The Tennessean du lieu suivant : Nashville, Tennessee • Page 20

2B iwiy. iuty 11 THK TINNISftCAN LOCAL NEWS Gordon faces four GOP rivals Challenges put focus on schools, taxes and national defense Teacher pay gap fuels lawsuit against state Massey entered the race early, never really letting up on campaigning from the 1996 race. His political organization is in place in all 14 counties of the district, he said. "We have to look, as a party, at who can best take on and defeat Bart," Massey said. "I've raised more money, and I'm strong both in mral and suburban counties." Stark says his ideas about an overhauled tax system distinguishes him from the pack.

He proposes two low rates with home mortgage and charitable deductions. Stark says he isn't accepting contributions from political action groups and promises to spend no more than two terms in office. Nordhoff is making children and family his central themes. "Schools need to be able to discipline children, teach respect and responsibility, and make children accountable for their actions," the attorney said. values.

Putnam County Property Assessor Byron Looper, who calls himself "Low Tax Looper" is also running for a state Senate seat, but is running a different campaign. He says he is opposed to abortions, flag burning and "mollycoddling" criminals. He is pro-guns. He was indicted in March on charges he coerced developers to contribute to his campaign in exchange for favorable tax assessments, used county employees to do work on his home and used the county's fax machine to conduct a statewide media campaign. He calls the indictment "a joke" and a "political witch hunt." He has also been sued on allegations of impregnating his former girlfriend, assaulting her and using the power of his office to fraudulently transfer ownership of her home to his name.

He explains the lawsuit as the work of Gordon operatives. The Gordon camp has denied involvement four Republicans are lobbing barbs Gordon's way. 'The district has changed a great deal since Bart was elected," said Porter Stark, 52, a retirement and insurance planner from Brent-wood. He also ran in 1992. "It's more conservative.

Bart probably has changed some too. He's not the young Middle Ten-nessean sent years ago. I Ie's become a clear politician who's closer to Washington." Walt Massey, 32, who lives in Lebanon and works as an engineer in Cookeville, ran against Steve Gill in the primary two years ago. A month before the primary he threw his support behind Gill. This primary is the first foray into politics for Dennis Nordhoff, 38, a Franklin attorney.

The three men are similarly aligned on many of the same, safe campaign themes: rewriting the tax code, local control of schools, a stronger national defense, being tough on crime and building family Supreme Court said the BEP was flawed when it came to teacher salaries. "Exclusion of teachers' salary in-creases from the equalization formula is of such magnitude that it would substantially impair the objectives of the plan; consequently, the plan must include equalization of teachers' salaries according to the BEP formula," the court wrote. Now, Donelson says, the BEP funding is fully in place but the wide disparities in teacher pay still exist "It is very clear that, as long as the local sales tax collections are allocated to the county where they are collected, there will never be equity in funding because this allocation statute is an integral part of the plan for education funding in Tennessee," the lawsuit says. Rural, school administrators have complained for years that they often lose their best teachers to better-paying school systems. Lawmakers generally have responded that any place that wants to keep its teachers ought to pay them more.

By BONNA M. la CRUZ Staff Writtr Republican candidates jockeying for the chance to unseat U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon say their messages of local control of schools, a simpler tax code and a stronger national defense can beat the incumbent Democrat in a district that has become increasingly conservative. Campaigning to be the Republi-can nominee in the Sixth Congressional District are two Williamson County men, a Cookeville engineer, and a controversial Putnam County tax assessor.

The assessor has been indicted on allegations he exchanged favorable tax assessments for campaign contributions and is being sued million by an ex-girlfriend. Early voting for the Aug. 6 primary begins Friday. Gordon, who is unchallenged in the Democratic primary, will meet the Republican winner in a Nov. 3 general election.

It will be Gordon's eighth campaign. Gordon's longevity in Congress has emerged as a top issue for the Republicans, as it has in past campaigns. Instead of talking about each other, the $51 million a year under the funding plan that Donelson outlined to the education committee in February. Donelson contends in the lawsuit that the logical solution to unequal pay for teachers is to stop sending local option sales tax collections back to the place where they are collected. Instead, he argues, that money should be dispensed by the state on a per-pupil basis.

The state levies a sales tax of Local jurisdictions can add sales taxes of up to 2.75 on top of that, and half of that money has to go to education. The local option sales taxes now go back to the place they're collected. That gives large commercial centers and more affluent communities where citizens are better able to tax themselves a funding advantage over rural areas. When Donelson sued the state in 1995 over the proposed six-year phase-in of the BEP, he lost. However, in ruling on that case, the Walking horse industry confused by new set of rules Jpmtwb put them," Benefield said.

