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November 30, 2005
New Numbers on Tennessee~Persistent Poverty & Low Wages
Tennessee is among 10 states at the bottom of the U.S. in state median salary (AP story) as new numbers come out. The bottom ten are as follows:
Tenn. $37,925
Ky. 36,663
Ala. 36,131
Okla. 35,634
N.M. 35,091
Mont. 34,449
La. 33,792
Ark. 33,445
W.Va. 32,967
Miss. 32,397
Other numbers show Tennesse with almost one quarter of its children under 5 years old living in poverty, one of the most critical ages for child development (see SAIPE).
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Campaign of Public Service~Sponsoring a Medicare Part D Workshop
I want to thank the East Ridge Retirement Center and Director Betty Smith for hosting our Medicare Part D Workshop today at 10:30 a.m. This is the first workshop I have sponsored in the district. Melissa Nanney, an expert in benefits insurance, will be the guest speaker. The public is invited.
Our campaign arranged the workshop to help families struggling with the new federal benefits plan. I hope you will agree with me when I say that the best way to campaign for public office is to be a public servant.
If you would like to set up a Medicare Part D Workshop in the district or county, please contact me and I will do my best to assist you. We would need a location and a time and a contact.
~John Bailes
County Commission, District 8
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November 28, 2005
Dan Challener Speaks to East Ridge Education Committee
Dan Challener is President of the Public Education Foundation (PEF).
East Ridge Education Committee (EREC) is one of Hamilton County's most productive educational support groups. And tonight, Dan Challener of PEF (another great supporting organization for schools) carried on a conversation with 25 or so members of the group, most of whom were principals and teachers. Debbie Colburn, District 8 School Board Member, was also in attendance. Summary of the meeting can be found on the EREC website by clicking HERE.
I want to thank Gail Phillips, president of EREC, for her hard work this year. At the meeting she reminded us that this weekend EREC will host a "community-wide" Scholastic Book Fair with books at 50% off. Please drop by and purchase some gifts for your holiday shopping.
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November 24, 2005
Politics, Women, & the Mother of Thanksgiving
Sara Josepha Hale, Mother of Thanksgiving
It took 30 years and lots of lobbying to put Thanksgiving on the map. President Lincoln first recognized it as the last Thursday in November in 1863 in the middle of a terrible and bloody Civil War.
And the lobbyist for something so generous to the country? Sarah Josepha Hale, a woman of course. God bless this woman! She's made my Novembers memorable and festive, believe me. Yours too, I'm sure. Put another way~I can't think of November without lots of family together eating turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. Doesn't it often take women like Hale to bring us together as family and community?
Believe me, the women in my family get sweetly carried away at this time of the year. With all of my siblings and their spouses and children here, I watch the women walk about with a goody in one hand and a baby in the other, smiling as pretty as you may. And from now until Christmas, it's my mother's, my mother-in-law's, my sister's, my sister-in-law's, my niece's and my wife's time. But don't mess with it! I love it.
Is it a surprise that Thanksgiving all started with a woman lobbying president after president for 30 years? Let's be thankful for the enduring spirit of Sarah Josepha Hale, who was editor of Godey's Lady's Book in the 1800s. She is now our Mother of Thanksgiving. And although the holiday was not nationalized permanently by Congress until 1941, Thanksgiving as a national holiday started with the action of a demanding and loving woman.
Women (and men) can make a difference by being persistent, just as Sarah Josepha Hale was. She has taught us the lesson of political stamina and focus. We can make a difference in our civic life, as long as we have constancy and hope.
Happy Thanksgiving!
John Bailes
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November 21, 2005
Picking Up Papers~"Candidate Nominating Petition"
Charlotte Mullis, Chief Deputy to Election Commission Administrator Bud Knowles, handed me a "Receipt of Qualifying Packet" today.
It is my great pleasure to report that on this rainy Monday in Chattanooga, Nov. 21, I picked up an official "Candidate Nominating Petition" for the 2006 Hamilton County Democrat Primary Election scheduled for May 2, 2006.
I want to thank Bud Knowles for his frankness and friendliness shown impartially to anyone coming to the Election Commission. I also want to thank Charlotte Mullis and Shannon DeFriese (Data/Automation Support) for answering my questions this morning.
Now I am off to collect signatures on the petition. To sign this petition for my candidacy in the primary of 2006, you must reside in District 8. Let me know if you would like to sign this petition.
