MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2011 Haslam eyes area education (Columbia Daily Herald)

Improving education and preparing Tennesseans for the workforce were the key topics of Gov. Bill Haslams address to Maury County Kiwanis and Rotary Club members during a combined meeting. Club members estimated about 200 people were in attendance at the luncheon hosted at the Memorial Building in Columbia Friday. Haslam spoke about connecting the issues of recruiting jobs for Tennessee and increasing continuing education. The challenge of lobbying for jobs and offering incentives for businesses to form a presence in Tennessee is one the governor said hes working hard to address. He said businesses that want to come to Tennessee need to know that Tennessee school systems are preparing people to join their workforce and that the local schools will provide adequate education for their employees children. The Complete College Act of 2010 changed college funding to be based on graduation rates, rather than enrollment statistics, which Haslam said encourages the schools to be more results-focused. He said the legislation also made it easier for students to transfer college credits. http://www.c-dh.net/articles/2011/09/18/top_stories/05haslam.txt

TeamHealth expansion means $180 million investment, new jobs (Blount Today)
TeamHealth is expanding and that means more jobs are coming to Alcoa. The Blount Partnership took advantage of a packed house at the Clayton Center for the Arts at the Business Excellence Awards breakfast to make the announcement. Joe Carman, chief administrative officer with TeamHealth, said the company will expand its corporate operations by leasing a new facility to be constructed at Base Pointe Business Center off Topside Road in AlcoaIn a press release, Bill Haslam Gov. and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty praised TeamHealths commitment to and investment in Blount County. We will continue to focus on creating a business climate that gives companies the confidence to invest and create jobs as we work toward becoming the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs, Haslam said. http://www.blounttoday.com/news/2011/sep/19/teamhealth-expansion-means-180-million-investment/

Farmers meeting Columbia to discuss industry (Associated Press)

Tennessee agricultural officials and farmers from all over the state will be meeting in Columbia to discuss the current status of the industry and its challenges. The meeting on Monday at First Farmers & Merchants Bank will include Tennessee Commissioner of Agriculture Julius Jones and University of Tennessee President Joe DiPietro and the new chancellor of the UT Institute of Agriculture, Larry Arrington. These leaders will hear from farmers in a round-table discussion about where the industry stands and where it is heading in the future. The total farming and forestry economic impact in Tennessee is about $78 billion a year and accounts for 500,000 jobs. There will also be representatives from government, banking, agriculture education and research and private businesses. http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=37490451.story

Didds commisioner and state officials visit local agency (Leaf Chronicle)
Progressive Directions, Inc. based in Clarksville, recently welcomed state officials including state Department of Intellectual Disability Services Commissioner James Henry along with state Sen. Tim Barnes, state Reps. Joe Pitts and Curtis Johnson, Deputy Director of Constituent Services DIDDS Susan Bailey-Moss, and Director of Public Affairs DIDDS Missy Marshall. Henry, Tennessee leaders and PDI department heads took a tour of the PDI facilities to get a firsthand look at how the non-profit organization delivers services to its clientele, which topped over 1,000 last year. Officials visited all PDI programs in Montgomery County including Kids Depot, the Montgomery County Adult Day Center and the Central Office on Paradise Hill Road. It began with a visit to the main PDI office, meeting with the administration team and the nine departments, learning the responsibilities of

each and how they contribute to the daily lives of the program participates. http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20110919/NEWS01/109190313/Didds-commisioner-state-officials-visitlocal-agency

UT reps meeting with high school counselors (Associated Press)

Representatives from the University of Tennessee are going across the state beginning Monday to meet with high school guidance counselors. They will discuss higher education changes and programs affecting high school students. The stops are Monday in Nashville; Tuesday in Memphis; Thursday in Jackson, Friday in Nashville again; Sept. 26 in Knoxville; Sept. 27 in Tri-Cities and Sept. 28 in Chattanooga. The information sessions will be led by admissions and financial aid representatives from the university's undergraduate campuses in Chattanooga, Knoxville and Martin. http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=37490265.story

U of M law school's relocation puts students in sights of employers (CA/Morgan)

