Earth Day Art Break: A polar bear adjusts to global warming...

A polar bear adjust to global warming as a spotted owl and two mutated chickens look on - by Rod Williams

Artist Statement

My art is not so much a single act of purposeful creation as an evolution that emerges from subconscious unarticulated values, believes, desires, and life experiences. My medium is causally accumulated discardable household objects. That a piece has a theme often does not emerge until after layer upon layer there is a recognition that the various elements in the construction have a commonality or relatedness that creates the whole.

About A polar bear adjust to global warming as a spotted owl and two mutated chickens look on

My Earth Day art contributions, A polar bear adjust to global warming as a spotted owl and two mutated chickens look on, began as just an old painted clay pot in which I had put a cutting of Aloe Vera and placed in a kitchen window seal. I have always kept Aloe Vera in my kitchen. It is a miracle cure for burns. Just break a piece and rub the sap on a burn and it immediately stops the pain and prevents blisters. The pot sat on my window seal and the cutting grew for some years.

The next addition was the polar bear which I purchased at Dollar Tree to amuse a loved one who is mentally disabled and at the time found a child-like delight in the simplest of things.  After my loved one had enjoyed the polar bear, I simply placed it in the Aloe Vera pot without a motivation. However, I was struck by the combination and juxtaposition of the succulent plant species which  grows wild in tropical climates and the figurine of an arctic polar bear. Still, the piece was not recognized as a unitary composition. 

The next addition was the owl which came in a gift of arranged flowers. Being one who hates to throw out usable things even when I no longer need them, I simply causally stuck it in the Aloe Vera plant pot. It seemed to fit. It was then that I recalled the notoriety of the "spotted" owl popularized by former senator and environmentalist Al Gore. I then began thinking of the owl as a "spotted owl" and the piece as a unitary composition. The "mutated chickens" had been sitting on top of a kitchen cabinet. Originally purchased as a gift that was never given, some of the set had been broken. Rather than throw them out, I incorporated them into the piece. They seemed to fit.

A problem with creating art in this fashion is deciding when a piece is complete. Traditional artist using more conventional mediums however, and others engaged in creative arts such a literary writers sometimes have the same problem and will continue to cut and add and repaint or rewrite until at some point they must decide a work is complete. This piece also had another element which I have since deleted. Also, for a while, I thought the piece said more without the mutated chickens. I debated removing the chickens and simply calling the piece, A polar bear adjust to global warming as a spotted own looks on, but eventually decided to keep the chicken component.

While the piece is obviously a reflection on global warming, I leave it up to the viewer to interpret the message of the composition for himself.

 

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Mayor David Briley wants to regulate gun ownwership

Last night at Maplewood High School at the first of Mayor David Briley's series of town hall meetings, he said if he had the power he would regulate gun ownership. He also said he will ask gun shop owners to stop selling "things we don't need in our town."

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What happened at the 4/17/18 Council Meeting: nothing exciting, Committee investigating Mayor Barry dissolved, South Nashville Central Business Improvement District approved.

This meeting is only a little over an hour and half long. Nothing very important happens and their is little of controversy. At the start of the meeting, after the prayer and pledge, the Council takes a recess to have a group picture taken in Predator's jerseys. After that, there are a couple of presentations, one is honoring former vice mayor Jay West. Following that, then candidates for office are permitted to come to the lectern and introduce themselves. The Council does not start consideration of the agenda until 25 minutes into the meeting. To access the Council agenda, the Council staff analysis and my commentary on  the meeting, follow this link.

All appointees to Boards and Commission are confirmed by voice vote. At timestamp 32 the public hearings began. Below are highlights of the meeting.

Public Hearing. There are only two bills on public hearing.

Bill BL2018-1139  approving the Donelson Transit-Oriented Redevelopment Plan is substituted and deferred until May 15th.

