think before you post...again

When you are running for office, or are in office, I would think that one would think before posting.  Publicly posting status messages on facebook where people can see is not the smartest thing in the world.  It's open information and gives people a real insight into a candidate or someone they may have casted a ballot for previously.  For instance, a post that Andy Holt made on his facebook page earlier this week that received eighteen comments and twelve "likes."  Here is the post

Now folks went on and on with ignorant comments, and that is fine and all.....until you get to this post:.  There is a comment from a Jeni Hines.  Upon further research, Jeni (or Jennifer) Hines is the legislative aid to Representative Joe Carr of Murfreesboro.  Sorry, but if one of my employees was on facebook asking "Who's butt should I kick, Andy?" then I'd be seriously reconsidering the type of person that I hired.

Again, this is just another example of the kind of people Andy seems to surround himself with.  If he associates with people that conduct themselves in this way there's not telling what more we will learn about Representative Holt in the coming weeks before the election.

Just another thought for constituents of the 76th District here in Tennessee to think about before hitting the polls this November.

If you feel that Ms. Hines did not conduct herself in the manner that one in her position should do then I encourage you to email her boss, Joe Carr, at then email Speaker Beth Harwell  letting her know that you don't like it either.    And lastly, I would encourage you to let Mr. Holt  know how you feel too about him making unsubstantial remarks about Mark Maddox and how his friends, especially those like Jeni Hines, make threatening remarks and you don't appreciate it.

the unspoken rules of campaign season

During the campaign season, one would like to believe that there are unwritten or unspoken rules that are understood by candidates running.  When unfortunate or unexpected situations arise, like the loss of a loved one that is the family member of someone running for office, their opponent usually suspends their campaign, at least publicly, during the time of mourning.

   Tennessee House District 76 Democratic candidate, Mark Maddox, lost his sister, Janet Maddox, earlier this week.  Here is her obituary, as listed, on the funeral home's website:

Services for Miss Janet Leigh Maddox, 51 of Dresden, will be held August 9, 2012 @ the Dresden Cumberland Presbyertian Church @ 2p.m. in Dresden, TN., with burial to follow in the Sunset Cemetery also in Dresden. Ms. Janet's visitation will be held August 8, 2012 @ Dresden Cumberland Presbyterian Church from 4 til 8 p.m. It will resume August 9, 2012 @ 10a.m. til funeral time. Janet is the daughter of Sam Maddox & Bonnie Jones. She is also survived by her Step-Father Kenneth Jones, two brothers, Mark(Kerri)Maddox of Dresden, TN.& Ricky(Bianca)Jones of Tulsa, OK. She was preceded in death by one brother Tommy Maddox. The Family has requested in lieu of flowers all donations maybe made to CDS Center in Martin, TN. or Dresden Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Dresden, TN.

First, and foremost, I would like to express my deepest sympathy to the Maddox family for your loss of beautiful Janet.  I have heard such wonderful and inspiring stories about her, and I know that her impact on the lives of many will continue on.  For those of you who do not know Janet, she was part of  Community Developmental Services (CDS) and the Maddox family are big advocates of this program, and what it does for members of their community.  The Maddox family, as mentioned in the obituary, asked that donations be made to CDS or the Dresden Cumberland Presbyterian Church in lieu of flowers.

Janet passed on Monday morning.  At 10:23am, that same day, State Representative and current Republican candidate Andy Holt had the audacity to notify all members and staff of the Tennessee State Legislature via an email from his assistant Donna Anderson of the loss of Janet:

Rep. Andy Holt just learned this morning of the passing of Janet Maddox, sister of former Rep. Mark Maddox. We will give more information as it becomes available. Please remember the Maddox family during this time of sorrow.

While it was a nice thought, it apparently was only a thought, and not fully thought through.  In my opinion, Andy had NO right whatsoever to take it upon himself to make this known to everyone.  I know that if I was running for office, and an incident like this occurred just a few hours after the passing, I would not take kindly to my opponent for doing something he had no business in doing.  Some people might feel that this isn't horrible or as tasteless as I find it to be, but it does get worse.  I made the mention of an unspoken rule known by anyone running for office to temporarily suspend their own campaign, AT LEAST PUBLICLY, for a period of time for the candidate and their family to grieve peacefully.  Unfortunately, Mr. Holt doesn't believe that these sort of unspoken rules apply to him.  Not only did he take it upon himself to notify the legislature of Janet's passing, but he even had someone put an Andy Holt Conservative for Congress sign up within 100 feet of Mark's mother, Bonnie's, home.  His mother had to pass this sign at least five different times this day while going back and forth making arrangements for Janet.  Call it a coincidence or maybe plain ignorance....no matter what you call it, I would bet on it that this was pre-meditated by Andy, or his campaign staff, without a doubt.  Not only is this tacky and tasteless, but it truly shows what kind of a character Andy Holt really has.  Not to mention, there is nothing conservative about crass ploys like this during a campaign.  The more people I talk to about Andy Holt and how he consistently believes that nothing ever applies to him...kinda like he thinks that he is the supreme ruler of his land......in Andy Holt world that is....the more people are completely turned off by him.  Andy, do you really have no shame?  Next time you try to pull something like this i IMPLORE you to think, think, and think again.  My mother always told me to think before I speak or act......it's unfortunate that no one taught you how to do the same thing.

