chairman. Haslam confirmed to reporters Tuesday that he will appear at a fundraiser next week Maggart, who faces tea party activist and former B ridgestone comm unications executive Courtney Rogers in August Republican primary. Gun rights advocates and some tea party groups are backing Rogers after Maggwho has represented Hendersonville since 2005, backed a decision not to hold a floor vote on legislation thwould let gun owners take their weapons into workplace parking lots.“Debra just asked us to help. She was tHouse caucus leader and did a really nice job during this session,” Haslam said. “I thought she did take a lotunmerited heat.”http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120610/NEWS01/306100067/Political-notebook-TDOT-develop-traffic-information-app?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNews&nclick_check=1(SUBSCRIPTION)

Haslam: No endorsements in 3rd District primary (Associated Press)Gov. Bill Haslam says he doesn't plan to endorse any candidate in the contested Republican primary in the 3Congressional District. The Republican governor told the Chattanooga Times Free Press he has decidedsupport certain incumbents in the Legislature because he has worked closely with them. But Haslam said he wstay out of the 3rd District race where freshman Rep. Chuck Fleischman faces dairy executive Scottie Mayfiand Weston Wamp, the son a former longtime congressman. Fleischmann has drawn the endorsements of USen. Lamar A lexander and former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. But Sen. Bob Corker, a former Chattanoomayor, has joined Haslam in withholding an official endorsement of any of the candidates. Wamp has dismissFleischmann's endorsements as "one Washington insider endorsing another Washington insider."http://www.wbir.com/news/article/222486/2/Haslam-No-endorsements-in-3rd-District-primary

Degrees of success: MTSU striving to improve its student graduation rate (DNJ)MTSU graduate Trey Schruff is proof it’s possible to earn a college degree in 3 1/2 years. “It’s tough, but doable,” said Schruff, who earned a bachelor’s degree in applied sciences with a major in music business frthe recording industry department during May’s commencement. Schruff, though, is the exception in higheducation. At MTSU, for example, only 52.9 percent of its students who began in fall 2004 graduated by 201according to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. That was fourth best among the state’s four-ypublic universities. UT-Knoxville had the best rate at 66.8 percent, followed by Tennessee Tech with 55percent and UT-Martin at 54.3 percent. Nearly half of students enrolling at MTSU don’t graduate and nearlyfifth don’t make it past freshmen year, troubling and tell-tale stats for a university that recently boastedawarding its 100,000th undergraduate degree during its centennial commencement ceremony this spring. Founiversity with an average enrollment of more than 25,000 the last few years, the question raised is whakeeping more students from walking the line?http://www.dnj.com/article/20120610/NEWS07/306100017/Degrees-success-MTSU-striving-improve-its-studengraduation-rate?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE&nclick_ check=1(SUBSCRIPTION)

Officer taking aim at treed bear on UT campus (News-Sentinel/Brake)A bear who had been the subject of numerous sightings around the University of Tennessee campus has betreed by officers from the Knoxville Police Department and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. The behad climbed a tree in front of the Panhellenic Building on 16th S treet at the edge of the UT campus, and officwere planning to bring the bear down with a tranquilizer gun according to officers at the scene at 12:25 tmorning. The University of Tennessee sent out an alert at 11:24 p.m. Saturday stating that black bears wsighted around campus. Apparently there is just one bear, but officers said there were so many report

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sightings in such a short time that it at first was thought to be several bears. Officers said they have no idea hthe bear got on campus. Bears, which have a w ide range, are known to show up in odd places in search of foespecially when it becomes scarce in the wild. In the past there have been bear sightings in the Old Ciresidences in Townsend and on the streets of Gatlinburg.http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/jun/09/black-bears-sighted-around-tennessee-campus/ 

Tennessee lawmakers bend rules to help each other (C. Appeal/Locker)

