February 3, 2023
AS THE STATE OF THE REPUBLIC LEGISLATION EXTENDS ITS WAR ON THE GOVERNMENT IN NASHVILLE AND METRO, more unexpected turmoil and uncertainty ensues when Mayor JOHN COOPER DECIDES NOT TO RUN FOR RE-ELECTION; THE COOPERS LEAVE: WHY? AND WHAT HAPPENS NOW IN THE AUGUST TOWN HALL? THE SUPERMAJORITY OF THE REPUBLIC EXTEND THEIR WAR AGAINST NASHVILLE AND ITS GOVERNMENT; OTHER DEVELOPMENTS ON TENNESSEE'S CAPITOL HILL; INTEREST RATES RISE AGAIN AS JOBS DECLINE AND UNEMPLOYMENT DECREASES IN JANUARY; THE CONGRESS STILL FINDS ITS WAY; Will what happened in Memphis lead to police reform? ALL THE BEST
AS REPUBLIC STATE LAWS EXTEND ITS WAR ON GOVERNMENT IN NASHVILLE AND METRO, MORE UNEXPECTED TUMOR AND UNCERTAINTY WILL RESULT IF MAYOR JOHN COOPER DECIDE NOT TO RUN BY REEL
As has happened with some frequency in recent years, this week there was another unexpected riot at the Metro Courthouse. Mayor John Cooper decided not to run for a second four-year term this summer, leaving the race open to the city's top elected official.
His departure also means that Nashville will have four different mayors in the last 5 years (2018-2023), including the one who wins office in the August or September runoff. For a city that has prided itself on the stability and continuity of its leadership for years, this seems questionable.
Among the growing list of potential candidates considering entering the race is Nashville City Councilman Bob Mendes. He is our guest this week on INSIDE POLITICS.
Thank you Councilman for meeting with us to discuss this chaotic time in the Nashville area.
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THE COOPERS LEAVE: WHY? AND WHAT HAPPENS NOW IN THE AUGUST TOWN HALL?
Mayor Cooper's departure surprised some. Take the city's police and fire unions as an example.
Both groups supported His Excellency for re-election last week. Now it is not running.
But honestly, Mayor John Cooper's decision not to seek another four years in office shouldn't come as a complete surprise.
He delayed both races for General Council in 2015 and for Mayor in 2019.
In recent months he has run as a candidate but has unequivocally and repeatedly refused to say he would seek re-election. That indecision reportedly lasted until last weekend when he made up his mind. He then told his team Tuesday morning that he would not be running, just hours before calling the media at his office to inform the public.
Why is he leaving the mayor's office? Your comments give two reasons. He says that he likes to govern, but he has never liked to campaign.
The mayor also feels that he has already built his legacy in one term. In fact, he says that the year 2020 alone was like a whole four-year period unto itself. In fact, what he and the city witnessed in those 12 months (the pandemic, the March 2020 tornado, the flash floods, Storm Derecho, the summer riots in downtown amid race riots, the severe Subway budget problems, the 34 percent property tax hike, the Christmas daytime bombing of Second Avenue described perhaps the most difficult time this city has had to face, at least since Nashville was captured and occupied during the civil War.
Mayor Cooper also believes in what he did during his three-year term on schools, public safety, homelessness, rebuilding the East Bank, and pending projects like the new Titan's new indoor arena, the revitalization of Nashville Speedway and the conversion of the former Hickory Hollow Mall into a health and community mecca “will create a platform for the next great chapter in our city's history. "
This claim can be determined by who voters choose to follow Cooper andThis list of possible candidates has grown a lot since he announced his departure.
Among those already in the race before Cooper decided not to run, it appears that Matt Wiltshire has emerged as the favorite for now, with $1.3 million raised and $1 million still in the bank. The other active candidate, Councilman Freddie O'Connell, raised $300,000 with $250,000 in the bank, while At-Large board member Sharon Hunt, who entered the race a few weeks ago, raised $5,200, according to reports in American dollars. Her campaign spent just $345, leaving $4,855 in cash.
While the application deadline for filing documents is not until May, those considering applying should pay special attention to who and when they decide to appoint a treasurer and begin fundraising. Although the filing of qualifying documents is required by law, when you appoint a treasurer and start raising and spending money, you become a real candidate.
