If I were Mayor of Nashville

[Guest]

Ok

Based on our urban planning discussions becoming more policy (or lack thereof) based I am starting a thread to allow responses to the following questions. if you were mayor of Nashville what would be your top 5 policy initiatives? And how would you pay for them? Keep it simple as a true budget review is not practical. Just state if you would raise/lower taxes, if the policy is revenue neutral or if you would shift funds from program A to your program.

Begin...

[fieldmarshaldj]

Ok

Based on our urban planning discussions becoming more policy (or lack thereof) based I am starting a thread to allow responses to the following questions. if you were mayor of Nashville what would be your top 5 policy initiatives? And how would you pay for them? Keep it simple as a true budget review is not practical. Just state if you would raise/lower taxes, if the policy is revenue neutral or if you would shift funds from program A to your program.

Begin...

I'm a little sleepy, but I'll take a thwack at it...

#1 Public Safety - Drastically increase the number of police officers/firefighters/emergency workers, et al

#2 Education - Drastic and innovative approaches on all fronts, moving away from a knee-jerk Stalinist one-size fits all approach (though this may need to be accomplished by removing it out of the purview of the Federal government)

#3 Business Development & Recruitment

#4 Improve City Planning (and as an adjuctant, Public Transportation)

#5 Homeless Initiatives

Even though I'm a Conservative Republican, I'm gonna pretend I'm a liberal for a moment and not come up with any funding scheme for my utopian dreams.

[Lexy]

I agree with mos of what you said fieldmarshallDJ. Just one thing to elaborate on though. As far as business development goes, I would help create a "China Town" for Nashville. A district set aside for oriental immagrants to own, and develop their own business' with little tax burdens and equal possibilities.

Let the flaming begin......

[fieldmarshaldj]

I agree with mos of what you said fieldmarshallDJ. Just one thing to elaborate on though. As far as business development goes, I would help create a "China Town" for Nashville. A district set aside for oriental immagrants to own, and develop their own business' with little tax burdens and equal possibilities.

Let the flaming begin......

Hmm, I dunno... You remember what happened to Faye Dunaway there.

[doormanpoet]

1) Controlled growth at the urban, suburban, and rural level.

2) Health intiatives such as banning smoking in ALL public places where one can come in contact with second hand smoke.

3) More focus on infrastructure and public landscaping.

4) Trying to get more community involment by entities like Vanderbilt, Tennessee State University etc...

5) Eliminating taxes on the poor such as the State Lottery, or at least banning it in Davidson County.

6) Increasing environmental clean-up laws for the county and imposing fines on businesses and land owners who do not mantain their properties a.k.a. Central Parking, Premier Parking, and many of the businesses located in North Nashville like Formosa Foods.

[Lexy]

Hmm, I dunno... You remember what happened to Faye Dunaway there.

No No. I know you just didn't go there?? LOL!!!!

[fieldmarshaldj]

No No. I know you just didn't go there?? LOL!!!!

[cdub]

1. Schools. With the current state of our school system, there

[bzorch]

The following are some brief suggestions on my approach. Basically, the idea is to create a more cost effective development pattern by targeting areas where city services are already concentrated and to further reduce development's impact on the City's infrastructure. By promoting these efficiencies, I would seek to explore the reduction in current property taxes. Though the City does have the lowest property tax of all major cities in the State.

I. Schools: Education is the Cornerstone of Our Community

A. Build Elementary School in SoBro and Gulch

B. Create Smaller High Schools

C. Promote Charter Schools

D. Reward Teachers and Administrators that show excellence in the classroom and significant improvements.

E. Partner with Colleges and Universities

II. Improving Efficiency of Government Decisions

A. Reduce City Council to 35% (12 Members) of its current size

III. Growing Smarter: Preparing Nashville for a Sustainable Future

A. Moratorium on all new expansion of existing utility system

B. Enact Stormwater Utility Fee (Example Model) With Provisions to Reduce or Eliminate Fee Based on Uses of Best Management Practices for Stormwater

C. Enact Impact Fees on All Areas Outside of the Urban Zoning Overlay to Encourage Redevelopment of Our the City

[Nashvillain]

Wow, Bzorch, I was totally with you until you dropped the ball on the last one. NT as czar of anything, oh the humanity.

[downtown cliff]

Even though I'm a Conservative Republican, I'm gonna pretend I'm a liberal for a moment and not come up with any funding scheme for my utopian dreams.

...or you be a NeoCon and pretend you can fund your utopian dreams by cutting taxes.

[downtown cliff]

The following are some brief suggestions on my approach...

Youv'e got my vote.

