SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2011 Budget hearings set (Tennessean)

Gov. Bill Haslam will hold a series of budget hearings Tuesday afternoon at the University of TennesseeKnoxville. The departments of Education, Tourist Development, Childrens Services, Veterans Affairs and Agriculture will present budget plans for the 2012-13 fiscal year. The hearings can be viewed online at www.tn.gov . http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111120/NEWS01/311200054/Week-ahead-GM-to-roll-out-details

GM to roll out details (Tennessean)

At 10 a.m. Monday, officials will announce what new vehicles the General Motors Spring Hill plant will assemble first, when work will begin, and other details of the planned restart of the facility. Spring Hill is supposed to get two new midsize-vehicle lines. The first, the topic of Mondays announcement, would begin production sometime next year, bringing 600 jobs. The other would come in 2013, adding 1,110 jobs. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111120/NEWS01/311200054/Week-ahead-GM-to-roll-out-details

Tuition cost shift worries Governor Bill Haslam (Times Free-Press/Sher)

Gov. Bill Haslam says he's concerned that students rather than the state increasingly are shouldering the cost of attending public universities and colleges. "I understand the role the state has played over the past 30 years," the governor told higher education officials during budget hearings last week. "I also know we can't continue the current trend in terms of affordability by middle-class families." Haslam is weighing state budget cuts of up to 5 percent across most of state government in the coming year. Faced with loss of state funds, higher education officials have recommended raising tuition fees by 3 percent to 8 percent next year at colleges and universities, and from 5 to 10 percent at the Tennessee 27 technology centers. For years, the state has trimmed appropriations for higher education while tuition and fees have gone up. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/nov/20/tuition-cost-shift-worries-governor/?local

No more Lakeshore? Commissioner, critics debate facility's closure (NS/Nelson)

Tennessee Department of Mental Health Commissioner Doug Varney says it's past time the state changed its tune about the way people with mental illnesses are treated. But critics of his proposal to close Lakeshore Regional Mental Health Institute in favor of using community-based services say they've heard that song before. On Tuesday, Varney presented to Gov. Bill Haslam and state legislators his proposed departmental budget for next fiscal year. While it does total $24 million less than the present one, it also hinges on some pretty big "asks": Varney's request that $6 million for community "core mental-health services" be added back into the budget, and his insistence that money saved from closing Lakeshore, which has a $25 million annual operating budget, must be reinvested in other services in East Tennessee, rather than diverted into the state's general fund. Varney has said repeatedly that his true goal is getting away from the "outdated" model of institutionalizing people who have mental illness and that cost savings is just a nice side effect. "It's morally the right thing to do," he told Haslam on Tuesday. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/nov/20/no-more-lakeshore-commissioner-critics-debate/ CHRONOLOGYhttp://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/nov/20/chronology-key-dates-in-lakeshores-history/ :

Complicated history (Knoxville News-Sentinel/Nelson)

Lakeshore had horrible times but also ground-breaking programs It's been less than a decade that the word "Lakeshore" has called to mind a park, not a mental institution, in the minds of most Knoxvillians. And a look back through News Sentinel archives shows mixed sentiments over its 125 years of history. By the time the asylum opened in 1886, it had endured 13 years of stop-and-start funding and political fighting (everyone wanted

the new facility in their own county). For the next 50 years, not much could be done to treat mental illness, and the building became a repository not only for the true mentally ill, but also for poor, elderly and mentally retarded people whose families didn't want to care for them. Newspaper articles through the 1980s cited patients crammed in too-small wards, sometimes sleeping on the floor, in dirty conditions, without anything to occupy their time. But other articles showed neatly dressed, smiling residents taking dance lessons, singing around a piano, reading books from an on-site library operated by society women. Community groups often held events on campus. Lakeshore (then Eastern State) had some true innovations. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/nov/20/complicated-history-horrible-times-but-also/

New state effort honors Korean, Vietnam war veterans (Leaf Chronicle)
This past Veterans Day, the Tennessee State Library and Archives (TSLA) launched a pair of projects aimed at preserving the history of Tennesseans who served in the Korean and Vietnam wars. TSLA is asking veterans of Korea and Vietnam and their families to contribute items for an archival collection called "Tennessee Remembers: Vietnam and Korea Veterans," to include books, photographs, negatives, slides, films, audiotapes, letters, artifacts and maps. Professional archivers will arrange, organize and preserve the materials so that they can be made available to the public for research. State Representative Joe Pitts (D-Clarksville) is excited about the project and the chance to preserve what he considers to be an important part of American history. "My father is a Korean War veteran," said Pitts, "and I had numerous relatives who both served and died as a result of their service in the Vietnam W ar, so this initiative is particularly meaningful to me." Assistant State Archivist W ayne Moore said, "It's the right time to do it, and we're the right agency to help veterans preserve their legacy." TSLA is accepting donations as small as a single letter, or as large as dozens of boxes. http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20111120/NEWS08/111200329/New-state-effort-honors-KoreanVietnam-war-veterans

