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http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/21/state-auditors-review-required-college-changes/ 

Medicaid primary care pay: The next SGR? (American Medical News)Reid Blackwelder, MD, a family physician in Kingsport, Tenn., said primary care physicians in his state wobenefit immensely from a federal proposal raising Medicaid payments to equal what Medicare pays for the sa

services. TennCare, the state’s Medicaid program, currently pays him only 60% of Medicare rates, Blackwelder said. If TennCare had paid 100% of Medicare rates for the previous 10 months of billing, from J2011 through April 2012, “we would have made an additional $400,000 in our three residency programs,” saDr. Blackwelder, a professor of family medicine at East Tennessee State University Quillen College of M ediciMedicaid beneficiaries make up nearly 40% of the residency programs’ patient base. Nationally, the averaMedicaid payment rate is only two-thirds of what Medicare pays, and primary care physicians in most states benefit from having the rates equalized. The proposed rule, which was issued by the Centers for MedicareMedicaid Services on May 9 under a provision of the national health system reform law, w ill pay Medicare rato primary care physicians for the primary care services they provide to Medicaid beneficiaries for 2013 a2014.http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/05/21/gvl10521.htm

Tennesseans show 'bittersweet' reaction to health law in Vandy Poll (TN/WilemonMajority like kids provision but still want act tossed Mothers never stop fretting about their children even whthey become adults, but Louise Hardaway worries less now that her 21-year-old son is back on her heainsurance. A m andate of the Affordable Care Act allowed the Nashville woman to put him back on her employbased plan. “He didn’t give it a second thought, but I was concerned and hoped for the best during that timHardaway said. “Even though he is young and healthy, anything could happen at any time.” The provision of law that allows parents to keep coverage for their children until the age of 26 gets a resounding 73 percapproval by state residents, but that doesn’t mean they like what opponents have dubbed “Obamacare.”majority of Tennesseans have an unfavorable view of the law and want the U.S. Supreme Court to find allportions of it unconstitutional, according to a poll conducted this month by Vanderbilt University. In the Vanderpoll of more than 1,000 state residents, 50 percent said the court should throw out the entire law, while percent wanted only the provision that everyone buy health insurance overturned. Just 26 percent respondents said the law should be left as it is.http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120521/NEWS01/305210018/Vanderbilt-poll-Tennesseans-bittersweet-health-law?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Vanderbilt poll: Obama closes gap with Romney (Tennessean/Cass)President Barack Obama has pulled into a virtual tie with presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romneytraditionally conservative Tennessee, according to a new Vanderbilt University poll. The poll also found tTennesseans weren’t thrilled w ith the Republican-led General Assembly’s frequent focus on social, cultural areligious issues this year. But Republican Gov. Bill Haslam managed to remain above the fray, winning approfrom 61 percent of poll participants. “Tennessee is clearly a red state,” said John Geer, a professor of politiscience at Vanderbilt. “But these data show that the public is much more moderate than our state legislaturThe poll of 1,002 Tennessee residents who are 18 and older found 42 percent would vote for Romney and percent for Obama if the election were held now. The survey, conducted May 2-9 by Princeton Survey ReseaAssociates International for Vanderbilt, had a margin of error of 4 percentage points. Geer cautioned that tregistered voters among the poll participants favored Romney by a larger margin, with 47 percent saying thwould vote for the former Massachusetts governor and 40 percent for Obama.http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120520/NEWS/305170107/Vanderbilt-poll-Obama-closes-gap-Romney?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|s

At Vanderbilt, all-comers policy and athletics butt heads (CP/Greenber

Boettcher)On a public stage in a packed lecture hall in January, Vanderbilt quarterback Jordan Rodgers quietly raised hand and took the microphone. What followed was a bold declaration of belief as one of the school’s mo

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notable athletes took three of the university’s top officials to task about the university’s newly clarified “acomers” policy. “The fact that this is restricting who is able to be a leader completely undermines the mission, ovision, and the direction of every single one of these organizations,” Rodgers said. “If someone that doesshare the faith is teaching, then what’s the point of even having these organizations?” Vanderbilt’s all-comepolicy (see below), which requires student organizations to allow any m ember of the student body to join group and run for leadership, has faced heavy criticism from some Christian groups on campus. They say tpolicy discriminates against religious groups by allowing nonbelievers to run for leadership positions. Rodgewho was representing the campus chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, made his speech more than thours into the meeting. When Rodgers wasn’t afforded a response to a statement, roughly 20 students exited meeting in a huff.http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/vanderbilt-all-comers-policy-and-athletics-b utt-heads

