Mayor Megan Barry Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Tennessee Star

Mayor Megan Barry and Her Communications Director Try to Control Story of Extramarital Affair Using Exclusive Interview with ‘Fair’ Media

February 2, 2018February 2, 2018 Chris Alto

Prior to Mayor Megan Barry’s 7 p.m. press conference Wednesday, which can be viewed in full here, Phil Williams from News Channel 5 was granted an exclusive interview with Barry to break the story of Barry’s extramarital affair. In his own interview on Channel 5’s MorningLine with Nick Beres, Williams explained how and why he was granted the exclusive interview: Williams: I put in the request I believe Friday and I was very straightforward with the Mayor’s spokesperson. You know I knew that they would know why I was asking because my source or sources you know, were incredible. Beres: Had indicated to you that there may have been something going on between the Mayor and her head of security. Williams: Exactly and to the point that I had no doubt. And so I really encouraged the Mayor’s office she needs to sit down answer the questions, go ahead and get all this information out as soon as possible. You know just come clean. Beres went on to state that Williams was “probably the first one to put it to her and she probably also knew Phil Williams will be fair.” Regarding the conduct of his interview, Williams noted that…

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$9 Billion Transit Backers Try New Poll To Fish For Support

February 1, 2018February 1, 2018 Jason M. Reynolds

One citizens’ group says the city and its backers are conducting yet another poll to try to show support for the Let’s Move Nashville Transit Improvement Plan. NoTax4Tracks said in a press release that at least one of its people received a polling call regarding the $9 billion transit plan that includes light rail service. Questions include: Would this make you more or less likely to vote for the plan? 17 cents a day cost Comprehensive light rail, bus and other Neighborhood parking zones to get on and off Will run longer hours at night If seniors get a discount If out-of-towners pay for most of it through the hotel tax It would eliminate the need to go downtown to go to neighborhood to neighborhood Which are important to you when you consider your vote: would cost $5.4 billion that we would have the highest sales tax that sales tax is regressive and would hurt lower income communities Which people are meaningful to you in making this decision: David Fox Megan Barry Someone else News of the new poll broke hours before word came of Mayor Megan Barry’s extra-marital affair with the head of her security detail, so it is…

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Mayor Megan Barry and Security Chief Lover Traveled to Athens, Greece Alone on Metro Nashville Taxpayer Funds

February 1, 2018February 1, 2018 Tennessee Star Staff

Nashville Mayor Megan Barry and her security chief, Rob Forrest, traveled alone together to a conference in Greece in September, several Middle Tennessee media outlets reported on Wednesday. Forrest and Barry were alone in Athens, Greece for seveb days, from September 12 to September 18, 2017 attending the Athens Democracy Forum & 100RC City Leaders Advisory Committee Meeting, according to documents released by the Mayor’s Office. During this time, Forrest was paid by the taxpayers of Metro Nashville/Davidson County to provide security for Mayor Barry. Forrest’s travel and lodging expenses were paid for by Metro Nashville/Davidson County. It is not clear whether taxpayers or a private foundation paid for Mayor Barry’s travel and lodging for the Athens, Greece trip. “Documents released by her office show that from January 2017 until present, over $30,000 taxpayer dollars were spent on Barry and Sgt. Forrest’s travel expenses. Barry took 30 trips in total, 7 of which were personal to visit her son or take vacation with friends, while 9 were with Sgt. Forrest alone, including a trip to Greece, reportedly for the Athens Democracy Forum,” WKRN reported. “During 2017, travel records show Forrest traveled with the mayor to San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Denver,…

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Nashville Mayor Megan Barry Dodges Responsibility As Elected Official on Affair, Denies ‘Giving Women’s Rights a Bad Smell’

February 1, 2018February 1, 2018 Jason M. Reynolds

Nashville Mayor Megan Barry dodged repeated questions at a televised press conference Wednesday night on whether her extra-marital affair with her chief bodyguard, a city employee, was hypocritical as a champion of women’s rights. She also seemed to acknowledge she only came out because the news was breaking. “I am embarrassed and I am sad and I am sorry for all the pain I caused my family and his family, and I know that God will forgive me, but I know Nashville doesn’t have to,” Barry said. She added she hopes she can earn back people’s trust. Earlier in the day, in an exclusive interview with NewsChannel 5 Investigates, Barry insisted that she has not misused taxpayer funds as part of the relationship with Metro Police Sergeant Rob Forrest, NewsChannel 5’s Phill Williams reported on Wednesday. Forrest resigned — the term being used is retirement after 31 years with the police department. Barry said he gave notice on Jan. 17. During the press conference, Barry was asked more than once about the professional aspect of having an affair with a subordinate, especially in terms of women’s rights. The point was raised that if a man were in her position, he…

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Nashville Mayor Megan Barry Releases Statement on Extramarital Affair: ‘Firmly Committed to Working Hard to Serve the People of Nashville Now and into the Future’

January 31, 2018January 31, 2018 Tennessee Star Staff

Late Wednesday, the office of Nashville Mayor Megan Barry released a statement in which she admitted she has “engaged in an extramarital affair with the former head of my security detail.” Though she apologized to the people of Nashville and her husband, Barry gave no indication she was even considering resigning, saying “I remain firmly committed to working hard to serve the people of Nashville now and into the future.” A press conference is now scheduled for 7 p.m. You can read the full statement here: “Today, I have acknowledged publicly that I have engaged in an extramarital affair with the former head of my security detail. “I accept full responsibility for the pain I have caused my family and his. I am so sorry to my husband Bruce, who has stood by me in my darkest moments and remains committed to our marriage, just as I am committed to repairing the damage I have done. “I also must apologize to the people of Nashville who elected me to serve as your mayor. I knew my actions could cause damage to my office and the ones I loved, but I did it anyway. I must hold myself to the…

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WSMV: ‘Questions Raised About Nashville Mayor’s Relationship With Officer in Charge of Security Detail’

January 31, 2018January 31, 2018 Tennessee Star Staff

UPDATE 4:49 pm: The Scene has confirmed that Barry administration staffers are confirming to council members that the mayor had a relationship with a member of her security detail and that she is not resigning. https://t.co/dpsHnZX2C6 — Nashville Scene (@NashvilleScene) January 31, 2018 WSMV is reporting that “The News 4 I-Team has uncovered questions of the relationship between Nashville Mayor Megan Barry and her head of security.” In a story that broke at 2:48 pm but added a significant update at 4:02 pm, WSMV reported: News 4 reported on Tuesday night that Sgt. Rob Forrest had abruptly resigned his position. The News 4 I-Team has heard from multiple sources – Metro Council members, former Council members and lawyers – that Forrest’s resignation from the police force after 31 years was tied to his relationship with Barry. News 4 contacted Penny Forrest, Rob Forrest’s wife, on Wednesday afternoon. She referred questions to her attorney. When asked whether her husband had a relationship with Barry, she responded, ‘You need to ask that question to Mayor Barry.” The News 4 I-Team has reached out to the Mayor’s office for several hours on Wednesday. The only response has been that she is set…

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Nashville Mayor Megan Barry’s Head of Security Resigns Abruptly

January 31, 2018January 31, 2018 Admin

The Metro Nashville Police Department confirmed with The Nashville Scene the head of Mayor Megan Barry’s security team, Sergeant Rob Forrest, has resigned as of late today. Metro Council Budget and Finance Committee Chair Tanaka Vercher further confirmed with The Scene that the mayor’s office “plans to issue a statement this afternoon.” Forrest is a 30-year veteran of the MNPD, and served on the security details of past mayors Bill Purcell and Karl Dean before being tapped to head Barry’s security team. He also supervises Hate Crime Investigations, the Crime Stoppers program, and security for visiting dignitaries. He is married with a grown daughter, Macy, who is an attorney in the Metro Legal Department. Developing…

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Does State Of The Union Address Indicate Bad News For Nashville Transit Funding?

