August 3 News Summary

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2011 Haslam, Hagerty Welcome Spears Coastline Plastic to Pulaski (TN Report)
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty joined representatives from Spears Coastline Plastic LLC today to announce the company’s purchase of the New Tech Color Additives building in the Pulaski/Giles County Industrial Park. Spears Coastline Plastic is a leading manufacturer of Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride (CPVC) pipe for fire protection, plumbing and industrial market applications and will be transferring its Ardmore, Ala.-based manufacturing facility to the Pulaski facility over the next few months, bringing 25 jobs to the region, with the intent to add 25 more within a five year period. “W e are excited to welcome Spears Coastline Plastic to Pulaski,” Haslam said. “As new companies are introduced to Tennessee’s attractive business climate and skilled workforce, we continue to work toward our goal of becoming the No. 1 state in the Southeast for high quality jobs.” http://www.tnreport.com/2011/08/haslam-hagerty-welcome-spears-coastline-plastic-to-pulaski/

Plastic pipe factory slated to open in Giles County (Columbia Daily Herald)
A plastic pipe manufacturer has purchased a building in Giles County and plans to transfer a 25-employee operation in Ardmore, Ala., to the site, officials said. Spears Coastline Plastics announced the purchase of the former New Tech Color and Additives building in the Pulaski/Giles County Industrial Park on Monday. Dan Speer, executive director of the Pulaski/Giles County Economic Development Commission, said the move represents an investment of about $6.5 million. He said the Ardmore facility would close in about four months. The company, which manufactures chlorinated polyvinyl chloride -- or CPVC-- pipe for fire protection, plumbing and industrial uses, says it plans to increase its workforce to 50 people within five years.Coastline Spears Plastics is a division of Sylmar, Calif.- based Spears Manufacturing Company, which manufactures plastic pipe fittings and valves. http://www.columbiadailyherald.com/articles/2011/08/02/top_stories/04pipe.txt

PVC Pipe Maker Hops State Line (WPLN-Radio Nashville)
A PVC pipe manufacturer is moving a plant from Alabama across the state line to Pulaski, Tennessee. Spears Coastline Plastic has announced the purchase of an existing facility in the Giles County Industrial Park. The move will bring 25 jobs to the region. The company says it intends to add 25 more positions over the next five years. Spears Coastline CEO Wayne Spears says the Pulaski site was chosen because of it’s railroad access. http://wpln.org/?p=29347

Tenn. Gov. Haslam visits bases in Iraq, Kuwait (Associated Press/Johnson)
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam says a tour of U.S. bases in Iraq and Kuwait has furthered his appreciation for soldiers posted there and performing under "difficult and dangerous" conditions. The Republican governor said in a conference call with Tennessee reporters on Tuesday that he was asked to join the tour with Govs. Brian Sandoval of Nevada, Steve Beshear of Kentucky and Gary Herbert of Utah because of the large number of Tennesseans in the National Guard and regular Army. He said there were between 30 and 100 Tennesseans at each of the bases he has visited so far. Haslam said he has been struck by the difficult working conditions in Iraq. For instance, he said it was 130 degrees in Baghdad, which exacerbates the already strenuous environment. "The working conditions are incredibly hard — the work they're doing is difficult and dangerous," he said. As for the heat, he said, "Somebody described it to me, and I think it's a pretty good description; it's like ... turning your hair dryer on high and putting it in your face, and then living like that all day long. That's about what it feels like." http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=37125669.story

Haslam Tours Kuwait, Iraq Military Bases (WPLN-Radio Nashville)
Governor Bill Haslam called home today from Kuwait, where he and three other governors are touring military facilities. The trip to the Middle East was unannounced, and Haslam said he couldn’t say exactly which bases he’s visiting. Haslam hosted a conference call after a long day in one-hundred-thirty degree heat. The governor says he’s met 30 to 100 Tennessee troops on the tour so far. “[I've] seen a lot of soldiers. I think the reason I got asked was because of the high number of Tennessee men and women who are here both guard and regular army,” he said. The governor says the tour will continue to several bases in Iraq but couldn’t reveal them in advance. He says the group is moving by air, in Blackhawk helicopters and Air Force C-130 cargo planes. “It’s just hot as blazes. It’s hard to describe. And you’re sitting there and sitting on the ground and thinking “God, start the engine so we can get out of there.” And then you look over here at these guys—these men and women— who’ve been here for a year and they’re getting to go home and you’re thinking, you know—don’t even think about complaining,” he said. http://wpln.org/?p=29362

