Daily Dose for December 01, 2006

Daily Dose

The Future of VolPAC -- The Times Free Press reports that Bill Frist's VolPAC will remain open at least for now to clear the ledger on staff salaries and possible give its last few checks to some important political candidates. The PAC was the de facto operating account for Frist's presidential campaign, but now that Frist is not running it needs to dole out $290,000 in cash on hand before the account is closed.

Norris Backsteps on Road User Fee -- Sen. Mark Norris backsteped from earlier comments about a system to use GIS to track car movements and charge a tax based on the total number of miles your car has driven. Norris said the idea is no longer on the table, since the Tennessean story yesterday carried such negative reaction from the public on the internet and talk radio. Norris said the plan was a theoretical concept all along. [Portions Retracted, See Here]

Memphis Mayor Herenton's Bout With Joe Frazier -- In a charity event benefitting the Memphis Drug Court, Willie Herenton, the Mayor of Memphis, and legendary heavyweight Joe Frazier entered the boxing ring to throw some faux punches. The charity event also featured a steak dinner, some live auctions, including a guitar signed by Paul McCartney. Commercial Appeal columnist Wendi Thomas calls the event nothing more than a glipse of Herenton's "boxing braggadocio."

More Corruption Charges in Memphis -- City Councilmen Rickey Peete and Edmund Ford were indicted yesterday on public corruption charges by the FBI. The Commercial Appeal says the informant in that case is Joe Cooper, who began cooperating this summer, telling of favors he'd done for the councilmen, "including assisting in Ford's acquisition of a Cadillac with financing in the name of third person," because of Ford's bad credit. That third person is controversial developer Rusty Hyneman. Cooper, the former right-hand man for the late millionaire businessman William B. Tanner, has been a fixture in Shelby County politics since serving on the Shelby County Quarterly Court -- a predecessor to the County Commission -- from 1972 to 1977, when he was forced to resign after being convicted on bank fraud charges and sentenced to one year in prison.

TVA's Land Freeze -- TVA's board voted 8-1 to end the governmental power agency from selling any land along waterfronts to commercial or residential development. Instead, TVA owned land along the waterways will be preserved. TVA Director Bill Baxter opposed the move and cast the one vote against the plan, saying that the TVA is limiting its own ability to influence economic development.

Baker: Personal Bickering Worst Ever -- Words from Tennessee's true statesman Howard Baker, Jr. indicated tensions between the White House and Congress have never been this personally bitter in our nation's long history. Baker told a group gathered at UT-Chattanooga, "But it does seem to me that there is more personal animosity there now than there used to be, or than there needs to be." The Conversation with Howard Baker also emphasized Baker's opinion that North Korea is a more dangerous place than Iraq.

Posted by Adam Groves | Email This |