News 2016

Washington bureaucracies don’t use the same words as the rest of us. 

The U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement calls the President’s 2014 executive amnesty “deferred action for parents of Americans and lawful permanent residents.”

Government agencies referred to Senate Democrats’ 2013 government shutdown as “a temporary lapse in appropriations.”

And the 2015 Boehner-Obama budget deal that busted previously enacted spending caps and suspended the debt ceiling until 2017 was given the nonthreatening title of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015. Because who could vote against that? (I did)

It’s as though Washington-types think that, by softening their description of the challenges we face, we can make the challenges themselves go away, or at least conceal them from the American public. Such appears to be the motivation behind the latest policy change from the Library of Congress.

On March 22nd, the world’s largest library announced that it would cancel the use of “illegal alien” and the broader term “alien” as bibliographical terms, writing in a three-page memo that the phrases are “pejorative” and “often misunderstood.”  The Library of Congress explained that the terms will be swapped out for broader phrases such as “noncitizens.” 

The decision was reportedly made in response to a student petition from Dartmouth College’s “Coalition for Immigration Reform, Equality and DREAMers.”  Setting aside the fact that liberal student groups probably shouldn’t be able to bully a Congressional research arm into unprecedented policy changes, it begs the question – misunderstood by whom?

Since the Naturalization Act of 1790, our government has recognized “alien” as an appropriate description for noncitizens. The term is still found in U.S. code and, just this week, was uttered by Justices Ginsburg, Sotomayor, and Kagan – not exactly immigration hardliners – during oral arguments in United States vs. Texas, the court case challenging President Obama’s executive action on immigration.  

If the phrase is suitable for our law books and even our most progressive Supreme Court justices, than it ought to work just fine for the Library of Congress.

That is why I introduced the Stopping Partisan Policy at the Library of Congress Act – legislation preventing the Library of Congress from capitulating to hyper-political correctness and instead directing the library to continue using “alien” and “illegal alien” as reference terms, just as they were before.

In this situation, our words matter. I’m not an immigration lawyer, but I am a nurse and I learned a long time ago that you won’t have much success curing a condition you refuse to first properly diagnose.

Similarly, when our bureaucracies trade common-sense language for sanitized political speak that ignore reality and downplay the toll of illegal immigration, it results in barriers making it that much more difficult to ultimately solve the problem.

Coming up with a new, politically correct term for those who defy our laws to cross our borders doesn’t diminish the threat of illegal immigration on our economy, our national security, or our sovereignty.  My constituents know that, I know that, and its time the Library of Congress recognized this truth as well. 

Congress must act to pass the Stopping Partisan Policy at the Library of Congress Act without delay and send a message to D.C. bureaucracies: stop thinking about the most PC way to describe illegal immigration, and start working with us on solutions to address it.

The Center For The Arts in Murfreesboro is holding auditions for their production of the musical “1776”  Auditions will be tonight from 6:30-9:30 with the production dates of July 8th-24th.  The production is directed by Cyndie Verbeten and Kate Adams.  
Those auditioning please prepare 32 bars of a Broadway song in the style of the show. An accompanist will be provided. Cold readings from the script will be assigned by the director as needed.   They are looking for: 22 men – ages 21 and up 2 men – ages 16 – 25 and 2 women – ages 24-45.  Audition times Sunday: 6:30-7:00P for women and 7:00-9:30 tonight for men.  Monday’s auditions will be 7:00 to 7:30 for women and 7:30-9:30 for men. Callbacks will be held on Tuesday, April 26th 6:30 – 9:30 pm at the discretion of the director.  For more information check out the website at boroarts.org

The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance’s (TDCI) Division of Consumer Affairs wants to alert consumers about student loan forgiveness scams recently reported by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Middle Tennessee.

“Student loan debt forgiveness offers can leave you owing more,” said TDCI Deputy Commissioner Bill Giannini. “It’s important for Tennesseans to stay informed and do their research to avoid potential scams. The Division of Consumers Affairs works closely with the BBB to identify and alert consumers to these deceptive business practices.”

