The Young Republicans are dedicated to keeping our 18-40-year-olds engaged in politics, and providing conservative political leadership to our community.

Please come out for this family event and mix with fellow conservatives, including many of our elected officials and candidates.

Price:
$5 per person
FREE for kids 10 & under

Location:
Calvary Chapel Chattanooga
Google Directions: http://tinyurl.com/y8gc7mp

Date:
Saturday, May 1
8am – 11am

Please contact Brian Chaney for sponsorship opportunities, brianc@baclive.com

Coolidge Park is no exception.  On many weekends after dark, one can venture down off the Walnut Street Bridge and find hundreds of roving youths creating an atmosphere that fosters violent confrontations, gang activity, and illegal acts and is intimidating for outsiders.  Whether the result of “flash mobs” or not, the unruly crowds at Coolidge Park have been occurring for years, and they must stop.

However, Mayor Littlefield and his Administration have continued to ignore this problem.  Even now, when confronted with five people being shot, the Administration continues to make excuses for why they have failed to prevent the rise of violent crime throughout Chattanooga.  Whether because of fear, politicking, or simply refusing to take public safety seriously, the Administration continues to let the situation grow out of control until shootings are a nightly centerpiece on every local news channel.

What can be done?  Taking proactive measures to make Coolidge Park safer will go a long way toward improving the public safety of the entire city.

First, Mayor Littlefield must make a commitment to put more officers on the ground in Coolidge Park.  No amount of money spent on expensive cameras and other technology can actually prevent crime to the same degree uniformed and armed patrolmen can.  The police presence must be visible and vigilant, and our safety should not be left up to only unarmed security personnel.  Stronger police patrols will deter wrongdoers and rowdy crowds, and provide a comforting presence to families at the park.

Second, large crowds of unruly youths should be stopped before they form. These crowds, even if they are not always gangs, certainly constitute an unlawful assembly.  Police should enforce the laws on the books to prevent large crowds from forming and getting out of hand.  If the present laws are not robust enough to prevent this kind of assembly, then legislation with teeth should be passed to prevent violent crowds from forming.

Third, create a pro-family, business friendly environment in the park and surrounding area. Coolidge Park is one of the premier family gathering places in Chattanooga, and it should be so even after dark.  Install better lighting in the park, and in the surrounding alleys and parking lots.  Encourage businesses to stay open later.  Hold more organized activities in the park in the evenings.

Fourth, immediately rescind the city-wide prohibition on lawfully carrying handguns in city parks.  The laws clearly do not prevent crime.  The shooters did not have carry permits and were carrying illegally regardless of park regulations.  The city should not be in the business of emasculating law-abiding citizens by preventing permit holders from carrying in the park.  Rescinding the law would go a long way in making our parks safer places.  And to be clear, Citizens should not take the law into their own hands, but should be able to defend themselves as a last resort if they are unable to remove themselves from a violent situation.

Fifth, eliminate violence by better identifying at-risk youth and creating environments through non-profits, churches, and other concerned citizen groups to deter such behavior.  Provide stronger support for court-sponsored diversion programs and after school mentoring programs.

Finally—and most importantly—Mayor Littlefield and his Administration must immediately take full responsibility for the recent violence and vow to take active, decisive measures to eliminate crime from the Park and rest of the city.  The Mayor must acknowledge the problem and address it head-on before there can be any hope of a safer Chattanooga.  He, and our other elected officials must use the Bully Pulpit to acknowledge the problem proactively, not defend it reactively.  If he is not willing to do this, then the road to safety will be a much longer, more painful, and we can expect many more news reports of violence in our City.

As Republicans, we remain skeptical of relying solely on government to correct our problems.  However, if we believe that government has any responsibility at all, it is to first and foremost provide for the public safety.  This responsibility for change goes beyond city leaders, though, and we must ask what can be left to the private sector to promote a safer environment in Coolidge Park and across Chattanooga.  What steps can North Shore merchants take to encourage responsible enjoyment of the park and surrounding areas?  What can citizen groups do to increase the safety of the park while keeping government spending to a minimum?  How can each one of us give a little of our time to positively impact at-risk youth?

Chattanooga has always been about families.  If we want that to continue, we must all take responsibility to stop the violence.