Absentees often cast vote, state finds A longtime practice in the Tennessee legislature of lawmakers voting colleagues who are momentarily away from their desks is coming under new scrutiny after some wdiscovered not to be even at the statehouse. One veteran Memphis member, Rep. Lois DeBerry, a Democrturned back the $174 daily expense paym ent for a day in which she was absent but listed as voting "present"the House floor. DeBerry said colleagues erroneously assumed she was running late because her office failedfile an absence letter that would have shown her as "excused" on the cham ber's roll-call board. Rep. Mark WhR-Memphis, acknowledged punching the electronic desktop vote buttons of seat mates w hen they are out restroom breaks or m eetings with constituents outside the chamber. Officials agree that while voting colleagues m omentarily away from desks on the House and Senate floors is a longstanding tradition, a Nashvtelevision station's recent report may lead to a crackdown on abuses. The WTVF report included two EaTennessee Republicans trading out parts of long days on the floor and voting for each other for extendperiods.http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/jun/10/lawmakers-bend-rules-to-help-each-other/ (SUBSCRIPTION)

Four-candidate scramble in Senate District 8 race (News-Sentinel/Humphrey)Horse slaughter, deer farming and raw milk sales might be ignored in most political campaigns, but not in tsummer's four-candidate, six-county Republican primary race that will decide who succeeds retiring state SeMike Faulk. "The horse is a very intelligent animal. In my personal opinion and the opinion of humane societI've talked w ith, we don't need to be killing them for human consumption," said candidate Jeff Brantley of SharChapel. "What's next? Dogs and cats?" Candidate F rank Niceley of Strawberry Plains, as a state representatihas pushed legislation that would clear the way for operation of horse slaughter facilities. The bills have faileHe has also unsuccessfully sponsored legislation that would legalize keeping whitetail deer in captivity asell ing them — an idea Brantley said he also opposes. Critics say such a move would raise the r iskTennessee's native whitetails becoming infected with illnesses brought in by imported, domesticated deincluding chronic wasting disease. Proponents say deer farming would be a new source of income in rucounties.http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/jun/10/four-candidate-scramble-in-senate-district-8/ 

District 13 candidates push familiarity with legislature (News-Sentinel/HumphreyEach boasts up-close view of lawmaking Vanderbilt Brabson, who previously worked for the state Legislatuand Gary Loe, who previously watched lawmakers as part of working, are this summer competing against eaother to become a member of the General Assembly. Both of the Republican candidates for House District say their past encounters with the lawm aking process were an inspiration and a learning experience, providinkey item on the resume they are submitting to voters in seeking to represent a diverse slice of the Knox Coulandscape. "Rather than reporting on the Leg islature on the sidelines, I thought I might instead be getting thindone to help the community if I was there myself," said Loe, responding to a question on why he wantedbecome a legislator. "I believe in better. We can do better," said Loe, who watched lawmaking in past years areporter for WBIR-TV occasionally assigned to visit Nashville." Believe in better" was a theme line in Gov. Haslam's "State of the State" speech to the General Assembly in January. Loe said he did not realize ththough he had heard the phrase used by other politicians.http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/jun/10/district-13-candidates-push-familia rity-with/ 

Survey says most favor school vouchers (Tennessean/Sisk)The Beacon Center of Tennessee, a libertarian-leaning Nashville think tank, says that a survey it sponsoshows that Tennesseans support school vouchers. The survey, which likely will kick off a push for vouchers

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the state legislature next year, put support for vouchers at 59 percent, with 31 percent of Tennesseans opposThe Beacon Center joined with the Friedman Foundation for Education Choice to underwrite the telephosurvey of 606 likely voters, which carries a margin of error of 4 percentage points.According to the survreleased Tuesday, Tennesseans are m uch less likely to respond that the state spends too little per student whtold how much it does spend — a fact that suggests proponents of vouchers will want to make per-puspending a big part of their message. The survey also found that respondents were likely to support “onlschools” but unlikely to support “virtual schools,” even though the terms refer to the same concept.http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120610/NEWS01/306100067/Political-notebook-TDOT-develop-traffic-information-app?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNews&nclick_check=1

