Nashville businessman Lee Beaman will serve as Founders Club vice president for the next year for the 917 Society, created to improve Constitutional literacy among Tennessee’s eighth-graders.
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On Monday’s Tennessee Star Report – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Michael Patrick Leahy talked to Nashville Metro Council member Steve Glover about Nashville’s fiscal irresponsibility and how Glover is the ‘last man standing’ to help save the city from destructive fates similar to Detroit, Chicago, and Baltimore. As the show progressed, Leahy implied that a vote for Glover would be a vote for prudent financial management. Glover agreed stating that Nashville needs to prioritize their spending with an emphasis on services that keep the city safe and clean. Nearing the end of the show Glover added, “So much is at stake. I’m just telling you right now we are at a turning point. If we don’t get a hold of this. And we can fix it. But we don’t have anymore time. We’ve got to fix it now. Our children and grandchildren cannot afford for us to lose this game.” Leahy: We are here with Steve Glover a member of the Metro Council. Who’s a candidate for the Metro Council at large. He’s in the runoff. Welcome to the studio here Steve. Glover: Thank you sir. How…
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Officials at the Beacon Center of Tennessee say they will now engage themselves more in local matters, not just state affairs — and this includes scrutinizing Nashville’s spending habits.
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“Twice the Dream” is the perfect family film for Nashville music lovers.
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On Thursday’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Leahy took a call from a Davidson County school teacher named Mike and discussed his disappointing experience as a teacher within the Davidson County school system. He also explained how many parents are unresponsive while the kids just “don’t care.” Towards the end of the segment, Mike asked Leahy to help get those kids who are causing disruption out of the classroom. The caller was bewildered and stated that many of these “thugs” are causing disruption for those who want to learn. Leahy: Direct instruction is the way to go. But it’s been resisted. It was a methodology that was introduced by a professor then at the University of Illinois who then went on to the University of Oregon. It’s been very effective when implemented. Now, Thales Academy is the biggest implementer of that. Great test results. So direct instruction is the way to go and it needs to happen. Mike in Nashville I’m not sure if this is the same, Mike. High school teacher calling in. Mike, welcome to the Tennessee…
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This week members of the pro-Bernie Sanders’ group Our Revolution endorsed six candidates for the Nashville Metro Council, according to a press release.
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People in the United States refuse to pass more gun control laws because of white supremacy and “white privilege,” according to a Vanderbilt University professor out of Nashville.
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Nashville Mayor David Briley has reportedly picked up eight more endorsements as he seeks re-election as mayor.
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Prior research shows people in Nashville seldom use taxpayer-funded charging stations for electric cars, yet certain members of the U.S. Senate want to throw even more money on these devices nationwide.
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Metro Nashville Mayor David Briley tried to judo-flip the bad coverage of his Spanish-language video on how to avoid ICE by tweeting a “thank you” to Fox News, but a lot of people on Twitter and Facebook weren’t buying it and roasted him. The mayor tweeted, “If you have an encounter with ICE, it’s crucial to know your rights and have a plan. Thank you, @FoxNews viewers, for the hundreds of messages you’ve sent in today about our immigration and refugee rights work in Nashville. We’re planning to keep it up.” If you have an encounter with ICE, it's crucial to know your rights and have a plan. Thank you, @FoxNews viewers, for the hundreds of messages you've sent in today about our immigration and refugee rights work in Nashville. We're planning to keep it up. https://t.co/bg2anUBKoY — Judge David Briley (@DavidBriley) August 8, 2019 Fox News based its story on The Tennessee Star’s coverage of Briley’s Spanish-language tweet telling illegal aliens how to avoid being detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. The Star’s story is here. Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill saw concern with what Briley did. “It’s crazy that you have a mayor…
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Certain members of Nashville’s elite, who have a lot at stake in the upcoming mayoral race, reportedly are working hard to prop up Nashville incumbent Mayor David Briley as he seeks another term in office. This, according to the Nashville-based NewsChannel 5 of Nashville. “Some of Nashville’s most influential business leaders gathered at the offices of billionaire John Ingram hoping to reset the mayor’s campaign as it heads to a runoff election. We watched Friday morning as Briley and his security detail arrived outside Ingram’s Belle Meade office for a meeting of Briley’s strategic finance committee. Ingram, who hosted the meeting, is also co-owner of Nashville’s new soccer team, which is the beneficiary of a $250 million development deal with the city for a new soccer stadium,” the station reported. “Briley supported that controversial stadium deal, and his administration helped push it through the Metro Council. Reports say it was those contentious negotiations that led Ingram and others to start a new political action committee called ‘A Better Nashville’ to support business friendly candidates.” As reported in June, the PAC formed to influence this year’s Metro election. Briley’s opponent in the general election, John Cooper, has questioned economic incentives, and…
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Metro Nashville Mayor David Briley, who is in a run-off election to renew his term, is helping illegal aliens to avoid federal authorities.