It is joked that, as a matter of principled equality, the law forbids both rich and poor alike from stealing bread. Similarly, it is equally frowned upon for either a law firm partner or a first-year law school student to get hammered in public on their 25th birthday. When the University of Memphis moved its Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law from Central to a historic building on Front at the end of Madison, in January 2010, it was widely appreciated for all involved. The old building's basement flooded every time it rained, ruining the basement library and permeating the ugly building with a moldy stink. "It was like a cell. It was pitiful," said Estelle W insett, a 1997 alumna from the school who is now its assistant dean for law career services. The renovated building has been a boon for the school in some ways. It ranked as No. 8 in the country for "quality of life" by the Princeton Review last year, which largely factors aesthetics into its formula. And the benefits of being neighbors with Downtown's broad legal community are obvious -- from courtrooms and the district attorney's office to prominent firms such as Baker Donelson, Burch Porter & Johnson and Bass Berry & Sims. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/sep/19/law-students-bathed-in-intangibles/

Student loan defaults up (Chattanooga Times Free-Press/Garrett)

Defaulting on a student loan can haunt you -- standing in the way of a new job, buying a house, renting an apartment, going back to school. But recently released national education data show more students coming out of Chattanooga-area colleges and universities aren't making payments on their debt. At the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, the percentage of students who hadn't made a loan payment in more than a year jumped from 6.5 in 2008 to 8.4 in 2010, according to figures published this month by the U.S. Department of Education. At for-profit Chattanooga College the default rate rose from 7.7 percent to 12.8 percent. Community colleges show similar trends. Cleveland State Community College's default rate increased 1.7 percentage points to 13.7 in 2010, and at Chattanooga State Community College the rate increased 2.3 points to 17.3 percent. And that's just the two-year default rate. Experts say the three-year default rate is much scarier. For example, three years after leaving school at Chattanooga State, 24.83 percent of students, or 442, are in default. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/sep/19/student-loan-defaults-up/?local

Unpaid state fines making penalties pointless for many (News-Sentinel/Humphrey)

A new legislative report shows the severity of fines imposed by Tennessee courts has been eroded by inflation over the past 22 years, but some involved in the process say that really doesn't make much difference. "I'm not sure the amount of the fine is important anymore," said Knox County District Attorney General Randy Nichols. "What difference does it make if the fine is $50 or $100 if it's not going to be paid anyway?" A law passed by the General Assembly earlier this year calls for revoking the driver's license of anyone who does not pay his or her fines and court costs, starting next year. Whether that helps or hurts the situation is the subject of some debate. But as things stand now, Nichols said, the fines imposed for convictions on charges ranging from traffic offenses to robberies are becoming increasingly meaningless. Data collected by the Legislature's Fiscal Review Committee would appear to support that assertion. In estimating the impact of the license revocation legislation, the committee staff reported that, based on 2009 figures, there were 328,000 persons statewide ordered to pay fines and court costs and that about 75 percent, or 246,000, did not pay them. Officials involved say the nonpayment level has, if anything,, probably increased since then because of economic conditions. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/sep/19/unpaid-state-fines-making-penalties-pointless/

Tennesseans must have photo ID to vote (City Paper/Woods)

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which could minimize fraud or disenfranchise many To the many critics of Tennessees new law requiring photo ID for voters, this states Republicans respond with two words: Rhode Island. Thats because, even though Democrats run Rhode Island, they still joined Tennessee and five other Republican-run states in adopting a photo ID law of their own this year. That puts the lie to claims the laws are a vast right-wing conspiracy to make voting difficult and suppress turnout by the poor, the elderly and other traditional Democratic constituencies, Republicans say. Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat in the U.S. Senate, stirred up this argument last week when he came to Nashville and sat down with reporters to accuse Tennessee Republicans of working in league with corporate billionaires to undermine voting rights. I dont see Dick Durbin going to Rhode Island, an obviously irked state Elections Coordinator Mark Goins told The City Paper the day after the senators visit. All these Democrats are out there saying voters are going to be disenfranchised. I say, Show me one. http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/tennesseans-must-have-photo-id-vote-which-could-minimizefraud-or-disenfranchise-m

'Misery spreads' as Memphis' budget woes force cutbacks (C. Appeal/Lollar)

