Archive for the ‘Rep. Donna Rowland (R-34)’ Category

Rep. Donna Rowland (R-34) explains resolution honoring her boyfriend

Tuesday, May 12th, 2009

Rep. Donna Rowland (R-34) issued a press release a couple of weeks ago saying resolutions waste tax payer money, but she couldn’t explain why no other legislator in her class has sponsored more resolutions than she has.

Rep. Rowland’s own wasteful spending on resolutions even earned her the title “The Most Expensive Legislator” by a Republican blogger. Even the Republican Speaker of the House Kent Williams called Rep. Rowland out on her hypocrisy.

In today’s Daily News Journal, Rep. Rowland finally explains why her resolution honoring her boyfriend, Ronnie Barrett, wasn’t wasteful at all.

When state Rep. Donna Rowland issued a statement recently showing her dissatisfaction with the amount of time and money spent on memorials and congratulatory resolutions in the General Assembly, she failed to mention she passed a resolution in May 2007 honoring her current boyfriend.
Advertisement

“That’s one of a handful I passed since my freshman year,” Rowland, R-Murfreesboro, said Monday. “It was my attempt to honor an outstanding individual in the community.”

The House joint resolution Rowland sponsored two years ago commended Ronnie Barrett as the the 2006 Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

“WHEREAS, this prestigious award recognizes leaders and visionaries who are creating and building world-class businesses; and WHEREAS, a born problem solver and innovative thinker, Mr. Barrett passionately pursued his belief in a .50-caliber rifle that could be shoulder-fired; in 1982, at the age of twenty-eight and through self-taught engineering and personal research and development, Mr. Barrett designed and manufactured the M82 .50-caliber rifle … ” and it continues, extolling the virtues of Barrett’s invention and manufacturing.

Stimulus money creates jobs in Rutherford County

Monday, May 11th, 2009

constructzonePresident Barack Obama’s stimulus funds are creating jobs for Rutherford County families in Rep. Donna Rowland (R-34) and Rep. Joe Carr’s (R-48) districts.

Bids are currently being accepted for three road projects in Rutherford County that total roughly $3.5 million dollars.

Rutherford County Republicans recently took to the square in Murfreesboro by the hundreds protesting stimulus spending. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act they protested also provides $13.9 million for Rutherford County schools, enhances health care for veterans, extends unemployment benefits for Rutherford County’s growing unemployed and provides $30 million to retrain dislocated and low-income workers.

Rep. Joe Carr went as far as demanding Gov. Phil Bredesen refuse stimulus funds that extend unemployment benefits.

Despite Republican protests, several construction companies are now placing bids to spend the stimulus funds and create jobs for Rutherford County families. Below is a list of the stimulus funded road projects in our county and the current company bids being considered by the state.

View the complete list of stimulus funded TDOT projects by county, current bids and the companies bidding to spend it. Click here to look at what stimulus money is funding in Tennessee.

1) CONSTRUCTION OF 2 CONCRETE BOX BRIDGES ON SR 102 (ALMAVILLE ROAD) OVER MAXWELL CREEK (LM 1.89) AND ROCKY FORK CREEK (LM 5.31)

  • BROWN BUILDERS, INC. $1,694,385.65
  • GENERAL CONSTRUCTORS, INC. $1,794,725.10
  • ROAD BUILDERS, LLC $1,812,762.08
  • W. L. HAILEY AND COMPANY, INC. $1,863,125.04

2) RESURFACING ON US 41(SR 2) FROM NORTH OF RUTHERFORD BLVD. (LM 1.80) TO EPPS MILL ROAD (LM 8.60)

  • HOOVER, INC. $997,594.70
  • LOJAC ENTERPRISES, INC. $1,128,503.00
  • HMA CONTRACTORS, LLC $1,149,665.60

3) THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NOISE WALL ON I-24 FROM EAST OF SR 96 TO THE STONES RIVER

  • BROWN BUILDERS, INC. $671,989.40
  • ROGERS GROUP, INC. $682,504.05
  • W. L. HAILEY AND COMPANY, INC. $731,885.00
  • BELL & ASSOCIATES CONSTRUCTION, L.P. $794,506.54
  • DEMENT CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, LLC $944,148.60

Rep. Joe Carr’s (R-48) Moonshine Bill heads to the House floor next week

Friday, May 8th, 2009

ketroncarrtoon

With the Senate’s passage of the Moonshine Bill, the focus now shifts to Rep. Joe Carr’s version in the House and the liquor interests Carr said his bill was for.

