Beacon Center of Tennessee » Feature

An Unfair Exchange

editor — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:07:51 +0000

Amidst discussions in the state legislature about the implications of setting up a state healthcare exchange under the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act, the Beacon Center has published a policy insight outlining the myths vs. facts of a state-run exchange. Download the one-page insight at: http://www.beacontn.org/wp-content/uploads/An-Unfair-Exchange.pdf.

An Idea a Day: 51 Ideas for a Prosperous Tennessee

editor — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:00:18 +0000

Beacon Center Provides Legislature with 51 Ideas for a Prosperous Tennessee
Pamphlet offers a free market idea for each remaining legislative day of the General Assembly

NASHVILLE – The Beacon Center of Tennessee, founded as the Tennessee Center for Policy Research, today made available in electronic version its most recent publication, An Idea a Day: 51 Ideas for a Prosperous Tennessee. The second of its kind, the pamphlet offers one innovative free market idea for each remaining legislative day of the 107th General Assembly. Each idea is surmised in one brief sentence, followed by a link to original work published by the Beacon Center or contact information for more details.

Hardcopies of the pamphlet will be provided to each member of the General Assembly upon their return to session in January. The electronic version was sent to members and their staff today as the Legislature prepares for the second session of the 107th General Assembly.

“When lawmakers look for solutions that will expand individual liberty, return taxpayers’ hard-earned money to their pockets, and reduce the size and scope of government, they now have a place to turn,” said Justin Owen, the Beacon Center’s president & CEO. “We hope members of the General Assembly will frequently turn to this simple, concise resource as they conduct the people’s business.”

A new feature was added to the second edition of An Idea a Day, with a special emblem marking ideas that will create jobs and/or save taxpayers money. This makes it easier for lawmakers to identify those issues that are a top priority for taxpayers: job creation and tax cuts.

The electronic version of the pamphlet, complete with links to original Beacon Center work on the ideas offered, can be viewed by clicking here or visiting http://www.beacontn.org/wp-content/uploads/An-Idea-a-Day-2012.pdf.

The Beacon Center of Tennessee’s mission is to change lives through public policy by advancing the principles of free markets, individual liberty, and limited government. The Center is an independent, nonprofit, and nonpartisan research organization committed to providing timely free market solutions to public policy issues in Tennessee.

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How Business-Friendly are Tennessee’s Cities?

editor — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 15:33:17 +0000

NASHVILLE – The Beacon Center of Tennessee, the state’s free market think tank, today announced the results of its annual ranking of the state’s 50 most populous cities. Founded as the Tennessee Center for Policy Research, the Beacon Center analyzes cities’ friendliness to business each year based on a number of factors.

This year’s Most Business-Friendly City is the East Tennessee town of Farragut. The city is the first to receive the distinction twice, having first been awarded the title in the Beacon Center’s inaugural rankings in 2006. Later this month, the Center will present Farragut officials with a plaque commemorating the honor.

The study, titled How Business-Friendly are Tennessee’s Cities?, scores each city in three categories that reflect a commitment to encouraging business success and fostering an entrepreneurial spirit. Those categories are Economic Vitality, Business Tax Burden, and Community Allure.

Farragut has consistently ranked toward the top, finishing first in 2006 and second in last year’s rankings. In 2011, its job performance and low tax burden give it the state’s most business-friendly climate.

“Farragut has maintained a solid commitment to low taxes and an inviting economic policy,” said the Beacon Center’s President & CEO Justin Owen. “The city’s dedication to business growth has paid off, leading it to the top of the business-friendly rankings in 2011.”

The city lacks a property tax, has a low crime rate, and has witnessed strong job growth compared to other cities. It finished first in the Business Tax Burden category with a perfect score, third in Economic Vitality, and eighth in the less-weighted category of Community Allure, pulling well ahead of the second ranked city of Brentwood. Franklin, Mt. Juliet, and Spring Hill round out the top five

“This award is a reflection of Farragut’s commitment to creating a business-friendly climate free of stifling taxes and restrictive regulatory burdens,” Owen said. “We applaud the local elected officials and business leaders for earning the distinction as Tennessee’s Most Business-Friendly City for the second time in just six years.”

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Memphis, Brownsville, Martin, Dyersburg, and Tullahoma rank in the bottom five for business-friendliness in 2011.

