FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 2011 U.S.

Education Secretary Praises Tennessees Reform Efforts (TN Report)

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan did everything Wednesday but come out and say Tennessee will get the waiver it seeks from the No Child Left Behind law, and he had glowing things to say about the states education reform efforts. I just love what I see here, Duncan said. What I see here is courageous leadership at the top. I see a governor who is walking the walk. I see he is building a fantastic leadership team. I think hes uniting the state behind this effort. Duncan appeared with Gov. Bill Haslam at a panel discussion at West End Middle School in Nashville and again at a roundtable discussion with rural educators and business leaders hosted by the State Collaborative on Reforming Education, also in Nashville. Both men met with reporters following each event. Tennessee, pointing to unreachable expectations in the federal No Child Left Behind law, has publicly sought a waiver from current demands in the law, and Duncan is revamping the system to accommodate waivers. http://www.tnreport.com/2011/08/education-secretary-praises-tennessee%E2%80%99s-reform-efforts/

EPA grants Valero refinery a waiver to sell winter-grade gasoline (CA/Risher)

The government on Thursday temporarily loosened a restriction on gasoline sold in Shelby County to avoid a crimp in supplies because of the Valero refinery outage. The Environmental Protection Agency granted a waiver allowing Shelby County gas stations to sell winter-grade fuel until Aug. 31. Valero Memphis, Tennessee's only oil refinery, has been shut down since an explosion last Friday. The closing reduced supplies of summer-grade fuel that Shelby County stations are required to sell during warmer weather because of air quality restrictions. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson granted the waiver at the request of Gov. Bill Haslam. Supporting the waiver as necessary to maintain good access to vehicle fuel were Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., and Sens. Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander, both R-Tenn. While spot shortages hit stations around the county, officials characterized them as "blips" resulting from having to truck in more summer-grade fuel from outside the area. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/aug/11/epa-grants-valero-refinery-waiver-sell-winter-grad/

EPA grants fuel waiver after Memphis refinery shut (Reuters)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday allowed the temporary sale of winter-grade gasoline in a county near Memphis, Tennessee, to mitigate possible shortages of summer-grade motor fuel after a fire last week forced the shutdown of a refinery there. The EPA said the shutdown of Valero Energy Corp's (VLO.N) 180,000-barrels-per-day refinery could result in a gasoline shortage, so a requirement that gasoline sold in Shelby County have a 7.8 Reid vapor pressure, or summer grade, was waived for 20 days to allow sales of 9.0 RVP gasoline, or winter grade. Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, a Republican, and Democratic congressman Steve Cohen had asked EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson for the waiver. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/11/epa-waiver-valero-idUSN1E77A1UO20110811

Waiver sought to prevent gas shortage in Shelby (Associated Press)

Tennessee officials have asked the Environmental Protection Agency for a waiver to allow the sale of wintergrade gasoline in Shelby County after a fire at a refinery put the region at risk for a gasoline shortage. The Tennessee Fuel and Convenience Store Association said shortages at some retail outlets can be expected in the next few days, The Commercial Appeal reported ( http://bit.ly/qeD9Wy Gov. Bill Haslam, U.S. Sens. Lamar ). Alexander and Bob Corker and U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen have asked the EPA to grant a waiver to the summertime fuel restrictions. Cohen, of Memphis, said the shortage of fuel in Shelby County affects more than 1 million people and one of the largest freight distribution hubs in America. http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=37196877.story

Haslam wants new tax deal with Amazon (Chattanooga Times Free-Press/Sher)
Gov. Bill Haslams efforts to negotiate a new relationship with Amazon on state sales-tax collections is drawing a mixed response among Southeast Tennessee lawmakers but producing cheers from one of the Internet retailing giants biggest critics. No one from the governors office has spoken to me concerning this issue at all, said Rep. Eric Watson, R-Cleveland, who represents a portion of Bradley County where one of two Amazon distribution centers is being built. I dont understand really what the governor says when he says that. Haslam was quoted Thursday by The Tennessean newspaper as saying he wants to resolve ongoing controversies about Amazons tax status when it comes to collecting sales taxes on purchases made by its Tennessee-based customers. The governor has previously said he backed the agreement struck by his predecessor, Phil Bredesen, in which Amazon would not have to collect such taxes if the company built the warehouses in Bradley and Hamilton counties. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/aug/12/haslam-wants-new-tax-deal-amazon/?local

Should Amazon.com Pay State Sales Taxes? (WTVC-TV Chattanooga)

