The Byrdman Attacketh

Oh, how I miss my old Twitter battles with my dear friend Mike Byrd. He blocked me some time ago because I had the audacity to question some of his assumptions, but he still likes to take his hits over at the blog where responses are moderated and let out when he feels the time is right.

His latest missive is about my post on the SEIU endorsements favoring some of the more conservative elements of the council candidates.

Dem Party blogger Braisted wrings his hands over the local service union's local endorsements and tries to portray them as conservative because they weren't embracing his candidates. He also compares them to the other unions in an attempt to single them out for their lack of conformity.

Yes, as the "Dem Party blogger" (I'll be getting that check any day now I suppose), I had the audacity to characterize Republican council members and candidates like Crafton, Dominy, Duvall and Jakes as conservatives (a description from what I've seen none of them oppose or object to).

Let's take my post line by line.

The Service Employees International Union released its list of endorsements which offer perhaps some of the most conservative choices to date from any of the various labor union picks to date, including Eric Crafton and Ken Jakes in the at-large race, as well as Republicans Duane Dominy and Robert Duvall in the district races against some of their more progressive, union-friendly supporters.

Now, which part of that statement is not true? That the SEIU has endorsed more conservatives than the other labor organizations to date? I don't think this is a biased statement really, unless someone cares to disagree with this assessment. As for their opponents being more progressive and union-friendly, perhaps this is more subjective, however, other labor organizations seem to agree.

So, instead of simply expounding my own thoughts about the matter, I contacted the SEIU to get to their reasoning. I primarily asked about Ken Jakes and Robert Duvall, because I assumed they supported Crafton and Dominy over their objections to the janitors privatization and the convention center, which SEIU opposed. But looking at the votes Duvall voted for the budget which would've led to janitor privatization, and Ken Jakes didn't vote on it at all. (I also asked about District 7 and 8, but those comments were OTR).

I spoke with Freda Player with the SEIU who explained that with regards to Ken Jakes, his populist message resonated with many of their membership (he is a Man of the People after all) and Duvall, while conservative politically, has been with them on many issues when they needed him to be.

There it is...no real response or opinion on my part, just their side of the story. And that was the be all and end all of my post. How Byrd turned it into some multi-paragraph missive about fealty and support for Karl Dean (who wasn't even mentioned) is rather beyond me.

I've made no secret about where my support is, I like Karl Dean, but I like him in opposition to some of the more conservative elements of municipal politics like Dominy, Crafton, Duvall, and others. Does that mean I love him like a fat kid loves cake as 50 Cent would say? No, not particularly. I like him, and unless or until a better alternative comes along to sweep me off my feet, he's the best thing we got. So, I'll disagree when we disagree, but other than that, I'm not going to take one or two areas of disagreement and turn it into a blood feud of hatred like my friend from Salemtown.

Back to the SEIU, while I don't particularly like some of the candidates they've endorsed (and neither does Byrd apparently), I understand they are free to support who they think will support their causes.  And politics being non-partisan in this council, they sometimes find that support from people who would likely be foes in a partisan body on the state or federal level.  I respect their independence, but they put out the endorsements for all to see, so why political commentators like myself should be precluded from making observations about those endorsements is beyond me.

Metro Council Endorsements

If you are like me, its hard to keep straight which acronym is endorsing which candidate for metro council, so I've tried to put them in a spreadsheet that makes it easier to find.  If I've left any organization off, please let me know and forward me a copy of their endorsements so I can put it in.

Update: Added in TEP's endorsements

Boozin' with Ronnie Steine

Councilman Ronnie Steine is having a get together tonight at wantanabe wannatabe Watanabe in Riverside Village:

TONIGHT Happy Hour 5:30-7:00

Watanabe

1400 McGavock Pike, 37216 (In Trendy Riverside Village!)

***Appetizers will be served.  First Drink Free!***

Don't forget TONIGHT is ALSO the fundraising deadline for this quarter!

If you would like to make a donation, visit www.steinecouncil.com.

Service Employees Love Conservatives?