And if the field is as crowded as it seems, it will be very important to raise a lot of money. For example, in 2015, the last time a four-year incumbent did not vote, there were seven fairly well-funded and well-known candidates who raised a record $15 million and borrowed! Are we going in this direction again?
The potentially large field also seems to drastically increase the chances that the August vote won't decide the race. Since no one gets 50% plus one vote of the votes cast, a second round will be held in September between the first two classified.
So if you're running for mayor, you probably need to plan (and finance) two elections, not one.
Here's some updated information that could lead to more speculation as to why Mayor Cooper decided not to seek re-election. Here are the numbers from his campaign disclosure report, filed earlier this week:
Cooper (now an inactive candidate):
Earnings during this period: $130,655
Payments during this period: $166,607
Available Balance: $259,583
It's not a good sign (especially for an incumbent) when you're spending more than you've earned. It's also not good when the remaining funds ($260,000) are far less than the $1 million in the bank of Matt Wiltshire, who has become the mayor's biggest challenger.
Stay tuned. The next few weeks and months in Nashville promise to be a very interesting, if bumpy and expensive, political ride for our city.
Even if he doesn't run for re-election, Mayor Cooper is still our city's top official. This week NEWSCHANNEL5 INVESTIGATE discovered this story viaa lawsuit against a local community of seniors.Nashville Mayor John Cooper is the founder and majority owner of the Heritage at Brentwood development.
THE REPUBLIC SUPERMAJORITY EXTEND THEIR WAR AGAINST NASHVILLE AND ITS GOVERNMENT
Another reason this is a chaotic and challenging time for Nashville is the political war the Republican General Assembly is waging against Nashville and its administration. This conflict has escalated in a threatening and significant way in recent days.
This is no longer a fight to reduce the size of the Metro Council. In revenge for the city's refusal to host the 2024 and 2028 Republican National Conventions, Republican state lawmakers are now trying to do so.cutting vital funding for Nashville's key facility (Music City Center) and the city's efforts to attract conventions and tourists to Music City.
GOP lawmakers are trying to do the sameTake control of the city airport and sports authorities., agencies critical to Nashville's current and future growth.
The cancellation of the Music City Center would affect additional sales tax dollars, which will be used along with the hotel motel tax to pay for the millions in bonds used to build the facility. Questions have been raised about whether this cancellation could raise concerns among bondholders at the convention center and their bond attorneys. Could the changes also raise questions about Nashville's and state bond ratings?
Ofnational finance columnist for Bloomberg Newsreview convention center legislation.
Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally appears to be the driving force behind these anti-Nashville financial accounts. I have seen Hm quote that he is not concerned that the proposal will cause financial problems. But he says he's in no hurry to upgrade his ratings (perhaps waiting to see if bond markets and rating services think otherwise).
The Metro Council expresses its disapproval and concern about these bills. Some came this week to express their feelings before the House subcommittee considered reducing the size of the council. Despite some concerns raised by a non-Nashville congressman (the only Democrat on the Knoxville subcommittee).), the Republican majority faction approved the measure in a partisan vote.The measure will now go to the floor of the House Cities and Counties Committee next week.
At its meeting Tuesday night, the council will pass a resolution expressing its opposition to the anti-Nashville legislation, particularly becauseCity voters cannot comment on the passage of the measures.
Despite those efforts, the political platform is stacked in the house to pass these bills…and fast.
The dispute between the state and the Metro also includes the resumption of a street naming contest. A few years ago, some on Capitol Hill were upset when the city renamed part of Charlotte Avenue (which runs in front of the Capitol) to Martin Luther King Jr. in front of the Metro Howard School office complex, named for the former president. Ronald Reagan.
Now the state wants to rename part of John Lewis Way after another former president, Donald Trump. Many board members have worked hard to change the brand from 5ºAvenue for John Lewis, a prominent civil rights activist who began her work in Nashville. This name change will push all your buttons.
Etc.
OTHER DEVELOPMENTS IN TENNESSEE CAPITOL HILL
Another law that is being fast-tracked by the vast majority is the recent punitive crackdown on transgender teens and their parents. The bills were the first to be introduced in both houses of the General Assembly for this session. They would prohibit some medical treatments for minors andHe easily passed a subcommittee and a committee in the House and Senate this week.Certainly in the fast lane.
