Davidson County Republican Party

A great story, largely untold
http://www.ralphbristol.com/article.asp?colid=8976

Ralph Bristol
May 3, 2012

When Mayor Karl Dean announced his 53-cent property “tax rate adjustment” Tuesday, every major Nashville media outlet was there: both major daily newspapers and all the major TV stations. They told the announcement story, did the obligatory interviews with the leading opponent on the Metro council, Robert Duvall, who has also been most engaged council member with  taxpayers organized under the Facebook banner of “Homeowners Against a Property Tax Hike.”

The major media, however, does not appear to fully recognize how compelling this story could be. Failing to do so would be a missed opportunity to closely follow the most interesting local power struggle in years, exceeding the debate over the Music City Convention Center. I hope my friends at the Tennessean, the Nashville City Paper, Newschannel 5, WSMV Channel 4, News 2, and Fox 17 Nashville accept this “rant” as a story pitch, not as criticism.

Over the next two months, Mayor Karl Dean’s forces and grassroots forces will battle for the votes of Metro Council members over whether to raise property taxes. This is not just a battle over a tax increase, but a substantive debate over how to find permanent prosperity for Nashville, and as such cries out for “page one” attention at least until the budget is approved at the end of June.

Reporters can easily find respected, engaged private citizens, including small businessmen, to cover three critical angles. First, there are those already considering a flight from the high taxes. I would consider this doctor, who wrote to the mayor and council, one excellent source.

“I recently bought a lot in a community…in Davidson County and was preparing to build a new home and move back to Davidson County. Even aware that my property taxes would be $5,000 higher than if I was in my current home or1/2 mile further over the county line.  My business was looking for a site for a $20 million dollar office expansion…in Davidson County.

This…property tax hike that is proposed is the tipping point for my / our reconsideration.  We halted the bulldozers. If this goes through we will stay in Williamson County. We will seek an expansion site there instead of Davidson County. That will result in at least $30,000-45,000 less [in] property taxes gleaned in my situation alone due to this. I suspect others are at this tipping point.

The revenue and development over the next few years due to this ripple effect could diminish despite higher taxes [because of] flight to surrounding counties.

We’ll await your vote.”

Chris Patton, MD

Second, important power players can be found by reading the newspaper’s Letter to the Editor section. Here’s one submitted by Lee Beaman, a very influential businessman and member of the Nashville Chamber of Commerce.

TO THE EDITOR: Tax Hike is Bad Public Policy:

“Looking at Mayor Dean’s proposed 13% property tax hike from a business perspective, it is bad policy for two main reasons: it’s unfair and it’s counter-productive.

“It is unfair to raise taxes on all families and 99% of existing businesses in Nashville , while giving millions in tax breaks and subsidies to a handful of companies owned by millionaires.

“It is counter-productive because it will eventually hurt our city.  It punishes people who live and do business here.  Our taxes are already higher than the surrounding counties.  Because people can choose where to live and do business, higher taxes will only drive more people and jobs out of Nashville and into the surrounding counties.  Higher tax rates will drive down property values here and up in the surrounding counties.

“We all want our city to have the revenue to provide important services and amenities.  The better way to achieve that is keeping taxes low, which will attract people, jobs, and prosperity, increasing our tax base and city revenues.”
Lee Beaman
Nashville, TN

The Nashville Chamber of Commerce has indicated in a “tweet’ that it will support the mayor, but the board hasn’t taken a formal public stand yet. Will it? Will Beaman be able to influence the Chamber board to oppose the tax hike? Don’t inquiring minds demand to know?

The internal power struggles within the Chamber of Commerce and elsewhere should provide juicy fodder for any TV or Newspaper reporter who likes to cover power players. That kind of thing doesn’t just happen on the prime time TV shows – it happens in real life too. It’s a good story when it’s art imitating life. It’s a good and important story when it’s life itself.

Third, there are guys like this, who have little power – but a lot to lose from a tax increase, as do those who depend on him:

Mr. Dean:

I own four apartment complexes in Nashville as well as two houses.  If you raise my taxes I will need to raise [rent].  Some of the tenants will not be able to afford this increase and will be displaced and become homeless.  Many of them are Pastor James “Tex” Thomas’s next door neighbors and members of his church on Jefferson Street.   This will in turn cause them to utilize more social services thus cost the city money.

I invite you to meet me at a press conference I am having at 1:00pm Friday at Jefferson Manor Apartments 2714 Jefferson Street Nashville, TN.  I would like to introduce you to my tenants and want you to explain to them why their rents will go up and why they may become homeless…

Sincerely,
Bruce W. McNeilage
615-715-5985

Reporters’ smart phones are filled with contact information to allow them to hear from the usual suspects, but that’s not where the story is.  Look under your nose, engage your curiosity, and this could be a story that establishes you as the place to go for compelling coverage of local power struggles shaping the future of Music City.

Citizens, keep writing those letters to your Metro Council members, to the newspaper, and keep the debate alive on radio, Facebook and in the blogosphere. Whether we win or lose, we’re going to let Dean’s forces know they are in for a fight. I invite the newspapers and TV stations to pull up a front-row seat – and report on the action.

Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett’s office posted an unofficial list of candidates from across the state late Thursday.

New Tennessee Blue Book On-line   (Nashville, TN – March 26, 2012) The 2011-2012 Tennessee Blue Book, considered the manual of state government and state history, is now available online.   The Blue Book can be accessed by visiting http://state.tn.us/sos/bluebook/index.htm.   “Making the Blue Book available online is another way we can provide better service to our customers, the citizens of Tennessee,” Secretary of State Tre Hargett said. “The newest edition of the Blue Book has updated graphics, photos and other enhancements that have not been available in previous editions. The staff of our Publications Division has embraced my challenge to look for new ways to add value to the work that we do here.”