Written by member Scott Maucere of Maucere Law Group

Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen has made no secret about his opposition to the healthcare bill currently before Congress. He stated last summer that he fears that, under this bill, Congress would bestow upon the states “the mother of all unfunded mandates.” Nevertheless, Representative Bart Gordon, of Tennessee’s sixth district, has decided that he will join the Democrats and vote for this fiscally irresponsible bill.

Rep. Gordon should listen to Governor Bredesen on this bill, based on Tennessee’s extraordinary difficultieswith our own attempts to obtain universal health coverage. In 1993, Tennessee enacted its TennCare program on the promise that it would provide healthcare to all state residents who need it, regardless of pre-existing conditions. The plan, which was sold as a cost savings bill, quickly spiraled out of control. GovernorBredesen himself has lamented that when he took office it was growing by 15% a year, and that Tennessee, normally a very low cost of living state, has developed the most expensive Medicaid program in the country. The program once took up one full third of the state’s budge

In 2005, Bredesen was forced to downsize the program by 170,000 adults and reduce the benefits for many more. The program was, as he put it, “a disaster.” And the governor says that the current national plan reminds him of just that disaster.

Not only is this bill fiscally irresponsible, but it also flies in the face of the public that Rep. Gordon purports to represent. Poll after poll has shown that Americans do not want this bill, yet Rep. Gordon chooses to ignore the will of his constituents. Tennesseeans have been protesting this decision at his office.

Representative Gordon should recognize that there is a better way. The GOP has made numerous recommendations that would lead to real reform in a fiscally responsible way. For example, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that tort reform could save $54 billion dollars over the next ten years, which would make health insurance and health care affordable to millions more Americans. Similarly, the Republicans would like to change the system to allow consumers to purchase insurance across state lines. This would allow consumers to bypass costly mandates that make insurance unaffordable and seek out only the coverage that they need, not the coverage thatgovernment bureaucrats think they should have.

Representative Gordon, we at the Hamilton County Young Republicans hope that you will reconsider your decision to vote for this costly and irresponsible bill and, considering the lessons of TennCare and the will of your constituents, will tell Nancy Pelosi that you will NOT support this bill.

For more information about the Hamilton County Young Republicans, please visit our website at http://www.hcyrs.com/.
Representative Gordon’s office can be contacted at http://gordon.house.gov/contact/index.shtml.

The Hamilton County Young Republicans are hosting the Southside Jazz Shakedown. We have two Jazz bands lined up, delicious finger food, an opportunity to hear from GOP congressional and gubernatorial candidates…and all for FREE. We will have a cash bar and soft drinks.

Please invite your friends to be a part of this night…everyone is invited. This is not just an event for hardcore Republicans, this is a fun night with a chance to meet the men and women running for office.

Come out, have fun, be an informed voter!

Sign up on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=292868786880&ref=mf

Bands:
Kenny Cook
Smooth Flight Jazz

Price:
FREE

Date/Time:
February 19th
7pm to 11pm

Finger foods, Cash Bar, and Soft Drinks.

This meeting is going to be a great opportunity for those of you who have not been very involved in the YRs or are looking to give input in to the club. I want to review what we have done in the past and have a conversation about where we are headed this year.

We will be meeting on January 28th, 6:30pm at Abuelo’s Mexican Food Embassy (outside of Hamilton Place Mall). Invite a friend and we will see you out there!

So far this year we have heard from 3 candidates for Zach Wamp’s district 3 congressional seat: Robin Smith (as TNGOP Chair, before she declared), Sheriff Tim Gobble, and Chuck Fleischmann. We continue with Mr Crangle, who you can read more about on his website.

Please plan on coming out, invite your friends. This is a unique, intimate setting to talk with and hear from these candidate. Don’t miss out!

I am overwhelmed with the positive response I’ve received from the party with their support, including a $200 check from State Representative Richard Floyd, and other verbal commitments of financial support for our next event.

We will keep on truckin’ and are already setting up our next event and the County Christmas party (hosted by the YRs). Thank you so much for your support in all of this…we have a lot to do to be ready for next year’s important elections!

But don’t think this will be your usually, stuffy political event…we will have Jazz music all night from Kenny Cook and Smooth Flight Jazz, a cash bar, finger food, and plenty to do.

Order tickets online here!

Our meeting is Aug 27th, 6:30pm at Abuelo’s Mexican Food Embassy, outside of Hamilton Place Mall. As always, bring a friend, get to know the candidate, and fellowship with your fellow Young Republicans. Bring a friend and we will see you out there!