According to BBB’s announcement, predatory companies are targeting consumers who are seeking federal loan forgiveness. Consumers, typically college students and/or graduates, who respond to the company’s online advertisements are immediately contacted by the company and offered fake debt relief services in exchange for an advance fee.

Tips to Avoid Student Loan Scams

    Never pay upfront. Legitimate lenders typically charge for service once the service is complete. You should not be required to pay an upfront fee beforehand.
    Know your options.  If you are having trouble paying your student loans, contact your lender directly. The federal government offers payment assistance programs.
    Never give a third party power of attorney. Do not sign anything giving a company the power to negotiate on your behalf. A scam company can use this to take control over your loans.
    If it seems too good to be true… it probably is. Any company guaranteeing services that quickly “erase” student loan debt is not being truthful. This is a red flag.

Protect Yourself
According to the U.S. Department of Education:

    Enrollment in alternative repayment programs, like Income-Based Repayment (IBR), is available at no cost to federal student loan borrowers.
    Debt relief companies do not have the ability to negotiate with your creditors in order to obtain a “special deal” under these federal student loan programs. Payment levels under IBR and other federal income-driven repayment plans are set by federal law.
    Any claims by debt relief companies to the contrary may be misleading and potentially a violation of law.

Experiencing Repayment Problems?

    As soon as you realize you are having trouble making timely loan payments, contact your loan servicer.  Do not ignore payment notices. Never ignore legal notices about past due loans.
    Lenders typically offer to help you plan repayment in a feasible way.  Don’t be afraid to contact your lender. Options may include making lower payments or suspending loan repayments under “deferment” or “forbearance” plans.  
    The type of lender (government or private) and the type of student loan will impact your available options.
    Be aware that loan delays or other changes to loan terms may result in paying a higher total loan cost over a longer period of time.
    For additional information about student loan repayment, visit www.studentloanborrowerassistance.org, provided by the National Consumer Law Center.

Tennessee business leaders’ pessimism about the current economy appear to be stabilizing, though their outlook for the future isn’t strong, according to the latest online survey by MTSU’s Jones College of Business.
The statewide Tennessee Business Barometer index remained stable in April, registering 144 compared to 146 in January and 325 for the inaugural survey last July. The quarterly index is a collaboration between Middle Tennessee State University and the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry to capture the mood and outlook of business leaders through online surveys.
While business leaders showed more optimism about their current situations in the latest survey, that was offset by a drop in confidence in the future economy as well as the ability for their own business to prosper and grow, according to Dr. Tim Graeff, MTSU professor of marketing and coordinator of the index through the MTSU Office of Consumer Research.“Business leaders are more upbeat about the Tennessee economy than they are about the overall national economy,” Graeff noted.
The survey showed concerns about rising health care costs, political and economic uncertainty, difficulties with finding qualified employees, and the potential for increasing regulation remain foremost on the minds of business leaders.
The index is computed by adding the percentage of positive responses to each question and subtracting the percentage of negative responses. The overall index score is totaled from four sub-indices: current economic situation, future economic expectations, business/firm performance and employment outlook.
The current online survey of 83 business leaders from across Tennessee was conducted between April 1 and April 16. The margin of error is 10.7 percent. Respondents include business owners, vice presidents, senior managers, and managers at firms of various sizes. The next Tennessee Business Barometer survey is planned for July 2016.
 

In what hopes to be an annual event the first Cannon County Public Safety Day will take place Saturday at the Justin M Pemberton Memorial Arena.  This event is one of the ways that the Cannon County Emergency Responders will bring public awareness and offer education to their services to the County.    The first 200 children will receive a special fire prevention and safety kit.  The event will feature fire trucks, ambulances, rescue vehicles, Life Flight helicopter, law enforcement vehicles, health and wellness awareness, public safety and preparedness booths, home electrical and gas safety awareness.  Bounce houses and refreshments are planned.  Register to win free fire extinguishers and smoke detectors.  Cannon County Public Safety Day takes place at the Fairgrounds Saturday from 10-3P.

