Live from Music Row Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy was joined in the studio by former Vanderbilt professor and mayoral candidate Dr. Carol M. Swain.
At the top of the third hour, Swain discussed her disappointment in Mayor Cooper’s decision-making process by keeping Nashville shut down and acknowledging his lack of compassion. She added that it appears that his brother Jim Cooper may be the man behind Mayor Cooper pulling the strings and who’s first priority is satisfying the desires of national Democrats instead of Tennesseans.
Leahy: We are here with our good friend all-star panelist, former Vanderbilt professor, and all-around great person, Carol Swain in the studio for the first time in over two months. Good morning Carol.
Swain: Good morning.
Leahy: We have so much to talk about here today. I want to hit a little bit on this issue that we talked about before you came in during the six o’clock hour. There is a Nashville business called The Local Spot that filed a lawsuit against Governor Lee and Mayor John Cooper for depriving them of their constitutional right to make a living when they ordered them to shut down. I think Carol there are going to be a lot more such lawsuits in the future. Our listener Nash Native on Twitter. I would like to see other business owners join the lawsuit brought against the mayor and governor.
Swain: I agree. I think they are depriving people of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And that the coronavirus numbers in Nashville and in Tennessee never justified the actions taken by the governor and the mayor. And when it comes to downtown and those businesses, it doesn’t make sense to me that they would shut down the Fourth of July ceremonies. But what we do know about the virus is that supposedly it doesn’t like hot weather. Why would you at this point shut down something that’s supposed to take place in July?
Leahy: The mayor I think is being very short-sighted about the future of Nashville’s economy.
Swain: It’s not about Nashville for him. For a lot of Democrats it’s about the November elections. I believe that a lot of decisions are being driven by that. They believe that if its a bad economy President Trump will not be re-elected.
Leahy: I think that’s correct and a correct political analysis in my view. You have to think about the economic pain that these draconian and not science-based decisions to slow down the reopening of the country are causing. Here in Nashville for instance, we’ve got this very complicated inconsistent phase one, phase two, phase three, phase four policy of opening. I say open up everything right now and let businesses use their own best judgment.
Swain: The pain is not shared equally because if you think about the Metro employees they are on a paid vacation. You think about people that are wealthy. Fathers and mothers and people that are economically sound. They are getting some downtime. And downtime is great. And then the poorest of the poor they are getting some resources but not enough to make up for the pain.
And the people that are hurt the most are people who own businesses and work for a living. And there you see that many people will be pushed into homelessness. They are going to lose their businesses. The whole makeup of Nashville is going to change. And so Mayor Cooper he’s been hit with the tornado. We had this COVID crisis of his own making. I’m waiting for the plague of locust to descend.
Leahy: Here’s the thing, the short-sighted the draconian unconstitutional decisions by Mayor Cooper to shut down and pick winners and losers of businesses that should be open by their constitutional rights. This is having a devastating effect on Nashville’s economy because we are so tourist-oriented right? The venues should be open. The restaurants should be open. and I think what’s going to happen is that a lot of people that fly into Nashville in the past are reluctant to fly in or drive.
Swain: I think the rich will get richer because there will be opportunities to snatch up other people’s properties at low prices.
Leahy: I think its time to open up Nashville. Open up Nashville! Come on Mayor Cooper. You can do it.
Swain: I don’t think he has the compassion that I thought he had because if he did he would see how his policies are causing so much suffering. I believe that he would make a different set of decisions. It makes me wonder if Jim Cooper isn’t running the city behind the scenes. Mayor Cooper seems to be more in line with the national democrats than the state of Tennessee, the people, and its values.
Leahy: His decisions of those of a heartless progressive ideologue. In my view.
Swain: Wherever he’s getting advice from, it’s the wrong place. We really need to pray for him, pray for the city, and pray for mercy.
Leahy: (Chuckles) We could pray for Mayor Cooper to see the errors of his ways and open up Nashville now.
Swain: And I believe that he’s deceived a lot of people if he continues.
Leahy: Pray for Mayor John Cooper to see the light.
Listen to the full third hour here:
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Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510. Listen online at iHeart Radio.
Photo “Bill Lee” by Bill Lee. Photo “John Cooper” by John Cooper.