The Service Employees International Union released its list of endorsements which offer perhaps some of the most conservative choices to date from any of the various labor union picks to date, including Eric Crafton and Ken Jakes in the at-large race, as well as Republicans Duane Dominy and Robert Duvall in the district races against some of their more progressive, union-friendly supporters.

I spoke with Freda Player with the SEIU who explained that with regards to Ken Jakes, his populist message resonated with many of their membership (he is a Man of the People after all) and Duvall, while conservative politically, has been with them on many issues when they needed him to be.

What's An Extra $400 Between Friends?

Michael Cass pens an article which looks at the Metro candidates who are wising up to the recent change in state campaign finance laws which allows individuals and PACs to donate more to their favored candidates:

Metro candidates who face voters in August are pursuing campaign contributions from individuals of up to $1,400, the new cap for a state legislative or local campaign. The cap had been set for years at $1,000. The ceiling on individual donations to statewide campaigns has jumped from $2,500 to $3,600, and political action committees, parties and caucuses can give more now, too.

More interesting to me will be to see if anyone is taking advantage of the newfound ability for corporations to give to candidates. Before, companies that wanted to buy influence had to go the roundabout route of having their employees donate to a PAC and then dole that money out to candidates, now, the corporate entity (known as a person with inalienable rights to our Republican friends) can write a check to candidate X out of their corporate coffers, thus eliminating the need for a middle man. 

In addition to the Metro candidate filings, we are also coming up on the party's mid-year supplemental.  Seeing as the limits on corporate donations to campaign committees have been eliminated, it'll be interesting to see if either political party has been able to take advantage of it.  

The History of Nations As Told By Pat Robertson

Oogity Boogity...Pat Robertson tells us to beware the almighty wrath of God after the government of New York changed the definition of marriage from "two adults of the opposite sex" to "two adults".



Ah, yes, Sodom and Ghomorra, according to the stories in the bible, was a land of buggery and rape until God laid waste to it. Since then, no nation has openly embraced homosexuality (except for the ones that did) and "survived" (maybe that's what happened to the Mayans?).

Now, I suppose its possible that after many centuries of laying low, through plagues and genocides, wars and famine, God is all of the sudden going to have his angels polish their swords of death and destruction and let terror rain from the skies because a small minority of this country will now be able to have their relationship officially recognized by their state and federal government. And if the four horsemen come floating down from the heavens holding a copy of the NY Daily News in one hand and a sword of destruction in another, we will all owe Pat Robertson an apology. Until that time, lets ridicule and mock him for the silliness that he represents.

The danger to our culture and our society is not the people who support tolerance and acceptance, its the people like Pat Robertson who want to sew division and discord.  And what Pat is saying is nothing really new, we saw the same thing in the 50s and 60s when states were beginning to open up their laws towards inter-racial marriage.  The same complaints about the downfall of our society and the white race were spewed, and yet, persevere we have.

Suprirse! Romney is Unoriginal

Mittens campaign is going after the President for being in office while jobs were lost, and doing so by plagerising a British Conservative party ad which ironically is changed to say "Believe in America". 

According to Mittens' spox, "Obama is headed to be the first President in modern history to have a net loss in jobs. No President has ever been re-elected with a net loss job record... because no President has ever had a net loss."

Perhaps this will be true, at this point we don't know. Beginning with February of 2009, we've seen 4,646,000 jobs lost vs. 2,126,000 jobs gained (roughly) for a net of 2,520,000 jobs list to this point. Of course, there is the possibility that we'll gain that number of jobs by January 2013 for a net gain, its also possible that we won't.

Is Obama to blame? Not if logic dictates your argument. Of the 4,646,000 jobs lost during Obama's Presidency we find that 47% were lost in the first 3 months of his presidency, 72% were lost during the first 6 months, and 92% of those losses were incurred during the first year of his presidency (via BLS).

Now, obviously the Republicans would prefer if voters put this on the shoulders of Obama, but are we really that stupid that we'd completely set aside all rational thinking on this matter simply to blame the incumbent? No doubt, Obama is vulnerable on the economy because quite frankly it ain't good, but the question that has yet to be answered is whether the people will be so myopic as to blame Obama for all these woes and not give the GOP their share of the credit for the depressing recession we have gone through and continue to experience.

