Unicoi County (Then and Now)

Attempted murder Three charged with attempted murder in Unicoi County Three people were charged with attempted murder Monday for allegedly assaulting, gagging and and leaving a woman to die in remote area near the Nolichucky River overnight on Sunday. Nov 26, at Updated Nov 5, at 8: Election Early voting turnout smashes previous years Nearly 40, people voted early in Washington, Carter and Unicoi counties this year, as trends continued to build upon ballots being cast before Election Day and a contentious midterm election season added to voter turnout.

Nov 1, at Oct 19, at Unicoi County Unicoi man kills mother-in-law, self Unicoi County County Sheriff Mike Hensley said a man who helped care for his elderly mother-in-law with Alzheimers shot and killed the woman in her wheelchair, and then took his own life on Saturday. Updated Sep 24, at Unicoi County Long serving mayor says a bittersweet goodbye With 12 years in a job he loved behind him and an all new plan on his horizon, Friday was a bittersweet day for outgoing Unicoi County Mayor Greg Lynch.

He had earlier sent introductory letters to some local Catholics and to parishes in neighboring counties, telling them that Glenmary had been invited by the Knoxville diocese to establish a Catholic church in Unicoi County. Since then he has also placed ads in local newspapers. They were thrilled to see him. Local newspapers have also published two well-timed, positive articles. About 10 days before the first scheduled Sunday Mass on Oct.

Since then, he says, about 40 people have been attending Sunday liturgies. The mission community is made up of Anglos and Hispanics. Other local ministers have graciously invited him to join the ministerial association, offered assistance and prayers, and welcomed the CCUC to be part of community outreach efforts.

Unlike the secret pre-meetings, Committee meetings are held in meeting rooms easily accessible to the public, the press, live-streamed online and archived for on-demand access. When meetings of state government are held in secret and attended by lobbyists… that cannot be good for the public. But, when your party holds a super majority… do they really care? The GOP candidates take a nose dive into the gutter. Trump has hit Cruz and Rubio hard with charges of both being liars.

He points out that Rubio sweats because there is something wrong with him. He sweats so much they have to cover the sweat with makeup using a trawl to apply it to his face. He now calls him little Rubio and reminds all that he is a very nasty person.

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The last few days Rubio has come back strong with comments about Trumps plane as Hair force one and he points out that Trump is not going to make America great again, he is going to make it orange in reference to his spray tan. They are sinking to the lowest levels of profane discourse and personal attacks unprecedented in a presidential campaign. Rumors increase of a brokered convention as Republican Party leaders fear the long term damage of Trump as Trump victories becomes more increasingly likely.

Voters are the real losers as the insults fly, while Republican Party leaders can only fear that the gutter tone of the race could have longer-term implications. As the tone becomes more and more personal and sinks even lower in the gutter, Democrats can only wonder, is this Republican implosion — manna from heaven? We will be discussing the latest about Insure Tennessee, Haslam plans for privatization of state jobs, building the county party, registering people to vote, and election year activities. Announcements on the District Democratic Convention and National Democratic Convention will also be part of the agenda.

We will discuss details of the Calendar of Events for the Unicoi County Democratic Party and meetings dates for the county party and plans to conduct phone banking for Democratic Voter turnout. For more information, call The doors open at 12 pm and the event is open to all registered voters in the county, supporters of the Democratic Party, and those who agree to support the nominee of the Democratic Party in the Presidential election. The doors will close at 1 pm and he Delegate Convention will begin.

The Democratic primary has become a hotly contested race as Bernie Sanders gives Hillary Clinton real competition in a race between the dreamers who wants to move quickly ahead and doers who want to stay the course. One major divide has emerged between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton between the idealistic voices in the party, with Liberals and Progressives viewing Sanders as a lightening rod for rethinking traditional politics and policies and those Traditionalists who prefer the approach of governing by pursing practical, achievable goals backing Clinton.

The battle lines over the party are clearly being drawn. Groups like the Nation and MoveOn want to accomplish policy goals that press for broader political reform. Sanders increasingly refers to polls that show him leading in potential match-ups against Donald Trump and other Republican candidates, an appeal to the Democrats who care most about keeping the White House. Polls suggested after the caucus and primary in Iowa and New Hampshire, where Clinton and Sanders had campaigned extensively, the candidates are unlikely to change voter perceptions of Sanders as the activist and Clinton the experienced statesman.