The Cruise in season starts Saturday with the first  Cruise-In On The Square In Woodbury from 4-7:30P.  All makes, models and motorcycles welcome.  No entry fee, enjoy DJ music, door prizes and register for the Grand Prize donated by DTC communications to be awarded at the October Cruise.  For more information, call Carolyn Motley at 615-563-2222 or John Barker at 615-542-4065.

Forever Abbey Road is bringing their fun and exciting Beatles revue back to the Arts Center on April 23! The band last performed to a sold out crowd of over 260 at the Arts Center in July, 2016 and is back by popular demand.   From the Beatles’ early years of “She Loves You” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand” to the psychedelic period of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” to their later years of “Hey Jude” and “Let It Be”- Forever Abbey Road performs it all with exciting energy, heart and accuracy. The band has been invited to perform at the biggest Beatles festival in the world and and is quickly becoming known as one of the most entertaining Beatles revues around!  Arts Center of Cannon County officials have noted that this concert set for Saturday night has been sold out.

The Cannon County Rescue Squad, Inc, will be partnering with the Tennessee Highway Safety Office to promote the second annual Thumbs Down to Texting and Driving campaign during the month of April. April is nationally recognized as Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Agencies participate in the campaign by providing information and increasing awareness in their communities about the dangers of distracted driving.
“Texting and driving requires motorists to take their eyes off the road, hands off the wheel, and mind off the task of driving. This is a recipe for a crash, and that’s a scary thought. It’s arrogant and selfish to think that your dangerous and illegal behavior is acceptable. No one has the right to put another person’s life at risk like that,” said Tim Bell, Chief Operating Officer.

Texting and driving in Tennessee can result in a $50 fine for a driver of any age. For young drivers who have Learner’s Permits or Intermediate Restricted licenses, cell phone use of any kind while driving is illegal.
Preliminary data reveals that in 2015, Tennessee experienced its highest number of known distracted driving crashes at 22,964. These crashes resulted in the death of 51 people. Each day, twenty-five individuals on average are injured in a crash caused by a distracted driver. Nearly twelve percent of all crashes in Tennessee last year were caused by someone who was driving distracted.

 “Crashes caused by distracted drivers have more than doubled in the last decade,” said Tennessee Highway Safety Office Public Information Officer Amanda Brown. “Each day, nearly sixty-three people in Tennessee are distracted by something in their vehicle, whether it is a phone, food, the radio, or something else, and they hit someone. We all have to start taking responsibility for our actions and make the choice to focus on one thing – the road.”

For more information about the Thumbs Down campaign or to learn more about texting and driving, visit www.thumbsdowntn.com.
 

If you are a parent or guardian of a Cannon County High School Student: Graduation is May 27th at 7:00 p.m.
Friday, April 22nd, is the last day to purchase graduation seating. Each graduate may purchase up to 5 chairs that will be on the field at graduation. The chairs are now $5.00 each. No chair orders will be taken after April 22nd. Those attending gradation without a chair ticket are welcome to sit in the bleachers or bring their own chair and sit anywhere outside the fence. If it rains, graduation will be moved to the CCHS gymnasium. Unfortunately, if this is the case, there will not be sufficient room for the chairs, and seating will be on a first come, first served basis. If you have any questions, please call Cannon County High School at 615-563-2144.
 

The Cannon County Fire Departments are putting together a multi-year plan to improve the county’s ISO Rating.  The ISO’s Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS), evaluates four primary categories of fire suppression — fire department, emergency communications, water supply, and community risk reduction. The FSRS includes standards set by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).   The total number of points a County or Town can receive in the rating is 105 and ratings run from 1 to 10 with 1 being the best rating while 10 is the worst.  Cannon County’s rating is 9.  A ISO rating has an effect on a resident’s homeowner’s insurance.  Larry Powell County Fire Department’s Training Officer says part of the plan to better the rating is to replace three fire trucks, develop and ISO plan, test fire equipment and replace out of date gear, hose pipes and to provide more county wide training.  Speaking at the Cannon County Commission meeting Saturday, Powell said that the goal is to go from a 9 ISO rating to a 6 rating in three years.  According to various figures this could provide a average homeowner 21- 28 percent savings on their insurance.  Powell will keep the Commission updated on the progress.