Rex and the City: Bunker Madness

State GOP goes on and on about mansion

A small but vocal group of Tennessee Republicans is suffering from a version of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Lead by their ringleader in spokesman Bill Hobbs, these conservatives have become fixated on linking the underground ballroom being built at the governor’s mansion — most commonly known as “the bunker” — with Tennessee’s financial woes.

The “logic” perpetuating this theory is that if Gov. Phil Bredesen and first lady Andrea Conte hadn’t spent roughly $12 million in tax dollars on the “bunker,” then the state wouldn’t have as much trouble finding money to balance the budget.

That “logic” was ramped up a notch last week after Bredesen announced he was cutting more than 2,000 jobs from state government in an effort to cut $468 million from the budget. He hoped to cushion that blow through offering voluntary buyouts.

Political observers knew it was going to happen, but a few hours after Bredesen’s announcement, Hobbs and the GOP went to the bunker one more time trying to score political points.

“The people of Tennessee have to wonder why the wealthiest governor in Tennessee history and the party he leads believe that a new ballroom for the elites in politics and business is vital even as thousands of state employees’ jobs are being eliminated,” Hobbs said in a statement shortly after the class warfare card was slammed onto the table.

Hobbs and co.’s fixation on the “bunker” is causing perhaps more adult Republicans to chuckle and shake their heads in bemusement.

They know that the funds for Conservation Hall have been appropriated in past budgets, many times with the majority of Republicans effectively voting for the spending. Plus, construction on Conservation Hall had already begun before the true depth of the state’s fiscal woes were known. Halting construction and filling back in the gargantuan hole would’ve cost more money.

Now, questioning the merits for building Conservation Hall are fair game and there have been and will be unanswered ones along that front. But linking the state’s fiscal woes to construction of the bunker is a stretch to say the least.

‘Sometimes the lights all shining on me…’

Rotary or Kiwanis? Rex hears school board member Mark North is highly interested in the answer.

North — who is relatively quiet when compared to more boisterous board members like George Thompson — has drawn giggles at meetings in recent weeks with his deadpan inquiries about whether individuals visiting the board support Rotary or Kiwanis.

Prospective director search firms have been hit with the question several times, to the great entertainment of the school board. When North recently raised a question that pertained to community groups other than the Rotarians and Kiwanians, the omission was duly noted.

Rex gets a bit nervous when he hears too much laughter emanating from long, dry public meetings. But with all the activity at Metro Nashville Public Schools lately, board members have logged plenty of time behind the conference table and are clearly getting punchy.

So, Rex will let it slide. Those Madison-area networking groups can be dangerous enemies.

School’s Out

Vince Young isn’t so far removed from the rest of college students when it comes to getting finished.

The Titans quarterback finished up his class exam last Monday and reported for full-time duty to the team.

He explained that he needs just one more elective to earn his bachelor’s degree and that he will graduate next May. Asked if he was happy about that, he smiled and said, “Amen.”

Capacity fees get bit

It isn’t just restaurants and car washes affected by the enormous capacity fee system put in place last year.

Mayor Karl Dean has a new 36-month payment plan to lessen the load and Rex hears the new system is just in time for Crosland Inc.

Crosland broke ground on Griffin Plaza last summer, but the Griffin residential units are still waiting to get going. Outrageous water and sewer capacity fees to hook the project up to Metro’s systems, apparently played more than a small part in the delay, so Rex hears.

Rex Noseworthy appears Mondays in The City Paper. He can reached at rnoseworthy@nashvillecitypaper.com