Now, I write this as someone who is about to be unemployed after nearly 10 years of working for a company who suffered a giant hit during the recession that began in 2008. While my personal situation is partially related to the economy and partially related to internal company operations, the fact remains I probably would not be in this boat if not for the collapse of the housing and real estate market, and the subsequent seizure of construction growth in this country. I'd also be better off today if instead of bowing to the pressure of Republicans for more tax cuts in the stimulus, we instead focused more of the recovery funds on rebuilding our national infrastructure. But, such is life. Politics is a game of compromise not perfection.

Back to the topic at hand.  While Mitt Romney and his fellow Republicans will pound their chests about job losses and unemployment, the fact remains that Obama will have upwards of a billion dollars to run campaign ads that remind voters of the economic trajectory he inherited.   A recession that peaked in January of '09 and began to recede under Obama, albeit too slowly for many Americans. 

The Standard Republican Fare

Councilman Duane Dominy, who considers himself a proven leader for his leadership role in _________, is having what seems to be the new standard lineup of Republican and conservative state officials coming to raise money for his re-election bid.

Duane Dominy Fundraiser

Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey, Sens. Doug Henry, Jack Johnson, and Jim Tracy, along with Reps. Gotto and Marsh are headlining Dominy's fundraiser next Tuesday at The Standard.

District Six Candidate Fix

Just got an email from Rediscover East that informs me there will be a district 6 candidate forum this Sunday from 2-4PM at St. Ann's Episcopal Church on Woodland St. The race to fill the big shoes of Councilman Mike Jameson is crowded, with former at-large candidate and Democratic party mainstay Pete Westerholm, Lockland Springs Neighborhood Association President Hans Schmidt, newcomer and former District 7 resident Dave Rich, and Bob Borzak, who from what I hear has suffered some medical problems lately.

The email doesn't say who will be attending, but it is sponsored by a lot of area neighborhood associations: Eastwood Neighbors, Lockeland Springs, Historic East End, Historic Edgefield, Rolling Acres, Rosebank Neighbors, the Historic East Nashville Merchants Association and Rediscover East!.

The TV Ad Wars Begin

OK, maybe "wars" is a bit much considering the Mayor's primary opposition comes in the form of a homeless guy, but nonetheless, its that time of year when local candidates with enough coins in the purse go after that all important constituency group, the ad sales departments of your local TV stations and cable provider.

The Mayor opens with a feel good ad reminding everyone that things have gotten better for you and yours in the past four years without the need for a property tax increase. 



No mention of what could be a signature accomplishment of his, the development of the new convention center, but perhaps that will make it into round two or three.

Also bringing a smile to Comcast's ad sales department is Renard Francois. The Catepillar executive with gobs of money but little name ID outside of political circles is looking to reverse those factors as he goes on the air to let people know who he is and what he wants to do.



Perhaps it lacks the same production quality of the Dean Team's piece, but it gets his point across and puts a face to his French inspired name.

Metro Services for Your Campaigning Pleasure

A couple weeks ago, District 35 candidate Tonya Jones was out doing her campaign thing when she happened upon Newsom Station Road, which she found so dirty and unkempt that it was unworthy to be graced with the presence of her campaign signs. So Jones decided to clean up the neighborhood by setting up a campaign event designed as a volunteer clean-up effort.

Unfortunately, it looks like volunteers were in short supply, so metro was called in to help with the effort. We see in this picture Councilman at-large Charlie Tygard, who is backing Jones in an effort to upset incumbent Bo Mitchell's re-election chances, standing with a metro employee as he mows the lawn near Jones' campaign tent.

Now, clearly there are often overlaps between Metro employees and political events. The question one might have hear is whether its alright for a metro employee using metro resources to help a political candidate with a "volunteer cleanup" that was clearly designed to win her political favor?  Perhaps its mitigated by the resources being used for the betterment of the area, I'm not sure...if this was simply a case of Jones, acting as a concerned citizen, organizing a volunteer effort that wasn't tied to her political campaign, I don't think there would be a problem, but the blatant self-promotion coupled with the use of metro resources and presumably the influence of Councilman Tygard is cause for some concern and questions.