Briley tweeted a how-to video in Spanish on avoiding capture by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency: “If you or a family member have an encounter with ICE, it’s important to know your rights and have a plan. Watch this video to learn more:”
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Nashville mayoral candidate John Cooper reportedly has a 33 percent lead over his opponent David Briley, the incumbent.
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On Tuesday’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Gill chatted with Governor Phil Bryant of Mississippi who was in town for the National Conference of State Legislators in Nashville today to talk about his commitment to criminal justice reform.
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Representatives from four national banks refuse to explain why they caved to pressure from the likes of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Elizabeth Warren and cut ties with the Nashville-based CoreCivic.
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Northeast native, singer-songwriter, Parker Mckay has established herself in Nashville as the breath of fresh air that pop-country needs.
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Nashville officials are reportedly pondering whether to relocate a Confederate monument from one section of Centennial Park to another.
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NASHVILLE — Metro Nashville At-Large Council member John Cooper told a crowd of several hundred people Thursday that if he’s elected mayor then teachers, police, and firefighters will get better pay.
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During a discussion Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Gill and Leahy spoke to Metro Council at large candidate, Adam Dread about low early voter turnout and scooter safety and how it ties into the public’s concerns.
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On Wednesday’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Gill and Leahy talked about the recent “human chain” formed in Hermitage, Tennessee in response to federal ICE agents showing up with a detainer for an illegal immigrant at his home.
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A group of Hermitage neighbors interfered with an attempt by ICE on Monday morning to apprehend an undocumented immigrant man and a 12-year-old boy following a traffic stop, Fox 17 reported. Neighbors locked arms around a van the immigrants hid in while ICE agents tried to serve a civil warrant (detainer). Agents left after a standoff that lasted more than two hours when the immigrants went into a house, with their access secured by the neighbors. Metro Nashville Police Department officers were on scene but did not participate with ICE, the station said. On his official Twitter account, incumbent Mayor David Briley tweeted, “Every Nashville resident and family deserves to feel safe, regardless of immigration status. My statement on yesterday’s events.” His tweet was accompanied with the following statement: It is my job as Mayor to keep all Nashvillians safe. On Monday, ICE agents attempted to detain a Nashville resident. However, the agents did not end up detaining the resident, and no arrests were made. Our police officers do not actively participate in immigration enforcement efforts and only serve as peacekeepers. The officers were at the incident to keep neighbors safe and secure a perimeter. I am keenly aware…
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Derek Rowe, a Nashville high school aviation maintenance teacher, is one of 50 educators and teacher-teams who were named semifinalists of the 2019 Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence, according to a press release. Rowe, a teacher at McGavock High School in Nashville, and his skilled trades program are in the running for a share of $1 million in total cash awards, Harbor Freight Tools for Schools said in a statement. More information about the program is available here. Rowe, who teaches aviation maintenance, was chosen by an independent panel of judges from among a field of 749 skilled trades teachers who applied for the prize. The semifinalists—some competing as individuals and some as teacher teams—hail from 26 states and specialize in trades including manufacturing, welding, construction, automotive and agriculture mechanics. Rowe moved to the United States six years ago from Great Britain to work as a training director with a helicopter company, according to a Metro Nashville Schools blog. That did not work, and he began teaching at the teach high school level. Rowe has been an aviation instructor for more than 30 years, serving 17 of those years in the British Army as a…
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If you were able to catch a glimpse of Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg in Nashville on Wednesday, you were part of a select few. The progressive mayor of South Bend, Indiana stumped in Music City Wednesday — but only far-left progressives with cash to spend were there, as the event was pay-to-attend as The Tennessee Star reported in a “softball” preview story Monday that basically provided the candidate’s policy positions. The far-left Tennessean ran a glowing story Thursday. The story is here, in which the homosexual mayor who has said America was founded on white supremacy cast himself as a moral Christian alternative to President Donald Trump: “Voters who are guided by religious principles need to know they have a choice,” he said. People of faith “don’t have to stand with a president whose personal life flies in the face of what faith teaches us about how to conduct ourselves,” Buttigieg said. The venue also was announced at the last minute, The Star said. The Tennessean revealed that location was the Cannery Ballroom. Buttigieg did not exactly get grilled by any other media either. NewsChannel 5 had a six-paragraph story here. The only quote from Buttigieg was: “It’s important to speak to…
