Barrett: What if nonsense threw a party, but nobody showed up?

There was bad news and good news when Tennessee lawmakers debated whether to expand a race-based college scholarship program for teachers.

The bad news is, Rep. Tommie Brown, D-Chattanooga, instantly cited racism as the reason for opposition to the program.

"I have never seen in all of my life - and I've been to many places - but this is the most hostile, racist environment that I've ever been in," she declared after Rep. Bill Dunn, R-Knoxville, introduced an amendment to scale back the program and devote the savings to need-based scholarships.

The good news is, the race card has been played without cause so often that most folks paid refreshingly little attention this time around.

Rep. Dunn had pointed out the realities of the scholarship program: "It's based on race. It doesn't matter whether your parents are millionaires; it doesn't matter how affluent you are," he said.

Accordingly, the attempt to defeat his amendment was itself defeated, and he did not wither under the "hostile, racist" accusation, nor endure lots of hyperactive demands that he be marched into sensitivity training.

With captivating indifference to the shopworn bigotry canard, the world just kept on turning.

That's progress.

Unflappable Mrs. Thurman

School board member Rhonda Thurman, cleared of "ethics complaints," continues to confound her critics.

They still think that she - a mere hairdresser! - is forgetting her place when she continues to hold an iffy school system up to the scrutiny of the public that has to pay the bills.

That she carries out that vital role despite the contempt of her presumed betters is a source of astonishment to them. I can only assume they think their scorn will silence her because they are accustomed to dealing with public servants whose chief concern is being liked rather than actually serving the public.

Which raises a question: Besides Mrs. Thurman and a few others, with how many elected members of government do you automatically associate the word courage?

What they say vs. what they mean

Remember that when members of Congress say tax increases and spending cuts are both inevitable to get deficits under control, what they really mean is, they plan to raise taxes and not cut spending.

The national debt is $13 trillion, this year's deficit alone will be $1.5 trillion, and Democrats say the trouble is that Washington isn't spending enough. In short, nothing - nothing - in our nation's recent history offers evidence that Congress will cut spending.

There is, on the other hand, ample historical proof that it will raise taxes, and that every new dollar in taxes will be matched by more than a dollar's worth of new spending.

This is one of those times when we all need a major gut check - particularly those of us who have a major gut.

We need to focus not on what we hope lawmakers might do - much less on what they say they intend to do - but on what their track record tells us with awful certainty that they will do.

They will raise taxes. They will not cut spending.

Attention, Gucci shoppers!

From the pragmatic folks at The New York Times, we learn, "For solar shoppers these days, the price is right."

Here's the example the Times uses to back the theory that slapping sun-soaking panels on the roof is the bargain-basement way to generate energy: A Texas man spent $77,000 - you know, seat cushion change - to add a solar setup to his home. That was down from the much less reasonable $100,000 he might have spent before Uncle Sam helpfully subsidized things.

I don't know whether our Texas friend's house is typical, but based on my own electricity bills, it would take five or six decades to recoup the costs if I pumped a cool $77,000 into solar panels.

Thanks all the same, but I'll stick with reliable, inexpensive coal, natural gas and nuclear for my energy needs.

To reach Steve Barrett, call 423-757-6329 or e-mail sbarrett@timesfreepress.com.

Upcoming Events