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November 19, 2005
"Friends to Elect John Bailes" Wish the East Ridge Christmas Parade Success Tonight
There's nothing like Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade~EXCEPT MAYBE THE East Ridge Christmas Parade which precedes the Macy's parade in timing every November. As far as I know and as far as I've heard, the East Ridge Christmas Parade is called such (even though it comes before Thanksgiving) because it is the first "Christmas" parade of the season in the Chattanooga area. It is a wonderful event and I have participated in it many times with various groups.
But this year I will not be participating, although my campaign registered for the event and was prepared to participate. This year, the Friends to Elect John Bailes were told we could not be a part of the East Ridge Christmas Parade because the parade committee had determined that the event should not be about politics. Despite this exclusion, we were told that elected officials could still participate (even though all politicians are excluded in the Chattanooga Downtown Partnership Parade). And those office holders who had already announced that they were running for office next year could also participate.
Despite this setback, my campaign manager, Pam Ladd, and I told our team that we would live with the decision made by the East Ridge parade committee. It is the holiday season, after all, and the city has suffered sad news concerning the death of Mayor Fred Pruett. This is a time for mending and uniting, not fighting and dividing, an approach I don't like using.
So I want you all to know that I believe that the best path is always the "high road." Win or lose on anything, the "Friends to Elect John Bailes" will take the "high road." That's the only road for me, and it has made all the difference in my life. I hope it does for my community as well.
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Transportation Meeting~We Need Public Transportation in East Ridge!
This electric shuttle system, which serves downtown Chattanooga, is a strong model of publicly and commercially oriented travel while providing clean air output and free fare transportation.
But come to East Ridge today and you will find no such system of transportation. In fact, we have nothing to speak of now. We don't even have rickshaws (I like to call these eco-taxis). I have shared this problem with city officials but to no avail. Lacking a public tansit system is a major problem to any city, and so I am addressing our problem personally and with others.
For this reason, I pulled together a first meeting on transportation in East Ridge, Thursday, Nov. 17, at the East Ridge Retirement Center. I want personally to thank Betty Smith, the director of the retirement center, for hosting this meeting. She has offered her community to be the place for future meetings as well. She truly cares about her community. I also want personally to thank Gail Lindsey of Lindsey & Associates for facilitating the meeting.
As some of you already know, East Ridge lost all public transportation service from Hamilton County on Nov. 1, 2005. This loss of service has hurt many East Ridge residents, mainly seniors but others as well who are on fixed incomes or who are disabled. For the past two weeks, I have received calls from different residents in East Ridge, asking me what I could do about the problem. I talked at length with Marilyn Tepper, whose husband was the well-known Dr. Tepper in East Ridge. She believes this is a "travesty" and will "force many people into terrible dependence and depression, eventually desperation." She also believes that "public transportation is the hub of the wheel of economy and without it we are doomed economically because it is not cost-effective."
At this first meeting, we had representatives from various agencies as well as concerned East Ridge residents. All agreed that something needed to be done. We need your help in moving ahead. If you live in or know anyone in East Ridge, please have them contact me about our next meeting. We are going to begin our push with community awareness meetings.
It appears we have received some help already. I talked with CARTA Friday and they're saying they would like to help out but believe the city of East Ridge may not do anything until the next budget cycle. I believe East Ridge will need convincing through community action.
I want to say thanks to Wayne Owens at STS for his input, and Timothy Duckett, CEO of Millennium Cab, who wants to find a public-private partnership to assist. We appreciate Kathy Eargle of Interfaith Senior Services who says she will continue to provide a very limited number of volunteer rides to a few seniors here, a service only for those over 65 years old going to their doctor.
As we form a grassroots effort to solve this huge problem, let me leave you with these numbers which should convince you about how big this problem is:
* 25% of the population of East Ridge is over 60 years of age. This is almost twice as high as the county numbers for 60+ years old, demonstrating a unique need for transportation. These elderly need our help.
* 23% of the population of East Ridge is disabled. This number is higher than the national average and represents those people who may be blind, deaf, or have severe limitations in hearing or seeing. These are also people who have trouble climbing stairs or walking down the street and need special help getting to and from the store or doctor. These disabled need our help.
* 40% of the population of East Ridge rents. Almost all of these renters are low-income, many of whom may depend on help with transportation. These renters need our help.
