D.D. 01/03/06

CGERA -- The Memphis Commercial Appeal has a three part series on the new "Comprehensive Governmental Ethics Reform Act of 2006" proposed by the draft committee in the wake of Operation Tennessee Waltz. [Part 1, Part 2, Part 3]

Bear Trace -- As the Tennessean reported earlier in the week and now in the Associated Press, the Bear Trace golf courses will now become part of the state golf course system. The state took over management of all but one of the five courses in The Bear Trace on Dec. 1., despite the fact that the courses lost money while being managed by the private corporation Tennessee Gold LLC. The state assuming control of the golf courses is not likely to help according to the folks at the Tennessee Center for Policy Research. The group highlighted the waste of state money in publically owned golf courses in a December email highlighting government waste. Just last month, Tisha Calabrese-Benton, spokeswoman for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, said in an e-mail there’s an over-saturation of golf courses in the state generally. Critics point out that the courses likely failed because they were located in off-the-beaten-path areas in the legislative districts of key State Senators. Blogger Bob Krumm has some insightful commentary and some outstanding questions for the state on the story.

TennesseeTicket.com -- Blogger Joe Lance, formerly of Chattanooga Civic Forum fame has renamed his blog TennesseeTicket.com and will be highlighting legislative races throughout the state. He picked up some press in the Chattanoogan.

Department of Safety -- Problems continue at the Tennessee Highway Patrol. According to the Tennessean, the Tennessee Highway Patrol is investigating whether a THP supervisor had inappropriate relations with female prison inmates doing custodial work at the patrol's Memphis office. That investigation comes just weeks after the top two Department of Safety officials were forced to resign after a Tennessean expose.