After Sanders fought to a virtual tie in Iowa and won impressively in New Hampshire, last night, this divide could become an interesting test with minority voters. Clinton has the backing of many influential African-American political leaders, from state representatives and mayors to major figures. Are African-Americans open to rethinking their position in American politics?

The status quo has resulted in blacks having disproportionately low levels of wealth and power. Clinton currently has a huge lead among minority voters overall in the south and in South Carolina, the first primary that will have a large percentage of black voters. Polls in South Carolina shifted dramatically in , once Obama won Iowa and proved he was viable.

Can the same happen with Bernie Sanders? After all, his message mirrors those of Jessie Jackson and President Obama during their runs, gaining huge black support. Or will the Clinton machine roll once it enters into the south? At a time when universal deceit overshadows the truth as a radical idea and self-indulgence and greed serve as God to many people, is Romneyism the new political religion of the conservative right? Romneyism is the belief system that was embraced with the rise of Mitt Romney as the presidential candidate of the Republican Party.

The main thrust of Romneyism is simply the belief system that value and virtue is void of a moral compass or core values. Any lie will do! Romneyism gave rise in the election of where candidate Mitt Romney easily swayed from opinion to opinion, boldly portrayed with six major issue changes where he swayed from one opposed position to another with no remorse or regret.

He has been for and against more issues than can be easily explained and the basis of this immoral lack of values appeared wildly popular and effective with the conservative faithful. If Romney felt uneasy by his contradictory views, he showed no evidence of being so. His [flip flop] views were simply explained away as that his views have evolved. And the government should give it to them.

And they will vote for this president no matter what. The coldness of his comment speaks volumes about the real disturbing facts in regards to his immoral beliefs [Romneyism]. His swaying on issues did not mean he has no core values at all. He is simply not concerned with the policy issues [values] that are on the table or should be in a Presidential campaign with middle class people.

A first core value is his understanding of [his God] capitalism and the importance of making a profit; this is his number one value. If doing so means sending American business [jobs] overseas, that is a side benefit. If doing so means killing the American car industry — so be it. That position has many scary meanings and far reaching implications for the structure and function of the U. When he toured a foreign sweat shop and was impressed with the oppression and fear of the beleaguered workers — this was the real Romney. This new form of trickle-down economics explains the decline of the American middle class as corporate America drains the middle class of resources.

And they [he] are, by nature of their positions [wealth], entitled to a wide variety of benefits that the majorities are not. He supports corporate welfare. The growing popularity of greed and growing emphasis on self-indulgence is a dangerous phenomenon and important basis for the principles of Romneyism. Societal structure will not survive when its people loose compassion for others. Many of the progressive causes, which benefit all in society, require a loyalty to [the whole] society and devotion to community by its people.

When the focus of people turn inward, unions die, wages drop, benefits are slashed and Romneyism flourishes. It is much easier to slash education, walk by a homeless person, support cuts in social safety nets when you care about no one but yourself. This behavior is the foundation of the current conservative movement in America. Recently, before Romney officially redrew from the race, it was shocking to see Mr. Romney talk about running a race for president based on a focus on the poor and an anti-poverty crusade.

And in early , he briefly flirted with the idea of running on an anti-poverty campaign — blasting President Obama for widening the gap between the rich and the poor. The Golden Rule of Romneyism — Any lie will do! Unlike the previous two Republican debates, the five Democratic candidates actually discussed issues and policies.

There were no cruel personal attacks or attacks against women and immigrants. Who won the debate? The American people won because important issues were discussed. Hillary Clinton showed a powerful performance. Bernie Sanders also scored points and performed well.

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Clinton landed strong punches on her opponents. There is glaring differences between the two parties. While the Republicans face growing divisions, Democrats have few divisions. They may have differences on how to achieve their goals, but they agree on many principles: They want to expand the social safety net, raise taxes on the wealthy, reduce mass incarcerations and use common sense to regulate guns. They also want to fight climate change and expand access to higher education.

They want the candidates to discuss the important issues that face the middle class. So who won the debate? Clinton is the clear frontrunner and most polished candidate on stage but Bernie Sanders has popular star power. It is now clear to see why Republicans created the special tribunal Benghazi Hearings to attack her and tear down her high ratings: Do I have to put my Social Security number on my voter registration form?

Your social security number is necessary to register to vote, but if your county Election Administrator gets an application with that field blank, the Election Commission is instructed to give you a call. However, this could cause your application to slip through the cracks. It will save time and effort to include your social security number on your application. Do I have to put my phone number on my voter registration form? It is a good idea to do so. You can chose to register either in your home state, or at your address here in Tennessee.

