News Stories

Articles of interest

See “The Real Story of Jan. 6” this Sat. March 25

Next Movie Night is this Saturday, March 25, 6:30-8:30 pm at the Jamestown Community Center. Showing documentary “The Real Story of January 6.” Free to the community! Free refreshments.

March Meeting Thursday 3/23

at FREDDIE’S RESTAURANT OFF HWY 297
Thursday, March 23rd
Supper 5pm, Meeting 6pm
In the backroom.

GUEST SPEAKER DAVID TULIS – Editor of TNtrafficticket.us, an effort in entrepreneurial journalism in the Chattanooga, Tenn., area exploring the interests of Christianity and its many fruits — spiritual, cultural, economic and legal.

TAG testifies on Capitol Hill FOR HB1045 to Close the Primaries

Click on video to view. TAG testimony starts at 26:30
Remarks transcript included below.

Remarks to Elections and Campaign Finance Committee March 1:

Chairman Rudd, committee members….. My name is Anne Featherston. I am a resident of Fenterss County, and House District 38. and I am the founder of Tennessee Action Group of Fentress Co, a grassroots group formed 2 years ago of constitutional patriots who figured out the best defense against the federal debacle was to engage on multiple levels to protect the citizens and sovereignty of Tenneessee.

The first research I came across in March of 2021 was Trevor Loudon’s opinion article on, ‘9 ‘Starter Steps’ to Save America from Socialism. ”  He lists as #4– “Close the Republican Primaries.” (1) He calls this a “no-brainer” Why? Because open primaries can lead to an opportunity to “vote in the weakest candidate.”

We could have seen that happen nationally in 2022 when Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney publically solicited Democratic voters to vote for her in the Republican primaries. (2)

Last year the NY Times also reported “Democrats SURGE into GOP Primaries,” when Colorado Democratic voters admitted to registering as unaffiliated to vote against Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert. (3)

Considering the last 3 years, it seems there is little beyond the realm of possibility, and perhaps Tennessee could face a potential “surge” some day. So, in Section 5 of this bill, there is an option for either party in the “call for election” to decide whether to allow unaffiliated voters to vote in a particular primary.

Now, we may not have had a “surge” yet, but there are reports of “ripples”….

In 2013, the Tennessee Star newspaper reported on a “radical left organization” distributing a literature
piece targeting Tennessee Democrats to vote for a particular Republican legislative candidate because he supported their agenda. (4) And it happened again in 2022. (5)

Open primaries can dilute the vote.

This bill has been repeatedly introduced to the General Assembly.

2018: GOP Chair of Williamson County, in supporting a similar bill, said, “It’s a little disingenuous to allow someone to select a candidate for a party they don’t identify with and who they will not vote for in the general election. Just like Alabama doesn’t let Tennessee pick its head coach.”(6)

2019: This Elections committee approved HB 1273 on closing primaries and, at that time Tennessee’s own Republican Party State Executive Committee passed an “overwhelming” vote to close our primaries.(7) And did so again in 2022.

In 2022 a survey by Tennessee Conservative News, with a circulation of 18K and social media following of over 50K, saw 97% of respondents, indicating they want to close the primaries. (8)

According to the TN constitution as I understand it, our legislators ‘rule’ Tennessee according to, and by, the ‘will of the people.’

The people ask you to support this bill. Thank you.


1- https://www.trevorloudon.com/2021/03/opinion-a-new-zealanders-9-starter-steps-to-save-america-from-socialism/
2- https://thehill.com/news/campaign/3534910-cheney-urging-wyoming-democrats-to-switch-parties-to-=vote-for-her-in-primary/
3- https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/06/22/us/midterm-primary-elections
4- https://tennesseestar.com/2022/07/13/radical-leftist-organization-distributes-mailer-encouraging-democrats-to-vote-for-jeff-eby-in-house-district-69-gop-primary/
5- https://tennesseeconservativenews.com/tennessee-education-association-encourages-crossover-raiding-by-democrat-voters-supporting-incumbent-senator-briggs/
6- https://tennesseestar.com/2018/03/17/bill-to-close-tennessees-primaries-gains-steam/
7- https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2019/02/20/tennessee-elections-bill-close-primaries-require-voter-registration-party-advances/2926847002/
8- https://tennesseeconservativenews.com/almost-98-of-tennessee-republican-primary-voters-believe-open-primaries-should-be-closed/
 

Tennessee’s “Transportation Modernization Act” Is Not New (Op-Ed)

By Anne Beckett [Special to The Tennessee Conservative]

Governor Lee has introduced a “Transportation Plan for Rural and Urban Tennessee”,  and he wants to implement it through HB0321, known as the Transportation Modernization Act.

Gov. Lee says he wants to “partner with the General Assembly.” So, here is his plan, G.A., get on board.