Gov. Haslam makes surprise trip to see U.S. troops in Iraq, Kuwait (Tenn./Sisk)
Surprise trip gives firsthand look at soldiers' challenges Gov. Bill Haslam is making a surprise visit to troops in Iraq and Kuwait, a trip that he says has raised his awareness of the difficult conditions faced by Tennessee Guardsmen and soldiers. Haslam revealed Tuesday that he was making a previously undisclosed journey to see troops at the invitation and expense of the U.S. Department of Defense. The governor described troops as homesick but professional as they hand over security operations to the Iraqi army and deal with hot summer temperatures. “Most of them have been over here since last winter or spring,” Haslam said in a conference call with reporters. “Most are going to be here until the end of the year. … It’s a long time to be away from home. It’s a long time to be in a dangerous situation. It’s a long time to work in these kind of conditions. “But I also ask, ‘Are you glad you’re doing it?’ And almost to a person, they say yes.” Haslam is traveling with three other governors — Kentucky’s Steve Beshear, Utah’s Gary Herbert and Nevada’s Brian Sandoval — on a trip organized by the military to educate governors about the engagement in Iraq. Haslam’s predecessor, Gov. Phil Bredesen, visited Iraq in 2006. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110803/NEWS0201/308020060/Gov-Haslam-makes-surprise-trip-troops? odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Haslam visits state's National Guard troops in Iraq, Kuwait (City Paper/Woods)
Gov. Bill Haslam joined three other governors on a trip to Iraq and Kuwait this week to visit U.S. soldiers, calling it “a really eye-opening experience.” “I’m actually really impressed with how folks are hanging in there,” Haslam told reporters in a telephone call Tuesday. “Most Tennessee troops have been over here since last winter or spring. Most are going to be here until about the end of the year. That’s a long time to be away from home. It’s a long time to be in a dangerous situation. “I asked all of them, ‘Tell me what you miss the most,’ and every one of them really, really misses being home. I also asked, ‘Are you glad you’re doing it?’ And they all say ‘yes.’” Haslam left Monday with the governors of Kentucky, Utah and Nevada on the Pentagon-funded trip. He said it was 130 degrees in Baghdad Tuesday. “The working conditions are incredibly hard. The work they are doing is dangerous — not as dangerous as it was but still dangerous.” http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/haslam-visits-states-national-guard-troops-iraq-kuwait

Haslam visiting troops in Mideast (Chattanooga Times Free-Press/Sher)
Gov. Bill Haslam says his first experience visiting deployed service members from Tennessee in Iraq and Kuwait is proving to be an "incredible eye-opening experience." "My main impression is a huge appreciation of the work that the men and women are doing over here," Haslam said, speaking to Tennessee reporters Tuesday on a conference call about his unannounced trip. The governor, whose call came from a Kuwaiti base, said the "working conditions are incredibly hard and the work they're doing is difficult and dangerous still." He left the country Monday with Govs. Steve Beshear of Kentucky, Brian Sandoval of Nevada and Gary Herbert of Utah. Haslam said he was invited by the U.S. Defense Department on the Pentagon-funded trip because of the number of Tennessee servicemen and women in Iraq and Kuwait. The governor had visited five or six bases, including the Baghdad International Airport, which is also a base, by the time he spoke with reporters Tuesday afternoon. 2

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/aug/03/haslam-visiting-troops-in-mideast/?local

Haslam Visits Middle East (Memphis Daily News)
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has been in Iraq and Kuwait since Monday, Aug. 1. Haslam, who is traveling on a Department of Defense trip with the governors of Kentucky, Nevada and Utah, talked with reporters Tuesday afternoon on a conference call. He has been visiting military bases where Tennessee National Guard troops and Tennesseans serving in the military are stationed. "It has been an incredibly eye-opening experience," Haslam said of the trip that has included 130-degree heat and security precautions as well as observing a less-visible U.S. presence particularly in Iraq, where U.S. troops are scheduled to be withdrawn by the end of the year. "What they miss is being at home," Haslam said, adding that he has encountered few questions about the debtceiling legislation that won final approval in W ashington shortly before the conference call. "I’ve heard more conversation about, 'Tell me what’s happening with the economy.'" http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2011/aug/3/haslam-in-middle-east/

Globe-trotter Haslam Calls Home from Kuwait (Memphis Flyer)
Tennessee governor Bill Haslam is clearly making an effort to step up his accessibility to the state media. For one thing, Haslam of late has taken to holding teleconferences with state reporters. In one such last week, he and state Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman mad waves with the news that the state was requesting a waiver from the requirements of No Child Left Behind, seeking to substitute instead the achievement standards of Tennessee’s federally supported Race to the Top initiative. And on Tuesday Haslam’s staff invited reporters to call in for a mystery moment of sorts, not specifying what the governor had in mind but promising it would be worth the dial-up. Indeed it was. W hen Haslam came on the line he promptly explained that he had left Washington on Monday morning with three other governors (from Kentucky, Utah, and Nevada, as it turned out) and was flown by the Department of Defense to the Middle East, where the group of governors had already been to “five or six” different military bases in both Iraq and Kuwait. http://www.memphisflyer.com/JacksonBaker/archives/2011/08/03/globe-trotter-haslam-calls-home-from-kuwait

Haslam describes Middle East visit (Jackson Sun)
Calling from a satellite phone in Kuwait, Governor Bill Haslam shared about experiencing the desert heat, flying in military helicopters and meeting with Tennessee troops. Haslam spoke with reporters about traveling to the Middle East on an invitation from the Department of Defense Tuesday morning. Haslam left W ashington, D.C. Monday morning with Gov. Steve Beshear of Kentucky, Gov. Gary Herbert of Utah and Gov. Brian Sandoval of Nevada. The purpose of the trip is to visit with troops, encourage them, and understand "the scope of what they're doing," Haslam said during the conference call. Haslam said he and his group have plans to visit bases in Iraq and Kuwait before he returns home this weekend. He could not disclose future locations for security reasons, he said. "It's been an incredibly eye-opening experience. I understand what we're doing and what we're working toward after visiting the folks over here," he said. The governor has visited Ali Al Salem Air Base and Camp Arifjan in Kuwait and Joint Air Base Balad, Taji Air Base, Camp Victory Baghdad and Baghdad International Airport in Iraq, according to David Smith, who is with Haslam's office. http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20110803/NEWS01/108030320/Haslam-describes-Middle-East-visit

