Saturday, March 12, 2005

GOP Chairman Election

I want to Thank all of the Republicans that attended the re-organization of our county party today. I am honored that you elected me to lead this party. I will work hard with and for YOU the members of the Knox County Republican Party.

My goal is to run a professional organization that is second to none. An example is our NEW revamped professional website. Check it out. www.knoxgop.org

The individuals that are committed to working with me, will work hard in the trenches to advance our party.

Thank You again.

Friday, March 11, 2005

Mayor of the Town of Farragut Election

Mayoral Candidate Bill Johns has unvieled his website. Complete with photographs of challenges that the Town faces. It will be interseting to see how incumbent Mayor Ford responds, if at all.

Sunday, March 06, 2005

Knox County Lincoln Day Dinner

Last evening at Rothchild's Banquet Hall the Knox County Lincoln Day Dinner was held. It was a success with hundreds of republicans present to hear U.S. senator Lindsay Graham. One long-time active republican commented to me that Senator Graham was the best speaker ever at this annual event.

Even tough the event is hosted by the Knox County Republican Officeholders, there were Republicans from Anderson County, Roane County, Monroe County, Sevier County, Jefferson County and several others.

My campaign to be the next GOP chairman was real and public last evening. Many Young Republicans assisted me in asking people to wear lapel stickers. Thank You to all that helped and Thank You to the people that wore them on my behalf. The campaign has been conducted the old-fashioned way word of mouth. I have spent many hours talking on the phone with the great republicans in this county and attending many of the 13 club meetings around Knox County.

I am appreciative of all the support that I have received thus far, and when elected on Saturday March 12th, 2005 10:00am at West High School, I will begin working hard at restoring the 13 city wards and 5 county precinct executive committees and by helping to energize the grassroots.

Thank You again to all. Especially the YR's that have worked so hard on my behalf.

Stay Tuned

Saturday, March 05, 2005

Knox County GOP Precinct Re-Organization

On Thursday evening March 3rd, 2005, Republicans from every precinct in Knox County met to re-organize the leadership of the Republican Executive Committee at each precinct. I attended the meeting of the Concord precinct. It is always exciting to go through this process every two years. I have been attending my individual precinct meetings since the mid 1980's. This is a real life Civics lesson.

The Concord precinct is blessed with Great Leadership for 2005-2007

County Commissioner Craig Leuthold - Chairman
Brad Moore - Co Vice Chairman
Grant Lewallen - Co Vice-Chairman
Suzanne Dewar - Secretary
Andy Andrew - Treasurer

Please send me any stories (interesting/funny or otherwise) from your precinct re-organization to brian@brianhornback.com and I may share them with everyone here on this forum.

Knox County School Uniforms

The Knox County School Board in late 1990's passed a Uniform Dress Code. It has been updated periodically since it was first implemented. The current policy bans such things as sagging pants, torn jeans, revealing of skin in inappropriate places.

One reason stated for the need to implement uniforms is because the administrators and teachers in some schools can not or will not enforce the current dress code. Make no mistake a uniform will not replace the haves from the have not's. Some students will have polo shirts or kahkis from Walmart and others from Aeropostle/Brooks Brothers/Calvin Klien/Ambercrombie and Fitch.

Consider this idea: Implement a trial uniform for all Superintendent's, Administrator's, School Board Members and Classroom Teachers. Then if successful consider a parent/stakeholders survey to determine if two-thirds are then supportive of school uniforms.

Every Student Looking Like the Same Student.

Wednesday, March 02, 2005

Knox County School in Jeopardy

For all the bragging of the Great test scores that Knox County Schools receives. There are a few schools hidden in the closet. The State of Tennessee is opening up one of the closet doors. Knox County School System is having to fess up to a school that is not meeting any standard. Maybe this school is failing because the kids are not wearing kahkis and red shirts?

Every Student Looking Like the Same Student

Knox County School Board has mind made up

The Knox County School Board has its heart set on your child/student wearing a uniform. 7 members voiced support for uniforms at the February 28, 2005 workshop. Deborah Britt an A.L. Lotts Elementary and West Valley Middle School Parent Volunteer is speaking for the majority of parents in this Knoxville News-Sentinel story. Let's remind the school board they have hard work before them with failing schools like Green Elementary, implementing the County Mayor's Every School a Great School and quit focusing on Every Student looking like the Same Student

Tuesday, March 01, 2005

If you don't like the response vote and vote again

The Knox County School Board held an election on student uniforms. The results were less than impressive, so the School Board Chairman blames the survey as being haphazard and ineffective. In other words 7 board members want school uniforms, (School Board Workshop 2/28/2005) so they will survey again until they get the desired response.

Of the 7 board members that support uniforms, only 1 wears a uniform to work everyday. They should begin to model their belief. They should impose a uniform for themselves, everyday.

The 7 board members are

Indya Kincannon 546-7098 or indyak@hotmail.com
Cindy Buttry 215-2360 or 584-6155 or cbuttry8@hotmail.com
Daniel P. Murphy 974-1752 or 523-0511 or dmurphy@utk.edu
Karen Carson 300-6443 or 675-0236 or carsonk@tds.net
Diane Dozier 922-5210 or 925-4851 or dianecdozier@aol.com
Jim Williams 933-5860 or c97jew@aol.com
Robert Bratton 595-0220 or 579-9999 or rbratton@etptv.org

The two board members that have demonstrated common sense are

Sam Anderson 215-2090 or 525-1681 or sanderson@ci.knoxville.tn.us
Chuck James 693-0091 or cjames06@comcast.net

With declining test scores, implementation of Knox County's Every School a Great School, overcrowded conditions and deplorable facilities. Should this be the boards focus? The school board each and every year requests millions of new dollars to simply keep the doors open.

Federal law requires that the school district provide the uniforms for the free and reduced school students. Do you want your hard earned tax dollars paying for kahkis and red shirts for all the students that can not afford them?

Knox County School Board's new focus; Making Every Student Look Like the Same Student.