Briley Backs Holleman for Council

Former Councilman At-large David Briley wrote a lengthy post which in a roundabout way compared his willingness to challenge the Purcell administration with Jason Holleman's willingness to challenge Dean.

I know that Jason and the Mayor disagreed on the convention center and the fairgrounds. The former was the City’s biggest project ever. The risks and rewards had to be weighed. The fairgrounds – I confess I don’t understand – either side. I do know that Jason sponsored legislation that enacted one of the Mayor’s Green Ribbon Committee recommendations. He also fought to protect Bells Bend and worked with the Mayor and Nashville For All of Us to defeat Crafton’s English Only proposal. Sounds like an engaged, diligent council member.

Jason’s not perfect and people can disagree with his conclusions or his method but to deny him re-election because he was not supportive enough of the Mayor is to misunderstand what the Council is supposed to be about. It’s my belief that sending him back will challenge Mayor Dean’s staff and the Mayor himself to rise to their highest level. That’s a good result for all concerned.

Jason Holleman deserves re-election.

TEP Endorsements

The Tennessee Equality Project has released their list of Metro Council endorsements.  Probably nothing too surprising in the bunch.  They included Vivian Wilhoite and Sam Coleman in their At-large endorsements and left out Renard Francois who has begun to get some backing from progressives in Nashville.  Interestingly absent from the list is Bo Mitchell who voted in favor of the CAN-DO ordinance.

Mayor Karl Dean
Vice Mayor Diane Neighbors
Council At-Large (5) Megan Barry, Sam Coleman,
Jerry Maynard, Ronnie Steine, and
Vivian Wilhoite


District Council Members

1 Lonnell Mathews
2 Frank Harrison
4 Brady Banks
5 Scott Davis
6 Peter Westerholm
7 Anthony Davis
8 Nancy VanReece
11 Darren Jernigan
13 Marilyn Robinson
17 Sandra Moore
18 David Glasgow
19 Erica Gilmore
20 Buddy Baker
21 Edith Taylor Langster
22 Seanna Brandmeier
23 Emily Evans
24 Jason Holleman
25 Sean McGuire
26 Chris Harmon
27 Davette Blalock
28 Tanaka Vercher
31 Fabian Bedne
32 Both Jacobia Dowell and Markeith Braden would be excellent
options for District 32

TNYD Convention Report

Just a quick mention about this weekend's Tennessee Young Democrats convention.  Yours truly was elected President by acclamation...in fact all the officers were elected by acclamation in what turned out to be an uncontentious election.  There was a good turnout from across the state, but hopefully by this time in 2013 we can double or triple the turnout and have representatives from every corner of the state in attendance.

Special thanks go out to Mayor AC Wharton and TNDP Chairman Chip Forrester for coming to the convention to speak, as well as the UAW for hosting the convention.  The celebration afterwards was hosted by Wilson County Property Assessor Jack Pratt and his wife Kailee Krider. Thanks to the elected officials and former candidates who came out to that including Sen. Lowe Finney, Sen. Eric Stewart. Sen. Andy Berke, Fmr Sen. Bob Rochelle, Rep. Mike Stewart, Councilwoman Megan Barry, Gubernatorial candidate Mike McWherter, State Senate candidate George McDonald.

Here is a list of the new TNYD Board:

President: Sean Braisted
Vice President: Taylor Thomas
Treasurer: Claudia Weaver
Secretary: Phillip Duggan
Executive Director: Cyrus Schick
YDA Comitteeman: John Haubenreich
YDA Committeewoman: Matia Powell

East Tennessee Divisional VP: Mary Charles Clark

District 3 Female Rep: Mary Whiteman

District 3 Male Rep: Chris Anderson

 

Middle Tennessee Divisional VP: Sara Beth Meyers
District 5 Male Rep: Romel McMurray
District 5 Female Rep: Hannah Heitz
District 6 Male Rep: Jordan Wilkins
District 6 Female Rep: Emma Rigsby

West Tennessee Divisional VP: Terry Spicer

District 9 Male Rep: Devin Jones

District 9 Female Rep: Jasmine Maid

Republicans Stepping Up for Robert Duvall

Councilman Robert Duvall is pulling out all the stops with a star studded list of Republicans and Conservatives who are hosting his fundraiser on June 23rd at The Standard.  Headlining the event will be East Tennessee Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey and Brentwood Sen. Jack Johnson.

