even your OWN party doesn't want you, andy holt!

That's right folks.  Many moderate Republicans in Nashville want Andy Holt out.  I have to admit, you must be pretty awful if your own party doesn't want to keep you in office.  In fact, the support coming out from all over the state, and probably even further, for opponent and Democrat Mark Maddox is astonishing.  This blog has reached across the state too, as I have been getting inquiries about what people can do to help campaign for Mark and get Andy out of office!  I have never seen support, for a candidate at the state level, in my short time here in Tennessee.  To be honest, it couldn't go to a better candidate.

What happened in 2010, not only here in West Tennessee but across the state, was defeating for democrats. There was a huge backlash from Republicans because of our support for our President and those elected Democrats in Washington.  It's an obvious reason why, and certainly those here in the South cannot deny it no matter how sad it is.  However, what I am seeing at the emergence of the 2012 campaign season is a completely different outlook to what we saw, and inevitably knew was coming, in 2010.  The legislature in this state has taken away rights from anyone who isn't in a high enough tax bracket.  Hitting everyone from teachers, to union employees, to women as a whole, to the working class (which if I'm wrong makes up much of Tennessee).  They fought to increase privileges for the rich and fortunate, in exchange for about 3 dollars a year savings in sales tax.  They introduced legislation to bring slaughterhouses for horses to Tennessee.  A bill that would protect teachers who allow the criticism as such scientific theories like evolution in their classrooms.  This opens a whole new door about where the separation of church and state comes into play.  It wasn't eight months ago that I sitting in a biology lecture at UT Martin listening to an older woman insisting that the bible has proven theories that creationism is in fact certain and the only real and logical scientific theory.  She went on and on, and I won't waste your time with her gibberish.  Yes, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but when you start bringing religion into the class that can, and very well may, offend another classmate of mine because they might not be Christian, or they are a Christian and completely accept evolution, but is being told they are wrong and going to hell for doing so IS A PROBLEM.  I will go a little further and say that when you start criticizing these ideas at a younger age where students are much more impressionable you will not only be improperly educating our future, you are further lowering our state's "excellence in education."  We have fallen back to 47th in the country.  FORTY-SEVENTH!  We're at the top with spending (thanks to Race to the Top), but at the opposite end in terms of the quality of our education.  Yet, we want to protect teachers that allow students to spew fallacies and criticize theories proven true over and over again.  We went from a pretty good moderate environment within the state in 2008 to as far right as possible in just a couple years.  To me, that's scary.  And guess what...it is to a LOT more people now, as well.

So with that being said, I'm going to make a guess.  With as much disgust there is across the board.  Here in the state of Tennessee , including the federal level too, there will be a turnover in incumbents.  I can almost guarantee that Andy Holt will not be in office again next January, and some West Tennesseeans (not myself sadly) will be able to breathe a collective sigh of relief from the tyranny that is Andy Holt.

I encourage more folks that are interested in donating, volunteering, making calls or anything on behalf of Mark Maddox to please let me know.  I want to see all of Weakley County and the portions of Obion & Carroll now in the 76th covered with Maddox for State Rep signs, bumper stickers, or anything with his name on it for that matter.

Thank you Mark Maddox.....three more to go

Word on the street that I've heard today is that former Representative for the 76th, Mark Maddox, will be repeating his run from 2010.  For any blue viewed person here in West Tennessee we can breathe a little easier.  Sadly, Mr. Maddox will no longer be representing me personally in the Tennessee Legislature....due to redistricting of course.  I'm currently stuck with Curtis Halford, and no democrat to run against him at this time.

This brings me to Roy Herron's soon-to-be open State Senate seat.  I'm not quite sure why we are not finding Democrats to run campaigns for these seats.  No one has, as of yet, stepped up as a potential Democratic candidate against Herron.  If people aren't really paying attention to the outlook here in Tennessee, right now is the time for Dems to strike.  The perfect time to take back our seats and our state.  As we saw in our state's primary on Super Tuesday, Tennessee went to right-wing extremist, Rick Santorum.  Turnout was not impressive.

Our pool of elected Republican officials (i.e. Fincher, Holt, Wirgau, etc.) are proving to be worthless at the state and federal level.  Andy Holt has sponsored or co-sponsored useless legislation to increase gun rights/accessibility on college campuses, a bill targeted at unions and their ability to picket by making mass picketing a criminal offense, and a bill that we know is ultimately not meant to defend students that are not Christian, especially if used in conjunction with bill that allows those who say its okay to bully if their religious or political beliefs follow suit. (whatever happened to the separation of church and state that our founding fathers put there as a means to not allow religion to be forced on someone?)  If constituents would actually look at what their elected official (Holt & Fincher specifically) and what bills they sponsor, how they vote on other bills that would personally affect them, I would guarantee that they more than likely would not vote for them a second time and make them a one term wonder.  This is my plea.  Let's get Mark elected and get Andy "BOLT" Holt (because he bolted to Hawaii for a new truck and bolts from hard hitting questions that he knows he couldn't answer without backlash or negative reactions) out of office.  Let's get some Democrats on the ticket against Fincher, Halford and the slew of Republican contenders who have thrown their name in the hat for Senator Herron's seat.