For 9-year-old LeDarius Dennis, city budget cutbacks that reduced hours at Ed Rice Community Center meant making a hard choice between judo classes and tutoring. For Millennium Maddness, an award-winning drill team, cutbacks at Hickory Hill Community Center lopped two days from the team's demanding practice schedule and meant looking for outdoor rehearsal sites to help keep its national ranking. At the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, aspiring author Kenneth Roberson is writing a science-fiction novel involving boredom in heaven. Roberson, a former waiter and security guard, became homeless while working on the book, and the library's reduced hours meant his computer use and his home away from the streets became less hospitable. The individual stories are part of the collective face of a belt-tightening economy. "As we try to become leaner because of fewer dollars, the misery spreads to more people," says Mayor A C Wharton. Wharton says his hair has grown grayer during his short tenure as mayor. He rides the elevator each day with people affected by a 4.6 percent across-the-board pay cut for city employees. "They talk about how their children are going off to college and how a relative is sick. I know they were already under stress and wonder how they can handle even more." http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/sep/19/sharing-the-pain/

City revamps departments (Jackson Sun)

Cleaner streets in Jackson is administration's goal Jackson city officials are working to implement city restructuring today that will create a stormwater operations facet. The restructuring that goes into effect today will reapportion responsibilities among the health and sanitation, engineering and street departments as part of a city-led push for cleaner Jackson streets. Jackson Mayor Jerry Gist said the goal is to more evenly distribute responsibility to make Jackson a cleaner city. Gist said a cleaner city is synonymous with less crime nationwide. "We find it incumbent that we do everything we can to keep our city clean," Gist said. City officials have been working with employees, transferring equipment and adjusting to the changes with plans to administer some training. "It's going to make the city a whole lot better," said Kathleen Huneycutt, director of the health and sanitation department. Each city department will utilize 14 workers with about 12 in the stormwater construction facet headed by the engineering department. Gist said the division will work to address stormwater runoff and resident concerns with ditches. http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20110919/NEWS01/109190310/City-revamps-departments

Alexander introduces bills aimed to "fix" No Child Left Behind (Nooga)

Sen. Lamar Alexander announced a series of new bills W ednesday aiming to remedy problems within No Child Left Behind standards, the latest round in several calls from Tennessee lawmakers to change the way the federal government measures school achievement. The four-piece legislation, filed jointly with Sens. Richard Burr, RN.C., Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Mark Kirk, R-Ill., would give states and local school districts more flexibility in measuring teacher accountability, encouraging professional development, tailoring federal education programs to needs at the local level and expanding successful charter school models. "Many of the ideas in our bill are consistent with the views of Secretary Duncan and President Obama," Alexander said in a conference call with reporters. "Since the House passed it's charter school bill yesterday, we think we need to move ahead." Alexander was referencing a bill passed with bipartisan support on Tuesday, which adds quality controls to a federal grant program that provides seed money to charter schools. The bill would do away with current terms for charter schools under No Child Left Behind. http://www.nooga.com/16893_alexander-introduces-bills-aimed-to-fix-no-child-left-behind/

New Corker opponent says "Tennessee deserves better" (Nooga)

The latest Tennessean to announce a bid to unseat Sen. Bob Corker isn't balking at being labeled a novice when it comes to political experience. Zach Poskevich, a 41-year-old resident of Henderson, has never held public office before. But he said he hopes that, along with time spent in the private sector and experience as a Gulf W ar veteran, his fierce dedication to the U.S. Constitution will be enough to convince voters in next year's GOP primary. "For someone to hold office, the most important thing is that they believe in the constitution, and that they stand on principal," Poskevich said in a phone interview. "I'm not a political operative, but I will stand on principal." Poskevich, who is married and has a 10-year-old daughter named after President Reagan, identifies himself with the Tea Party. Earlier this week, his campaign released a detailed website presenting himself as a "servant leader" to voters across the state. "Tennessee can do much better than Bob Corker," it website reads. http://www.nooga.com/17219_new-corker-opponent-says-tennessee-deserves-better/

States slow to dole out loan help (USA Today)