Senator Douglas Henry
Representative Jim Gotto
Representative Ben West, Jr. (retired)
Council Lady Karen Bennett
Councilman Michael Craddock
Councilman Eric Crafton
Councilman Duane Dominy
Mark Winslow
Tootie Haskins
Kathleen Starnes
Al Bodie
Anthony Roberts
Daniel Davis
Pat Carl
Shiri Anderson
Charles Williamson
Sharon Ford
Chuck Grimes
Neil & Sandra Chaffin
Ken Jakes
Bob Pope
George Gruhn
Don Spangler
Rod Williams
Frank & Scarlett Cappas
Lt. Col. Bob Garrison (retired)
Charvis Rand
Denise Andrews

Its clear that the Republican establishment in Davidson County and Tennessee will be working hard to make sure their members get back into office, hopefully whatever exists of a Democratic establishment will work equally hard to ensure that they do not.

View the full invite here.

Get Rid Of Those Incandescent Politicians

Tennessee Conservation Voters had a movie premier for The Last Mountain last night. Robert Kennedy Jr. attended the screening and admonished environmental activists to become political activists to boot:

One of things that Robert Kennedy, Jr. said really hit home with me. "If you want to be environmental, you have to get political. It's more important to change your politician than your light bulb."

That's TCV's Mission: to make conservation a top priority for our elected officials, candidates, and voters, and your contribution of $10, $20 or $30 will help us hold our elected officials accountable.

Praise Him Who Gave Us This Bacon for It Is Delicious

A couple of reminders...before you make your way out to the Tennessee Young Democrats convention in Lebanon tomorrow, feel free to stop by Jerry Maynard's Prayer Breakfast at Opryland Hotel starting at 9AM.  Mayor AC Wharton of Memphis is going to be giving the keynote address.  The breakfast is free, but requires registration in advance.

Did You Check To See If The Power Was On?

The Dean administration is touting its success in luring an estimated 900 jobs to Downtown Nashville in a deal with the technology-focused call center company IQT, Inc.

Pending approval by the Metro Council, the city will give IQT $500 for each new job it creates, up to $450,000, as well as two separate grants of $650,000 and $500,000 to help IQT pay for retrofitting, employee training and other startup costs...

...“IQT is a vibrant, technology-focused company that has found a perfect home in Nashville, a vibrant, technology-focused community,” Dean said in a news release.

“I couldn’t be more pleased to welcome 900 new jobs for Nashvillians and another development boost for SoBro, a fast-growing downtown neighborhood.”

The firm already has jobs listed for some of the managerial positions related to their work.

"That Guy You've Seen In a Bunch of Stuff But Can't Quite Place" for Senate

It appears that there is a move afoot to draft David Keith, an actor who has been in many supporting roles roles in movies and television over the years, to run in the District 6 State Senate special election (as a Democrat) to replace outgoing Sen. Jamie Woodson.

In addition to his acting career, Keith was the head of the non-profit organization "Promise to Protect," which focuses on protecting children from abuse and neglect.  In a 2009 interview with the United Methodist news service, Keith said of child abuse, "In this country, 96 percent of all child sexual abuse is done in the child's family or in their inner circle of trust--making child pornography in this country literally a mom-and-pop cottage industry. It is horrific. ... It would boggle anyone's imagination to really know the facts."

In 2008, Jamie Woodson won with 69% of the vote against Gary Farmer, so this race will be an uphill battle for whichever Democrat jumps in.

The Dean Machine

Stephen George has a write-up on the District 24 race between incumbent Jason Holleman and challenger Sarah Talley and colors it in the light of Holleman's dissent from the mayor on a few key issues:

"In terms of larger citywide issues, this district is overwhelmingly — like the city in general — supportive of the mayor and his plan for Nashville and what he's done for Nashville in the last four years," Tally says. "Councilman Holleman has not been supportive of that agenda, particularly with respect to the fairgrounds and the convention center. And folks in this district are generally supportive of the mayor and his plans, so they've been unhappy to know about the lack of support from Councilman Holleman."