If you are without a home address, you can still register to vote. One of the reasons they need your address is to know where to send your voter registration card. Therefore, the easiest way to register is to list the address of a local homeless shelter or church that opens its door to the homeless. Make sure that you frequent the place you list as your address to make sure that you get your Voter Registration card when they send it to you. What if I have been convicted of a felony and have lost my voting rights? You can get your voting rights restored.

For more detailed information on Voting Rights Restoration, please pick up our info packet on how to restore your rights.

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Boehner , who rode a conservative wave to one of the highest positions in government, said today that he would resign from Congress at the end of October, undone by the very Republicans Teabaggers who swept him into power. Feb — He was swept into power on the Tea Party wave of , the new speaker is immediately confronted by his powerful right flank with H. The committee did fail and the Sequester was born.

This is the only real victory can claim against President Obama but time has proven the Sequester is no victory for the country. Dec — With all of President George W. Most Republicans were elected on a pledge not to raise any taxes. President Obama had vowed to raise taxes on the rich. If they all did nothing, taxes would go up for virtually everyone.

Oct — With the federal government set to run out of money, conservatives demanded on defunding the Affordable Care Act. He knew a shutdown would hurt the GOP politically but he could not avoid it. The government shut down on Oct. Once again, President Obama won. Feb — Conservatives once again forced the Speaker to stand their ground on continued funding for the Department of Homeland Security, demanding that any funds be tied to stopping Mr. Boehner faced a threat on his speakership.

Again, President Obama prevailed. Sep — With the end of the fiscal year approaching, conservatives are again demanding that Planned Parenthood be defunded and the Teabaggers are prepared to shut down the government. John Boehner knew that a bill to fund the government beyond Sept. Sep 25, — One day after Pope Francis addressed a joint session of congress, an invitation from the speaker, John Boehner announced his resignation. He said he wanted to resign last year but when Eric Cantor was defeated by the Teabaggers, he said he decided to stay on for one more year.

The Koch brothers have poured millions of dollars into controlling the turnout in state elections and they have gained control of a political party in the process. They have also expanded their activities in the area of messaging, polling, medial buying, election law and their political operation exceeds that of the Republican National Committee RNC in many important areas. They also control several for-profit companies and their party infrastructure funds and controls Americans for Prosperity, youth voter outreach groups and a Latino outreach group in several states.

This unholy alliance has allowed the Koch brothers to buy legislatures in many states including Tennessee. As the acquire state legislatures they impose laws crafted by ALEC. This is what Democracy faces in America. The sad news is elections are now bought and sold by the Koch bothers [ dark money ]. They have bought legislatures and congressman but can they buy the presidency? The event will occur on Saturday, October 17, , The event will include a silent auction of homemade cooked cakes and pies and quality items.

Liberty University, a longtime haven for conservative Republican Evangelicals, and the University created by Jerry Falwell. But things are changing and there are signs of some shifts in how young Evangelicals are viewing important issues. Bernie made genuine attempts to touch the moral conscious of the predominately young crowd. He was honest and open in his speech. But his presence at Liberty shines a light on an evolving voting bloc that is perhaps more open to his message of income inequality and social justice than in the past.

Sanders made an effort to tread in unfamiliar territory, something few politicians rarely do. More importantly, it was even more unusual to hear a liberal challenge the moral consciousness of young Evangelicals. Donald Trump is taking heat from Republicans officials for his comments—but the controversy has only made him more defiant and pushed him to the top of national field among Republican primary voters, according to new polls released this week. Trump is surging in the polls and this has a lot of Republicans worried. In all scenarios national Democrats can rejoice as a Trump-Clinton general election, with Hillary Clinton coming out far ahead.

In a theoretical matchup, the GOP business tycoon trails Clinton by 17 points, 51 percent to 34 percent. She also leads all GOP presidential candidates by large margins. The party insiders remember the long fight and the rotating flavor of the month as a host of all presidential hopefuls held the number 1 seat for at least a month during the battle for the GOP 1 position. Then there is the matter of the number 1 GOP problem: His remarks are toxic among Mexican-Americans, highly damaging and inflammatory among other Latinos, and unpopular among other minorities and white moderates.

Overt racism or racial intolerance toward members of a group tend to inflame all minority groups; resulting with a profound negative impact. Is there any good news for Republicans? But, it is the mean spirited words of Trump that has fueled his growing popularity among Republicans. He is saying what they believe and that is scary.

