Randy McNally
John Ragan
This year’s monthly “Breakfast with the Legislators” starts Monday, Jan. 28.
The series is held at the Oak Ridge Civic Center on the last Monday of each month while the Tennessee General Assembly is in session each year. It’s sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge, and it gives residents a chance to meet local representatives and ask questions about legislative issues.
Former state Rep. Gene Caldwell earned $1,000 as one of three finalists for an AARP community service award, and he donated the money to the Emory Valley Center, a press release said.
The money will be used to help replace an Emory Valley Center building that will be demolished, the press release said. The center is raising money to replace the 55-year-old building, which serves intellectually and developmentally disabled children and adults in East Tennessee, and Caldwell is co-chairing the capital campaign.
Caldwell was one of three finalists for the 2012 AARP Tennessee Andrus Award for Community Service, which earned him $1,000 for the charity of his choice, the press release said.
“This is about leaving a legacy for our most vulnerable citizens, many of whom were my patients,” said Caldwell, who is also a retired pediatrician. “To see them find identities, friendships, and meaningful work changes their outlook and behavior—and it lifts a tremendous burden from the hearts of their parents.”
Tennessee Rep. John Ragan, an Oak Ridge Republican, nominated Caldwell for the award, saying he “has been a tireless advocate for children, seniors and the disabled, and has contributed immeasurably to his community.”
Emory Valley Center President Jennifer Enderson said the AARP recognition was well-deserved.
“Emory Valley Center is so thankful for all that Dr. Caldwell has done on behalf of the center,” she said. “He is truly amazing.”
The press release said this is the second year that AARP has given money to charities chosen by the top three Andrus award finalists. Caldwell was among more than 30 people from across the state nominated for the award.
“As someone who has known Dr. Caldwell for years and has seen the work he has done for his community and this state, it was an honor to recognize him for his commitment and passion for helping others,” said AARP Tennessee Communications Director Karin Miller, who presented the check on Friday.
Anyone wishing to donate to the EVC Capital Campaign may mail a contribution to P.O. Box 5328, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, or go online to www.emoryvalleycenter.com.
Tennessee Rep. John Ragan, an Oak Ridge Republican, pictured at right, and Liz Ragan, his wife, celebrate the legislator’s re-election to the Tennessee House at the Buffalo Mountain Grille on Tuesday night.
It was a good night for incumbents in five local races in Oak Ridge and the Tennessee House and Senate. With one exception, they were all re-elected.
Chuck Hope and Charlie Hensley had hundreds of votes to spare as they easily won re-election to Oak Ridge City Council. Keys Fillauer and Angi Agle, the two incumbents on the Oak Ridge Board of Education, also coasted to victory.
Tennessee Rep. John Ragan, an Oak Ridge Republican, won a narrower victory over former Rep. Jim Hackworth, a Clinton Democrat. Ragan received 699 more votes than Hackworth, according to unofficial results. He finished ahead by 51.4 percent to 48.6 percent.
The one newcomer elected Tuesday was Trina Baughn. She will join Hope and Hensley to serve on Council.
Gone will be incumbent Ellen Smith, who was soundly defeated. Hope and Baughn each finished ahead of Smith by more than 2,000 votes, according to unofficial results in Anderson and Roane counties.
Baughn first campaigned for a City Council seat in an August special election, when she lost to Hope. Hope was appointed to Council last summer after former member Tom Hayes resigned.
Baughn and Hope both said the August special election helped prepare them for Tuesday’s municipal election.
Andrew McCulloch, right, signs in at the Midtown Community Center polling station on Tuesday. Also pictured are poll workers Margaret Terrell, left, and Jim Young.
The training paid off. Hope finished first Tuesday with 6,887 votes, and Baughn was second with 6,739, according to the unofficial results.
Baughn, a communications professional, credited hard work and the efforts of some 20 to 50 volunteers making phone calls and visiting voters.
