The Press Release That Writes Itself

By Kleinheider Posted on February 27, 2009 at 4:35 pm

The TNGOP responds to efforts to revive talk of a state income tax:

“It is unthinkable that Democrats in DC and Nashville want to raise taxes during a recession, and all the more unthinkable that Tennessee Democrats are proposing to create a new and unconstitutional state income tax at a time when thousands of Tennesseans are losing their jobs,” said Robin Smith, Chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party.

“The Tennessee Democrat Party must feel emboldened to follow their leaders in Washington D.C. who are pushing for huge tax increases and mammoth increases in government spending and the national debt,” Smith said.

“Not satisfied with a pork-laden ‘emergency’ bill that will add more than $1 trillion to the national debt, President Barack Obama is now proposing $1 trillion in new taxes and $1.75 trillion in deficit spending that will have to be repaid with higher taxes in the future. And Democrats in Congress – including Tennessee’s John Tanner, Bart Gordon, Jim Cooper, Steve Cohen and Lincoln Davis – are all going along for the ride.”

TNDP Chairman Chip Forrester has a few words on the issue as well:

The Tennessee Dem. Party had no knowledge of any income tax bill being proposed. We would certainly not advocate anything of the sort. The comments by the Tennessee GOP are just another way to muddy the waters over the terrible economic crisis facing working men and women in an attempt to rally Republicans to oppose the president’s plan. It shows a willingness to throw working men and women under the bus when the stimulus package will provide jobs, allow people to save their homes, and allow small businesses to keep their doors open.

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Tags: Chip Forrester, Income tax, reginald tate, TNDP, TNGOP  

The Pork Postman Makes Waves

By Kleinheider Posted on December 18, 2008 at 7:25 am

Jackson Baker reports on the activities of Germantown’s ambitious young state legislator:

It is no secret that state representative Brian Kelsey (R-Germantown) has further political ambitions — most likely, as a would-be successor to 7th District U.S. representative Marsha Blackburn if and when she decides to move on (or maybe even if she doesn’t).

Kelsey, who was first elected to the state House in 2004, is one of the new breed of take-no-prisoners conservatives who have dominated state Republican ranks in recent years. In 2007, when a temporary state surplus allowed the legislature’s Democratic leadership to distribute excess funds to members as community-improvement grants, Kelsey called it all “pork,” put a few slabs of bacon into an envelope, and made a show of returning his share to House speaker Jimmy Naifeh.

“Brash” is a word that has often been used to describe Kelsey — by some of his Republican colleagues as well as by aggrieved Democrats. Bashful he’s not.

Read on.

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Tags: Brian Kelsey, inc., Income tax, pork, reginald tate, residency requirements