Evicting Black lawmakers in Tennessee has unforeseen consequences but accountability should be the universal standard even for non-racist lawmakers. It wasn’t that long ago that journalists did more journalism as dedicated members of the Fourth Estate.
Of course there were always toadies dutifully turning out slightly revamped government press releases but better-trained journalists and their editors kept the politicos on their toes as well. Now it seems many just monitor social media so they can beat their peers to a headline by a minute or two in pursuit of more clicks.
Not that this can all be put on the reporters, as many newsrooms have been gutted by ‘efficiency ‘experts’ trying to save a penny for their shareholder value, so the remaining staff is often overburdened. Local newspapers are a dying breed, often bought out by deep-pocketed rightwing billionaires eager to become the world’s first trillionaires by buying all the politicians and judges to create and enforce the laws that they design to ensure that goal.
Still, it seems that independent journalists remain on the ball, working alone or through independent collective efforts like ProPublica.
One independent I can’t recommend highly enough is Judd Legum who writes Popular Information on Substack. In response to the racist evictions done by Tennessee House Speaker Sexton, Legum spent last week digging into Sexton’s background. As some folks don’t like to click on links to read all the stuff, I created a sorta-flow-chart graphic that summarizes his work so you can see how things are done in Tennessee state government.
Although he does own a small condo in Crossville, neighbors there indicate he only uses it on a few weekends each other - nowhere close to the number of times he claims per diem travel expenses to Crossville.
A-a-a-and as an extra bit of gossipy nonsense, the Tennessee State Senate is headed by the somewhat appropriately named ambiguously gay great grandpapa, Randy McNally. The video at this link is essential to see why, as is the awareness that McNally and others have been busy with anti-LGBTQ legislation. Randy indeed.
By no means am I suggesting Tennessee is full of nothing but racists or idiots. They have a significant share but other states have haters and morons too.
In Alabama last night at a Sweet Sixteen birthday party more than 20 were shot and 4 are dead because gun selling profiteers own the government there just like they do in Tennessee.
In Virginia, the GOP is hounding innocent and honest election workers so hard that one entire county’s election office quit. Now the GOP can stack the deck there to create whatever vote outcomes they want.
If there’s a moral to this States’ Rights story, it’s this:
States/gun profiteers/white racist men have rights but nobody else better even suggest they deserve rights too.
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An independent provides some Tennessee Whisking
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Evicting Black lawmakers in Tennessee has unforeseen consequences but accountability should be the universal standard even for non-racist lawmakers. It wasn’t that long ago that journalists did more journalism as dedicated members of the Fourth Estate.
Of course there were always toadies dutifully turning out slightly revamped government press releases but better-trained journalists and their editors kept the politicos on their toes as well. Now it seems many just monitor social media so they can beat their peers to a headline by a minute or two in pursuit of more clicks.
Not that this can all be put on the reporters, as many newsrooms have been gutted by ‘efficiency ‘experts’ trying to save a penny for their shareholder value, so the remaining staff is often overburdened. Local newspapers are a dying breed, often bought out by deep-pocketed rightwing billionaires eager to become the world’s first trillionaires by buying all the politicians and judges to create and enforce the laws that they design to ensure that goal.
Still, it seems that independent journalists remain on the ball, working alone or through independent collective efforts like ProPublica.
One independent I can’t recommend highly enough is Judd Legum who writes Popular Information on Substack. In response to the racist evictions done by Tennessee House Speaker Sexton, Legum spent last week digging into Sexton’s background. As some folks don’t like to click on links to read all the stuff, I created a sorta-flow-chart graphic that summarizes his work so you can see how things are done in Tennessee state government.
Links to Judd Legum’s stuff and other important adds follow:
Where does the Tennessee House Speaker Actually Live?
Tennessee House Speaker admits his family lives hours away from the district he represents
Tennessee House Speaker secretly bought $600,000 home in Nashville
Although he does own a small condo in Crossville, neighbors there indicate he only uses it on a few weekends each other - nowhere close to the number of times he claims per diem travel expenses to Crossville.
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The reinstated Black lawmakers aren’t going to shut up about the stuff the House Speaker would prefer them to.
And the video of the Holocaust Remembrance Day speech that evoked concern from Sexton.
In addition to Legum’s work, take a look at how hard Tennessee’s Republican lawmakers work to suppress voting in their state and break up districts that vote too democratic.
The major lobbyist mistress of House Speaker Sexton.
Congresswoman Katie Porter won’t put up with the false equivalence narrative some Republicans try to push.
A-a-a-and as an extra bit of gossipy nonsense, the Tennessee State Senate is headed by the somewhat appropriately named ambiguously gay great grandpapa, Randy McNally. The video at this link is essential to see why, as is the awareness that McNally and others have been busy with anti-LGBTQ legislation. Randy indeed.
By no means am I suggesting Tennessee is full of nothing but racists or idiots. They have a significant share but other states have haters and morons too.
Meanwhile in Texas, this is a more complete picture of the murderer that the deranged Texas Governor Abbott wants to pardon.
In Missouri, at least one lawmaker speaks up for the right to marry 7th grade girls
In Alabama last night at a Sweet Sixteen birthday party more than 20 were shot and 4 are dead because gun selling profiteers own the government there just like they do in Tennessee.
And here’s a lookback at a 2014 article that explains how the Second Amendment was elevated beyond what the Constution’s originators intended
In Virginia, the GOP is hounding innocent and honest election workers so hard that one entire county’s election office quit. Now the GOP can stack the deck there to create whatever vote outcomes they want.
If there’s a moral to this States’ Rights story, it’s this:
States/gun profiteers/white racist men have rights but nobody else better even suggest they deserve rights too.
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