“We knocked on doors, and we went to the voters,” said Baughn, who is perhaps best known for her newspaper columns and work challenging city and school system spending. “The supporters that I have are elated that I won.”
Top priorities for the new council member are controlling spending, lowering the property tax rate, and reducing the city’s debt.
Hope, owner of Chuck’s Car Care, was not available for comment late Tuesday night.
It was a disappointing night for Smith, who served one term on City Council. She collected 4,624 votes.
“The results are surprising, and I don’t understand them,” said Smith, a research staff member at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. “I was pretty roundly defeated.”
A fifth candidate, business executive and Oak Ridge planning commissioner Kelly Callison, finished fourth in the City Council race, with 5,450 votes.
David Hughes, left, supports presidential candidate Gary Johnson and Sherry Bath supports Oak Ridge Board of Education candidate Keys Fillauer at Midtown Community Center on Tuesday.
In the school board race, Agle and Fillauer both trounced Leonard Abbatiello, a former Oak Ridge City Council member, by more than 2,000 votes.
“I’m thankful that the people of Oak Ridge put the priority on students because that was the focus of my campaign and the focus of Keys’ campaign,” said Agle, who was battling for a third term.
Like Baughn, Agle credited door-to-door campaigning for her win, as well as her daily work during early voting and the newspaper articles she’s written during the past few years.
Now, she said, the first priority of the school board is to select a new superintendent, possibly on Dec. 8. Tom Bailey, the current superintendent, is retiring at the end of the year.
Agle said she also wants to continue making improvements in school curricula and student performance.
It was the second time Ragan and Hackworth ran against each other in the state’s 33rd District, which includes most of Anderson County. Ragan beat Hackworth in the 2010 election.
Jake Phillips supports Tennessee Rep. John Ragan at the Midtown Community Center polling station on Tuesday.
This year’s contest between the two men was one of a half-dozen key races in the Tennessee House of Representatives, and it was expected to help Republicans gain a supermajority.
“I knew it was a close race,” Ragan said in a Tuesday night celebration at Buffalo Mountain Grille in Oak Ridge. “It was a hard-fought race.”
Ragan, a retired Air Force pilot, said Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly have cut spending and taxes, and created a more job-friendly environment. Jobs and education will remain top priorities for him in the upcoming legislative session, Ragan said.
Another local incumbent who was re-elected was Oak Ridge City Judge Robert A. McNees III. He had no opposition.
Neither did Tennessee Sen. Ken Yager, who was re-elected in the 12th Senatorial District. Yager’s district includes Roane, Morgan, Rhea, Scott, Campbell, and Fentress counties.
In other elections, the vote on a liquor referendum to allow package stores to sell alcoholic beverages in Oliver Springs appeared to have been rejected, with 486 voting yes and 519 voting “no” in Anderson and Roane counties.
Three-quarters of Clinton voters agreed to move the city’s general elections from December of odd-numbered years to November of even-numbered years, when they will coincide with state and federal elections.
Republican Kent Calfee defeated Democrat Jack W. McNew by a 68.6 percent to 26.7 margin in Roane County for a chance to represent the 32nd District in the Tennessee House, according to unofficial Roane County results. The district includes Roane County and part of Loudon County.
Unofficial results showed Calfee, who beat the incumbent, Julia Hurley, in the August primary, had an even higher victory margin in Loudon County: 72.4 percent to 20.8.
Here are highlights of Tuesday’s unofficial results in Anderson and Roane counties:
Oak Ridge City Council
Hope—6,887
Baughn—6,739
Hensley—6,301
Callison—5,450
Smith—4,624
Oak Ridge Board of Education
Agle—7,738
Fillauer—7,495
Abbatiello—4,988
Tennessee House of Representatives, 33rd District:
Ragan, Oak Ridge Republican—12,825 (51.4 percent)
Hackworth, Clinton Democrat—12,126 (48.6 percent)
Oliver Springs liquor referendum (To allow retail package stores to sell alcoholic beverages in the city of Oliver Springs):
Yes—486
No—519
Clinton charter question (To move Clinton general elections from December of odd-numbered years to November of even-numbered years):
For—2,556 (75.7 percent)
Against—819 (24.3 percent)
Note: This story has been corrected to show new vote totals for Ragan and Hackworth.
