Friday, February 20, 2009
40 Jealous Whores / Hannan / Politics Dept. of Hell Freezing Over: Eric Crafton Dead Right About Convention Center
Posted by Caleb Hannan on Fri, Feb 20, 2009 at 10:02 AM
On Tuesday, Crafton introduced a memorializing resolution formally declaring that Metro council wants the new convention center built with revenue bonds. Why revenue bonds? Because that way, if the convention center can't pay for itself (Spoiler Alert: It can't. Even in a good economy.) taxpayers won't be left footing the bill.
In short, Crafton jumped ahead in the 17 Steps Towards Bankrupting Your City playbook. And the response was predictably swift.
The Convention & Visitors Bureau firebombed the phones and got the bill deferred. Now it won't be considered until next month, after finance director Rich Riebeling's funding presentation to Council.
It probably would have been better if Crafton had let someone else introduce the resolution. The stink of English Only is still fresh. And Crafton has a reputation, deserved or not, for grandstanding. But no matter his previous missteps (OK, pratfalls is more like it), Crafton's dead right on the convention center.
Comments (5)
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Thank you, Pith, for noticing that our favorite Village Idiot is actually on target here. It's amazing to me that, in this economy, the convention-center-pep-squad types are still able to pitch this Convention Center idea with a straight face.
Look at hotel occupancy rates nationwide (in the cellar). Look at the convention business nationwide (still eroding). Look at the events business nationwide (awful, as any number of Nashville-based promoters can attest). Do we see a trend here? The Fed projects that the economy will not see its "new normal" for 5-6 years (read Krugman this morning) and it's insanity to build this albatross now.
Everyone I know is reducing personal and business spending to the bare essentials (food, fuel, staying out of foreclosure), and yet Nashville is still considering THIS? Yeesh.
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Setting aside for a minute that we'll never get bond financing for this in the current climate, can we talk for a minute about just how irresponsibly designed the damn thing is? How many streets will it irreversibly disrupt? It will seal the fate of the only remaining undeveloped land inside the downtown loop. An area that's a prime candidate for a responsible, dense, low-rise community, but not if you can't cross it without walking 3 blocks out of your way. What about those exterior walls of blank, gray, graffiti canvas? Think sticking trees in front of them makes them any less demoralizing? We've got a mayor who talks a good talk about urban design, but it's time he stood up to the CVB. I don't have any problem with the CVB doing their job to promote Nashville as a business destination, but we need someone in Metro government pushing back on behalf of the taxpayer, and I can't think of the last time that really happened.
In another "Hell Freezes Over" moment... I actually agree with the Scene on this one! Let's get this straight...Dean gives Predators a $13 million $$$ rent break...(Where the ownership is chock full of his personal friends) and we lose. Dean asks Dept heads to cut budgets 10% causing Surpass to declare he will need to lay off 100 Police officers...with similar stories from Fire & Public Works, and we lose...lose...lose. Next Dean "DeFunds" a battered Women's Shelter in town to save $100,000 (See Channel 5's story) and now he cans the Adult Literacy Program over $45,000?? We lose and lose again. The Dean Admin is after Metro General / MeHarry Hospital and will seriously defund it...and..we lose again. And to cap it all off...NES and Metro Water are sticking up the Taxpayers where even a 100 Watt Bulb won't shine! All in the worst economy in decades..with unemployment in the double digits in most places. The Hotel and Convention Center Business is in the dumper and projected to be for at least five years...and Gaylord Opryland just "shelved" their 350 room expansion because "There is no economic justification for it in the forseeable future." Rumors abound that Deans chums at the Chamber are all lined up to financially benefit from this financially as soon as its approved. Only a very few of these facilities were breaking even BEFORE the economy crashed. Requiring this thing to move forward on Revenue Bonds means that Nashville will find out quickly if the private sector "Believes" that this thing will ever make it without massive taxpayer support. I wonder how Dean's going to keep that "Read my Lips" pledge on NO PROPERTY TAX INCREASES ???? I'll be calling this Dean's Folly...from now on.
The real "hell freezes over" moment comes in the comments, as Jon Crisp decries the cutting of government programs. What ever happened to "government is the problem", Mr. GOP?
Can't stand it, but it's true. Crafton, the Iago of our fair city, has hit the nail on the head. Why aren't there more people to recognize what an awful idea the convention center is, right now, and with the future of conventions being in such doubt? Unless this is going to be our city's mini-stimulus package, with the resulting debt.