Even more alarming is that Trump is receiving all the attention and sucking all the air out of the GOP room. It does not advance the GOP cause with the general election more than 15 months away. Many in the GOP field may be wiped out before they even get a chance to be heard if Trump does well in early primaries.

There is also the hellish GOP possibility that Trump will run as an independent candidate and become the ultimate spoiler. His celebrity status is the asset that has become like oxygen for him while removing oxygen for the remaining GOP field. As Trump gains support and climbs in the polls, other candidates are not being heard and face defeat before the race even begins. Even if the Trump nonsense ends, how will the Republican nomination race sort out?

What damage will Trump reap on the GOP before his nonsense ends? The GOP civil war continues: The wing-nut fringe group consists of three subgroups: IOWA — For the first time this campaign season, the five Democrats vying for president just spoke on the same stage. Over a thousand Iowa Democrats filled the hall; hundreds of Democrats filled the streets of Iowa at mini rallies in support of their candidates. Democrats were anxious to hear what the candidates had to say and all were received warmly. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders received the largest ovations. Clinton remains far ahead in Iowa Democratic polls, but Sanders is gaining.

The most recent poll put Clinton ahead, 52 percent to 33 percent. After hearing each of the Democratic candidates speaks, there is a clear difference and choice between the Democratic and Republican parties and their beliefs are starkly different. Unlike the Republican candidates, the five Democratic candidates had clear messages directly focused on middle class Americans. Jobs, education, health care, fair pay, equal pay, criminal justice reform and immigration reform were the top topics to highlight each of the candidates.

Washington — A few hours ago, the Supreme Court upheld a key provision of Obamacare. In a ruling, millions of Americans will continue to receive tax subsidies that basically allows them to afford health care.

Opponents attempted to kill ObamaCare by dismantling a key provision that allows consumers to receive subsides. This is a major victory for President Obama and the American people. Americans will continue to be able to purchase affordable health care for themselves and their families. After 50 votes, two Supreme Court rulings and the elections, a reasonable person would say it is time to move forward and work for the American people. But, Republican candidates for president are already making false and empty claims to continue the war against ObamaCare.

New poll numbers show that the lies are beginning to loose its deceptive power to deceive as a growing majority of Americans support ObamaCare. It is obvious that ObamaCare is working and lowering health care cost. As the truth continues to be exposed on the facts of ObamaCare, support for the idea will only grow. Senator Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky, blocked an extension of the program during an unusual Sunday session of the Senate.

The House overwhelmingly passed that bill last month. Senators voted, 77 to 17, on Sunday to take up the House bill. McConnell, also of Kentucky, relented Sunday, setting up a final round of votes on Tuesday or Wednesday that will most likely send a compromise version of the House bill to President Obama for his signature. Paul, using the procedural weapon of an objection, will not be able to stop it.

The expiration of [un]patriotic authority demonstrates a profound shift in American attitudes since the days after the Sept. Fourteen years after that attack, Americans have finally awaken to privacy concerns stemming from both the vast expansion of communication collection systems. No longer can the F. Democrats and the libertarian wing of the Republican Party used the shift in the national mood to end the program supported by Mitch McConnell and other chicken hawks.

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The moment also put Mitch at odds with Mr. Paul, whom he has endorsed for president. Paul was not fit for the White House job he seeks. Under this bill, sweeps that had operated under the guise of so-called national security letters issued by the F. All data will be stored by the phone companies and could be retrieved by intelligence agencies only after approval of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court.

President Obama have made dire warnings in recent days about the perils of letting the law expire and called for immediate approval of a surveillance bill passed by the House. The battle over Insure Tennessee wages on and a series of interesting revelations have been uncovered since Governor Haslam unveiled his Insure Tennessee Plan.

Frank Niceley, and Sen. In April, the Tennessean continued its investigation of Insure Tennessee and laid out the financial losses to Tennessee because of Republican political games. Instead, today, thousands of sick Tennesseans do without care or visit emergency rooms at the expense to Tennessee taxpayers. The Insure Tennessee plan proposed by Haslam, and rejected by a fearful legislature with virtually no debate, would have been one of the best economic stimulus programs for small towns and rural communities in this state. The spending generated from Insure Tennessee would create an economic boom, creating or maintaining about 15, jobs, mostly in our rural counties, where the bulk of those eligible live.