Two attorneys for IASIS Healthcare in Franklin, TN have asked Republican Sen. Bill Ketron (R-13) and Rep. Joe Carr (R-48) to push legislation to allow liquor manufactures across the state of Tennessee.

IASIS Healthcare Secretary and General Counsel Frank Coyle and IASIS Healthcare Operations Counsel Heath Clark were vaguely identified in an April 30, 2009 article in the Daily News Journal as “entreprenuers” who Sen. Ketron said sought his legislative help to bring distilleries to Tennessee, promising him one would locate in Rutherford County.

Both Clark and Coyle are not registered as lobbyists with the state of Tennessee.

Clark used to work for Bass, Berry & Simms, a legal and lobbying firm that represents the liquor industry, including Kentucky-based distilled spirits manufacturer Brown-Forman. If that name sounds familiar, it should. Sen. Ketron failed to get a bill passed for Brown-Forman back in 2006 that would have allowed a $10 million liquor museum in downtown Nashville. Interestingly enough, the current legislation sponsored by Sen. Ketron and Rep. Carr could allow Brown-Forman to pursue those plans without ever establishing its own distillery in Rutherford County or elsewhere.

As written, Sen. Ketron’s bill would allow a licensed distillery to operate a still of any size within zoning guidelines. That would include a very small “craft” still. Brown-Forman could easily have their $10 million museum in association with a small “craft” distillery through Sen. Ketron’s new bill without all the fuss of paying lobbyists and drawing attention to a previous failed effort.

On April 23 we reported that Rep. Joe Carr announced his intention to help the two IASIS attorneys bring a liquor distillery to Rutherford County. When asked who these people were by his colleagues, Rep. Carr had no idea but assured the House they were not contributors to his campaign. You can watch the embarrassing exchange in this video.

The reason Rep. Carr had no idea who his bill was for is now clear thanks to an article in Daily News Journal. Rep. Carr’s bill wasn’t by request of any voter in his district. It was requested by Sen. Ketron who asked Rep. Carr to sponsor a House version, and Rep. Carr did it without asking important questions or doing his homework.

The voters of Rutherford County deserve to know more about who is really behind Sen. Ketron and Rep. Carr’s effort to bring a liquor manufacturer to Rutherford County. What does IASIS think about their moonlighting attorney’s seeking this legislation?

Rutherford County deserves to know where they plan to put a liquor distillery, and we deserve due diligence before our lawmakers do the bidding of the liquor industry. Instead, Sen. Ketron and Rep. Carr are playing games and hiding the true interests behind their legislation.

Republican House Speaker calls out Rep. Donna Rowland (R-34)

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

rowlandmoneyRepublican House Speaker Kent Williams is the latest Republican to remind Tennessee that Rep. Donna Rowland’s (R-34) actions do not match her words.

House Speaker Kent Williams, in response to a reporter question, said had noticed Rowland pushing the blue light on consent calendars, but did not know why she did so. Williams said he was “curious” how Rowland arrived at her cost estimate.

He recalled Rowland “standing in the well,” taking a prominent place in the proceedings, for passage of resolution honoring The Rogers Group, Inc., a construction firm, on its 100th anniversary.

“Maybe she paid for that one. I don’t know,” he said.

Rowland is listed as a co-sponsor of the Rogers resolution on the legislative website — and as voting ‘aye.’

Rep. Rowland issued a press release this week defending her voting record, but a closer examination of her votes by Republican blogger Matthew Hurtt found Rep. Rowland is the most expensive legislator to the tax payers of Tennessee.

Crunching the numbers, Representative Rowland has spent an average of $35,000 more than the next-most expensive legislator elected in the same cycle. The range - the space between the most expensive and least expensive - is $95,200. The AVERAGE cost here is $58,880 - with Representative Rowland’s fiscal request costing $55,000 more than that!