Lastly, I would encourage those that are in as much shock as I am over the way Andy Holt has conducted himself this past week to counter his ignorance by either making a donation to CDS or the Dresden Cumberland Presbyterian Church in honor of Janet Maddox or to Mark's campaign that he is running against Andy Holt.  Let's respond in a positive manner to Mr. Holt's negative one.

Election Day Issues - Weakley County

Well it seems as though Tennessee's Primary on August 2nd did go not off without a hitch.  After the disaster in Shelby County with around 1000 early voters were given incorrect ballots, the question remained of what else would happen leading up to August 2?  Well, at a polling station in Weakley County in the town of Dresden something almost did happen.  A woman by the name of Nicolle, walked into to her designated polling location and showed her VALID state photo ID as now required due to the passage of a law in Tennessee in 2011.  The elderly woman working the poll asked for her voter registration card.  Nicolle told her that she didn't have her voter registration card.  The elderly woman then told her that she would be unable to vote if she didn't have it.  Fortunately, this voter, was VERY familiar with the voter ID law and knew what the specific requirements were to vote in Tennessee.  She flat out told the woman that she knew that she didn't need her voter registration card, and after a short time, that included another elderly woman trying to tell her the same thing, she finally did get to cast her ballot.  This pegs the question....How many other voters at this polling location that day were turned away because they didn't have their state-issued photo ID AND their voter registration card????  Sadly, there probably were others that were not as familiar with the requirements to vote in Tennessee, and chalked it up as an "oh well, maybe next election."

How and why are we letting people work the polls that do not know the proper requirements that are and are not needed to vote in the state of Tennessee?  How does this Election Commission who has vehemently backed their state-issued photo ID law requirement allow mistakes to be made at a voters' expense?  Their argument of voting fraud is a joke.  As you can see, the error that was made in Memphis, and locally in Dresden, will continue to discourage voter's from actually voting in elections.  Voter turnout will continue to drop due to restrictions, valid or not, put (or falsely put) into place.

How do we fix this issue?  How do we stop discriminating in the state against the elderly, minorities, and youth voters with this law and the intentional ploys they try to pull to stop voters from actually voting?  This is yet another reason why folks need to educate themselves, not only on law requirements, but on candidates, so they know that they are voting for someone with their best interests at heart.....not voting against their own interests.

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!!!!

Anyone?? PLEASE!!! Anyone??

With the first views of the new possible districts being laid out this week, I know here in West Tennessee we are wondering, now who is going to run???

MY PLEA.......

 Will a Democrat with some GUTS please file to run against both Rep. Andy Holt & Rep. Stephen Fincher?!?!?!


If I wasn't a woman from Chicago and had funding I'd do it.  No doubt!  However, I think that there are more qualified people to do so.  Now, I am wondering if Mr. Mark Maddox will run despite the changes in the district.  Ideally, he and many of us would have liked a unified Weakley & Carroll County, but sadly, it doesn't look like this will ever be.  So, there is my first question.....

Mr. Maddox will you be filing your papers by early April?


Now, an even bigger question.....has Roy Herron STOPPED campaigning since his loss in 2010?  His website is functioning.  Not updated, but functioning.  He has had booths at different events including this year's biggest state fundraiser, Jackson Day.  I, personally, don't think he has stopped.  I think that Roy is in it to win it.  He will certainly have to change some things from his last attempt.  Visibility and marketing being the two biggest reasons he lost.  Here in Carroll County, I could not drive more than 1 minute without the sight of a "Plow Congress" sign covered with Fincher's dreaded name EVERYWHERE!  Now, I know Roy had supporters, but Fincher had his HUGE signs all over 70 & 22 MONTHS before Roy even announced he was running after withdrawing from the Gubernatorial race.  Roy needs visibility!!  Signs EVERYWHERE, and not waiting until after the filing deadline in April, he needs them NOW.  I also feel that a way to edge over Fincher is the capitalize on the esteemed award from CREW this year, that I previously mentioned in an earlier blog, him being one of Congress's most corrupt members.  Take it and run.  In a classy way, BUT RUN WITH IT!

Now, in other areas.  I'm still trying to decipher whether or not Huntingdon, where I reside, is moving into another House district.  If so, then for sure I will throw my help and support behind whomever will legitimately run a campaign against Rep. Halford.  There was a failed attempt in 2010.  I think we need someone bigger, younger, and smarter.  I have a thought, and I know he was toying with the idea in 2010, but stopped when someone else filed.  I think he would make an excellent candidate.

In other districts, please let me know who is thinking about running or who you think should run.  You can email me via the link on my blog, leave a comment here.  If you have any information you'd like to share and remain anonymous, I would be more than happy to post and not give any information out as to who you are.