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by Lee Beaman There has been much criticism recently of Nashville’s meteoric growth and the changes we’ve seen as a result. Such concerns are valid and are good reasons to take note and preserve what we most enjoy about our city and what we feel defines us. Despite the many changes we’ve seen, Nashville is still Nashville underneath it all. The “It” City was wonderful before we got that nickname. Nashville has been a welcoming city for many generations of residents and visitors. The French novelist Jean-Baptiste Karr is the author of the phrase, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” That is as true of Nashville today as it was when Karr first coined it in 1848. Nashville’s identity and character that make it unique are as strong today as they have been since we can all remember. There has always been a strong business and industry backbone to our city that predates our country music footprint, as important as that has grown to be a part of Nashville today. Our pillars of industry, which have long been considered to be insurance, banking and publishing, are still strong here today and are joined by additional…
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The Tennessee Office of Inspector General announced several new TennCare fraud arrests this week, including the arrest of one man who allegedly used TennCare to treat his Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. That man, Thomas William Biggs Jr., 44, of Nashville, was on the run for more than a year and a half, according to a Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration press release. “Seventeen months ago, in January 2018, a Davidson County Grand Jury indicted Biggs for TennCare fraud, accusing him of using TennCare to doctor shop for drugs,” the press release said. “Charges say he used TennCare benefits to visit multiple healthcare providers within a short time period to obtain prescriptions for Adderall, an often-abused amphetamine used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).” Elsewhere, according to another press release, authorities charged three Shelby County residents in separate TennCare fraud cases: • Alaa Ahmad, 40, of Memphis, charged with two counts of TennCare fraud and one count of theft of property over $10,000. Ahmad is accused of obtaining TennCare benefits by claiming his minor child was living with him when, in fact, the child lives out of the country. Without the dependent, Ahmad was not eligible for TennCare. •…
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Pete Buttigieg is the latest 2020 Democratic presidential candidate to plan a Nashville visit. Buttigieg will make a campaign stop in Music City on Wednesday, his campaign website says. The location so far has been hush-hush but will be announced this week. The doors, at whatever the location is, will open at 6 p.m. During a campaign visit in Nashville last week, Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke said that Nashville and Texas and other “places that formed the Confederacy” are bigoted and America was formed on white supremacy, The Tennessee Star reported. Former Vice President Joe Biden, a latecomer to the 2020 Democratic presidential race, visited Nashville on May 20 for his “American Promise” tour, The Star said. Democratic presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) visited Nashville’s Fisk University in April and inserted herself into the failed $9 billion Nashville transit referendum of 2018 when she said voters rejected the referendum because they wanted to use federal funds. If one wants to hear Buttigieg’s pitch directly, he or she will have to cough up some cash for the privilege. Tickets are available in various denominations from $25 to $1,000, and are available from the event page referenced above. In addition…
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On Friday’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – the Report welcomed Thales Academy’s Dr. Tim Hall to the show to talk about the type of education they offer and how they are bringing it to the Nashville, Tennessee area in 2020. As the segment came to a close, Dr. Hall described the curriculum offered at Thales Academy in more detail, noting that it’s a direct instruction and classical education that has proven to show it’s students testing higher than other students from both the private and public sectors. Leahy: We are joined now by Dr. Tim Hall, the Chief Academic Officer of Thales Academy, a high quality affordable private school. Has eight schools and three thousand students. Been in business in North Carolina for eleven years. And they’re coming to Nashville. Dr. Hall, welcome to the Tennessee Star Report. Hall: Well thank you for having me. I appreciate the opportunity to be here. Leahy: So you’re coming to Nashville and you will be here in Nashville a week from today from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. for an informational meeting at the West…