Bill BL2018-1140  on Third Reading creates a South Nashville Central Business Improvement District. A district such as this creates a governing body which may impose additional taxes on businesses within the district for project within the district. This is a big deal. No one speaks in opposition and only one in favor. Because no one speaks on a bill does not indicate lack of interest. Often council members hold numerous meeting on a bill in their district before it ever reaches the Council and resolve any issues at that level. 

Resolutions of interest:

Resolution RS2018-1138  approves an amendment to a grant from the State of Tennessee to work with Hispanic victims of crime and their families who find the criminal justice system disorienting due to language limitations and cultural understanding.  The State grant would be increased to $969,421.00 and Metro's match wold be $123,618.00. This passes on the consent agenda.

Resolution RS2018-1149 is a resolution approving an application for a grant from the Greater Nashville Regional Council to The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, "to design, construct, and evaluate a spine of three major separated bikeways and one minor separated bikeway in East Nashville to connect communities, encourage active transportation, and decrease automobile dependence." Apparently, there had been quite a bit of interest in this issue and council members had gotten letters in favor and in opposition. The grant request would be for $1.29 million and the local match would be $287,000. To see the discussion see timestamp 50:28- 54:15. It passes on a voice vote with no audible "no's."

Resolution RS2018-1154 dissolves the Special Committee set up to investigate the wrong doings of Mayor Barry. This passes on the consent agenda.

Bills on Second Reading: There are six. Here are the ones of interest:

Bill BL2018-1111 would put under the purview of the Board of Ethical Conduct and the Standards of Conduct those who violate executive orders regarding rules of conduct. Currently this board only has authority to act on those who violate a section of the Metro code concerning standards of conduct. This passes on a voice vote.

Bill BL2018-1142  would require that 4% fund request resolutions affecting only a single Council district must be preceded by written notice to the Council member representing that district at least one week before the resolution is filed with the Metropolitan Clerk.This is deferred to the first meeting in August.

Bills on Third Reading

Bill BL2018-1122  reinstates a policy that requires the location of waste transfer stations be approved by the council by resolution prior to the applicant appealing the siting of the facility to the Board of Zoning appeal. This was the policy for twenty years, then in August 2017, Metro adopted a law that applied to how other certain sensitive uses are approved and inadvertently changed the policy for the approval of waste transfer station. This simply changes the law back to the way it was before and corrects a mistake. The bill has been misunderstood and created some confusion and concern. After some explanation, the bill passes on a voice vote.

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The Tennessean exhibits sexist and gender prejudice in news reporting.

by Rod Williams - In a story in today's Tennessean, it was reported, "Police look for thieves; vehicles had children inside." According to the report, a two year old girl was safe and sound after the incident. A "mother" went into a Citgo on Brick Church Pike to make a purchase and left the car running with her infant child in the car.  Suspects jumped in the car and drove off. By tracking the location of the vehicle, due to the mother also leaving  her cell phone in the car, the police were able to track the vehicle to a location in east Nashville, where the child was found crying standing on the front porch of a home. The thieves and vehicle were not located.

This is the second incident of this nature in a 48 hour period. The other happened at a Mapco on Stewards Ferry Pike the day before and three children were in the stolen car. The thieves later abandoned the car and the children were found unharmed. The thieves in the second vehicle were also identified as male.

The story did not mention the race of the thieves but in the first incident a picture captured from the stores video security camera shows the thieves to be African American.

The official city of Nashville press release did not identify the thieves as "men," but reported the story this way:

Suspect

Detectives are continuing in their efforts to identify the persons responsible for two apparently unrelated car thefts in which children who had been left in the vehicles were briefly taken.       
At 6:20 p.m. Sunday, thieves jumped into a white Hyundai Elantra that had been left running with a 2-year-old child inside while her mother went into Terry’s Quick Stop at 3050 Brick Church Pike.  The persons who stole the Elantra got out of a blue Nissan Versa that was stolen on April 10th from the driveway of a home on Elmore Avenue.  It had also been left unattended and running.  Both the Elantra and the Versa fled the parking lot.  Officers were able to track the victim’s cell phone to East Nashville and located the 2-year-old crying and standing on the front porch of a home in the 1000 block of Pennock Avenue.  She was unharmed.  Officers located the abandoned stolen Versa in an alley between Meridian Street and Pennock Avenue.  The Elantra has not yet been recovered.  

