 |
| John Cooper |
Metro Press release - The Metro Council Budget & Finance Committee will conduct
FY2019-2020 Operating and Capital Budget Hearings with Metro Departments
during the month of May. All budget hearings will be conducted in the
David Scobey Council Chamber.
Budget hearings will be aired live on Metro Nashville Network and Nashville.gov.
Wednesday, May 8, 2019
by Rod Williams, 4-22-2019 -
Where are the candidates? Only a few more people have picked up qualifying
petitions in the last week to run for mayor, vice mayor, or a council
seat. I know there are some incumbents intent on seeking reelection but
they have not picked up qualifying petitions. I don't know why they are waiting to the last minute. I would want to let people know I was running and discourage a challenger, but maybe they have a different strategy. There are no districts
where no one has picked up a petition but there are several where only
one person has picked up a petition.
District 16 is a real disappointment. Only one person has picked up a petition
and that is an extreme leftist by the name of Genny Welsch. Incumbent Mike Freeman, I understand, is not seeking
reelection. In 2006 Welsch ran an unsuccessful campaign against Congressman Jim Cooper. Welsch is often seen at left wing protest gatherings
advocating the liberal cause of the moment. She has advocated for
singled-payer universal health care, a minimum "living wage," and
various other liberal causes. She was a founding member of the low-power
left-wing radio station Radio Free Nashville.
Please, someone else needs to run in District 16. I would contribute
to the cause of anyone to her right, which means almost anyone. It would be a shame if she won this seat unopposed. If anyone knows Mike Freeman, please encourage him to seek reelection. If you live in District 16, run!
In District 30, Sherry Jones is running. She is a former member of the
Council and the State legislature. I would like to see her defeated. I
like Lydia Hubbell but question her electability. I will be looking at the other
candidates to see who has the best chance of beating Sherry Jones and as
long as they are less liberal than she, I will be supporting that
candidate.
In District 19, I am pleased to see Freddie O'Connell has picked up an
opponent. I know nothing about the opponent, but would support almost
anyone running against O'Connell.
At this time in the race for council at large, I plan on voting for
Steve
Glover only. One
may vote for up to five candidates but to do so weakens the influence of
your vote. You may think of it like this; voting for only one candidate
is almost the equivalent of casting five votes for that candidate. Since John Cooper has announced he is running for mayor, this makes my decision to single-shot vote for Steve Glover easier.
Early on, after John Cooper announced he would not be running for mayor, I said I would vote for Carol Swain. Since Cooper has reconsidered and is now running for mayor, I will be supporting him. I like Swain a lot but unfortunately, Swain is too closely identified as a social conservative. In liberal Davidson County, I just don't think Swain can be elected. Cooper has been one of the
most vocal advocates for financial responsibility in the Council. He is
smart, grasp the issues and works hard. As far as I am concerned,
the state of Metro's finances is the most important issue facing the
city. We need John Cooper.
There are several districts where no one except the incumbent has
picked up a petition or where the incumbent has not picked up a petition
and only one person has. Please, if you know someone who lives in one
of those districts with a liberal council member and no challenger or
only one candidate and know the person to be liberal, please run
yourself or encourage someone to run.
Below is the list of those who have picked up qualifying petitions to
run for the office of mayor, vice mayor, at-large and district council
seats as of Friday, April 19th. Circled are the names of those I would
vote for if these were the only choices and I knew only what I know today, the elections were today and
I could vote in that contest. We know that these will not be the only
choices so my selections are preliminary. I may be changing my
mind, depending on who else gets in the race. Some choices I have not
made because I do anticipate someone else to get in the race who I know and who I know I
would prefer. The list of those who have picked up qualifying petitions is
updated every Friday by the election commission. You can access that
list at this link.
One may pick up a qualifying petition up until the
deadline for turning in qualifying petitions which is noon May 3rd. That is only eleven more days. I
expected this list to be much longer by now. Maybe a lot of people will pick up qualifying petitions this week. I hope so. Once a qualifying
petition is submitted and the petition is approved, then a candidate
may withdraw his name up until noon May 23rd. In that case the name
would not appear on the ballot. If a candidate decides not to seek the
office after the May 23rd deadline, the candidate's name would still
appear on the ballot.
Early voting will began July 12, election day is August 1, and if a runoff is necessary it will be September 12th.
Please look over this list. It is not too late to run. If you are thinking about
running, it does
not hurt and it doesn't cost anything to pick up a qualifying petition.
If you then find someone else who you could support is running or
someone else is too formidable for you to beat is running, you could
simply not turn in the petition.
by Rod Williams - Below is information
gleamed from an examination of Financial Disclosure forms filed with the
Davidson County Election Commission. In listing who contributed to whose
campaign, I listed those names that I recognized. I do not know
everybody. There are many people in Nashville who are better informed
than I about who the movers and shakers and influencers are. To view
the campaign disclosures for yourself, follow this link.
Those candidates who did not file a
report were not required to because they had not appointed a campaign
treasures in the first quarter and have not raised or spent money. This is part 2 of this report. To see part 1, follow this link.
District 20
Tori Goddard raised $5,500, spent $1229.
Contributors: Unitemized contributions, which are contributions of $100 or less, comes to $1200; Goddard Construction $1000; Goddard Remodeling $1000; Chris Rampage an investigator with the State of Tennessee $1000; and another Goddard gave $500.