Jim Hackworth
John Ragan
John Ragan and Jim Hackworth agree that jobs and education should be top priorities in the next legislative session in the Tennessee General Assembly.
For the most part, the agreement seems to end there. In recent forums, the candidates have clashed over voter identification laws, school vouchers, virtual and charter schools, and jobs and unemployment numbers.
The Tennessee Democratic and Republican parties and other supporters have taken an active role in the high-stakes battle, sending out press releases, letters, and glossy flyers bashing their opponents and praising their candidates.
The two men are running in one of a half-dozen key races in the Nov. 6 election. Both want to represent District 33 in the Tennessee House of Representatives. The district includes most of Anderson County.
The outcome will help decide whether Republicans gain a supermajority in the Tennessee House. If they do, they would be able to conduct business even if Democrats walk out.
Ragan, an Oak Ridge Republican, is a retired U.S. Air Force fighter pilot who beat Hackworth, a four-term legislator and former Anderson County commissioner, in the November 2010 election.
In a League of Women Voters forum this month, Hackworth, a Clinton Democrat, criticized Ragan for casting the only vote against House Bill 1329 in April 2011. That bill allows a court to prohibit anyone convicted of child abuse or aggravated child abuse from contacting a victim if the convict doesn’t have parental rights.
Ragan, who is completing his first term, said he campaigned for a smaller government, and there are already laws in place that do what HB1329 did, including the Tennessee Crime Victims Bill of Rights and the Tennessee Sex Offender Treatment Board Act.
“That law did nothing,” he said of HB1329. “I refuse to compromise my principles.”
The candidates were asked how to reduce bullying and make schools safer.
Ragan said there is no excuse for bullying, and teachers and administrators are responsible for ensuring it doesn’t happen. But courts have said educators can’t use those efforts to deprive students of their freedom of speech or religion, he said.
A child with glasses will probably be called “four eyes,” and one with braces may be nicknamed “metal mouth,” Ragan said. Schools don’t have the right to interfere beyond ensuring rights guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution, he said.
“We have to safeguard our liberties,” Ragan said.
Hackworth criticized Ragan’s legislative actions on anti-bullying bills, suggesting he is trying to take those initiatives back in time.
“Bullying is wrong,” Hackworth said.
Ragan said he supports the use of school vouchers in failing school systems. The vouchers, which can be used for private school tuition, would likely be used in very limited circumstances, Ragan said. If a school system is failing, the money is being wasted anyway, he said.
“We need to give them a way to get out of that,” Ragan said.
Hackworth disagreed.
“Vouchers do more harm than good to a failing school system,” he said. “If the system has problems, then you fix it.”
He also said he opposed to taking away money from public schools for charter schools.
“It’s to weaken public education to weaken the current system,” Hackworth said.
The candidates were asked about the reported low performance rankings of the new Tennessee Virtual Academy, an online school run by K12 Inc. in Virginia. It’s managed in Tennessee by Union County Schools.
Ragan was less critical of the overall effort. He said Tennessee has ranked in the bottom 20 percent of student achievement nationally for decades, and some students need to take classes not available in their local systems.
“Do we want to penalize them?” he asked. “We’ve got to change the status quo.”
If the virtual academy doesn’t perform well, Ragan said, the contract could be given to someone else.
Hackworth said virtual schools have some merit. However, the current system, heavily criticized by Democrats, allots about 5 percent of the public funding to the Union County school system, and the rest of the money goes out-of-state, he said.
“It’s taking money from our school systems,” Hackworth said during an Oak Ridge Education Association forum last month.
