Downtown parking is going to get a little easier

Parking spaces in downtown Nashville can be hard to come by.  As Nashville has grown, surface parking has been gobbled up by new construction and new development has added new workers and increased tourism has brought more cars looking for parking spaces.

I seldom go downtown, except to attend First Tuesday.  When I do, I usually park in the library

1,183-space garage under construction at 505 Chruch

parking garage. On the rare occasion that I go to something else downtown I usually take Uber. To park at a parking lot off of lower Broadway can cost $20 and I can go round trip from my house by Uber for about $10.

Parking is going to get a little easier. Metro is planning to add 350 spaces to the public garage that adjoins the downtown Nashville Public Library in what is expected to be a $10 million job, according to the Nashville Business Journal. Two new levels will be added on top of the existing four-story garage.  During construction the garage will remain open. The project will take about 18 months to complete.

While I do not know the exact details of how this is funded, most public parking garages are not subsidized by tax payers and the parking revenue pays the bonds for the construction.  Read more here and here.

In addition to these new 350 parking spaces a 1,183-space garage is under construction at 505 Church Street.

Top Stories

TONIGHT - DOWNTOWN, FROTHY MONKEY COFFEE HOUSE, 5th Avenue. "America in the World: What Next?"

TONIGHT - DOWNTOWN, FROTHY MONKEY COFFEE HOUSE, 5th Avenue. "America in the World: What Next?" Hosted by World Affairs Council. For details, follow this link.

Last night I enjoyed the lively discussion at the TNWAC hosted event on the same topic at another location.

Top Stories

AFP-TN: Axe the Tax (Hendersonville) (Oct 1, 2015)

From Americans for Prosperity:

Event to be held at the following time, date, and location:
Thursday, October 1, 2015 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM (CDT), Barefoot Charlies, 125 Sanders Ferry Road Hendersonville, TN 37075

Some politicians are focused on raising the gas tax - just when we are finally getting a break at the pump. Join us for our Axe the Tax tour to learn how you can join in to defeat the looming gas tax increase. 

State Representative Courtney Rogers will be our featured speaker. We'll be discussing the gas tax and other issues that affect all Tennesseans. We'll provide the appetizers and first beverage for those who RSVP here.

For an updated list of where your legislator stands on raising the gas tax visit: www.axethetax.org

Top Stories

2015 "On Eagle's Wings" Conference, October 3, 2015.

October 3, 2015, Embassy Suites Cool Springs, 820 Crescent Centre Drive, Franklin, Tennessee, 37067. Phone 1-615-515-5151. Conference: 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Banquet with special Keynote Speakers will follow at 6:00 p.m.
Keynote Banquet Speaker: Kamal Saleem, Former radical Islamist.
Other Speakers for this year's spectacular conference are:

• Steven Bucci, expert on Foreign and National Security Policy, Heritage Foundation
• Mary Byrne, Ed.D., The History of Failing Standards
• Sen. Jack Johnson, Insure TN
• Clarke Forsythe, Author, The Inside Story of Roe v. Wade
• Don Warren, engineer, Progressive Math vs. Traditional Math
• Genevieve Wood, update on Immigration, Heritage Foundation
• Craig Honeycutt, Islam in TN classrooms
• David Folwer, Esq., Family Action Council, Impact of Supreme Court decision on marriage
• Myra Simons, YES on 1: The 15 Year Journey
• Billie Cash, Billie Cash Ministries
• Cameron Sheppard, TN RTL Speech, Let Us Bring Hope
• Ann Corcoran, Refugee Resettlement Watch
• Joy Pullman, Heartland Institute, All That Data
• Rep. Judd Matheny, Legislative Overview
• Frances Arthur, Teens See Legislature Up Close and Personal

Space is limited. To register, follow this link.

Top Stories

Event: Nashville Federalist Society presents Texas Solicitor General Scott Keller on Thursday, September 24, 2015

The Nashville Lawyers’ Chapter of the Federalist Society presents "Supreme Court Practice as a State Solicitor General" with Texas Solicitor General Scott Keller on Thursday, September 24, 2015 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. at The Law Offices of Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP, Nashville City Center , 511 Union Street, Suite 2700 Nashville, Tennessee, 37219.  Lunch Will Be Served, and CLE Credit Will Be Available RSVP Here: http://bit.ly/1N6f8GB.

Top Stories

The Council should have its own swearing-in seperate from the Mayoral inauguration

Randy Foster

The following is a Facebook post by former Metro Councilman Randy Foster. It is worth reposting:

Not to be negative toward Mayor-Elect Barry's inauguration theme ("We Make Nashville), the logo displayed in the attached story (http://www.scrippsmedia.com/…/Mayor-Elect-Barry-Unveils-The…) focuses on her inauguration only. WHAT ABOUT THE METRO COUNCIL?

Alas, Metro inauguration day inevitably leaves the Council members as a pack of also-rans who troop in together, are ceremonially sworn-in together at what is really the new Mayor's party, and who are then (metaphorically) patted on the head and sent off to do the Mayor's bidding.  Until my dying day, I will continue to advocate for the Council to separate itself from the Mayor's office in every reasonable way it can. It exercises the legislative authority of Metro Government, is an important check on mayoral authority, and ought to act like it.

I am in complete agreement.  The Council should have its own swearing-in separate from the mayor and otherwise separate itself from the Mayor's office whenever it can. The Council should act like an independent, separate and equal branch of the government.  The Council should take itself seriously as a legislative body.

Unfortunately, the Council is very weak.  Part of that is because it is a forty-member body and part of it is because of term limits.  A major part of it is also because of the metro charter which makes it impossible for the council to cast a vote against the city budget and property tax increases.