January 30, 2018January 30, 2018 Jason M. Reynolds

President Donald Trump is expected to announce in tonight’s State of the Union address $200 billion in federal funding for infrastructure and other projects. But one PAC that opposes Nashville’s transit plan says that is not necessarily good news for Mayor Megan Barry. Politico reports the president had promised a $1 trillion, 10-year blueprint to rebuild American roads, railroads, bridges and airports. State, local and private investors would have to cough up more money than normally would be the case under the president’s proposal. “Instead of the grand, New Deal-style public works program that Trump’s eye-popping price tag implies, Democratic lawmakers and mayors fear the plan would set up a vicious, zero-sum scramble for a relatively meager amount of federal cash — while forcing cities and states to scrounge up more of their own money, bringing a surge of privately financed toll roads, and shredding regulations in the name of building projects faster,” Politico says. The administration says $200 billion is not a large amount for such a plan but adds it would draw state, local and private funds. In addition to land transportation infrastructure, identified possible projects include rural broadband service, veterans hospitals and commercial spaceflight. The White House is…

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Nashville Metro Council Buries True Cost of $9 Billion Transit Plan

January 25, 2018July 17, 2018 Jason M. Reynolds

A PAC opposed to a $9 billion transit plan calls Nashville Metro Council’s vote Tuesday a “shameful” effort to pull the wool over the voter’s (sic) eyes.” NoTax4Tracks made the statement in a press release in response to Metro Council voting 21-14 not to accept an amendment to the light rail transit plan that would have shown the $9 billion cost on the May 1 ballot. The Tennessee Star broke the latest story on Mayor Megan Barry’s plan Wednesday morning. Once the amendment failed, the council voted on the Barry administration’s favored language for the referendum, citing a price tag of just over $5.3 billion. The council voted 30-6, with three not voting, to create the ballot language. The third and final reading will be Feb. 6. NoTax4Tracks said, “We know the city and the pro-light rail groups leaned hard on council members today. They did so because their own polling and political advisors told them that if Cooper’s amendment passed, their entire plan was in big trouble. So, they laid the wood to the council. It’s clear, they’ll do just about anything to win.” Council member John Cooper proposed the ballot language for the city’s Transit Improvement Plan be open and transparent…

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Nashville Metro Council Plays Shell Game With Transit Costs

January 24, 2018July 17, 2018 Jason M. Reynolds

The Metro Council voted Tuesday to not disclose the true cost of Mayor Megan Barry’s light rail transit plan to voters on the May 1 referendum. Metro Councilmembers John Cooper and Tanaka Vercher had asked that the May ballot language include the full $9-billion-dollar costs. They proposed the amendment that Metro Council voted on Tuesday night during the plan’s second reading. The amendment is available here. The council voted 21-14 not to accept the amendment, according to a spokesman for NoTax4Tracks, a PAC that opposes the transit plan. There will be one final reading, but it is not immediately clear if amendments will be allowed, the spokesman says. That vote could come in as early as two weeks. Once the amendment failed, the council voted on the Barry administration’s favored language for the referendum, citing a price tag of just over $5.3 billion. The council voted 30-6, with three not voting, to create the ballot language, according to Barry’s Twitter feed. NoTax4Tracks PAC on Tuesday had announced their support for the proposed amendment’s effort to let voters know the full cost of the city’s light rail transit plan. “The city does not want voters to know the full costs of the light rail…

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Nashville Would Tie For Highest Sales Tax In Nation Under Mayor Barry’s Transit Plan

January 22, 2018February 4, 2018 Jason M. Reynolds

From apparel to zip-up kitchen bags, merchandise sold in Nashville would bear some of the highest sales tax in the nation if the backers of the city’s proposed light rail system have their way, a PAC says. NoTax4Tracks is the PAC opposing the May 1 referendum in Nashville/Davidson County on a proposed increase in sales and hotel taxes. The organization issued a press release over the weekend criticizing Mayor Megan Barry’s plan to raise the state-city sales tax to 10.25 percent to help finance the transit plan. The PAC says 10.25 percent would give Nashville the highest sales tax in the nation. According to the Tax Foundation, two cities currently are tied for the dubious honor of highest sales tax, and both have rates of 10.25 percent: Long Beach, California, and Chicago. Nashville would tie for the top spot in the nation’s most expensive cities in which to shop. Nashville is currently tied in ninth place on the Tax Foundation’s sales tax list. The city’s sales tax would increase by 0.5 percent from 9.25 percent to 9.75 percent, NoTax4Tracks says on its website. By 2023 the tax will have increased to 10.25 percent. “Whether it’s a senior living off of…

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NoTax4Tracks: There Is No Such Thing As $1.5 Billion In Free Transit Money for Nashville

January 20, 2018July 17, 2018 Jason M. Reynolds

“There is no such thing as a free lunch” is an adage many students learn in an introductory economics course. Perhaps that adage could apply to Mayor Megan Barry’s $9 billion transit plan as well. NoTax4Tracks, the PAC opposing the May 1 referendum in Nashville/Davidson County on a proposed increase in sales and hotel taxes is making that point. “We’re talking about the $1.5-billion hole in the city’s $9-billion light rail plan,” the PAC said in a press release. “Why is it a big hole? Because the city has said their plan has $1.5-billion in funding they plan getting from the federal government. “Except they’re not.” The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) said its budget: “…includes no funding for new CIG (capital investment grant) projects, and thus project sponsors that do not yet have construction grant agreements acknowledge they are undertaking additional work at their own risk which may not receive CIG funding.” The FTA added it will accept new grant applications with the understanding no funding is guaranteed. So how will Barry fill a $1.5-billion dollar shortfall, NoTax4Tracks asks. WSMV reports the plan’s $9 billion estimate is buried deep within the “Let’s Move Nashville: Metro’s Transportation Solution” report of Dec. 13,…

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Nashville Transit Polls? What Polls? Opposing Sides United In Not Talking