Why did The Tennessean identify the thieves as "males?"  Why, like the Metro press release, did they not call the thieves "persons?" By identifying the thieves as men, The Tennessean is guilty of furthering the stereotype and prejudice that males are more likely to be criminals than are females. Society disproportionately incarcerates many more men than women. Of the prison population 91.7% are male. It would seem that an enlightened policy would strive to have no more men incarcerated than women. Surely there is not a gender difference that would result in more male incarceration than female. Perhaps there should be a moratorium on incarcerating any more men until the ratios reflect the approximate 50% that men and women each represent of the population. As long as our media continues to perpetuate prejudice against men such justice will not be achieved.

Not only are more men incarcerated than women, but police routinely treat men and women differently.  In a routine traffic stop police use more caution and display a firmer attitude when approaching a car with a male driver than a female driver. Police do not treat the sexes equally. Movies and TV crime programs routinely show men more violent and prone to crime than women.

In addition to furthering the societal prejudice that leads to more men being incarcerated than women, The Tennessean report also calls into question the appropriateness of even using the term "male" and "female."  After all, is not sex and gender a societal construct? Even if the thieves appeared to be "male," how do we know they think of themselves as male. Obviously, the reporter did not interview the "men" to ask them their gender preference or gender identity. They could have been male, female, transgender or gender fluid.

In addition to the prejudiced against men, the story also furthered the stereotyping of some women as bad mothers.  Was it necessary to report that the "mother" went into the story to make a purchase and left the child in the car with the engine running?  Why did the story not report that "the parent" or "adult guardian" went into the store.

Many years ago, The Tennessee and other mainstream news outlets began concealing the race of those committing crime. How long must we wait before the same enlighten attitude applies to sex and gender and that prejudicial sexist distinction is also concealed?

Suspects

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Nashville council dissolves special committee investigating Megan Barry

Nashville council dissolves special committee investigating Megan Barry

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What's on the Council Agenda for 4-17-2018: Public hearings on the Donelson Donelson Transit-Oriented Redevelopment Plan and the South Nashville Central Business Improvement District.

By Rod Williams - The Metro Council will meet Tuesday, April 17, 2018 at 6:30 PM in the Council chamber at the Metro Courthouse.  If you are going to watch the Council meeting, you need a copy of the Council agenda and the staff analysis  or you really will not know what is going on. You can get the agenda and analysis at the highlighted links.

Boards and Commissions
The first order of business is the call to order, prayer and pledge, followed by consideration of mayoral appointments to boards and commissions. There are eight mayoral appointments to boards and commissions on this agenda for Council confirmations. The council normally rubber stamps whomever the mayor nominates. 

I wish someone on the Council would exercise some legislative mussel when it comes to these appointments. Most of the time, I would not oppose an appointee and believe the mayor should generally have the prerogative to appoint whom he wishes to these position. However, there is one position being filled on this agenda and I think anyone appointed to this particular board needs close scrutiny.

If I served on the Council I would question the appointee to the Board of Fair Commissioners to ensure he is someone who supports continuation of the fairgrounds.  It appears the writing is on the wall, and Nashville will lose the State Fair.  We have done nothing to make it a great state fair.  Even if we lose the State Fair however, we should still maintain the fair grounds for its current uses.  The charter requires that, but if the city insiders were committed to supporting the fairgrounds they would never have placed the soccer stadium at that site. I have the feeling that the city elites are embarrassed by gun shows, stock car racing, fairs, and flea markets, the same way a previous generation of elites were embarrassed by country music. If I served in the Council I would want to know that appointees to the Fair Board were committed to keeping the State Fair at the fairgrounds, to keeping current uses, and was open to moving the soccer stadium to the propose Metro Center location.


