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On Feb 3, 2000, the UT Board of Trustees meet in Memphis. Among the attendees were then Governor Don Sundquist, and then UT National Alumni Association President Dr. Ron Kirkland.

At subject was the steps required to raise the level of UT to a top 25 level university. One of the major issues was how to increase state funding of the university in order to accomplish that goal.

In the meeting, then Governor Sundquist made it crystal clear that in his budget, which proposed a $53 million increase in funding to UT, that the only way it could happen is through a state income tax, and urged all present at the meeting to lobby aggressively for it.

From the minutes of the Feb 3, 2000 meeting, page 19:

“He (Sundquist) said he needs help in reforming the tax structure so the structure will have some elasticity to allow Tennessee to invest in education. Governor Sundquist says if the State has a 3.75 percent flat tax on income above a certain level of adjusted gross income, reduces the State portion of the sales tax from 6 percent to 3.75 percent, reduces the Hall Income tax from 6 percent to 3.75 percent, and eliminates the State portion of sales tax on food, the net result would mean Tennesseans in total would pay less taxes than they are paying now and the State would pick up $400 to $450 million in revenue.

Such a system is one that grows. Governor Sundquist said if an improved tax structure for the future is passed, if a budget the University desperately needs is passed, he and his administration and University Trustees have to work together to get votes in Nashville. He (Sundquist) said the State’s entire higher education system is at stake.

Governor Sundquist said after the election in November, the gubernatorial campaign for 2002 will begin and no candidate will be willing to make a similar proposal. He said he needs the help of the Board of Trustees and the University community.”

On March 21, 2000, The University of Tennessee issued this press release:

KNOXVILLE — The president of the University of Tennessee’s National Alumni Association has issued an urgent call to approximately 200,000 alumni in the state.

Dr. Ronald Kirkland has asked members of the association to contact state legislators and express their concern about funding for UT.

“Your voice may be the one that makes a difference in the future of the University of Tennessee,” Kirkland wrote in a letter to alumni mailed this week.

Kirkland, a physician from Jackson, Tenn., said UT is at a crossroads “and will soon go down one of two paths.-

One, with the $53 million in new funding proposed by Gov. Don Sundquist, would allow UT “to become a top 25 public research university and contribute even more significantly to the economic development of our state.

The other “less desirable” path would see UT continue to lose the brightest students and faculty, and the university would have fewer opportunities to foster new business in the state. ”

In their communications to legislators, alumni should stress the university’s commitment to wise stewardship, he said.

“Tell them that you understand their concerns about accountability, but you believe that President (J. Wade) Gilley has outlined a set of measures that will allow them to gauge the achievements that UT will realize through new funding.-

The UT National Alumni Association has more than 300,000 members worldwide.”

I will say this, it is obvious Ron Kirkland supported the additional funding of UT through Sundquist’s budget.

Kirkland also knew the ONLY WAY the additional funding would come would be through Sundquist’s state income tax.

Though he may have never come out and overtly said “I, Ron Kirkland, support the state income tax”- make no mistake, the above press release and meeting minutes are proof Ron Kirkland wanted that additional funding and thus wanted the income tax. He indeed took then Governor Sundquist’s plea to heart and lobbied actively and hard for it, not directly, but under the guise of “adequately funding UT”

Folks, This is the Washington Way of doing things- “saying it, without saying it”, also known as “John Tannerspeak 101″

There is no difference in the way Ron Kirkland lobbied for the income tax through “adequately funding UT” than the Democrats in DC lobbying for increased taxes to “feed, clothe and shelter the poor, and provide adequate healthcare for all”

In the latter, all us conservatives know the only way to accomplish the Dems goal is though higher taxes, just like Ron Kirkland knew the only way to accomplish his goal of getting the proposed additional $53 million for UT was through a state income tax.

Everyone knows that releasing a poll during the early voting period is nothing more than an attempt by a campaign to manipulate the public’s perception of the race at a critical point.

But it’s only effective if you have a media outlet in your back pocket who is willing to run your press release and poll numbers.

Keith Sherley, by only posting the poll numbers and press release from the Kirkland camp, shows in plain light he is Brad Greer’s bagman.

Beadle over at the Sun is on the Kirkland bandwagon too, but at least he posted the Flinn and Fincher campaigns own responses to the Brad Greer/Bob Kirkland poll, with thier own poll numbers- both of which show Fincher in the lead.

Great reporting there Keith. Now c’mon and give us your excuse for not fully reporting the story…

No wonder 101.5 and especially Keith Sherley are largely considered irrelevant as a local news source.

You people are doing nothing but proving my words to be correct.

You assault me personally, insult me, call me names, think you know who I am (but you don’t), etc, etc, etc

It is all junior high. That’s all you know how to do is smear people, as shown by the mud you have flung at two good men in George Flinn and Stephen Fincher.