State Human Rights Commission to host public roundtable (Jackson Sun)

The Tennessee Human Rights Commission will conduct a public roundtable session beginning at 11 a.m. Dec. 6 at the AIM Building, at 731 S. Highland Ave. in Jackson. RSVPs are required for attendance at the event. Participants will have an opportunity to speak to the commission about personal experiences, ask questions and submit a formal complaint when applicable, according to a news release. The commission urges those who feel that they have been discriminated against when attempting to secure housing, on the job or at a business that offers services to the public to be a part of the event, which is free and open to the public. To RSVP, call (800) 251-3589. The commission's role, by means of enforcement and education, is to safeguard the citizens of Tennessee from discrimination in the areas of employment, housing and public accommodations in regard to race, creed, color, religion, sex, disability, age, national origin and familial status. More information is available at tn.gov/humanrights. http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20111120/NEWS01/111200314/Local-briefs-State-Human-RightsCommission-host-public-roundtable

Group drives 41A widening to highest priority (Times-Gazette)

Area leaders agree that completing the widening of U.S. 41A to Tullahoma is one of the most important ongoing transportation programs in the area. The South Central East Rural Planning Organization, which does transportation planning for an eight-county region, met this past week to set priorities for a number of projects they will recommend to the state. Two segments of the improvements being made to U.S. 41A from Shelbyville to Tullahoma ranked first and second on their list of recommendations for projects under consideration for the upcoming fiscal year. The top ranking went to the 1.8 mile section under construction from State Route 276 (Thompson Creek Road) to near Rippy Ridge Road, with the number two slot being the 5.7 mile stretch planned from State Route 64 east of Shelbyville to State Route 276. N. Main on list For projects in the next fiscal year, 2014-2015, the widening of North Main Street, also known as U.S. 231 North, ranked number two on the group's list. The meeting was attended by Shelbyville mayor Wallace Cartwright, city manager Jay Johnson, planning and codes director Ed Dotson and public works director Mark Clanton, as well as county highway superintendant Stanley Smotherman. County mayor Eugene Ray was unable to attend the gathering. Johnson explained that the three-year work program is what local city and county leaders have set as priorities, which are then recommended to the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT). http://www.t-g.com/story/1786379.html

THP targets Tennessee roadways through Thanksgiving Weekend (DNJ)

Tennessee drivers beware. The Governor's Highway Safety Office is teaming with the Tennessee Highway 2

Patrol and local law enforcement agencies all across the state to crack down on traffic safety violations during the Thanksgiving travel period. State and local law enforcement will be out in force to remind all drivers and passengers to never drink and drive, always buckle up, obey the speed limit, and eliminate all distractions inside their vehicles while driving as part of the state's new "More Cops. More Stops." campaign, according to a news release. "Unfortunately, the holiday season brings a higher number of injuries and fatalities on Tennessee roadways," said Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner John Schroer. "Many of those tragedies could be prevented by obeying basic highway safety laws. Over the next several days, drivers can expect 'More Cops and More Stops' across the state as we try to keep everyone safe this Thanksgiving." Sixtynine percent of 18 to 34 year old passenger vehicle occupants killed in Tennessee crashes in 2009 were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash. http://www.dnj.com/article/20111120/NEW S01/111200312/THP-targets-Tennessee-roadways-throughThanksgiving-Weekend

Womick reactions illustrate divide (Daily News Journal)

Republican lawmakers and local officials aren't rebuking or criticizing GOP state Rep. Rick Womick for saying Muslims shouldn't be allowed in the U.S. military, but Democrats have strong words for his controversial remarks. "He's way over the top," state Rep. Mike Turner, chairman of the Democratic Party Caucus in the Tennessee House of Representatives, said Friday. "That type of attitude is what's wrong with America. We have too much hate and too much divisiveness. "They are playing to people's fears," Turner added. "It's counterproductive to what America stands for, and Rick should be ashamed of himself." Womick, R-Rockvale, made the remarks during a recent "Constitution or Shariah?" conference held at Cornerstone Church in the Madison community in northeast Nashville. His comments have made state, national and international news. Messages were left for Womick, but he could not be reached comment. In a previous interview, Womick said he didn't trust Muslims serving in the military and mentioned three cases in which violence occurred, including Maj. Nidal Hasan, who in November 2009 killed 13 soldiers and wounded 30 at Fort Hood, Texas. http://www.dnj.com/article/20111120/NEW S05/111200322/W omick-reactions-illustrate-divide?odyssey=tab| topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Growth bringing change to county legislative districts (Johnson City Press)