Public Hearing: There are two bills on public hearing. 

Bill BL2018-1139  on Second Reading  approving the Donelson Transit-Oriented Redevelopment Plan. There is a new authority given to cities to plan, facilitate and guide develop around transit stops to encourage a certain kind of development around those stops and to give cities the authority to issue Tax Increment Financing bonds for improvements in the designated area. This would be the first time this authority has been used. This designation would apply to the Donelson stop on The Nashville Star line. There is a lot of detail in the staff analysis for those who want to know more. I have no problem with this concept.  My primary concern is that this not confer the power of eminent domain to MDHA for use in this area.  I do not know if it does or not. I would only support this if eminent domain condemnation had to go back to the Council in each instance where it was used. If the public has concern with this it will probably be due to the affordable housing component. The TIF funding can finance affordable housing construction. Many people oppose the development of affordable housing in their community.

Bill BL2018-1140  on Third Reading will create a South Nashville Central Business Improvement District. A district such as this creates a governing body which may impose additional taxes on businesses within the district for project within the district.  Such project may include building parking facilities, promoting the district, beautification and improvement projects in the district and more. The initial additional tax levy will be 55 cents per $100 of assessed value of real property and estimated initial projects will cost approximately $10.948 million. This district would consist of approximately 266 acres, whose boundaries are approximately Cane Ridge Road to the West, I-24 to the East, Target Drive to the North, and Old Franklin Road to the South. There are other such districts like this, including the central business district. 

There are 19 resolution on the agenda and all are on the consent agenda at this time. A resolution stays on the consent agenda if it passes unanimously the committees to which it is assigned. Resolutions which receive negative votes in committee are pulled off of consent. Also any councilman may have a resolution pulled off of consent. Those remaining on consent are lumped together and passed by a single vote. Resolutions on the consent agenda are usually not controversial and tend to be routine matters, such as accepting grants from the Federal or State Government, entering into inter agency agreements over mundane things, appropriating money from the 4% fund, settling lawsuits, or approving signs overhanging the sidewalk. Unlike a bill which requires three votes of the Council to pass, a resolution only requires one vote of the Council. Here are the ones of interest:

Resolution RS2018-1138  approves an amendment to a grant from the State of Tennessee to work with Hispanic victims of crime and their families who find the criminal justice system disorienting due to language limitations and cultural understanding.  This is no doubt needed if we are going to have large numbers of people in our midst who do not speak English. I do not oppose this, but don't let anyone tell you there is not a cost to having large numbers of people in our midst who do not speak the language. The State grant would be increased to $969,421.00 and Metro's match wold be $123,618.00.

Resolution RS2018-1154 dissolves the Special Committee set up to investigate the wrong doings of Mayor Barry. I approve. No use beating a dead horse and others entities are looking into this and I doubt there is not much more to learn. 

Bills on Second Reading: There are six. Here are the ones of interest:

Bill BL2018-1111 would put under the purview of the Board of Ethical Conduct and the Standards of Conduct those who violate executive orders regarding rules of conduct. Currently this board only has authority to act on those who violate a section of the Metro code concerning standards of conduct. There is some concern that this would put too heavy of a burden on employees to defend themselves against complaints filed with the board. At the March 20th council meeting it was discussed and then deferred one meeting and then last meeting it was deferred again to this meeting. To understand the arguments on both sides of this issue you may want to watch the video of the March 20th meeting at timestamp 1:29:18-1:51:15.  

Bill BL2018-1142  would require that 4% fund request resolutions affecting only a single Council district must be preceded by written notice to the Council member representing that district at least one week before the resolution is filed with the Metropolitan Clerk.That sounds reasonable.

