The Haslam Administration - Cronyism Or Just "Good Business"? You Decide - Part 7 of 7

As promised on Tuesday, today, on Freedom Friday, I am wrapping up sharing the video series, "Questions of Influence", NewsChannel5 ran concerning the questionable dealings of the Haslam Administration. Part 7 is basically a summary of the first 6 parts, but it does add some new information, too. The video for Part 7 is embedded below, or can be watched by clicking here.

Below today's video, I review what we've learned.

NewsChannel5.com | Nashville News, Weather

NewsChannel5 brought out the following in this investigative report :

1. The state's motor pool was turned over to Enterprise Rental Car without any bids being taken.
2. Maintenance of state vehicles was contracted out to Bridgestone without any bids being taken, and the current state Finance Commissioner, appointed by Haslam, once headed up Bridgestone.
3. A $330 Million contract for the management of state buildings was given to Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), a company which has been one of Governor Haslam's "major investments." JLL was given the authority to negotiate leases on behalf of the state with third parties, and then collect a 4% commission on any new leases it completed.
4. Haslam's personal political consultant, Tom Ingram, is a professional lobbyist with The Ingram Group. Ingram not only is Haslam's consultant, but he frequently lobbies state agencies and appears to have Haslam's ear on anything and everything.
5. JLL recommended tearing down the Cordell Hull State Office Building due to a leaky foundation. Then, it was revealed that the leak wasn't that big of a deal, but JLL got paid for the advice anyway. As a rsult of its contract, JLL could get paid for every state building it recommends being torn down, overseeing each building's demolition, and for overseeing the moving of state employees from any state building it recommends be demolished.
6. Tennessee's Comptroller of the Treasury, Justin Wilson, and others raised concerns about the multiple no-bid contracts. Those concerns were basically ignored by the Haslam Administration and the state legislature. An audit by the Comptroller's Office said JLL had an "unfair advantage" in the contract process. Once again, the findings were ignored.
7. Current U.S. Senators from the state of Tennessee Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker also pay Tom Ingram for similar services as those Ingram renders to Governor Haslam. Alexander and Corker disclose those payments on their campaign financial reports. Haslam refuses to.

English: former Congressman and Governor of Tennessee Ray Blanton. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

All these nice, cozy deals and contracts are, as Rep. Mike Turner said in the videos, "nice if you can get 'em." When watching this investigative report on TV, I was shocked at the news. My blood pressure went up, too. I thought back to another Tennessee Governor's Administration, Ray Blanton's, and how it eventually shamed the state of Tennessee. It was rocked by multiple scandals including :

• Extravagant spending,
• Friends being taken on trips on the state's dime,
• Bar tabs on the state's dime,
• Limousine rentals on the state's dime,
• Blanton's family's company getting a paving contract at a state park, and 
• selling surplus state-owned cars to political cronies.

However, these were not the worst of it. State officials were bribed for pardons of convicted criminals. Some state officials were arrested, but not before Blanton issued over 50 pardons and was planning more. 

Blanton wasn't charged in regards to the pardons, but was later accused of selling liquor licenses. He was eventually indicted for mail fraud, extortion, and conspiracy, convicted, and served nearly 2 years in prison after being run out of the governor's office. It is my opinion, based upon NewsChannel5's investigation, the Haslam Administration could eventually make the Blanton Administration look like Boy Scouts. Oh - by the way - did you hear about the latest Haslam Administration investigation? The Feds may even get involved. It appears Haslam may have attempted to influence the union vote at the Chattanooga Volkswagon plant. Oops.

The real problem I'm having with the whole thing, though, is the lack of outcry. Yes, you can chalk up the outcry from the Democrats contained within these videos to politics if you like. However, wrong is wrong no matter who is doing it. It doesn't matter whether you're talking about Republicans or Democrats. Well, at least it shouldn't. However, in Tennessee, it appears it does. In this one-hour series, the only Republican who is shown being critical of the Haslam Administration is Rep. Mark Pody from Lebanon. I'm not the biggest fan of Pody, but he is right in this case.