Hackworth said the online academy should have started as a pilot program.
“The virtual school has been, so far, a total failure,” Hackworth said.
Ragan supported a new photo ID law for voters, saying photo IDs are required to board an airplane or cash a check. Republicans have said the legislation was meant to combat voter fraud.
But Hackworth said the intent of the new law is voter suppression.
“It’s all about keeping people from turning out,” Hackworth said.
The two candidates tangled over state contracts with out-of-state companies. Ragan said he would continue to allow them, while Hackworth said he believes jobs and business opportunities should first be offered to Tennessee companies.
“The best bargain for the voter is the lowest bid,” Ragan said.
“We need to take care of Tennesseans and Anderson County (residents),” Hackworth said.
Ragan said he had helped cut taxes and reduced the state budget.
Hackworth said job creation is down under Ragan, claiming last year’s numbers were the lowest in a decade in Anderson County.
“Are you better off now than you were two years ago?” Hackworth asked. “The answer is no.”
But Ragan said the unemployment rate rose while Hackworth was in office, and Tennessee students ranked near the bottom in academic achievement.
“Our state deserves better,” he said.
Last year, TCAP and ACT scores rose across the state, Ragan said.
Early voting for the Nov. 6 election ends Thursday.
To the Editor:
I would like to recommend that citizens of Oak Ridge vote for the following three candidates for the reasons shown.
I have studied their publications, and have spoken with them independently.
I am not a member of any party, nor will I ever be. I continuously monitor the actions of our local government and vote on the best choices, considering the current issues. I encourage all my friends and subscribers that take the time to read this letter to vote for these people.
Trina Baughn—City Council
I have long waited for a Council candidate with such a fresh outlook and real understanding of what the real causes are of the pitiful economic situation that Oak Ridge is experiencing because of one fiasco after another.
I could hardly believe my eyes when I read her published statements in some articles in January, so I asked for a private meeting with her to query her deeply on her views. I was so impressed with her responses that I have worked with her on her campaign since February. She is the real deal.
She wants to:
All this, without sacrificing quality of life. This can be done. Her web site is trinabaughn.com.
Leonard Abbatiello—School Board
The ongoing rift between the city and the Board of Education is an embarrassment for the citizens of Oak Ridge. Leonard needs no introduction, as he was a long-time member of City Council. His campaign slogan says it all for me: “Uncommon Sense.”
What we used to think of simple common sense, is sorely needed today, and I believe Leonard will be a big factor in getting us back on track, controlling the educational system’s budget and ending the senseless rift.
John Ragan—State Representative District 33
As mentioned, I am not a member of any party. However, I am voting for Ragan because he is the best choice as it regards Oak Ridge (and Anderson County). Although I do not like the “bonding” of our legislators around party lines when the rubber meets the road, I am voting for John because I truly believe he will work to:
Robert Humphries
Oak Ridge
John Ragan
Perhaps illustrating the importance of the race, top state and national Republicans are showing their support for Rep. John Ragan, an Oak Ridge resident and GOP candidate seeking re-election to the Tennessee House of Representatives.
A first-term legislator, Ragan is opposed in the Nov. 6 election by Democrat Jim Hackworth, a Clinton Democrat who used to hold the seat but lost to Ragan in the 2010 election.
Democrats and Republicans have both said the race in Tennessee’s 33rd District, which includes much of Anderson County, is one of a half-dozen key contests in the state.
On Friday, the Tennessee House Republican Caucus announced that U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander will be in Clinton and Anderson County on Tuesday to support Ragan. Alexander will be joined by U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, a Tennessee Republican whose district includes Oak Ridge; Tennessee Sen. Randy McNally, an Oak Ridge Republican; and Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank.
“They will be meeting with Anderson County citizens and discussing plans for economic growth, the importance of fiscal responsibility, and the need to re-elect conservative state Rep. John Ragan,” a press release said.