Bills on Third Reading: There are 27 and none of them are of much interest.

To watch the Council meeting, you can go to the courthouse and watch the meeting in person or you can watch the broadcast live at Metro Nashville Network's Government TV on Nashville's Comcast Channel 3 and AT&T's U-verse 99 and it is streamed live at the Metro Nashville Network's livestream site and you can watch it live on Roku. You can catch the meeting the next day (or the day after the next) on the Metro YouTube channel. If can stand the suspense and just wait, I will post the video on this blog the day after or the day after that and provide commentary. 




 

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But were they Black?

by Rod Williams - There was an article in today's Tennessean, Nashville police: 6 people shot in separate altercations Saturday. The article reports that a total of six people were shot, but none killed, Saturday night in three separate incidents. One of the incidents occured at a Wafffle House on Lebanon pike when people sitting in a black Mercedes van were fired upon by people in a black sedan. No other details are given. In the other two incidents a bag of marijuana was found at the site of one of the incidents and the other is described as "a botched marijuana deal."  The streets where the later two incidents occurred are Hermosa Street and Claiborn Street.

Nowhere in the news article is the race or ethnicity of the victims listed. The addresses of the later two incidents are in predominantly Black neighborhoods. I am going to assume all of the perpetrators and victims of the three incidents were Black. Is it racist to make such an assumption?  Or, based on known data is that a reasonable assumption? 

I think the term "fake news" is overused but I do think there is valid reason not to trust the mainstream press. One has to read between the lines and make assumptions when reading the newspaper. It seems the press is as interested in concealing facts as revealing facts. The press goes out of its way to hide facts if those facts do not fit a political correctness agenda.  In this story, the reporter told me the color of the vehicles but not the people. Why? 

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TRANSIT PLAN COSTS $568,000 PER CURRENT BUS RIDER

From Better Transit for Nashville: 

TRANSIT PLAN COSTS $568,000 PER CURRENT BUS RIDER IN 2035, 

LIGHT RAIL PLAN WILL COST $386,300 PER PUBLIC TRANSIT RIDER IN 2070, 

IF LIGHT RAIL STILL EXISTS, PLAN WILL COST $455,800 PER RIDER IN 2070

NEW: COST OF THE TRANSIT PLAN PER CURRENT NASHVILLE BUS RIDER: $568,000 per rider. The facts: all data is public information, easily found at the website apta.com. We welcome the pro side or anyone to refute these stats. apta.com. Current DAILY MTA TRIPS: 31,300 (2017). Total DAILY RIDERS: 15,650. Cost: $8.9B divided by 15,650 = $568,690 per rider.
At apta.com, the url sequence is: resources/statistics/Documents/Ridership/2017-q3-ridership-APTA.pdf

In 2035: total riders will be 23,038. Cost of $8.9 billion divided by 23,038 = $386,318 per rider in 2035. See charts below. 
In 2070, if light rail still exists, total riders will be 48,265. Total costs 52 years from now: $22 billion. Cost of $22B divided by 48,265 = $455,816 per rider in 2070. See charts below. 

