"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism..."

[Pat McGarrity]

"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism, since it is the merger of state and corporate power."

Although this quote is often attributed to Benito Mussolini, it's actually from Giovanni Gentile, self described "philosopher of Fascism", and ghostwriter of A Doctrine of Fascism (1932) written for Benito Mussolini.

I can't recall ever meeting anyone involved in supporting our civil rights regarding self defense and pro-gun rights that was anti-capitalism, or anti-business. The question is, when citizen safety legislation opposed by large corporations, due to their mislead policies, is killed by corporate power wielders; do we have the right legislators representing us? The employees of the citizens of Tennessee in the legislature have failed to do their jobs by voting on Safe Commute legislation for us to have the information to answer that question. A hand full of committee members in the House prevented the voice of the citizens from being heard by all Representatives. At least two of these have primary opponents in the August 2nd election.


1. Rep. Steve McManus (R-Cordova), who's primary opponent is Jim Harrell:

http://www.JimWorksForMe.com

Jim will be our guest speaker next Thursday night at the Shelby TFA meeting:

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=3997


2. Rep. Debra Maggart (R-Hendersonville), who's primary opponent is Lt. Col. Courtney Rogers (USAF Ret.):

http://votecourtney.com/


Once again, TFA Executive Director, John Harris brings us truth and accurate analysis of how gun owners have been sold out in the following TFALAC update. Our "Representatives" should be accountable for their votes and some are attempting to hide their position through abuse of the committee process.

In Liberty,

Pat McGarrity

Director - Shelby County TFA



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From: tfalac@tennesseefirearms.com
To: tfalac@tennesseefirearms.com
Sent: 5/7/2012 3:22:10 P.M. Central Daylight Time
Subj: TFALAC Alert: News stories starting to surface about TN Legislature being big business FIRST


Tennessee Firearms Association, Inc.
Legislative Action Committee



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News Reports Indicating Tennessee Republican Legislature being "Big Business" First Confirms Concerns of TFA

As news reports start to surface that the Tennessee Republican controlled Legislature passes legislation that is oriented toward big business and passed little if any laws to restore or strengthen the constitutional rights of citizens, we see confirmation of what TFA has been concerned with for the last 2 years. The Republican leadership in the General Assembly has taken constitutional issues and core constitutional interest groups for granted and is instead pandering to Big Business primarily for money.

Why money? Several reasons. First, big businesses cannot vote. They can however "invest" money in campaigns and into the businesses of legislators (for those who have careers or jobs). Small business owners can vote but they do not have a lot of "political" money or slush funds.

Second, when legislators pass legislation that companies like FedEx, AT&T, Bridgestone, Nissan, Volkswagon and Amazon demand, then the legislators claim that the legislation is about "jobs, jobs, jobs" which is code talk for pro-Big Business and cheap labor. Almost none of the "business" legislation helps small businesses, family farms or people who work for themselves or small family businesses.

The Knoxville news posted this article on Monday discussing how the Republican controlled legislature turned its back on citizens and the constitution and spent its time on Big Business legislative items:

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/0 ... lobbyists/

Actions of the 107th General Assembly, recently adjourned, establish that businesses generally have reached a new peak of political power in our state.

Probably the most prominent illustration came when the business lobby locked horns with the Second Amendment lobby over whether employees should be able to keep guns in their locked cars in the company parking lot, even if the company prohibits firearms on premises.

The "Safe Commute Act," as the National Rifle Association and the Tennessee Firearms Association called it, was the subject of a vigorous and intense push – including a TFA threat to politically crucify those voting no. The business lobby pushed back with less rhetorical bombast but equal vigor.

Maybe the whole thing – pitting individual gun rights against business property rights — was largely symbolic. But legislators took it seriously and business won.

Beyond the symbolic, examples abound of legislators in the Republican majority making Tennessee, already rated at the top of business-friendly lists, even more business friendly.

A sampler:

- Complaints about unwarranted collection of unemployment benefits led to the Unemployment Insurance Accountability Act of 2012, which creates stricter rules for qualifying, requires more verification that recipients are looking for work, makes recipients subject to random enforcement audits, makes those getting severance pay ineligible for unemployment checks while the severance is still being paid, and requires recipients to take jobs at lower pay than their lost job. (SB3658)

- The inheritance tax was repealed, providing substantial savings for those who want to pass their business on to heirs. The exemption level, now covering estates valued up to $1 million, will be raised in steps between now and 2015. (HB3760)

- Having enacted a major tort reform bill last year by limiting noneconomic damages in successful lawsuits, legislators followed up this year with lesser measures with a similar goal. Perhaps most notable is a bill that requires the person filing a lawsuit to pay the defendant's attorney fees up to $10,000 if the lawsuit is ruled groundless by a judge on a motion to dismiss. (HB3124)

- The state's FastTrack support of new and expanding businesses will now include $80 million of direct cash grants in addition to previous incentives to cover infrastructure improvements, job training or tax credits. (HB2344)

- Bills that could be characterized as a tax increase were shot down. Examples include the proposed repeal of a property tax break now enjoyed by solar installations (HB3296), deemed too broad by the state comptroller's office, and a bill that could have increased local government collections of hotel-motel taxes (HB3319).

