Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey Stabs Consumers In the Back

by Lewis Loflin

The AP June 4, 2015 is reporting new Tennessee laws will force retailers to charge consumers more. The law would require cigarette retailers to charge 15% or more above wholesale cost. Earlier laws required supermarkets to sell wine at least 20% above cost and milk at 10% above cost.

This conservative Republican state seems to have a funny definition of capitalism - unless they're giving away $90 million to some company to fire their workers in another state and relocate to Tennessee.

Some are calling this "a hidden tax increase" into the pockets of retailers and more crony capitalism southern states have become famous for. And who was behind this is none other than Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey of Blountville Tennessee. Mr. Ramsey is a Republican.

According to Ramsey on the one end he claims government shouldn't meddle in business but he gets behind something like this. He was having conversations with his friends at the Roadrunner convenience store chain. Sure Ron cronyism 101.

When asked by the press how this isn't government meddling Mr. Ramsey said, "It allows you to compete with states around you." What? Artificial state mandates to raise your prices make you competitive? What has Mr. Ramsey been smoking?

Tennessee Gov. and Republican Bill Haslam signed the bill. The Haslam family owns a chain of truck stops and retail outlets that stand to benefit from the legislation. By forcing their competitors to raise their prices would allow the Haslam family interests to maintain or raise theirs. That is what passes for capitalism in the South and we worry about Confederate flags.

Who is Ron Ramsey? Ronald Lynn "Ron" Ramsey (born November 20, 1955) is the 49th and current Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee and Speaker of the State Senate. A Republican from Blountville in East Tennessee, Ramsey succeeded long-term Democratic Lieutenant Governor John S. Wilder in 2007.

He is a member of the advisory board of the Farm Credit Association, a former president of the Blountville Business Association, and a former president and current member of the Bristol TN-VA Association of Realtors. He currently works as a real estate broker and an auctioneer.

On February 28, 2009, Ramsey announced that he would run for the Republican nomination for governor of Tennessee.

In July 2010, 20 Tea Party organizations, about half of the roughly 40 Tea Party groups in Tennessee, endorsed Ramsey for governor because of his stances on state sovereignty, health care, immigration and fiscal issues.

On July 14, 2010, Ramsey said that states would have to deal with attempts to bring Sharia law to the U.S.: "But you cross the line when they start trying to bring Sharia law into the United States. Now, you could even argue whether being a Muslim is actually a religion, or is it a nationality, way of life, cult, whatever you want to call it. Now certainly we do protect our religions, but at the same time this is something we are going to have to face."

On August 5, 2010, Ramsey finished third, receiving 22% votes of the total for the GOP Nomination in the state of Tennessee. (WIKI)

Talk about stupid voters electing a crony capitalist based on opposition to Islam and other fringe issues.

When Ron "crony capitalism" Ramsey isn't working to force retailers to raise their prices on consumers he brings home the pork to Sullivan County. Sullivan County will be receiving a $2.2 million state grant for an agricultural center - in a county that has very little agriculture. The center is supposed to seat 300 people and acts as an arena. Why don't they just use one of the local high schools?

According to press reports the University of Tennessee Extension Office will be moved from its present location at the Sullivan County office building. While Republicans have been working hard to cut public services this little scam has been worked on for over a year.

All this is going to do is renovate an existing building that I'm sure some politically connected person will pocket a load of loot. And what exactly will this accomplish? Large meetings presently held across the state line in Abingdon Virginia can now be held in Sullivan County. Mr. Ramsey believes it will pull tax dollars away from Abingdon Virginia to Sullivan County.

Perhaps someone should look into his real-estate and farm credit dealings.

This is part of our local sales tax wars as local communities beat each other over the head and waste millions in government grants fighting over sales tax dollars. Instead of generating wealth, new jobs, or anything productive we simply redistribute existing retail and tax dollars.

Bristol Compressors Company CEO Edward Gniewik in 2015 says,

"The money that Bristol Compressors brings into the region ($50 million) is not money that's being pushed around, it's money that's being brought in from our customers who are out of state and out of the country. It's fresh wealth creation coming into this community. If we open a restaurant in Bristol, that's money that people were going to spend at one restaurant that shifted to another establishment. That's pushing money back and forth, that's not wealth creation."

How true and the $2 million will flow into a few selected pockets as usual.

That's why I say Tri-Cities government is the best corruption your tax dollars can buy. Reference Bristol Herald Courier June 16, 2015.