January 19, 2018January 19, 2018 Jason M. Reynolds

Both sides in the fight over the upcoming May 1 referendum in Nashville/Davidson County on a proposed increase in sales and hotel taxes to fund Mayor Megan Barry’s $9 billion transit plan are playing their cards close to the vest in terms of releasing information. NoTax4Tracks, the PAC opposing Mayor Barry’s plan, sends out frequent email communications to the public with the headline “The Morning Line.” They don’t always acknowledge the information in those email communications when talking to the media. One case in point deals with polls that have been conducted on both sides. The Tennessean reported Oct. 12, 2017 on a Megan Barry mayoral campaign committee-financed poll. The telephone poll found that 57 percent of respondents supported a plan for mass transit projects, including light rail, that would be funded by higher sales taxes, hotel taxes, car registration fees and business taxes. Thirty-seven percent were opposed. One NoTax4Tracks email communication reads, “You may remember in October of last year, The Tennessean touted getting their hands on an ‘internal’ poll that showed the transit plan had 57% support. Their pollster, John Anazalone, is very good at what he does and we don’t doubt that number. But they apparently did only registered voters,…

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Nashville Mayor Megan Barry’s Light Rail Plan ‘Absurdly Expensive,’ David Fox Says

January 18, 2018July 17, 2018 Jason M. Reynolds

Nashville Mayor Megan Barry’s $9 billion transit plan is “absurdly expensive,” says David Fox, one of the most recent Nashvillians to speak out on the topic. Fox’s concerns were briefly outlined by The Tennessee Star on Wednesday. Expanding on them, the former mayoral candidate said his concerns include the return on investment, the tax burden and the impact on the middle class and lower-income citizens. Fox was defeated by Barry in a September 2015 runoff election to become Mayor of Nashville by a 55 percent to 45 percent margin. He has stayed silent since then and not returned any reporters’ phone calls until now, but said he responded to a request for help from NoTax4Tracks, a PAC that has organized against the transit plan. “I felt the last couple of months there was not a two-sided public conversation on the transit plan,” he said, adding the plan’s backers conducted an organized campaign to sell it to residents. “As someone who has spent many months studying it, I concluded it was a terrible idea.” Fox said he also wanted to see if Metro Council would vet the plan, but it sailed through to a referendum, which will be on May 1. “I…

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‘Let’s Talk Transit’ Event With Mayor Megan Barry Long on Slogans, Short on Substance

January 11, 2018January 11, 2018 Laura Baigert

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – At a “Let’s Talk Transit” Nashville Chamber of Commerce event sponsored by Piedmont Natural Gas on Wednesday , keynote speaker Mayor Megan Barry delivered a number of campaign slogans and one liners, but her address was short on the substantive details about her proposed $9 billion mass transit plan. Mayor Barry was introduced by Jennifer Carlat, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce Vice President of Policy, at the nicely appointed Nissan Stadium West Club where about 500 pre-registered guests were in attendance. Carlat said that most people attending said their “commute was easier than they thought,” and added that the Chamber is looking to engage members and their employees and get them the information they need before the vote on May 1. After recognizing several Metro Council members that were in attendance after a late public hearing on transit held the previous night that went from 6 to 9:50 p.m., Mayor Barry gave a “shout out” to the Titans for hosting the event. She joked that Kansas City barbecue would be coming her way, as a result of the Titans wild card win last weekend, and that she was looking forward to receiving some “Boston clam chowder,” after the Titans’ game…

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Metro’s Official Document Reveals That The Real Price Tag For Mayor Megan Barry’s Mass Transit Plan Is $9 Billion, Not $5.4 Billion

January 6, 2018January 6, 2018 Laura Baigert

Nashville Mayor Megan Barry’s transit plan has been presented as having a cost of $5.4 billion during the 15 year construction plan through 2032. But that figure represents just the rail corridor improvements portion of the plan. But, in reality, he total cost is a whopping $8.95 Billion. The figures for costs and revenues were provided in greater detail within the Let’s Move Nashville Metro’s Transportation Solution Transit Improvement Program document dated December 13, 2017. In addition to the $5.4 Billion for the rail corridor improvements, which quickly increased from the original $5.1 Billion to address an extension to the Charlotte Avenue route, is $1.146 Billion for Bus System Enhancements, $1.185 for Interest, Principal and Financing Costs, $934 Million for Operation and Maintenance and $211 Million for Reserves for a grand total of $8.951 Billion. The corresponding $8.951 Billion in revenues are said to come from Local Option Surcharges of $3.387 Billion, Financing of $3.022 Billion, Federal Capital Improvement Program Grants of $1.434 Billion, TIFIA (Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act) of $500 Million, Contributions from BNA Airport, the Convention Center and Investment Income of $262 Million, Federal Formula and Capital Replacement Grants of $153 Million and Farebox Recovery, otherwise…

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Secret Meeting Between Nashville Mayor’s Office, Developer, And City Councilman Sledge Raises Questions About Fort Negley Development Deal

December 29, 2017December 29, 2017 Tim Dukeman

Controversial Nashville City Council member Colby Sledge admitted in sworn testimony at a Metro Council Board of Ethical Conduct hearing earlier this month into conflict of interest complaints filed against him that he participated in a secret meeting between “a top Barry aide and two partners who would later form Cloud Hill” in late 2015, The Tennessean reported on Wednesday. Talks between leaders of Cloud Hill — the controversial development proposed for Greer Stadium — and Mayor Megan Barry’s administration took place more than one year before the city formally kicked off the process to redevelop the site and began accepting bids. But the mayor’s office maintains informal meetings about Greer Stadium during this period were not unique to Cloud Hill and did not influence decisions. They say the city had an open ear to all suggestions. Details of a 2015 private “informational” meeting emerged during sworn testimony from Metro Councilman Colby Sledge, who appeared this month before the Council Board of Ethical Conduct. The meeting raises questions on the depth of early communications between the mayor’s office and leaders Cloud Hill, which has been roundly criticized by preservationists who want Greer to be reclaimed as an accessible park. “In…

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Phil Bredesen Is a Big Supporter of ‘Mayor Moonbeam’ Megan Barry’s $5.4 Billion Mass Transit Boondoggle

December 8, 2017December 8, 2017 Tennessee Star Staff

Former Gov. Phil Bredesen, who announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by retiring Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) on Thursday, is a big supporter of “Mayor Moonbeam” Megan Barry’s $5.4 billion and growing mass transit boondoggle. Bredesen showed his support for the massive deal by sitting next to Barry when she announced the scheme back in October (at the time supposed to cost just $5.2 billion, according to the mayor). Barry recognized Bredesen at the announcement as having “the insight to know that an investment in infrastructure changes the city’s trajectory and changes it for decades.” “You started with the structure of the arena, then you followed it with a stadium. Go Titans. Yes. What followed from that was a city full of people, a city full of energy and a whole lot of Predators fans,” Barry said of Bredesen. It was under then-Mayor Bredesen’s term that Nissan Stadium (previously LP Field) was constructed at a cost that exceeded $291 million, $207 million or 71 percent of which came from taxpayers. The public funding came from allocations of city sales tax and other tax revenues as well as state bonds. Taxpayers are still paying those debts today,…

