Hey Tennessee, this is what you voted for!!!

[spanone]

[Tatiana]

1. Great cover.

Now I hope the people who voted for that Trump trash actually manage to read it.

[connecticut yankee]

2. Assuming that they can read.

[mnhtnbb]

6. There really is a disparity in educational and literacy levels by state.

Connecticut ranks right up there as #4 according to this Forbes article with only Colorado, Maryland, and Massachusetts ahead of it,

and Tennessee is way down the list at # 43

https://www.forbes.com/sites/karstenstrauss/2017/02/03/the-most-and-least-educated-states-in-the-u-s-in-2017/#511bde3371be

https://www.forbes.com/pictures/5894c1b34bbe6f2895804f9a/4-connecticut/#3b0757047f16

[erronis]

24. Thanks for the link about inter-state education disparities (even if it is from Forbes)

I think what is even more important is the disparities in wealth and education within a state.

I have lived in Connecticut, Maryland, and Colorado, and know Massachusetts pretty well. What I find most shocking are the differences in school district support amongst all of these pretty well-to-do states.

Maryland has its US Gov't workers around the beltway and the affluence of that area is well known. Schools in the DC suburbs tend to be ranked near the top. Much of the rest of the state is pretty rural (Eastern Shore) or concentrated around Baltimore which has always been given short-shrift by federal $s.

Connecticut again has its extremely rich areas around NYC and direct suburbs as well as along the Sound close-in. Just go a few 10's of miles east of the trendy LI towns and you'll once again find under-funded school districts.

Colorado has a very disparate population and wealth depending on the proximity to Denver, ski areas, military bases, etc. Most of the state is very rural and feels the distance from the wealthy capital.

Having also lived in Kentucky (I know it ain't Tennessee!), the same pattern arises. Very wealthy areas (Lexington) and some neglected ones, usually Appalachia or down-east.

Poor and declining school districts scare a lot of up-and-coming parents from locating in that area. This depresses property and local school taxes. My hat goes off to any state (or ideally country) that can equalize opportunity for all students. Get away from property tax as being a way to pay for schools!!!

[TNNurse]

14. I find that bigoted remark toward anyone in TN to be especially offensive on a site like this.

It is the equivalent of saying that everyone in the country is ignorant and racist because Trump is president.

[Pluvious]

19. Playing right into the hands of the Russians...

Who've overtly demonstrated efforts to foment discord and distrust amongst many groups.

If that poster isn't an "agent provocateur," they're certainly not helping.

I'm glad you spoke up, TN. We must be more than vigilant these days.

:-/

[TNNurse]

23. I reported it. It was removed, do not know if that is why.

[Pantagruel]

25. "ignorant and racist because Trump is president."

The election identified 63 million who might fit that description-that's frightening!

[oasis]

29. I believe the remark was aimed specifically at Trump voters in TN. nt

[spanone]

3. well, the Tennessean is anything but a liberal newspaper....but i'm sure they'll call it fake news

untill their tax bills show up..then they'll blame the democrats

[Tatiana]

5. We really need to work with psychologists to determine how to deprogram these people.

I liked the use of big graphics and pictures. That's something Trumpers can relate to and understand from Fox Noise.

Not all of them are lost causes. Some are educable. We need to reach those -- and even then, only a small percentage of them to turn these elections around.

[Perseus]

12. I'm afraid to say it, but it is not possible

I have a friend, she is not illiterate, she has a degree in Engineering, and an MBA, but when it comes to politics...she is a republican because her grandparents were republicans and her parents are republicans, so nothing you can say will change her mind. She doesn't even know who she votes for, it is straight republican on the ballot.

[Kirk Lover]

7. Do you think a lot of folks read it...or hell at least just see the cover?

[spanone]

8. It's our only daily newspaper here in Nashville.

it should read HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS....

[Kirk Lover]

10. Isn't Nashville where all the libs are though?

[spanone]

13. it's probably the most liberal area of tennessee, but it's also the capital and the paper is seen

statewide

[KY_EnviroGuy]

16. Did the Nashville Banner go belly up?

When I was a kid there in the 50s/60s (Wilson Co.), the Banner and Tennessean had opposing political leanings (can't recall which one was on which side), but politics didn't get brutal until the late 60s (Gore/Brock) and the Nixon days. The state was predominantly Democrat before then.

One things for sure, that big dollar sign on the cover page will get lots of attention at the news stand!

[spanone]

17. yes, ....1998

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nashville_Banner

[KY_EnviroGuy]

20. Thanks - I've been away a long time.

Says the Banner was right-leaning back then, whereas the Tennessean leaned toward workers and Unions. Times there have really changed, but I still love Nashville!

[Bernardo de La Paz]

9. Suckers.

But the tax heist is gathering opposition even among Trumpanzees:

"Correct. I’ve been reading that as Trump has struck out with Repeal/Replace. And as he is predicted to strike out with a new tax overhaul plan, the Senate would also screw him over on a new A/G pick."