The question I have for other Republican members of the state legislature is this - Republicans supposedly are conservative. Part of being a conservative is following and enforcing the rules, no matter what. So, why has Haslam gotten a pass on all these no-bid contracts, appearances of conflicts of interest, not disclosing campaign payments, etc.? I'm sure if Haslam was a Democrat the GOP would have been all over him. I imagine they might even want him removed from office. The people of Tennessee deserve better. The GOP is in power. They should be holding the Haslam Administration accountable, but they are not. They are turning a blind eye and letting this administration do whatever it pleases. In fact, the State Legislature hasn't even done an investigation! They've been too busy legalizing hemp, making sure Tennesseans can buy wine in grocery stores, and telling the Federal government it can't enforce Federal gun laws in Tennessee. Stupid, useless laws. While the GOP is busy with all that crap, the Haslam Administration is running wild. One can make an argument that the GOP controlled legislature is derelict in its duty.

Tennessee State Seal (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The good news for Tennesseans is that Haslam is up for re-election this year. I so wish that every Tennessean would see this investigative report prior to voting this year. If you have friends and family who may not have had an opportunity to see this report and learn about all these shenangians, please forward these videos to them or refer them to my blog or NewsChannel5's website, so they can. The information is vitally important to everyone being an informed voter. I've heard rumors that Haslam has his eyes set on one of Tennessee's two seats in the U.S. Senate after his days as governor are over. Do we really won't him having even more power in Washington D.C.? The answer is no, so he must be defeated now.

Haslam has a bunch of opponents, too, including primary opponents. They are listed here on the Secretary of State's website. Look this list over, do your own homework on Haslam's opponents, and vote him out. Later in the year, prior to the August primaries, I plan to profile all of them. I'm looking forward to voting against him twice this year - once in the GOP primary, and then again in the general election, if he wins the primary. It will be hard to beat him. He has the money to buy the office again just like he did in 2010. However, if conservatives will get together and support one candidate, I think it's possible to oust him. However, if the vote is split between multiple candidates, Haslam will win re-election in a landslide.

Tennessee is in a dangerous position. The Republicans control the governor's office, the State House, and the State Senate. No party should ever be given that much power, because when it happens, that party runs wild like the GOP has for the last few years. As hard as this is to say, if Haslam wins re-election, then the next best alternative is for Tennessee voters to give one of the two chambers of the legislature back to the Democrats.

Yes, I know some of you are now thinking I'm off my rocker, but Haslam has to be kept in check somehow, even if it means giving some power back to the Donkey Party. What we've got now ain't working. As the title of this series has asked - The Haslam Administration - Cronyism Or Just "Good Business"? - in my opinion, it's cronyism with a capital C, and it has to stop. It's wong.

Related articles

• The Haslam Administration - Cronyism Or Just "Good Business"? You Decide - Part 6 of 7 (thesecondchancesheepdog.blogspot.com)
• The Haslam Administration - Cronyism Or Just "Good Business"? You Decide - Part 5 of 7 (thesecondchancesheepdog.blogspot.com)
• The Haslam Administration - Cronyism Or Just "Good Business"? You Decide - Part 4 of 7 (thesecondchancesheepdog.blogspot.com)
• The Haslam Administration : Cronyism Or Just "Good Business"? You Decide - Part 1 (thesecondchancesheepdog.blogspot.com)
• Congress Looking into Haslam's $300 Million Offer in Union Vote (fantasyradionews.com)
• Haslam and Corker Issued Subpoenas (fantasyradionews.com)
• UAW Subpoenas Haslam, Corker To Appear At VW NLRB Appeal Hearing (thetruthaboutcars.com)
• WATCH: Leaked Documents Show GOP Governor Illegally Interfered With Volkswagen Union Vote (addictinginfo.org)
• Tennessee Governor Used Public Funds to Bust Autoworker's Union (readersupportednews.org)
• Report: Haslam considered giving downtown tower to Sears for corporate HQ (bizjournals.com)

The NRA - incompetence, or just not 100% pro-gun ?

Back in May, the controversial and poorly named "Patriot Act" was extended for four more years by Congress. The bill has been constantly debated since it's passage due to the additional, and arguably unconstitutional, surveillance powers it gives the Federal government. Even the ACLU, whom I usually disagree with, is on the right side this time. They have criticized the bill's infringement upon Americans' civil liberties.

My longtime readers know that at one time, I was an NRA member. However, over the last few years I have become very unsatisfied with the organization. I have criticized them on a number of occasions in earlier blog posts, because they no longer appear to have the best interests of gun owners in mind. I was very critical of them last year in regards to their boondoggle on The Disclose Act. In fact, they have dropped the ball so much that I am no longer a member of the organization. The NRA's lack of leadership in the renewal of the mis-named "Patriot Act" is the latest of their "fumbles." If they were an NFL running back, they would have been traded or cut by now.