Summary: 14 cities have light rail (LRT) which Nashville is voting on. The ridership data and numbers from LRT systems with decades of data, create realistic, accurate projections of ridership for Nashville in the future. If Nashville builds out the $8.9 billion plan, public transit ridership is projected to increase from current 15,650 riders to 23,038 riders in 2035. The total cost of $8.9 billion divided by 23,038 equals $386,000 per public transit rider in 2035, including the five light rail lines with 31.3 miles of LRT, the tunnel build out, and the bus system (actual total: $386,318). NOTE: we are only against light rail & the tunnel, which is 70% of the plan; we are FOR a strong bus system, BRT, technology & more. Because this plan is 70% LRT & tunnel, we are against it.
In 2070, 52 years from now, with LRT & Bus, projected riders will be a generous total of 48,265. Totals costs, see chart below: $22 billion. Therefore, $22 billion divided by 48,265 equals $455,816 per rider in 2070.
In 2070, Nashville’s CSA population will be 5.39 million people (2% growth rate, double the national average; current CSA pop.: 1.8 million). The riders figure of 48,265 is actually very generous. Remember, public transit is declining at 3.5% annually. In 52 years, as experts confirm, public transit as we know today will not exist. Tech and other factors are rapidly changing how we commute, travel, get goods & live. In 2070, transit riders will be about 2.5% of commuters/drivers (48,265 people). Megan Barry’s $8.9 billion transit plan combined with the extreme operating losses of the LRT-heavy transit system (losses from 2018-2070) will result in a costs of at least $22 billion, a low estimate. The majority of the losses will be due to having expensive, costly light rail and tunnel. Bus systems are more cost-effective and a more effective transit solution than light rail, with operating losses dramatically less than light rail operating losses.

Full analysis: Data and analysis is of light rail ridership in the eight (8) cities similar to, yet all larger (both in pop. and pop. density, PD), than Nashville’s pop & PD. Also , a comparison to the six (6) cities, much larger than Nashville, with LRT systems.
The eight (8) cities are listed below with:
CSA Population, Pop. Density, Light Rail Miles, & Avg Daily Ridership Per Mile.
The Per Mile stat is a key. Nashville is planning 31.3 miles, so we can multiply the average of these 8 cities’ average daily ridership per mile, to project what Nashville’s total light rail daily ridership will be for the entire 31.3 miles of light rail.
We are assuming that all other factors stay the way they are now – which is generous, considering that public transit ridership is declining at 3.5% nationally and locally, and tech is changing commuting dramatically. Light rail is becoming more & more obsolete annually. Local taxpayers continue to pay for the losses of the average city public transit system (Nashville’s MTA lost $77 million on a $93 million budget; most recent audit) running a bus system, though it is vital to public transit, etc, etc. But let’s assume all other factors stay the same.
Someone may say, “well, in 2035, Nashville’s population will be 2.67 million, so these bus ridership figures have to be increased.” In reality, even though population is increasing, bus ridership is declining at 3.5% annually, even though population is increasing. And this model and projection keeps bus ridership the same as it is today. Also, the total rail ridership of 1,443 riders per mile (avg of the 8 cities) is based on cities that have avg pop. of 2.86 million, more than Nashville’s projected 2035 pop. of 2.67 million.
NOTE: $6 billion of the $9 billion cost is for light rail and the tunnel. Breakdown:
Five LRT light rail lines: $3.4 billion
Tunnel: $940 million
Debt service on bonds for the light rail/tunnel: $1.16
Operating Costs for rail/tunnel: $400 million ($46m/year).
Total: $6 billion

Nashville in 2035:
Nashville, 2.67m, 1,862 PD, 31.3 miles
Avg daily ridership due to small PD (less than half of the other cities’ avg PD): 361;
361 x 31.3 miles of light rail = 11,300 daily riders on light rail

