Posts Tagged ‘Donna Rowland’

Our Chairman Calls Out Donna Rowland For Petty Partisan Antics

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

donnarowlandMURFREESBORO - Today Rutherford County Democratic Party Chairman Jonathon Fagan admonished Representative Donna Rowland (R-Murfreesboro) for refusing to sign onto a resolution (HJR0750)in the Tennessee legislature honoring Congressman Bart Gordon’s 26 years of service to Tennessee.

“Rowland has already gained a reputation as an incompetent and ineffectual Representative, and this petty partisanship adds immaturity to that reputation,” Fagan said. He added that Rowland has herself sponsored many resolutions in the past, even for her current boyfriend Ronnie Barrett, and questions why Rowland would not simply add her name to a resolution honoring a retiring Congressman of 26 years from our own county.

On Wednesday, January 27 2010, Representative Kent Coleman (D-Murfreesboro) sponsored a resolution honoring the retiring Congressman. It is customary for all Representatives to sign on and co-sponsor such resolutions of recognition for retiring Congressman and Senators. However, Republican Leader Glen Casada of Brentwood notified Coleman that House Republicans would not be doing so.

“Bart Gordon has worked for Rutherford County and the Sixth District for over a quarter century. Whether or not we all agree with his every decision, he deserves to be recognized for his service just as Republicans Bill Frist and Fred Thompson were recognized by all Democrats for their service.”

Rep. Rowland and 36 Republican colleagues, in an unprecedented partisan move, refused to sign the resolution. By contrast, when Republicans Bill Frist and Fred Thompson retired from the U.S. Senate all 99 House members, Republican and Democrat, co-sponsored a resolution of recognition. At that time, both the Tennessee Senate and the Tennessee House of Representatives were controlled by Democrats, but Republicans are unwilling to return the favor this time around.

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Posted in Radical Republicans, Rep. Donna Rowland (R-34) | 1 Comment »

Ketron Admits He Votes For Legislation He Doesn’t Read

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

billketron1NOT AWARE HE VOTED FOR INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS

The Daily News Journal’s weekly columnist Sam Stockard asked Bill Ketron why he voted for Race To The Federal Trough along with every other Republican legislator from Rutherford County. Here is what Ketron said:

Asked if he knows what the international benchmarks are, state Sen. Bill Ketron said, “I do not. We were told they would come from the U.S. Department of Education. The thing was on a fast track,” Ketron said. “We barely had time to read through it. It’s voluminous.”

Yet Ketron and fellow Republicans, Sen. Jim Tracy, of Shelbyville, Rep. Donna Rowland of Murfreesboro, Rep. Joe Carr of Lascassas and Rep. Pat Marsh of Shelbyville, members of the Rutherford County delegation, voted for it. Only state Rep. Kent Coleman, a Murfreesboro Democrat, voted against it.

So Republican Senator Bill Ketron admits that he voted for a massive overhaul of Tennessee’s education system without knowing much of what it actually accomplished. He also admits that as a “conservative” Republican, he thinks its just great to beg for half a billion dollars in stimulus cash with strings attached - strings that could bind our teachers to international standards. Sounds like something Tennessee’s Tea Party crowd would really oppose, but they are deathly silent on the matter because the legislation was backed by their republican overlords Ron Ramsey and Glen Casada. Just more evidence that the Tea Party crowd are willing to ignore their own stated beliefs if republicans tell them to, just like they did when they gave George W. Bush free reign to plunge our nation into huge war debts and pass unfunded federal mandates like No Child Left Behind.

Did Senator Ketron also sponsor workmans’ compensation legislation he didn’t understand, or did he know that he would be taking independent contractors’ hard earned profits while helping his insurance business’ bottom line by enacting Public Chapter 1041? What other legislation has Bill Ketron helped to pass without reading or knowing the consequences?

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Posted in Education, Legislation, Rep. Donna Rowland (R-34), Rep. Joe Carr (R-48), Rep. Kent Coleman (D-49), Republican leaders, Rutherford County Republican Party, Sen. Bill Ketron (R-13), Sen. Jim Tracy (R-16), Tea Parties | No Comments »

Kent Coleman Stands Up For Teachers Against All Odds

Tuesday, January 19th, 2010

h49_sidebar-1Here’s how Rutherford County’s delegation voted when it came to tying teachers’ jobs to factors beyond their control: Kent Coleman (D) - NO, Joe Carr (R) - YES, Donna Rowland (R) - YES, Bill Ketron (R) - YES, Jim Tracy (R) -YES.

Last week’s Special Session called by Governor Bredesen to overhaul Tennessee’s education system was a locomotive speeding towards passage that even Superman could not have stopped. This massive legislation was debated in committees for a single day, and passed on the Senate and House floor the next.

Every Republican Representative voted to seek stimulus cash through federal Race To The Top grants, and our Democratic Governor and Democratic Caucuses backed the measure as well even though it meant adopting federal guidelines tying teachers’ performance to mere test scores . Only a handful of Democrats (8 to be exact) were willing to stand up for teachers and say ‘NO’ to a governor of their own Party and their own caucus leadership.

Our own Rep. Kent Coleman was the only Rutherford County legislator to stand on principle and stand up for teachers when it came time to vote, even though he knew he was also standing right in front of a speeding locomotive. It took the courage of Superman to rise and say this on the House floor last Friday night:

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Posted in ARRA, Education, Legislation, Rep. Donna Rowland (R-34), Rep. Joe Carr (R-48), Sen. Bill Ketron (R-13), Sen. Jim Tracy (R-16) | No Comments »

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).

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Posted in ARRA, Business, Rep. Donna Rowland (R-34), Rep. Joe Carr (R-48), Sen. Jim Tracy (R-16), Taxes | 8 Comments »

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.”

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Posted in Energy, Legislation, Rep. Donna Rowland (R-34), Rep. Joe Carr (R-48), Taxes | No Comments »