And so on … get the picture. Obviously, Republican hatred of President Obama trumped any chances of economic boom for Tennessee. Their fear of being primaried by fellow wing-nuts also trumped economic benefit to Tennessee. The decision of our legislature has created a living on the edge mentality where financial disaster and ruin, for many, is a simple accident away from destroying a Tennessee family. It is hard to recall a time when the General Assembly has so ignored the wishes of a business and Tennesseans.

Early this month the Tennessee Legislature got excited when the Tennessean exposed the fact that many of the same folks who voted to deny poor Tennesseans health care coverage, are covered by health care, on the backs of Tennessee taxpayers. Taxpayers have paid almost 6 million for health care for these hypocrites since Several lawmakers tried to stop the release of how much money the state spends on their individual health premiums. They argued the release of the information would violate privacy laws. While Republicans have fought to keep expenditures on their health care private, Democrats have been supportive of the release.

Records only go back to They may have received coverage for a longer period. As revelations related to Insure Tennessee have been unveiled, activists across the state have taken action to pressure legislatures to support Insure Tennessee. This same group of activists engineered a town hall meeting that focused on Medicaid expansion and Insure Tennessee. The meeting was filled with questions mostly aimed at Rusty Crowe.

Why would the legislature vote against a plan that would not cost Tennessee taxpayers a single penny while providing , Tennesseans with health care? Those in attendance hammered Rusty Crowe with those and other questions. Petitions were being signed after the meeting was over. Tennesseans would prefer their elected representatives act like leaders and support the will of the majority and the best interest for Tennessee. And maybe stand up for what is right; instead of trying to protect their chances in a primary election challenge by a wing-nut.

When it comes to the Tennessean legislature doing their job, they prefer to do nothing and blame it on Obama, unless it is one of the wealthy friends or lobbyists who demands special consideration. They will waste a whole week with legislation designed to pander to folks like the NRA. An overflow crowd of over 5, supporters turned out to hear Bernie Sanders officially kick off his Presidential Campaign on the shores of lake Champaign.

Ben and Jerry introduced Bernie Sanders and served their famous ice cream to the crowd. Bernie Sanders is serving his second term in the U. Senate after winning re-election in His previous 16 years in the House of Representatives makes him the longest serving independent member of Congress in American history. He was born in in Brooklyn, New York. After graduating in , he moved to Vermont. In , he was elected to the first of four terms as mayor of Burlington. Sanders lectured at the John F. In he pushed and passed legislation reforming the VA health care system.

Today, Sanders remains on the veterans committee. He is the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee. He is a member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, where he has championed efforts to transform our energy system from fossil fuels to renewable power sources like solar and wind. He also sits on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, where he has fought for greater access to affordable health care and improved education programs from pre-K to college.

New York — Today, fourteen years after the tragedy of , the Observatory tours atop of the Freedom tower begin. The panoramic views of New York City are breath taking. Some views can be seen here. The Ground Zero memorial is a must see but difficult to view without tearing up. Feelings of visitors are still raw with emotions. The Freedom Tower is beautiful and an appropriate response to the tragedy of A camera is a must. I visited Ground Zero on the one year anniversary of Photos of those lost and memorials were still in tack.

It was the saddest thing I have ever seen. I visited Ground Zero for a second time this month on May The memorial and Freedom Tower are impressive but sad. The railroad overpass project has been ongoing for two decades and was completed this week. The project connects Tenn. The overpass allows motorists to bypass the potential train delays and downtown Erwin to get from Main Avenue to Second Street, and vice versa.

Drive the bypass and you will enjoy a breath taking view of the Town of Erwin and the mountains. One obvious observation was startling, the bypass takes you away from downtown, a location where millions have been spent to attract folks downtown. Of course, local officials were excited about the project being completed. These are the same officials who spent millions of taxpayer dollars on remodeling downtown Erwin in hopes of attracting people to downtown.

You can toss fiscal responsibility out the window when it comes to the inconvenience of folks waiting a few minutes for a train to pass. Seems this money would have been more wisely spent for a worthwhile cause like providing the , Tennesseans with health insurance or providing needy Tennesseans with SNAP food assistance — but no, according to Republicans… that would be wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars. Nashville — Yesterday the Republican Legislature continued its attacks on the middle class, voting to dramatically undermine salaried workers on all fronts.

After opening the legislative session with a week of laws crafted for the NRA , Republicans have turned their attention to helping their other rich friends. In a barrage of laws designed to gut middle class family earnings, the TNGOP continue to show their loyalty to their masters [lobbyists and wealthy donors] with legislation crafted to protect the wealthy.