The full report, along with the ranking of each of Tennessee’s 50 most populous cities, can be found at http://www.beacontn.org/wp-content/uploads/How-Business-Friendly-are-Tennessees-Cities-in-2011.pdf.

The Beacon Center of Tennessee is an independent, nonprofit, and nonpartisan research organization committed to achieving a freer, more prosperous Tennessee. Through research and advocacy, the Beacon Center seeks to advance the principles of free markets, individual liberty, and limited government.

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Nashville regulations play “A Burdensome Tune” for entrepreneurs

editor — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 15:31:19 +0000

New report shows how stringent rules harm many local small business owners

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Center for Policy Research issued a policy report today exposing how Nashville’s regulatory environment harms local entrepreneurs and small businesses. The report, titled A Burdensome Tune, analyzes the litany of rules and restrictions placed on home-based businesses, street and food truck vendors, sidewalk salesmen, taxi drivers, valet service operators, and auctioneers.

These often-unnecessary regulations are harming thousands of Nashville residents. Despite the fact that roughly 13,000 of its residents work from home, Nashville is one of the most unfriendly cities in the nation when it comes to home-based businesses. For instance, Pat Raynor, a widow, cannot establish a small hair salon in her own residence because city regulations prohibit any home-based business from serving customers at home.

Street and food vendors also get caught in a tangled web of regulations in the Music City. Tim Smith, who sells sunglasses to tourists during large events such as the annual CMA Festival, recently lost more than $10,000 in income due to the arbitrary enforcement of vague rules imposed by the city government.

As if the current regulatory environment was not burdensome enough, the Metro Nashville Traffic & Parking Commission will meet this afternoon to propose stringent new regulations on the city’s food truck vendors. With the recent recession limiting job opportunities, more than 70 entrepreneurs have opened food trucks in Nashville, serving everything from tacos to hamburgers, to the delight of Nashville residents and tourists. In an effort to protect more powerful brick and mortar businesses, the commission is seeking to impose onerous and unnecessary regulations on these entrepreneurs.

“The red tape spewing out of Metro Government must be cut,” said TCPR President Justin Owen. “Home-based business owners, street vendors, food truck operators, and other Nashville entrepreneurs have a right to earn an honest living, free from arbitrary and needless government regulations.”

Competitors of these entrepreneurs frequently try to curb competition by promoting rules and regulations that make it nearly impossible for a small-scale entrepreneur to thrive.

“Powerful businesses often use government as a blunt instrument of force to harm and in some cases even shut down their competition, typically under the guise that the regulations are necessary to protect the health, safety, or welfare of citizens,” Owen said. “However, as A Burdensome Tune shows, legal recourse already exists to protect the health and safety of Nashville residents without putting people out of business.”

The report, which can be downloaded at http://www.tennesseepolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/A-Burdensome-Tune.pdf, offers five solutions that would alleviate the burdens on local entrepreneurs, moves that would benefit not just them, but also the entire Nashville community.

The Tennessee Center for Policy Research is an independent, nonprofit, and nonpartisan think tank committed to achieving a freer, more prosperous Tennessee. Through research and advocacy, the Center promotes policy solutions grounded in the principles of free markets, individual liberty, and limited government.

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TCPR offers solution to protect taxpayers and small businesses

editor — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 18:00:29 +0000

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Center for Policy Research today released a policy brief outlining a proposal to improve the process for calculating the cost of state legislation. TCPR senior fellow and former state Rep. Donna Barrett authored the brief, titled Accurately Calculating the Cost of Tennessee Legislation.

The brief will be provided to legislative leaders in an effort to encourage them to review and revise the currently flawed process for calculating fiscal notes, which are cost analyses attached to every bill filed in the General Assembly.

Among the proposed changes, Barrett calls for the process to include an analysis on the impact legislation has on the private sector. Currently, only the impact on state tax revenues or expenditures is calculated, yet legislation almost always impacts the private sector, often in a negative way.

“Although small businesses are the backbone of our economy, lawmakers never consider the impact their actions will have on these job creators,” said Barrett. “It’s time to revise the fiscal note process to protect taxpayers and small businesses alike.”

The brief further calls for more stringent calculations that would protect taxpayers’ hard-earned money more than the current process affords.

“When lawmakers rely on a flawed process for calculating the cost of proposed legislation, taxpayers often get left holding the bag,” said TCPR president Justin Owen. “I appreciate the work Rep. Barrett has done to identify and offer a solution to this glaring problem, and I look forward to the opportunity to work with her and legislative leaders to implement the proposals.