Rookie U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R -KY) (pictured upper right) attempted to add an amendment to the re-authorization of "The Patriot Act" that would have exempted the records of Americans' firearms purchases from the warrantless searches authorized by the so-called "Patriot Act." In my opinion, it was an amendment that was needed since Janet Napolitano's Department of Homeland Security has issued a report deeming gun owners as potential "terrorists." Sen. Paul's proposed amendment stated :

Nothing in the USA PATRIOT Act (Public Law 107-56; 115 Stat. 272), the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-177; 120 Stat. 192), the USA PATRIOT Act Additional Reauthorizing Amendments Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-178; 120 Stat. 278), or an amendment made by any such Act shall authorize the investigation or procurement of firearms records which is not authorized under chapter 44 of title 18, United States Code.

Sen. Paul's amendment might have passed, too, if the NRA had pulled it's head out of it's butt and done the job it's members expect and pay it to do - stand up for them and the 2nd Amendment. However, instead of supporting Sen. Paul's amendment, the NRA took no position as shown in the following statement sent to Sen. Saxby Chambliss by the NRA's Chris Cox :

NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, Washington, DC, May 26, 2011

Dear Senator Chambliss :

Thank you for asking about the National Rifle Association's position on a motion to table amendment # 363 to the PATRIOT Act.

The NRA takes a back seat to no one when it comes to protecting gun owners' rights against government abuse. Over the past three decades, we've fought successfully to block unnecessary and intrusive compilation of firearms-related records by several federal agencies, and will continue to protect the privacy of our members and all American gun owners.

While well-intentioned, the language of this amendment as currently drafted raises potential problems for gun owners, in that it encourages the government to use provisions in current law that allow access to firearms records without reasonable cause, warrant, or judicial oversight of any kind.

Based on these concerns and the fact that the NRA does not ordinarily take positions on procedural votes, we have no position on a motion to table amendment # 363 .

Sincerely,

CHRIS W. COX

Due to the NRA's failure to support Sen. Paul's amendment, the U.S. Senate voted to table it effectively killing it. I'm irritated not only by the amendment's failure to pass and the NRA's failure to act, but also by the fact that both so-called "Republican" Senators from Tennessee, Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker, voted in favor of tabling it. Both have claimed to support gun owners, but when they have a chance to prove it, they voted against us. They didn't stop there, though. They both proceeded to vote in favor of the extension of the "Patriot Act." They both have got to go, and I can't wait for a chance to vote against them.

Furthermore, I'm can't understand what the NRA was thinking when it chose not to take a position on Sen. Paul's amendment. The organization's statement that the amendment would "... allow access to firearms records without reasonable cause ..." is simply untrue. A simple glance at what the amendment says shows that it would have done just the opposite and prohibited such access. Can the NRA not read ? Is it completely incompetent ? Or, is it simply not the pro-gun organization it claims to be ? Perhaps it's a combination of all of the above.

Related articles

• NRA Claims Rand Paul's Gun Amendment Would Have Hurt Gun Owners More Than PATRIOT Act (reason.com)
• NRA Joins Mitch McConnell Against Rand Paul and Gun Owners for America (reason.com)

The "Czar-castic" John Holdren, Science and Technology Czar

Welcome to Dr. Frankenstein Day !! Today we'll highlight John Holdren, Science and Technology Car. His official job title is Assistant to Barack Obama for Science and Technology, Director of the White house Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Co-Chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Whew .... that was a mouthful.

Why Dr. Frankenstein ?? He :

• strongly supports the theory of global warming. Unfortunately for him, he has been named in ClimateGate and the science behind the entire theory is slowly unraveling as being fraudulent (more about that in a future post).
• predicted that global warming would cause the deaths of 1 billion people by 2020.
• said the government could take babies from "undesirables." Basically, a form of eugenics. The question is - who does he considerable an undesirable ?? The ill ?? The elderly ?? Is it based on race ??
• co-authored 1977's Ecoscience : Population, Resources, and Environment, which says that in order to control population, a government may instititute "... population control laws, even including laws requiring compulsory abortion, could be sustained under the existing Constitution." It also mentioned other population control measures including mass sterilization by putting sterilants in drinking water and by implanting sterilization capsules in people once they reach puberty.

