Wednesday, July 1, 2009
40 Jealous Whores / Around Town / Education / Politics / The Economy Strange Bedfellows in May Town: What's Up with the TSU Land Gift?
Posted by Pete Kotz on Wed, Jul 1, 2009 at 12:02 PM
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From ace correspondent Brenda Butka:
Our councilman, Lonnell Matthews, who has been busy shilling for May Town--in all fairness, he bought the "jobs to north Nashville" argument--is deferring the zoning request before the Council. It's not an unexpected move, since it avoids the very public defeat of this massively unpopular development, and, I suppose, enables the speculators to somewhat truthfully tell the next buyers that the parcel's zoning has never been voted on by the Council.
What's really interesting is Mr. Matthew's reason for deferring: so that "questions involving the TSU Land Gift" can be addressed by both TSU and the May Town team.
Questions? But Tony G. and the Mays, bless their hearts, have frequently and emphatically stated in public, that this gift was unconditional, "a done deal!" And the resonant Dr. Johnson has been eloquent in his public anticipation of the gift and support of May Town, although we have heard nothing from his Board of Regents about their ability or desire to go into business in Bells Bend, or budget adjustments that might make it possible.
Politics does make strange bedfellows, and the nice young man who runs aftercare programs is not exactly the natural ally of deep-pocketed Belle Meade land speculators. (Although Mr. Matthews is fond of fast and shiny cars--but so are many nice young men.) Does this mean there is schism between the sheets? Is Mr. Matthews having second thoughts about the reliability of the assurances we have all been given from all sides of this quid-pro-quo arrangement?
Can politics' strange bedfellows hold each others' feet to the fire? Uh, well, maybe we just need to abandon the bedfellow metaphor--it brings up, at best, questions like "is the room sprinkler-protected?" along with unpromising verbs about what bedfellows occasionally do to each other.
We are most interested in what happens next, and appreciate Mr. Matthews' efforts to gain clarity on the TSU land gift. People in Bells Bend do know that bedfellows, of whatever stripe, don't get much farming done. You gotta get up and get out on the tractor for that. -Brenda Butka