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The top four candidates running for mayor of Nashville said Tuesday that, if elected, they will play a greater role holding the Metro School Board accountable. Some even said they want a greater role selecting the next school superintendent. Candidates debated at Belmont University. Former Vanderbilt professor Carol Swain said she plans to hold school board members accountable for how they spend taxpayer money. “The school board already gets $1 billion a year and every election we hear more money for teachers’ pay but somehow that money doesn’t quite reach the teachers, the bus drivers, the cafeteria workers,” Swain said. “I believe we have to make sure there is accountability and transparency and, yes, teachers deserve better pay, and we have to make sure there is no waste and that the money we give to the school board is being spent as it should.” John Ray Clemons, meanwhile, said he will sit down with teachers and ask them what they need to do their jobs. When asked how much involvement the next mayor should have selecting the next superintendent, Cooper said the mayor “should be deeply involved.” “It’s half of our money that goes to schools and the school…
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During a campaign visit in Nashville Monday, Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke said that Nashville and Texas and other “places that formed the Confederacy” are bigoted and America was formed on white supremacy. In the same breath as mentioning Nashville, he mentioned his home state of Texas and linked them to racism. “Those places that formed the Confederacy, that this country was founded on white supremacy. And every single institution and structure that we have in our country still reflects the legacy of slavery and segregation and Jim Crow and suppression, even in our ability to vote and participate in our elections.” He went on to mention purging of voter rolls. O’Rourke made the comments during a roundtable discussion in Nashville hosted by advocacy organization Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC). A full video of the roundtable discussion is available here. The remarks come in the final two minutes of the video. O’Rourke made several stops in Nashville on Sunday and Monday, as The Tennessee Star reported. TIRRC’s political action committee affiliate, TIRRC Votes, tweeted, “During our roundtable with @BetoORourke we talked about ending worksite enforcement and expanding federal protections for undocumented workers. Raids are designed to instill…
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by Lee Beaman We hear often the laments of the challenges that urban growth brings. From challenges with school systems to rising prices and reduced availability of homes, Nashvillians’ concerns over our growth are valid. But one of the aspects of urban growth is the appreciation of our green space. As our city transforms and expands its urban core, our parks, hiking trails and bike paths become an even more valuable asset. Nashville is one of the best cities for its green space in the country, according to the Trust for Public Land, a research organization that measures the accessibility and quality of public parks and green spaces across the country. We rank in the top 100 cities for our green spaces. Over ten percent of our entire county area is dedicated to public parks and green space. Metro Parks and Recreation manages 184 parks and over 85 miles of greenways. That is an impressive offering for Nashvillians. Begun in 1901 with the creation of our first city parks department, today’s Metro Parks and Recreation department offer a wide variety of programs and activities for residents of all ages and walks of life. Over 20 years ago, my family…
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Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke was welcomed by a large, raucous crowd during his Nashville campaign stop Sunday afternoon. Former U.S. Rep. O’Rourke (R-TN-16) tweeted a video from the rally. Nashville! pic.twitter.com/Gx6aGYvvPY — Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) July 7, 2019 In promoting the event, the Tennessee Democratic Party tweeted, “2020 Democratic presidential candidate @BetoORourke will hold a campaign rally at @MMusicWorks in Nashville tomorrow, July 7th at 3 p.m. CT! The event will feature live music from @Elizabeth_Cook and @RaelynNelson Band.” 2020 Democratic presidential candidate @BetoORourke will hold a campaign rally at @MMusicWorks in Nashville tomorrow, July 7th at 3 p.m. CT! The event will feature live music from @Elizabeth_Cook and @RaelynNelson Band. RSVP: https://t.co/WfP0aAVus7 — Tennessee Democratic Party (@tndp) July 6, 2019 The venue was Marathon Music Works on Clinton Street. Music was provided by Elizabeth Cook and the Raelyn Nelson Band. O’Rourke’s campaign billed the visit as his first stop in the Volunteer State. O’Rourke retweeted this tweet: “HAPPENING NOW! @BetoORourke in Nashville, Tennessee! He believes background checks on every gun sale can save lives and recognized @MomsDemand as making a difference across America! #gunsense #tnleg”. https://twitter.com/krayoncolorz/status/1147986578695950336 The Tennessee Holler, a liberal activist site, tweeted a photo with O’Rourke…