Washington County has seen many changes in the past 10 years, with one of the biggest being an almost 15 percent growth in population: In 2000, the county had a little more than 107,000 residents, while in 2010, the county grew to just under 123,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Because of that growth, W ashington Countys legislative district boundaries must shift to maintain an equal number of constituents per commissioner about 5,000 for every county commissioner in a district. This redistricting process is required every 10 years to make sure representation is equal across a geographic area. Currently, Washington County has nine commissioners and 25 districts; the county can have between three and 25 districts, nine to 25 commissioners, and each district can have one to three commissioners. In W ashington Countys newest proposed redistricting map, population growth has necessitated the creation of a 10th District, comprised of the Cherokee Outside and Lamar voting precincts. Another change is that about 2,200 people have been moved out of the 1st District, because of large population growth there, and distributed among other districts. In addition, because of growth in the Gray area of the 7th District, the Leesburg area has been cut from there and moved into the 6th and 8th districts. http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/News/article.php?id=96031#ixzz1eFSjOpu2

Tennessee law requires residents to report child abuse (Tennessean/Haas)

An elementary school cafeteria worker last year knew her 6-year-old daughter was being sexually abused, but she ignored it. Another woman stood idly by as her boyfriend whipped her three children with a belt. Both women were arrested because Tennessee law requires anyone with knowledge of child abuse or sexual abuse to report it to authorities. The sex abuse scandal at Penn State where university staff failed to notify authorities about allegations an assistant football coach sexually assaulted young boys has outraged people who are questioning why the witnesses and those with knowledge of the abuse have not been criminally charged. Tennessee, unlike Pennsylvania, is one of 18 states with laws requiring residents to report abuse to authorities or face criminal penalties. Though the penalty for failing to report is only a misdemeanor, often punished by probation and some parenting classes, such cases can become felonies if prosecutors find that the person not only failed to report information, but also helped the suspect cover it up. I think Tennessee has probably as broad of a statute as anyone in the country as far as mandating anyone report it, said Brian Holmgren, a 3

Davidson County assistant district attorney who oversees the countys child abuse cases. He said Metro regularly prosecutes failure-to-report cases. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111120/NEWS/311190017/Tennessee-law-requires-residents-report-childabuse?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Knoxville's Occupation takes a different approach (Knoxville News-Sentinel/Flory)

On a recent Friday afternoon, a brown-haired toddler was wobbling around Market Square with her father in tow. Matt Cummings was downtown for the Nov. 11 Occupy Knoxville protest and said his participation was motivated by "the common struggle against the political and social corruption within the country, and being a voice against that through unity." But when it comes to the Knoxville movement specifically, Cummings' daughter, Jasmine, may have summed it up best. While her white Che Guevara T-shirt was an implicit challenge to the status quo, her small stature and tentative steps made for a decidedly nonthreatening persona. The same could be said of Occupy Knoxville. While Nashville's Occupy encampment sparked a legal confrontation with the administration of Gov. Bill Haslam and members of Occupy Wall Street were recently forced out of a Manhattan park by police, Knoxville sympathizers have declined to camp out in public places and have cooperated with law enforcement. Why the differing approaches? Rose Hawley, a South Knoxville resident who has been active in the local movement, said Knoxville isn't New York or Nashville. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/nov/20/knoxvilles-occupation-takes-a-different-02/

UT sociologist urges public to take notice of Occupy movement (N-S/McCloskey)

Jon Shefner, head of the University of Tennessee's sociology department, specializes in studying how economic policies affect political actions and how poor people around the globe advocate for change. That's why he's been investigating Occupy Wall Street the movement for economic equality that began in New York and has spread to hundreds of cities across the country, including Knoxville and believes it's time for people to take notice. "Those same people who admire the Tea Party for speaking up should be equally as admiring of the Occupy Wall Street folks who are doing it with much less link to a political party and much less economic pull," Shefner said. "No problems get solved by remaining silent." He became interested in Occupy Wall Street by talking to people involved in Occupy Knoxville protests and subsequently doing "a fair amount of electronic and archive research." Shefner said he found Occupy Wall Street intriguing because he sees it as a movement against austerity, a topic he's spent his career researching. "Austerity is the closing down of a variety of governmental programs that have made people's survival much more viable while opening the opportunity for a variety of corporations to function either without government regulations or with less government regulation," Shefner said. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/nov/20/ut-sociologist-urges-public-to-take-notice-of/

