Our MIA Mayor
A year after we elected Mayor Karl Dean, is anybody else out there feeling buyer's remorse? Dean is developing a really bad habit of hiding from controversy. School rezoning, Bells Bend, the coming budget mess—you name it and Dean's dodging it. Whatever happened to that guy who promised progressive leadership?
In this week’s Scene, we quiz Dean about his tendency to go missing in action. A sample:
Scene: Generally, are you getting political advice to avoid controversy? That seems to be the theme that's developing here in your first term.Dean: I disagree with the premise of the question. ... It's a mistake to think that on every single thing that happens in the city, every dispute, I need to weigh in on one side or the other. I get it from both sides. ... I don't know necessarily what the right answer is all the time. So I'm watching. I'm learning. I'm studying. I'm thinking.
Coincidentally, it’s the fabulous “Best of Nashville” issue, so we also take the opportunity to wonder whether a certain someone might decide to run for mayor again. We're guessing David Briley wouldn't need to do so much watching, learning, studying and thinking. Hey, we can dream, can’t we?
Comments
I agree that David Briley would make a terrific Mayor, but in all fairness let's give Karl Dean a little more time to undo this first impression. As for Briley running again, now that he is able to focus on the far more personally profitable private practice of law, I wouldn't blame him if he stayed there instead of throwing himself into the thankless world of public service again. --But I sure hope he will consider it.
Posted 10/15/2008 at 12:26:00 PMJeff, your reporting continues to show a disconnect between your perspective and your readers. Dean was voted best politician and best thing to happen to Nashville.
I know being brash and opinionated makes life more interesting for agenda-driven biased reporters like you, but Nashvillians are pleased with Dean.
His greatest accomplishment will be improving Nashville schools, but that will take time. This year was all about learning how to fix the problem. He deserves props for caring so much about the issue. I'm pretty sure he's been to more open forums at nashville schools than you have.
Anyhow, Briley got slammed in the last election. Eric Crafton would probably beat him in a head-to-head.
Posted 10/15/2008 at 07:10:36 PMYou only had to look at who managed Dean's campaign to tell what kind of overly safe, no stand-taking Mayor he would be. Attending forums all day is great but he's been on the job for a year and we need someone to take action.
Posted 10/16/2008 at 07:11:22 AMLet's face it, we all knew (and many posters on PITW pointed out) that Dean was an empty suit with a whole lot of (his wife's) money to spend. But hey, Woodsy, at least he isn't Bob Clement, who has a funny accent and is ALWAYS running for one political office or another, right?
The really sad thing is, Nashville is stuck with this guy for the next seven years (maybe the next eleven, if Dean can get past the two-term limit rule).
BP, how much more time do we give Dean? He's squandered a quarter of his first term. Help!, if Dean's greatest accomplishment is going to be improving Nashville schools, at some point he must stop talking and start acting. Making speeches at public forums is fine, but let's have "a little less talk and a lot more action."
Posted 10/16/2008 at 07:52:57 AMHow's this for something substantive?
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081017/NEWS0202/810170387
I'm sure Woodsie will have some reason to disregard this, esp. since the Scene didn't even bother sending a reporter to the event.
P.S. Why does Briley get credit for "taking a stand" on Bell's Bend when he merely was hired to be one of the opponent group's lobbyists, and also since it was clear he was also fronting for downtown business interests that are opposed to the competition of Bell's Bend development. Neither side had particularly clean hands on that one....
Posted 10/17/2008 at 09:54:26 AM