Educate and Grow program still subject to cuts in budget scramble (T-N)A scholarship program that’s helped about 2,500 local high school graduates go on to college hasn’t yet bedeclared off limits from potential government cuts as Sullivan County officials scramble to cover a multimilliodollar budget gap they’ve allowed to build up for several years. “Educate and Grow” is funded by logovernments to give local high school graduates the opportunity to further their education at Northeast StCommunity College. Each year since 2001, Sullivan County has set aside $200,000 in its annual budgetprovide funding for the program, which has been viewed as a model by other localities and brought favoraattention from across the nation. Members of the Sullivan County Com mission’s Administrative Committhowever, voted last week to recommend eliminating all county funding for the program beg inning July 1.http://www.timesnews.net/article/9047743/educate-and-grow-program-still-subject-to-cuts-in-sullivan-c ounty-budget-scramble

Tennessee cities pulling out of state pension plan (Times-News)The Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System bills itself as “one of the best-funded pension plans in tnation,” but some local governments have been pulling their new hires out of the plan. The city of K ingsport dSo did Johnson City and Tri-Cities Regional Airport. The reason: These cash-strapped political entities hafound their contributions into TCRS to be too costly. “Fifty-four (governmental entities) were at or above percent of payroll (with TCRS employer contributions). ... Speaking as a former county commissioner, that teme they are under a bit of funding pressure,” said Tennessee Treasurer David Lillard Jr., who oversees TCRFor instance, TCRA’s TCRS contribution expense is almost 18 percent of payroll. The airport decided to go wa different defined contribution plan that would have a maximum 9 percent of payroll cost. Kingsport’s aJohnson City’s TCRS pullout, in particular, got Lillard’s attention.http://www.timesnews.net/article/9047745/tennessee-cities-pulling-out-of-state-pen sion-plan

Hearing on city budget coming (Leaf Chronicle)Clarksville City Council passed the proposed 2012-13 budget on the first reading Thursday night. The puhearing and second reading of the budget will be at 5 p.m. June 18 in the City Council Chambers. “As I have sbefore, my goal is to make the budget process as open, transparent and informational as possible,” Mayor KMcMillan said in a press release. “We have made the budget information available in several ways so tmembers of the public can access it.” On the city’s website, citizens can access the full budget of eadepartment, including power point and video presentations, a departmental expenditure line item summarydepartmental expenditure budget detail, budget summ aries and the m ayor’s letter to the citizens which providan overview. To see this information, log on to http://www.cityofclarksville.com/2012-13BudgetProcess.php .http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20120609/NEWS01/306090006/Hearing-city-budget-coming?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE&nclick_c heck=1(SUBSCRIPTION)

Cooper m akes short list of gridlock busters (Tennessean/Stroud)U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Nashville, earned some of the positive notice he was craving when he sponsored t“No Budget, No Pay” Act earlier this year — a bid to tie congressional salaries to their ability to pass a fedebudget.Cooper was named on a website, policymic.com, as one of a half-dozen politicians “busting gridlockWashington.” Others named included Newark Mayor Cory Booker, who isn’t in Washington but recently manews for defending big-money players on Wall Street; Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, who gave Coopeproposal a hearing by the committee he chairs ; and Sens. Barbara Boxer, D-Cal., and James Inhofe, Okla.Cooper, not surprisingly, tweeted: “Glad to be named, but what we really need is to build a longer list.”http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120610/NEWS01/306100067/Political-notebook-TDOT-develop-traffic-

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Sen. Andy Berke seeks Chattanooga residents' opinions (TFP/Hightower)State Sen. Andy Berke, D-Chattanooga, will be hosting a "Coffee with Andy" at 8 a.m. Monday at G reyfriaCoffee and Tea, 406 B road St. Berke announced his candidacy for Chattanooga mayor last month. He's holdthe coffee to ask city residents their opinions on the most important issues facing Chattanooga, a news releastates. "As I have throughout my Senate career, I look forward to listening to Chattanoogans dedicated to t

future of our city," Berke said in the release. He already has held one coffee event at a Starbucks in Hixson. Tnews release said he promises to conduct more over the coming months. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/jun/10/chattanooga-berke-seeks-city-residents-opini ons/?local