[BnaBreaker]

These are all very good ideas, and I don't have much to add. I guess what I would concentrate on is:

1) Schools/Education

2) Greatly improve mass transit

3) Work on adding sidewalks to all areas of potentially walkable neighborhoods

4) Connectivity & making sure mixed income housing is promoted

5) Increasing promotion of the minority communities in the city...I don't really support the 'creation' of a Chinatown, firstly because there probably aren't enough Chinese immigrants to really support one, and secondly because all the real Chinatowns were for the most part organic and simply where many immigrants from one country migrated to. I don't know...it just seems really Disney to "build" a Chinatown. I dunno though...i'm all for helping the larger immigrant communities promote themselves and build up their neighborhoods and businesses...perhaps Lexy that is all you meant...Nashville's Arabic & Kurdish community, i'd love to see them have the opportunity to really come up with their own unique neighborhood that displays their culture.

[Lexy]

These are all very good ideas, and I don't have much to add. I guess what I would concentrate on is:

1) Schools/Education

2) Greatly improve mass transit

3) Work on adding sidewalks to all areas of potentially walkable neighborhoods

4) Connectivity & making sure mixed income housing is promoted

5) Increasing promotion of the minority communities in the city...I don't really support the 'creation' of a Chinatown, firstly because there probably aren't enough Chinese immigrants to really support one, and secondly because all the real Chinatowns were for the most part organic and simply where many immigrants from one country migrated to. I don't know...it just seems really Disney to "build" a Chinatown. I dunno though...i'm all for helping the larger immigrant communities promote themselves and build up their neighborhoods and businesses...perhaps Lexy that is all you meant...Nashville's Arabic & Kurdish community, i'd love to see them have the opportunity to really come up with their own unique neighborhood that displays their culture.

I was referring to the Nolansville Road corridor to be quite honest. It deosn't have to be a "Chinatown" persay, just something that a large amount of people from the same country(whether its China, Korea, or Mexico) can take pride in and be a contribution to. A feeling of nieghborhood, community, and pride is what I am going for here. If it's "Little Mexico" or "Chinatown" or even a "Little Saigon"....it doesn't matter. But an enterprise zone that promotes culture based business and markets would be great. South Nashville is FULL of people from other countries. It may be some of the most diverse areas in the state when it comes to nationalities.

[nashscan]

I'm shocked and amazed no one wants to bring back the Wheel Adult Emporium. Isn't that the most pressing matter in Davidson County?

[Kheldane]

Great idea for a thread! I enjoyed reading everyone's posts...very insightful! I'll throw my little bit in, but you all can probably guess it already

1) Zoning - Remove all zoning, decrease taxes accordingly

2) Utilities - Privatize NES

3) Transportation - Make all roads toll roads, sell MTA bus system to private firm, decrease taxes accordingly

4) Education - Close all public schools, sell buildings at auction, decrease taxes accordingly

5) Justice - Hire 25 more city judges and a corresponding support staff - appropriate taxes accordingly

Justice - Hire 50% more metro police officers - appropriate taxes accordingly

6) Sports - Sell all sports facilities at auction - reduce taxes accordingly

7) Parks - Sell all parks at auction - reduce taxes accordingly

8) Miscellany - Remove all restrictions on alcohol, tobacco, loud music, adult entertainment, prostitution, gambling, and drugs. To the extent these activities are regulated by state & federal law, metro police officers will be instructed to leave enforcement up to those entities.

Enjoy!

[nashscan]

Great idea for a thread! I enjoyed reading everyone's posts...very insightful! I'll throw my little bit in, but you all can probably guess it already

1) Zoning - Remove all zoning, decrease taxes accordingly

2) Utilities - Privatize NES

3) Transportation - Make all roads toll roads, sell MTA bus system to private firm, decrease taxes accordingly

4) Education - Close all public schools, sell buildings at auction, decrease taxes accordingly

5) Justice - Hire 25 more city judges and a corresponding support staff - appropriate taxes accordingly

Justice - Hire 50% more metro police officers - appropriate taxes accordingly

6) Sports - Sell all sports facilities at auction - reduce taxes accordingly

7) Parks - Sell all parks at auction - reduce taxes accordingly

8) Miscellany - Remove all restrictions on alcohol, tobacco, loud music, adult entertainment, prostitution, gambling, and drugs. To the extent these activities are regulated by state & federal law, metro police officers will be instructed to leave enforcement up to those entities.

Enjoy!

Don't ever let anyone tell you you're a wishy washy libertarian. I agree with most of your points!

