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Nashville, Tennessee

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Nashville Scene - Pith in the Wind

The Nashville Scene News Blog

Should the Council Meddle in Our School District?

Posted May 02, 2008 at 12:43:41 PM by Matt Pulle

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This week in Confederacy of Dunces, we mocked Antioch Metro Council member Duane Dominy for his resolution calling for school administrators to toil every now and then as substitute teachers. The bill, which hasn't been filed yet, would apply to all school officials above the principal level. I could see why the idea has merits: Bureaucrats can lose touch with the people and programs they're supposed to administer, though it seems like an extraordinarily meek way to address the gaping problems in our district. Sounds more like a publicity stunt to me.

But here's the snarkier question we more or less asked (and answered) in the paper this week: Do we really want our council members suggesting policy at Bransford Avenue? Or do we just want them to preside over silly zoning disputes, rubber stamp the mayor's budget and pen innocuous resolutions honoring Girl Scout troops?

As you might imagine, some people thought we were being too dismissive of our city's legislative body. After the jump, one council member, who doesn't want to be named but gave us permission to use the following, pens a rather thoughtful response to the editor:


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Category: 40 Jealous Whores, Politics, Pulle
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Predator, Prey

Posted April 16, 2008 at 04:10:53 PM by Matt Pulle

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This is probably the worst possible time to question the new Predators deal, as our hockey team faces off against the Red Wings tonight with a chance to tie up the series. But the Metro Council's 30-8 vote to approve the team's lease for the downtown arena was so predictable and telling that we just can't let it go. It's not the worst deal in the world—probably because Phil Bredesen wasn't involved—but I don't know how anyone can feel too good about it.

“I think for some people it was a hold-your-nose-and-vote-yes vote,” says Metro Council member Mike Jameson, who held his nose and voted yes.

Of course, the timing of the council's vote is wretched: Right when the city is preparing to can 200 Metro employees, it's electing to give super-wealthy owners of a professional sports team a multi-million dollar handout to run their money-losing business. But if we let the team go, supporters of the deal say, the arena would lose its No. 1 tenant. And don't forget that thousands of Predators fans wouldn't be coming downtown to spend their money anymore. So, yes, it's hard to dismiss those points outright, but the arena did just fine in the first two years before the Predators came to town. More importantly, no objective study has shown that the benefits of having a hockey team playing downtown outweigh the costs of propping up its existence. It wouldn't surprise me if that were true, but shouldn't our city be armed with more than a hunch before we agree to a five-year deal?


Continue reading "Predator, Prey"...
Category: 40 Jealous Whores, Politics, Pulle
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Putting the Dupe in Duplex

Posted March 31, 2008 at 07:44:18 AM by Liz Garrigan

Check out Christine Kreyling's online piece this week on when a duplex is not a duplex. A bill on final reading in the Metro Council tomorrow would alter the city's already mangled definition—but not necessarily for the better.

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Category: 40 Jealous Whores, Garrigan
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Byrd Spots a Turd

Posted March 24, 2008 at 02:18:17 PM by Liz Garrigan

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He's right. Enclave author Mike Byrd today notes the hypocrisy of Metro Council member Eric Crafton proposing memorializing resolutions when in the past he's advocated limiting, um, memorializing resolutions.

Eric Crafton for school board: Because maybe things can get worse.

Category: 40 Jealous Whores
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