Haslam visits Tennessee troops in Middle East (Leaf Chronicle)
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam is among a small contingent of U.S. governors visiting troops in the Middle East this week. Haslam, in a conference call from Kuwait, said he left Washington, D.C., on Monday to visit troops in Iraq at the invitation of the Pentagon. He is especially interested in visiting troops who hail from the Volunteer State, as he commands the Tennessee National Guard as part of his role as governor. “It has been an incredibly eyeopening experience,” Haslam said. “The working conditions that these troops are in are incredibly difficult. I’ve had a chance to be around so many Tennessee military men and women, and I’ve got a couple more days to go.” Being airlifted around the area in Black Hawk helicopters and C1-30s, Haslam said he’s operating without sleep and the heat is relentless. For purposes of comparison, Middle Tennessee’s daily temperatures this week are in the 90s; in Baghdad, Monday’s high was 130 degrees. “That’s one of the main things you see here,” he said, “is how incredibly difficult it is to work in these conditions. The heat here is very hard on personnel and equipment.” http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20110803/NEWS08/110802017/Haslam-visits-Tennessee-troops-MiddleEast 3

Haslam says he's more focused on job creation (Marshall County Tribune)
Gov. Bill Haslam is focused on recruiting new businesses, helping what's here grow, and fostering an environment for more jobs, he said during an open event within a block of the Maury County Courthouse. "We're really out now making Tennessee a great location for jobs," Haslam said while traveling with state Sen. Bill Ketron, who represents Marshall County. Jobs "is the big issue, obviously... We're working on our education system so we can compete with anybody in terms of having a workforce that's prepared. "That's what my focus is on now, and it's going to be my focus every day so people can get a job," the governor said. Haslam visited various businesses during a road trip on Thursday when he had some public appearances such as delivering a grant check in Spring Hill and speaking to a couple hundred people at the Copper Kettle restaurant on 7th Avenue, just off Columbia's square. "Despite the rather sour economy right now," he said, "I'm encouraged by what we see." http://www.marshalltribune.com/story/1749192.html

Anderson County declared eligible for federal disaster assistance (News-Sentinel)
Anderson County has been declared eligible for public federal disaster assistance, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam announced today. The county joins more than 65 other Tennessee counties in becoming eligible for reimbursements to local governments or for assistance to individuals. The state this year has been named in five federal disaster declarations; from the Mississippi River flooding in Memphis to severe storms, straight-line winds and tornadoes that raked East Tennessee. Anderson County Mayor Myron Iwanski said Oak Ridge, Clinton Utilities Board and the Anderson County Highway Department incurred an estimated $250,000 in cleanup expenses because of recent windstorms and a June 24 tornado that hit Claxton and other areas. He said once the local public entities' claims are approved, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will reimburse 75 percent of those cleanup costs, and the state will chip in half of the local 25 percent reimbursement match. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/aug/02/anderson-county-declared-eligible-for-federal/

Haslam recognizes W aupaca's return (Daily Post Athenian)
The announcement last week by ThyssenKrupp Waupaca, Inc., that it will be reopening the company's foundry in Etowah in the first quarter of 2012 drew congratulations from Gov. Bill Haslam and Tennessee Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty. http://www.dailypostathenian.com/dynamic/News/Story/175697

Council asks for Haslam’s attention (Daily Post Athenian)
The Athens City Council is attempting to draw Gov. Bill Haslam's attention to a small business incubator in the works here. The City Council approved a resolution at its July meeting urging the governor to support the city, the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce and McMinn County’s effort to open a business incubator or accelerator, called the Enterprise Development Center, in the area. “W e wanted Gov. Haslam to know what we have done to be ready for an incubator, and that we are shovel-ready,” said Councilwoman Ann Davis on why the Council approved the resolution. Preparations for a business incubator began late last year, she said. A feasibility study is currently under way and slated for completion Aug. 5. The study will identify a plan and potential site for the incubator. A small business incubator, where several businesses would be located under one roof, is a “one-stop shop” for providing necessary assistance and resources for growing a small business. The incubator provides education, resources and advice to help small businesses. http://www.dailypostathenian.com/dynamic/News/Story/175677

771 Tennessee employees denied pay raises, report finds (Associated Press)
More than 700 state employees were denied pay increases July 1 after Gov. Bill Haslam changed existing policy and blocked raises for those receiving poor evaluations or disciplined in the past year. The Chattanooga Times Free Press reported the figure after receiving requested information from the state Human Resources Department. The newspaper found that 771 employees were denied the 1.6 percent cost of living increase, which was the first pay increase in three years. TSEA objects Denying pay increases because of poor performance evaluations has long been a provision of the state’s annual appropriations act. But using disciplinary infractions as justification for not giving a raise was a new twist, drawing protests last month from Tennessee State Employees Association Executive Director Robert O’Connell, who questioned its legality. O’Connell said some employees would have fought disciplinary charges, especially on minor matters, had they known they would later be punished again by withholding additional pay. He noted many of those who were 4

refused pay increases because of disciplinary issues had received positive performance evaluations. “There were hundreds of people unaware at the time this came down there was any threat to their pay raises,” O’Connell said. “It was unfair and we think unwise and possibly illegal.” http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110803/NEWS0201/308030066/771-Tennessee-employees-denied-payraises-report-finds?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Back-to-school packets include info on health insurance plan (Associated Press)
The state wants to make sure parents are aware of Tennessee's low-cost, comprehensive health insurance plan for children. Information about CoverKids will be going home with kids throughout the state in their back-toschool packets. The program provides coverage for everything from physician visits to hospitalizations to dental and vision care. It is available to families earning less than 250 percent of the federal poverty level. That means for a family of four to qualify, they must earn less than $55,875. CoverKids members have no monthly premiums or annual deductibles and do not have to pay a co-pay for regular check-ups or vaccinations. Members are required to pay a co-pay for some medical services and prescription drugs. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110803/NEWS21/308020053/Back-school-packets-include-info-healthinsurance-plan?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|s

