June 08, 2005

Metro Tax Increase - What's Next?

Keep in mind that last night's vote on the tax proposals were just the first reading of those bills (see post from last night). This week there will be budget meetings, and the bills are more than likely going to be discussed at next week's Metro Council meeting as well (which I hope to attend).

In related news, the Nashville Chamber of Commerce has endorsed the Mayor's budget (taxes and all)...

The Chamber's board met Monday evening with Mayor Bill Purcell, who presented his budget recommendations and answered questions before the board formulated its position.

The Chamber, which represents roughly 3,200 Nashville-area businesses, is supporting both an 84-cent property tax increase and a half-cent increase in the local option sales tax, and advocating for the $30 million increase in school funding.
....
"We're in favor of low taxes, but we're also in favor of excellence in public schools," Fisher said, noting that even with the tax increase Nashville will remain a comparatively low-tax community.

Comparatively low-tax community compared to what? Definitely not our surrounding areas (where everyone seems to be moving). In fact, someone wrote me today regarding his plans to move out of Davidson County:

As for me, after living my entire fifty-two years as a Davidson County resident, I have made the decision that I must exit. My leaving may not take place within the next few months or even within the next year, but it will happen. It has simply become too expensive to live in this county--and the expense is certainly not offset by the availability of services that are not available elsewhere.

I guess that part of my problem is that I remember the Nashville of the 1950s. Time marches on!

Time marches on indeed...and so do the taxpayers (right out of Davidson County).

Comments:

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I am the current Chairman of the Nashville Republican Party. I lead one of the groups opposing Metro Nashville's property tax increase, a tax that hits the poor and elderly the hardest. Saturday at approximately 2pm on cable channel 3, a replay of Metro Councilman Eric Crafton's presentation on the results of our community's investment in the school system will be rebroadcast. I urge EVERYONE to watch it. To cut to the chase... Metro spends more $ per pupil, has the lowest Teacher - Pupil ratios, and yet has next to the lowest graduation rate in Tennessee, the lowest ACT test scores, and State Report Card grades in an eight county region and when compared to the other large cities in Tennessee. All this aside...the Metro School Board has demanded of the Council that they ignore the Mayors incredible $541 million dollar budget offer (Which many think is excessive) and give them a $571 million dollar budget. Did you know that we have 12,750 fewer kids in the schools than we had in 1975 but we spend over $180 million dollars (inflation adjusted) each and EVERY year more on our schools than we did then. Folks... Thats over a BILLION dollars every 5+ years! Yet it is still not enough for them.

The astounding thing that happened last night at City Hall was the arrogance, an adversarial relationship, defensive behavior, and outright bigotry that the Schools leadership exhibited.

Its this last item I want to specifically address. Ms. Kathy Nevill, Metro School Board Finance Chair said on several occasions that many people vacated the public schools in the 70's and "We all know what happened there"...and today we have 25% of the ELL (English Language Learners) in the state, and 64% of the kids in school in Metro are eligible for the free lunch programs. Several of the African American Council Members took offense to the repeated references to the request for additional funds for the ELL and free lunch kids....taking the comments as a slap toward the poor and persons of color in Nashville. I took the remarks as a sort of "We are burdened by the poor kids and immigrant kids" remark until Ms. Nevill said,"My kids attend McGavock, and we live in Hermitage.. There is a big difference between my kids and the kids at Napier school". At this stage... I thought the African American delegation would explode! The rest of the meeting was all downhill from there.

I think I realized at that juncture that we are dealing with that famous liberal arrogance that believes that the "Masses" need them because the poor and stupid are too dumb to think for themselves........and we are the liberal intelligencia burdened with saving all you people from yourselves attitude.

Is this what President Bush and Secretary Rice called the "Soft Bigotry of Lowered Expectations"? I think so.

If you wish to turn over millions more to these type folks, simply do nothing....If not, get to the Ben West Library and temporary City Hall Tuesday at 7pm. The next two Tuesday nights will determine the tax levied against you. Honk your horn, hold a sign etc...express yourself.

I appreciate Blake and others from Nashvillefiles.com being there.

It matters!

Posted by: Jon Crisp at June 9, 2005 10:46 PM