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Among the laws addressed, three laws were especially ruthless toward working Tennessee families. First, Republicans voted to eliminate longevity pay designed to reward state workers for years of public service. Second, they voted to gut health insurance benefits for state and local employees. Third, in their continued attacks against public education and teachers, Republicans voted to let charter schools throw their employees off the insurance provided by local school boards and force them to get insurance elsewhere.

Individually, these bills are bad for Tennessee workers and their families. Taken together, they are the latest chapter in Republican efforts to undermine the middle class and continue the move toward a society of rich and the poor masses. Is this the Tennessee most people want their children to grow up in? The only resistance to the Republican super-majority managed to pass these bills is minority status Democrats who overwhelmingly opposed the legislation. Democrats amended the longevity pay bill to delay cuts for a minimum of five years, but the amendment was voted down.

They also urged delay of the massive insurance cuts, given their significant impact on retirees and current employees, but Republicans pushed forward despite his objections. Earlier today Hillary Clinton announces that she is in as a Presidential candidate. The announcement was little surprise to anyone after years of speculation. Hillary is possibly the most qualified person to seek the office as president. A wave of support has been building for Hillary for several years as anticipation has reached epic heights. As the inevitable has become obvious, the attacks from the right has intensified against her.

As the GOP [wing-nuts] Presidential hopefuls have positioned themselves as the most conservative [outrageous], so has the attacks against her exploded in an orgy of conservative lies and misinformation. The Republican fear of Hillary Clinton is real and for good reason, the announcement positions Hillary as the likely Democratic nominee and next President of the United States.

Senate Health Committee Chairman Rusty Crowe, R-Johnson City, tried to explain why he first said he would vote yes, days later voted no on Insure Tennessee earlier in the session then more recently voted yes:. In an article on Humphrey on the Hill, Crowe said amendments made to the pilot program were key in his decision to change his vote.

An additional provision asks Governor Haslam to wait to put the plan into effect after a U. Supreme Court ruling on health insurance exchanges is announced. Some speculation is that Mr. Crowe is merely a puppet of Ron Ramsey, doing his bidding, in initially killing Insure Tennessee. The backwoods boys have repeatedly shown a deep hatred of ObamaCare and vote consistently against the welfare of Tennesseans. This week, the legislation will go to Senate Finance and on to similar committees in the House.

Recently a half page article appeared in several area newspapers calling Rusty Crowe and Ron Ramsey out on their failure to move Insure Tennessee forward. Days after the ads are carried in papers, it is reported calls flooded several offices as the ad requested the public to do. The ad is as follows: In crafting the Affordable Care Act, Congress and hospital associations created a provision to deal with uncompensated care.

In exchange, hospitals would forgo federal reimbursement for uninsured care. In , the Supreme Court upheld the ACA as constitutional, but allowed states to opt out of the Medicaid expansion provision. Our legisla-ture has rejected Medicaid expansion, leaving our hospitals and , low income workers stranded, the lifeline dangling just out of reach. Our hospitals lost hundreds of millions of dollars last year and stand to lose billions. Some rural hospitals have already closed, and all are at varying degrees of risk.

Partici-pating states will receive our lost billions. Insure Tennessee gained official federal approval in Low-income workers could have personal and less costly routine care. Hospi-tals would be relieved of a debilitating financial burden—three goals met with a professionalism to make us proud. Rusty Crowe, after insultingly brief discussion. A mere seven senators, all chosen by Sen. Ramsey for that purpose, killed it.

Public comment and full assembly vote were denied. All Tennesseans, Republican and Democrat, lost. It is the hospitals in their own districts they have chosen to cripple. Ramsey manipulated this travesty. He reconfigured the standing Health and Welfare Committee temporarily for his purposes.

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Crowe had as-sured hospital leadership in his district of his support. Ramsey need to hear from us. The Governor is owed an apology for the rude and cavalier treatment of his accomplishment. Stand on your own two legs, re-open hearings with the original Health and Welfare Committee members, and join the Governor in doing the most economically wise and morally decent thing. You are not Governor. We soundly rejected you, remember? Your reputation as a bully follows you. Actions always speak the loudest. When hospitals in rural counties fail, as they will, it will have been by your doing. When our local hospitals have to cut staff and services, it will have been by your doing.

Ramsey insists the bill Insure Tennessee will not survive. As Easter approaches, could Insure Tennessee rise from the legislative grave? The following is an excerpt for the editorial on the 47 Senators who sent a letter to Iran, undermining US efforts to forge a nuclear treaty with Iran:.