TFT Archives

In October, the Joint Select Committee on Business Taxes held six field hearings outside of Nashville to get input from citizens around the state on the current tax debate.  The Committee held three hearings in West Tennessee at Jackson, Martin, and Memphis, plus three hearings in East Tennessee at Johnson City, Knoxville, and Cleveland.

After getting the information about the field hearings (only a few days beforehand), TFT quickly turned around and got the word out to member groups and individuals across the state and organizing a strong response.   That work paid off at all six hearings where supporters of reform greatly outnumbered opponents.

West Tennessee Hearings:

™The West Tennessee Field Hearings were a great success for moving forward on the work for tax justice in Tennessee,å declaired TFT vice-chair, Harrell Carter, who attended the Jackson hearings.  In total, there were about 600 people in attendence at the three West Tennessee hearings combined.  As well, over 45 people testified at those hearings.  Of all these speakers only four or five spoke out against tax reform, even though the hearings were broadly advertised through over 500 press releases as being open to the public. 

After an introduction of the Legislative Committee at each location, Bill Fox, of UT, and John Morgan, the State Comptroller, gave very well prepared analysis of the state's budget crisis and options for restoring our state to fiscal health. 

TFT members came out in numbers and many spoke eloquently of the need for reform.  A few highlights from the organizational and individual members who testified at the West Tennessee hearings:

• Father William Parhamin of St. Mary¬s Catholic Church in Jackson brought out the moral/ethical dimension of the problem.
• Yvonne Williamson, new director of JONAH gave a stirring "call to action" speech on behalf of the poor of this state.
• Tony Garr with the Tenn. Health Care Campaign spoke about health care and the overall success of TennCare.  He made it plainly clear that TennCare was not the problem.
• Louis Donelson, a well-known Memphis attorney, entertained and enlightened all with his deep understanding of the history of this effort to address Tennessee¬s tax structure.
• James Fri, a Memphis business leader, spoke as a person who had been convinced of the need for tax reform many years ago because it would be good for business.
• Mary Stokely of the AARP told the legislature that if they would take action to make the tax system more progressive, that their group would fully back them up.
• Harriet Boone of the League of Women Voters, and Church Women United, and MIT graduate and teacher for 30 years spoke about the economy moving to one of a "knowledge base" in the 21st century.  ™We can't be left behind as the world begins to value the mind,å Harriet stated in reference to Tennessee¬s grossly underfunded educational system (48th in the nation).

East Tennesse Hearings:

The hearings in East Tennessee were similarly successful.  All three were dominated by supporters of reform.
 

• In Johnson City, TFT supporter Lee Brown testified while another member, Rachel Bliss, was being interviewed by a local TV station just outside.
• In Knoxville, members packed the room as one after the other testified, including Shirley Keller with the League of Women Voters, Rick Held speaking for TFT, Joyce Judge with the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill of Tennessee, Bob Becker with the Tennessee Industrial Renewal Network, and Mac Simpson, a retired UT professor.
• In Cleveland, TFT member Larry Ingle, a retired UTC professor testified shortly before the spokesperson from the Cumberland Center for Peace and Justice.

TFT staff and members passed out a LOT of materials and spoke at each place about ways that people could get involved with this issue and educate their groups to understand the problems and the solutions.  It was an excellent opportunity that TFT made full use of to strengthen the coalition state-wide.

Several members praised it as an excellent media opportunity as well.  Cable TV stations televised the hearings across the state and many newspapers covered them as well.  ™It was deeply reassuring to see the wide range of people who spoke in favor at each place.  I believe that many of these speakers were relatively new "converts" to the issue and that we are approaching a strong critical mass for tax reform in Tennessee,å concluded TFT staffer, Diane Saliba, after the hearings were over.