Keeping It Real
Posted on May 15, 2008 at 8:13 amChris Sanders comments on Karl Dean’s use of the word “good” in his State Of Metro address:
“Good”–there’s that word. “Ladies and gentlemen, as we approach the mid-point of 2008, the state of Metro is good.” The budget situation is not good and the dropout rate is not good. What does he mean? Unlike some spectators, I took “good” as a fairly mild description. It certainly contrasts with the President’s description of the state of the union as “strong” or “has never been stronger.” I think it was an attempt to avoid exaggeration. He lists a number of features of the city that are good. He may also ironically be borrowing a page from Bob Clement via Jim Collins when he closes by saying, “The destination our city arrives at will be great.” He acknowledges that the “path we take will not be easy.” Good becomes a great deal more understandable in that context.
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Get Ready For Freddie: Biodiesel Motorist Mayor’s Pick For MTA Board Of Directors
Posted on May 6, 2008 at 7:27 pmLikely as I type, the name of Thomas F. “Freddie” O’Connell, internet strategist for NashvillePost.com’s parent company, is being submitted by the Mayor’s office at tonight’s council meeting to fill an expiring term on the Metro Transportation Authority’s Board of Directors.
O’Connell, whom you may know as the half of the dynamic duo of Liberadio(!) Monday mornings on WRVU, was chosen by Mayor Karl Dean, according to spokeswoman Janel Lacy because he is “a regular bus rider and an avid proponent of public transporation.”
Uh, yeah, I suppose you could say that. Let’s make it plain: the man likes his buses, he wants more of them, and he wants them going more places more often. That much he has made clear.
A man committed to keeping his carbon footprint to a minimum, O’Connell only recently bought a car after years of relying solely on public transportation for his mobility. His recent move to the North End combined with the lure of Daryl Hannah’s wheels proved too tempting for the principled environmentalist and former state house candidate to resist.
As for how this outside agitator advocate feels about being snuggled into the bosom of the public transportation establishment, O’Connell couldn’t be more pleased at the opportunity to serve his hometown and offer a fresh prospective, “I look forward to discovering creative solutions to transit issues with the current board.”
O’Connell continues, “With gas prices increasing demand for mass transit, but costs for all transit, I expect this to be a challenging responsibility.”
After O’Connell’s name is submitted tonight, he will be called to appear before the Metro Council’s Rules Committee at the next council meeting on May 20th for a preconfirmation Q&A before a vote of the full council makes Freddie O’Connell an official member of the MTA Board of Directors for a full five year term.
Is There A Mad Monk Of Homelessness?
Posted on April 21, 2008 at 10:20 amThe White House’s “homelessness czar”, Phil Mangano, came to Nashville on Friday to meet with city leaders:
Mangano is a strong believer that it is cheaper for a community to house a homeless person than to pay when he or she is put in jail or goes to the emergency room. He says it’s even more important than the nation’s foreclosure crisis.
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Asking Why
Posted on April 18, 2008 at 11:59 amChris Sanders asks why sexual orientation was left out of a recent bill seeking diversity in Metro contracters:
Other local governments have supplier diversity initiatives that include the GLBT community. Even the U.S. Department of the Interior signed a memorandum of agreement with the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce on supplier diversity. The second reason given is that GLBT community leaders didn’t ask for an addition to the bill. Strictly speaking, that is true, but I think it’s also fair to ask whether any Metro officials thought to include our community and if not, then why not?
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Parking By Appointment
Posted on April 17, 2008 at 7:17 pmMayor Karl Dean gives a former colleague from the Purcell days an appointment:
[Ivanetta] Davis Samuels, who left city government to take a job as director of corporate compliance and risk management with Meharry Medical College, was appointed to the Metro Arts Commission by Purcell a little more than a year ago. Pending confirmation by the Metro Council next month, she’ll leave the arts commission to join the parks board, replacing Susan Short Jones, whose five-year term expires April 30.
Davis Samuels, an attorney, also worked for Dean in both the Davidson County public defender’s office and the Metro Law Department and took classes he taught at Vanderbilt University Law School.
Dean recently reappointed Davis Samuels’ husband, Dr. A. Dexter Samuels, to the Metro Airport Authority. Purcell appointed Samuels in August to finish out a term that recently expired.
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Post Politics: 9 April 2008
Posted on April 11, 2008 at 2:52 pmIndependent candidate for Congress in District 9, Jake Ford, accuses the Commercial Appeal of “journalistic terrorism” in its reporting on statements he made about who is racially qualified to represent the district.
Much has been made of a Sen. Roy Herron bill which would give a state board the power to determine how the Bible is to be taught in public school. Catherine McTamaney argues that it is not the biblical aspect that is new here, but the level at which the state gets involved.
The LA Times reports on how those snappy little political YouTube ads are produced for the Web.
The Politico argues that Hillary Clinton’s management of her campaign may reflect badly on her ability to run a government.
Rules have been adopted in Metro which allow city workers to continue to spray for mosquitoes in an area even if property owners object or pedestrians are present.
Democratic Leadership Council founder Al From wonders whether Barack Obama can change the electoral map with his refreshing new appeals to voters across traditional divides.
Ilissa Gold reports that plans to move the Bellevue library to a new site at an improved Bellevue Mall are well underway.
Andy Sher reports that revenue shortfalls have put state worker pay raises in jeopardy.
Some state officials see the federal government’s plan to overhaul the country’s financial regulatory systems as an intrusion on their powers, says Stateline.
Photos of the “Flying Spaghetti Monster” statue outside a Crossville courthouse. The Spaghetti monster is a popular symbol among atheists and agnostics used to illustrate the unlikelihood of the existence of religious truth.
Breaking Bad: A new report reveals that homebuyers using mortgage brokers were often directed towards higher-interest loans.
A Vanderbilt professor releases a 74-page paper calling for Tennessee to adopt a state income tax.
One journalist notes that House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh is engaging in more raw politics as his power is threatened in the legislature.
The Amendment makes the bill: Reporter Joe White explains the concept of a “caption bill.”
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mike Padgett asserts that Tennesseans are fed up with the war in Iraq and want their troops home.
Monkey Business: A delegate for Barack Obama steps down after racially interpreted remark.
Presidential candidate Mike Gravel releases yet another YouTube video where he covers Beatles tunes in a way only he can.
The Jackson Sun reports that Tennessee wildlife officers will no longer auction off weapons seized from hunters violating game laws on the courthouse steps. The weapons will instead be shipped to Nashville for sale in licensed gun shops.
The issue of trade with Colombia divides the political house of Clinton.
Where the white women at? Event coordinators for Michelle Obama make explicit their need for diversity at a campaign event.
The failure of a bill in a state house subcommittee means that the judicial selection committee may still meet in private.
The Memphis Daily News covers the battle of conservatives in the District 7 congressional primary.
A report by the Government Accountability Office in Washington exposed federal employees charging exorbitant amounts of money for Internet dating, tailor-made suits, lingerie, lavish dinners and other questionable expenses to their government credit cards over a 15-month period.
Clarksville Online thinks a new strategy is needed to advance environmental legislation through the Tennessee Legislature.
Nashville Mayor Karl Dean invites to his home members of WIN, a bipartisan group dedicated to helping recruit, train and elect qualified women to state and local offices in Tennessee.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the smart money, at first bearish on John McCain’s prospects, is now starting to flow in.
And finally, Ken Whitehouse discusses West Tennessee Democrats on the downslope of political prominence.
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