Love-Hate Mail
Food chain
Despite the parks board’s continued attempt to “silence the voice” of the Edgehill community (“Rumble in Rose Park,” May 10), despite Belmont’s continuous efforts to use their money and power to “take over” Rose Park, the Edgehill community is determined to exercise and demand their democratic rights and to keep Rose Park for the Edgehill community.
The parks board allowed Rose Park to deteriorate—unthinkable in more wealthy neighborhoods. The 2002 Metro Parks Master Plan called for $800,000 in major renovations for the fields at Rose Park. Five years later, no renovation has been done, and nothing has been appropriated in the budget to do it.
Instead, the parks board has given private Belmont University permission to “occupy” 22 of the 23.88 acres of this public park—pretending that this would be a “win-win” situation for all. In the deal, Belmont gets 90 percent of the park, and 85 percent of “prime time” use. That is a “lose-lose” situation for Edgehill.
Councilman Ludye Wallace suggested that both the community and Belmont go home and “pray over” the situation. It is obvious that what Belmont has done all along—with the parks board’s support—is “prey over” the situation and the Edgehill community.
Lord Acton once said: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
ARLENE LANE
arlene_one@bellsouth.net (Nashville)
Fact check
I read with great amusement the protests of Karl Dean’s campaign manager (Political Notes, May 10) that the reason that the Dean ads were shot in private schools was because “there have been no political ads shot at public schools, ever.”
In fact, one of the most famous political ads in Tennessee history was shot at a Metro public school. The 1986 Ned McWherter for Governor ad (featuring numerous schoolchildren running up and hugging McWherter) that is often credited with changing his image—resulting in his election as governor—was shot at Sylvan Park Elementary School in Nashville.
That was 21 years ago, and it’s entirely possible that MNPS has changed their policies since then, but the Dean campaign manager should check his facts before making such a sweeping statement.
BILL CALDWELL
pking34@comcast.net (Nashville)
Pred-atory acts
Question: what has 12 long hairy legs, belches out stale hot air, suffers from a pitiable lack of vision, and only comes once every four years? Answer: six guys running for mayor of Nashville.
The Scene’s article in Political Notes (May 10), confirmed what I had so far surmised: voters must choose a mayor from a field of political song-and-dance-men who cannot or will not clearly address any substantive issue.
Nashville can no longer sustain, nor should we tolerate, this vague political pandering; we need leadership, NOW!
Example: who among these candidates has the backbone to force the elitist lapdogs of the Metro Sports Authority (MSA) to control hemorrhaging taxpayer subsidies to selfish management of the GEC as detailed in KPMG’s 2003 audit? Implementation of KPMG’s recommendations would allow Metro to recoup part of its multimillion dollar annual deficit, a result of—the audit reports—the “unique” arrangement between Metro and the Predators management. Yet enforcement by the MSA has been selective, with no positive financial impact according to internal audit updates to Metro Council. Your city government does nothing to protect the public from this ongoing scam.
We desperately need a leader who is morally offended by this type of graft and extortion, who sees it for what it is: taxing people out of their homes to subsidizes arrogant millionaires. Find that person and there’s your next mayor. If you don’t, you can expect more of the same racket.
GARRETT DAWSON
P.O. Box 1800 (Antioch)
Ice capades
In Randy Horick’s column “Thin Ice” (May 10), he makes a smart remark about “the NHL’s whopper-jawed approach to seeding” and calls it “doubtless a Canadian influence.” But he, or anyone who knows anything about hockey—and has been actually watching the playoffs this year—can attest to the fact that the Preds got what they had coming. The caliber of play in the playoffs does not compare to the cakewalk of a season they had in their division. Even if the injured players had been healthy, they still would not have the team to compete at the level needed to win the Stanley Cup. Being a Canadian (and I know there are a lot of us down here) and moving to Nashville the year the Preds came to town, I was very enthusiastic about the prospects of an NHL team in Music City, and I still am. As an expansion team, I think they’ve come a long way but still have a way to go to get to the next level. Just look at how long it took San Jose to make a run, and they still can’t get into the finals, as good a team as they are. I can only hope that more fans get out to support this fine team that is only improving with age, and maybe one day we’ll be able to see our Preds make a run for the cup—yes, patience is a good thing! If they would only lower the ticket prices a little, we might make that attendance benchmark after all.
STEVE BENOIT
whereibelong@hotmail.com (Nashville)
Heads up
In response to the caption request in the May 10 Public Art column: “This is a great house, honey! Look at all the head room.”
THOMAS WILLIAMSON
spinning_around@rocketmail.com (Smyrna)