Contractor who bribed TDOT worker sues state (Tennessean/Gee)
A highway contractor who paid a former Tennessee Department of Transportation employee $30,000 in exchange for a recommendation to more than quadruple a contract is suing the state for banning him from future projects. In the lawsuit, Novice “Joey” Cole, the owner and president of Kingston Springs-based guardrail company Lu Inc., argues that TDOT’s decision to suspend him and his companies violates the terms of a 2006 settlement agreement he reached with the state on an unrelated matter. The suit also charges that the suspension relies on protected testimony he provided to federal investigators about James Douglas Hagar, a TDOT worker who has admitted to soliciting and accepting bribes. In letters to Cole, TDOT officials say the suspension is necessary to preserve “public confidence in the integrity of the department’s bidding and contracting processes, and in the appropriate expenditure of public funds.” Cole’s attorneys, however, say the decision should serve as a cautionary tale for those who consider cooperating with government agencies and investigators. “The bottom line is here is a guy who, in the end, did what’s right and told the truth,” said Harold Donnelly, a Nashville attorney representing Cole. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110803/NEWS03/308030104/Contractor-who-bribed-TDOT-worker-suesstate?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Task Force Named to Stabilize Lottery Scholarships (WPLN-Radio Nashville)
A committee has been named to manage a decline in scholarship revenue from the Tennessee Lottery. Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey appointed members to the Senate Lottery Stabilization Task Force. They include leaders of the state Senate, the state’s top finance officials and university system presidents, including the head of the association representing private colleges. The panel is charged with reviewing policies and making recommendations by December 1st to ensure the long-term viability of the HOPE scholarship program, which has had to dip into lottery reserves in recent years. http://wpln.org/?p=29349

Memphis City Appeal/Maki)

Council

delays

talks

on

workers'

pay

cuts

(Commercial

A City Council hearing on salary reductions and layoffs was postponed Tuesday until the legal battle over the issues is over. "It was agreed because these issues are in court they should not be discussed publicly by the council," said chairman Myron Lowery following a closed-door meeting with the council and council attorney Allan W ade. "The consensus was we're not going to be talking about this at all. We'll be talking about it in court." Several council members have said they didn't understand they approved a 4.6 percent salary reduction for city employees when they voted for the budget for the fiscal year that began July 1. Mayor A C Wharton's budget proposed reducing the number of paid holidays city employees get from 13 days to one day, the equivalent of a 4.6 percent pay cut. As the council approached its final votes on the budget, the W harton administration said it planned to implement the loss of holidays as an across-the-board 4.6 percent salary reduction instead. Administration officials said spreading the decrease over the year would lessen the blow on employees. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/aug/02/memphis-city-council-delays-talks-workers-pay-cuts/

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Dems unhappy with redistrict committee vote (Daily News Journal)
The Rutherford County Democratic Party has accused the County Commission's Steering, Legislative & Governmental Committee of "bowing to political pressure by recommending a highly partisan and politically slanted redistricting committee." "This is likely to result in unfair and partisan districts in the county, which could result in additional expensive lawsuits against the Election Commission and Rutherford County," local Democratic Party Chairman Justin St. Clair said in a news release Tuesday. "Our county cannot afford any more lawsuits and deserves better from its local elected officials." Rutherford County Commissioner Steve Sandlin stood by the steering committee's decision to include a Redistricting Committee with Democratic Election Commissioner Johnny Taylor and Republican Election Commissioner Jimmy Evans. "I don't know why the Democrats should be complaining," said Sandlin, who will serve as one of seven commissioners on the 11member committee. "We said we're going to have one Republican and one Democrat on the committee, and that's what we did. We're going to be fair on this. I was raised a Democrat, but now I'm a Republican. It's like my daddy said: 'Why can't we all get along?' Let's get along and work it out." http://www.dnj.com/article/20110803/NEW S01/108030315/Dems-unhappy-redistrict-committee-vote? odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Debt deal not good enough for some area lawmakers (Times Free-Press/Carroll)
Last week, U.S. House Speaker John Boehner issued a strong warning to freshman Republicans opposed to raising the nation's debt ceiling: Vote your way and watch as our government slides into "job-killing default." It was a visceral threat to U.S. Reps. Chuck Fleischmann and Scott DesJarlais, the Tennessee Republicans who based their first political campaigns on job creation. But they shrugged it off, eventually rebuffing the leader of their party in the House and casting two of 161 House votes against immediately hiking the nation's $14.3 trillion debt limit and eliminating trillions in government spending over the next decade. It didn't matter because 269 of their House colleagues and 74 U.S. senators supported the proposal, effectively preventing economists' predictions of higher interest rates, a falling dollar and shaky markets if Congress had missed Tuesday's deadline for a deal. "That was all hypothetical," Fleischmann said in a phone interview Tuesday. "Leadership would have gone back and negotiated another deal." Other political observers who witnessed epic Washington squabbling and panic at the voter level aren't so sure. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/aug/03/debt-deal-not-good-enough-for-some-area/?local