Tennessee dental health among nation's worst (Times Free-Press/Martin)Tennessee's dental health can be m easured in so many ways: Twenty percent of adults ages 18-64 have lost or more teeth because of decay, infection or gum disease, twice the national median, according to a report the Commonwealth Fund, a health care advocacy group. Only 66 percent visited a dentist or dental clinic2010, according to a Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey by the U .S. Centers for Disease Conand Prevention. More than 53,000 visited a hospital emergency room for dental care in 2009, with about 24,0of those visits for a preventable dental condition, according to a Pew C enter study. Alabama ranks even lowemost measurements than Tennessee. Georgia has better numbers but still ranks about 25th in the nationmany factors. And the numbers are not just about teeth -- gum disease has been linked to heart and ludisease, diabetes and low-birth-weight babies. Tooth decay and infection cause pain, missed work and evdeath.http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/may/21/tennessee-dental-health-among-nations/?local

League of Women Voters backs Knox schools' $35M request (News-Sentinel)The Knoxville-Knox County League of Women Voters has endorsed the $35 million funding increase proposby the Knox County school board for 2012-13 that is not included in County M ayor Tim Burchett's $673.7 millbudget. The organization says its support is based on facts that include Knox County has not increased its $2property tax rate in more than 12 years. In a statement, the League also cites as facts that only 47 percentthird-graders scored proficient or advanced in reading under new state standards and that the graduating claof 2011 had only 19 percent reach four ACT benchmarks, a nationally recognized indicator of college aworkforce readiness. The League says its analysis shows the budget is based on the schools' first five-yestrategic plan, considered a road map to investments needed to improve school performance. "We consider $35 million the equivalent of a permanent raise. It is a bold p lan to advance the schools quickly and ensure tmore children succeed," the League said. The budget is now in the hands of County Com mission.http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/20/league-of-women-voters-backs-knox-schools-35m/ 

Memphis VA participating in seismic monitoring (Associated Press)The Mem phis VA M edical Center is participating in a seismic m onitoring system that w ill help engineers to lewhat happens to buildings during earthquakes so that they can build safer hospitals in the future. The MempVA was recently equipped with 36 sensors in two buildings that will provide real-time information to the UGeological Survey in the event of an earthquake. Nationwide, over 70 VA medical centers are part of tmonitoring project that will give the USGS a better understanding of how building act during shaking and hdamage occurs. The USGS has similar monitoring projects for other parts of the nation's critical infrastructuincluding fire stations, major bridges and nuclear power plants.http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/21/memphis-va-participating-in-seismic-monitoring/ 

Summer program helps Knox 8th-graders prepare for high school (N-S/McCoy)District already has success in first year Knox County Schools says it's seeing results in a summer progrdesigned to help struggling eighth-graders before they start high school. Last summer, about 200 studeparticipated in the district's Summer Bridge program. According to school officials, 74 percent of the studecompleted the program, and of those who did 77 percent had passing grades in three or more classes after thfirst semester of high school. "You have to keep in m ind when you look at 74 percent, these are your most at-rstudents. For us to have 74 percent of those students being successful in that program, that's a huaccomplishment," said Clifford Davis, supervisor of secondary education for the school system. Davis said t

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eight-week program is designed to help eighth-graders who have struggled academically — either they hafailed in math and language arts or are not proficient in those areas on the TCAPs — before they enter the nigrade. This year seven high schools will be involved in the program, which also serves as an opportunity students to get familiar with their school. This year's session begins June 4. The Sum mer B ridge programsomething that both high school and m iddle school principals showed interested in, Davis said.http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/21/summer-program-helps-knox-8th-graders-prepare/ 