Concern and confusion over Governor Bill Haslam's statement that the state should collect taxes from Amazon.com. The governor has not supported the sales tax on the record in the past. And after unreturned phone calls and several vague emails, we still don't have a clear answer from the governor's office. His spokseperson did say he hasn't changed his opinion, but a recent quote in the Tennessean seems to say otherwise. Meanwhile, local officials are concerned that these talks are even taking place. As the work continues to get amazon dot com up and running, the debate over whether the internet retailer should collect state taxes continues as well. In the Tennessean, Governor Bill Haslam said "W e'd like to work out some arrangement that works for them to stay and grow in Tennessee and yet for us to collect the sales tax that we need." Bradley County Mayor Gary Davis says that comment was a surprise to him. http://www.newschannel9.com/news/amazon-1003831-taxes-state.html

Retailers battle Amazon over taxes (Tennessean/Sisk)

Maggie Jetter cant help overhearing the conversations in her little shop. Shoppers come in. They browse the designer diaper bags. They pick them up, turn them over, check the quality. Then, they turn to a companion and wonder: Do you think I could get a better deal on Amazon? Ive had a lot of problems with that, Jetter said. Ive seen a lot of policies put in place that are rewarding these large, faceless businesses. The policy that has most upset Jetter owner, proprietor and public face of Tweed Baby Outfitters on Villa Place in Nashville is a decision by state officials not to press Amazon to collect sales taxes from its customers in Tennessee. The online retailer is expanding its presence in Tennessee with distribution centers in Lebanon, Chattanooga and Cleveland that could employ as many as 1,500 people. But that has prompted calls for a new deal with Amazon, which has not collected sales taxes on most items and in most states since its inception nearly two decades ago. Business groups, some of them funded by big-box retailers, have pressed Congress to require Amazon to collect sales taxes, but their bill has languished for years. They also have recruited small-business owners such as Jetter to question the fairness of Amazons treatment. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110812/NEWS0201/308100150/Retailers-battle-Amazon-over-taxes? odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Rutherford woman to serve two years for TennCare fraud (Murfreesboro Post)
A Rutherford County woman charged with TennCare fraud has been ordered to serve two years in a Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC) prison facility. The Office of Inspector General (OIG) today announced the conviction of Carman M. Reade, 22, of Murfreesboro. Reade pleaded guilty to one count of TennCare fraud and received a two year sentence, plus she must repay TennCare for her medical expenses while she was on the program, along with court cost and fines. Reade was arrested by the OIG in March for using TennCare to obtain a prescription for the painkiller Hydrocodone and then selling a portion of the drugs. District Attorney General William Whitesell, Jr. prosecuted the case. Prescription drug trafficking has been a problem across the nation, but we are determined to eliminate this problem in the TennCare program in Tennessee, Inspector General Deborah Faulkner said. Enrollees who participate in selling drugs paid for by TennCare and those who buy them should understand this is a serious crime that we intend to prosecute to the fullest degree. http://www.murfreesboropost.com/rutherford-woman-to-serve-two-years-for-tenncare-fraud-cms-28132

Ethics Commission Keeps Complaint Numbers Under Wraps (TN Report)

The Tennessee Ethics Commission, which was created in the wake of a notorious political scandal, has yet to find anyone guilty of an ethics violation. The commission has considered five complaints and thrown them all out in the five years it has been in existence. Records that would shed light on how many total cases it has received are not open to public inspection, officials said. The law keeps state taxpayers who fund the ethics and campaign finance bureau to the tune of $593,000 a year from being able to independently judge whether the commission is effective at detecting ethical lapses. The commission was founded in 2006 in response to the Tennessee Waltz undercover FBI bribery sting that resulted in the convictions of five lawmakers. I hope the reason that there havent been any violations found has been because there hasnt been any violations, said House Majority Leader Rep. Gerald McCormick who said he remembers when those colleagues were hauled off in handcuffs. http://www.tnreport.com/2011/08/ethics-commission-keeps-complaint-numbers-under-wraps/

Child abuse hotline is likely to light up (Tennessean/Quinn)