The brief can be downloaded at: http://www.tennesseepolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/Accurately-Calculating-the-Cost-of-Tennessee-Legislation.pdf.

Prior to joining the Tennessee Center for Policy Research as a senior fellow, Barrett served in the Tennessee House of Representatives for ten years. During her tenure, she was heavily involved in reviewing the cost of proposed legislation as a member of the House Fiscal Review Committee and chairman of the House Republican Caucus Bill Review Committee.

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2011 Pork Report uncovers $371 million in government waste

editor — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 18:25:14 +0000

NASHVILLE, TN – The Tennessee Center for Policy Research today released its 2011 Tennessee Pork Report, exposing that state and local governments across Tennessee wasted $371 million over the past year. For the sixth consecutive year, Tennessee’s premier free market think tank partnered with taxpayer watchdog Citizens Against Government Waste to document waste, fraud, and abuse at all levels of Tennessee government.

Examples of wasteful spending outlined in the 2011 Pork Report include:

$140 million to pay a European company to relocate to Memphis;
$14.5 million on an unnecessary solar energy program run by the state;
$2.5 million to provide tax credits to Nissan Leaf purchasers, which could lead to an increase in state gas taxes;
$131,000 to send utility district employees on exotic trips around the globe; and
$95,000 wasted by Nashville’s criminal court clerk who only works three days each week.

“Yet again, state and local governments failed to live up to taxpayers’ expectations by wasting their hard-earned money,” said Justin Owen, president of the Tennessee Center for Policy Research. “With our economy in dire straits, the last thing government officials should be doing is offering handouts to corporations, dreaming up whimsical environmental programs, and using taxpayer money for their personal use. It’s time for them to become better stewards of Tennesseans’ money.”

In addition to exposing wasteful government spending habits, the report also offers three effective solutions to eliminate waste and promote more responsible, transparent government. The report serves as an informative and valuable resource for policymakers and taxpayers alike.

“Tennesseans should arm themselves with the Pork Report and hold their elected officials accountable for government waste,” said Ben Cunningham, spokesman for Tennessee Tax Revolt, who participated in the report’s release. “Only then can we truly cut the fat in government.”

The litany of examples of government waste, fraud, and abuse in the 2011 Pork Report come from state and local government budgets, media reports, appropriations bills, state audits, and independent research conducted by the Tennessee Center for Policy Research.

An electronic version of the report can be found at: http://www.tennesseepolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2011-Tennessee-Pork-Report.pdf. Hardcopies can be purchased by calling (615) 383-6431 or emailing info@tennesseepolicy.org.

The Tennessee Center for Policy Research is an independent, nonprofit and nonpartisan research organization committed to achieving a freer, more prosperous Tennessee through the ideas of liberty. Citizens Against Government Waste is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.

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TCPR launches campaign to end lawsuit abuse

editor — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 14:30:10 +0000

NASHVILLE, TN – Key changes to the state’s civil justice system could create an average of 30,000 jobs a year, provide health insurance for 67,000 more Tennesseans, give greater access to much needed medical care, and result in legal settlements that are more in line with actual harm done, say representatives for Focus577, a campaign launched today to educate citizens about the need for reform in civil lawsuits.

Lawsuit abuse reform, or tort reform, is quickly becoming a hot topic for the Tennessee General Assembly. Based on similar legislation passed in other states including Mississippi and Texas, proponents argue that reducing lawsuit abuse will lead to a more fair and just system, as well as boost the state’s economy.

Focus577, named for the potential of 577 new jobs created each week through reform, is being launched by the Tennessee Center for Policy Research, an independent, nonprofit, and nonpartisan think tank. The goal of Focus577 is to educate Tennesseans of the positive legal and economic impact that lawsuit abuse reform has had in other states.

“The facts speak for themselves,” said Justin Owen, Tennessee Center for Policy Research president. “Independent academics and researchers have studied states that have passed various types of reform ranging from non-economic and punitive damages caps to class action reform. Based on the measurable outcomes in those areas, there’s no question that Tennesseans could best be served by lawsuit abuse reform through job creation, availability of health insurance, greater access to medical care, and an overall improved quality of life for them and their families.”