Only 7,500 homeowners have received aid in first 16 months A $7.6 billion federal program to help homeowners avoid foreclosures had distributed about 1 percent of its money to distressed owners 16 months after its creation, government reports show. The Obama administration awarded the funds last year to 18 states most affected by unemployment and fallen home prices. The states developed their own foreclosure-prevention programs targeting assistance to lower-income jobless and underemployed homeowners. By June 30, 17 states had used the funds to help about 7,500 homeowners, show reports states filed to the Treasury Department. New Jersey started making loans only this month. Officials: Funds moving faster now Funds are flowing more rapidly now, state officials say. All the states have launched their programs. W e are ramping up quickly now, said Di Richardson, head of the California program. Its program began in January; by June 30, it had funded 1,022 homeowners. Since President Barack Obama announced the program in February 2010, banks have repossessed more than 1.5 million homes, says RealtyTrac. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110919/BUSINESS02/309190046/States-slow-dole-out-loan-help? odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Business

GOP-led states change voting rules ahead of 2012 (Associated Press/Sanner)

After years of expanding when and how people can vote, state legislatures now under new Republican control are moving to trim early voting days, beef up identification requirements and put new restrictions on how voters are notified about absentee ballots. Democrats claim their GOP counterparts are using midterm election wins to enforce changes favorable to Republicans ahead of the 2012 presidential election. They criticize such legislation, saying it could lead to longer lines in Democratic-leaning urban areas and discourage people from voting. Supporters say bolstering ID rules helps prevent fraud. And at a time when counties face tough budgets, they contend local elections officials don't have the money to keep early voting locations staffed and opened. The process of changing voting rules may be nonpartisan on the surface but it is seething with politics just below the surface. "We've had nothing short of a rhetorical firefight for years between the folks who are worried about fraud and folks who are worried about disenfranchisement a firefight which is pretty much neatly broken down between the two major parties," said Doug Chapin, an election expert at the University of Minnesota. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/sep/19/gop-led-states-change-voting-rules-ahead-of-2012/

Hospitals gear up to fight fed cuts (Gannett/Bewley)

Layoffs and closures feared Tennessee's hospitals have a message for the congressional "super committee" charged with cutting the federal debt by more than $1 trillion over a decade: Don't look here. "It seems to me that we are turning into the piggy bank," said Craig Becker, president of the Tennessee Hospital Association, which represents 154 hospitals. "We understand the deficit's got to be fixed, but it appears that cuts are being disproportionately geared toward the hospitals." As the 12-member congressional debt-reduction committee considers its options, the hospital industry is gearing up for a major lobbying battle. Health policy experts say it's likely the committee will recommend further slashing Medicare and Medicaid payments to providers for three main reasons: Congress already has reduced spending in other areas, such as defense and social services; cutting Social Security benefits is politically unpopular; and Republicans won't consider tax increases. Cuts in Medicare payments to providers is a certainty if the debt-reduction committee doesn't come up with a recommendation by Nov. 23, or if Congress doesn't enact what it does recommend. http://www.dnj.com/article/20110919/NEW S01/109190305/Hospitals-gear-up-fight-fed-cuts

TVA bets on rising demand (Tennessean/Paine)

Less electricity use could increase costs As the Tennessee Valley Authority prepares to add more nuclear energy to its portfolio, it is betting on slightly more than 1 percent growth in electricity use each year, even as demand nationwide is expected to shrink. If the public power producers forecast misses the mark as it has on occasion ratepayers electricity costs could rise. TVAs debt is still bloated from high expectations of power demand that fell through in the 1970s and 1980s. The agency predicts a growing demand for electricity in its seven-state area, while the Electric Power Research Institute, a utility-funded nonprofit research group, expects demand for residential power to drop by .05 percent a year nationwide. More energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs, better insulating of homes and more people choosing to reduce electricity use appear to be contributing to the decline, along with the slow economy, the institute says. In 2009, TVA was caught short by slumping demand for electricity as the economy stalled. It wasnt the only power producer in that situation. Forecasting electricity needs is not an exact science, as it involves complex calculations and best guesses years into the future. Influences can include tightening regulations, greater energy efficiency, severe weather and a shift toward alternative fuel sources. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110919/NEWS11/309190029/TVA-bets-rising-demand?odyssey=tab| topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Testimony starting in trial on TVA coal ash suits (Associated Press)

