Archive for the ‘liz garrigan’ Category
Preds donating ticket revenue to Red Cross
As usual, the Preds are responding generously in a time of need: This time it’s in support of the American Red Cross’ tornado relief efforts. The team will donate half of the revenue from tickets sold today and tomorrow for tomorrow’s home game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. If you don’t have tickets, there’s no time like right now. If you do have tickets, volunteers will accept additional donations for the Red Cross at all entrances to the arena tomorrow night.
Keep the sun shining on state government
In case you missed Tennessean columnist Larry Daughtrey’s take on Gov. Bredesen’s once-reluctant embrace of open government, here’s a snapshot:
Bredesen opened up the state budget process, and it is no longer a big issue on Capitol Hill. When Bredesen became mayor of Nashville, he told reporters the other day, “I was flabbergasted and appalled at how you had to do business (in public). It just seemed to me almost impossible to hire people and do business. ‘I’ve come to realize you can work in this environment.’Yes, it has a substantial load attached to it in terms of how efficiently you can make decisions, but in the end government just works better if you come down on that side of it.’
What is a big issue on Capitol Hill these days is an effort by some local officials to go in the other direction — to change state law so they can meet in secret to talk about hiring and firing, pay raises and scandals.”
In a state not far removed from Operation Tennessee Waltz and a nation where political scandals are a spectator sport, who does it benefit, beyond those directly involved, to roll back sunshine laws? I don’t think it helps the general public, and at a time when transparency continues to increase in importance, I agree with Newscoma and others that a step in the opposite direction would definitely be backward and a bad move for Tennessee.
Oops, wrong Lt. Gov.
State Senator and former Lt. Gov. John Wilder, whose three decades at the helm of the State Senate ended dramatically in January, can’t be excited about this typo from opponents of plans to build a meeting hall at the Governor’s Mansion:
Surely the people energized on this issue could go on and on all day about the veracity of the claims made in the ad. But here’s one thing we know is wrong: The phone number listed for Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey.
The number listed there … is actually the phone number for former Lt. Gov. (now Sen.) John Wilder’s office. We just got a call from Wilder’s office to say they’re being flooded with phone calls from people who saw the ad.
The correct number for Ramsey’s office is [615] 741-4524.
Wilder lost his status as Speaker of the Senate (and Lt. Gov.) despite his strong desire to retain the title. This isn’t a pleasant reminder of that defeat, but it may be a relief to Wilder that he isn’t having to address the calls intended for current-Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey. Whew.
Vandy enters Top 25, engages in DVD slugfest with Vols
As expected, the Commodores have indeed cracked the AP men’s college basketball Top 25. Vanderbilt is #23 in that poll and #25 in the ESPN-USA Today poll.
The most entertaining part of this news is the comment thread on The Tennessean story about the ranking. Sure, the battles between the ‘Dores and the Vols are (sometimes) intense on the basketball court and the football field, but the gloves really come off when Web-savvy fans debate which school is more pathetic for issuing commemorative DVDs of its accomplishments. As The Office’s Jim Halpert might say, there are no winners to this argument, but oh yeah, “There are losers.”
Son, can you spare a ride?
The state stopped offering free golf to its former governors, and I think it should do the same when it comes to free rides for past top executives. Providing transportation to official events and when safety considerations require an escort is fine. Otherwise, this is an unnecessary expense for taxpayers and, as noted in the paper, at least the appearance of cronyism. The Tennessee Highway Patrol has more than its share of such appearances already, though more is being done to address that in recent years than ever before.
A terrible loss
I was very saddened to hear about Clarksville resident Bo Ward’s public suicide in today’s Tennessean. It must be very traumatizing for those in the room, and my sympathies are with Mr. Ward’s widow as she begins to face what happened yesterday evening. I hope she is surrounded by family members and supportive friends.
- I think Clarksville Mayor Johnny Piper is right to say that the council should never meet again in that room. I hope the council will incorporate metal detectors into whatever venue replaces the current room.
- There is a National Suicide Prevention Lifeline available 24 hours a day by phone at (800) 273-8255.
- The Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network (TSPN) is a grassroots organization devoted to educating the public about suicide and working to reduce incidences of suicide. It does not operate a hotline service, but it is nonetheless dedicated to the cause of preventing this kind of tragedy.
- TSPN is partnering with the Geriatric Mental Health Foundation to raise awareness of suicide and suicide prevention this fall. Their campaign will kick off on Tuesday, October 16, at 6 p.m. in the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Nashville. Nashville and Baltimore are the only two sites that have been selected for this national organization’s effort.
One of my closest friends lost someone three years ago to suicide. She is still haunted by this loss, and what happened touched many, many people who knew and cared about the person in question. I hope anyone who is considering suicide and, equally importantly, anyone who may know someone who is exhibiting warning signs will seek help immediately. My thoughts are with everyone impacted by this tragedy today.
Corker being assimilated, or gaining experience?
The Tennessee Journal has another surprising tidbit about Senator Bob Corker in comparison with election opponent Harold Ford:
In late February, after his return from Iraq, Corker crisscrossed the state to meet with constituents. He also visited the state Capitol, where reporters were both impressed and amused at his newfound familiarity with generals and Iraqi officials. When one joked that he sounded like Ford, Corker momentarily was taken aback, then smiled and said that must mean he sounded good indeed.
A cynic might argue–and might well be right–that upon being exposed to life inside the Beltway, Corker has been assimilated into the culture. Still, it’s refreshing to hear a politician from one party acknowledge the experience and expertise of another, even if it’s several months after besting him on the campaign trail. It’s not as though Corker had a politically expedient alternative to the response he chose in a public situation, but it’s still a step in the right direction.
Candid Corker now enjoying life in Senate
The weekly state political newsletter the Tennessee Journal (subscription required) includes details about first-term Senator Bob Corker’s experience in Washington that features some surprisingly candid admissions from the politician:
[Corker] concedes he was not very happy his first month in D.C. The Republicans had lost control of the Senate to the Democrats in the ’06 election, in which Corker was the only newly elected Republican, making him dead last in seniority. He found himself attending meetings all day yet barely scratching the surface of the issues. And he asked himself why he had spent two years seeking such a job.
The article focuses on Corker’s recent accomplishments in the Senate, and it emphasizes that he’s come to enjoy serving as a legislator. Nonetheless, I found his willingness to admit his initial feelings upon arriving in Washington quite refreshing.
