macville

While I can control how much dividends I get through the stock of my company, many people cannot. That makes it very difficult to plan for taxes when your income suddenly goes up due to a good year on the stock market. Besides that, a 15% tax on all dividends is by far the most fair way to tax anyhow. The government is supposed to treat everyone with equal protection under the law, but hey, if you make more money, you don't get the equal tax rate. But I also don't believe success should be punished like we currently do with the tax code. But politicians have been really successful in making the masses believe that being successful is somehow evil so they can pick the pockets easier. Your last statement is not true in my case. I am my business. I go out and make ALL the money for my corporation (which is co-owned with me by my wife) So any dividends I take from my company was earned through my labor. This is the same for many small businesses.

So I had a friend, who is very very liberal, post a KNS article about the new Hall Tax law that was passed and signed by Haslam. I replied that for me, as a business owner, a reduction in Hall Tax is not only fair, but better for me. Of course, another liberal who has no clue what he's talking about replied that what does the Hall Tax have to do with business owners? Well, only that most businesses in TN are stock based, so most businesses can pay out dividends to stock owners if it wishes. Since most small businesses are LLC's or Sub S, this is very important. Another great comment from this guy, "You don't create jobs, demand does." That's false because some businesses DO create jobs AND demand, not just meet demand (my business does both). Then he said that any smart accountant can get past the $1250 limit on the Hall Tax by simply paying out as a bonus. I pointed out that you'd still pay 15.2% FICA tax, federal income tax, state business & unemployement tax, and local business tax on that bonus. My wife also just pointed out that bonuses are actually taxed at a higher tax rate than your normal income tax rate, so it's a really bad idea to do it that way if you can pay out dividends. I honestly wonder if most people have any clue how businesses work at all. Do most employees understand that a business pays an extra 7.6% on all their wages? That they also pay another % in unemployement on all their wages? Or that many businesses pay a % for workers comp on all their wages? Or that a business pays tax on every single piece of equipment used in their business each year? Every machine, desk, computer, chair, etc. owned by the business. Roughly on every dollar a business pays an employee, the business spends at least another $.15-20 in taxes. People have no clue about any of this stuff. But hey, lazy people and those who keep making bad choices because they are not forced to make good choices need free stuff ya know?!

Watch deadpool I guess...

It's kinda like building a better mousetrap. It's been tried and some may be better, but an old fashioned Victor is still the best. When something already exists in a mechanical form that's normally used for a life threatening situation, I don't think technology helps any.

    Okay, thought I was reading the amended version as it was labeled as the latest, but it was in not in fact. So you are correct in that it authorizes, but not not requires. However, the schools are supposed to be posted as required by 39-17-1309 (d) 1 yet, probably the dozen+ private schools & colleges that I have visited in the last five years, only one has been posted according to the law. So why can we be arrested for going on a school ground that is not posted according the requirements of the law, but school administrators won't be arrested for not following the law? Something has got to give about this as it creates a trap for permit holders when there are school officials not following the law. Before, you knew that it was illegal, but now how are you supposed to know if it's legal or not? Amendment two makes it clear that if you ban, you are supposed to be posted as TN law requires. What a mess, but that's normal as carry laws go in TN.