Cost Per Transit Rider in 2070, 52 Years from Now
In 2070, 52 Years from 2018, the cost of Megan Barry’s transit plan per public transit rider in 2070: $455,816.
The pro side says we need to plan for far into the future. Let’s look at realistic, generous projections of ridership in 2070.
In 2070, Nashville/Davidson Co.’s population will be 2.02 million, with population density (PD), a key determining factor regarding light rail ridership, at 4,008. Nashville’s CSA population (all 10 counties) will be 5.39 million.
In the chart below, realistic projections for Nashville’s light rail (LRT) ridership are based on the average ridership of six (6) large cities with decades of light rail results and figures. The six cities’ PD average is 5,266 people/square mile, 31% higher than Nashville’s of 4,008; PD for all cities is calculated using the city population (for us, Davidson Co.), not the CSA. A lower PD means people are spread out more, and farther away from light rail lines; another reason light rail will not work in Nashville.
Nashville’s CSA is also smaller than the six cities’ average CSA population. But we will still use the six cities’ average ridership per mile of 2,333 people.
Therefore, in 2070, Nashville’s 31.3 miles of LRT, with 1,167 riders per mile, will have a light rail average daily ridership of 36,527 commuters. Commuters: Of the 5.39 million population in 2070, approx. 69% are commuters/drivers, or 3.7 million commuters in the CSA. The total of 36,527 LRT + bus riders is about 1.3% of commuters, a figure similar to the current average percentage of transit ridership (LRT + bus) in the 14 cities with light rail.
Remember, public transit ridership is declining at 3.5% nationally & locally (MTA audits, 2016-2017), a decline that applies to both light rail and bus ridership. But we will assume, generously, that light rail ridership in 2070 is the same as it is today; though in reality, with tech changing our world, in 50 years, it is very likely that light rail will not even exist. The light rail systems are already obsolete, even more so in 50 years.
Let’s also assume that bus ridership of 11,650 stays the same for 50 years. In reality though, if the 3% declines continue, in 50 years, bus ridership likely will not exist.
Approximately 25% or more of current bus riders will switch over to light rail (probably more), so bus ridership in 2070 will actually be 23,475. Light rail lines replace bus route lines.
LRT of 36,527 plus bus riders of 11,738 (75% of 11,650) equals 48,265, or approximately 1.3% of commuters.

Therefore, 98.7% of commuters are primarily in cars, trucks, and other transport options. It seems surprising that a city government would spend $9 billion to focus on, at best, 1.3% of commuters. Wouldn’t it make more sense to spend money and resources on both groups: the 98.7% of commuters and their roads, and the 1.3% of public transit riders?
Total losses from 2018-2070 are projected to be at least $22 billion, a low estimate. MTA is projected to lose $2.1 billion in the next 15 years, see chart below. Operating losses starting in 2035 will be at least $300 million, a figure used to calculate losses from 2035 to 2070, though losses will certainly be much, much greater. Light rail is exponentially more expensive than bus to build, operate, manage, maintain, repair, and more. MTA loss chart is below. MTA lost $70 million in 2017 and projected to lose $76 million in 2018. Chart below: three LRT cities’ public transit losses, on average $627 million a year.

Nashville taxpayers pay about 55% of MTA’s budget. MTA self-funds about 15%. Nashville taxpayers, the state, and the federal govt pay 85% of their budget.
Low projections are that a light rail and bus system will lose about $300 million a year starting in 2033, after the build out. If we just use the $300 million figure only for the 37 years from 2033 to 2070, though the losses will actually much, much higher, the total is $11 billion. The actual losses year-on-year would be $11.4 billion or more.

Add in MTA’s projected $2.1 billion in projected losses from 2018-2033, and the total is $13.1 billion.
$8.9 billion + $13.1 billion = $22 billion, for the 96,497 riders in 2070, or $227,986 per rider.

What are some of the operating losses of cities with large light rail systems? Three examples are: Denver, which Megan Barry’ and her team cites as a “model” for Nashville’s potential light rail, Houston, and Dallas. Their average operating loss, most recent year, was $627 million (chart below).
Why is this so high? Light rail is exponentially more expensive than bus system, and less effective as a public transit model than bus, to: build, operate, maintain, manage, repair, and more.

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Rev. Enoch Fuzz: Vote Against the Transit Tax Plan May 1

Rev. Enoch Fuzz

by Rev. Enoch Fuzz - As we try to inform voters about how wrong this transit tax plan is for Nashville, we encounter again and again how almost impossible it is to oppose Metro and whatever Metro does.

Many people I know, including those who volunteer with our group Better Transit for Nashville, cannot exercise their freedom of speech and have to remain private and behind the scenes because of fear that ... (link)

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