Start of school brings reports from teachers In Tennessee, the start of school means a surge in reports of child abuse and neglect. Children who spent the summer shielded from outsiders are thrust back into school and under the watchful eyes of teachers, who are well-trained in noticing possibly dangerous patterns. Chaotic home lives are traded for routine and discipline, and teachers tend to notice the red flags of abuse. Theres the kid in the back row with too many bruises. The child with perpetual lice. Or the student who is late to class every day and falls asleep. Teachers are such consistent reporters of potential abuse and neglect that the states Department of Childrens Services designated a new hotline just for them. For the next 45 days or so, we see a big spike in calls, said Carla Aaron, executive director for child safety at DCS. Teachers notice things, and because of them were often able to get into these homes and get these children and families the help they need. Last year, Tennessee DCS case workers answered 12,944 calls in June. By September, the number hit 18,327. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110812/NEWS21/308120067/Child-abuse-hotline-likely-light-up? odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Tennesseans' biographies accessible on Internet (Daily News Journal)

People around the world are familiar with Jack Daniels, but they may not know much about the man behind the brand name the son of a wealthy Scottish immigrant who combined whiskey making techniques from his fathers homeland with Tennessee maple sugar to create a distinctive new type of libation. Nor do they know much about his nephew, a one-time Tennessee state senator who learned how to market that whiskey to the world. Tennesseans can now find the history of the Daniel family along with more than 30,000 others with the help of an online index available on the Tennessee State Library and Archives (TSLA) web page at http://www.tn.gov/tsla/history/misc/biography.htm is a division of the Office of the Secretary of State. For . TSLA years, TSLA has been collecting books full of biographical information on famous and not-so-famous Tennesseans. The librarys holdings contain more than 90 books with such varying titles as Who's W ho in Tennessee, Biographical Directory of the Tennessee General Assembly, http://www.dnj.com/article/20110811/NEW S01/110811007/Tennesseans-biographies-accessible-Internet

Loudon County bid letting delayed for Tenn. 73 (Associated Press)

State transportation officials have delayed the bid letting for a construction project on Tenn. 73 in Loudon County. The scheduled October letting has been postponed so the main channel structure can be redesigned to accommodate recent changes to the Coast Guard navigational channel requirements for the site. The project will widen Tenn. 73 to four lanes and is more than 1 miles long. A new bridge will be constructed over the Tennessee River downstream from Fort Loudoun Dam. http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=37199987.story

UT-Martin has record summer enrollment (Associated Press)

The University of Tennessee at Martin has had record undergraduate enrollment for summer sessions. The school reports the figure at 2,042, up 6.1 percent over 2010. Total summer enrollment of undergraduate and graduate students was 2,403, a 3.5 percent increase over last summer. The enrollment was in a three-week mini-term in May and two summer sessions. University Chancellor Thomas Rakes said early enrollment figures for this fall look positive. http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=37203163.story 3

AG says new (NS/Humphrey)

traffic camera law

valid, even

if operators lose

money

A new state law could reduce the revenue of the companies operating traffic enforcement cameras, but that does not mean it would be an unconstitutional impairment of their contracts with cities and counties, according to state Attorney General Bob Cooper. Two state legislators said a question had been raised because some contracts were based on "an understanding that a minimum number of traffic citations would be based on right-turn-on-red violations, according to the opinion made public this week. The opinion cautions that no specific contract was provided for evaluation with the questions posed by Sen. Jim Tracy, R-Shelbyville, and Rep. Vince Dean, R-East Ridge, sponsors of the new law now known as Public Chapter 425. But as a general proposition, the opinion says the new law "should withstand constitutional scrutiny." Both the state and federal constitutions prohibit enactment of laws that impair existing contracts and "several local governments" have executed contracts with vendors to install and maintain traffic camera systems. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/aug/12/state-ag-says-new-traffic-camera-law-valid-even/

Lawmakers prefer to let school merger run its course (Commercial Appeal/Locker)
Despite renewed calls for more legislative intervention in the Memphis-Shelby County school merger, state lawmakers said they see little need for more action soon and instead want the merger-planning process already in state law to start. State Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris said the 21 members of a transition planning commission should be appointed immediately and begin their work. The panel was created in the "Norris-Todd" law that he and Rep. Curry Todd, both R-Collierville, wrote and which the legislature approved in February. Norris and other Shelby County legislators on Thursday discounted talk among merger opponents of a special session of the legislature to address their concerns about Monday's federal court ruling that upheld the two-year merger process. That ruling also found the current composition of the county school board unconstitutional because it excludes Memphis representation, and opponents have expressed concern that U.S. Dist. Judge Samuel "Hardy" Mays could order an election soon of a new countywide school board dominated by Memphis. Parties to the ongoing court case are to submit their proposals for a remedy today. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/aug/12/lawmakers-in-wait-see/

Frist Offers Republican Representation on White House Humanitarian Trip (WPLN)