Medical muscle: Mem orial Hospital records $190 million gain (TFP/Martin)Erlanger and Memorial health systems claim similar shares of the Chattanooga market, and both operate as texempt hospitals. However, their bottom lines couldn't be more different. Over the past six years, nonproMemorial experienced steady growth, bringing in $190 million in profits. Meanwhile, Erlanger, the area's oLevel 1 trauma center and the public safety-net hospital for indigent patients, saw steadily declining profits. Lyear alone, Memorial raked in a record $42.9 million -- more than the $40.7 million Erlanger made over the lsix years. The gap likely will widen this year, with Erlanger losing more than $17 m illion so far. The two hospithave competed for market share in the past, but the most recent numbers show Memorial closing the gap in torevenue numbers and surpassing Erlanger in profits and expansions. Parkridge Health System, the area's f

profit hospital, commands a smaller portion of market share but also saw an increase in revenues and profits.Lawrence Van Horn, associate professor of economics and management at Vanderbilt University, calMemorial's earnings "very consistent" with what most nonprofit hospitals bring in.http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/jun/10/medical-muscle-memorial-records-190/?local

Sticker shock: Hospital charges vary widely, but insurance affects payments (JSCarolyn Davison had stents placed in arteries near her heart twice within about three months last year, onceJackson-Madison County General Hospital and again at Regional Hospital of Jackson. She was furious whshe compared the bills. Jackson General charged her $25,487 to insert two stents, and Regional Hospicharged her $95,503 to insert one stent, a difference of more than $70,000 for the same outpatient procedperformed by the same doctor. There is no excuse, I don’t think, for there to be that much difference in the tbil ls,” Davison said. A study by The Jackson Sun shows that average charges for similar procedures

Jackson’s two hospitals vary widely and are typically much higher at Regional Hospital. The average charges orthopedic surgery, for instance, are more than $91,000 higher at Regional, according to data collected by American Hospital Directory. The differences are a source of shock and confusion for patients. But newspaper’s study also showed that the variations have little effect on what a patient actually pays foprocedure. That is typically determined by agreements between a patient’s insurer and the hospital, which acan vary from hospital to hospital.http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20120610/NEWS01/306100002/ Sticker-shock-Hospital-charges-vary-widely-insurance-affects-payments?nclick_c heck=1(SUBSCRIPTION)

DPS teachers spend summ er vacation realigning curriculum (State Gazette)It may be summer and the kids may be enjoying a well-deserved break from school, but you would be wrongassume that all teachers are doing the same. In the first full week since school let out approximately 15 teachand adm inistrators went right back to work at Dyersburg Primary School, preparing the fall curriculum. Accordto Principal Linda DeBerry, four lead teachers from each grade (kindergarten, first and second) and two from pkindergarten are reviewing the curriculum to ensure that the school's curriculum is in line with Tennessecommon core standards. "We are aligning our curriculum and designing assessments to ensure we are reawhen our students come back August 1," said DeBerry. The Tennessee Department of Education has adoptcommon core standards that were part of the state's No Child Left Behind waiver request. Tennessee was one10 states that was granted the waiver in February of this year based on how it will address improving educatin the state. Tennessee currently ranks in the bottom fifth in the nation in education.http://www.stategazette.com/story/1858422.html

Rutherford County Schools director search cost close to $22,000 (DNJ)Nearly $12,000 in additional costs were for board salaries at meetings Rutherford County Board of Educatio

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recent search for a new director of schools cost nearly $12,000 beyond the $10,000 paid to the TennessSchool Boards Association to assist in finding someone to replace Harry Gill Jr. Jeff Sandvig, the districassistant superintendent of budget and finance, said while the price tag m ore than doubled along the way, althe spending was within the board’s allotted fiscal budget. “I always budget $90,000 for board m ember meetpayments. We don’t use that much unless we get into controversies or a long superintendent search,” Sandsaid. Most of the extra money — $9,625.46 — was in salaries to board members due to meetings thparticipated in related directly to the search. Board members earn $300 for the first meeting of any month a$150 for each additional meeting. Sandvig said because accessing the district’s payroll records can be difficsince they are stored at the County Courthouse, figures he provided to The Daily News Journal did not incluany taxes deducted, but that FICA and Medicare were factored in.http://www.dnj.com/article/20120610/NEWS07/306100018/Rutherford-County-Schools-director-search-cost-close-22-000?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE&nclick_ check=1(SUBSCRIPTION)