Which may be true — if you define "support" as "total capitulation." Holleman says he's voted with the mayor 85 percent of his time on the council. Those votes include support of the 28th Avenue Connector, as well as the mayor's ongoing plans to preserve green space, both nondiscrimination bills and all three budgets.

But oh, that 15 percent. On the convention center, Holleman abstained from the vote to acquire the land, voted against the funding, and then voted for the public-private financing package for the new Omni Hotel at the site. He says he based his votes on both the convention center and the fairgrounds — for which he developed an eleventh-hour compromise bill passed by a majority that kept racing at the Fairgrounds Speedway while a master plan for the site is decided — on a constituent survey.

Certainly vocal opposition to the Mayor may be a driving factor in support for Tally's bid, also I'd say there are a few folks still angry about Holleman's support for Sen. Henry in last year's Senate primary. Regardless, it makes sense for Dean's campaign (and I use the term loosely, not the official apparatus) to use this opportunity to reward allies and punish perceived enemies.

However, the focus on Holleman seems far more personal than policy related. There are many incumbents, Karen Bennet, Duane Dominy, Robert Duvall, etc...that can be defeated if the right forces align behind their opposition, and they have posted a far more egregious voting record that is outside the interests of their districts and the city they represent. 

Now, I don't live in District 24 and I don't know how the locals perceive Holleman on the issues that matter to them.  Personally, I consider him a friend and he's been a strong supporter of the Young Democrats in the past, however, Sarah Tally also seems to be a good, capable candidate and so really I don't think the district would necessarily be on the losing end if either of them were to win.  I don't think the same can be said for some of the other districts in this city.

Republicans Eye Gutting Pre-K in Next War of Retribution

After giving all teachers a good ol' fashioned golly rogering, it appears that some are setting their eyes on a more narrow form of teacher, those who teach Pre-Kindergarten.

Rep. Bill Dunn is focusing on a study commissioned by the Comptroller's office to argue that Pre-K classes do nothing, and may in fact harm, students long-term success rate:

After reviewing the details of the study, Representative Bill Dunn (R--Knoxville) pointed to the results as proof that the hundreds of millions of dollars that have been spent on the program may have been better used elsewhere in education.

"We have teachers who need raises and children who need books and the Tennessee Pre-K program is gobbling up and wasting valuable resources," said Rep. Dunn.

"This report should serve as a revelation for individuals who still believe Pre-K is some sort of answer for long-term achievement in education," continued Dunn. "The fact is, it just isn't. It may be the largest hoax ever perpetrated on the people of Tennessee."

There is no doubt that the numbers in the sample groups show marginal gains over the long term for Pre-K and non-Pre-K students, but the study notes the inherent flaws in its approach:

Arguably, the greatest limitation of this study is that educational records do not indicate whether students participated in any Pre-K program other than Tennessee’s Pre-K. Throughout this series of studies, analyses have not been able to determine whether students in the non-Pre-K group attended another type of Pre-K program such as Head Start or a private preschool, nor have the analyses conducted here been able to control for additional interventions students may have received (or have not received) beyond Pre-K. These remain the most significant issues in terms of interpretation of the results because it is quite likely that the benefits of Pre-K are underestimated in the models presented here.

The problem with Dunn's argument is simply that it assumes the two options are Pre-K classes or kids sitting on their asses at home watching TV, when in fact the success rating of those who don't take state offered pre-K courses can be attributed to any number of factors such as a stay-at-home parent who teaches their child during the day, or private pre-school (something I had growing up).

Until the study can control for these factors, it seems highly irresponsible to make a drastic causative policy analysis based on these figures.  The focus should be on what happens to kids who don't have parents who can stay home and teach them or resources to go to private pre-school, versus those who take advantage of State sponsored pre-schooling.

The authors of the report are pretty firm in saying that policy conclusions based solely on this data would be unfounded and unfair:

However, to consider this study a summative evaluation of the effectiveness of the Pre-K program would be unfounded and unfair. The Pre-K program has experienced significant changes in the past 10 years, not the least of which was a substantive curricular revision and alignment. The most recent cohort of Pre-K students included in the present study participated in Pre-K three years ago. To evaluate the program as it exists today on the basis of outcomes experienced by students who participated in the Pre-K program 5 or 10 years ago would be an unsound approach.

