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TN Department of Education Announces School Counselor InstituteEducating the Whole ChildNASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Education is proud to announce the fifth annual Tennessee School Counselor and Administrator Leadership Institute beginning next week in Murfreesboro. This year’s theme, “The 360 Approach: Educating the Whole Child,” addresses the critical need of ensuring that our students are both college- and career-ready. read more [Link]
Governor Bredesen, Commissioner Kisber Announce Expansion of VW Supplier in TennesseeSL Tennessee, LLC to Invest $35 Million and Create 300 New Jobs in Clinton NASHVILLE – Governor Phil Bredesen and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Matt Kisber today joined with executives of SL America to announce a $35 million expansion of SL Tennessee, LLC, a company subsidiary operating in Clinton, Tenn.. The expansion will create 300 new jobs and add ... [Link]
Devaney Statement on Tennessee Democrat Reps Voting to Raise U.S. Debt Limit Another $1.9 TrillionNASHVILLE, TN – Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Chris Devaney issued the following statement after Tennessee Democrats voted to raise America’s debt limit by $1.9 trillion which follows a vote in December to raise the debt limit by $290 billion: “Tennessee Democrats just don’t get it,” said Devaney. “Once again, President Obama and Speaker Pelosi have won out over hard-working families ... [Link]
Recreation Initiative Program Grant Cycle Announced; Workshop Slated for March 3NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation is soliciting Tennessee Recreation Initiative Program grant applications from local governments that do not currently have parks or recreation departments. TRIP grants help communities create recreation opportunities for citizens by assisting with the establishment of a parks department. Applications are due April 15, 2010, and award recipients will be announced in ... [Link]
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May
7
Council at its worst
By Nate Rau | Filed Under City News, Metro Council, Miscellaneous, Zoning
There’s no nice way to describe how Metro Council looked at its meeting last night when it was voting on BL2008-203.
Forget whether or not Council increased the odds of Department of Justice finding that Metro has violated two federal land use acts. Forget the fact that it went against Metro Law Director Sue Cain’s recommendation that it make a good faith effort to comply with federal law (it’s rare for Metro Council to not follow Metro Law’s recommendations). Forget the fact that the 20-15 vote got at-large Councilman Jerry Maynard so worked up he tried to invoke an obscure Council rule to get the body to re-vote on the matter (an objection from District 22 Councilman Eric Crafton shot that motion down).
Forget all that.. Metro Council just looked downright unprepared.
“If you don’t pay attention to what your attorney says, you’re more than often going to get in trouble,” One Council member said.
One Council member, who asked to remain anonymous, said the body looked “the worst it has since being elected” simply for the fact that it was blatantly uneducated on the topic.
“And I’m not sure whose fault that is,” the Council member. “The Mayor’s office didn’t do a very good job of educating us or taking a stance.”
As the vote was being debated, Council members scrambled around the chamber trying to argue with one another for or against the resolution. District 4 Councilman Michael Craddock gave an impassioned rant that at one point raged against the federal government and at another suggested Councilman Rip Ryman deserves a medal. Suffice it to say, Council looked largely unprepared and unaware of the seriousness of the issue.
“I’d say we were mostly unaware,” the Council member said. “We didn’t even get a copy of the Department of Justice letter about the investigation until we arrived for the meeting.”
And when the possible repercussions into the DOJ investigation include having Metro’s federal education dollars frozen, it’s obviously a weighty issue. Not to mention that Metro has already all but admitted it violated the Fair Housing Act when it entered into a damages-only trial with Teen Challenge.
It bears mentioning that the City Paper has reported on the DOJ investigation four times since it began in February.
And don’t think the matter is going away soon. Next week Ryman gets interviewed by the DOJ, the Teen Challenge lawsuit is about to be settled, and other land use issues like Men of Valor are coming down the pipeline.
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[...] Nate Rau pens an excellent piece amplifying his story on how the Metro Council of Davidson County decided to vote to keep in place zoning ordinance that have the city under Depart of Justice investigation: Forget whether or not Council increased the odds of Department of Justice finding that Metro has violated two federal land use acts. Forget the fact that it went against Metro Law Director Sue Cain’s recommendation that it make a good faith effort to comply with federal law (it’s rare for Metro Council to not follow Metro Law’s recommendations). Forget the fact that the 20-15 vote got at-large Councilman Jerry Maynard so worked up he tried to invoke an obscure Council rule to get the body to re-vote on the matter (an objection from District 22 Councilman Eric Crafton shot that motion down). [...]
As a proud resident of Goodlettsville, I continue to be appalled and embarrassed at the actions of my Councilman Rip Ryman and Councilman Michael Craddock in regards to their blatant discrimination against an organization like Teen Challenge. This “not in my backyard” mentality by these self-serving Metro officials not only furthers the stereotype of people with broken lives that long to get their lives turned around, but shows a lack of personal responsibility to the very people they are suppose to represent. And with Councilman Craddock representing a district with one of Metro’s highest crime rates, one would think he would welcome a proven organization that is totally about helping people become productive again. One would think.