One of Tennessees most prominent Republicans has been touring famine-stricken parts of the Horn of Africa with White House officials. Former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist appears side-by-side with the Vice Presidents wife Jill Biden in a video produced by the Democratic Administration. In America, I get asked all the time, why should I put my investment, my tax dollars into people around the world. This trip is important so that the American people understand their past investments will alleviate suffering in the future. In the last 90 days, drought and famine in Somalia have killed 29,000 children under the age of five, according U.S. estimates. The U.S. Agency for International Development is the single largest donor in thehttp://wpln.org/? region. p=29564

Fight Harder, Voters Telling Congressmen (New York Times)

Taking in the highly unfavorable view most Americans have about Congress right now, it might be assumed that what voters seek is a lowered volume, thoughtful bipartisanship and legislative compromise. But in meetings with voters across the country this week, many members of Congress are seeing a mirror of the House floor. As lawmakers meet with voters back home in their districts, the message is often not Cant we all just get along? but rather a push to get back into the ring and fight harder, as they face the most partisan and intransigent factions of both parties. In middle school auditoriums, retirement centers, recital halls and other such venues, angry constituents are deriding their representatives for the spectacle of the past month over the raising of the debt ceiling. But in many cases, the anger is less about the dissension that brought the nation to the edge of default than frustration with both Democrats including President Obama and Republicans that their side had not been tough enough. I sometimes wonder, said John Joslin, 70, a Democrat reflecting on Mr. Obama during a town hall-style meeting on Tuesday with Representative Betty McCollum, Democrat of Minnesota, W hose side is he on? Hes almost Republican. Hes just rolled over and rolled over and rolled over, and I hope that you, as a progressive, can somehow add some steel to his blood. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/12/us/politics/12congress.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper (SUBSCRIPTION)

TVA staff proposes upgrading Gallatin plant (Tennessean/Paine)

The TVA Board will be asked by staff on Thursday to approve completion of the Bellefonte Nuclear Power Plant as well as to upgrade pollution controls at the Gallatin coal-fired plant in Sumner County and the Allen plant in Shelby County. Approval of the air pollution equipment would ensure the continued life of the two plants that provide jobs as well as electricity. Some of TVAs aging coal-fired power units most built in the 1940s and 1950s are being phased out because of the high costs of adding air pollution equipment. The budget for next fiscal year is also on the agenda, along with a proposal to acquire a natural gas turbine plant. TVAs most recent quarterly report came out Thursday. The meeting will be at the TVA West Tower Auditorium, 400 W. Summit Hill Drive, Knoxville. The public can speak at 8:30 a.m. EDT, with the board meeting starting afterward. To speak, pre-register online at www.tva.gov before noon Wednesday. Submit written comments to TVA Board Agenda Comments, 400 W . Summit Hill Drive, Knoxville, Tenn. 37902. Call 865-632-6000 for more information. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110811/NEWS11/308110093/TVA-staff-proposes-upgrading-Gallatinplant?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|p

Nuclear licensing slow down sought (Chattanooga Times Free-Press/Sohn)

Legal motions filed Thursday by 25 environmental and anti-nuclear groups claim the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is legally required to slow down the licensing and relicensing of U.S. nuclear reactors after NRCs own review of the Fukushima disaster and resulting recommendations. Among the licenses at 18 plants mentioned in the filings are TVAs Watts Bar Nuclear Plants nearly finished Unit 2 in Spring City, Tenn., and the unfinished Bellefonte Nuclear Plant in Athens, Ala. Watts Bars new $2.5 billion reactor is expected to be completed in 2013, and the proposed completion of Bellefonte is on the Tennessee Valley Authority board agenda for Thursday. Louis Zeller is an attorney with the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League, one of the groups filing the motion aimed at Bellefonte. He called the filings administrative legal actions with all the trappings of lawsuits. The [NRC] task force made some good, sound recommendations in its review of Fukushima, Zeller said. But what were afraid of is that those recommendations will sit on the shelf [at NRC] and the agency will proceed as if nothing happened. So our job is to make them take these recommendations into account before these plants are licensed. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/aug/12/nuclear-licensing-slow-down-sought/?local

Med Mart Signs Local Lease (WPLN-Radio Nashville)

A Nashville-based health care company called SpecialtyCare has signed on to have a showroom in a proposed medical trade center, which is planned for the citys old convention center. More than 500 hospitals outsource surgical support, neurological monitoring and other clinical services with the company. SpecialtyCare vice president Bill Elliott says in a statement his company will locate a training program at the Nashville Medical Trade Center, with a simulated operating room. Dallas-based Market Center Management Company has stated a goal of leasing 60 percent of the proposed 1.5 million square-foot medical mart before starting construction. SpecialtyCare represents the sixth signed agreement. Market Center Management needs to start construction soon in order to hit a 2013 opening date. http://wpln.org/?p=29561