Meanwhile, on a related topic, a lot of attention continues to be paid to why Governor Bill Lee and state health officials want to cancel a $9 million federal grant to provide HIV treatment and services. Republican lawmakers are realStop your classmates from asking questionsabout it These include questions about an HIV replacement program that will be financed with state funds. Governor Lee believes things will get better. But no one is giving details.
The real reason the federal grant was denied is believed to be that some of the funds go to Planned Parenthood, a group disliked by Republicans for its involvement in abortion and transgender nursing.
INTEREST RATES RISE AGAIN AS JOBS DECLINE AND UNEMPLOYMENT DECREASES IN JANUARY
More mixed signals for the US economy this week.
In an attempt to further reduce inflation, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates again this week. The quarter point walk doesthe cost of borrowing is the highest in almost 16 years (October 2007).
Fed officials say inflation is declining, but more needs to be done to further reduce and control it. It looks like there will be some additional quarter point rate hikes later this year.
But then came the January jobs and unemployment report on Friday.
The economy addedA staggering 517,000 new jobs, three times the forecast figure, while unemployment fell to 3.4%, its lowest level in 53 years!
While this is all positive news, what will this unexpected increase in jobs do to create more inflationary pressures? In turn, will this prompt the Federal Reserve to pass more rate hikes and hold them for longer?
CONGRESS STILL FINDS ITS WAY
It's been another pretty crazy week on the hill in D.C.
laptop the BidenA Chechen separatist wants to overthrow Putin's man
OurElected representatives fought for nearly an hour in the House Judiciary Committeeabout the oath of allegiance.
The Republicans formed a special committee to investigate "government weapons." Buta typo in the ruleshe briefly gave the majority Democrat majority control of the group, a confusion that was quickly rectified.
After Kevin McCarthy appeared before the GOP House Speaker, he did not have the votes to remove Democratic Rep. Ihan Omar (Minn) from the House Foreign Affairs Committee.He bargained with enough members of his caucus to win his removal.in a narrow party-line vote on Thursday. This is the first political victory of the new president.
The justification for removing the congressmen were the statements he made a few months ago when they criticized Israel (for which he apologized). But the political reason for the change was to get back at the Democrats for expelling some Republican members (Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar a few years ago) from the committees. become a speaker
On the Senate side, Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said he had no hard feelings when two of his peers, Sens Rick Scott (KY) and Mike Lee (UT), tried to remove him from his leadership role.
May be. But rememberIf you challenge your leader, you better winOr you could lose a committee seat, and that's what happened.
In other parts of Washington, there has been more posturing on the debt ceiling controversy. President Joe Biden and President McCarthy had a good meeting, but no common ground was found for a resolution. The president says that raising the cap is non-negotiable. Spokesman McCarthy says raising the cap will require spending, though he doesn't identify what that should be.
With the country defaulting on its current debt for the first time in June, some Democrats are in the House of Representatives.Look at a dismissal applicationto get a final solution on the spot before it is too late.
so there it isa group of women leaders in Washington meetingfind a solution to the debt ceiling.
But given the way Congress always handles these issues, it will probably be June, hours before the deadlines, for this issue to be resolved. But will Congress avoid waiting too long, as it did in 2011, and downgrading our bonds, a mistake taxpayers continue to pay for today?
Will what happened in Memphis lead to police reform?
In fact, this week, after the Memphis police fatally shot Tire Nichols, I read a WALL STREET JOURNAL columnist who admitted the need for police reform in at least some American cities.
When hard-to-access videos of the attacks were released last Friday night, calls for peaceful, nonviolent protests across the country followed.
However, with more Memphis officers and paramedics being fired this week as multiple investigations continue, calls for police reform action have grown even more.especially during Nichols' funeral on Wednesday.
There wasa meeting led by ministers in Nashvilleon Thursday night and a Democratic member of the Nashville state legislature along with other Democrats introduced legislation.
With the Democrats holding few seats in the General Assembly and so far there doesn't seem to be any Republican support, the chances of getting anything done on this issue are very slim.
Nationwide, a police reform measure named after another victim of deadly police violence, George Floyd, was poised to pass in 2021. It failed to overcome a filibuster due to a lack of Republican support in the Senate.Despite the protests by Tire Nichols, the situation does not seem to have changed.
One major hurdle is the limited liability application that exists in such cases.
ALL THE BEST
Prayers and best wishes for the First Lady of Tennessee, Maria Lee, as sheundergoes a bone marrow transplantas your next step in lymphoma cancer treatment.
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