I hereby cease any further commenting, as it has proven to be pointless. It takes two to argue, and I am simply not going to lower myself to your level.

Regards,

West Tennessee Conservative

WTC speculates that the Kirkland camp is sending out e-mails under his screen name. What’s his proof? Why “the real” WTC used gmail, not hotmail. Well, case closed! There’s no way anyone could possibly have e-mail accounts with both gmail AND hotmail. That’s just crazy talk.

WTC whines that the Kirkland camp has “no proof” when making the outlandish claim that their “opponents” vandalized their campaign signs. But wait, on the Post Politics blog, WTC has claimed it was ACTUALLY Kirkland staffers that vandalized their OWN signs. Where’s the proof on that? Oh, what’s that?……we just have to take good ole WTC’s word for it, because he’s such a shining example of honest and ethical campaigning.

What’s sad is that Brian doesn’t realize he’s just being used. All he’s getting out of the deal is ruined credibility. I guess that’s why he wants to remain anonymous.

Patriotically,

Little Birdie

Everyone else, I wouldn’t put too much stock in what some anonymous blogger spews. This weirdo has some sort of chemical imbalance. He has stalked Kirkland campaign staffers and posted personal info on the web. His amatuerish blog is nothing more than cut and paste oppo research fed to him directly from the Washington operatives running Fincher’s campaign. If you’ve ever read this clowns comments on Post Politics, he’ll drop the f-bomb in one post and then quote scripture in the next. I think he may be emotionally unstable.

The email from westtennesseeconservative@HOTMAIL.com didn’t go out to the REAL WTC’s email list. Want to know how I know? I’m on his email list. But it did go out to two of my friends who have both told me that they are only receiving campaign emails from Ron Kirkland.

Can someone from the Kirkland campaign explain THAT?

As I have stated, and let me be clear, I AM NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THE FINCHER CAMPAIGN.

I support Stephen for Congress, but that is where the “association” stops.

Once again, your words are grounded in no factual basis whatsoever (that would be PROOF) thus making your words RUMOR.

You people are, well, predictable. More junior high rumor-mongering and engaging in the politics of personal destruction, rather than respectfully engaging in tasteful, respectful discourse.

Keep it up, your responses in your own words does nothing but to prove my point.

-West Tennessee Conservative

ps, how much do you want to bet that before I check this site again this evening, the entire Kirkland blogger mob will have come in here trashing me and the Fincher campaign? Any takers to the bet?

right, sure, ok. I’ve got some coastal property in arizona to sell you.

It is my choice and fully my right to blog under the name West Tennessee Conservative, and is not due to any “nefarious shadow lingering” as you suggest Brad.

I’m just a simple Joe Average who blogs as a hobby. I CHOOSE to keep my name anonymous to insulate myself and my family from the threats and thuggery you and the Kirkland campaign have so willingly engaged in.

My life and my job do not revolve around politics, and I no not need nor want the distraction of your threats.

No go on, and get to making more smear ads on Flinn and Fincher. After all, you get paid for spending Bob Kirkland’s money, and I have a REAL JOB that I have to get back to.

Good day.

-The REAL West Tennessee Conservative

I think the reason why there has been no direct or indirect discourse on this matter is people like Brad Greer and the Kirkland campaign simply lack the ability to have a REAL conversation without throwing out personal insults.

The proof exists in THIER words, not mine. I surely have not seen any evidence to the contrary.

Patriotically,

The REAL West Tennessee Conservative

I have always been open about who I am and who I am for. (In this election and elections past.) Any time I am on air as a guest or caller, I clearly identify myself.

Bill Way, Sea Bass, Dan Reeves, Keith Sherley would all certainly attest that I am very transparent about where I stand on issues, and I do not hide behind screen names and email addresses.

My email address is premiertn@aol.com. That has been my address for 15 years. I do not hide behind some West Tennessee Conservative name or e-mail address.

The person who DOES hide behind the address above is a coward and doesn’t deserve our time. Shadows are a place for thieves to hide, not for political discourse. If this political shadow wants to debate the merits of Ron Kirkland and Stephen Fincher on air where all listeners will know who is behind the voice and the candidates, I am game any day. “West Tennessee Coward”, I feel sure will decline the opportunity to openly debate this race. They like the dark.

If they continue to make public claims that are untrue and baseless against me, I will pursue legal means to assertion their identity and take civil action against them through my attorney, former Chairman of the Federal Election Commission, Michael Toner with Bryan Cave Law Firm.

Brad Greer

I thank you for reporting on this matter.

I was forwarded the Kirkland Campaign/Brent Leatherwood “response” to the @hotmail email by one of my readers, as well as the @hotmail email itself.

I have to say, I am still shocked and appalled for several reasons.

First, I find it utterly reprehensible and dispicable that someone has taken my name- Westtennesseeconservative- and registered the same name under the hotmail email carrier, and then would sent a mass email containing a nasty personal attack against a good man in George Flinn.