"It is like saying you are not responsible for your child." Evans said his 33-page draft is not a polished plan, but more of a starting place for talks. "What I would hope and pray is that they would review it contemplate it and let it serve its purpose to spark some debate," he said. Scheduling a meeting of these far-flung minds is proving difficult "I'd like to do it today and send it up tomorrow and have them agree on Wednesday," Evans said in a phone interview last Monday. A tentative meeting scheduled for today fell apart Wright said it's looking like it might be weeks before the organizations can get together. Even if the organizations agree on a plan, the government has to OK it The hurdles the industry faces as it canters through the season continue to loom large.

Even so. Evans remains optimistic. "In the long run, the last six months will inure to the benefit of this industry," said Evans. "I am convinced of that! examination of their feet The inspections are used to determine if a horse has been sored. Soring is the illegal practice of using chemical irritants, heavy chains or painful shoeing practices to enhance a horse's high-stepping gait Penalties for soring a horse are assessed according to severity.

"We believe it is best to keep it simpler," Wright said. Evans considers the grading system key to a fair iaspectioa But even Evans admits the grading system can be confusing to inspectors in the field. "We trained them and we have retrained them, and we have contemplated retraining them again," he said. "It seems to me that we need to refine our technique." Donna Benefield of the Horse Protection Commission, said she doesn't agree with letting owners and riders off the hook. Benefield's organization already penalizes the owner, rider and trainer of an abused horse.

The horse gets a penalty too. "These people need to be responsible for their horses and where they So far, Evans has the government's blessing to try to build a better mousetrap, in this case, a universal set of rules and penalties everybody accepts. "I challenged them to get together as a group and present a proposal to us," said Dr. W. Ron Dellaven, ho heads lip the U.S.

Department of Agri-' culture division responsible for regulating the walking horse industry. Since last December, Evans and others have cobbled together an alternative to the government's plan. The draft was mailed out to the other organizations about a week ago. Getting all six organizations to agree to such a complicated set of rules and penalties Evans' draft plan is 33 pages long will be a challenge. Bob Wright, of the Spotted Saddle Horse Breeders and Exhibitors Association, said he is all for an alternate plan, but calls Evans' system of grading horses during the inspection too complex.

The system grades horses on how they walk, look and react to a physical The latest information. The earliest detection. Together they give you the timeliest approach to heating colorectal cancer. Cancers of the colon and rectum are second only to lung cancer in the ruiinlvr if cancer deaths. The gooj news is that, when detected early, colorectal cancer is a highly treatable, often curahle disease.

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I) IM R.i. Statue of Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest unveiled 3 To make reservations for the seminar, please call the Baptist Cancer Center at 329-7300. in somewhat vague battle-cries for freedom, seemed to spring from discontent with the federal government Dan Meredith. Middle Tennessee coordinator for the League of the South and a candidate for Metro school board, said he wants freedom for states to permit school prayer, ban abortion, and protect people's gun rights.

Organizers dispute any racial undertones, but those in attendance brought their own ideology. Gordon Mellisch. 71, of Clemens, said, "I've lived in an integrated neighborhood for 17 years, and that's where I've learned that the mixing of the races doesn't work." Of the hate and crime he has encountered, he said, "I blame that on blacks who are primarily criminal as a group." Nelson Winbush, the black grandson of a slave soldier who fought under Forrest said reverence of Confederate heroes does not necessarily mean condoning slavery and white supremacy. The war was not about slavery at all. It was about states' rights and taxes," he said.

Mike Hill, president of the League of the South, said "There can be no peace until we are a separate and (our) own people free to follow our own destiny." He contends the war is not over, and like-minded Southerners must declare independence "from the alien forces that misrule this land of ours." The separatist sentiments of the speakers, articulated Baptist Hospital a i i i rfNMrssrr More Tlum Health Care. Health Caring. NewsChannelM www.baptisi-hosp.org All rn nr 'nnitUtl a lrj tint! or iHitiliibh-'ir. ffur.i.n Stay Healthy Whh food safety in mind, pick up all packaged rv tint tittr fl rr aim icuiiiiu iuuuj uiau ivu iiui uuj iuuu 111 iaiia fl F5FD5 1 if I 1 PIC at un8 or dented-or in jars that are ylr L'lHVO ll lrJ rMrU nr liavP InncP Uric VI UvllVU VA 11UIV AlVlkJI Copyright 1998. Kroger 1 imitcd Partnership I Players Prefer The Island! Our Summer of Fun Rocks Rolls on Toby Keith A Doobie Brothers With Special Guest- FOGHAT! i.

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