Crews to begin transforming Pyramid into store Oct. 11, sources say (CA/Maki)
Construction that will turn The Pyramid into a Bass Pro Shops superstore will begin Oct. 11, with plans to open for business Aug. 1, 2013, according to sources familiar with the project. The city of Memphis and Bass Pro have reached a consensus on the above-ground and below-ground costs for stabilizing the vacant arena, a key hurdle in the nearly six years of negotiations about the Downtown site, the sources said. Officials believe it will cost $19.5 million to retrofit the structure and $5.5 million to stabilize the soil on the west side of the building closest to the Wolf River Harbor. On Tuesday, Robert Lipscomb, director of Housing and Community Development and the point man for Pyramid redevelopment, is slated to give the 13-member City Council an update on the project. Council members said Lipscomb began meeting with them individually Wednesday to talk about the project. "When we're ready to talk, we'll talk to all the media at the same time," said Larry Whiteley, manager of communications and outdoor education for Bass Pro Shops. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/aug/11/crews-begin-transforming-pyramid-bass-pro-store-oc/

Asphalt company eyes city (Columbia Daily Herald)

An asphalt production company is considering Mt. Pleasant as a future home for a facility. Terry Asphalt Materials Inc. received approval from the city planning commission on Aug. 2 to have 15.3 acres re-zoned from a 5

M-1 zoning to an M-2 on property owned by Wilma Wade, off North Main Street near IB Tech. M-1 zoning allows for nonintrusive manufacturing uses which creates a light industrial district. Buildings proposed within an M-1 zone must be completely enclosed. M-2 zoning is for heavier industries and allows external storage of materials used by a company, which is what the proposed facility requires. Chris Anspaugh, general manager of construction for Terry Asphalt Materials, said Mt. Pleasant is in contention with other locations for the proposed facility. We are pursuing property in Mt. Pleasant, but we have not secured a location, Anspaugh said. We are in the preliminary, investigative stage ... . We do all the environmental checks, and this is what we are going through now. Anspaugh said the proposal is not for a typical asphalt manufacturing plant with quarries, stacks of asphalt aggregate and white steam. This will be an asphalt production facility found in a more industrial setting as opposed to commercial operations, he said. http://www.columbiadailyherald.com/articles/2011/08/11/top_stories/04asphalt.txt

Comcast to provide net access, computers to low-income Memphians (CA/Dowd)

A new program being offered by Comcast will provide Internet access to low-income customers for a reduced monthly fee. The company's "Internet Essentials" plan, which became available in Memphis a few weeks ago, will be formally launched Aug. 25. Cost for the service is $9.95 per month, excluding tax. "The outreach is broad and tremendous on our part, and it's an ambitious endeavor across the United States," said Otha Brandon, director of government affairs for Comcast Cable. "We understand the digital divide, and we're dedicated to providing Internet access to more customers who previously were unable to afford it. It can be an educational and professional gateway to advanced information for students and their families." There are several eligibility requirements, such as potential customers must live in an area where the service is offered and at least one child in the household must be receiving free lunches through the National School Lunch Program. The service will offer download speeds of up to 1.5 mbps and upload speeds of up to 384 kbps. Subscribers may maintain the service without any price increase as long as at least one child in the household is enrolled in the free lunch program. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/aug/11/comcast-provide-discounted-internet-access-compute/

Deadline Looms for School Board Plans (Memphis Daily News)

Attorneys on several sides of the schools consolidation lawsuit have until the end of Friday, Aug. 12, to submit their plans to Federal Judge Hardy Mays for a redrawn countywide school board that includes proportional representation for Memphians. A decision by Mays on such a plan and the timing for a new school board to take over the consolidation process is the final unresolved part of his landmark ruling on the merger of Shelby Countys two public school systems. Until that is decided, Shelby County Schools leaders probably wont make a decision on whether they will appeal the ruling. The school system was the original plaintiff in the suit that came to include multiple defendants who became counter-claimants as well. A ruling has not yet been made final, said county school board chairman David Pickler. Were neither saying that we are going to appeal nor are we saying that we are not going to appeal. You cant make a determination on a document that is not yet final. We will be active participants in a dialogue. http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2011/aug/12/deadline-looms-for-school-board-plans/