Cohen Votes No, Others OK Debt-Ceiling Act (Memphis Daily News)
Two of the three congressmen and both U.S. senators who represent Memphis and Shelby County voted for the Budget Control Act of 2011. All said the act, which raises the debt ceiling, is far from perfect. Republican U.S. Reps. Marsha Blackburn and Stephen Fincher voted for the compromise legislation. Democratic U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen of Memphis voted no. “While I had hoped for additional spending cuts and bolder action, I also understand that we cannot play a game of chicken with the future of our country,” Fincher said in a written statement. Fincher said the bill will cut federal spending more than it increases the debt limit. And he pointed to the bill’s provision advancing a vote on a balanced budget amendment. “President Obama can no longer depend on a blank check from Congress to continue his spending spree.” Cohen said the bill was an effort to damage Obama politically. http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2011/aug/3/cohen-votes-no-others-ok-debt-ceiling-act/

Tennesseans in Congress Split on Debt-Limit Vote (Memphis Flyer)
9th District congressman Steve Cohen went Greek in his disdain for the debt-limits bill passed by the House of Representatives Monday. The Memphis Democrat likened the bill to a “Trojan horse,” containing a no-win “Scylla and Charybdis” choice. Said Cohen in a floor speech before the vote and the bill’s passage: “…This country has been taken to this point by a group of ideologues that don’t like government, want to reduce it, are reducing it, want to hurt employment figures to hurt the President of the United States, Mr. Speaker, and I don’t want to hurt him. Justice Louis Brandeis said the greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding. Justice Brandeis is with us today.” Two other Memphis-area Representatives, Marsha Blackburn (R-7th) and Stephen Fincher (R-8th) voted Aye on the bill, Blackburn explaining her stand this way: "This bill is not perfect, but it accomplishes two significant tasks. It gives the American people the security of avoiding the possibility of default and charts a new course for fiscal responsibility. Republicans have stood by our principle that Washington doesn't have a revenue problem — it has a spending problem…. I voted for this bill knowing that these spending cuts aren't the first cuts we've achieved, nor will they be the last. This plan will also ensure that we get a clean vote on a Balanced Budget Amendment in both chambers….” 6

http://www.memphisflyer.com/JacksonBaker/archives/2011/08/02/tennesseans-in-congress-split-on-debt-limitvote

DesJarlais votes no (Columbia Daily Herald)
Rep. Scott DesJarlais held firm Monday in his stance that efforts to scale back spending in W ashington are not going far enough, voting against a compromise measure that raised the nation’s borrowing limit and averted a possible default on the debt. DesJarlais, whose district includes Maury County, joined 65 other Republicans in opposing the bill. DesJarlais said in a statement Monday that while he could not support the legislation, it helped to “fundamentally change the debate in Washington from how much can we spend to how much spending we can cut.” “We must build upon this momentum and continue to fight for substantial spending cuts that will put America on a path to a balanced budget and solve our job-killing debt problem,” he said. DesJarlais has been vocal in supporting even steeper cuts than those touted by congressional leaders. He voted against a more ambitious proposal dubbed “cut, cap and balance,”-- that met almost uniform opposition from Democrats --” in the House. http://www.columbiadailyherald.com/articles/2011/08/02/top_stories/02desjarlais.txt

Deficit deal fails to impress Middle Tennesseans (Tennessean/Williams)
Linking increases in the nation’s debt ceiling to budget cuts, dollar for dollar, is a good start in solving the deficit problem. But without bigger cuts and more revenue — which was left out of the deal — nothing really was solved by the bill passed by Congress on Tuesday, many in Middle Tennessee seemed to agree. And while some said they were relieved that the nation averted a default and preserved its AAA credit rating, others complained that the deal forged in Washington did little to calm the jittery financial markets. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 265.87 points, closing at 11,866.62, as investors worried more about the stalled economy. Still, the debt deal was crucial to keeping the nation solvent, most observers said, even if it stopped short of comprehensively addressing the federal government’s budget woes. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110803/NEWS02/308030117/Deficit-deal-fails-impress-MiddleTennesseans?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Proposed FAA Cuts Would Affect Jackson Airport (WPLN-Radio Nashville)
The future of passenger flights at the Jackson Airport hinges on a Congressional battle. The facility is one of 13 community airports that stand to lose funding under a GOP bill that passed the House but is stuck in the Senate. The House measure to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration’s budget eliminates grants to community airports that are within a drivable distance of larger hubs. Memphis is within the 90 mile cutoff. But Jackson Airport Authority director Steve Smith says that’s an arbitrary distance that doesn’t take into account the actual needs of his community. “All of the leakage reports that we do here show that a majority of the people from our area drive to Nashville, and so that’s why we’ve had the Nashville commuter flight. The Memphis airport doesn’t offer them what they want.” Nashville is 130 miles away. Smith says the difference boils down almost entirely to one discount airline: Southwest flies out of Nashville but not Memphis. http://wpln.org/?p=29354