OPINION

Tom Humphrey: Haslam treks across state for ceremonial bill signings (N-S)The ceremonial signing season, which is currently under way, m ay in some ways be the antithesis of efficiencygovernment that our governor and all legislators proclaim as a goal. But it en joys great bipartisan popularity. Ostate constitution requires the governor to sign or veto a bill passed by the state Legislature within 10 days afte

reaches his desk or it becomes law without his signature. But the real signature merely marks the beginningthe ceremonial signing season, which can stretch for months after the Legislature has adjourned and the dsigned bil ls are already in effect as laws. About 660 bil ls were really signed into law. You won't see aceremonial signings for measures that involved controversy. In such cases, the less said, the better. And ydarn sure won't see a ceremonial veto for the one m easure Haslam killed this year. Or a ceremonial nonsignof legislation that became law without his ink. No, ceremonies are reserved for bills that were popular with meverybody — or at least the special-interest groups that pushed them w ith no serious opposition.http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/jun/10/tom-humphrey-haslam-treks-across-state-for-bill/ 

Editorial: Judge's secrecy undermines judicial system (News-Sentinel)Ex-judge Richard Baumgartner's secret life as an addict cost him his seat on the bench and his reputation. T

 jur ist who replaced him as trial judge for the Christian/Newsom murder cases now is show ing a distu rbpropensity for secrecy in dispensing justice. Special Judge Jon Kerry Blackwood has removed motions from court files and ordered prosecutors not to refer to them in public. He has used email correspondence insteadissuing orders that would go into the court record. He has held meetings with lawyers in chambers insteadholding public hearings. Such secrecy undermines one of the basic tenets of A merican jurisprudence — tcourt proceedings be held in public to ensure fairness. Blackwood has ordered new trials in the January 20torture killings of Channon Christian, 21, and 23-year-old Christopher Newsom. The state Supreme Court initiarejected Blackwood's decision, but the judge fashioned a new order that asserts witness credibility issues in trials held in 2009 and 2010 prevent him from acting as the "13th juror" as required by state law.http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/jun/10/editorial-judges-secrecy-undermines-judicial/ 

Guest columnist: Metro, like business, should sell us on budget (Tennessean)

While there are undoubtedly a few residents of Davidson County that happily support M ayor Karl Deaproposed 13 percent property tax increase, I have not met them. I have talked to many who support the increaand many who are opposed to it — the nays are much more pointed in their comments. But both camps tmore on philosophy than on specifics. On balance, the mayor’s budget represents an investment in our fututhat we should make, and I hope the Metro Council passes it when it votes for the third time later this monThat said, our Metro government needs to do one heck of a better job outlining the return on the investments tit asks residents to m ake, especially in this environment of economic and political doubt. The proposed budgerational because we should invest in our public schools, invest in the safety of our residents, invest in amenities that enhance the quality of life here and attract new taxpayers, and invest in improved transit. Bthere seems to be an air of arrogance from our leaders when questioned about what our tax increase is buyinghttp://www.tennessean.com/article/20120610/COLUMNIST0111/306100026/Metro-like-business-should-sell-ubudget?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7COpinion%7Cp&nclick_check=1(SUBSCRIPTION)

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Editorial: Open enrollment change has pitfalls to consider (Jackson Sun)The Jackson-Madison County Board of Education recently approved open enrollment, a change in schsystem policy that will allow students to attend any school, not just the schools they are zoned for. The chanhas been welcomed by many, but it can be a two-edged sword. We believe there should be more commundiscussion about the change before it goes into effect for the 2013-14 school year. During more than fodecades, the school system operated under a federal court school desegregation order in which school zon

and school populations were established with the goal of achieving racial balance. Changes in school policy tcould affect racial balance had to be approved by the court, a tedious, time-consuming and often expensprocess. Plaintiffs in the desegregation lawsuit saw the court desegregation order as their primary tool achieving public education fairness. During those often tumultuous years, open enrollment was unthinkable.2010 The school desegregation lawsuit was settled. School system lawyers argued, and the court agreed, ththe school system had done everything it could to achieve racial fairness, and the court declared the systeunitaryhttp://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20120610/OPINION/306100006/Our-View-Open-enrollment-change-has-pitfalls-consider?nclick_check=1(SUBSCRIPTION)