Question of Interim County School Board Dominates Meeting (Memphis Flyer)

Well, heres an irony for you or a scenario out of The Sixth Sense. On W ednesday the big issue in the matter of a Memphis City Schools-Shelby County Schools merger seemed to be whether and how soon the folks at MCS would respond to a request from the SCS board for information all the information in MCS possession about the workings of the current city school system. The idea, based on the SCS peoples understanding of this weeks ruling by federal Judge Hardy Mays, was that MSC officially was on its way out of existence and that it was up to Shelby County Schools to begin implementing the merger of the two systems, inevitable since the vote by the MSC board last December to dissolve itself and freshly certified by Judge Mays. But the reality is that the current Shelby County Schools board was declared unconstitutional by Judge Mays, whose ruling simultaneously guaranteed at least a caretaker existence for Memphis City Schools and its board until August 2013, the moment of formal merger. In other words, it is the SCS board that is defunct though it continues to operate in the belief that it is alive, much in the way of some of the recently deceased characters in the aforementioned shocker movie by M. Night Shyamalan. http://www.memphisflyer.com/JacksonBaker/archives/2011/08/11/question-of-interim-county-school-boarddominates-special-county-commission-meeting

After Merger Ruling, its a Matter of Bona Fides (Memphis Flyer)

Periodically, there are circumstances out in the real world that call to mind the boast of necromancer Owen Glendower in Shakespeares Henry IV, Part One: I can call spirits from the very deep. To which the skeptical Harry Hotspur responds, Aye, but will they come. The conundrum has come up again in the ongoing MCS-SCS school-merger affair. Operating on the assumption that U.S. District Judge Hardy Mays school-merger ruling on Monday had given them sanction, Shelby County Schools authorities resolved at Wednesdays SCS Board meeting to renew their unheeded January request for full and complete records concerning the operation of Memphis City Schools. The question remained, however, whether SCS would have better success this time around. And the even more pressing question as to whether the county School Board was prepared to fully accept the Mays ruling also remained unanswered. On the latter score, SCS Board chairman David Pickler was, to say the least, equivocal. In comments made to reporters after the Board had voted to request the information from MCS, Pickler noted that Judge Mays order remains in the pending category until the issue of how to reconstitute the Shelby County Schools board is resolved. http://www.memphisflyer.com/JacksonBaker/archives/2011/08/11/after-merger-ruling-its-a-matter-of-bona-fides

Focus on jobs (Chattanooga Times Free-Press/Benton)

Marion County's Jobs for Tennessee Graduates program was recognized nationally recently for notching high marks in five categories of performance in meeting program goals, officials said. The county earned the "Five of Five Award," individually at South Pittsburg High School and on average among all three of its high schools. The award refers to performance in the areas of graduation rates, job placement rate, full-time job placement rate, positive outcome rate and employment rate, Marion school officials said. Marion County High School 2011 graduate Keta Robinette, 18, said the program helped shape her goals and gave her the tools to move confidently toward a career. "I'm now going to school at Young Harris College," Robinette said. "I'm going to play basketball and study to become a veterinarian." The class was invaluable, she said. "It will almost guarantee you a great opportunity to get a job," she said. "I'm taking what I learned and moving on to school." The program is designed to be a mix of students, said Jobs for Tennessee Graduates career specialist and teacher Hope EllisAshburn, who earned the "high performing specialist" award and oversees Marion's 10-year-old program. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/aug/12/focus-on-jobs/?local

Alabama: Bribery Trial in Alabama Yields No Convictions (Wall Street Journal)

An Alabama jury on Thursday declined to convict any of the nine defendants in a corruption trial involving gambling legislation that ensnared businessmen, lobbyists and current and former state lawmakers. State Sen. Quinton Ross and lobbyist Robert Geddie were acquitted on all counts. Jurors found the remaining defendants not guilty on certain counts and deadlocked on others. U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson declared a mistrial on the undecided charges and said he would schedule a retrial. The government's case "has been gutted," said Lewis Gillis, attorney for Mr. Ross. "They didn't have a single guilty verdict, armed with everything they had." Laura Sweeney, a Justice Department spokeswoman, said in a statement, "W e appreciate the jury's service in this important public corruption trial. Our prosecutors will discuss next steps as we move forward in this matter." Prosecutors alleged that the defendants participated in a multi-million-dollar scheme to buy and sell votes for legislation aimed at authorizing casino-style electronic bingo machines. Among the charges they faced were bribery, extortion and money laundering. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904823804576502733825957612.html?mod=ITP_pageone_1 (SUBSCRIPTION)

