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Archive for the ‘bill haslam’ Category
Tennessee Veterans Oppose Governor’s Move to Take Away Veterans’ Rights
Friday, February 24th, 2012Halsam’s “TEAM” Act Would Eliminate Veterans’ Preference for State Workers
Governor Bill Haslam’s stealthy effort to eliminate veterans’ preference for state hires looks poised to hit a very public stumbling block — Tennessee veterans.
Haslam’s TEAM Act would eliminate civil service rules, such as veterans’ preference, that protect taxpayers from political patronage, a corrupted [...]
Rep. Mike Turner Fighting Republican Plan to Eliminate Veterans’ Preference
Tuesday, February 21st, 2012House Democratic Caucus Chairman Mike Turner stood up for Tennessee veterans and their families Tuesday defending the state’s “veterans’ preference” hiring policy.
Governor Bill Haslam and Republicans are proposing to eliminate preference given to military veterans and spouses of deceased and disabled veterans with a change to state personnel rules.
Haslam’s “TEAM Act,” sponsored [...]
Rep. Mike Turner Fighting Republican Plan to Eliminate Veterans’ Preference
Tuesday, February 21st, 2012House Democratic Caucus Chairman Mike Turner stood up for Tennessee veterans and their families Tuesday defending the state’s “veterans’ preference” hiring policy.
Governor Bill Haslam and Republicans are proposing to eliminate preference given to military veterans and spouses of deceased and disabled veterans with a change to state personnel rules.
Haslam’s “TEAM Act,” sponsored [...]
Democrats Launch Online Petition Against Governor’s Move to Increase Class Sizes
Wednesday, February 8th, 2012View the Petition: http://tndp.org/blog/take-action/tell-governor-haslam-class-size-matters/
NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Democratic Party launched Wednesday an online petition drive opposing Governor Bill Haslam’s proposal to eliminate average class size requirements at public schools. Chairman Chip Forrester released this statement to accompany the petition:
“Parents and teachers know first hand what a difference small class sizes make [...]
Forrester: Focus All Tax Relief on Working, Middle Class Families
Thursday, February 2nd, 2012Eliminating the Grocery Tax Should Come First
NASHVILLE – Chip Forrester, chairman of the Tennessee Democratic Party, urged the General Assembly Thursday to give working and middle class families top priority on tax cuts and move all tax relief efforts toward eliminating the sales tax on groceries.
“Tennessee has one of the highest grocery taxes [...]
Haslam’s Policy Suppresses the Rights of All Tennesseans to Peacefully Assemble
Sunday, October 30th, 2011by Rep. Mike Stewart
There is no more fundamental American freedom than the freedom of speech. The right of the people to exchange ideas and to protest government actions they find unwise is enshrined in the both the United States and Tennessee Constitutions. Defending such essential American rights should be the very first job of [...]
New voter law will suppress legitimate voting | timesfreepress.com
Wednesday, October 26th, 2011The following column appeared in the Sunday, October 23, 2011 edition of The Chattanooga Times Free Press.
Posted in bill haslam, chip forrester, Latest News, Sidebar, statewide, voter id | Comments Off on New voter law will suppress legitimate voting | timesfreepress.com
TNDP: Strengthen Our Fiscal House By Putting Tennesseans Back to Work
Wednesday, September 14th, 2011NASHVILLE — State Democratic Party Chairman Chip Forrester urged Tennessee’s top Republicans to consider a jobs plan to keep the state’s fiscal house in order.
“The surest way to strengthen our state’s fiscal house is to put 300,000 Tennesseans back to work. If Ron Ramsey and Governor Bill Haslam put half the effort they expend wooing big corporate donations into a common sense jobs plan, Tennessee would get there a lot faster.”
Forrester pressed Gov. Bill Haslam and Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey for action on the state’s job crisis in statement Wednesday following the Republicans’ meeting with Wall Street bond rating agencies.
“This bond rating dog and pony show for Wall Street executives looks obnoxious to the 300,000 Tennesseans who are struggling to find work and provide for their families,” Forrester said. “They’d like to see a day where the numbers we brag about are Tennessee’s low unemployment rate and high economic output.
“There’s no doubt Wall Street was impressed with Governor Haslam’s contingency plan to fire 5,000 workers and eliminate crucial services that keep families healthy, children educated and the disabled properly cared for. However, Tennesseans who’ve seen this extreme plan are not so enthusiastic,” Chip Forrester said. “Haslam’s slash-and-burn budget would send our state into an even more severe economic tailspin and prompt a societal crisis that would diminish the quality of life for every Tennessean.”