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Save Our Fairgrounds Files Lawsuit to Stop Nashville Major Megan Barry’s Soccer Stadium Proposal

December 2, 2017December 2, 2017 Wendy Wilson

Save Our Fairgrounds filed a lawsuit this week over Nashville Mayor Megan Barry’s proposal for a soccer stadium, mixed-used development and other amenities at the Nashville Fairgrounds, reports WKRN News 2. Attorney Jim Roberts, vice chairman of Save Our Fairgrounds, filed the lawsuit Wednesday in Davidson County Chancery Court. The lawsuit names Metro Nashville government as the defendant. In early November, Metro Council approved funding for the plan, designed to attract a Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise. Nashville is among four finalists for two new MLS franchises along with Cincinnati, Detroit and Sacramento. MLS is expected to make a final decision later this month. The lawsuit alleges Barry’s proposal violates the city charter by interfering with the fairgrounds’ existing uses, including the annual state fair, flea market and auto racetrack. As a result of past efforts to redevelop the fairgrounds, Save Our Fairgrounds collected signatures to put a referendum on the ballot in 2011 to protect existing uses. The referendum passed by 73 percent. Barry has said existing uses would be protected and enhanced, but opponents are skeptical because of the enormity of the plans and the need for parking. The lawsuit says the area where the stadium would go is currently…

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Global Economist Questions Mass Transit Plans as Criticism of Mayor Megan Barry’s Nashville Proposal Grows

November 18, 2017November 17, 2017 Wendy Wilson

Nashville Mayor Megan Barry’s $5.2 billion mass transit plan continues to attract criticism, including from the senior economic adviser for a global real estate firm whose views on mass transit have been changing. Spencer Levy of CBRE was interviewed this week by the Nashville Business Journal while in Nashville for a conference. CBRE is the largest commercial real estate services and investment firm in the world and the largest in Nashville. Levy used to think that when in came to transit, the more the better, and he was sure that cities with limited transportation networks would see only limited growth. But he told Nashville Business Journal that he recognizes that hasn’t happened in cities like Nashville and Austin, Texas and Raleigh, North Carolina, which have all experienced tremendous growth. Levy said he has also changed his outlook because of changing technology. “Technology is moving so quickly, many places now are foregoing certain types of transit-oriented development — and even parking garages — because of the ability to get around town with Ubers and and where self-driving cars likely will be in 10 or 15 years,” he said. Levy said he still wants cities to invest in infrastructure, but think hard about…

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Cato Institute Expert: Nashville Mayor Megan Barry’s Mass Transit Plan ‘A Bad Investment’

November 16, 2017November 15, 2017 Wendy Wilson

A senior fellow with the Cato Institute is the latest expert to criticize Nashville Mayor Megan Barry’s $5.2 billion mass transit plan. The Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank based in Washington, D.C. Barry wants to raise taxes to pay for a light-rail network, improved and expanded bus service, and an underground tunnel downtown. Currently, the Music City Star connecting Lebanon and downtown Nashville is the only commuter rail service in the area. Randal O’Toole wrote an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal last week in which he criticized Barry’s plan for Davidson County, as well as mass transit proposals in San Antonio and Tampa. O’Toole wrote: These proposals are questionable at best and reckless at worst, given that transit ridership—including bus and what little rail these regions have—is down in all three jurisdictions. This is a nationwide trend: Data released this week by the Federal Transit Administration shows that ridership is falling in nearly every major urban area (with Seattle as a notable exception)… The main reason for this drop-off is that low gas prices and ride-sharing services have given people better options. Census data show that 96% of American workers live in households with at least one car,…

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Nashville Mayor Megan Barry Creates Transit and Affordability Taskforce

November 10, 2017November 9, 2017 Wendy Wilson

Nashville Mayor Megan Barry has created a Transit and Affordability Taskforce to try to win support for her $5.2 billion mass transit plan among residents and business owners worried being displaced. The taskforce will be co-chaired by former Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell and Davidson County Clerk Brenda Wynn. A Democrat, Purcell served five terms in the state House of Representatives before serving as mayor from 1999 to 2007. “Housing and transportation are inseparable issues, as together they represent the highest cost-burdens for most working families,” Barry, also a Democrat, said in a news release Tuesday. “If Nashville voters adopt Metro’s Transportation Solution in May of next year, we’ll face a tremendous opportunity to create affordable housing and commercial space along our major pikes and corridors so that Nashville’s future is more equitable. I’m grateful to all the taskforce members for their willingness to help identify and shape policies to ensure our community’s growth and prosperity is inclusive of all.” Barry’s mass transit proposal has prompted criticism across the Nashville area from various groups, including the Nashville Tea Party and the People’s Alliance for Transit, Housing and Employment (PATHE). The latter group is particularly concerned about the issues to be addressed by the…

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Eight Arrested After Fight at Music City Central Bus Station in Downtown Nashville

November 8, 2017 Wendy Wilson

Eight young people were arrested Tuesday afternoon outside the Music City Central bus station in downtown Nashville as a result of a physical altercation. Some resisted arrest when police arrived. Patricia Hill, 18, allegedly struck an officer in the face and continued to struggle with him until taken into custody, according to a Metro Nashville Police Department news release. The officer was taken to a hospital, where he was treated and released for eye and knee injuries. Hill was charged with assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, and was jailed on a $4,500 bond. Also arrested, and charged with disorderly conduct, were Kevin Haynes, 18, and James Scales Jr., 24. In addition, three males and two females ages 15-17, were arrested for disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and criminal trespassing. Some critics of Nashville Mayor Megan Barry’s $5.2 billion mass transit plan have raised concerns about the potential for greater criminal activity if the project goes forward. They point to past problems at the Music City Central bus station and worry they could surface elsewhere on public transportation and at transit stations. Barry’s plan calls for expanded bus service and light rail. Last year, four teens were injured in a shooting at…

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Fort Negley Park Supporters File Lawsuit Alleging Metro Nashville Violated Laws in Choosing Developer

November 8, 2017November 10, 2017 Wendy Wilson

NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Metro Council member Steve Glover and a handful of other supporters of Fort Negley Park announced Tuesday they were filing a lawsuit alleging Metro government did not follow its own laws and procedures in selecting the Cloud Hill Partnership to redevelop the historic park. The group, which included an Abe Lincoln impersonator, stood on the steps of the Metro Courthouse downtown for a press conference before filing the suit in Davidson County Chancery Court. “This process needs to start over,” said Attorney Jim Roberts. Roberts said secret meetings led to the selection of Cloud Hill and that the process needs to be redone in a more transparent and public way. Bert Mathews, whose real estate firm founded the Cloud Hill team, held a fundraiser for Nashville Mayor Megan Barry when she was running for mayor. Barry spearheaded the efforts to select Cloud Hill. The proposal to redevelop Fort Negley Park has been controversial across the Nashville area among various communities and has draw national attention. The main concern is historic preservation. Cloud Hill’s plans call for building affordable and workforce housing, shops and restaurants and creative spaces for artists. The fort would remain intact, but critics say the…