Shelby County mayor proposes employee bonuses (Associated Press)

Shelby County employees might receive a financial bonus next month. That's what Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell is recommending. He cited an $8.7 million budget surplus for the fiscal year that ended June 30. His administration said the surplus was reached by eliminating 46 positions, holding jobs vacant and higher-thanexpected collections of delinquent taxes. Luttrell told The Commercial Appeal that he will ask the County Commission to approve giving $2.5 million in bonuses to employees and putting the rest of the surplus into a reserve fund http://bit.ly/rJavBV County workers did not receive a raise in July when the next fiscal year ( ). started. If approved, permanent employees hired before July 1 would be eligible for a bonus equal to 1.5 percent of their base pay. Luttrell said the bonus could help county employees with increasing costs for health care and pension contributions. He also said they should be rewarded for helping keep a leaner county government running. "They were part of the solution, and I think it's only fitting that when we have a chance to show our appreciation as a government that we consider our employees first," Luttrell said. http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=37978375.story

More bad news for the Sheriff's Office pension plan (News-Sentinel/Donila)
The Knox County Sheriff's Office pension plan took another hit as investments again performed miserably and the account continued to bleed money in the face of another tumbling market, according to third quarter investment results released this past week. Now, officials say, the county will have to contribute even more money next year to a program that has already cost almost three times what the voters were told it would when they approved it five years ago. In addition, the county's other pension plans each closed for more than 20 years will again need contributions to keep them healthy. "We had a very bad quarter," said David Lindberg, 4

managing director of W ilshire Consulting, the Knox County Retirement and Pension Board's financial adviser. "We had negative returns in almost every sector." A Wilshire report, released Tuesday to the county's investment committee, said the U.S. stock market was recently "battered" as investors grew concerned "over European debt issues," while overseas banks were "reeling from their exposure to Greece's sovereign issuance." Additionally, it said, low interest rates hurt bond investments. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/nov/20/more-bad-news-for-the-sheriffs-office-pension/

Memphis-area income chasm vast, Census finds (Commercial Appeal/Charlier)

Only N.Y., Miami, L.A. have greater gap between rich, poor With its many spacious yards, tree-lined streets and heavily trafficked, upscale commercial areas, Census Tract 213.10 in East Memphis hardly appears to be a place of rampant income disparities. But while 1,100 of the tract's 3,705 households have incomes of at least $150,000, Census figures show, nearly 1,000 others make less than $30,000. The richest 5 percent of households -- those earning more than $443,000 -- take in more than one-third of all the income in the tract. Located north of Poplar between Interstate 240 and the Germantown city limits, the tract is home to residents ranging from well-heeled business leaders such as FedEx founder Fred Smith to retirees and working families in modest apartments or condos. The tract is among the most unequal, income-wise, in the city, according to new Census data. It is by no means unusual for the Memphis area, however. Census figures for the five-year period that began in 2005 show that the eight-county Memphis metropolitan area tied with Houston as having the fourthhighest level of income inequality of any of the nation's metro areas with populations of at least 1 million. Only New York, Miami and Los Angeles metro areas had greater disparity levels, based on a mathematical index of income distribution and inequality used by the Census Bureau. Income inequality in recent months has become an emergent theme in national politics and a potent touchstone for activists in the Occupy Wall Street movement. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/nov/20/area-income-chasm-vast/

General Sessions Court makes changes in wake of problems (CA/Connolly)

After General Sessions Court Clerk Otis Jackson was indicted earlier this year, court judges picked Edward L. Stanton Jr. to replace him. Last month, the new clerk dismissed the office's finance director and replaced him with Adrienne Evans, a woman who knows General Sessions well. Evans is the internal auditor who earlier this year wrote a critical report of financial problems in the General Sessions Court Clerk's office. She also wrote a similar report on the Chancery Court Clerk's office, whose former bookkeeper Brandon Gunn has pleaded guilty to taking more than $1 million. Evans started work in the new role Oct. 17 and Stanton said she'll stay indefinitely. "The advantage you have here, former auditor Ms. Evans not only identified the problems, she hit the ground running when she was hired into the position," chief internal auditor Tommy W. Cates recently told Shelby County commissioners. Cates said he plans to hire a replacement auditor. The former General Sessions Court Clerk's finance director who was dismissed by Stanton is Zack Armour. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/nov/20/general-sessions-makes-changes/

Cleveland sales tax income rises (Chattanooga Times Free-Press/Higgins)