Mary Carolyn Roberts, the incumbent, raised $55,375 and spent $2,118 for a balance on hand of $53,258.
Her receipts include a loan of $10,000 from the candidate.
Contributions of interest:
- Nick Bailey, attorney, $$250
- Charles Robert Bone, attorney, $250
- Roy Dale, developer, $1000.
- Mark Deutschmann, realtor, $1000.
- Bill Freeman, fund raiser for Democrats, former candidate for mayor, owner Freeman-Webb, $500.
- H. G. Hill Realty PAC, $250.
- Home Builders PAC, $500.
- John Ingram, Ingram Industries, $1500.
- Darren Jernigan, State Rep., $300
- Bobby Joslin, Joslin Sign, $250.
- Rogers Group, Inc, $1000.
- Tom White, attorney, $1000.
Taylor Brandon received $2145 and spent $301. Unitemized contributions came to $1095. Taylor Brandon contributed $250 to his campaign. I do not recognize the names of other contributors.
Art Allen received $6340 and spent $805. I do not recognized any of his contributors.
Gloria Hausser received $4880 and spent $2663.
Contributors of interest:
- Bill Freeman, yes The Bill Freeman, $500,
- Gloria Hausser contributed $1000 to her own campaign.
- Kay Bowers, MDHA board member and Ex. Dir. of New Level Community Development Corporation $200
- Burkley Allen, Council person District 18 and candidate for at-large, $100.
Kathleen Murphy, the incumbent council member, has raised $31,226, spent $1972, for a balance on hand of $29,829.
Contributions of interest:
- George Armistead $150
- Bill Beck, State Rep. $750
- Dewy Brandstetter, attorney, $350
- John Bridges, writer with Nashville Scene, $250
- Jack Cathon, Jacks Bar B Q, $500
- Steward Clifton, former Metro Councilman, attorney, lobbyist, $400
- Mark Deutschmann, realtor,$500
- Penny Harrington, attorney, $375
- Mike Murphy, Murphy Public Relations, father of the candidate, Tennessee State House of Representatives from 1970-1986, $100.
- Bill Purcell, Former Nashville mayor, $150
- John Summers, former Metro Councilman, community advocate, $300
- LIUNA PAC (Laborers International Union of North America) $1000
Russ Pulley, the incumbent council member, began with a balance on hand of $13,156, raised $19,797, spent $2660 for a balance on hand of $30,293.
Contributions of interest
- Chartwell Hospitality, $1000.
- Schatten Properties Management, $1000.
- Build Nashville, $500.
- Roy Dale, former Metro Councilman, developer, $250
- Tom White, attorney, $500
- Home Builders PAC, $500
- Anderson Green, developer, $1500.
- L. A. Green, $1500
- H. G. Hill Realty PAC, $500
- Friends of Darron Hall, $250
Courtney Johnston has loaned her campaign $1000 and has spent no money.
Tanaka Vercher, the incumbent, has her name listed on the campaign finance web site but there is no campaign finance report on the site.
Sandra Speluveda began with a balance on hand of $1,653, raised $4,119, spent $2,351 and did not do the math to show current balance on hand, but the reader can figure it out.
The only name I recognized among her contributors is Charles Robert Bone who gave $500.
Cheryl Mayes raised $6216, spent $4741 for a balance on hand of $1474. Her receipts include a $4000 loan to her campaign.
- Vignina Pupo-Walker of Conexsion Americas and a School Board member gave $200
- She had a donation of campaign tee shirts from Surreal Spice Creations valued at $750.
Joyce Neal had a campaign report dated 1/28/19 for the 8/12019 election but did file a report for the First Quarter. That January report showed no money raised or spent. Status of her campaign is unknown.
Joy Styles raised $3,966, spent $1,749 for a balance on hand of $2,217. I do not recognized the names of her contributors. Unitemized contributions come to $1,850.
Terry Jo Bichell raised $24,961, and spent $1,961. The candidate loaned her campaign $2000 and donated $1600 to her campaign. David Bichell of the same address, maybe her spouse donated $1600.District 35
Contributions of interest:
- Gini Pupo-Walker, Conexsion Americas, School Board member, $250.
- H. G. Hill Realty PAC, $500.
- The candidate received several out of state contributions, from Florida, Vermont, Atlanta GA, and California.
- Megan Barry, former mayor of Nashville, $100.
- Bryan Simmos of Maryland, VP of Communications with the Arcus Foundation, $1,600. Arcus Foundation is dedicated to supporting LGBT Social Justice and Great Apes & Gibbons Conservation.
- A lot of doctors, lawyers and university professors donated to her campaign.
- Charles Robert Bone, Attorney, $500.
Dave Rosenberg, the incumbent, raised $19,705 and spent $98. He donated $5,000 to his own campaign.
Contributions of interest:
- Bill Freeman, Former candidate for mayor, major fund raiser for Democrats, Chair of Freeman-Webb, $1,500.
- James Thompson of Freeman-Webb, $500.
- Ragan Smith PAC, $1,000.
- Tom White, Attorney, $250.
- Home Builders PAC, $500.
- Waller Lansden PAC, $1,000
- H. G. Hill PAC, $500
- Ironworkers Local PAC, $1,500.
- Jamie Hollin, former Council member, attorney, $750.
- Powell for Tennessee, $250.
Posts
All Comments