According to a new study, Lawsuit Abuse Reform in the Volunteer State, released today by the Tennessee Center for Policy Research:

With lawsuit abuse reform, Tennessee can create an average of 30,000 jobs each year. That’s 577 jobs every week.
Reform could allow as many as 67,000 uninsured Tennesseans to finally obtain health insurance.
Forty-seven counties in Tennessee currently lack an emergency doctor. Reform could bring an emergency doctor to at least five or six of these counties, a much needed infusion of doctors in areas that must now do without.
If lawsuit abuse reform had been enacted in 2000, the state could have produced an additional $895 million in health care revenue, $611 million in durable goods manufacturing, and an additional $806 million in the retail trade industry in Tennessee over the ensuing decade. That’s more than $2.3 billion in additional production lost due to abusive lawsuits.

Owen stressed that lawsuit abuse reform isn’t about taking away the rights of citizens to file suit or limit their access to the courts. “When an individual or a business does wrong, they should be held accountable,” said Owen. “Unfortunately, our current civil justice system is rigged to allow trial lawyers to prey off both plaintiffs and defendants.”

“Our goal is to help people understand the benefits of making changes that would curb frivolous lawsuits, unclog the system, diminish unjustified multi-million dollar judgments, and at the same time, protect innocent Tennesseans from trial lawyers’ predatory practices. By following the lead of other states that have implemented broad-based lawsuit abuse reform, Tennessee could reap significant economic and legal benefits while maintaining a fair, just legal system.”

The Tennessee Center for Policy Research will kick off the Focus557 campaign by hosting an educational forum for the public on Tuesday, February 22, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Vanderbilt University Commons Center, Room 237, 230 Appleton Place. Free parking is available in Lot 77 off the corner of 18th Avenue South and Horton Avenue. Click here for a map. For more information or to RSVP, call (615) 383-6431.

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TN should follow FL’s lead on education reform

editor — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 18:16:01 +0000

NASHVILLE, TN – Tennessee K-12 education has experienced a “lost decade”, while by comparison, a decade of revolutionary reforms has led to extraordinary K-12 achievement gains in Florida, according to a new study released today by the Indianapolis-based Foundation for Educational Choice and the Tennessee Center for Policy Research. “Lessons for Tennessee from Florida’s Education Revolution” is a primer for state leaders who want to improve education results, better serve families, and close the academic achievement gap.

The study compares critical fourth-grade reading scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). It found that Florida’s students, who ranked behind Tennessee in 1998, gained 20 points – the equivalent of two grade levels – to best Tennessee’s scores by nine points. Key among the study’s findings is that Florida’s Hispanic students on average are outperforming the statewide average of all Tennessee students on that test.

“Through its revolutionary, yet common-sense reforms, Florida has created a path to improvement that can work in Tennessee,” said Dr. Matthew Ladner, the study’s author, who noted that fourth-grade reading results are a reliable, commonly accepted predictor of students’ future academic trajectory. “Florida established high standards, implemented innovative testing, ended social promotion of illiterate students, rewarded effective teachers, and increased parental choice in schooling. Tennessee has done none of these, a fact that is sadly reflected in the state’s academic performance.”

In his research, Dr. Ladner found that Florida’s Hispanic students outperform or tie the statewide average of all students in 30 states, including Tennessee.

“This study and the state of Florida prove that it’s time to enact the reforms necessary to equip our children to succeed,” said Justin Owen, president of the Tennessee Center for Policy Research, a free market think tank in Nashville. “Florida’s example shows that remarkable gains across demographic and economic lines are possible when policies are in place that empower parents and teachers and hold schools accountable.”

In addition to gains by the state’s Hispanic students, the academic growth of Florida’s African American students is equally impressive. Over the past decade, African American students in Florida, on average, realized a 25-point gain in reading achievement, whereas African American students in Tennessee progressed by only four points. Moreover, Florida’s low-income students gained an astounding 27 points (equivalent to nearly three grade levels) to tie with the statewide average of all Tennessee students.

“This study is more proof of what we’re seeing across the nation,” Robert Enlow, president and CEO of the Foundation for Educational Choice, said. “When true reform occurs and parents are given the freedom to choose the education that’s best for their children, students are able to break through every barrier and truly excel. The real question is whether the adults making the decisions impacting Tennessee schools have the courage to do what’s right for the kids trapped in stagnant schools.”