WORDS: Rep. Rowland says in a press release that she refuses to vote for resolutions because “these little things” waste tax payer money.

ACTIONS: According to Hurtt, Rep. Donna Rowland has filed more resolutions than any member in her class at great cost to the tax payer. Some of the resolutions Rep. Rowland sponsored honor campaign donors. The resolutions Rep. Rowland voted against honored achievements of our children, our heroes and our community leaders.

Tell Rep. Rowland to stop wasting money on lobbyists and campaign donors and start focusing on our priorities.

Rep. Donna Rowland (R-34) deemed most expensive legislator

Friday, May 1st, 2009

rowlandten2

Republican blogger Matthew Hurtt reports today that Rep. Donna Rowland (R-13) is the most expensive legislator in the Tennessee House of Representatives.

If the cost is roughly $800, as Representative Rowland notes, then one might ask why she has sponsored more than $113,000 worth of “pats on the back” since she was first elected to the General Assembly. In her class (those who were elected in the same cycle), no other member even comes close to the number of memorializng resolutions filed as those sponsored by Representative Rowland. It should be noted, too, that I only took into account those resolutions where the member was the prime sponsor, and I did not even consider wading through the mess of co-prime sponsors and even final votes on a given resolution. The costs are in the untold hundreds of thousands of dollars.

So, breaking it down for my readers, here’s the list - reorganized - from most expensive legislator to least expensive, according to the number of memorializing resolutions sponsored between the 102nd and 106th General Assemblies:

* Representative Donna Rowland - $113,600
* Representative David Shepard - $78,400
* Representative Glen Casada - $64,000
* Representative Mike Turner - $20,000
* Representative Johnny Shaw - $18,400

Crunching the numbers, Representative Rowland has spent an average of $35,000 more than the next-most expensive legislator elected in the same cycle. The range - the space between the most expensive and least expensive - is $95,200. The AVERAGE cost here is $58,880 - with Representative Rowland’s fiscal request costing $55,000 more than that!

Hurtt’s report comes a day after Rep. Rowland issued a press release defending her voting record.

Rep. Rowland tried to explain why she refuses to vote for most resolutions that honor the achievements of our children, our heroes and our community leaders. Her release has instead brought more bi-partisan scrutiny of her voting record.

Rep. Donna Rowland (R-34) defends her (lack of a) voting record

Thursday, April 30th, 2009

Rep. Donna Rowland (R-34) issued a press release today defending her voting record after a report last week found Rep. Rowland voted “present” 82% of the time.

Though she stood in the well and sponsored a resolution to honor Rogers Group Inc. and Realtors of the Year, she says the resolutions are “frivoulous”. In the release, Rep. Rowland described her “present” vote on most resolutions as a protest to what she describes as the House wasting time and money.

“As a steward of taxpayer money, it is important for us to recognize the tremendous amount of money we are spending on these resolutions,” said Rep. Rowland. “While I understand that sometimes we have outstanding individuals in our districts who deserve to be recognized, this has gotten out of control. These little things add up,” she added.

Below is a sample of “these little things” Rep. Rowland feels add up to wasted time and money at the Tennessee Legislature. Rep. Rowland would not vote for or against these resolutions despite being present on the floor of the House. The honors she protested include academic and sports achievements of our children, community leaders, and our state’s hereos.

Instead of voting for resolutions that honor her campaign contributors and calling everything else frivolous “little things”, Ms. Rowland should spare her constituents the hypocrisy and recognize their achievements. These are not “little things” to many families in Rutherford County and across the state of Tennessee. These are milestones in the lives of our children and our families. These are in memory of our state’s heroes who fought for our country. These people deserve Rep. Rowland’s respect. Instead, Rep. Rowland registered her lonely protest against “these little things” and then cashed her per diem check and went home for a few days.

Use the form below to tell Rep. Donna Rowland to get back to work.

Your Name (required):

Your Email (required) :

Subject:

Your Message:

Rep. Donna Rowland’s boyfriend folds under pressure

Saturday, April 25th, 2009

ctbsplit

According to a Daily News Journal report, Rutherford County gun manufacturer Ronnie Barrett says he’ll now reject a worker training grant he applied for from the state.

