The Johnson City Commission recently proposed raising its property tax rate by 28-cents, soaking taxpayers with a 20 percent increase. The proposal is not driven by the typical claims of underfunded basic city services like roads, police, and fire departments, but instead by the frivolous need to fund a new aquatic center. With a price…
Tennessee taxpayers are about to spend millions on a Starbucks order they didn’t ask for. In April, the world’s largest coffee chain announced it would be opening a Southeast corporate office in Music City. The state has done well in attracting businesses, both large and small, through a low-tax, business-friendly environment. Yet those bigger businesses…
By Justin Owen Tennesseans have strong opinions about education in our state. That’s no surprise, as the quality of a child’s education directly impacts their future, economic prospects, and opportunities. For three years, we have tracked the public’s sentiment of K-12 education in the Beacon Poll. We have also delved deeper into education issues in…
By Jason Edmonds In 2021 and 2023, the Hamilton County government’s purchase of McDonald Farm was featured in the Pork Report, and it seems 2026 is welcoming their boondoggle once again. For its first appearance, Hamilton County commissioners spent $16 million to purchase the property with the hopes of turning it into a manufacturing hub….
By Jason Edmonds Beacon has long called “Cut!” on film incentives, yet these corporate welfare flops are a recurring character in our Pork Report. Most recently, the millions of tax dollars for 9-1-1: Nashville took home the “prestigious” title of Pork of the Year in the 2025 Pork Report. Despite the “riveting” scenes of bachelorettes…
Private property rights are the cornerstone of a free and prosperous society.
Imitation is among the highest forms of flattery, and states across the country continue to flatter Tennessee.
Unions are less relevant in the workplace, more influential in politics.
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