Gail Kerr: Hold Rutherford mosque hearing. Shut up haters. Move o

(Tennessean)

The haters are on the move again in Rutherford County. Chancellor Robert Corlew III’s ruling that the county not provide adequate notice of a planning commission meeting during which it approved a new mosque has off comments like those made by Lou Ann Zelenik, who is running for Congress. She said the ruling shows Muslims building the mosque have been guilty of “Islamic lying.”Good grief. Please, please, RutherfCountians, do not elect someone who would spew such ignorance.And for Pete’s sake, county officials. Put tthing to bed once and for all. You’ve let the haters run their m ouths for two years. Follow the judge’s ordeAdvertise a new meeting. Hold it. Vote for the thing. And let’s move on.The Zeleniks of the world don’t let tfacts stand in the way of a made-up story. Never the less, here are a few of them: Judge Corlew ruled early following federal law, that Islam is a religion. As such, Rutherford County Muslims have a First Amendment rito build a new Islamic Center where the land is properly zoned. And this land is.http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120610/COLUMNIST0101/306100027/Gail-Kerr-Hold-Rutherford-mosquhearing-Shut-up-haters-Move-?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CNews%7Cp&nclick _check=1(SUB)

Times Editorial: A controversy's racial tone (Chattanooga Times Free-Press)The proposed three-way land swap of properties owned -- and unwanted -- by city government, the couschool board and the Chattanooga Housing Authority shouldn't be controversial. Even as amended, it's smutually beneficial for each party. Regrettably, however, it's been played by political and racial concerns thave threatened to unwind it. The properties involved in the patiently negotiated deal are: • Dogwood Manor, last of the three W est Side high-rise towers off Martin Luther King Boulevard for low-income seniors and disabcitizens that the city still owns. Though the building is fully occupied, city officials have long wanted to sell it aget out of the housing business. • The vacant, old East Brainerd Elementary school on East Brainerd Road neGunbarrel Road, which the school board owns and can't use. • The cleared, vacant 20-acre site of the formMaurice Poss Homes, which lies off South Market Street between Interstate 24 and Howard High School. TCHA doesn't want the site and has tried for six years to sell it -- and the school board needs it for facilities fHoward High School.

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/jun/10/a-controversys-racial-tone/?opin iontimes

Columnist: Multi-pronged approach only way to fight obesity (Jackson Sun)Why are people getting fatter? The so-called obesity epidemic is getting a lot of attention these days. Accordto a study published in the journal Obesity, it is estimated that by 2030, over half of American adults will obese. We should care about this because along with obesity come medical problems such as diabetes, hblood pressure, joint problems, stroke and a host of other medical conditions that require treatment, atreatment costs money. That surely will add to health care costs in America, costs that already are stranglbudgets from employers to individuals to government health care services. And obese adults set a terriexample for children. I’m not talking about the small number of people who are obese because of medicconditions such as glandular problems. They are not the problem, and medical science is able to help many

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them, though many still struggle to lead normal lives. They are obese, generally speaking, through no faulttheir own. I’m talking about elective obesity. That’s where people choose to be fat.http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20120610/OPINION/306100001/Bohs-column-Multi-pronged-approach-onlyway-fight-obesity?nclick_check =1(SUBSCRIPTION)

Greg Johnson: Presidential choice is businessman or social worker (N-S)Tell the truth: If you owned an enterprise that once was the envy of the world, but that enterprise was n

limping along, growing far below potential, was running unimaginable deficits year after year, was staggerunder enormous and ever-increasing debt and faced fierce competition from every corner of the globe, woyou hire a social wo rker to turn things around? Or, concerned about the interests of the other owners of the ouwhile worrying about the w orkers who will be harmed if hard choices are not m ade to keep the enterprise aflowould you go for a guy who has experience in turning around not one, not two nor three, but multiorganizations that were on the doorstep of doom? The honest among us, those not captivated by ideology, womake the sensible, sentient choice: We'd pick the person who has beat back bankruptcy, done hard stuff in face of failure and breathed life into entities close to drawing their last. But this is America. And this is politics.http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/jun/10/greg-johnson-presidential-choice-is-busin essman/ 

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