Please check out the following video on Dr. Frankstein from The Glenn Beck Show :

Remember in yesterday's post I told you the U.S. Senate actually confirmed the nutty Cass Sunstein ?? Well, they also confirmed Holdren. The news is worse in his case, though. He was unanimously confirmed. Yes, you read that correctly. EVERY SINGLE MEMBER OF THE U.S. SENATE VOTED IN FAVOR OF HIS CONFIRMATION !! This includes Tennessee's Senators, Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker. None of them voted NO !! We, the American voter, need to give every single one of them a pink slip when they come up for re-election because they are in dereliction of duty. They should never have allowed him to have the power he now has. It's dispicable.

Up tomorrow is the "Czar-castic" Mark Lloyd, FCC Diversity Czar.

sources : Glenn Beck, NewsMax

The "Czar-castic" Cass Sunstein, Regulatory Czar

Today's highlighted czar is the looney Cass Sunstein, Regulatory Czar. His official title is Administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs and it is believed that he will be responsible for "tweaking" legislation to aid the Obama Administration in doing things it cannot get done through Congress. Now, before I go any further and tell you about Sunstein's background, I have to issue a warning. IF YOU ARE ON BLOOD PRESSURE MEDS, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE TAKEN THEM BEFORE YOU READ ANY FARTHER. Your blood pressure is gonna "necessarily skyrocket" like electricity rates under Comrade Obama's cap and tax plan a.k.a. cap and trade.

Sunstein is a former law professor at Harvard Law School and at the University of Chicago Law School (UCLS). Please note - he is a law professor, NOT a lawyer. UCLS is where Obama and he became close. In fact, Obama says, "Cass is not only a valued advisor, he is a dear friend." Why is that important ?? Well, consider the following :

1. He believes the U.S. government should abolish the sanctioning of marriage.
2. In his book, Republic.com (2002), he mentioned that freedom of choice on the internet is a bad thing because it allows people to seek out only people that share their same views. He says the government should require websites to link to opposing views.
3. In his book, Animal Rights (2004), he stated that animals should be able to sue and get judgments against humans.
4. He has called for a ban on hunting.
5. He believes we should stop using animals for food "... because it is morally akin to slavery and the mass extermination of human beings" (Sunstein in 2007 at Harvard University).
6. He does NOT believe private citizens should be allowed to own firearms.
7. He believes some animals are more valuable than infant humans.

Shocked ?? Find this hard to believe ?? Watch the two videos below to hear some of these things straight from this loon's mouth.


Anyone ever hit a deer ?? How bad were you injured and your car torn up ?? Think about that and follow this nut's idiotic logic in these two videos for a moment. First, we have to ban hunting because it's cruel to animals and we should not be eating meat anyway. Guess what's gonna happen when we stop hunting and managing the deer herd ?? That's right. The deer will overpopulate leading to more of them being maimed or killed in deer-vehicle collisions. The deer will then be able to hire a lawyer and sue you for negligence and wrongful death. The fawns could sue you for negligence and wrongful death if you hit and kill their mother. Then, if we continue to follow the Liberals' logic, we the tax payers will just have to take care of the fawns for the rest of their lives because they are orphans. Or better yet, if you hit and kill a large buck, the doe can bring a suit against you for wrongful death and loss of consortium. Anyone besides me see how nutty this is ?? God help us.

In confirmation proceedings before the U.S. Senate, Sunstein backtracked on what he previously said in the videos above. He claimed he is in favor of the right to keep and bear arms for hunting and didn't support animals being able to sue humans. Interesting. So which is it Cass ?? Could it be that he, like Bill Clinton and Comrade Obama, will say whatever is necessary to get support ?? Where does he actually stand on these issues ?? The saddest thing about the whole Cass Sunstein deal is that he was actually confirmed by the U.S. Senate in September by a vote of 57-40 (view roll call vote). Since there is no constitutional authority for czars, it should have never happened. However, the Senate could have ended this nut's moment in the sun once and for all by voting no but they chose not to. I'm glad I can say that both of Tennessee's Senators, Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker, voted against his confirmation.

Up tomorrow is Dr. Frankenstein ..... oops, I mean John Holdren, Science and Technology Czar. Make sure you take your blood pressure medicine tomorrow, too. This guy's freakier than Sunstein. It'll be "Czar-castic" times 10 !!

For more info on Cass Sunstein, visit http://stopsunstein.com/.

sources : Glenn Beck, NewsMax, YouTube