Turning around academics at middle schools (Jackson Sun)Raising achievement scores at Jackson-Madison County’s five middle schools was the goal of many SchBoard members earlier this year when they asked Superintendent Buddy White to research a plan of action. Bbudget l imitat ions have forced school off ic ials to prior it ize and come up with creative ways to maimprovements while waiting for money to become available. School officials estimated that giving principeverything they asked for in their proposals for an academic “turnaround” at all five middle schools would hacost $4 million. Northeast Middle cleared the first hurdle with the board’s recent budget approval, which includ$240,000 for the school in the 2012-13 school year. The district’s budget request m ust now be reviewed aapproved by its funding body, the Madison County Commission, by July 1. If cuts are made, Northeast MidPrincipal Jimmy Bailey said some of his proposals for next year that are dependent on money won’t happen, the work to improve will continue. Bailey’s fellow middle school principals echoed a similar sentiment at the nethat they wouldn’t receive additional money to kick off their improvement ideas for the upcoming school year.http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20120520/NEWS01/305200014/Turning-around-academics-middle-schoolsPrincipals-explore-ideas-including-alternative-schedules-tr aining

Unified school system sees daunting task requiring creative financing (CA/KelleyAn aggressive drive toward greater efficiency and some persuasive lobbying could help close a projectmultimillion-dollar funding shortfall for the unified school district. Such an approach will be required to build world-class educational system that architects hope to produce from the merger of Memphis City and S heCounty Schools. That's the message behind a set of potential recommendations being studied by the FinanCommittee of the Transition Planning Commission, the 21-member group that is closing in rapidly on a plan the unified distr ict. A degree of "muscular management" more common in the world of business thaneducation will be required to make financial goals work, the Boston Consulting Group's J. Puckett told tFinance Committee. The challenge is certainly daunting, and it could get even more so if suburban municipalitare successful in efforts to avoid inclusion in the unified system. Suburban leaders hope to persuade voters Aug. 2 to authorize the formation of new municipal districts, a move that would diminish the unified distrieconomies of scale.http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/may/21/schools-eye-creative-02/ (SUBSCRIPTION)

Hawkins County report cards delayed for grades 3-8 (Times-News)Hawkins County students in grades 3-8 won’t receive their report cards as previously scheduled because T-Cstate achievement test results haven’t been returned to the schools yet. Ordinarily school systems wouldexpect to receive their T-CAP achievement test results until well into the summer break, but this is the first ythat the state achievement testing results were to count as 15 pe rcent of a student’s final grade. Only grades take the annual T-CAP tests. Today is the last day for school in Hawkins County. Director of Schools CharloBritton told the Times-News on Sunday she doesn’t know exactly when the report cards for grades 3-8 will available, but she doesn’t anticipate a long delay. Report cards for those students will be mailed to their paren“These (T-CAP) scores are needed to calculate the second semester average grade as required by Tennessstate law,” Bri tton said.http://www.timesnews.net/article/9046868/hawkins-county-report-cards-dela yed-for-grades-3-8

Wisconsin: Democrats' Wisconsin Worry (Wall Street Journal)Some Fear Walker's Surviving Recall Would Boost GO P's Chances in Novem ber With little more than two weeuntil Wisconsin's gubernatorial recall election, some Democratic and union officials quietly are expressing fethat they have picked a fight they won't win and that could leave lingering injuries. Recent polling and a hestart on fundraising by G ov. Scott Walker have som e Democrats concerned that the Republican w ill survive June 5 recall election. The election has taken on significance beyond Wisconsin state politics: Organized lab

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sees the battle as a major stand against G OP efforts to scale back collective-bargaining rights for public-secworkers, as Mr. Walker did after taking office in 2011. Some Democrats now fear mobilizing Republicansbattle the recall could carry over to help the party—and Republican Mitt Romney—in November's presidenelection. The latest polls show Mr. Walker building a small lead over Democrat Tom Barrett, the mayorMilwaukee, with few voters remaining undecided, adding to the Democrats' concerns. Mr. W alker led 50%44% in a Marquette Law School Poll last week in a survey with a m argin of error of plus or minus 4.1 percentapoints.http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304791704577416630331447396.html?mod=ITP_pageone_0(SUBSCRIPTION)