Sales tax collections have increased here over the summer, according to a report prepared by city government. City Finance Director Mike Keith attributes the increase to the startup of construction for Whirlpool's new plant and recovery from the spring tornadoes. Sales tax information was part of a general financial summary Keith prepared for the City Council's fall planning retreat, set to start Nov. 28. "At this time last year, we've had 12 consecutive months with large decreases in collections, and 16 out of the past 22 months had decreases in collections," Keith said in his report. The past 11 months, however, have shown increases. "What I can tell you is that the sales tax growth in the last several months is related to building materials," he said. "Money received in July through October accounts for the sales in May through August, which directly relates to the time since the tornadoes." City Manager Janice Casteel said last week that sales-tax collection reports lag two months behind actual sales. So reports that include holiday spending over the next few weeks will not likely be known until February, she said. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/nov/20/cleveland-sales-tax-income-rises/?local

Bradley, Cleveland (TFP/Leach)

leaders

discuss

Whirlpool

road

improvement

costs

Bradley County commissioners would like the Cleveland City Council to reconsider how much the city will contribute to road improvements linked to Whirlpool's planned relocation to Benton Pike. "We want to come to a mutual agreement that is financially beneficial to all of us," Commissioner Connie Wilson said Friday in a meeting 5

with city leaders. The issue focuses on how the county and city will divide nearly $2 million in rights-of-way and road upgrade expenditures for Benton Pike, Durkee Road and Michigan Avenue. City Mayor Tom Rowland and City Manager Janice Casteel agreed to bring the County Commission's concerns to the City Council. The city and county will split the local-government costs associated with city road segments, while the county will assume all costs for county road improvements, according to current Tennessee Department of Transportation estimates.Under that plan, the city will pay $300,000 and the county will pay more than $1.6 million to launch the projects. County and city leaders have different understandings of how the costs should be divided. The City Council recently passed a resolution supporting the current cost allocation. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/nov/20/bradley-cleveland-leaders-discuss-whirlpool-road/?local

Alexander names new chief of staff (Associated Press)

Sen. Lamar Alexander has a new chief of staff. The Tennessee Republican announced on W ednesday that Ryan Loskarn will succeed Matt Sonnesyn, who is leaving to pursue private business interests. Loskarn begins his new assignment Nov. 28. He will continue his job as staff director of the Senate Republican Conference through early 2012. Among his previous jobs was serving as communications director for Tennessee Republican U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn. Loskarn holds a bachelors degree in history and political science from Tulane University. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111120/NEWS/311170077/Alexander-names-new-chief-staff?odyssey=tab| topnews|text|News

Cooper backs bill to ban insider trading by legislators (Jackson Sun)

Democratic Rep. Jim Cooper of Nashville lined up behind legislation last week that would ban insider trading by members of Congress and federal workers. The bill was first proposed in 2006 but gained little momentum until Nov. 13, when the CBS news show "60 Minutes" reported that lawmakers have exempted themselves and their staffers from a law that has sent some of their constituents to jail. The number of lawmakers backing the House bill rose from nine to 65 in the four days following the report. Two similar measures were introduced for the first time in the Senate last week. The legislation would ban members of Congress, their staffers and employees of federal agencies from buying or selling stocks based on non-public information they obtain through their work. It also would force lawmakers to disclose stock transactions more frequently. Cooper has co-sponsored the legislation before, but said he didn't realize that congressional insider trading was such a serious problem until he turned on the television last week. "I knew it was an area of concern," he said. "I didn't know how great it was, but the '60 Minutes' story certainly highlighted it." http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20111120/NEWS01/111200331/Cooper-backs-bill-ban-insider-trading-bylegislators

Analysis: Tax cut, benefits hinge on budget deal (Associated Press/Taylor)

If the deficit-cutting supercommittee fails, Congress will face a tough choice. Lawmakers can allow payroll tax cuts and jobless aid for millions to expire or they extend them and increase the nations $15 trillion debt by at least $160 billion. President Barack Obama and Democrats on the deficit panel want to use the committees product to carry their jobs agenda. That includes cutting in half the 6.2 percent Social Security payroll tax and extending jobless benefits for people who have been unemployed for more than six months. Also caught up in what promises to be a chaotic legislative dash for the exits before the holidays next month is the need to pass legislation to prevent an almost 30 percent cut in Medicare payments to doctors who treat the elderly. Several popular tax breaks also expire at years end. A debt plan from the supercommittee, it was hoped, would have served as a sturdy vehicle, immune from Senate procedural rules requiring 60 votes to hold a final vote on legislation, to tow all of these expiring provisions into law. But after months of negotiations, Republicans and Democrats are far apart on any possible compromise, and there was no indication of progress Saturday. Failure by the committee would leave lawmakers little time to pick up the pieces. And theres no guarantee it all can get done. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111120/NEWS/311200052/Analysis-Tax-cut-benefits-hinge-budget-deal? odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Amazon preparing for holidays (Chattanooga Times Free-Press/Pare)