The bill is fulfilled through a “private-public partnership”, also known as PPP.

The bill Amends Titles 54 and 55 of the Tennessee Code Annotated. These are our road and highway codes. Tennessee law does not permit PPPs so they will have to be amended. Is that a good idea?

Governor Lee and TDOT Commissioner Butch Eley presented TDOT personnel with a presentation 5 days after including it in his State of the State Address. TDOT is thrilled and has produced an information flyer  to inform the public of this new project.

Of course, to the uninitiated, it all sounds good. Create a public-private partnership and let the private sector pay for a new driving lane that will be your “choice” to drive on. The rates will vary, with highest rates during prime time which could add $20 per day work and travel expenses for those who can afford it.

The bill has 17 co-sponsors from the House, along with 2 sponsors from the Senate who have all jumped on board.  What does the bill say? The HB 0321 bill says shockingly little. So what are we getting into?

There are different types of public-private partnerships, or PPPs. In a “demand risk,” the private partner takes all the risks and after a fixed period of time the infrastructure is returned. However, in an “availability payment partnership” the state insures payment whether the road is used or not. Further, a large part of the problem is PPPs are used to “conceal public borrowing.” It is a way to “sidestep legal debt limits.”

The Transportation Committee has been provided with a 56-page report, “Why Public-Private Partnerships Don’t Work,”  which reveals a “culmination of thirty years’ experience with and assessment of privatization, in countries both rich and poor.” The report concludes, “PPPs are an expensive and inefficient way of financing infrastructure and services.”

So why does Tennessee need private financing? 

Gov. Lee has bragged repeatedly that Tennessee is fiscally sound and has excess funds.  TDOT commissioner Eley echoed that after the 2020-2021 budget was announced and made no noise about the roads.  Granted, $1.2B excess is a far cry from the $54B on the table for road and bridge projects now. 

Why is this happening now? 

Eley continues, “as a result of fiscal prudence and over $180 million in spending reductions from the state agencies, Tennessee is able to return to pre-pandemic priorities and invest in public-private partnerships.”

Which partnerships are those?

Historically, private business contracts for areas such as education, where competitive bidding is awarded to run something like a school cafeteria.

However, PPPs are a different animal. In an article by American Policy, PPPs are considered to be “government-sanctioned monopolies.” This arrangement was introduced during the Clinton administration under a new policy to “reinvent government.”  Today, that “reinvention” has “revealed itself to be the policy known as Sustainable Development, and is the root of massive reorganization of American cities known as ‘Smart Growth.’

And it has come to Tennessee.  Chattanooga has been selected as “one of two U.S. cities in a global initiative to use broadband and data to plan and utilize energy, transportation, health care and communications in more sustainable and equitable ways.”

Our Governor is selecting Tennessee to enter into the “Sustainable Development Goals” of the G20. In the 30-year study it notes, If this is successful, “privatization could become official UN policy.” That is where we are headed.

 “This is a specific agenda with pre-determined outcome.”

“To enforce the Sustainable policies proponents have worked hard to recruit private international corporations to work directly with them to promote the policies through creation of PPPs.”

What international corporations? 

Gov. Lee referenced a Spanish corporation as an example of a PPP. When this issue was raised with Rep. Ed Butler (R-Dist. 41), he said, “the committee is working to ensure that it is an U.S.A. owned corporation.” 

However, Rep. John Ray Clemmons, (D-Nashville), Chairman, House Democratic Caucus, reminds us that the “roadways are an inherent governmental function.”  He also comments, “privatizing government services has been a goal of both Lee and former Gov. Bill Haslam.”

Is this goal, privatizing government services,  in line with our Tennessee Constitution and values?

Our legislators need to think deeply about this, instead of quick fixes for long-term problems. If indeed this all leads to the Great Reset we have a choice. We can walk in, or we can make them drag us. Dig in.

Sources:

  1.  https://www.tn.gov/governor/news/2023/1/5/gov–lee-unveils-transportation-plan-for-rural-and-urban-tennessee.html
  2. https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/113/Bill/HB0321.pdf
  3. https://law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/2021/
  4. https://tennesseestar.com/2023/01/10/governor-lee-unveils-26-billion-transportation-modernization-act-of-2023/
  5. https://www.tn.gov/governor/news/2023/2/6/gov-lee-delivers-2023-state-of-the-state-address-tennessee–leading-the-nation.html
  6. https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tdot/build-with-us/2023%20Transportation%20Modernization%20Act%20one-pager.pdf
  7. https://www.cato.org/blog/good-bad-public-private-partnerships
  8. https://www.world-psi.org/sites/default/files/documents/research/rapport_eng_56pages_a4_lr_0.pdf
  9. https://www.sycamoreinstitutetn.org/2023-tax-revenue-tracker/
  10. https://www.wbry.com/general-assembly-has-approved-tennessees-budget-for-fiscal-year-2021-2022/
  11. https://americanpolicy.org/2017/01/31/publicprivate-partnerships-government-sanctioned-monopolies/
  12. https://www.govtech.com/fs/infrastructure/chattanooga-tenn-picked-for-smart-cities-tech-test.html
  13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G20
  14. https://tennesseestar.com/2023/01/10/governor-lee-unveils-26-billion-transportation-modernization-act-of-2023/