How Much Does This Job Pay Again?

Councilwoman Megan Barry has quite the busy schedule over the next month, announcing 15 events, with more sure to come.  One such event is FABULOUS Women for Megan Barry...mediocre or just OK women need not apply. 

FABULOUS Women for Megan Barry

Wednesday, June 29

5:00-7:00 pm

tayst restaurant, 2100 21st Ave. 37212, near Hillsboro Village

Appetizers provided, cash bar

Suggested donation: $50 per person

RSVP

1,200 Is Much Scarier Than .65

Will the evil elites in the Dean administration raise your taxes by 1,200 percent?!?!

Not if Robert Duvall (not the talented one) has a say in the matter:

Early media reports on the ongoing franchise negotiations between the city and the nation’s largest cable provider set off a backlash, with skeptics questioning the wisdom of one item: Raising a 5-cent fee charged to cable subscribers each time they pay their bills to as high as 65 cents. Metro officials have said the purpose would be to invest in enhancements of community television — from Metro Council and school board meetings to programming like the Jesse Goldberg Show...

..."I’m going to oppose it,” Councilman Robert Duvall said. “Some of the equipment may be necessary for the studio, but I think we need to find a way to fund it out of our capital expenditures. We don’t need to add more taxes to the people. That’s all it is. We’re nickel and diming them to death every time they turn around.”

Great, so instead of the users of a product being the ones to pay for it, all of Nashville, including the good number of us who either subscribe to Satellite TV or nothing at all, will pay for upgrades that only Comcast subscribers will get the benefit of.

Now, I don't subscribe to Comcast anymore (simply as a function of my living arrangement, not in objection to the fat checks I used to write them every month), but when I did, I can assure you that a $.65 increase in my monthly bill would've barely registered a raised eyebrow, let alone some angry tea-party style backlash. Of course, Comcast knows this and that is why they are sticking with the technically true though irrelevant statistic of 1,200 percent.

Now, they are obviously still in the negotiation stages, and the likelihood of a 65 cent increase is probably small...they may end up with a halfway increase if any at all.  But it absolutely makes sense for the beneficiaries (if you consider HD public access to be a benefit) can and should be the ones to bare the brunt of the cost. 

On a side note, the awshucks conservative populism of Duvall is a prime example of why he shouldn't be re-elected again this year.  If he wants to make a cogent argument against the need for this, by all means, lets hear it, but boilerplate conservative rhetoric is not what the Council or the 33rd district needs.

Chip Goes National

TNDP Chair Chip Forrester has gone national:

Forrester was elected unanimously to the DNC Executive Committee at a meeting of the Association of State Democratic Chairs. He will serve as that group’s Southern Chair on the DNC Executive Committee and will work as a representative for the region.

The new role will give Tennessee a more powerful voice in national affairs and policy decisions, particularly during the upcoming 2012 election.

“I am honored to have the unanimous support of my colleagues, other state chairs and vice chairs, who have expressed their confidence in me by electing me to this important national position on our party’s Executive Committee,” Forrester said. “I have promised them that I will faithfully ensure that state parties are heard and their needs are addressed at DNC Executive Committee meetings.”

Week in Review

I was out of town most of last week and unable to update the ol' blog. So, here's a few things I missed.

- Karl Dean threw a party, but some folks weren't too fond of the timing.

- Renard Francois met with some bloggers, twitters, and other assorted social misfits to discuss his run for Metro Council At-Large. Betsy has a taste.

- Mike Byrd conjures up a delightfully sinister looking screen grab of Councilwoman Megan Barry.

- TNReport gets the rundown of former Gov. Phil Bredesen's post-executive life and finds that leisure isn't at the top of his priorities.

- Metro is going to be looking for a new clerk.

The Tennessee Young Democrats' convention is this Saturday.  Barring unforeseen circumstances I should be taking on the role of President for the next two years.  So, if you'd like to come out and show some support, as well as take a more active role in the organization, please register today.