Jeff Wardeberg of U.S. Xpress Enterprises says its freight business with Amazon has surged by more than 300 percent in the year since the Internet retailer unveiled plans for two Chattanooga-area facilities. "They've moved into our top 10 accounts," said W ardeberg, the local trucking firm's chief operating officer. "The opening of the 6

Chattanooga distribution center allowed us to expand our portfolio with Amazon." The online retailing giant is gearing up its new Chattanooga and Charleston, Tenn., fulfillment centers for Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas. Scores of trucks from U.S. Xpress, Covenant Transportation Group, UPS, FedEx and other companies go in and out of the centers as they deliver and take out freight for the two Amazon facilities. Also, the Seattle-based company continues to hire as it aims to have about 4,500 workers at the pair of local centers by the end of 2011. That's making Amazon one of the biggest employers in the region and likely the fastest ever to reach that level of employment here. Amazon employee Dalton Hodgson, of Cleveland, Tenn., said last week the Bradley County center continues to hire. "I see people for orientation every day," he said. Hodgson said a lot of goods are passing through the huge facility. He said he understands that about 700,000 units will go through it in November alone. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/nov/20/amazon-preparing-for-holidays/?local

Lockout blues: Downtown businesses feel effect of NBA shutdown (CA/Veazey)

Wine glasses perfectly placed on tables and the bar spotless, workers at Spindini on South Main were readying the restaurant Wednesday afternoon for soon-to-be-arriving diners. As the wait staff scurries about the floor, manager David Armstrong worries about all the diners they're missing. A few blocks away at FedExForum, the Grizzlies should be tipping off against the defending world champion Dallas Mavericks in a couple of hours. But a months-old labor dispute canceled the game -- and, after last week's grim developments, threatens to erase the whole season. Spindini, like many other Downtown businesses that enjoy the 45 games a year that bring fans in close proximity, can only watch. "W e would expect a full house once the game was over," Armstrong said. "Now, we won't expect anything." Much will be made of the lockout's big-picture financial effects, the million-dollar numbers trotted out by economist types. Just last fall, for instance, the Greater Memphis Chamber commissioned a study that said the team and the Forum generate $223 million annually and support 1,534 fulltime equivalent jobs. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/nov/20/blues/

Some schools to ban student teachers (Associated Press)

Tennessee's new teacher evaluation system has prompted some school districts to ban student teachers from working in core high school subjects, college education officials say. "It's nothing but the teacher evaluation system that's got them tied up in knots," James Stamper, director of student teaching for Belmont University, told The Tennessean (http://tnne.ws/tZbm5s). "We all had to have somewhere to start." Recent changes in state law including teacher evaluations and toughening the curriculum allowed Tennessee to win $500 million in the national Race to the Top education grant competition. At the end of this school year, principals will compile assessments on every Tennessee teacher: 35 percent from learning gains, 15 percent from other student selected data and 50 percent from classroom observations. Teachers can lose tenure if they score in the two lowest ratings two consecutive years and can gain tenure only if they score in the top two ratings two consecutive years. Williamson County Schools spokeswoman Carol Birdsong said schools can't risk interference for teachers when 35 percent of their evaluations are based on student learning gains on standardized tests. "It's your classroom, and you are being evaluated based on your students' performance," she said. http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=37977589.story

MORE

OPINION Jack McElroy: Lakeshore's closure will open opportunity (News-Sentinel)

You can't get to the lake shore from Lakeshore Park. The hundreds of visitors who circle its 2.1-mile walking path each day are well aware of that as they pass beside the tall fence and vegetation that block not only access to Fort Loudoun Lake but even a view of it. The obstruction is just an example of the unfulfilled potential of one of the most beautiful tracts of publicly owned land in Knoxville. With the announcement that the Department of Mental Health wants to close the Lakeshore Mental Health Institute next year, it's worth considering the future of the site. To my mind, it gives Knoxville the opportunity to develop, over several years, a regional park that combines recreational and cultural attractions in the spirit of America's great city parks. Central Park in New York is the granddaddy of them all, with its lakes, trails, ice rinks, playgrounds and theaters, not to mention zoo, conservatory, wildlife sanctuary and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. But many other cities have fabulous parks where museums, zoos and arboretums share space with ball fields, tennis courts and pools. My favorite is Balboa Park in San Diego. If you've visited only the world-famous zoo, you've seen only a fraction of what that paradise has to offer. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/nov/20/jack-mcelroy-lakeshores-closure-will-open/

Guest columnist: Approve online sales tax proposal (Leaf Chronicle)