About the Foundation for Educational Choice

The Foundation for Educational Choice is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and nonpartisan organization, solely dedicated to advancing Milton and Rose Friedman’s vision of school choice for all children. First established as the Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation in 1996, the foundation continues to promote school choice as the most effective and equitable way to improve the quality of K-12 education in America. The foundation is dedicated to research, education, and outreach on the vital issues and implications related to choice and competition in K-12 education.

About the Tennessee Center for Policy Research

The Tennessee Center for Policy Research is an independent, nonprofit, and nonpartisan research organization that provides solutions to public policy issues in Tennessee. The Center is committed to achieving a freer, more prosperous Tennessee by advancing the principles of free markets, individual liberty, and limited government.

About Dr. Matthew Ladner

Dr. Ladner is a Senior Fellow with The Foundation for Educational Choice. He is Vice President of Research for the Goldwater Institute and coauthor of the American Legislative Exchange Council’s Report Card on American Education: Ranking State K-12 Performance, Progress, and Reform.

Visit www.EdChoice.org/TNvsFL to read the full study.

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Job Creator of the Week

editor — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 19:21:06 +0000

Each week during the current session of the 107th Tennessee General Assembly, the Tennessee Center for Policy Research will offer a “Job Creator of the Week.” The job creator will be a public policy solution that TCPR has offered in one of its many publications that could potentially spur job creation in our state. Because Tennessee is experiencing a stagnant economy, now is a great time to focus on solutions that lead to job and economic growth, and our “Job Creator of the Week” will help state lawmakers do just that, while also promoting a free market solution to a current problem facing our state.

This week’s job creating solution is:

Golf Courses – Privatize state-run golf courses, allowing the private sector to make them profitable and saving taxpayers as much as $1.6 million every year

For more information about this issue, read our 2010 Tennessee Pork Report.

Past Job Creators:

Week 1: Wine in Grocery Stores – reform Tennessee’s wine laws to allow food stores to sell the product

Week 2: Charter Schools – expand opportunities for students to obtain a top-notch education by promoting the creation of new charter schools, including cyber school

Week 3: Lawsuit Abuse Reform – enact comprehensive tort reform to curb lawsuit abuse, spurring job and economic growth to the tune of 577 jobs every single week

Week 4: Hall Income Tax – repeal the Hall Income that deters investment in our state’s economy

Week 5: Death Tax – reduce or repeal the state inheritance and estate taxes that deter investment in our state’s economy

Week 6: Licensing Barriers – reduce the number of professions or occupations that require a license, freeing up entrepreneurs and small businesses to create jobs

Week 7: Titling Acts – make it unlawful for the state to hold a monopoly on occupational titles, which result in job-killing regulations

Week 8: Public-Private Partnerships – follow the lead of other states and pave the way for the private sector to contribute to the development of public transportation

Week 9: Cyber charter schools – eliminate the ban on cyber charter schools in Tennessee, creating teaching jobs while bringing additional digital learning opportunities to thousands of students

Week 10: Corporate Welfare – end the practice of subsidizing certain businesses with taxpayer money, which harms other businesses who do not receive the same preferential treatment

Week 11: Fiscal Restraint – Cut wasteful spending, allowing Tennesseans to keep more of their hard-earned money for investing and spending, spurring job growth

Legislators’ Guide to the Issues

editor — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 15:00:31 +0000

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Center for Policy Research today released the second edition of its Legislators’ Guide to the Issues. The guide is a 90-page resource for state lawmakers as they confront various policy issues during the 107^th General Assembly. A complimentary copy of the guide was provided to every state legislator.

“We are proud to provide a comprehensive policy guide to lawmakers for the second straight General Assembly,” said Justin Owen, president of the Tennessee Center for Policy Research. “No other publication offers a better roadmap to a freer, more prosperous Tennessee than our Legislators’ Guide to the Issues.”

The guide also contains citations to additional resources that lawmakers, the media, and citizens alike can use to educate themselves on a range of policy issues.

The first edition of the guide was essential at promoting common sense policy solutions in the state. The General Assembly advanced legislation related to nearly one-quarter of the 43 proposals in the first guide.

“Our first Legislators’ Guide served as an invaluable tool for state legislators, and we are confident that the new-and-improved guide will serve members of the 107^th General Assembly well as they conduct the people’s business,” said Owen.

An electronic copy of the Legislators’ Guide to the Issues can be found online at: www.tennesseepolicy.org or downloaded here. Those wishing to purchase a hardcopy can do so by emailing info@tennesseepolicy.org or calling (615) 383-6431.

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