They will meet at Hoskins Drug Store in Clinton from 2-3 p.m. Tuesday. Hoskins Drug Store is located at 111N. Main St. in Clinton.
Also this week, Republicans announced that top Tennessee officials had unanimously endorsed Ragan. The endorsements came from three top Republicans, Gov. Bill Haslam, Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, and Tennessee House Speaker Beth Harwell.
“Having strong leaders in the state legislature is incredibly important, and I can always count on John Ragan’s consistent conservative approach to tough issues,” Haslam said. “John has a true servant’s heart, and works hard on behalf of Anderson County every day.”
Ramsey said Ragan has worked closely with senators to create a better environment for business and served as a “voice of reform” on the House Education Committee. Harwell said Ragan’s wide range of military and business experience make him a vital part of the Republican team in Nashville.
The outcome of the contest between Ragan and Hackworth could help decide whether Republicans pick up a supermajority in the Tennessee House. That would allow them to conduct legislative business without Democratic support, and they could pass legislation even if Democrats walk out of session.
In June, a Republican campaign aide said Republicans now have 64 representatives in the 99-member Tennessee House of Representatives. They would have a supermajority if they pick up three seats, giving them 67 total members, said Holt Whitt, a member of the Republican Caucus field staff in Nashville.
Early voting for the Nov. 6 election began Wednesday and ends Nov. 1.
To the Editor:
Rep. John Ragan is campaigning against former representative Jim Hackworth to return to the Tennessee Legislature as “a proven leader” in the Tennessee House of Representatives. We think that this characterization of Rep. Ragan’s performance is grossly overstated, especially when compared with the record of Jim Hackworth in the same job.
During his term in office, Jim Hackworth championed the strong anti-bullying law that Caitlin Nolan, a local Oak Ridger, sponsored. During John Ragan’s term, he actively opposed a new bill designed to strengthen Caitlin’s original bill. Successful opposition would have resulted in severely weakening protection against bullies. We need much better vision than this from our leaders! Rep. Ragan’s explanation for his vote, saying that he was voting on the principle that it is an unnecessary law is poor in this case.
Rep. Ragan claims leadership in bringing new jobs into Anderson County. He has indeed brought in 249 new jobs during 2011 (23rd in the state). Anderson County averaged 1062 new jobs per year during Rep. Hackworth’s eight years of service, placing Anderson County regularly in the top 10 in the state. We don’t see convincing evidence that Rep. Ragan himself has been effective in job creation!
Rep. Ragan has voted for a number of bills in the House of Representatives that are patently self serving: SB1915, Increases Contribution Limits to Campaigns; HB1555 State House Redistricting; and SB1514 State Senate Redistricting. These bills do not advance the public interest and will lead to poorer government. We do not see this type of support as an example of leadership representing everyone in District 33.
We urge the voters of District 33 to return Jim Hackworth to the Tennessee House of Representatives in order to have the benefits of superior leadership!
Dorothy and Robert Hightower
Oak Ridge
Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett will tour Anderson County on Wednesday with Rep. John Ragan, stopping at the Emory Valley Center in Oak Ridge and at a town hall meeting in Lake City.
The Emory Valley Center tour begins at 11 a.m. The town hall starts at 1:30 p.m. at the Lake City Town Hall,195 South Main Street. It’s hosted by Anderson County commissioners Tim Isbel and Zach Bates. A range of issues will be discussed, from the Nov. 6 election to Tennessee’s business climate, a press release said.
The release said Hargett plans to stop by county libraries and small businesses in Clinton and Lake City as well.
“All Anderson County residents are invited to attend,” the press release said.
John Ragan
At 13, I cashed my first paycheck. I still keep it in a scrapbook at my house with other special mementos.
After finishing the chores on my family’s farm, my parents let me travel down our country road to a neighbor’s dairy farm. I helped clean the barns and feed the cows. My reward for my efforts was a dollar an hour.
That $10 check, and the hard work that earned it, has always been a great source of pride for me.
