An Open Dialogue

From Shelbyville:

TNTaylor nice website, good information to see from someone. I like to see open dialogue and it shows you being proactive. Very nicely worded. Wish you had a better design though; the content is good though.

Thank you for the input. We are at the beginning stages of this effort and I do put great emphasis on hearing from the Citizens of Our District. Our next representative should be reflective of us, in character, on the issues, and in his thinking. This website should likewise be reflective of us.

As this transforms from an exploratory nature into a viable campaign, the website itself will evolve. I welcome all to weigh in on the features that will make it most useful to you.

Viability: There is little potential for outspending the incumbent. He is the best financed member of the House from Tennessee. His campaign war chest begins at $1 Million as he had little need to campaign at all in 2008.

For this bid to be viable, the People of Petersburg, the Taxpayers of Trousdale, the Citizens of Cannon and Cookeville must speak out. For this to move forward, the issues and ideas published here need to be embraced by my fellow citizens.

I am asking not for your hard earned dollars to finance a campaign. I am asking for something more important. I am asking for your input into the issues. I am asking that if you like the content, you pass it on to others.

If our citizens are to take back Congress, as is their Constitutional right, it will be at the grass roots level. We have entered a new age of technology, which allows for greater responsiveness to, greater input from, and greater discussion with the Represented and the Representatives.

It is time to put a Common Sense Citizen in Congress. It is time for a Responsive Representative that reflects our people.

TNTaylor©2007-2008, Tennessee Taylor, all rights reserved.

The 3rd Amendment

The dialogue is beginning to open and I'm happy to answer your desires and questions.

A reader emails:

"First off, what happened to the 3rd amendment....I can't for the life of me
remember what it concerns. I only noticed you hit 1, 2 and then 4."

This is a reasonable question. The 3rd Amendment is also important but does not in any way seem to be in jeopardy:

Amendment III
No soldier shall, in time of peace be
quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war,
but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

The last time the 3rd Amendment really came into play was during the Civil War, when the homes of our Ancestors were used by both sides of the Conflict. And that is the reason why it is addressed so seldom that we don't immediately recall its subject.

The reader goes on:

"Earmarks.....I am confused on these. More to the point, I am confused on
how the examples you gave directly impact TN.... I sure as heck don't want money
from my state being diverted to and used by NYC!!!"

I don't want my money being sent to NYC lobbyists either!

Earmarks are designed to be confusing. Some are straightforward and beneficial but others only appear to be either. The primary purpose of earmarks is to "bring the money back home" and they are only viewed as pork when the money is going elsewhere.

The problem arises in that for Middle Tennessee to get back 87 cents of our taxpayers money, Our "Representatives" also have to support the earmarks of their colleagues. It impacts Tennessee in that of the $119.62 of the average taxpayers money spent in earmarks, we only get 87 cents back. No matter how noble the cause we spend that 87 cents, it costs us $119.62 to get it.

The solution is to end ALL earmarks. If a spending bill cannot be passed on its own, it should not be attached to bills that have little to do with it.

The solution is to return governance to the lowest effective levels possible. Our Federal Government has overstepped its Constitutional bounds in several areas. The reason is the addiction to power. The more things controlled at the Federal Level, the more taxes it must collect, and the more power the Government has. But the more taxes collected by the Federal Government, the less there is available from the taxpayer to fund our local and state governments and to fund our charities of choice.

But our local governments are more efficient and more responsive to us. We have greater power at the local level because our vote is one of thousands rather than one of hundreds of millions. We can meet and know our mayors and council members.

But before we can return the Constitutional powers to our state and local governments, we must vote in members of Congress that will reduce rather than increase the power grabbing ways of the Federal Government.

How do Earmarks to New York, California, & Chicago effect the Taxpayers of Tennessee? Those earmarks are the price paid to get the earmarks for Tennessee. Those earmarks are paid for with YOUR tax dollars because our "Representatives" voted for them in return for their support of our 87 cents.

They effect us because we are paying less in Interest on the Debt than we are adding to the National Debt. And each of these earmarks are adding to the National Debt and hence to the interest we must pay on the debt every year. We have to cut spending and a moratorium on earmarks is a good place to start.

The People of Tennessee would be benefited by reducing Federal spending by their portion of the $119.62 in all earmarks even though we would still lose our 87 cents in earmarks. We would be better served by $119.62 less in Federal taxes and $8.70 more in State taxes. We would have ten times the funding for the same programs for 7.3% of the cost. We would have greater control over the money taxed from our hard work.

And hopefully this Common Sense Citizen can better communicate this but any time there is confusion, please feel free to ask. I know the numbers can be boring and I do wonder how many of those numbers our Congressmen actually look at before they commit you to pay them. They are simply nickel and diming us into bankruptcy but their generosity with our money knows few bounds when their Corporate Sponsors hold out their hands.

Personal Information & An Open Dialogue

After reading what I've put out so far, I was asked: "Is your name really Tennessee Taylor?"

Yes, my name is really Taylor. And over the next two years, much more information will be presented as to which Taylor I am. We will get to know each other and you'll receive more of my history and experiences, but right now, it's more important to me to listen to you and to address the issues and my thought processes on how to deal with them.

I've fought uphill battles in the past. I've been part of success when we were told "that can never happen." And have no doubt, I realize this is an uphill battle. Representative Gordon is a popular candidate that has done many good things and received a lot of positive press.

On the other hand, we have good people in Middle Tennessee and we deserve a choice between two good candidates. The winner of the 2010 election should earn your vote, your trust, and your respect. As we move forward, I hope that I can earn that as well as that of Representative Gordon. I hope we can open up an honest debate on the issues and an open dialogue with you.

For now, I prefer to avoid the distraction of my personal experiences. This is not about me. It is not about Representative Gordon. It is about the people of the 6th District, their concerns and their issues. It is about what is best for the 6th District, for Tennessee, and for the Nation.

I would hope that we'll open a dialogue between the people of the district, in comments and in email, and one that is willing to represent you in Washington. Your name will be published only if you authorize it.

No, I'm not a fan of Washington. The biggest deterrent to a bid to run is the amount of time I'd have to spend there. I don't like the cold. I don't like the hot air inside the Capitol Building. I don't like the two-faced personalities of those that work there. But it's important to Tennessee and the Nation that we have good Representatives there, willing and able to stand up to the New York Elitists, the Chicago Machine, and the Hollywood Idealists as well as the Washington Insiders.

It's time for some good old fashioned Tennessee Common Sense in Congress.