Okay, so dug into the text of the bill that was passed and signed (at least what I am reading I am assumed was signed) Here are the two key elements:   (1) The handgun carry policy for each private institution shall be reduced to writing and disseminated in a manner most likely to ensure that it is known by students attending the institution, the parent or guardian of each student, the faculty, staff, and employees of the institution, and others who may go upon the grounds or enter a building on property owned or operated by the institution. The policy shall be made available in the administration building to anyone desiring a copy, distributed to all interested parties, including parents of minor students enrolled at the institution, and others by a method or methods reasonably likely to ensure dissemination of the policy, such as emails, text messaging, or posting on the school's web site.    I would assume by the bolded section that it should mean that buildings or property (which in general can no longer be posted if kept in a car) would need to have signs posted saying that carry was not legal for them to legally ban carrying. I am sure that many of you will say "intent" of making a policy is good enough, but the communications degree in me says that actual intent would require you to clearly communicate your "intent" for it to actually be legal. Signs have been and are the standard currently in TN, so I would say legally that would be the best shot of "intent" possible.    But here's the interesting part:   (1) The chief administrative officer of each private K-12 school shall devise and implement a handgun carry policy for any property on which the school is located that is owned or operated by the school and for any building or structure located on the school property.    and then later: (2) The policy shall go into effect thirty (30) days after it is announced by the chief administrative officer and disseminated to the students and parents.    So they are supposed to decide and implement a policy, and it's supposed to take effect 30 days after they announce it. But what happens if they aren't even aware that they are supposed to come up with a policy? TNDOS is not exactly known for letting schools know what they are supposed to post about weapon right now (the fact that every school and college is supposed to be posted with visible signs at each door) What happens if a school doesn't post because they don't know, or doesn't post because they don't want to post signs but has decided to ban weapons? With that second section can a school just never come up with a policy since there's no other legal ramifications for not doing so (beside maybe getting sued by someone.) Isn't this the kind of crappy lawmaking that got the original carry in restaurants thrown out because it was so vague and fraught with gotchas for permit holders? But of course, I am maybe thinking too logically that when a place doesn't have "no gun" signs posted that they are okay with carry. I may try emailing Tilman Goins and Mike Bell about their intent and what I see as huge flaws with the language of this bill.

    Does anyone have the bill number for this so we can actually see what the text that was passed says? You may be right but we should always go off what the actual text says.

    I agree, but it's at least a baby step in the right direction. Though, I really wonder how many private schools (K-College) are even going to be aware that they need to decide if they are going to allow or not allow carry. Almost none that I've been to in TN are even posted like they are supposed to be by law. Do we assume that if they are not posted that they allow carry?

    You do know that they clarified the law last year that if your front tires are over the white line before the light turns red you are not running the light. My problem now is I've got to remember that's not the law in other states....

Where I live in West Knox I hear them all the time but I do understand how they make enough money to make it worth it. Is the ice cream $20 a bar or something?

You know that private colleges & schools now have to decide if they are going to allow carry or not. So actually they are treated different now. I don't remember the bill number but it was passed and signed I believe.

    Yeah, that's what I figured. People always say, "well if it's unconstitutional why has no on challenged it?" Maybe because it takes millions of dollars to successfully win a court case these days. Makes me think of this: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”  ― George Orwell, Animal Farm   I wonder if we have a rep/senator ask for an AG opinion about it wouldn't help the situation? I've already emailed my rep about the bill expressing my 14th amendment issues with it.

Can anyone explain how this law doesn't violate the Equal Protection clause ("nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws") of the 14th amendment? Suddenly permit holders who are also employees of public universities suddenly have more rights than the rest of us permit holders. That seems like a simple, clear violation of the 14th amendment. What am I missing here?

    Let me quote Rep Andy Holt about it, "Did you know that state law actually prohibits any negative actions being taken against your credit report, driver’s license or insurance if you choose not to pay the ticket? In fact, there is no enforcement mechanism at all."   When I look at 55-8-198 I see nothing that gives them any ability to suspend anyone's driver's license, nor actually collect any money. The ticket is actually a non-moving violation (like seatbelt, no vehicle registration) but they certainly carved out a nice lack if enforcement tools! So if you are right, show me where it says they can suspend someone's license for not paying.

All you need to know is that they can not do anything to you legally if you refuse to pay the ticket. Paying a ticket give out through a camera is solely an honor system thing...which I wish I knew years ago when I got a ticket for when I wasn't driving but I didn't know who was actually driving the van at the time.