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Metro Nashville officials are doing a less than stellar job monitoring the city’s affordable housing fund, according to a new internal audit. Members of a seven-member commission overseeing the money, among other things, don’t follow proper policies and procedures, don’t have clear enough goals and objectives, and aren’t cautious about potential conflicts of interest, internal auditors wrote. City officials created this Metropolitan Housing Trust Fund Commission in 2013 to help provide affordable housing. Commission members established what’s known as the Barnes Fund to finance new affordable housing units or to rehabilitate existing ones. As of 2019, commission members have awarded $27 million to 17 non-profit groups, according to the audit. Auditors reported the following problems: • The Commission cannot demonstrate it operates the Barnes Fund in compliance with the Housing Trust Fund Policies and Procedures. • Measures to monitor overall Barnes Fund program success are not defined. • Grant application process documentation was not consistently available. • Formal controls to identify potential conflicts of interest did not exist. • Monitoring for compliance with tenant income and landlord rental rate thresholds is not conducted. • Program progress and performance reports, as detailed within the Housing Trust Fund Policies and Procedures,…
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Thales Academy, a non-profit company that owns and operates eight private schools in North Carolina, is coming to Nashville. Founder and CEO Bob Luddy, the entrepreneur who also owns CaptiveAire, the nation’s leading provider of commercial kitchen ventilation equipment, and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Tim Hall will be among the Thales Academy team members who will be addressing the public at an informational meeting that will be held in Nashville on Friday, July 19 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at West End Community Church, located at 235 White Bridge Pike in Nashville. The event is free and open to the public. You can confirm your attendance here. Nashville joins Richmond, Virginia as locations Thales Academy has identified for expansion in the 2020-2021 academic year. In each community, Thales Academy is working with local groups who want to give students and parents in their area the opportunity to be part of a high quality, low cost private education based on traditional Judeo-Christian values. The Thales model emphasizes Direct Instruction rather than Common Core to learn the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic for K-5 students, and a classical curriculum for 6-12 students. Direct Instruction is a teaching method that…
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During a specific interview discussion Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Gill spoke to Metro Council district member and At-Large candidate Steven Glover about his plans to request a budget opinion from Tennessee’s state Attorney General. Nearing the end of the segment the men discussed the alleged illegal budget proposed by Mayor Briley and the Metro Council and questioned the legal ramifications of whether or not the Metro legal department could get involved. Gill: Now the Tennessee legislature, not the only one’s that love to raise taxes. Metro Council, Nashville. They wanted to raise taxes a few weeks ago but instead opted to balance the city budget by including money to be generated by a parking meter scheme that Mayor Briley has proposed and that is overwhelmingly opposed by voters in Nashville. They haven’t passed the tax scheme to bring in thirty million dollars or so in revenue but they’re counting that revenue that hasn’t been approved and the deal that hasn’t been cut to “balance their budget.” They’re also counting money to be derived from selling property…
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During a discussion Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Gill and Leahy explained the recent Tennessee Star/ Triton poll of the upcoming August 1 Mayoral election in Nashville, Tennessee. Here are the raw numbers from the poll: David Briley 27.8 percent Carol Swain 22 percent John Cooper 19.8 percent John Ray Clemmons 10.8 percent Undecided 19.5 percent If no candidate receives above 50 percent of the vote on August 1, a runoff of the top two vote getters will be held. In a potential runoff between Briley and Swain, Briley wins easily, 50 percent to 31 percent. In a potential runoff between Briley and Cooper, Cooper wins 42 percent to 31 percent. Here’s the transcript of the discussion. Gill: And as Michael’s been mentioning we have a new Tennessee Star Triton poll of likely Davidson county voters. Five hundred and forty-five likely Davidson county voters surveyed in the poll. And the poll shows continued reelection problems for Mayor David Briley. We did a poll a couple of months ago that showed David Briley was under water when it…
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At least four local governments in Tennessee have proposed massive property tax increases totaling more than $200 million a year, according to a new column from the Beacon Center of Tennessee. Beacon is a Nashville-based free market think tank. Beacon President Justin Owen said in a column on the organization’s website that many local governments pass new budgets this time of year. Owen also referenced how Metro Nashville Council members just defeated a $154 million property tax increase — by a single vote. Hamilton County officials, meanwhile, are pushing for $34 million in new property taxes. “In Murfreesboro, the city has voted on a 34-cent tax increase, while Rutherford County officials are piling on with a 9.5 percent tax hike proposal on top of that,” Owen wrote. “Could it be that all these local governments are starving for revenue? Uniformly, these cities and counties don’t have a revenue problem, they have a spending addiction.” Owen said “Nashville has shelled out corporate welfare like no other city could imagine,” citing, among other things, $14 million for Opryland’s new water park. Hamilton County commissioners, meanwhile, operate what Owen called “their own slush fund, doling out nearly $1 million annually to their…
