Love/Hate Mail, May 24, 2012
Park praise
I saw your story ("Summer Guide 2012 — Parks and Recreation," May 17) on Saturday, and paid a visit to Cumberland Park the same night. And I must say, I was very impressed, despite the fact that there was still some construction going on. My son and I had a great time. The park had a great view of downtown Nashville, places for kids to play, concession stands, an outdoor stage, a small water area for the kids, around-the-clock security — all right next to the river. Absolutely amazing.
Marcus Dixson
Nashville
Hike this
Regarding "Take a Hike?" (May 10): Metro government is so full of waste, nepotism and corruption that it is totally laughable and disgustingly sad, all at the same time. We see people like David Torrence leave in disgrace (with an $80,000 per year pension), and John Arriola, lying and stealing like the lowlife slug that he is! (This is just the tip of the iceberg in Metro's waste and fraud.)
Our houses are now worth less, and you have the gall to even think about raising our taxes? Well, to hell with you.
How about this: Any Metro employee that makes over $60,000 a year will immediately take a 20 percent cut in pay, and have all their perks cut out. If they don't like it ... then tough shit. All Metro employees who do not live and pay taxes in Metro should be immediately terminated. Tax people who do not live in Metro, but come in from surrounding counties (to avoid high property taxes), make their money, then haul ass back.
Learn how to say, "You're fired, don't let the door hit you in the butt" to slacker Metro employees.
Stop spending money that you do not have.
Let us all start organizing the largest protest that this town has ever seen ... soon, before it's too late! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
Ed Caruthers
Nashville
Carnegie Hail
John, thanks for your insight ("First We Take Manhattan," May 17). I listened to last night's concert via computer, and I couldn't believe my ears. The performances all were so much better than what I heard at the Schermerhorn, even via laptop speakers. I thought it was just me, but it seems that it was not. The NSO and Tracy Silverman were simply magnificent. What a joy to hear them. I just wish I could have been in the audience at Carnegie.
Gary Stewart
Nashville
Weight of the nation
Thank you, Alice Randall ("Alice Randall Rules," May 10). As a physician who has treated overweight children and their families for almost a decade now in Nashville, I've encountered numerous barriers, but none so entrenched and insidious as fatalism — the perception that nothing can be done to change things. We can improve our built environment, eliminate bad cheap food, and advocate our legislatures — but cultural attitudes sometimes feel more unalterable than our own DNA. Nothing sinks my spirit more than the resignation I frequently encounter in the exam room — that obesity, diabetes and heart disease have been a way of life for generations, and will continue to be. Thank you for chinking away.
Gregory Plemmons, M.D.
Nashville
Go ask Alice
Great article ("Alice Randall Rules," May 10)! Thanks for informing me about her new book, new rule and new hope for many people. I have enjoyed reading her works since The Wind Done Gone. I hope Ada's Rules helps a lot of people.
John Dabbs
Franklin
Hurtful response
I don't know which is worse: Edd Hurt's uninformed opinion about jazz and Esperanza Spalding ("All Jazzed Up," May 3), or the Scene's decision to actually print it! (And don't overlook Hurt's obvious hard-on for Minnie Riperton. You know her: She's the singer you hear when you're in a dental chair or an elevator.)
In the Spalding review, Hurt makes several statements typical of his style (if you can call "shit" a style). He writes, "The jazz era may be receding in our cultural rearview mirror," and, "Jazz is a series of tropes designed for what's left of its audience," and, "In 1970 jazz was as discredited as it is fashionable today." Finally he writes, "Mainstream jazz seemed academic, hung up on self-created problems." Yeah, like he should know! For the sake of civility, let's just say this is all true inside the small-town Bible-belt niche Hurt has carved out for himself in Nashville. But if he pulled his head out of his ass long enough to see what's going on in real big-city arteries of jazz — for example, New York City, Miami, Dallas, Austin, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Chicago — he might rethink the idea of himself as a writer and critic, which he is neither.
The Scene should do the same thing, but for more practical reasons. At a time when the economy is as bad as it is, where paychecks come at a premium, maybe Edd Hurt's paycheck would be better spent for an extra page in the "Dining" section, or maybe another page of "Legal Notices."
Rhio Hirsch
Whites Creek
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