    I think it would still qualify since they would still do the checks every 5 years. In reality they would do the check in 5 years, and then in 3 years, and then 5 years, etc. 8 years is what the driver's license's went to if I remember correctly. It brings it in line with that.

    Only if he starts something.... But I see giraffe's as more switchblade type animals...

    Does the red and black really matter? Will it make it that more visible?

In this day and age of laptops in squad cars the whole having to have your driver's license seems a little unnecessary. Am I mistaken or can a cop not see your DL photo on their laptop when they look you up? If they can't, WHY NOT? I can get data from around the world in a millisecond, why not that info?

    You mean you don't buy into the idea that there is a hidden clause in the Constitution that allows the Federal government to force business owners to have to serve "protected classes"? I agree with you 100%. Neither the federal or TN constitution says that the government has the power to force people to have to serve everyone, but people would lose their minds if you suggest such an idea.

So did anyone (I am guessing not) noticed that this passed and was signed by Haslam on March 23d? https://legiscan.com/TN/rollcall/HB0682/id/423991   The huge issue I see with this bill (beside not removing the sign provision period) is this little gem in it:     (4) An individual, corporation, business entity, or government entity that, as of January 1, 2015, used signs to provide notice of the prohibition permitted by subsection (a) shall have until January 1, 2018, to replace existing signs with signs that meet the requirements of subdivision (b)(3).    So how am I supposed to know if someone had a posting up before Jan 1 2015 that's now not conforming to the law? It's really like they are TRYING to make us break the law by making impossible to tell if we are actually breaking the law. Honestly, I don't think this helps clear up a conforming or non conforming posting until Jan 1 2018!

    Probably the same guy that I had tried it before and his response was, "I have my carry permit too and it's stupid we can't accept them as I know that you've been through a background check and this is really you." Of course, they used to accept it until about 3 years ago. I traveled quite a few times using it as my ID. I know someone in congress has raised some questions why it's not accept by the TSA since it's a official state photo ID.

Does anyone else read books as they are going to bed? I read every night on my kindle and most nights I am sleepy within 20-30 minutes. I often will actually fall asleep and then wake up and put my kindle away. The worse nights are when I fall asleep and then the kindle wacks me in the face. Something about reading really slows my mind down (which is normally racing.)

    Actually, most are considered schools. If you start looking them up you'll find that they are registered as schools with the state. If it's labeled as day care, it's probably not pre-school, But most "pre-schools" are really school and not just day care. At least that's what I found when I started looking at pre-schools in Knox County that are in churches.

http://www.wbir.com/news/politics/bill-allowing-private-schools-to-adopt-gun-policy-heads-to-haslam/100163052   Here is the page for the bill: http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default.aspx?BillNumber=HB1644&ga=109   Kinda shocked at this honestly.  Of course, this is still crumbs being thrown to us, but at least there are crumbs, right? (sarcasm) But there are two things I noticed about the actual text. The school, by law, has to chose to allow or not allow (the school "shall devise and implement a handgun carry policy for any property on which the school is located that is owned or operated by the school and for any building or structure located on the school property."). They can not simply avoid the issue like the parks law with regards to cities like Knoxville. So what happens with all the private schools that don't write out a carry/no carry policy? I ask because most private schools (such as my college alma mater) never posted against carry like they were legally required to by state law. So if they don't adopt a for or against policy will carry be legal or illegal? What about preschools that are legally schools but don't seem to fall under this because it says K-12? There are a ton of church preschools that this seems to ignore.    Also, would this be open to lawsuit like the restaurant carry law passed back in 2009? Remember how there was a suite that went in our favor because it was constitutionally vague-which let's be honest, the whole school no carry law is constitutionally suspect. Would this be ripe for a public vs private lawsuit? What about a lawsuit over the fact that it once again gives legislature only power to schools because schools should have to prove that restricting carry should prevent crime. Seems like small step in the right direction but a huge mess waiting to happen because the lawmakers are doing incremental fixes instead of doing the fixes we really need.