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Nashville mayoral candidate Carol Swain made a stark contrast between herself and the other more liberal candidates who want the job at a forum at Belmont University Tuesday night. Moderators, for instance, asked if she, as mayor, would pass a property tax next year to fund public schools and give Metro workers a raise. Swain said she would not — that’s because revenues are up 23 percent between 2015 and 2019. “The revenues were an estimated $440 million. We need to find out where the money is going. Where the waste is and so, no, I don’t believe we need to raise property taxes. We need to cut spending,” Swain said. “We don’t have a revenue problem in this city. We have a spending problem because we have leaders who can’t say no. They make irresponsible decisions. They spend like drunken sailors.” At-large Council member John Cooper, when asked the same question, said there are other sources of revenue for the city other than property taxes. State Rep. John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville, also criticized the notion of any proposed tax increase. “It’s unfortunate we found ourselves in a position where the most fiscally responsible option was a property tax…
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Metro Nashville School Board members will not ask voters to raise property taxes this year, as some people expected, said board member Fran Bush (pictured above). This, because of a decree county officials put out Monday, Bush told The Tennessee Star. “It’s too late to submit the resolution. This comes straight from the Metro Election Commission,” Bush said. “We got the information from our attorney today.” No one from the Metro Election Commission’s office returned our request for comment Monday. The Tennessean reported last week that school board members might ask voters to raise the property tax rate by 16 cents so they would have more money for schools. Assuming school board member signed off on the referendum, the vote would have taken place Aug. 1, the paper reported. On Monday, however, The Tennessean reported that Tennessee law could stop school board members from asking for the referendum this year. “Under state law, the election commission cannot put to voters a question less than 60 days before an election,” the paper reported. As The Star reported, there were reportedly problems with the Metro Nashville Public Schools’ spending habits this year. According to a recent audit, district leaders failed to use…
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Nashville Mayoral candidate Dr. Carol Swain is taking aim at Metro Council’s proposed 15.8 percent property tax increase. Two council members — Budget Committee Chairwoman Tanaka Vercher and At-Large Councilman Bob Mendes — combined efforts after having had differing plans, Nashville Public Radio said. Mendes is dropping his plan to support Vercher’s plan of raising property taxes by 15.8 percent, increasing the rate to $3.653 per $100 of assessed value. Mayor David Briley told Nashville Public Radio he opposes a tax increase and that he’s alarmed by the council’s plan. Swain said in a press release she also takes issue with that and that if she were elected, she would balance the budget. With the council’s planned tax hike, a home valued at $250,000 would see an increase of about $300, Swain said. Briley could veto the proposal and it would take a two-thirds majority vote to override. “City Council is proposing a property tax increase that raises the cost of living for all Nashvillians without any intention of giving Metro employees the 6 percent raise they need and deserve. Mayor Briley has stated that Nashville’s forecasted revenues are up by about $100 million without property taxes. If the Mayor…
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NASHVILLE — President Donald Trump is winning over at least one local Libertarian as he prepares to seek re-election next year, and he may likely win over several more. This, according to Libertarian Amie Gibbons. Gibbons told The Tennessee Star Tuesday that Libertarian Party presidential nominee Gary Johnson got her vote in 2016. But Gibbons said she’s open to four more years of Trump. Gibbons joined members of the Davidson County Republican Party Tuesday at Nashville’s Crow’s Nest restaurant in the city’s Green Hill’s area to watch Trump announce his re-election campaign during a rally in Orlando, Fla. “There are a few things I disagree with Trump on, but if he can keep all of this up then he gets my vote in 2020. I think there is a very big difference in how independents and Libertarians are treating this,” Gibbons said. “This is the guy who came into office saying I want to scale back big government — and he’s actually been doing it. That’s earning a lot of my people’s votes.” So, what does that mean for the 2020 Libertarian Party presidential candidate, whether it’s Johnson or someone else? “The same thing it meant in 2016,” Gibbons told…