- While legislators in the past have approved multiple mandates requiring health insurance to cover various things (hearing aids for children last year), this year no such efforts were successful. An example was legislation that would have required insurance companies to pay for orally administered anti-cancer chemotherapy drugs. That bill was defeated despite an appeal by Republican Rep. Curry Todd, who revealed that he suffers from cancer. (HB1087)

- State departments and agencies would give more advance notice — at least 45 days — to those holding state professional licenses, certifications or registrations that would be impacted by any pending fee increases or regulation changes. (HB3688)

- The "Tennessee Works Act" makes companies eligible for state grants (largely using federal money) for training of previously unemployed workers they hire. (SB2129)

One is hard pressed to find legislation approved in this year's session that could be deemed as unfriendly to businesses.

A possible example, at least for some big companies, is a bill that requires advance approval from the Department of Revenue when claiming deductions from the state excise tax for payments made to affiliated companies. (SB2234).

The department estimates the measure, which was part of Gov. Bill Haslam's legislative package, will translate into $12.5 million in increased revenue. That's based on the proposition that companies will be deterred from even trying to take debatable deductions and, if they try, will be turned down in many cases.

As things stand now, Revenue Commissioner Richard Roberts told a Senate committee, that about 100 companies are "in various stages of audits" to determine whether deductions previously claimed are appropriate.

Of course, the commissioner also saw the bill as business friendly. The companies will now know on the front end whether their deductions pass muster, he reasons, and thus avoid the hassle of an audit.

And, to paraphrase Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey's comments on businesses fighting the gun bills, if that's the biggest worry businesses have in Tennessee's Legislature, business people are very fortunate folks indeed.

Certainly, Tennessee's Republican leaders can claim Tennessee is "business friendly". That is not the question.

The question is whether Tennessee is "citizen friendly" under the control of the Republican leadership. One must seriously consider that question as we see in the last few years the infringement of the citizens' right of self defense, the citizens' 2nd Amendment rights, the citizens' right to a trial by jury as to all factual issues (which includes damages), the attack on citizens' access to the courts through the chilling adoption of progressively liberal 'English Rule' when "loser pays" in civil actions, medical malpractice reform designed to discourage attorneys from brining smaller but justifiable cases, reductions in workers compensation benefits, reductions in unemployment benefits, and the list goes on.

The evidence suggests that whenever an issue arises that involves "Big Business" then the money bet for the gambler is on "Big Business" to win the legislative battle because the trend is that Big Business always wins even if the opposition is the Constitution or the fundamental rights if citizens.



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Copyright, Tennessee Firearms Association, Inc. 2012
Copyright, John Harris 2012
P.O. Box 198722, Nashville, TN 37219

[Pat McGarrity]

Had a couple of typos in the first post. It should read:

"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism, since it is the merger of state and corporate power."

Although this quote is often attributed to Benito Mussolini, it's actually from Giovanni Gentile, self-described "philosopher of Fascism", and ghostwriter of A Doctrine of Fascism (1932) written for Benito Mussolini.

I can't recall ever meeting anyone involved in supporting our civil rights regarding self defense and pro-gun rights that was anti-capitalism, or anti-business. The question is, when citizen safety legislation opposed by large corporations, due to their mislead policies, is killed by corporate power wielders; do we have the right legislators representing us? The employees of the citizens of Tennessee in the legislature have failed to do their jobs by not voting on Safe Commute legislation for us to have the information to answer that question. A hand full of committee members in the House prevented the voice of the citizens from being heard by all Representatives. At least two of these have primary opponents in the August 2nd election.

1. Rep. Steve McManus (R-Cordova), whose primary opponent is Jim Harrell:

http://www.JimWorksForMe.com

Jim will be our guest speaker next Thursday night at the Shelby TFA meeting:

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=3997

2. Rep. Debra Maggart (R-Hendersonville), whose primary opponent is Lt. Col. Courtney Rogers (USAF Ret.):

http://votecourtney.com/

Once again, TFA Executive Director, John Harris brings us truth and accurate analysis of how gun owners have been sold out in the following TFALAC update. Our "Representatives" should be accountable for their votes and some are attempting to hide their position through abuse of the committee process.

In Liberty,

Pat McGarrity
Director - Shelby County TFA