Wisconsin: Wisconsin's Walker Aims to Build Trust (Wall Street Journal)

After months of polarizing debate and unprecedented recall elections Tuesday, Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker said he wants to shift his agenda toward issues where the GOP and Democrats can find common ground. "I think what voters want is for us to work together," Mr. Walker said in an interview Thursday. The governor said he planned to collaborate with lawmakers from both parties this fall to provide financial incentives such as tax credits to venture capitalists and to design a plan to improve third-grade reading scores. Mr. W alker said he had met this summer with more than 70 of the state's 132 lawmakersthe majority Republicans, he said, but also a "significant" number of Democrats. Mr. Walker said he called the four legislative leaders Tuesday evening and offered to meet with them all soon, over breakfast or lunch, to plan the fall agenda. "The best thing for us is the fact that the [recall] elections are over," he said. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903918104576502452669774360.html?mod=ITP_pageone_1 (SUBSCRIPTION) 7

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OPINION Debra Maggart: State Democrats, like Obama, just want your money (Tennessean)
While a recent report of a slight surplus in Tennessee is encouraging, this is not cause for celebration. The Republican General Assembly reduced spending by $1.2 billion this year, and Tennessee now carries the lowest debt of any state. Unfortunately, on a national level, chaos reigns. With markets quaking in fear every time President Obama steps in front of a TelePrompter, now is the time for responsible fiscal policy. Anything short of that would threaten our states strong financial standing. Such is the reality we find ourselves in with Obamanomics reliance on steroid-infused deficit spending and job-smothering regulations. Last fall, voters throughout the nation signaled they wanted a fundamental change in how government operates. From Washington to Nashville, a clear message was sent that government needed to scale back to its constitutional roots and remove itself from the equation so the private sector can take the lead once more in providing jobs for Americans. The request was a simple one: Cut spending, stop meddling in the free market, and remove the jobdestroying regulations that are chasing work opportunities overseas. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110812/OPINION03/308120040/-Debra-Maggart-State-Democrats-likeObama-just-want-your-money?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|s

Mike Turner: Legislators have eye on coffers (Tennessean)

Return money to working families who need it most For the past several months, Tennessee has brought in more money in revenues than was anticipated in the budget passed this year by the General Assembly. This is a result of a 4 percent rise in tax collections for fiscal year 2011. In addition, our sales tax collections, which have been rising for the past 15 months, continue to do extremely well. Tennesseans have paid more in sales tax than we budgeted, and we now have a growing surplus of more than $80 million. The House Democratic Caucus believes this money should go one place: back to the working families of Tennessee. I and my colleagues in the caucus are co-sponsoring a bill to allocate any surplus state revenues to cutting sales taxes on food and providing for need-based college scholarships. When the state is taking in more money than needed, this money needs to go back to Tennesseans, not into the states pocketbook. We plan to push this bill forward in January when the legislature returns to Nashville. The bill says that surplus revenue is defined as any amount of state revenue generated from sales and use taxes beyond budgeted estimates. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110812/OPINION03/308120039/Legislators-eye-coffers?odyssey=mod| newswell|text|News|p

Greg Johnson: Lowering standards is no path to victory (Knoxville News-Sentinel)

Imagine: It's Sept. 16. Coach Derek Dooley sits down with the University of Tennessee's starting quarterback on the eve of the big game with Florida. "Dadgumit, you had three interceptions against Montana, and Cincinnati picked you four times," Dooley says. "Last year and the year before, in spring practice and fall practice, we said our goal is no interceptions. Obviously that was unrealistic. So tomorrow, let's so go out there and try to throw it to the wrong people, say, two times." Ridiculous? Of course. Acceptable? No way. Lowering expectations because of previous failure and difficult standards would never be an option in such a sacred thing as UT 8

athletics. Ask former Vol football coach Philip Fulmer. But when it comes to the education of our kids, apparently we've caved. Gov. Bill Haslam and Commissioner of Education Kevin Huffman have made Tennessee first in line for a waiver from performance standards set by the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Based on media reports, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan seems sure to grant it. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/aug/12/lowering-standards-is-no-path-to-victory/

Editorial: The downside of division (Commercial Appeal)