Last week Rep. Joe Carr (R-48) and Sen. Jim Tracy (R-16) rushed to the media and were quoted commending Gov. Bredesen for making the stimulus grant to Barrett Firearms.

“I commend Governor Bredesen and Commissioner Neeley for awarding this grant in Rutherford County,” state Sen. Jim Tracey, R-Shelbyville, said.

“The Incumbent Worker Grants are a good tool to keep employers and workers up to date on the latest skills training,” state Rep. Joe Carr, R-Lascassas, said.

The surprising support from Rep. Carr and Sen. Tracy for this spending came days after hundreds of angry Rutherford County Republicans took to the streets of Murfreesboro to protest the $30 million in federal stimulus funds used in Tennessee to retrain workers.

In a flip-flop follow up, Barrett has refused the grant he himself applied for saying he now doesn’t want any part of stimulus money that Rep. Carr and Sen. Tracy said they’re happy to see spent in Rutherford County.

Barrett likened the grants to federal stimulus funds.

“Stimulus money doesn’t exist,” Barrett said. “That’s national debt that goes to our great-grandchilden, and I don’t want any part of it.”

Friday on WGNS 1450 AM, both Rep. Carr and Sen. Tracy again praised and defended spending stimulus funds that Rutherford County Republicans protested on April 15.

Barrett’s principled change of heart makes you wonder how Rep. Carr and Sen. Tracy can protest stimulus funds one week and praise spending them the next. Barrett is a major donor to Rutherford County Republicans and the boyfriend of Rep. Donna Rowland (R-34).

Rep. Donna Rowland (R-34) working for us only 17% of the time

Friday, April 24th, 2009

Republican blogger and MTSU student Matthew Hurtt exposes Rep. Donna Rowland (R-34) as one of the worst legislators on Capitol Hill. In his blog post today Hurtt says Rep. Rowland has failed to take a position on legislation by voting “present” 82% of the time.

That means Rep. Rowland has failed the people of the 34th district of Rutherford County 82% of the time.

The site tracks the voting history of all the members of the Tennessee General Assembly, and as of just a few moments ago, here’s what Representative Rowland’s voting record looked like for the current Session. Of the 209 votes recorded at Tennessee Votes:

Representative Rowland voted ‘Aye’ on 34 of 209 votes cast.
Representative Rowland voted ‘Nay’ on 2 of 209 votes cast.
Representative Rowland voted ‘PNV’ on 173 of 209 votes cast.

What this means is, out of 209 votes recorded by Tennessee Votes, Representative Rowland was present in the House Chamber but voted ‘Not Voting’ on 82.77% of the time. On just over 17% of votes did she vote either ‘Aye’ or ‘Nay.’

In comparison, Representative Glen Casada voted ‘PNV’ on just 1 of the 209 posted. Representatives Curt Cobb, Joe Carr, and Kent Coleman missed 0 (zero) votes. It should be noted that these votes were House Resolutions or House Joint Resolutions.

Rep. Rowland’s disgraceful record fails those in her district eager for a leader that will stay busy fighting for them in the state legislature.  Rutherford County deserves a Representative for the 34th House District who will stand up and be counted 100% of the time, not 17% of the time.

Contact Rep. Rowland and tell her to get back to work for the people of the 34th district.

Rep. Donna Rowland
207 War Memorial Bldg.
Nashville, TN 37243-0134
Phone (615) 741-2804
Fax (615) 253-0322
rep.donna.rowland@capitol.tn.gov

Read more about Rep. Donna Rowland:

Rutherford County Republicans flip flop on stimulus spending

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009

idiottrifecta1

Today’s Daily News Journal reports that major donor to Tennessee Republicans and gun manufacturer Ronnie Barrett has received a grant from President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

That might sound a little strange to you considering the Rutherford County Republican Party recently held a “tea party” with hundreds of Republicans protesting government spending these very funds. Rutherford County Republican Party Vice Chair Lou Ann Zelenik went so far as calling ARRA funds “socialism.”