If you or someone you know are considering running for office I encourage you to send me a message or comment with an email to contact you at so that we can get you in touch with the right people.  So Northwest Tennesseeans, let's bring our region and the entire state back to the great state it once used to be.  Let's take hatred, bigotry, and every other scare tactic the extremists throw at us out of play.  Smile. shrug it off, and know that what they do and say doesn't matter.  We are the party for the people of this state.  We are the party that does, not just talks.  So let's do it!!

One last note, Thank you Mark Maddox!!!!

What does Haslam & the GOP have against teachers?

Let me preface this by saying, I got my education in Illinois.  A Chicago suburb to be more specific.  My father wanted to move to Tennessee (his home) when my parents were married, but my mother refused because, as she put it, I'd be three years behind what I'd be learning where I was at.  As of the most recent study, Tennessee is currently ranked 41 out of 50 states in education.  I can attest that the higher you're number the worse off you are.  They made some progress since I've lived here. They were at 48 in 2008.  I cannot thank my mother enough for standing her ground and keeping us out of Tennessee.

So, what am I trying to talk about?

Our genius governor wants to pass a law that will let schools opt out of paying teachers a mandated salary based on the years they've been there and the education level they have received.  He wants them to be based on their performance.  OK, sure, but the issue with this is...if you have been a teacher for 20 years already and your class is getting in the 98th percentile in english on the state tests...you can't go up.  And if you don't increase it's reflected negatively even though they are still in the highest percentile ranking you can achieve.  This is the issue that Milan city schools are having.  I spoke with a family friend who is also a teacher there, and she explained that this is happening right now.  Whereas Jackson school district might move up from the 35th percentile to the 40th from one year to the next and they are raved about.  So, if they go to this "based on performance" pay scale there will be many teachers that have been doing what they were supposed to be doing over the years, but will be punished with little to NO raises because they can't go higher than the 98th percentile.

IS THIS FAIR?  Absolutely not!  But since when does the GOP care about fair?

The second thing, in conjunction with the aforementioned proposal, that Haslam wants done is to take away the limit on classroom size.  Let me give a personal example.  When I went to college I can personally attest that those classes in which I has the normal amount of students, anywhere from 15-30, in a class I did far better than a class that was set in an auditorium that could have anywhere from 60-150 students.  The rooms aren't big enough.  If you are stuck in the back you can't hear.  You probably cannot see what is being written on the board or shown on the projector.  Not to mention, one teacher, having to be responsible for all those students.  You are a number to them, and that is all.  There is no personal bond.  There is no chance for that teacher to really give you one-on-one help that you might need.  They don't care if you pass or fail.  If anything, this will hinder a healthy educational setting.  In fact, you'd mostly deal with a T.A., and Im sure that the state wouldn't allow an assistant for the teacher to help with the overflow.

This state does not care about the stress that they put on many teachers, and not to mention the students.  If they did, they would not be looking for things to cut in education, but rather looking at things to cut internally, like for instance, Haslam's salary.  He's a millionaire.  If he actually gave a damn about saving money on the state he would work for free....or take a salary of $1 a year...heck even if he did we wouldn't know would we?  Transparency what?

CUT YOUR OWN SALARIES INSTEAD OF SLASHING EDUCATIONAL EXPENDITURES!!!!

What many people, who are NOT teachers, don't realize is that being a teacher is more than 7-330 every day.  It's grading papers on their own time at home, while taking time away from their own families.  Buying their own supplies for her classroom because the school doesn't have the budget for it.  Constantly researching new ways to keep their students involved.  I have a lot of friends who are teachers and they will tell you that they never thought it would be as time consuming as it is when they were in school to be one.  They all have said that they are increasingly frustrated with the new laws and requirements the states are doing to them, and then taking away their own rights. (i.e. collective bargaining)  It's sad to me that we are attacking the same people that we are expecting to educate our children in a way that they will go on to great colleges or universities and do better than we did.  I can personally say this.  I have a one year old.  We have EVERY intent on being out of the state of Tennessee before he enters Pre-K.  It's nothing against the teachers, it's ideas like increased classroom size and an even thinly stretched teacher that is keeping us from staying here.  So unless there are HUGE changes for the best, and certainly NOT what Gov. Haslam is proposing my son will not attend school here in this state.

My hopes, that while I am going to alternative route to be a teacher that the State Legislature will not formally introduce OR pass a law that takes away from teacher's salary and increases the number of students they are to teach.  This is mind boggling.  People need to fight back!  Start calling your Congressman and tell them that if this is introduced they need to vote NO!

re: TN gov's plan would change teacher pay, remove class size averages