* East Ridge has almost 2x the number of crimes than the average on the National Crime Index. This is another reason for safe, affordable, and accessible transportation to be provided. For those who walk, safety becomes an issue. These seeking safety need our help.
* About 1,700 individuals in East Ridge live below the poverty line. That's almost 9% of the population. Many of these individuals struggle with finding adequate transportation. These underprivileged need our help.
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Remembering Mayor Fred Pruett
There is a great man who makes every man feel small. But the real great man is the man who makes every man feel great. ~G.K. Chesterton
That was Fred Pruett in a nutshell. He made you feel great about yourself. With the heart of a teacher and the faith of saint, he sought the best for the community he loved, Hamilton County and specifically East Ridge. He demonstrated that all politics is local. He will be greatly missed.
I saw him at every East Ridge function that I attended; even to the end, he was at Chamber of Commerce meetings and at the Pumpkin & Cider Festival. And he had wanted to be more involved in the East Ridge Lions Club but his personal fight with cancer took a toll. Nonetheless, he was a regular church-goer, as my mother-in-law, Pauline Means, can attest. She saw him at church every Sunday, at South Seminole Baptist Church. In a word, Mayor Pruett was always accessible.
The funeral for the mayor will be held at South Seminole Baptist Church at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 20. The family has requested that all contributions in his memory go to the American Cancer Society or the East Ridge Archives and History Museum (1517 Tombras Avenue, East Ridge, Tennessee 37412).
Here are two local press tributes to Mayor Pruett:
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November 16, 2005
Listening Forum on Education: Our Schools Deserve Better
They deserve better from all of us, although so many teachers and parents have already given so much. Our county schools represent most of our future employees and employers in Hamilton County. They represent our hopes and dreams economically and culturally. If they are not prepared to compete in the global market, how will we ever bring to our area or develop the kind of businesses that will sustain us? These young people are, in a word, who we will depend on. Well, who are they?
Before I answer that, let me note: At a well-attended forum on education at Eidson's Restaurant last night, the campaign took our 40 Days of Listening tour to the mother of all political debates in Hamilton County. Of the 15 or so citizens participating, everyone agreed that the most critical change in county leadership must come in improving the relationship between county commissioners and the county school board. One way to start making this change, said one citizen, would be to get the word out about how well our schools are doing. Another citizen asserted, "John, you will need to ignore the silly diversions of some politicians and talk instead about the children and schools."
So who are these children and teachers working daily in public schools across the county? Here's a tiny glance into our schools:
1. Did you know that the Hamilton County Schools improved again in all scores among all ethnic groups for the fifth year in a row? (See fact sheet.)
2. Did you know that Chattanooga State and Hamilton County Schools have been collaborating since 2001 to assist students who have lost interest in or have "disengaged" from high school, by placing them in a Middle College High School? (See this article.)
3. Did you know that this week, some 3,000 Hamilton County students are participating in the Chattanooga Area Chamber's "Career Crunch" at Chattanooga State with about 60 area companies? (See article.)
4. Did you know that Thrasher Elementary was awarded "No Child Left Behind/Blue Ribbon School of Excellence" for 2004 because the school made straight As in both Achievement and Value-Added scores? (See what Principlal Jean Trohanis has to say.)
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November 15, 2005
Overcoming Negative Attitudes Toward Diversity~a Snapshot of District 8
I have to say that our Hamilton County teachers are doing well compared to those in Michigan above. As our campaign prepares for its fifth "listening forum" (on education) as part of the 40 Days of Listening, I thought it would be appropriate to start with these statistics. Of course, teachers work hard to improve their students' attitudes toward diversity, and yet teachers admit to struggling with their own attitudes toward diversity. We're all human.
Still, I am pleased to say that in District 8 we have teachers who fearlessly and daily promote an acceptance of diversity. In fact, if you look at schools in District 8, you will see how our teachers face diversity.
Before I forget, let me remind you ALL that you are invited to this "listening forum" on education at East Ridge's Eidson Restaurant today at 5:30 p.m..
Now, I have picked out one school to focus on in an attempt to understand the diversity challenges facing public education in District 8.
Looking at this one school in District 8 might also reveal some characteristics about the area I'm running for commissioner. McBrien Elementary School is smack in the middle of East Ridge. Not a magnet school, McBrien sits just behind the East Ridge City Hall and offers public education to K-5th graders.
It is a school in good standing. As you will see in this snapshot of the school, McBrien is far from economically advantaged and racially homogenous, yet the teachers and administrators are succeeding and overcoming diversity issues that hinder others. Why are they? These teachers and administrators are extraordinary people!