Uncertain Budget Means Smaller, Less Efficient Road Projects (WPLN-Radio Nash.)
Ongoing road projects in Tennessee are a fraction of the size of years past because of uncertainty in federal funding. Separate from debt ceiling negotiations, Congress has been unable to come to terms on what’s often called a highway bill. They’ve opted for short term extensions for the last two years. Instead of the big $250 million widening of I-40 in Knoxville finished in 2009, the largest project in the state is just $50 million. Tennessee Transportation Commissioner John Schroer says that means TDOT can’t achieve the same economies of scale that come with giant contracts. “So it’s better to do a larger project than a smaller one. But because by law, we can only do a project when we know the funds are in place.” Beyond the inefficiencies of having to do road projects in smaller chunks, TDOT has again had to give money back to the federal government, which has used rescissions to reduce state highway budgets since 2002. Last month Tennessee had to send the U.S. Department of Transportation nearly $52 million that had not yet been spent, which is slightly less than in years 7

past. http://wpln.org/?p=29330

FEMA aid deadline one week away (Chattanooga Times Free-Press)
The clock is ticking down for those needing to apply for storm recovery assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The deadline is just a week away — Tuesday. Though at least 4,500 people in Eastern Tennessee's tornado-stricken counties have registered with the federal disaster relief organization, there are still storm victims who haven't taken the first step toward federal aid, FEMA officials say. "Often people have applied for disaster assistance, but they may have gotten a letter stating they were denied at the time or needed to provide more information. Those people should inquire about the status of their application," said Susan Solomon, FEMA public information officer. Other residents and business owners may not have returned their Small Business Administration loan applications, which also are due Tuesday. Homeowners, business owners and renters with storm-damaged property all are eligible for relief, even if they are covered by insurance, FEMA officials emphasize. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/aug/03/fema-aid-deadline-one-week-away/?local

Memphis seeks federal help to protect McKellar Lake harbor (C. Appeal/Risher)
Port of Memphis officials say the McKellar Lake harbor could be in jeopardy because of the Mississippi River's efforts to cut across Presidents Island. Port and city officials are urging congressional approval of a funding measure that would allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to move forward with repairs of levees, banks and flood-control structures damaged by epic flooding this spring. The river wiped out nearly a half-mile of its eastern bank on Presidents Island south of the APAC Tennessee facility and carved a triangle-shaped chunk out of the island. If the bank isn't restored and another serious flood occurs, officials fear the river could run through the heart of Presidents Island's agricultural land into the slackwater harbor, just inside the harbor's mouth. Port executive director Randy Richardson told his board this week that it is crucial for the corps to repair the damage. Corps representatives have told port officials it's a $20 million job, he said. For now, the port is missing out on rent from agricultural leases on the land that was under water. The affected area is west of Harbor Avenue and downriver from the port's handful of tenants that actually front on the river. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/aug/02/memphis-seeks-federal-help-protect-mckellar-lake-h/

Amazon Battles States Over Sales Tax (W all Street Journal)
Amazon.com Inc., the world's largest online retailer, hasn't charged sales tax in most states since its founding in 1994. And it has taken some extreme measures to keep it that way. Among them: Staff traveling around the U.S. have been required to first consult a company map that shades each state red, yellow or green, said three people who have worked for the retailer. These people said they needed permission from managers or company lawyers before entering "red" states because a worker's actions might trigger laws that force Amazon to collect taxes in those states. Such steps to avoid local levies allow Amazon to undercut in-state retailers by the amount they must add in sales tax, which can exceed 8%. A close examination of Amazon's corporate practices, based on interviews with more than a dozen former employees and people who have done business with the Seattle company, as well as a review of corporate documents, indicates that the company believes its sales-tax policy is critical to its performance. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904772304576468753564916130.html#ixzz1TxnXf7MM (SUBSCRIPTION)

Ballfields, new TVA park planned at former ash spill disaster zone (NS/Fowler)
TVA on Tuesday unveiled sweeping plans to convert a disaster zone still in cleanup mode into public areas featuring a new park, recreational area and walking trails near wetlands fed by natural springs. More than 100 people during an open house heard the conceptual proposals for land TVA has acquired in Roane County's Swan Pond community. The area was ravaged in December 2008 when 5.4 million cubic yards of coal ash sludge burst from a ruptured holding pond next to TVA's Kingston Fossil Plant. As part of the $1 billion-plus, years-long cleanup of that calamity, TVA purchased 889 nearby acres within 171 tracts for $46.6 million. "We can't change the fact that the spill occurred, but we can fix what happened and help make things right for the community," said TVA's Katie Kline, involved in recovery efforts. Now on TVA's drawing board: Razing of houses on Lakeshore Drive, located on a narrow peninsula next to the Emory River, and conversion of that 35-acre area into a new dawn-to-dusk TVA park where a boat ramp, two fishing piers and walking trail are planned. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/aug/03/ballfields-new-tva-park-planned-at-former-ash/ 8

Memphis schools to start classes on time on Monday (Associated Press)
Memphis' City Council has approved a school budget plan that guarantees classes will begin on time Monday. The council voted 10-0 Tuesday to approve a budget plan that provides a $12 million payment from the city to the school board by Friday. The vote comes two weeks after the school board voted to delay the start of classes indefinitely until it received $55 million from the city as part of a long-running budget dispute. After negotiations between the mayor and the school board president last week, the board took back its decision and said it would start classes on time if the council approved the plan voted on Tuesday. The rest of the city's contribution — more than $60 million — will come in monthly installments. http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=37123951.story