Free Movie, The Real Dr. Fauci

Showing at the Jamestown Community Center
Saturday February 25, 2023, 6:30-8:30 pm

TAG continues its Movie Marathon with the final 2 hours of the documentary, “The Real Dr. Fauci.” Based on the best selling book by Robert Kennedy, Jr. the film closely examines Fauci’s relationship, and influence, on government policy and the pharmaceutical industry.

FREE to the public • Complimentary snacks

6:30-8:30 pm
Saturday Movie Marathon
Jamestown Community Center
629 N Main St
Jamestown TN 38556
(near Alvin C. York High School)

Feb. Meeting now Thurs., 2/23!

at FREDDIE’S RESTAURANT OFF HWY 297

now Thursday, Feb. 23 (2/18 meeting rescheduled due to tornado warnings)
Supper 5pm
Meeting 6pm

329 Wheeler Lane, first driveway on the right  on Hwy 297 (after turning off Hwy 154).
in Backroom.

We suggest you come by 5pm to eat, and the meeting will start at 6pm in the back room. Turn right coming in the front door. 

TAG will meet here for the next couple of months waiting for the new owners of what was the Dragon Pit to reopen. This current location will not be available when summer arrives, which is approximately April/May. Then again, Who knows? Things change.  

AGENDA: (not necessarily in this order)

1.  How ya doin’ with Ham radio studies? Hm? /

2. Discuss– Tour of the capitol. Dates, transportation, costs.  

3. Movie marathons.

4. Voting Integrity and local rep. Pulling on threads.  

5. Noises on defunding education in TN.

6. Current bills of interest during 2023 Sessions. Same bills, new stories.

7. Recap of trip to Nashville Wed. Feb 15th

8. Gary J. will share about his trip to Nashville with TN Firearm rep John Paul on Tues. Feb 14, re 2nd Amend.
9. Open mike, what’s on YOUR mind? The floor is YOURS.

It is PRIME RIB night at Freddie’s. You MUST make your own reservation to get Prime Rib. Otherwise, you can sit in the back room and order off the menu.

***PLEASE MAKE YOUR OWN DINNER RESERVATIONS AHEAD FOR PRIME RIB ONLY Call 931-879-3733 between 11 am and 2 pm ***

Jan 28 Movie Marathon

TAG is offering “The Real Dr. Fauci,” movie, 2-part movie, at the Historic Fentress County Courthouse on January 28.

Offered free to the public, shown TWO times the same day, 12-4 pm. Come and go anytime during the day and see it all.

Based on Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s best-selling book, the film closely examines Fauci’s relationship, and influence, on government policy and the pharmaceutical industry.

Meeting Thurs Jan 19

TAG Meeting Jan 19th

United Wesleyan Church
205 Spring St., Jamestown
6 pm, Fellowship Hall.

Joe McLaughlin will be leading the meeting, and will discuss progress on ham radio group.

Will show movie “The Real Story of January 6.” This is recorded documentation that the FBI HAS but keeps hidden from the public and the courts. Recounted in a precise journalistic story with clear and striking videos on the real truth that is known but not revealed. 

From the movie: “The Real Story of January 6,” a documentary by The Epoch Times, reveals the truth that has been hidden from the American people. While a narrative has been set that what took place that day was an insurrection, key events and witnesses have been ignored until now.  “The documentary takes an unvarnished look at police use of force and the deaths that resulted in some measure from it. The film asks tough questions about who was responsible for the chaos that day. With compelling interviews and exclusive video footage, the documentary tells the real story of January 6. The film is narrated by Joshua Philipp, host of “Crossroads” on EpochTV and a senior investigative reporter at The Epoch Times.

“Jasper Fakkert, editor-in-chief of The Epoch Times, said: “There has been a narrative perpetuated about January 6 that omits many of the facts about what happened that day. “With in-depth interviews and exclusive video footage, we take an objective look at the issues, the people, and the impacts of the events.” “The film takes a close look at the shooting of 35-year-old Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt and the deaths of three other supporters of former President Donald J. Trump. It analyzes the police response to the massive crowds and use of force around the U.S. Capitol. It examines the human impacts of Jan. 6, including the suicide of one defendant and the long pretrial imprisonment of dozens of others. It also investigates claims that some attacks on the Capitol and police were carried out by unindicted suspicious actors.

 
 

December 15 Meeting Canceled

The Dec 15 monthly meeting has been canceled. Be sure not to miss the January 19 meeting.

