News
Roger Abramson for president! Great article ("Vice Follies," Aug. 4). Your point that some people "don't want to let facts stand in the way of their righteous indignation" couldn't have been better put. I don't want to stand idly by while leaders pass laws that assume their constituents possess zero personal responsibility. I want to know what can we do, where do we go, who do we talk to? Oh and by the way, if the city of Nashville wants to pay me $39,000 to go around and make sure all the strippers are "in compliance," let me know where to send my résumé.
Abbie Huxley
abbiehuxley@comcast.net (Nashville)
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Spin The Shazam
I saw The Features and Fountains of Wayne and, yes, they where both great ("The Spin," Aug. 4). What I don't understand is how the anonymous reviewer can say The Shazam "kind of suck and you don't know why people keep talking about them." That's not constructive. It's mean and sounds personal. It also makes the writer look like a complete coward. People keep talking about The Shazam because they have amazing songs that you can remember the day after the show. They deliver them with a sheer power that is undeniable, according to all the fans that were singing along on that day. So, to the nameless journalist, the next time you want to trash a band, don't forget about all the people who "keep talking about them."
Tom Pappas
senatorpappas@yahoo.com (Nashville)
The talented Mr. Ridley
The talented Mr. Ridley is truly a gem of a writer, a gem of a human and, in the minds of many of us in the filmmaking community, the most consistently insightful and conscientious film critic for many miles around. But we at FilmNashville feel compelled to respond to his article regarding the Nashville 48 Hour Film Project 2005 ("The Three Obstructions,"Aug. 4). The 48 HFP in Nashville is not a film festival, nor should its films be viewed as such; it's a supply-side filmmaking activity meant to galvanize local creative spirit and rally the local indie filmmaking community to think about generating work that can be seen and ultimately distributed around the world. One of the mechanisms involved is that a selected film goes on to compete with teams from 27 other cities around the planet, but that's only one of the reasons we spend several hundred hours producing it locally.
Unlike a festival, it does not sift through 500 to 1,000 incoming films to create a cultural event whereby the public can screen curated movies from elsewhere. The Nashville 48 HFP is purely meant to champion local filmmakers, to support them regardless of whether they are very experienced and organized or are aspiring artists not even out of high school. Nashville was the first and may still be the only city in the 48 HFP internationally to have a one-week public screening of all our locally made films. This is so that our filmmakers can be guaranteed to have their ideas and abilities in all aspects of the art tested on the big screen in front of live audiences. The Nashville 48 HFP is as much a lab for indie filmmakers as it is a competition. It is part of a process to build the local creative and business infrastructure of our filmmaking community, made up of folks who should be supported, so that their aspirations are understood and encouraged. This is critical to the development of any true filmmaking permaculture in our environment.
Andy van Roon
Producer, Nashville 48 Hour Film Project 2005
AndyvR@FilmNashville.org (Nashville)
Poetry devotion
Kudos to Pablo Tanguay for his thoughtful profile on my buddy, Minton Sparks ("love. death. sex. sin," July 28), and thanks, too, to book editor Margaret Renkl and the Scene management for their wonderful attention to poetry as of late. Despite the struggle of ongoing war, political deception, poverty, intolerance, child abuse and censorship in the U.S. and the wider world, I believe in the power of art and words to save us, to remind us of our collective humanity and interdependence, and to change hearts. One of the best remedies for a thirsty spirit is to go to the library or bookstore, plop down in the poetry aisle and find a poet whose words ring in the body like a bell. Or, better yet, write a poem—the poem that only you can write.
Kelly Falzone
kellyfalzone@bellsouth.net (Nashville)
The price of quality
I was disappointed with Bruce Barry's article, "Regress for Success" (July 28). The point that Barry somehow manages to miss is that taxes that are being wisely used to make our city a better place and to support those who most need and deserve support are progressive. For us to be a truly great city, we must remain committed to our schools and develop a new and significant commitment to our seniors. Nashville's continued growth and success is dependent on our willingness to support those who need us most. I applaud the Metro Council's efforts to keep property taxes low. Clearly, city leaders have done a good job in this regard. Additionally, the mayor has proposed a very innovative, fair and achievable alternative revenue source in the form of a small increase in the sales tax. Although this increase will impact all Nashvillians, those who visit our city will also pay it.
The property tax rate that was overwhelmingly passed by the council last month was a fair compromise, and we can't continue to go back to the property tax base every time there is a pressing need in our city. The proposed sales tax increase is another compromise; a modest straightforward proposal that can have a significant, long-term and positive impact on our community. Public schools are the backbone of any city. The strength of our economy, the livability of our neighborhoods and the future of our entire city depend on our continued development of a world-class public school system. Like it or not, the kind of public education system we must have comes with a significant cost. Using a very small increase in the sales tax to achieve this goal is a reasonable alternative to continued property tax increases. Tax relief for seniors is no less important. This referendum is an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to looking out for those who are most in need.
James Weaver
Government Relations Chair, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce
james.weaver@wallerlaw.com (Nashville)