Second, I find it utterly reprehensible and despicable that yet again, Brent Leatherwood and the Kirkland campaign have seen fit to call attention to and spread the filth under the guise of “denouncing” it.

When both emails- the @hotmail email and Leatherwood’s response went out, I was contacted almost immediatly by both the Flinn campaign manager and the Fincher campaign manager.

We discussed the situation and are all in agreement that the @hotmail email comes from either Brad Greer and the Kirkland IE campaign, or from within the Kirkland campaign itself, as we are aware that both were sent out only to the Kirkland for Congress email list.

There are several reasons why I suspect this. I will not speak for the Flinn or Fincher campaigns.

First, nobody from the Kirkland campaign has contacted me regarding this. it’s not like my email address and blog address are a secret.

Second, the Kirkland for Congress team has already shown that they have a penchant for internet thuggery by having Kirkland’s consulting firm, “The Stoneridge Group” buy the domain names http://www.stevenfincher.org, and http://www.stevenfincher,net, in addition to http://www.stephenfincherforcongress.net, http://www.stephenfincherforcongress.org, and http://www.stephenfincherforcongress.com

If you type any of the above domain names into your browser, or click on them, you are automatically redirected to votekirkland.com, Ron Kirkland’s campaign website. It may have been Kirklands consulting firm which did the deed, but the domain names were purchased with Kirkland campaign dollars.

Second, as shown with the alleged “campaign sign vandalism”, the Kirkland campaign and Brent Leatherwood have made accusations that it was “the other campaigns” who were the culprit of the vandalism of the signs, without showing any proof of such.

An allegation is a charge which is made under the assumption the one making the charge has proof to back it up.

An accusation which is made with no proof is a RUMOR.

For the record, I do not condone the personal smears contained in the @hotmail email, for any purpose, for any person. Such personal smears degrade the entire political process and shows a lack of substance and integrity with the one doing the smearing. It simply bears no relevance to the campaign, in any stretch of the imagination.

The Fincher campaign assures me that Fincher consultant Tommy Hopper is not the author of that email, nor is the source anyone related to the Fincher campaign.

I will also go on record and say that me- the REAL West Tennessee Conservative- is not Tommy Hopper, nor am I the source of the @hotmail email. I have never met Mr. Hopper, nor have I ever spoken with him.

I am simply a private citizen who has been blogging on the race for the 8th, and apparently have made enemies with the Kirkland camp for the truth I have posted about Kirkland’s involvement with the AMGA, and his support of the stimulus and Obamacare bills.

I do not recieve “inside information” from any of the campaigns. All of the information I have posted on my blog I have researched and found on my own.

If anyone within the Kirkland campaign has issue with what I have posted, they have forgone engaging in any discourse on the matter- I have not recieved any direct or indirect communication from anyone with the Kirkland campaign at all, through the entire campaign.

What we have seen out of the Kirkland Campaign and Brent Leatherwood is nothing more than junior-high style rumor-mongering, which goes hand in hand with thier “win at all costs” attitude.

It has long been my thought that when you represent an organization, your actions reflect not only on yourself, but also on the organization you represent, and these actions by the Kirkland campaign team only reflect on the candidate- Ron Kirkland.

You should be ahsamed of yourselves for a plethora of reasons- trying to use my blog name in a fraudlent attempt to smear a good man in George Flinn is just one.

I welcome any and all comments. please contact me via email at westtnconservative@gmail.com, or visit my blog at http://www.westtennesseeconservative.blogspot.com

Thank you Keith, once again, for your attention to this matter, and your relentless, dogged pursuit of facts.

Patriotically,

The REAL West Tennessee Conservative

“Kirkland Campaign Signs Vandalized By Kirkland Campaign Team As Publicity Stunt For First Day Of Early Voting”

“Insofar as a challenge to Fincher, however, the issue appears moot. Challenges to a candidate’s “bona fide” party status must be filed before the qualifying process is completed – and that happened back in April.

As state Republican party spokeswoman Kim Ketchel put it in an emailed response to a question: .”He is on the ballot as a Republican candidate, therefore he is a bona fide Republican.”

End of story.

Rob Allen

Thanks Keith for setting the record and Fincher’s campaign straight. They continue to lie and distort Kirkland’s record. It’s nice to see that someone is finally investigating Fincher’s record and not letting him just attack Kirkland about helping Dems while Fincher himself continues to vote for them.

And as for his donations, where are his donations to TN Republicans? Does he not support local/state Republicans? Kirkland has given thousands of dollars to LOCAL Republicans, yet the Fincher campaing continues to deceive people into thinking he’s a “closet” Democrat.

http://www.campaignmoney.com/political/contributions/steve-fincher.asp?cycle=04

Hypocrite.

Fincher’s ship is sinking. Every man for himself.