Memphis City Council OKs school budget (Commercial Appeal/Maki)
Memphis City Schools Supt. Kriner Cash says school should start on time Monday thanks to a deal forged Tuesday with the Memphis City Council. The council approved the school district's $884 million budget and a payment schedule for the city's contribution, ending contentious talks that included a threat by school officials to delay the start of the academic year. "This is good news all around," said a beaming Cash following the council's vote. "We're prepared to open. All I do now is go push the green button that says go. "There are some kinks to be worked out," he said. "We should be close to 100 percent staffed on Monday." The district asked the city for $78.4 million, but the council decided to officially approve just $68.4 million because of a drop projected in student enrollment. However, the council is making the remaining $10 million available to the school system, including $3 million it supplied last month, because the district says it needs the full amount it requested to begin the year. The council will add another $5.8 million and allow the school district to use its reserves to make up the $1.2 million to bring the total to $78.4 million. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/aug/02/memphis-city-council-oks-school-budget/

Troubled charter schools 'going forward' (Commercial Appeal/Roberts)
The scene at Memphis Business Academy early Tuesday was the schoolhouse equivalent of a new car without the new-car smell. Tables and chairs were neatly set up in the freshly painted lunchroom. Floors gleamed up and down the halls, where school leaders spent $325,000 this summer creating classrooms in the former Kmart in Frayser and doled out another $50,000 for an auditorium. In the back of a room where about 125 parents and students were getting school-year rules straight from principal Menthia Clark, Rev. Anthony Anderson was tamping down a few preschool jitters. He has hired six additional teachers, extended the school day an hour, doubled the time on task in math and English, and he still has no idea whether all divisions of the school will be allowed to operate this year. "We are going forward," he said. "We hired people believing that a positive decision will be made." MBA's middle school did not make Adequate Yearly Progress for the second consecutive year, a grave situation for charter schools in Tennessee, where the law gives charters two years to prove themselves. If they fail, they can be shut down. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/aug/03/troubled-charter-schoolsgoing-forward/

Former Memphis mayor Herenton hopes to run 9 charter schools (CA/Roberts)
He and dozens of others file state's letter of intent Former mayor Willie Herenton hopes to be running a consortium of nine charter schools across city and county school boundaries by this time next year. "I want the most difficult and those students that are the most underserved. That's what I want," Herenton said. "That is the challenge in American education today." He is proposing four high schools, three middle schools and two elementary schools for his W.E.B. DuBois Consortium. (DuBois, author of "The Souls of Black Folk" and numerous other titles and one of the founders of the NAACP, received a Ph.D. in history from Harvard in 1895.) Two of the schools Herenton plans -- a middle and high school for leadership, ethics and public policy -- would be slated for the Shelby County Schools attendance areas. The remaining seven would focus on art/technology, entrepreneurship and teacher education and serve students in Memphis ZIP codes 38106, 38109 and 38126 in South Memphis, 38107 in North Memphis and 38105 in Midtown, according to letters of intent Herenton filed in the state's office of charter schools. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/aug/03/herenton-proposes-9-charter-schools/

Cleveland High School opens science wing (Chatt. Times Free-Press/Higgins)
Cleveland High School opened the doors to its $8 million science wing Tuesday for the community to see. The Max R. Carroll Science Wing brings 21st century science education to the school, several speakers told the 9

crowd. Carroll, one of the dignitaries present for the open house, served on the Cleveland Board of Education for 25 years. He led the search for land for several of the school system's newest facilities during those years. Carroll said it was a "high honor" for the building to be named for him. "It's kind of like Christmas," said Sandy Martin, co-chairwoman of the focus group along with former principal Chuck Rockholt, as she started a tour of the labs. Twelve years ago the city built a new commons area and renovated part of the building, Rockholt said. There was not enough money then for the science rooms. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/aug/03/science-space/?local

On first day back, schools eye graduation (Columbia Daily Herald)
When 16-year-old Brianna Anderson stepped into her media concepts class on the first day of school Monday, she found her teacher clad in a graduation gown. Her teacher’s dress was part of a broader initiative by Maury County Public Schools to stress academic achievement from the ringing of the year’s first bell for class. Not that Anderson, a student at Columbia Central High School, needed a reminder. As a junior, she has already started planning for life after high school. She wants to attend the University of Tennessee and is interested in becoming a pediatrician or veterinarian. But Anderson said it’s definitely inspiring for students to be able to see their teachers dressed for success and to know that “graduation is the only option.” “It’s a good influence on the freshmen coming in the first day to see what a good future looks like,” she said. Pushing up graduation rates is a major goal for the school system under the No Child Left Behind education law. The state aims to graduate 90 percent of students by 2012. Maury County’s graduation rate for 2010 was 83.8 percent. http://www.columbiadailyherald.com/articles/2011/08/02/top_stories/01firstday.txt

Pair face meth charges (Jackson Sun)
Mother and son charged in Henry Co. traffic stop A mother and son have been arrested on several drug charges after a traffic stop Monday in Henry County. Joshua Martin, 24, and his mother Mitzi Shepard, 48, appeared in a Henry County court Tuesday. Mitzi Shepard is charged with accessory after the fact, conspiracy to manufacture meth and the manufacture of meth, said Special Agent in Charge Donnie Blackwell of the West Tennessee Drug Task Force. Martin was also charged with conspiracy to manufacture meth and the manufacture of meth, he said. Martin also faces charges in Gibson County and possibly other counties as well, Black well said. "He has a long list of charges to face in different jurisdictions," he said. Mitzi Shepard is the wife of former Gibson County Sheriff and county mayor Joe Shepard. Neither could be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon. A judge issued a $50,000 bond on Mitzi Shepard and a $150,000 bond on Martin. Shepard posted bond and Martin's bond was placed along with a hold order to transfer Martin to Gibson County to face further charges, Blackwell said. http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20110803/NEWS01/108030307/Pair-face-meth-charges