Attorneys for more than 230 property owners suing the Tennessee Valley Authority for damages from its huge coal ash spill in 2008 are set to begin calling witnesses at a trial in Knoxville. U.S. District Judge Thomas Varlan held an opening session with attorneys Thursday. The judge has already greatly narrowed TVA's liability and he will decide if the nation's largest public utility was negligent and should pay damages for the December 2008 dam rupture at its coal-powered Kingston Plant on the Emory River west of Knoxville. TVA contends the ash did not cause personal injury or property damage. Property owners Loretta Smith and her husband of Lyons, Ill., say they are paying for 25 acres that nobody wants and they are glad the trial is finally starting. http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=37490483.story

Spring Hill booms out of the recession (Tennessean/Wiersma)

Walmart to compete with Kroger, Target for south Williamson dollars There was a time, not too long ago, when a Main Street auction barn was one of the main places in southern W illiamson County to shop and mingle. With the worlds largest retailer, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., moving forward with plans to open a supercenter on that 35acre site by early 2013, those days are gone. The big-box store is following others namely Kroger Marketplace and Super Target that in the past few years have chosen Spring Hill to test new concepts. And despite the recession, the city also has attracted budding startups, such as Gigis Cupcakes and Sweet Ceces, both of which now have dozens of franchises throughout the Southeast. I would fold Spring Hill in with the northern part of Williamson County. Its a continuation, for all intents and purposes, said Richard Jones, of Franklin-based W orld Realty, which specializes in commercial properties. Jones said retail growth has reached farther south into the county, after success in Brentwood and Franklin, and is taking off in Spring Hill, which straddles the W illiamson/Maury county line. It just offers the sweet spot for retailers who want the educated, affluent customers, he said. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110919/NEWS01/309190040/Spring-Hill-booms-out-recession? odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Erlanger will weigh two Southside options (Chattanooga Times Free-Press/Carroll)

If Erlanger trustees approve a strategic plan to build a new Southside Community Health Center, they have two options: build their own facility for $1.3 million up front, or ask a developer to do the work for $2 million spread over 15 years of lease payments. A hospital business plan indicates they'll be steered toward the latter option, owing partly to the fact that Southside and Dodson Community Health Centers have reported operating losses for three of the last five years. "Would you invest $1.3 million in that operation?" said Joe W innick, Erlanger's vice president of strategic planning. The health centers host more than 30,000 primary-care patient visits a year, mostly to inner-city patients without health insurance. For 43 years, Southside has operated inside what used to be Franklin Middle School -- a dilapidated building situated away from bus routes and heavily traveled roadways. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/sep/19/erlanger-will-weigh-two-southside-options/?local

Memphis and Shelby County School merger groups to meet (C. Appeal/McMillin)
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Orientation set for transition team, board They will meet Wednesday at the University of Memphis, all 44 of them residents of Shelby County, some of them well-known but many others complete newcomers to public service. The people charted with determining the future of public education in the county will technically fall into two separate groups, one a 21-member schools merger transition commission and the other a 23-person unified school board. In all, the individuals from the two teams break down like this: Gender -- 29 men and 15 women. Race -- 26 white members and 18 black members. Geography -- 24 Memphis to 20 suburban, though three Memphis residents straddle suburban borders and two suburban residents are in unincorporated areas outside of municipalities. Public school parents -- None for the transition team, but nine of 23 board members. Last week, Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell, Memphis City Schools board president Martavius Jones and suburban Shelby County Schools board chairman David Pickler agreed they wanted as soon as possible to get the groups together and provide an orientation on basic things like open-meetings laws and rules of order for board meetings. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/sep/19/school-merger-groups-to-meet/

Middle Tennessee school systems view social media differently (TN/Anderson)

Sumner County sees bigger role; Wilson toughens its policies Middle Tennessee school districts are taking different approaches to social media. While one has halted their use for official school business, another is building a fan base. The popularity of Facebook among students and adults is prompting school officials to define its place as a communications tool between schools and parents. The Wilson County Board of Education recently amended its policies to prohibit any representation of the district on social media sites without the school directors approval. Sumner County Schools, on the other hand, recently started a Facebook page to communicate with parents, and it already has about 2,000 friends. District leaders are encouraging individual school leaders to set up pages, too. I would love to have more of our schools stuff on Facebook, because I check that first, said Sibyl Reagan, a Hendersonville mother of two Nannie Berry Elementary School students. A reminder that its Grandparents Day on my Facebook at 7 in the morning would be great. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110919/NEWS01/309190039/Middle-Tennessee-school-systems-viewsocial-media-differently?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Police: Meth lab caused explosion that injured 2 (Associated Press)