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Nashville Metro Council Approves Plan for Soccer Stadium and Development at Nashville Fairgrounds

November 8, 2017 Wendy Wilson

Nashville’s Metro Council on Tuesday voted 31-6 to approve $225 million in revenue bonds for a soccer stadium at the Nashville Fairgrounds despite concerns about the fairgrounds’ existing uses as well as the growing list of costly city projects. Mayor Megan Barry pushed the deal to attract a Major League Soccer (MLS) expansion team to Nashville. Cities need to have a plan in place to be in serious contention. MLS is expected to choose two cities for expansion teams next month. The deal includes allowing the ownership team to lease 10 acres for a mixed-used development including housing, a hotel and retail. There also will be several recreational soccer fields, a dog park and a greenway. The 10-acre development was a major sticking point for critics, who consider it a land giveaway designed to sweeten the deal for investors. Other concerns involved the revenue bonds and how much Metro could be at risk if the stadium doesn’t generate the expected revenue. The group Save Our Fairgrounds fought the plan approved Tuesday just as the group previously opposed a plan by former Mayor Karl Dean to redevelop the fairgrounds. The group led a petition drive for a May 2011 referendum, resulting…

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Save Our Fairgrounds Wants Nashville Metro Council to Vote No on Soccer Stadium Tuesday

November 6, 2017 Wendy Wilson

The group Save Our Fairgrounds is getting ready for Tuesday’s Metro Council meeting, at which members plan to ask the council to vote no on Mayor Megan Barry’s proposal for a soccer stadium and development at the Nashville Fairgrounds. The group’s main objection is the plan to allow for a mixed-used development on 10 acres that is in addition to the soccer stadium. Plans call for affordable and workforce housing, a hotel and retail. Some Metro Council members have also expressed concerns about that part of the deal. Barry wants Major League Soccer (MLS) to choose Nashville for an expansion team. The 10 acres for development would be leased to the MLS ownership group. “We would welcome MLS soccer and the soccer stadium to the fairgrounds, but not at the expense of taking away 10 acres and giving it away freely to the team owners,” Rick Williams, chairman of Save Our Fairgrounds, said on Facebook Friday. Some Metro Council members have voiced concerns about the 10 acres as well, and also have pressed Barry’s office for stronger language holding the ownership team responsible for costs of the stadium to limit risks for taxpayers. While some general obligation bonds would be used, Barry’s office…

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Nashville Mayor Megan Barry’s Transit Plan Faces Criticism From Working Class

November 4, 2017November 3, 2017 Wendy Wilson

Many critics of Nashville Mayor Megan Barry’s mass transit proposal are conservatives and libertarians, but her plans have also prompted criticism from left-leaning advocates of the poor and working class. A group called People’s Alliance for Transit, Housing and Employment (PATHE) has formed to press the progressive Democratic mayor and other Metro leaders to make affordable housing, higher wages and immediate improvements to the bus system greater priorities. A key element of Barry’s proposal is light rail along five corridors, but PATHE maintains that “light rail is meaningless if most of us can no longer afford to live along the routes,” according to a statement on the group’s website describing its mission and purpose. The statement also says: While no one denies that our public transit system needs major expansion, we still have not been presented with a plan that addresses the most pressing crises facing our communities, mainly economically distressed neighborhoods and residents. The experience of other cities, including Denver and Atlanta, has shown that without explicit community benefits (or equivalent measures) legally written into or alongside major transit projects, there are unintended, devastating consequences for everyday people. These include dramatic cost of living hikes along new transit corridors, mass displacement…

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Nashville Metro Council Members Express Concerns About Mayor Megan Barry’s Soccer Stadium Proposal

November 3, 2017November 2, 2017 Wendy Wilson

Some Metro Council members are expressing reservations about Mayor Megan Barry’s soccer stadium proposal ahead of next week’s vote. Most of those voicing concerns are primarily raising questions about the 10-acre mixed-use development planned for the Nashville Fairgrounds along with the stadium, according to what they told the Nashville Scene. Barry is trying to attract a Major League Soccer expansion team to Nashville, and her $250 million plan calls for Metro to allow the ownership group to lease 10 acres at the fairgrounds for a mixed-use, mixed income development that would include affordable and workforce housing. There also would be a hotel and retail. Council member Jeremy Elrod told the Nashville Scene he supports the stadium but not the plans for the 10 acres. “Handing over the 10 acres for free isn’t needed to get a team here or to build the stadium,” Elrod said. “The team says they need amenities to make the game day experience work, but why should they receive for free the right to build them on Metro property? If the stadium and the area is going to do as well as everyone thinks, developers will be lining up to build around there.” Council member Tanaka Vercher,…

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Some Nashville Entrepreneurs Question Mayor Megan Barry’s Mass Transit Plan

November 1, 2017October 31, 2017 Wendy Wilson

While a number of Nashville entrepreneurs support Mayor Megan Barry’s $5.2 billion mass transit plan, some are saying the proposal is outdated for the needs of today. The Nashville chapter of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization has surveyed members on the proposal for Davidson County, reports Nashville Business Journal. Forty-four of the chapter’s more than 200 members responded. Eighteen percent said they are “strongly against” the mass transit plan, 6 percent are “somewhat against” it and 3 percent “neither support nor oppose” the proposal. Forty-five percent “strongly support” the plan and 28 percent “somewhat support” it. However, even some in favor of the plan expressed reservations in comments. Those opposed said new technology is consigning light rail to a thing of the past and that Nashville should be part of the latest innovation in transportation. Other critics have voiced similar concerns, saying people today want customized door-to-door transportation offered by services such as Uber and Lyft. They say city officials need to take a closer look at those services, and at how self-driving cars could have an impact in the future, as well as how technology will soon allow even more people to work from home. Some also want the city to consider…

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Manhattan Institute Expert: Nashville Mayor Megan Barry’s Mass Transit Plan ‘Makes No Sense’

October 28, 2017October 29, 2017 Wendy Wilson

A senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute conservative think tank has criticized Nashville Mayor Megan Barry’s $5.2 billion mass transit proposal for Davidson County. “Building a system like this makes no sense in a city like Nashville,” wrote Aaron Renn, who specializes in urban issues and economic development. Barry’s plan calls for a light rail system along five corridors, an underground tunnel downtown and upgraded buses. The project would be funded with federal grants, bonds, fare revenues and tax surcharges. Barry is asking Metro Council to place a referendum on the ballot in May to raise taxes. A half percent sales tax surcharge would start in July 2018, increasing to 1 percent in 2023. There also would be surcharges on the hotel/motel tax, local rental car tax, and business and excise tax. Renn says the “reasons are obvious” why the plan wouldn’t work. “Nashville is a very sprawling city with highly dispersed origins and destinations of traffic,” he said. “It lacks the gigantic downtown employment centers of New York or Chicago that are well-suited to transit.” Nashville is a city built around the car and is not among “a very limited quantity of districts designed in a transit oriented way,” Renn wrote,…