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OPINION Editorial: State, local budgets at risk (Commercial Appeal)
The burden imposed by federal budget cuts should not be placed on the backs of local governments. Passage of the landmark budget agreement Tuesday produced a sigh of relief in Washington but left state and local governments holding their breath. A major benefit of the deal, which will raise the debt ceiling by an initial $900 billion, is that threats to lower the credit ratings of several states, Tennessee among them, apparently will not be carried out. It would be patently unfair, however, to shift the entire burden of $2.1 trillion in budget cuts to state and local governments, which can't borrow their way out of difficulties, like the federal government, except for an occasional loan from the feds. Of course, it will be impossible for state and local governments to avoid losses altogether. Transportation, education, housing and public safety programs -- programs that allow millions of federal dollars to flow into the economy of Memphis and Shelby County -- are at risk in the $917 billion first round of cuts. TennCare, Tennessee's version of the federal Medicaid program, could be trimmed in the $1.2 trillion second round, when cuts will be determined by a "super commission" made up of 12 appointees from the House and the Senate. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/aug/03/editorial-state-local-budgets-at-risk/

Editorial: Stop behavior that leads to DUIs (Tennessean)
Tennessee has a model program when it comes to battling the problem of people driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Drivers can lose their license on a first offense, have to spend time in jail, and some first-time offenders even have to install alcohol-detecting ignition devices that prevent their cars from starting if they’ve been drinking. But drunken driving continues, and it deserves far more attention in our state. That was evident after James “Chuck” Barrett Sr., 69, and his 4-year-old grandson Alton Brant Barrett were killed in a four-car crash in Lebanon on July 29. Authorities said the two were killed after their vehicle was struck by a car driven by Barbara Mayfield, 44, who had been charged with driving under the influence twice before. A third person was injured and is in critical but stable condition. The fatal crash came 29 days after a new state law went into effect increasing from three to five years the minimum time period a driver’s license may be revoked for a third DUI offense. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110803/OPINION01/308030069/Stop-behavior-leads-DUIs?odyssey=mod| newswell|text|Opinion|p

Guest columnist: Technology offers effective deterrents (Tennessean)
Hardly a week passes without a tragic story about an innocent life being taken by yet another drunken driver. These are tragic examples of the results of drunken-driving crashes that kill nearly 11,000 people annually and injure 350,000. In 2009, 303 people were killedin Tennessee in drunken-driving crashes. That’s 303 families that have to live with the tragic loss of a loved one. These deaths are 100 percent preventable. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) believes that the elimination of drunken driving is possible. Tomorrow’s cars will protect us by automatically determining whether the driver is above the legal level of .08 percent and failing to operate if the driver is at or above that level. This technology is currently under development and one day could be an option in new vehicles. If this technology is realized, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates it could save 8,000 lives a year. Bipartisan legislation in Congress called the ROADS SAFE Act, sponsored by Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker, would help research the development of this technology. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110803/OPINION03/308030070/Technology-offers-effective-deterrents? odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Opinion|p

Guest columnist: Community indifference can enable DUIs (Tennessean)
The stories of DUI offenders who won’t stop offending are plentiful. Recent tragedies include the loss of a 4-yearold child and his grandfather in Lebanon. They died in a crash involving a woman recently convicted. She had gotten out of jail, picked up another DUI charge, posted bond and did it again. Not long ago, a man in Columbia was on bond for a DUI second offense when he drove with a blood-alcohol level of .19 percent and attempted to pass three cars in a construction zone. He killed one person and has been sentenced to 12 years in prison. Our newsletter published for district attorneys recently included the stories of people arrested on their 15th and 18th DUI offenses. The question I am frequently asked is, “What can be done to stop those who are determined to continue to drink or do drugs and drive, no matter what?” The topic of hard-core drinking drivers has been studied for decades. Research in 1991 indicated that hard-core drinking drivers make up less than 1 percent of the population, but account for more than 50 percent of alcohol-related crashes. 11

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110803/OPINION03/308030071/Community-indifference-can-enableDUIs?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Opinion|p

Frank Munger: Future's knocking at door of OR operations (News-Sentinel)
It's a time of transitions in Oak Ridge. A new contractor this week took over responsibility for running the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge cleanup program, and that's significant because the previous contractor — Bechtel Jacobs Co. — had held the job for the past 13 years. The new contractor is URS/CH2M Oak Ridge, which won a competition for the $2.2 billion contract. UCOR spokeswoman Fran Poda said most of the Bechtel Jacobs and subcontractor employees involved in Oak Ridge environmental programs were offered jobs, either with UCOR or one of its subs. About 100 people didn't get offers, she said. Meanwhile, another big change could be coming if the National Nuclear Security Administration — a semi-independent part of DOE — follows through with plans to combine the management contract at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant in Oak Ridge with the one at the Pantex Plant near Amarillo, Texas. The NNSA recently released the draft "Request for Proposals," and a prebid meeting will be Aug. 9 in Washington, D.C. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/aug/03/futures-knocking-at-door-of-or-operations/ ###

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