A Silent Hero has been Lost

When I was a young girl, my mother used to say to me, “you don’t have to know ‘why’ about everything!”  Having never grown out of it in spite of my mother’s exasperation,  I’m still asking “why.”  Now I’m asking, “why did John Mark Windle lose the this last 2022 election?”

The last 2 years has seen an upheaval in every area of life.  Our social, emotional, physical and spiritual lives have been turned on end, challenged terribly, and events hurl at us like water out of a fire hydrant,  so hard we cannot concentrate on it all and shut down.  And forget.  People must have forgot what this man has done for the people of the counties he represented- Fentress, Morgan and Overton-  in the Tennessee state legislature for the last 28 years.

Or maybe they never knew.  An influx of people into Tennessee might have voted a straight ticket without knowing the long faithful service of one of  Tennessee’s own.  With no knowledge, people jumped into the “Red wave”.

John Mark’s name was familiar to me only from cards sent to my address within his district for almost 10 years. However, as a transplant, and not involved in county or city affairs, I did not develop a point of reference to get to know him.

That changed last February when as a representative of a new political grassroots group I met John Mark in Nashville during the legislative sessions. We needed to voice our concerns on issues he would be voting on so we went looking for this unknown man who represented half of our county.

Our first experience was his laughter. He read literature we handed on our group as an introduction, ignoring our conversation to read it first. When he immediately saw our Opinion piece on “Will Tennessee Turn Blue?” (1)  he howled with laughter, and it opened a door to knowing a delightful  man.

This local country boy grew up in Livingston Tennessee.  His people still populate the various counties nearby.  His roots are deep Democrat.  We got the sense that John Mark identifies with the democrats known as Blue Dog’s from the 1990s which was “ fiscally and socially conservative, representing the center-right in the Democratic Party and themselves as the ‘commonsense’ alternative to political extremism.“ (2)(3)

Last summer, the Democratic party ousted John Mark.  Why? (See, it’s good to ask questions). No one will admit why, even John  Mark.

This author is willing to make a guess– because he voted too conservatively,  contrary to the “political correct”  platform of the new progressive Democratic party.  He mysteriously and abruptly did switch parties in March 2022 to Independent. (4)  And subsequently, for a short time, John Mark was the only Independent in the Tennessee General Assembly.  That’s the ticket he ran on November 8, 2022.

So what did his colleagues at the General Assembly think of him?  He was Chair of the House Ethics Committee. The other legislators trusted him to “judge” them, and punish them for wrongdoing should an occasion arise. Who do you trust to do that in your life?  The safest bet is to pick someone you know who is known to judge fairly, impartially, and justly. 

Trying to find information on John Mark is not easy in the printed records. He is not a man to seek recognition of his deeds. So we decided to talk to local and state leaders who have known him personally in his capacity as representative over the last 28 years.

County Executive Brian Langley of Morgan county knows John Mark well in large part because he worked for the local newspaper as a reporter for many years before his current position.  His biggest impressions are that John Mark is a true “ervant, he goes “above and beyond”  which is well reflected in his concerned for the individual citizens, whom some call “the little guy.”  Byian comments that in general, politicians pay more attention to big projects like highway projects and grants, which are needed. But John Mark was just as concerned that an elderly citizen needed to get her roof fixed.

State representative Kelly Keisling says, “Good men are rare and far between. A good man knows what he stands for, what he ought to do, what he will never do and believes in the principles that he will use to guide his lifw.   In the twelve years that I served in the Tennessee General Assembly with John Mark Windle, this best illustrates the individual that I came to know. A true public servant.”

If you want to judge for yourself, take a look at his record. (5) You can find out how he voted 2006 – 2022.  Take a look and see what you think. And then ask yourself, “what did I base my voting decision on?”

When questioned about his policies John Mark says, “I vote how my constituents want me to vote.”   Would that be the Democrats or the 70% Republican population?   How about the forgotten, salt of the earth, common man?  The one who carries most of the weight of the decisions made in government?  How about the party of “common sense” that seems lost these days.  Perhaps that is who and what John Mark stands for.  And it cost him.  It cost him big time.

We lost a silent hero. One who did not do what is convenient, politically correct or even politically expedient.  We lost a man who stood up for his constituent values, who stood against the tide of partisan popularity, who stood tall in the face of any adversity for his positions, and who stood up for his people of the counties he represented. He will be missed.  

(1) www.tennactiongroup.org

(2)  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Dog_Coalition

(3) https://politicaldictionary.com/words/blue-dog-democrats/

 (4) https://tennesseestar.com/2022/04/13/pro-2nd-amendment-state-rep-john-mark-windle-leaves-democrat-party-will-run-for-re-election-as-independent/

(5) https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/24429/john-windle

 

Scroll to top