This snapshot should also reveal why public education is so important to our rapidly growing diverse community as it provides a leg-up for so many who would otherwise be left behind.
McBrien Elementary School (2003-04)
Student Population = 458
Economically Disadvantaged = 63.6%
White = 74.5%
African-American = 13.2%
Hispanic = 8.2%
Asian = 4.1%
Attendance = Above State Average at 94.8%
Promotion = Above State Average at 97.5%
Administrators = Madeline Bell (Principal) & William Fain (Asst. Principal)
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November 14, 2005
"40 Days of Listening"~Education, Education, Education
If there is one forum you should attend, it is this one, a "listening forum" on education. Hamilton County Schools are in "urgent care" condition. I urge you to attend this forum, which will now start at 5:30 p.m. (instead of 4:30) and end at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 15, at Eidson's Restaurant in East Ridge.
The most important concern for our county is education. County leaders have fumed and fussed over school funding for the past half decade. We are now dead last in spending per child in education (see Per Child Education Spending) and in per capita spending on education. Not good. It does not help that although Tennessee is one of the lowest revenue-raising states in the country, most of the revenue hurts the poorest among us (see Tennessee Revenue).
It is very simple. Education is our engine of opportunity, providing economic mobility and social empowerment. If you want a young person to drive safely into the future, give him or her a great education, not an expensive car. The car will come. Or as Mark Twain put it: "There's nothing education can't do, nothing above its reach. It will destroy bad principles and recreate good ones."
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November 12, 2005
40 Days of Listening~On Parks, Recreation, and Arts
from left, Martha B. Lee (marketing and web designer), Wade Swicord (businessman in East Ridge), and Sandy Kurtz (Director of South Chickamauga Creek Greenway Alliance) participated in the "listening forum" on parks, rec, and arts.
One of the most productive "40 Days of Listening" forum to date, last Tuesday's forum on parks, rec, and the arts at Wally's Restaurant drew a strong turnout. More than 25 priorities were offered and several East Ridge and Chattanooga leaders provided thoughtful and visionary ideas. Again I was happy to have my volunteer coordinator Samantha Bayles and UTC College Democrats Hannah Brooks & Rachel DeVan at the meeting. Thanks to Dr. Olin Ivey for facilitating.
The next 40 Days of Listening forum focuses on education. It will be held at Eidson's Restaurant on November 15, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. I urge you and others to attend.
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November 11, 2005
Veterans Day at the Chattanooga National Cemetery
A 21-gun salute by the Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 203 Honor Guard made my day. I was attending the Veterans Day 2005 ceremony today, Nov. 11, at our Chattanooga National Cemetery, and in the background the UTC Band playing the "National Anthem," "Amazing Grace," and "Echoing Taps." Commander Patty Parks delivered the keynote address with an eloquent appeal to patriotism. All in all, it was a great honor to be among living veterans of war, saluting to all who have served as well as all who now serve. For I have my own (personal) veterans of war experiences shared with me in words from family members and in wounds suffered by family members.
Both my father and my father-in-law (now deceased) were vets. My father during the Cuban Missile Crisis and my father-in-law during WWII. Their fathers and grandfathers and great-grandfathers served as well, going back to the Civil War. More recently, many of my uncles and cousins have served. And then there was my brother-in-law, who served in Vietnam, coming home a fully disabled man. He died eleven years ago because of war-related complications.
So on this day, Nov. 11 at 11 a.m., I joined all Americans in stopping their business, and spending time to honor our veterans fallen and alive, wounded and embattled. We could do more for them, but we don't, even though the cause of peace is supposed to be promoted by remembering the devastation of war.
Veterans Day was meant to mark the end of all wars, as President Woodrow Wilson so optimistically put it. for it was he who first commemorated the remembrance of Armistice Day just after World War I. In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed that to us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations.
However, it was not until June 4, 1926, that the U.S. Congress recognized the end of World War I with the passing of a resolution recognizing the purpose of Veterans Day, namely to promote the end of conflict and peace among nations~not the continuation of conflict and war among nations.
It was not until May 13, 1938, that Veterans Day was signed into law as an Act making Nov. 11 a legal holiday dedicated to world peace and national patriotism.
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Reality Check at 21st Century Academy
This young lady was among about fifty students participating in the Chattanooga Area Chamber's Reality Check Program on Nov. 10 at 21st Century Academy, one of three magnet schools in District 8.