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The Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) put out a new manifesto last month describing how they want Metro Nashville officials to treat illegal immigrants, and it demands taxpayers subsidize new programs to protect them from deportation. This document, titled, Beyond Welcoming: A Platform for Immigrant Inclusion for the Next Metropolitan Government of Nashville & Davidson County, also disparages ICE agents as persecutors who set out to destroy immigrant families. You can download the full document here. The TIRRC document focused on community organizing activities to put political pressure on state and local officials. “Each week in Nashville, ICE is terrorizing immigrant neighborhoods and ripping residents away from their families and communities,” according to the document. (Page 3) “As the federal government ramps up immigration enforcement, the state legislature has continued their efforts to make life harder for immigrant and refugee communities.” (Page 3) The document calls on Nashville officials to embrace pro-immigrant policies and “help turn the tide in this country.” (Page 3) Among only some of the document’s policy suggestions for Nashville leaders: • Nashville should not help ICE deport illegal immigrants. (Page 4) • The Davidson County jail must stop renting bed space to ICE. (Page 7) •…
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Nashville’s public art program reportedly isn’t getting enough taxpayer money, despite the hundreds of thousands of dollars it’s already spent on public art projects, with some of that money going to artists out-of-state. Nashville Public Radio reported that Metro Nashville officials are underfunding their art program. “To make up for it, Metro Arts will soon receive a back payment that can be put toward new sculptures and other large-scale installations,” according to Nashville Public Radio. The discovery came out of a routine review of finances, the station reported. “The way public art funding works in Nashville is that whenever Metro does capital spending projects — such as a new building, park, library, or significant renovation — it sets aside 1 percent of the budget for use on public art,” according to Nashville Public Radio. “But the audit found that some capital projects weren’t counted toward the art calculation in fiscal year 2017. So, the public art fund is owed $363,000 by the city.” According to the now extinct Tennessee Watchdog: • Nashville officials paid $300,000 for an exhibit commemorating the Civil Rights movement. The artist lived some 2,000 miles away in Oakland, Calif. The Nashville Metro Arts Commission hired Walter Hood to create “Witness…
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Live for the first time on CMT- Brett Eldredge, Mac McAnally, Jessy Wilson and Dylan Scott Part of Diverse Lineup
Let Freedom Sing! Will Feature One of Nation’s Largest Fireworks Shows
Citibank, Bank of America, and The Ford Foundation are among some of the non-profit and commercial entities funding an effort to make Nashville more inclusive when handing out city contracts to women-and-minority-owned businesses. Those entities fund a New York City-based philanthropy called Living Cities. Living Cities recently bestowed 10 U.S. cities with grants, including Nashville. With this money, Living Cities have tasked Nashville officials with making extra efforts to hire women and minorities for city contracts, said Ashford Hughes, Metro Nashville’s chief diversity and equity officer. Hughes said his job is to make sure the city’s policies and practices don’t exclude women and members of all races and religions. He also told The Tennessee Star that Metro officials will not use this money to hire women and minorities just for the sake of hiring them — at the expense of hiring the most qualified person or people for the job. “You have to look at it in a more nuanced manner. Nothing is guaranteeing anyone a contract,” Hughes said. “What this is guaranteeing is that there will be a level playing field and that now these vendors will have a fair opportunity to at least get their foot in…
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NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Metro Nashville Council At-Large candidate Gicola Lane told a crowd of more than 1,000 people Monday she wants city officials to stop working with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Members of the crowd gave thunderous applause. Later in the evening, Nashville mayoral candidate Julia Clark-Johnson said she wants to turn Nashville into a sanctuary city. “The state of California has been successful into changing a lot of their cities into sanctuary cities,” Clark-Johnson said, suggesting Nashville follow that state’s example. Gicola and Clark-Johnson made these comments at Nashville’s Plaza Mariachi along Nolensville Pike this week for a forum devoted to immigrant rights Several other At-Large and mayoral candidates joined them on stage. The Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition sponsored the event, as did the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee, the American Muslim Advisory Council, and Conexion Americas. The forum was in question-and-answer format, with members of those groups asking, among other things, what the Metro Nashville government can do to disentangle itself from ICE and stop future deportations. At-Large candidate Bob Mendes, already on the Metro Council, said he will continue to do his part, especially with U.S. Republican President Donald Trump in office.…