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Boss Doss Runs Away From The Tennessee Star At Megan Barry Transit Launch Event

October 19, 2017October 19, 2017 Laura Baigert

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – After sitting in the front row throughout Metro Nashville Mayor Megan Barry’s Transit Launch Event Tuesday for the “Let’s Move Nashville Metro’s Transportation Solution,” State Rep. Barry “Boss” Doss (R-Leoma) ran away from The Tennessee Star, avoiding follow-up questions on his sponsorship of the IMPROVE Act, a major portion of which was dedicated to enabling public transit systems like the $5.2 billion “Solution” Barry unveiled. Going off his prepared script to ensure Doss was given special recognition for his role in the passage of the IMPROVE Act, Democratic State Senator from Nashville, Jeff Yarbro, one of the event’s speakers explained, “This legislature’s biggest priority this year was addressing the growing traffic problems in middle Tennessee and across this whole state.” Then, gesturing to acknowledge Doss sitting in the front row, “In order to do that, we really relied on a bipartisan coalition that included people like Barry Doss,” said Yarbro as seen at 11:16 in this video. The IMPROVE Act enabled “local governments” designated as counties, including those with a metropolitan or consolidated form of government, with a population of more than 112,000 or cities with a population of more than 165,000 to implement tax surcharges to fund…

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Nashville Mayor Megan Barry Unveils Plans for Huge $5.2 Billion Mass Transit Project

October 17, 2017October 17, 2017 Wendy Wilson

Nashville Mayor Megan Barry released a detailed proposal Tuesday for a huge $5.2 billion mass transit project for the Nashville area that calls for four different types of tax increases. Barry will ask Metro Council to schedule a referendum for May 2018 to ask voters to approve the plan, called “Let’s Move Nashville: Metro’s Transportation Solution.” The mayor and her allies have been involved in efforts for some time to promote a tentative regional mass transit plan for Middle Tennessee they say would cost $6 billion. That plans for Metro Nashville alone now carry a $5.2 billion price tag reflects the ambitious nature of Barry’s vision, and will subject the progressive Democrat to even more criticism from those already skeptical of the project. The project would include light rail and electric buses, as well as improvements to existing transportation. In recent weeks, Barry has come up with a controversial idea for an underground tunnel in downtown Nashville for trains and buses. The tunnel would cost more than $900 million, which has significantly added to the overall cost. Barry presented her proposal at the Music City Center. The Nashville Tea Party later slammed her for saying during her speech that “there’s…

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Nashville Tea Party Asks Mayor Megan Barry to Provide More Details of Mass Transit Proposal

October 17, 2017October 16, 2017 Wendy Wilson

Tennessee Star

The Nashville Tea Party is calling on Nashville Mayor Megan Barry to release detailed plans for a tentative $6 billion regional mass transit project. Barry has said she will put a referendum on the ballot next year to raise taxes for the project, designed to be phased in over 25 years. The proposal she’s backing makes heavy use of light rail, as well as rapid buses. The Nashville Business Journal has reported that Barry is also considering underground transit downtown. “If approved, these new taxes will burden Middle Tennessee taxpayers for decades,” the Nashville Tea Party said in a press release Monday. “The mayor’s current petition campaign simply asks taxpayers to pledge they will ‘pay for it’”. “This amounts to the mayor asking taxpayers to sign a blank check,” Ben Cunningham, president of the Nashville Tea Party, said in the press release. The press release says that the Nashville Tea Party wants the public to have the complete details now and not “in bits and pieces over the coming months.” It notes that the IMPROVE Act passed by the state legislature earlier this year requires that the public be well informed before a referendum vote. The IMPROVE Act raised the gas tax…

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Nashville Metro Sports Authority Gives Soccer Stadium Green Light

October 14, 2017October 13, 2017 Wendy Wilson

Nashville’s Metro Sports Authority has approved issuing revenue bonds for construction of a soccer stadium at the Nashville Fairgrounds. The sports authority approved a resolution Thursday, reports WKRN News 2. The project still must be approved by Metro Council, which will vote on the proposal Nov. 7. The council will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. Oct. 24 in the Creative Arts Building at the fairgrounds. The resolution approved Thursday would allow the sports authority to issue up to $225 million in revenue bonds for the 27,500-seat stadium if Metro Council also signs off on the project. The project would cost a total of $250 million. Mayor Megan Barry’s proposal for the stadium is controversial because of the costs and also because of how it might impact existing activities at the fairgrounds. Barry, a progressive Democrat, wants to entice a Major League Soccer expansion team to come to Nashville. MLS will make a decision in December. Her proposal also involves opening up 10 acres at the fairgrounds to mixed-used development that would include affordable housing. Monica Fawknotson, executive director of the sports authority, told WKRN that the stadium is “an incredible opportunity for the city” and that “there are a lot…

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Friends of Fort Negley Files Petition with Tennessee Historical Commission to Stop Redevelopment Plans

October 11, 2017October 10, 2017 Wendy Wilson

A preservation group is asking the Tennessee Historical Commission to protect Fort Negley Park from Nashville Mayor Megan Barry’s redevelopment plans. The Friends of Fort Negley filed a petition Monday asking the commission to include the property, which includes the abandoned Greer Stadium, in the Tennessee Heritage Protection Act of 2016, reports the Nashville Business Journal. The petition names Metro government as the respondent. Barry’s plans have drawn fierce opposition from a variety of groups who say they don’t honor the area’s history. She wants the Cloud Hill Partnership development team to build affordable housing, shops and restaurants, green space and creative spaces for artists on the land. The stadium has sat abandoned since the Nashville Sounds minor league baseball team moved to a new stadium north of downtown in 2015. The fort was built during Union occupation of Nashville during the Civil War. It was constructed with the forced labor of slaves and free blacks, a quarter of whom died from sickness in the winter of 1862. The United States Colored Troops, 13th Infantry Regiment, were among those stationed at the fort during the war and the Battle of Nashville, and reeanactors have relived their stories. “The city attempts to justify the…

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Nashville Mayor Megan Barry Urges Recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Ignores Columbus

October 9, 2017October 9, 2017 Wendy Wilson

Today is Columbus Day, but not for Nashville Mayor Megan Barry. Barry issued a proclamation urging recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The proclamation is similar to the non-binding resolution passed by Metro Council last week. “Today we reflect upon the historic and ongoing struggles of Indigenous Peoples while celebrating their culture and value to our society,” she said in a tweet early Monday that included a copy of her proclamation, signed Oct. 1. Barry made no mention of Christopher Columbus. Columbus Day has become increasingly controversial in recent years, and today more than 50 cities and a few states have instead been celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The states are Minnesota, Vermont and Alaska. A progressive Democrat, Barry said in her proclamation that “Nashville has a responsibility to oppose the systematic racism towards Indigenous people in the United States, which perpetuates high rates of poverty and income inequality, exacerbating disproportionate health, education, and social crises.” The proclamation ends by saying, “The City encourages all individuals to observe this important day and reflect upon the ongoing struggles of Indigenous Peoples on this land, and to celebrate the thriving culture and value that Indigenous Peoples add to our City.” President Trump, by contrast, honored Columbus in his…