Just days after Rutherford County Republicans demanded Gov. Bredesen return the money back to the federal government, Rep. Joe Carr (R-48) and Sen. Jim Tracy (R-16) are praising our state’s use of the money.

The state has awarded Barrett Firearms Manufacturing in Christiana a $4,975 job-training grant, according to a news release.

This grant will provide training to five employees in continuous improvement, value chain strategies, tools and tactics.

“I commend Governor Bredesen and Commissioner Neeley for awarding this grant in Rutherford County,” state Sen. Jim Tracey, R-Shelbyville, said.

“The Incumbent Worker Grants are a good tool to keep employers and workers up to date on the latest skills training,” state Rep. Joe Carr, R-Lascassas, said.

It’s beyond ironic that Rep. Carr is the lead sponsor of a bill demanding Gov. Bredesen reject spending these funds while at the same time talks about how important the money is for the very program that now helps a major donor.

How can Rutherford County Republicans protest spending this money out of one side of their mouths last week and then praise spending this money this week? Maybe when the money finds its way into the hands of a major donor to Tennessee Republicans that’s when so-called socialism is to be “commended” as Sen. Tracy did today.

Click here to see what else the ARRA funds throughout Tennessee.

Rep. Joe Carr (R-48) favors more profits for Big Coal, opposes funding for schools,roads

Tuesday, April 21st, 2009

Rep. Joe Carr (R-48) voted against taxing the strip mining coal industry to help fund needed school and road construction yesterday. Rep. Carr voted against HB 1667 that would direct increased coal taxes to counties so they can complete needed infrastructure projects without raising our property taxes.

A majority of Rep. Carr’s fellow House Republicans and every single Republican in the Senate voted for the tax increase on coal produced in Tennessee’s coal rich Upper Cumberland. It is the first coal tax increase in Tennessee in 25 years.

Rep. Carr’s vote against taxing the coal industry puts him at odds with protecting our state’s energy riches and finding alternatives for increasing our property taxes.

Republicans joined Democrats in overwhelming support for the bill to help Tennessee counties fund the construction of roads and schools. The coal tax increase models successful tax policies that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has in place to ensure the state of Alaska benefits from its energy riches.

Gov. Palin and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) promoted Alaska’s energy tax policies as a model for the nation in the 2008 Presidential Campaign, but Rep. Carr says he believes the coal industry should take as much coal and profit out of our great state. Rep. Carr stood with only 19 legislators to vote against the bill.

Rep. Donna Rowland (R-34) was on Capital Hill yesterday but was too busy with her attorney dealing with an ethics complaint to vote either way on this important issue. Rep. Rowland instead voted “present.”

Attorney for Rep. Donna Rowland (R-34) seeks to avoid ’sideshow’

Friday, April 17th, 2009

donnarowlandRep. Donna Rowland’s attorney has dropped his subpoenas against a Daily News Journal reporter. The attorney feared state and national attention over First Amendment issues that would arise in a complaint filed against Rep. Rowland in the state legislature. The attention would have also negatively focused on Rep. Rowland’s messy divorce and controversial new boyfriend.

Rep. Rowland finds herself at the center of questions filed in a complaint over whether she actually lives in the district she represents. The question before the state legislature now is whether Rep. Rowland lives at a new home she purchased on Faldo Drive or whether she is a live-in girlfriend at gun manufacturer Ronnie Barrett’s home outside the district.

In a letter to the House Speaker, somebody named Kathy Adams, a voter in Rowland’s district, elaborates. Adams apparently did a little detective work:

I drove by Ms. Rowland’s so-called house on 237 Faldo Dr. I saw uncut grass, lawn strewed [sic] with newspapers of several days, shades of the house drawn, no car in the driveway, etc. It had a look of an unlived dwelling.

But when Adams phoned a reporter and ratted out Rowland, suddenly the lawn was manicured and the old newspapers disappeared. A Rowland campaign yard sign even sprang up in the front yard. “I find this very suspicious,” Adams reports in her letter.

Rep. Rowland contends she does not live with her new boyfriend but occasionally visits his home. Barrett is a major donor to Republicans and currently has a lawsuit against the state claiming they promised to build a road to his gun factory.