This summer Gov. Haslam instructed state department heads to plan for 30 percent budget cuts to be enacted if Tennessee receives less federal funding.
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TNDP Chair: GOP Lawmakers ‘Out of Touch with Reality’
Friday, September 9th, 20111-in-10 hunting for jobs—Republican lawmaker says Tennessee ‘too easy’ on job seekers
NASHVILLE — Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Chip Forrester called out Republican lawmakers Thursday for being “out of touch with reality” on growing the state economy and assisting Tennessee’s 300,000 job seekers.
“We don’t have a shortage of work ethic in Tennessee, we have a shortage of work. We have roads and bridges to fix, safe energy to harness, and schools to rebuild,” Forrester said. “Instead of playing politics and mocking people who have lost their jobs by no fault of their own, Republicans should want to work with Democrats in finding ways to make Tennessee work again for Tennesseans.”
In August, Wacker Chemie, a Germany-based company that former Gov. Phil Bredesen recruited to set up in Bradley County, reportedly accepted 10,000 applications for 130 positions.
Forrester’s statement comes after a comment made Thursday by Republican state Rep. Jimmy Matlock. Matlock said Tennessee’s 306,000 job seekers weren’t actually looking for work because they have no incentive to find a job.
“We’re making it too easy,” Matlock said in reference to the extension of jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed.
In Tennessee, the maximum unemployment insurance benefit is $1,100 a month or less. That’s at the poverty line.
“The truth is Tennesseans want to work, and Democrats won’t rest until every Tennessean who wants to work has a job,” Forrester said. “Irresponsible comments like the one from Mr. Matlock just reaffirm how out of touch with reality Republicans have become.”
On Wednesday Democratic members of the state House and Senate announced a six-day jobs tour across the state Sept. 19-24 to talk to business owners, local officials and the public about how to best grow jobs in Tennessee.
Senate Republican Leader Mark Norris accused his Democratic colleagues of using the tour for politics.
“That’s a rich accusation coming from Sen. Norris considering his party killed a dozen Democratic jobs bills this year and did absolutely nothing on their own to grow the economy,” Forrester said. “Sen. Norris and Gov. Bill Haslam are obviously waiting for Santa to leave jobs under the tree this Christmas.
“Republicans continue to sit on their hands and call it ‘leadership,’” Forrester said. “It’s past time Republicans stopped complaining about the government, and started focusing on running it well.”
FACTS: Plenty of work ethic, not enough work
- In Bradley County, Wacker has received 10,000 applications and made 130 hires. [Chattanooga Times Free Press, 8/17/11]
- In Knox County, 700 students attend a jobs fair at UT Knoxville [Daily Beacon, 8/26/11]
- In Robertson County, 400 people turned out for a job fair [NewsChannel5.com, 8/17/11]
- In Hamilton County, Amazon.com received 4,300 applications in two days. [Memphis Business Journal, 5/18/11]
- In Rutherford County, 800 people apply for teaching positions. [Daily News Journal, 5/15/11]
- In Knox County, Jobs News’ drew more than 1,400 job seekers. [WVLT, 5/4/11]
- In Tullahoma, 60 people applied for 10 jobs — at McDonalds. [Tullahoma News & Guardian, 4/28/11]
- In Montgomery County, “thousands of people” attend a two-day job fair in Clarksville. [The Leaf-Chronicle, 4/28/11]
- In Shelby County, more than 20,000 job-seekers applied over 14 days to work at a brewery that plans to hire 500 workers over the next five years. [The Memphis Commercial Appeal, 4/13/11]
Tennessee’s unemployment rate is 9.8%
That’s higher than the national average. 306,200 Tennesseans are still looking for jobs. [BLS.gov, 9/8/11]
RHETORIC: Tennessee Republicans eager to abandon and mock people who’ve lost their jobs.
Rep. Jimmy Matlock: “We’re making it too easy.” [Memphis Commercial Appeal, 9/8/11]
Rep. Glen Casada: “I would contend the answer to that is it’s up to individuals to help their family and their friends and neighbors who don’t have a job.” [Chattanooga Times Free Press, 5/20/11]
Rep. Tim Wirgau: “We got people who can’t find jobs, but we got more people who don’t look for jobs because we keep handing them money.” [Chattanooga Times Free Press, 5/20/11]
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