Metro Nashville Police say two people have been severely burned from a flash fire and explosion that occurred while methamphetamine was being cooked in an apartment. Police say 28-year-old Jason Scott and his girlfriend, 22-year-old Jessica Biggs, are being treated at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Police say they believe Scott was cooking meth in the bathroom of the apartment Saturday night when something set off a flash fire and explosion that blew out a bedroom wall. Police said the blast affect several other residents who lived in the same building, but Red Cross workers helped them find other accommodation. http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=37485521.story

Two severely burned in Madison meth lab explosion (Tennessean/Quinn)

Randy Road apartment complex evacuated for clean-up The man and woman who police say were severely burned in a meth lab explosion inside a Madison apartment are in critical condition today in Vanderbilt Medical Center's burn unit. Jason Scott, 28, and Jessica Biggs, 22, were cooking methamphetamine in the bathroom of a unit at the Cedar Crest apartments at 98 Randy Road, Metro police say, when something set off a flash fire and explosion. Neighbors fled their apartments when they heard the 8:30 p.m. blast. When emergency personnel arrived, Scott admitted that the couple was cooking meth, police say. Biggs' two children, aged two and six months, were staying with friends for the night and were not inside the apartment. Red Cross volunteers helped neighbors find places to stay for the night, while the toxic chemicals were being cleaned. Scott was convicted last year of two felony meth charges in Cheatham County and has been convicted twice of aggravated burglary in Nashville and Dickson County. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110918/NEWS/110918004/Two-severely-burned-Madison-meth-labexplosion-?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|p

Michigan: As MI passes pension tax, Maine considers repealing one (Stateline)

Republican governors Rick Snyder of Michigan and Paul LePage of Maine were both elected in 2010 on a wave of anti-tax sentiment. But on one important tax question what to do about pension income they have taken dramatically different positions. Both governors face similar challenges attracting and keeping people. Michigan was the only state to lose population during the last decade and Maine was one of the slowest growing, 6

according to the latest census. LePage is preparing a plan that he says would lure new residents by eliminating the state tax on public and private pension income. Snyder has already signed legislation to impose taxes on retirement income. His lawyers are defending it before the state Supreme Court. Whose approach is right? Why such different views from Republican governors whose states are both in a jam? The answer lies partly in the distinctive financial difficulties facing each state. But it also reflects contrasting political philosophies. LePage, who was elected last fall with the backing of the anti-tax Tea Party, signed the largest tax cuts in state history in June and recently called for a new round of up to $100 million in spending cuts. Snyder, a former computer entrepreneur, has been more of a centrist, mixing spending cuts and corporate tax breaks with the pension tax increase. http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=600921

OPINION Guest columnists: Honor those who help students reach higher (Tennessean)
Local heroes get credit they deserve We are proud to recognize excellence! In a time of noisy national conflict and public concern about our basic institutions, two local organizations are quietly stopping tomorrow night to honor and recognize achievement. Every day teachers educate young people and prepare them to be productive adults. Social workers meet with people in trouble and lead them toward the right path. School leaders focus on graduating more students. Nonprofit leaders teach disabled adults to ride horses, help the homeless sell newspapers to achieve dignity in their lives, provide legal services for those who cant afford them, and work with those coming out of prison to help them re-enter society. Now is the time to give these local heroes the credit they deserve. The State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) is hosting its first annual SCORE Prize Award event at the Ryman Auditorium. The prize, totaling $55,000, will be awarded to the elementary, middle and high school, and one school district in Tennessee that have most dramatically improved student achievement, despite the challenges they face. This is a significant event, as it will recognize the hard work of education reform, highlight best practices, and show other schools and districts throughout Tennessee that improvement is possible. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110919/OPINION03/309190017/Honor-those-who-help-students-reachhigher?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|p