OPINION

Free-Press Editorial: Sketchy claims (Chattanooga Times Free-Press)No, it wasn't Tennessee leading the charge on the constitutionality of the health care mandate, but our statattorney general did lead the charge -- against fat-burning sneakers. In an increased effort of the Federal TraCommission to address false or unfounded claims, a California sneaker company, Skechers U.S.A., Inc., will p$40 million in a settlement in a case led by Tennessee and Ohio. This follows last year's FTC suit filed by Oagainst Reebok that resulted in a $25 million settlement. Addressing claims that the $100 sneakers woincrease "muscle activation" by up to "85 percent for posture-related muscles" and "71 percent" for one of tmuscles in the buttocks, attorneys general from Tennessee and Ohio were the tip of the spear in the 42-sta

effort that marks the largest pool in history resulting from an advertising substantiation case. Consumers wpurchased the "rocker-bottomed" shoes may be eligible for a refund during an eight-month window. Jeff Hsenior counsel with the Office of the Attorney General in Tennessee, remarked, "Consumers should receapproximately $20-$30 in restitution ..." Skechers will pay an additional $5 million to the states. While tsneaker makers are being chastised for their exaggerated claims, let's hope that consumers lace up whatebrand they have in their closets and commit to activity, not gimmicks, for health.http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/may/21/sketchy-claims/?opinionfreepress

Free-Press Editorial: Et tu, Tennessee Tech? (Chattanooga Times Free-Press)Vanderbilt University took some well-deserved lambasting for its ludicrous policy forcing virtually all studgroups on cam pus to let any interested student join and seek a leadership position -- meaning students of simideology or faith, for example, are in effect denied freedom of association. They suffer forfeiture of their camp

space and loss of their Vanderbilt affiliation if they don't obey. Still, as a private institution, Vanderbilt has tright to set those types of bad policies. Not so at publicly funded Tennessee Tech, and a recent federal appecourt ruling is a first step toward setting things right at the Cookeville school. There is a public perception thcollege and university campuses are free speech free-for-alls, with pretty much any kind of expression not opermitted but heartily fostered and encouraged. But Tennessee Tech established a rule that set that notion onhead. It mandates that anyone who intends to speak on campus must let the school know that two weeksadvance and tell the school what he plans to discuss.http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/may/21/et-tu-tennessee-tech/?opinionfreepress

Editorial: Students can't learn if they can't get to school (Knoxville News-SentinePublic officials in Tennessee have bragged about recent policies they deem as education reform, as they hareminded us of the need to train a work force for the challenging jobs of this century. Amid all that, th

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apparently forgot one of the basics: Students have to be able to get to school in order to learn. No public schsystem in Tennessee should have to ground its buses the last weeks of the term. What has happened in UnCounty should serve as a reminder to all school board members, county commissioners, county mayors, stalawmakers and the governor that Tennessee has a long way to go to achieve anything significant in educatioit can't provide money to keep buses running for the entire school term. The Union County school systesuspended bus transportation beginning last week, except for special education and pre-kindergarten studenThe school board had to make cuts w orth $750,000, and suspending bus service was part of those cuts.http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/21/editorial-students-cant-learn-if-they- cant-get/ 

Editorial: Don't let failing seniors slip by (Com mercial Appeal)Getting that diploma is important: Education officials should stay on parents to make sure failing seniors make course work. The push to better evaluate the competency of teachers has produced a predicament for hischool seniors w ho expect to graduate this m onth. Some in Memphis and Shelby County w ill march down aisle in their mortar boards and gowns not knowing how they did on end-of-course exams. As a result, they not know whether they have passed courses required for graduation. Given the emphasis here and statewideincreasing the high school graduation rate, it would be good policy to create a process that strongly encouragall of those who failed, to complete the course work and receive their diplomas. This would be a system twould go beyond a single phone call or letter notifying parents that their child failed, with an explanation abhow the s tudent can make up the work in summer school. This is the first year teachers' evaluations are tiedtest scores. To encourage students to take the tests seriously, the results count as 25 percent of their figrades, up from 20 percent last year.http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/may/21/editorials-dont-let-failing-seniors-slip-by/ (SUBSCRIPTION)