The Emory Valley Center in Oak Ridge makes that experience possible for intellectually and physically disabled adults and children in 16 counties, principally Anderson, Knox, Morgan, Roane, Campbell, Scott, Monroe, and Loudon.
In addition to providing physically and intellectually disabled people with a sense of purpose and pride, EVC is one of the best values for Tennesseans. The institution provides employment options to individuals who would, otherwise, find it difficult to support themselves through work.
Although the state pays a portion of the center’s expenses, another source of funding comes from the earnings of the working adults who have benefited from EVC’s services. Tennessee also receives a return investment through the sales taxes that the center’s patrons pay. The Emory Valley Center helps create contributing Tennesseans, who derive the same sense of self-worth from their work that the able-bodied members of our community sometimes take for granted.
In September, I was proud to join the staff of EVC, Gov. Bill Haslam, Tennessee House Speaker Beth Harwell, Congressman Chuck Fleischman, and Tennessee Sen. Randy McNally in celebration. The Appalachian Regional Commission awarded EVC with a much-deserved grant. These funds will jump-start construction on a new facility that will replace EVC’s half-a-century-old center for educational, vocational, and rehabilitation programs for 140 disabled adults and 400 children.
The state is not alone in funding a new EVC facility. Additional private donations have totaled more than $200,000.
According to Dr. Gene Caldwell, co-chair of the Capital Campaign, through public and private funding, EVC has raised two-thirds of the money needed to build. The focus now is on raising the last of the funds needed for funding construction and essential educational and training equipment.
With a new home, EVC can contribute to the economy of the region to an even greater extent than the old facility has previously permitted.
Last session, our legislature heard many proposals to fund public programs. Few of these proposals served as worthy a mission as the Emory Valley Center. I know that EVC serves a vital purpose, and I am committed to helping EVC through my service to the Tennessee House of Representatives.
I challenge the members of our community to learn more about the center, to tell your friends, family and colleagues about its mission, take a tour, and, if you are able, to financially contribute to the Emory Valley Center’s Capital Campaign. Anyone wishing to donate to the EVC Capital Campaign may do so by mailing a contribution to P.O. Box 5328, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, or by logging on to www.emoryvalleycenter.com.
For additional questions or to arrange a tour, please contact Robin Biloski at (865) 201-5361. All funds will go directly to the new replacement building and to the programs that help all East Tennesseans move upward.
John Ragan is an Oak Ridge Republican who represents the 33rd District in Anderson County in the Tennessee House of Representatives.
The implications of the attacks on the 11th of September over a decade ago still reverberate throughout our nation. Indeed, the murder of nearly 3,000 American citizens who were simply going about their daily lives has left a scar on our national psyche that will be with us for many decades to come.
Unfortunately, this assault was not the first time in modern history Americans were attacked on their home soil. It was, however, the first major attack motivated by something other than military strategy.
Terry Frank
Business owner Terry Frank, a Clinton Republican, has an early voting lead over attorney Warren Gooch, an Oak Ridge Democrat, in the race for Anderson County mayor, according to early results posted Thursday evening on the Anderson County Election Commission website.
Results continue to be tabulated, but Frank has been collecting about 56 or 58 percent of the early, absentee, and election day votes, compared to about 42 to 44 percent for Gooch.
Also taking an early lead was City Council candidate Charles J. “Chuck” Hope Jr., who had about 58 percent of the vote around 8:42 p.m., compared to 42 percent for Trina Baughn.
Jim Hackworth
No issue weighs heavier on people right now than the economy. Tennesseans are angry and fearful. They’re worried the American Dream is disappearing for their families because of the lack of good jobs in our communities.
They’ve seen friends, neighbors, and family members lose jobs through no fault of their own and small businesses shut down because there is no one left to buy their goods and services. People are waiting desperately to hear common sense solutions from the politicians running our state and our country. They are eager to see our East Tennessee conservative values used to make decisions that affect their daily lives.