Guest columnist: TVA backs renewable energy - with an eye on cost (Tennessean)
A recent opinion article criticized the Tennessee Valley Authority for scaling back a renewable energy program and claims that our action could derail jobs in the solar industry. TVA has indeed played a pivotal role in developing this regions thriving solar industry, and changes to our Generation Partners program will allow us to continue supporting solar and other forms of renewable energy as well as the jobs associated with these technologies. The notion that changes to Generation Partners will harm jobs in the region is simply not supported by the facts. TVAs strong commitment to economic development and competitive power rates are a major reason companies employing almost 1,900 workers in the manufacture of renewable energy products and services have located in the TVA region in the first place. These companies sell and compete in a global market, and there is nothing to suggest that the relatively modest changes we are making would have any effect on their continued success. Many of us look forward to the day when we can harness sunlight and the wind to make a larger contribution to the nations energy needs. But bringing renewable energy into the mainstream on a commercial scale isnt easy. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110919/OPINION03/309190019/TVA-backs-renewable-energy-an-eyecost?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Opinion|p

Columnist: Voters Want State Government Reform (W all Street Journal)

Americans believe that bold action to restrict spending is necessary to stabilize the finances of state government. Last month, in a wide-ranging national survey of 1,000 randomly selected, registered voters, and in 10 polls in individual states each with 400 responVoters Want State Government Reformsdents, my polling company found that voters strongly favor measures to pare the compensation of current and future public employees. They 7

strongly oppose higher taxes. Specifically, over three-quarters (78%) say their state faced a budget crisis this year, and 68% say that the crisis was resolved with spending cuts. Overwhelmingly they blame politicians for creating and exacerbating the problems: 48% say "elected state officials made careless and self-serving decisions," while only 6% say "state governments did not tax enough." The top priorities for resolving current fiscal issues are to cut government spending (47%) and to ask for greater sacrifice from current public employees, by having them contribute more towards their benefits (31%). By almost two-to-one, they think that current public employees should have to contribute more toward their pension benefits because of budget problems. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903927204576574513428610454.html?mod=ITP_opinion_0 (SUBSCRIPTION)

Free-Press Editorial: Ridiculous federal job security (Times Free-Press)

There is no doubt that many federal workers perform their duties with every bit as much integrity and dedication as employees in the private sector. But there have been understandable frustrations over the years with how difficult the federal bureaucracy and federal worker unions can make it to remove badly performing government employees, whose salaries are paid by taxpayers. We saw another example of that in a recent Bloomberg News article on the difficulty of firing federal air traffic controllers whose work was substandard -- and in some cases had deadly results! In one instance, a New Jersey air traffic controller was on the phone telling another airport worker a joke just before a plane and a helicopter collided near Manhattan in 2009. The controller was supposed to be in contact with the pilot of the airplane but was distracted by the phone call. A total of nine people died in the crash, and authorities said the air traffic controller was partly to blame. So, was he promptly fired from his job? Far from it! The Federal Aviation Administration attempted to fire him, but instead, he was only suspended, transferred and demoted. He continued working for the FAA. Lest you think that was just a bizarre exception, Bloomberg found that "More than four of every 10 air-traffic workers the FAA tried to fire over almost two years kept their jobs or were allowed to retire ... . That included two-thirds of those targeted for firing over drug or alcohol violations." http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011/sep/19/ridiculous-federal-job-security/?opinionfreepress

Guest columnists: A Digital Promise to Our Nation's Children (W all Street Journal)
Student achievement and educational attainment have stagnated in the U.S., and a host of our leading economic competitors are now out-educating us. In a knowledge economy, such stagnation is a slow-acting recipe for obsolescence. Imagine, though, an online high-school physics course that uses videogame graphics power to teach atomic interactions, or a second-grade online math curriculum that automatically adapts to individual students' levels of knowledge. All of this will happen. The only question is: Will the U.S. lead the effort or will we follow other countries? In the past two decades, technology has revolutionized the way Americans communicate, get news, socialize and conduct business. But technology has yet to transform our classrooms. At its full potential, technology could personalize and accelerate instruction for students of all educational levels. And it could provide equitable access to a world-class education for millions of students stuck attending substandard schools in cities, remote rural regions, and tribal reservations. Other countries are far ahead of us in creating 21st-century classrooms. South Korea, which has the highest college attainment rate in the world, will phase out textbooks and replace them with digital products by 2015. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903927204576575101438816300.html?mod=ITP_opinion_0 (SUBSCRIPTION)

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