Current law forces traditional retailers to compete with online firms that are subsidized by other taxpayers. Consumers come into their stores to handle big-ticket items and research them, then they go home and make these purchases online where they don't have to pay sales tax. It's an unfair advantage for online merchants. It undermines the businesses that provide jobs and a tax base in our communities. And it robs the state of needed revenues. That can stop if Congress passes The Marketplace Fairness Act introduced into the U.S. Senate by five Republicans and five Democrats. It would allow states to require that online retailers collect sales taxes for the state. Under current law, a retailer such as Amazon.com does not have to collect [state] sales taxes unless it has a physical presence in [the state]. ... Some [states] have refused to create such an unfair system and to give a newcomer such an advantage over firms already doing business in the state. http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20111120/OPINION01/111200306/GUEST-EDITORIAL-Approve-onlinesales-tax-proposal

Guest columnist: Schools need evaluations for students (Commercial Appeal)

Earlier this month I flew to Washington, D.C., to represent my Sherwood Middle School students at a hearing of a U.S. Senate committee. After years of delay, Congress is considering the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law; what the lawmakers decide could change my students' lives for better or worse. I am a special education teacher in the Orange Mound community. This is a community that is over 88 percent AfricanAmerican, with a median annual income of $21,802. Almost all of the students at Sherwood -- 97.6 percent -receive free or reduced-price lunches. My students have a range of disabilities, from attention deficit disorder to autism, as well as many talents. (One student struggles to make friends, but can build amazing things with gears and wires.) My calling to teaching came after 15 years of working in the mental health and juvenile justice fields. 8

After years of seeing youth with special needs caught in these systems, I thought I might be able to help children avoid them through early intervention. It was the best decision I ever made. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/nov/20/guest-column-schools-need-evaluations-for/

Guest columnist: Technology can't replace teachers in classrooms (DNJ)

It is apparent that much of recent educational news has focused upon teaching students in the 21st century. There is little doubt that the technological revolution has had the greatest impact upon education since the invention of the printing press. One consistently reads that the major practices of education have not changed in 200 years, and it is time for a dramatic shift in instructional thought. Some leaders in education seek a studentcentered approach to learning where a student, with some guidance from an instructor, uses online sources and other current technology to learn at his or her own pace. This version of the 21st century classroom is akin to a one-room schoolhouse with iPads. In this model, it has been suggested that the teacher should burn his or her lesson plans and not teach content. The teacher becomes an adviser, helping a student plan his or her educational path. If student-centered learning is left to average students, where do you guess their computers will go? In most cases, they will go straight to Facebook. The Internet is truly seductive ... so much to explore ... so many inappropriate websites to examine. http://www.dnj.com/article/20111120/OPINION02/111200310/GUEST-COLUMN-Technology-can-t-replaceteachers-classrooms

Editorial: Smart move to revisit school zone redistricting (Daily News Journal)
The Rutherford County Commission took a stand for a sensible look at the future Thursday when it ordered a reexamination of county school and road board districts that will stand for the next decade. The map sent to the commission by its redistricting committee is jumbled with district lines that make absolutely no sense. The full commission made the right move, because this was no way to move forward, especially when the committee was presented with better ideas. Under requirements to redraw County Commission and school and road board seats every 10 years for reapportionment following the federal census, the county this year set up a committee to do most of the work, instead of putting it in the hands of the Election Commission. The committee maintained a status quo of sorts, allowing school board and road board members to give input into their district lines, without doing much work or listening to the people who live in those districts. The result is seven seats on both boards that are stretched here and there like a bunch of kids playing Twister. http://www.dnj.com/article/20111120/OPINION01/111200307/EDITORIAL-Smart-move-revisit-school-zoneredistricting

Columnist: Unemployment rate keeps working, thanks to legislators (N-S)

Tennessee's Unemployment Rate has hovered above 9 percent all year, and the joblessness barometer said it wanted to thank Tennessee's legislators for keeping it in a job. "I want to thank the Tennessee government for focusing on frivolous and counterproductive legislation in the previous session that's kept me employed," the measurement of the number of Tennessee's unemployed persons divided by its labor force said. "I'm pleased to hear that statesmen such as Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey and state Sen.- Sen. Stacey Campfield have announced their intention to pursue more destructive anti-employment policies in the next session." Ramsey, R-Way Out in Right Field, has said that he will pursue changes in the state unemployment compensation system because receiving the $275 average weekly unemployment benefit becomes a "lifestyle" for the recipient. The Sen-Sen, R- Even Farther Out in Right Field, is exploring the idea of forcing anyone who receives unemployment benefits to undergo drug testing, despite a similar measure for welfare applicants in Florida having recently been proven a spectacular flop. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/nov/20/snark-bites-unemployment-rate-keeps-working-to/