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A new Political Action Committee has reportedly formed in Nashville, and the people behind it want to use it to influence this year’s Metro election. This, according to a new article in The Tennessean. According to the website, the group consists of “several of Nashville’s business heavyweights” who want “good governance, a collaborative spirit, a pro-business mindset and visionary planning.” “The group, A Better Nashville, was registered on March 29, according to records. Filing documents list Gus Puryear — general counsel for Asurion — as chairman and Paula Harris — chief marketing officer for Barge Design Solutions Inc. — as treasurer,” according to The Tennessean. “The Nashville Business Journal first reported on the committee on Friday, reporting that the group has ties to the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce.” The Tennessean reported that John Ingram of Ingram Industries is involved with A Better Nashville. The Tennessee Star, in 2017, identified Ingram as the lead investor on a 27,500-seat soccer stadium in Nashville that would cost $250 million. This was a project former Mayor Megan Barry championed and supported. Mayor David Briley is scheduled to face off against State Rep. John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville, Metro Council member John Cooper and former Vanderbilt professor Carol…
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Metro Nashville Mayoral candidate Dr. Carol Swain is calling for answers following Mayor David Briley’s contradictory statements and budgetary moves on his controversial parking meter plan. “How can Mayor Briley promise voters he’ll hold off on his widely opposed parking meter plan, at the same time his administration is quietly planning to spend the up-front $30 million it would bring in if passed? Which one is it—the bill is on hold so the public can weigh in, or the mayor will ram it down our throats as soon as he no longer needs our votes? The public deserves honest answers,” Swain said in a press release. Just two weeks ago, Briley said he was “hitting the pause button” on his plan to privatize parking meters, The Tennessee Star reported. “It is clear to me that residents still have questions about the merits of this proposal. Residents need more time – and it is unfair to the public and to Council to rush this process,” Briley wrote. Worse yet, others are using misinformation to further confuse and scare people. It’s politics at its worst. For these reasons, I am hitting the pause button on this proposal.” However, Swain said that last Tuesday,…
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During a specific interview discussion Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Gill and Leahy spoke to Congressman Mark Green live from Normandy to discuss the tone in France and how it was important to remember what price is paid for our freedom in America. Gill: One of our good friends Congressman Mark Green is in Normandy. Actually commanded troupes at Sainte Mere Eglise where the 82nd Airborne parachuted in to start fighting the Germans. And he’s at Normandy right now giving us an on the spot report right now. Mark good to have you with us. Green: Thanks Steve how are you? Thanks for having me on the show. Gill: As we’re watching some of these images this morning on Fox the potency of this day comes through the TV screen. It must be even more intense to be there. Green: Yeah I really hope that the case for the folks back home because I couldn’t help cry a little bit. You know when you think of the incredible bravery and the sacrifice and…
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In an interview on The Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast Wednesday on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Steve Gill spoke to Larry Gatlin of the Gatlin Brothers about his show this week at City Winery during the CMA Fest. Towards the end of the segment, the men discussed how the music business has changed and that you can’t just have a few good songs on an album due to music downloading. They agreed that there was more pressure on artists today that every song becomes a single. Gill: Larry is up and Adam and with us. Larry good to have you with us on the Tennessee Star Report. Gatlin: Well I’m doing this in my sleep so I’m still sleeping in too. Hi guys. Gill: Good, good to have you with us. Man big week the CMA Fest underway you guys are going to be performing at the City Winery tomorrow night. And then doing the Opry this weekend. Its one of those times when you guys are always on the road, everybody else is always on the road. These are the times…
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The NBC drama Bluff City Law will reportedly film on location in Memphis, and it’s also presumed Tennessee officials will hand out corporate welfare in exchange. This, according to Monday’s Memphis Commercial Appeal. The show stars Jimmy Smits. But Tennessee taxpayers may lose out, said Ron Shultis, policy coordinator for the Nashville-based Beacon Center of Tennessee, in an analysis on the group’s website. Beacon is a free-market think tank. “The reason Tennessee should continue to give little—or, even better, outright eliminate these programs—is because film incentives have been shown to be a terrible value. State film incentives became popular in the mid and late 2000s. By 2009, 44 states offered some kind of film incentive. What those in the industry won’t tell you is that since then, thirteen states have completely eliminated their programs and several more have reduced theirs because these programs have been shown to be a bad value for taxpayers,” Shultis wrote. “In fact, a recent study by Tennessee’s Dept. of Economic and Community Development (ECD) found that the $69.1 million given over the life of Tennessee’s program has resulted in $14.7 million in state tax collections, or a 21-cent return on the dollar. This estimate…
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