Another reason we have such a weak council is because the council does not exercise what power it does have.  The council should carefully scrutinize and consider mayoral appointments to boards and commission and occasionally reject an appointee when there is a reason to do so.  If a department has not been cooperative with council request for services or information, then request from the 4% fund should be held up. The Council should also hold special hearing to investigate things that need investigating, such as when there is corruption at NES or when we have a sidewalk program that replaces perfectly serviceable sidewalks but builds few new sidewalks. Also, not all legislative initiates have to come from the mayors office.

The previous council showed little independence from the Mayor, but I fear this new council will set a new standard for being rubber stamps, lap dogs, and yes-men of the Mayor.

Top Stories

Paychecks for Patriots job fair, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015

The Tennessee Department of Labor has partnered with Dollar General and several major employers in Tennessee to connect veterans with jobs. The “Paychecks for Patriots” hiring fair will be held on Thursday October 1st 2015 throughout Tennessee and will feature local employers interested in putting veterans to work.

The Nashville event will be at the Tennessee Titans Nissan Stadium,10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. One needs to pre-register.  Sixty employers are participating in the Nashville event, including, Southwest Airlines, Coca Cola, Fed Ex, Comcast and TVA. For information on the event in other cities and to register, follow this link. 

Top Stories

Trail West building demolished overnight.

The Trail West building on lower Broadway which was on the Register of Historical Places and listed by Historic Nashville as one of the most endangered historic building worth saving, is no more. The building was torn down overnight.  This site has been the subject of controversy. At one time a hotel wanted to build on the site and then Walgreen wanted to keep the buildings but open a Walgreen there. Council member Gilmore left these parcels out of a historic overlay protection for the site for a long time. They were only included in the last meeting of the last council.  A demolition permit was not issued for the site, but the attached link explains why that was not necessary. For an explanation of how and why this demolishing occurred follow this link.

Top Stories

"America in the World: What Direction?" Global Dialogue discussion group series, TONIGHT or Tuesday or Wednesday or next week.

From Tennessee World Affairs Council:

• You're invited to the Global Dialogue discussion group series.
• One topic a month, four options -- dates/venues -- to participate.
   
• Learn and share perspectives on the United States global challenges and policies.
  There could be no more timely topic for us to share perspectives on than "America in the World: What Direction?"  Check below for details or visit our Web site.

The four locations are Lipscomb University on Monday, Green Hills Public Library on Tuesday, or downtown at the Frothy Monkey on Wednesday, or Belmont University on October 7th.   You need to register. There are also a list of suggested reading and questions.

Top Stories

Bellevue Breakfast club meets Oct. 3

From Betty Hood:
We will be meeting Saturday, October 3 at 8 am at the Shoney's on Hwy 70.  Our guest speaker will be Vincent Kreul from the Americans for Prosperity.  There will be time for Q & A after his presentation.

Top Stories

What do you know about communism?

Since the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, many believe that communism is no longer a threat to the world. In fact, in many academic and political circles, the acceptance of Marxist Ideology is on the rise.

Exactly what is so dangerous about communism? Why must we remind younger generations about the atrocities perpetrated by communist regimes? Take this quiz and discover why communism remains a threat to human liberty.

Top Stories

Nashville is in the top ten of happiest metropolitan areas.

I love list and am pleased to see Nashville at number one on so many list or at least in the top ten. This list of happiest metro areas was published in Science Daily in July 2014, based on data from 2010, so it is five years old now. Traffic is a little worse than it was five years ago and that was before the Music City Center, the new downtown baseball park and a lot of downtown growth. I wonder how we would compare now?  I assume we would still be in the top ten.

One thing I notice about this list is that they are all southern cities except for number ten, that is if you consider Washington DC a southern city.  Are there other factors these cities have in common? What is the occupations of people in these cities?  What is the poverty rate? Do they have great parks? To they have good places to eat, and good night life, professional sports teams, and good museums, and good schools?  Do they have mass transit? Washington D. C. has a subway system, but not a great system. I don't think the others do, bit I don't know.  Washington D.C also has terrible traffic and this is a list of the metropolitan area, so it includes those people who commute and sit in traffic two hours a day. Maybe bad traffic does not make people unhappy. Washington has great extremes of wealth and poverty, so apparently that does not create a lot of unhappy people. Washington D. C itself has terrible schools but since this is the Metro area, maybe the suburban communities have good schools. I don't know. I wish this report went further and examined the factors that make a happy metropolitan area.

I am surprised to see Atlanta, Georgia on this list.  Atlanta is always held up as an example of what we do not want Nashville to become, yet Atlanta ranks higher in happiness than Nashville. I notice that not a single California city is on the list. I know California has its problems with excessive taxation and drought, but I always thought San Fransisco would be a "happy" city. Austin Texas is not on the list. Portland Oregon is not on the list. New Orleans Louisiana is not on the list. Lots of places that seem in someway desirable places to live are not on the list. Almost everyone likes visiting the beach, yet only one of the ten is located on a beach.

What is the number one unhappiest metropolitan areas with a population greater than 1 million? New York City. I guess with all New York City has to offer, it still does not produce happy people.

Top 10 happiest metropolitan areas with a population greater than 1 million (as of 2010):

1. Richmond-Petersburg, VA
2. Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News, VA
3. Washington, DC
4. Raleigh-Durham, NC
5. Atlanta, GA
6. Houston, TX
7. Jacksonville, FL
8. Nashville, TN
9. West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, FL
10. Middlesex-Somerset-Hunterdon, NJ

Top Stories