Editorial: Totality of circumstances defines adequate notice (News-Sentinel)

The Knox County Commission will take up a proposal Monday to require a 48-hour notice be given before any public meeting. Commissioners informally have been following such a convention since the infamous "Black Wednesday" meeting Dec. 31, 2007, which led to a jury finding they violated the state's Open Meetings Act. Also known as the sunshine law, the Open Meetings Act requires that local government boards give adequate notice of meetings. The definition of "adequate" has always been a matter of interpretation. W hile it's understandable not to mention prudent for a body that was involved in one of the highest-profile battles over the sunshine law in state history to establish such a rule for its members, the definition of "adequate" involves intent and each notice must be judged individually. During the past four years, commissioners have been careful to give prior 9

announcement of meetings, both formal voting sessions of the entire panel and informal get-togethers involving two or three members. One such informal meeting prompted some members to propose the 48-hour notice rule. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/nov/20/editorial-totality-of-circumstances-defines/

Guest columnist: Let's change how we think of food (Tennessean)

Thanksgiving and its requisite banquet of food represent the fellowship and celebration of abundance. Indeed there is much to be thankful for, but there is also the cruel irony that in the land of plenty, there is a cornucopia of concerns spread across the entire food landscape. It is the irony that near the corner of White Bridge Road and Harding Pike, three grocery stores compete for the attention of our citys wealthiest residents, while citizens of the James A. Cayce Homes have to take a three-hour round-trip bus ride to reach the nearest grocery store. It is the sadness that in 2010 when Tennesseans were asked in a Gallup-Healthways poll, Have there been times in the past 12 months when you did not have enough money to buy food that you or your family needed? almost a quarter said yes, making our state the ninth-hungriest in the nation. It is the health quandary that poverty and obesity make for disturbing partners, where access to fast food, beer and cigarettes trumps the availability of healthy, affordable foods. It is the conundrum of special interest money and politics that protect potato growers and keep French fries in the cafeteria line at the cost of the health and well-being of our schoolchildren. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111120/OPINION03/311200022/Let-s-change-how-we-think-food? odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Opinion|p

Guest columnist: This is no time to cut anti-hunger programs (Tennessean)

As we approach Thanksgiving, we at the food bank are constantly reminded that we are in the midst of a perfect storm. We are constantly adapting to the increased demand for our services, rising food prices, decrease in food donations and fewer charitable contributions. The weight of the recession has taken its toll on a large portion of Americans who look a lot like you and me. Nearly 50 million Americans live in a household that doesnt always know where its next meal is coming from. In Tennessee, one in six adults and one in four children are at risk of hunger. They are our neighbors and they need our help now more than ever. When Second Harvest was established in 1978, it was thought to be a place where families who were struggling could come for food, to help them through a tough economic time a support system to get people through a short-term crisis. Today, most of the people we help have come to rely on the food bank and our partner agencies as the new normal a place people go on a regular, ongoing basis to help them get through each month. All of this is especially troubling now as Congress looks for cuts in the budget and many of the most critical programs for struggling families are at risk. With unemployment still high and the economy teetering on a double-dip recession, Congress absolutely must not cut anti-hunger programs that are helping many of our neighbors just put food on the table. Programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) and W IC must be protected from budget cuts during this critical time in our nations history. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111120/OPINION03/311200021/This-no-time-cut-anti-hunger-programs? odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Opinion|p

Richard J. Grant: For supercommittee, cuts are all in the details (Tennessean)
During the past week, the total debt of the U.S. government surpassed $15 trillion. This brings the total debt up to about 99 percent of the annual production of the U.S. economy. Given that the debt has been growing more than four times faster than the economy, it should cross the 100 percent barrier by the end of the year. Meanwhile, in Washington, the congressional supercommittee is supposedly working on proposals to reduce, if not eliminate, the annual budget deficit. We know for sure that they have no intention of eliminating the deficit. Their assigned task is to reduce the deficit by $1.2 trillion over the next 10 years. This leaves two big questions: What is the benchmark from which the cuts will be made, and why will it take 10 years to reduce the deficit by an amount that is less than the last annual deficit? As for the benchmark, the usual trick is to use projected spending, rather than actual current spending, as the starting point for cuts. Given that projected spending will always be set higher than current spending, it is possible to cut projected spending and then ignore the fact that actual future spending will still be higher. Rumors have it that the supercommittee will treat the reductions of planned future war spending as if they are real cuts. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111120/COLUMNIST0110/311200011/Richard-J-Grant-supercommitteecuts-all-details?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Opinion|p

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