If that's true then it's not Jeff Sessions who should be resigning right now -- it's President Trump.
116 posted on 11/3/2017, 6:54:04 PM by Alberta's Child ("Tell them to stand!" -- President Trump, 9/23/2017)

The proposed elimination of the state and local tax deduction is a tax increase on millions of middle-class Americans. Screwing around with other aspects (like the standard deduction) does not change this fact or soften the blow to those who are already paying high taxes across the board. Moreover, those of us in high tax states are not “subsidizing” others via the deduction, because those in high tax states like CA, CT, NY, MA, and NJ pay out more to the federal government in taxes than the states recoup.

The elimination of the state and local deduction has Paul Ryan’s dirty fingerprints all over it. It’s his baby. And he won’t let go of it - like a junkyard dog.

If they’re going to cut rates, they have to soak someone. And the group they’re choosing to soak are middle class, hard-working Americans.

This wasn’t what President Trump campaign on or promised. If this passes, he will lose the support of millions of Americans who voted for him. This is a stupid, bad deal.
10 posted on 10/17/2017, 3:25:07 PM by SkyPilot

[rurallib]

11. But wait there's more (like one of those TV commercials)

- you may lose your health care
- Medicaid and Medicare may get drastically cut
- Mom and dad may move in with you when they lose their Social Security!
- your preacher can tell you who to vote for in his sermon!

many, many more features and surprises than we can tell you about here!

[lambchopp59]

15. Aw, but can't you just see the glory?

All those tax relief on the big bidnessessess will open up 10 million coal minin' jobs for the working class. Nevermind the deregulation coming that removes the black lung masks that they don't believe in anyway, the cancer care they won't afford, the global warming acceleration causing Oklahoma F6 tornadoes that will reach all the way to Tennessee eventually, after all, they'll be safe underground in the coal dust. Nevermind their unions will get busted up, so they can be paid a pittance, lose pension and benefits, live on vienna sausages and dollar store crackers. Nevermind the loss of funding to their public schools so the kids won't have the books to learn the lessons great-granpappy coal miner tol' them that book larnin' don't do ya no good no how no way. Nevermind the thousands upon thousands of lies Fox news will tell them ad nauseum to believe their shambled lives are still screwed up because Obama. And Dwonald Twump will still be their Nazi savior from all those terrible Muslim mexican transgender immigrant welfare queens stealing their jobs, uh, and... and... and...
Oh, fluck. I can't even continue to stomach more ironic ramble.

[Honeycombe8]

18. You've been Trumped! No one Trumps better than Trump! He's the best at Trumping! nt

[bitterross]

21. I'm from TN and I know why some of the intelligent people I grew up with vote GOP still.

I grew up in TN. I am poor white trailer trash. I managed to get an excellent education in our public schools. Went to college and got a degree along with of many, many intelligent people there. Quite a few with a lot more brain power than I.

I have come to the "call me captain obvious" conclusion that the backwards, racist, bigoted attitudes that cause them to vote for anything with an "R" after its name is all indoctrination from a young age. We are taught to FEAR and ostracize that which is different.

We get taught this in the South at the same time we get indoctrinated into our particular version of the Christian religion (Christian only, of course). Oh, Catholics are not really Christian by the way - y'all know that, right? At the same time we get taught, by the force of the rod, to believe and obey our parents and other authority figures without question - WITHOUT QUESTION. The schools teach people to memorize facts and figures. They do not generally teach people to think or reason for themselves.

How I went "astray" is pretty simple. I'm gay and I knew if for a fact at a very young age. Far before I knew what it was called or really meant. I knew I was very different from everyone else (so it seemed) and I went on a quest to figure it out. While at the same time having the good sense to hide it from everyone.

Unless these people have some similar life event or trait like mine that causes them to stop their lemming-like ways I have little hope they will change. The people in AL are going to vote Roy Moore into office unless the Dems overwhelmingly turn out and the Republicans choose to stay home. They either don't know he is so horrible or they do know but they just cannot bring themselves to putting an X by the name with the "D" beside it. Their entire life has been predicated upon conformity and a belief system that does not allow them to do it. To vote for the "D would, literally, mean they would have to begin rejecting their entire belief system. I am not really overstating it here. Humans do not do that very well.

These are the same people who continued to buy American cars during that time period when it was very clear the American cars were not very good. They purposely chose to buy an inferior product and spend more money on repairing and maintaining it than to break tradition and their established values. That allowed them to stay in their comfort zone even though it was against their best interests economically. They could take comfort in the thought that "it will get better later."

It is no different in the voting booth. They feel, I believe, that it will always turn out better later if they stay the "R" course. Looking at history and making a decision based on not repeating the past requires thinking. They were not taught to think. Just obey the authorities.

[Skittles]

26. worthy of its own thread

except I dislike the term "trailer trash" - my first home was a trailer

[bitterross]

27. Thanks. I did live in a single-wide with my family.

Sometimes I try too hard to be funny. As a consequence of growing up a Southern sissy I tend to go for my own jugular to take the opportunity away from others.

[Lars39]

28. Good summary.

Re: obedience...I saw a kid walking home from school stand at attention saluting a cop in a patrol car until the cop saluted back. Then the kid went forward to talk to the cop. WTF

[dalton99a]

22. The only way to restore America's greatness

Give more money to the rich so they can piss on you

[4_TN_TITANS]

30. Most, but not all of us Tennesseans, suck