A feasibility study would be helpful for suburban Shelby County communities that are deciding whether to start separate public school districts. But even without running the numbers, it's a sure bet that taxes would rise significantly. The state law that is guiding the consolidation of the Memphis and Shelby County districts allows municipal school districts to be formed. And there may be a market for the idea, especially among parents of suburban schoolchildren who have fears about the impact of consolidation on their schools. Growth advocates such as home builders, developers, retailers and the like may see separate school districts as drawing cards. Obviously, per-pupil infrastructure costs would be higher in smaller school districts, however, requiring a higher local contribution to operating costs. Bartlett Mayor Keith McDonald and Collierville Mayor Stan Joyner told The Commercial Appeal this week there is support in their communities to increase taxes to pay for separate school systems.http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/aug/12/editorials-the-downside-of-division/

Free-Press Editorial: Rep. Fleischmann on debt (Chattanooga Times Free-Press)

Chattanooga's Congressman Chuck Fleischmann had a serious message for everyone Thursday when he spoke at the Chattanooga Rotary Club. He warned about the enormous spending that Congress approves year after year. It has led to a national debt of $14.6 trillion -- on which we have to pay massive taxes to cover the interest. And, Fleischmann said, even if we "eliminated all discretionary spending, we would still run up the debt." That suggests there will also have to be reform of entitlement programs to get our fiscal house in order. As Fleischmann said, with such huge debt, "we need to change the culture in Washington, D.C." At present, that culture is one in which spending money we don't have is considered normal. Unfortunately, neither President Barack Obama nor Congress -- and perhaps not a majority of American voters -- seems willing to cut enough spending to keep us from going deeper into debt. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/aug/12/rep-fleischmann-on-debt/?opinionfreepress

Editorial: County redistricting process must ensure everyone gets heard (J. Sun)
The Madison County Redistricting Committee has begun the process of reapportioning the countys 25 voting districts and Jackson-Madison County Board of Educations nine voting districts. One issue on the table is for those involved in redistricting to pay close attention to communities and even neighborhoods to prevent splitting their representation. This makes sense, and it should be done. Redistricting is required every 10 years based on decennial census figures. The goal is to have each elected office holder represent approximately the same number of people. If it was merely a numbers game, redistricting would be easy. But there are other considerations. Foremost though not the original intent of redistricting is politics. The political party in the majority controls how district lines are drawn. Naturally, it wants to draw the districts in favor of its hegemony. This often leads to gerrymandered district lines. Creating districts that can elect racial and ethnic minorities also is a consideration. One factor that can get overlooked, or overrun, is community homogeneity. In Madison County, there are numerous unincorporated communities such as Beech Bluff, Pinson, Denmark and others. Even neighborhoods can share common needs and concerns. http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20110812/OPINION01/108120303/County-redistricting-process-must-ensureeveryone-gets-heard

Editorial: New burdens for states (Commercial Appeal)

Since the congressional super committee on cutting the deficit hasn't held its first meeting yet it may be premature to call it a failure, but the prospects for success are questionable. Few if any members named to the committee can be counted on to stray from their parties' basic positions: no tax increases for the Republicans, no cuts in Social Security or Medicare for the Democrats. Conspicuously absent are members of the Gang of Six, whose sensible deficit reduction plan was rejected last month. So the super committee starts from a position of deadlock, and if the members can't reach agreement by Thanksgiving a series of severe, across-the-board spending cuts, affecting virtually the entire federal budget, automatically go into effect. Jim Salter of The Associated Press has given us a sample of what the country, at the point where the rubber meets the road, might be in for if these cuts, now in the abstract, become real. The federal government has already canceled a useful 9

program that provided millions to help local law enforcement dispose of methamphetamine labs. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/aug/12/new-burdens-for-states/

Editorial: A Scalpel, Not an Ax, for Medicaid (New York Times)

Many states are struggling to balance their budgets by curbing spending on Medicaid, a joint state-federal program that provides health insurance for the poor and disabled. They have little choice because Medicaid is one of their biggest, fastest-growing expenses. The risk is that injudicious cuts could harm their most vulnerable citizens. A lawsuit, which the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear in the coming term, will determine whether there is any recourse for Medicaid beneficiaries who may have less access to health care because of such cuts. Beneficiaries need the right to sue and to negotiate legal settlements so that they can force states to consider whether reducing provider payments will limit access to care. There are few painless ways to cut Medicaid; there is only so much fraud, waste and abuse that can be easily eliminated. Payments to drug companies and medical device makers can often be cut without harming beneficiaries. But many states resort to reducing payments to doctors, hospitals, nursing homes and other providers, which seems preferable to eliminating benefits like dental and vision care or charging the poor higher co-payments. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/12/opinion/a-scalpel-not-an-ax-for-medicaid.html?ref=todayspaper ###

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