Some of these amazing students complained about the "hand they drew" (each student is given a different "real life" scenario). But that did not stop them from figuring out creative ways to better their "lives." I encourage all of you to consider volunteering for this specific Chamber outreach if you have not. You won't be disappointed. Here are more images from the workshop:
Two students from 21st Century helped us during the program.
Other 21st Century students assisted us with the booths.
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November 09, 2005
Democrats Strengthen Resolve at Kefauver Dinner
Decorated war hero Max Cleland, former U.S. Senator of Georgia, spoke to a packed house of Democrats last night. Tennessee Democratic Party Chair Bob Tuke introduced Max with a U.S. Marine salute. Before Tuke, however, there were two other speakers who revved up the party: A brave new vision was presented by the local party chair Stuart James Stuart James and a compassionately thoughtful message delivered by our Governor, Phil Bredesen. Max reminded us why we are Democrats: in a nutshell, we care about people.
And we don't just say or pretend we care; we actually do care. Max had the crowd of 500+ Democrats laughing and clapping for 25 minutes. Then at the end, he announced the Democratic victories in gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey. What a night! Stuart James and Andy Berke and Pris Siskin were superb at bringing this event together at the Chattanoogan, reminding us that we have 365 Days to Victory!
But now it is a new day! And this is when the rubber meets the road. It is time for us to make our message of opportunity, values, and common sense heard. And it is time that we hear what people are saying they want in their leaders. You can help us do just that by helping me canvass this month.
Saturday, Nov. 19~This day will be a very big push for our campaign on the ground. We will be canvassing in the morning and early afternoon, then joining the East Ridge Christmas Parade at night. Please let me know how you can help us on Nov. 19.
We were honored to have Meredith Preston, President of the UTC College Democrats, sat at our table last night. Here she is (left) with Campaign Manager Pam Ladd and Campaign Analyst Anna Massey-Ward. We were also honored to have with us Chris and Samantha Bayles along with Candy Corneliussen and Tim and Allyson Neal.
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November 06, 2005
Autumn Canvassing in District 8
Yes, we begin this entry with an image of autumn. It's November, and it's canvassing time. Well, really October was too. But it's never too early to start! The KEY to victory in District 8 will be the ground work, the door-to-door, the push through the neighborhoods.
And so for the last four Saturdays, members of my campaign team have been canvassing door-to-door. I have been with them every step of the way (except on Oct 22, when I supervised the children's activities at the East Ridge Pumpkin & Cider Festival). Right now, I want to thank those who have been out there with me during this first month of canvassing:
Pam Ladd
Anna Massey-Ward
Olin Ivey
Samantha Bayles
Dinah Bailes
Jackson Bailes
So what does it mean to canvass? It means being neighborly, saying hello, introducing ourselves, asking for support, making new contacts, reminding citizens that government is about serving them (not the other way around), and giving this campaign the best shot it could ever have.
So what can you do to help me canvass? As the candidate for county commission, I want to personally ask you to give me three hours one Saturday this November. Email me and let me know on what Saturday you could give me a hand. This one commitment would mean the world to me.
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November 04, 2005
My Message to the UTC College Democrats~Make Politics Local
UTC College Dems Prez Meredith Preston (left) invited me to speak. Standing to my right is Vice Prez Angela Franklin
I was honored to speak to about 25 UTC College Democrats at Fletcher Hall yesterday. I taught writing at UTC from 2000 to 2003. So I was happy to be back on the campus. I now teach at Chattanooga State College.
My message to these young Democrats was simple: All politics is local. Start on campus and move out to the city, then the county, the state, the country, and finally the world. But start here! Change lives and minds here. I added that they could do that by helping any one of many campaigns locally, including mine. At least a dozen signed up at the end of the hour.
Let me say something about Meredith Preston, president of the UTC College Democrats. She is doing a great job in recruiting and organizing Democrats on campus. She says she has a list of about 200+ members and friends of the group right now. WOW!
I also want to mention the hard work of two other people helping the college dems, Adam Green and Angela Franklin. Adam started the UTC College Democrats in 2003, when there were few Democrats visible on campus. And Angela has stepped up as vice president of the group and works on the Harold Ford campaign.
Finally, I want to say a big thanks to Samantha Bayles, our campaign volunteer coordinator, for assisting me at this event.
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