[cdub]

If we remove all restrictions the metro law enforcement agencies are supposed to be watching, why hire more officers? I know they can sit all day long and hand out traffic tickets with the drivers in Middle TN, but would we need that many more without some of the restrictionslaws on the table? How is watching out for drugs/ prostitution/ etc. not a good idea? Drugs are after all the gateway to further problems.

I've wandered how the police dept. budget is set. Do they have a budget that covers all employees, or do they count on tickets/ fines to cover a percentage? I've always thought the budget should be allotted to cover all employees and whatever fines are collected go into a general fund for the city, not a bonus for the chief or into someone else's pocket wherever it may disappear. I guess this would cause a lot of officers to do nothing as they'd have no quota incentive to reach every month.

What's your basis for the privitazation of parks, I'm interested in that one as well?

[nashscan]

If we remove all restrictions the metro law enforcement agencies are supposed to be watching, why hire more officers? I know they can sit all day long and hand out traffic tickets with the drivers in Middle TN, but would we need that many more without some of the restrictionslaws on the table? How is watching out for drugs/ prostitution/ etc. not a good idea? Drugs are after all the gateway to further problems.

I've wandered how the police dept. budget is set. Do they have a budget that covers all employees, or do they count on tickets/ fines to cover a percentage? I've always thought the budget should be allotted to cover all employees and whatever fines are collected go into a general fund for the city, not a bonus for the chief or into someone else's pocket wherever it may disappear. I guess this would cause a lot of officers to do nothing as they'd have no quota incentive to reach every month.

What's your basis for the privitazation of parks, I'm interested in that one as well?

Do a ride-a-long with a metro police officer. There's plenty of action in Nashville to keep them busy. We should hire more officers because the dept is about 20% in the hole right now.

[cdub]

Do a ride-a-long with a metro police officer. There's plenty of action in Nashville to keep them busy. We should hire more officers because the dept is about 20% in the hole right now.

I know there's plenty to keep them busy, but not if we remove everything they should be looking out for. That's what I was trying to understand. If we take out drugs and allow that to be legal, I guess we'll have more theft, murders, and accidents to solve needing more cops.

[fieldmarshaldj]

...or you be a NeoCon and pretend you can fund your utopian dreams by cutting taxes.

Oh, no... you didn't just go there ! Them's fightin' words, suh !

[fieldmarshaldj]

I'm shocked and amazed no one wants to bring back the Wheel Adult Emporium. Isn't that the most pressing matter in Davidson County?

Now, now. Gotta have goals for a 2nd term.

[LA_TN]

Scoohls and biznus recruitment, then mass transit

[rocky top buzz]

This thread should have been "If I were the dictator of Nashville..." Just like the President, Mayors take the hit for not getting things done when it is really the elected representatives who control most o what goes on. The Mayor/Presidnet is usually just a figurehead.

BTW, The lottery isn't a tax on the poor, it's a tax on the stupid. And yes, I've paid some of that stupid tax on occasion! And if cutting taxes doesn't increase tax revenue, how come this country is bringing in MORE tax revenue every year since the tax cuts went into effect? Now if we could just get the politicians to stop spending more than we send, on projects like bridges to nowhere. All this for another thread...

[Kheldane]

I know there's plenty to keep them busy, but not if we remove everything they should be looking out for. That's what I was trying to understand. If we take out drugs and allow that to be legal, I guess we'll have more theft, murders, and accidents to solve needing more cops.

Exactly Cdub - there could be a temporary up-tick in other crimes after removing some of the restrictions on "vice", but in the long run, society will put in place a series of checks and balances and maybe we wouldn't need all those police at some point. But really, police shouldn't be concerning themselves with things like marijuana and prostitution - those are victimless crimes. Police should only be concerned with violent crimes and enforcing the decrees of the courts.

Oh, concerning traffic tickets: Police would no longer be concerned with this (for the most part) since most of the roads would be privately owned. It would be the responsibility of each road owner to make sure travel was safe and orderly on their streets. During the road auction process, preference would be given to home-owners associations and business-district associations located near local/surface roads. Ideally, neighborhoods would set their speed limits by consensus. State highways and Federal highways would still be owned by those entities (until I became governor and then president ) so they would be responsibile for enforcing their own speed limits. Truely, under a libertarian system, police are out in force looking for violent criminals, and that's all they are concerned with. No longer would they waste time busting a couple dope heads or someone with a broken tail light - they would be expert investigators with a strong focus on finding violent criminals and stoping their violent activities. The mayor's goals would be zero rapes, zero murdurs, zero home invasions, zero car-jackings for the year. If one of these things were to happen, then someone down at the PD would have to answer for it.

Property crimes would be a secondary priority, but still strictly enforced.

We might have to increase the police force by 200%, now that I think about it...