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Supporters of Nashville Fairgrounds Voice Concerns About Mayor Megan Barry’s Plans for Soccer Stadium, Housing

October 6, 2017October 6, 2017 Wendy Wilson

NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Bob Blair has been coming to events at the Nashville Fairgrounds ever since he can remember. The 75-year-old still comes to the fairgrounds for the flea market and auto races. The owner of Mr. B’s Barber Salon, he lives nearby. Blair was at the fairgrounds Thursday evening to speak out against Mayor Megan Barry’s plans to build a Major League Soccer stadium and affordable and workforce housing on fairgrounds land. The fair board held a special meeting in the Creative Arts Building to present the plans to the public and allow for comment. Critics like Blair fear the fairgrounds, located near Nolensville Pike and Wedgewood Avenue, would never be the same. “If you do anything, improve on what you’ve got,” Blair told the board. “Leave something for the regular working people. This is our fairgrounds.” Around 150 people attended the meeting, with supporters of the group Save Our Fairgrounds arriving wearing red shirts. Dozens of people individually addressed the board, with many against the plans or somewhat in favor but concerned. A handful were unwavering in their enthusiasm, saying a soccer stadium and a planned park and greenway would be assets to the community and make the…

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Public Meeting to Be Held Tonight on Plans for Soccer Stadium at Nashville Fairgrounds

October 5, 2017October 4, 2017 Wendy Wilson

The board of the Nashville Fairgrounds will hold a special meeting this evening to discuss plans for a soccer stadium, and the group Save Our Fairgrounds is encouraging a large turnout. Mayor Megan Barry wants the fairgrounds to be the site for a new Major League Soccer stadium. Save Our Fairgrounds says plans for the stadium and additional soccer fields could jeopardize the flea market, race track and state fair. They might also violate the Metro Charter, the group says. The meeting will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Creative Arts Building at the fairgrounds, and will include an in-depth presentation from the MLS2 Nashville Soccer Committee. The agenda allows time for public comments. “Attending this meeting is imperative to listen to the proposal and voice your concerns about the park and stadium,” Save Our Fairgrounds said on its Facebook page. Barry has wanted to attract a Major League Soccer expansion team to Nashville and on Monday unveiled details of her plan. The 27,500-seat stadium would cost $250 million but 90 percent of its funding would come from private dollars and revenues generated at the stadium, Barry said. John Ingram would be the lead investor. Funding would come from $200…

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Nashville Mayor Megan Barry Unveils Plans for $250 Million Soccer Stadium

October 3, 2017October 2, 2017 Wendy Wilson

Nashville Mayor Megan Barry unveiled details for a soccer stadium Monday, saying it would cost $250 million but get 90 percent of its funding from private dollars and revenues generated at the stadium. Barry announced the plans along with John Ingram, the lead investor for Nashville’s Major League Soccer expansion bid. The 27,500-seat stadium would be built at the Nashville Fairgrounds. But Rick Williams, Chairman of Save Our Fairgrounds, vows to fight the proposal, as currently structured. “I was able to watch most of Mayor Barry’s speech this afternoon and the other participants in the MLS Soccer Stadium presentation to the Metropolitan Nashville City Council. My first reaction is our government is again giving away land to developers,” Williams tells The Tennessee Star in an exclusive interview. The 10 Acres that Rich Rebling wants to give away to developers is worth 10 million dollars. Everything like this land give away that the Mayor’s administration has done in the past 2 years has cost Taxpayers over 100 million dollars in value. My other reaction is after this plan is finished, the amount of land left for a State Fair, Flea Market and the Nashville Fairgrounds Raceway will be over 1/2 less…

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Beacon Center of Tennessee Calls for Referendum on Funding New Soccer Stadium

September 29, 2017September 28, 2017 Wendy Wilson

The Beacon Center of Tennessee is calling for a public referendum to allow taxpayers to vote on whether tax dollars should be used to build a new Major League Soccer stadium in Nashville. Mayor Megan Barry has worked out a preliminary private-public deal to use tax dollars to help fund a stadium if Major League Soccer chooses Nashville for an expansion team. The Beacon Center is a nonpartisan Nashville-based think tank that promotes the free market. The center is against Metro Nashville using tax dollars to fund the stadium but believes residents should make the decision, spokesman Mark Cunningham said in a news release Thursday. He said: Research shows that using taxpayer money to fund a professional sports stadium is a terrible investment for taxpayers and is a prime example of government overreach. Nashville taxpayers should not be forced by politicians to fund millionaire franchise owners and developers. Time after time, stadiums, and specifically MLS stadiums, have proven to be big losers for taxpayers. We are tired of hearing politicians spout the same evidence-free lines on taxpayer-funded stadiums, that this is what the people of Nashville want. If Nashville politicians really believe that funding this stadium with tax dollars is…

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RTA: Mt. Juliet Not Paying for Music City Star Commuter Rail Service

September 22, 2017September 21, 2017 Wendy Wilson

The Regional Transit Authority (RTA) and Mt. Juliet city officials are sparring over costs of operating the Music City Star commuter rail service. The RTA claims that Mt. Juliet has not paid its operating contribution since 2014. The Lebanon Democrat reports that RTA staff members plan to meet with Mt. Juliet officials to discuss how the shortfall could affect Music City Star service in the city. “We really don’t want to do anything punitive to Mt. Juliet, but it’s become an issue because this is an ongoing problem,” Sumner County executive Anthony Holt told the local paper. “We’re not asking them to pay more. We’re asking them to really contribute their fair share.” The problems in Mt. Juliet come as Nashville Mayor Megan Barry is pushing plans for a proposed $6 billion regional transit project to be phased in over 25 years. Plans call for adding commuter trains in Middle Tennessee. Currently, the Music City Star is the only commuter rail service in the area. Music City Star service runs from Lebanon to downtown Nashville and has stations in Mt. Juliet, Lebanon, Martha, Hermitage, Donelson and Riverfront Station. Holt said Mt. Juliet has the largest ridership but pays the least. Mt. Juliet…

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Mass Transit Opponents Draft Open Letter to Mayor Megan Barry Asking Her to Reconsider Plan