Gail Kerr: Council's tax foes need to reveal what they'd cut (Tennessean)A handful of Metro Council members are already putting as much distance as they possibly can between thpolitical careers and Mayor Karl Dean’s proposed property tax hike. None of them has answered the obvionext question: What are you proposing to cut? The jobs of 200 cops? Library branch hours? The numberfiretrucks that respond to an emergency? Pothole filling? The city’s charity hospital? Teacher pay? Or whFour councilmen are running for the legislature: Robert Duvall, Darren Jernigan, Bo Mitchell and Jason PotDuvall is an anti-tax-of-any-kind conservative, so it was no surprise that he voted against both the mayobudget and the tax hike when it went to the council on first reading last week. But Jernigan, Mitchell and Poshowed themselves to be political chickens. Jernigan and Mitchell abstained on the budget vote. Potts votagainst it. In a separate vote on the tax hike, Potts and Mitchell joined Duvall in opposing it. Jernigan abstainagain..http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120521/COLUMNIST0101/305210011/Gail-Kerr-Council-s-tax-foes-needreveal-what-they-d-cut?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|N ews|p

Guest columnist: After years of cuts, Nash. needs revenue to handle growth (TN)I had the honor to serve on the M etro Council for eight years, under two different mayors. For the last full termmy tenure, each year at budget time, we focused on cutting the budget within Metro government. This was dowith an eye toward maintaining basic services while confronting the harsh economic realities of the city anation. The year I was Budget and Finance Committee chairman was no different. As we adapted to reducrevenues, we made tough decisions, including layoffs, hiring freezes and thoughtful budget cuts. As gas pricrose (sound familiar?), our public transportation participation increased, meaning we had to balance budget cwith growing needs. In the end , our budget still provided basic services to all Davidson County residents, but as council members knew that such a trend couldn’t continue forever. This year, the council faces that realNashville and Davidson County have grown remarkably over the last decade — faster than every Tennesscounty but one, in fact.http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120521/OPINION03/305210004/After-years-cutsNashville-needs-revenue-handle-growth?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Opinion|p

David Cook: The meaning of Weston Wamp (Chattanooga Times Free-Press)The day after he turned 25, and thereby old enough to run for Congress, Weston Wamp stood on the secofloor of the Hunter Museum of American Art, staring at one of the most recognizable images in all of Americphotography. Dorothea Lange's "Migrant Mother." You've seen the photo. The black-and-white image is the faof the American Depression. A m other suffering in untold ways stares off into a horizon drought of hope, as

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children bury their faces in her shoulder. Wamp looked at the plaque on the wall. "She looks a lot older than 3he said quietly. So true. Age can be tricky, can't it? Since declaring his candidacy, Wamp's bandwagon has behit with two main criticisms (but no flat tires): his age and his dad. The son of former Rep. Zach W amp hasn't hany life experience -- his opponents say -- and is hoping to inherit the seat from his eight-term father. It would easy to believe this if he were running an immature and cocky campaign, but he's not. If Wamp -- confideintelligent, not divisive -- were 43 and had a different last name, he'd win N ovember's election by a landslide. he's 25 -- and his father's son. Wamp, more than anyone, forces us to make a decision. It's the Dirty Hadilemma. Do we feel lucky? Is Wamp who he says he is?http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/may/21/david-cook-the-meaning-of-weston-wamp/?opinioncolumns

Times Editorial: A postal reprieve (Chattanooga Times Free-Press)The U.S. Postal Service processing and distribution center on Shallowford Road, initially on the agency's shlist for closure, will continue to operate a bit longer -- probably until spring 2014. That's a positive developmfor workers at the facility and for area postal patrons, whose delivery times would have been negatively impacby the closure. The news is not so good for workers and residents in many other places. The USPS said that 1centers around the nation will be closed by February 2013. The C hattanooga facility is among 89 facilities toclosed in 2014. The closing and consolidation of centers is part of a cost-cutting plan designed to save tagency about $1.2 billion annually. The cuts, painful as they might be, are necessary. The Postal Servicehemorrhaging dollars and money must be saved wherever possible. Even so, there's no guarantee the currplans will work in the long-term. The Postal Service's losses are staggering. During the first two quarters of current fiscal year, which ended M arch 31, the agency says it lost more than $6 billion. Clearly, it will take mothan the savings engendered by closing the centers -- estimated at $1.2 billion a year w hen fully implementedto erase that deficit.http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/may/21/times-a-postal-reprieve-chattanooga/?opiniontimes

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