September 14, 2017September 13, 2017 Wendy Wilson

Tennessee Star

Tea Party activist Ben Cunningham is leading an effort to collect signatures for an open letter to Nashville Mayor Megan Barry asking her to reconsider a proposed $6 billion regional mass transit plan. The letter asks Barry to move the Nashville area “forward toward 21st century transit technologies and away from obsolete, extremely costly commuter railroads which will burden Nashville taxpayers for decades. Riders nationwide are abandoning these out-dated commuter railroads because so many new transit technologies offer so much more.” The tentative mass transit plan for Middle Tennessee, designed to be phased in over 25 years, calls for light rail along Gallatin Pike, Charlotte Pike, Murfreesboro Pike and Nolensville Pike, and for light rail connecting Nashville and Clarksville, as well as for rapid buses. Barry is committed to putting a referendum on the ballot next year to raise taxes for mass transit, and pro-transit groups are stepping up efforts to win over the public. However, Cunningham is advocating for a referendum that would limit Metro Nashville’s debt level, which could impede the mass transit project. The open letter to Barry says: Transit technology is undergoing an amazing revolution. Riders are demanding solutions that deliver more privacy, more safety, and more convenience.…

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Latinos For Tennessee Defends Nashville Statement Endorsing Traditional Marriage

September 13, 2017September 12, 2017 Wendy Wilson

Tennessee Star

Latinos For Tennessee is defending the Nashville Statement, a declaration by Christian evangelicals that upholds traditional marriage and maintains that homosexuality and transgenderism are sinful. Tommy Vallejos, the group’s board chairman, says the swift backlash against the statement is “outrageous.” The statement was approved Aug. 25 at a meeting of evangelical leaders in Nashville and was named for the city in keeping with a historical Christian practice of naming doctrinal statements for the places where they were written. Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, a progressive Democrat, spoke out against the statement, tweeting that it “does not represent the inclusive values of the city & people of Nashville.” Three Nashville progressives started a counter statement that says, “God does not need you to change.” The Nashville Statement has also drawn criticism from some Christians who attend conservative churches who say it was too harsh and not helpful to the discussion of LGBT issues. A Sept. 9 news release from Latinos For Tennessee noted that the Nashville Statement reiterated “a set of beliefs and principles that are shared by millions of Americans and the majority of Tennesseans, according to some polls.” Vallejos, who is a pastor in Clarksville and a Montgomery County commissioner, said…

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Promoters of Mass Transit Step Up Efforts to Push Plan for Middle Tennessee

September 9, 2017September 9, 2017 Wendy Wilson

A new pro-transit coalition will launch a campaign this weekend to get people on board with a proposed mass transit plan for Middle Tennessee, reports Nashville Business Journal. Called Transit for Nashville, the coalition will go door to door in Germantown on Saturday to collect petition signatures. Leaders expected to appear at Saturday’s event include Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, Shelly Courington, advocacy director for AARP Tennessee; Clifton Harris, president and CEO of the Urban League of Middle Tennessee; and Ethan Link, program director for Southeast Laborers’ District Council. Barry, a progressive Democrat, is a big champion of the $6 billion regional transit plan and is committed to putting a referendum on the ballot next year to raise taxes for the project. The IMPROVE Act passed earlier this year by the state legislature allows local governments to raise taxes to fund mass transit. The tentative regional plan calls for light rail and rapid buses and would be phased in over 25 years. Mass transit critics say there are less costly and cumbersome ways to address traffic problems associated with growth. Tea Party activist Ben Cunningham is leading an effort to put a referendum on the ballot next year that would limit Metro Nashville’s debt…

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National Review Writer David French Criticizes Nashville Mayor Megan Barry for Rebuking Evangelical Statement on Traditional Marriage

August 31, 2017 Wendy Wilson

National Review senior writer David French has sharply criticized Nashville Mayor Megan Barry for her comments denigrating the Nashville Statement, a declaration by Christian evangelical leaders supporting traditional marriage and calling homosexuality and transgenderism sinful. In a tweet Tuesday, Barry said the statement is “poorly named and does not represent the inclusive values of the city & people of Nashville.” The statement was approved Friday at a meeting of evangelical leaders in Nashville who named the declaration for the city in keeping with a historical Christian practice of naming doctrinal statements for the places where they were written. French, who lives in Columbia, Tennessee, 45 miles south of Nashville, was one of more than 150 conservative evangelicals who signed the Nashville Statement. French wrote in a column Wednesday that it is unreasonable for Barry to claim that orthodox Christian beliefs are “incompatible with the ‘inclusive values’ of a city that’s located in the heart of the Bible Belt.” “The Southern Baptist Convention has a headquarter building right in downtown Nashville,” French said. “You can’t drive five minutes in Nashville without seeing a church that’s teaching exactly the values and beliefs contained in the Nashville Statement. Is Barry’s position that they should change their ways, shut up, or…

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Developer Files Ethics Complaint Against Metro Nashville Officials Regarding Fort Negley Development Plans

August 31, 2017August 31, 2017 Wendy Wilson

A Nashville developer has filed an ethics complaint against Metro officials for allegedly ignoring his request for more information about the process used to choose a developer for Fort Negley Park. In May, Mayor Megan Barry chose the Cloud Hill Partnership as the developer for the historic site, which includes Greer Stadium, although there is still no formal agreement. Bert Mathews, whose real estate firm created the Cloud Hill team, held a fundraiser for Barry when she was running for mayor. Devinder Singh Sandhu, who lost out to Cloud Hill in the bidding process, previously wrote a letter to city procurement officials protesting the process, saying it “was not equitable to all submitters and information required to make a proper presentation was not complete” and that there was a “lack of transparency.” In his ethics complaint Monday, Sandhu noted that he has “requested answers to questions, documents, requests for meetings and clarification.” The Procurement Appeals Board was set to consider Sandhu’s case Wednesday, but he sent the board a letter late Tuesday saying he had decided to dismiss his appeal. “We are forced to take this action because you, the Metro Procurement Office and Metro Finance Department established the August 30, 2017 hearing date…

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After Nashville Mayor Megan Barry’s Fare Reductions, Just 16 Percent of The Metropolitan Transit Authority Funding Is Self-Generated

August 23, 2017August 23, 2017 Laura Baigert

Mayor Megan Barry’s July 1, 2017, Metro Budget included proposed fare reductions and no-cost transfers for Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) users, making the “self-generated” portion of MTA’s funding a mere 16 percent, with the balance coming from Metro Government at 60 percent, the State at 6 percent and Federal at 19 percent. In Mayor Barry’s budget for fiscal year 2017-18 adopted by the Metro Council and approved by the MTA Board, effective August 1, 2017, “2nd Ride Transfers” within two hours of initial boarding were eliminated and nearly all other fares were reduced by at least 24 percent and up to as much as 40 percent. The total cost passed on to taxpayers to compensate for just the fee restructuring portion of next year’s MTA budget is $2.75 million. MTA is the public transportation agency based in Nashville that utilizes buses primarily through Music City Central, a paratransit specialized van service for people with disabilities, the Lebanon-to-Nashville Music City Star commuter rail, the free Music City Circuit and contracted services with the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) for service areas connected to Nashville/Davidson County. In 2016, MTA reported that of its $73.6 million budgeted operating funding, $16.8 million or 23…

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