Rex wonders how Murray could pick Motor City over Music City

An expose from NewsChannel 5’s Phil Williams revealed last week that District 5 Metro Councilwoman Pam Murray lives a great deal of the time in the “great” city of Detroit, bringing into question whether she is permitted to represent her district under law.

For Rex, it also brings into question her judgment, because who really would choose Detroit over Nashville? Let’s face it, even rapper turned country rocker Kid Rock spends more time at Hank Williams Jr.’s house than his native Motor City.

Metro Council chatter has centered around whether Murray will resign her seat, with at least one member believing a resignation is in order, though the councilwoman does own property here and pays taxes on it.

 

No Junior at Dog of Nashville

Rex was keeping an eye out for attendees at Kristine LaLonde’s victory celebration at The Dog of Nashville following her win in the runoff election for the District 18 Metro Council seat. However, nowhere to be found in the crowd was senate candidate turned TV star Harold Ford Jr., who made a cameo at LaLonde’s birthday party last month.

Now the question is — Will LaLonde be a blue dog moderate like Ford, or will she join the likes of Council irritants to Mayor Karl Dean’s office like Jason Holleman, Emily Evans, Mike Jameson and Jerry Maynard.

 

Gentry steps up

Board of Education member Sharon Gentry struck rather a different note with the school district administration at a meeting last week.

School board members rarely put district administrators on the spot at public meetings. If administrators are unable to answer questions of school board members at a meeting – or if the administration determines that the single person able to answer the question isn’t present – any follow-ups that may occur either happen out of the public meeting setting, or the question just disappears.

It’s a different dynamic than the relationship between Metro Council members and city employees.

Gentry, since her election, has been noticed to have taken a slightly different tone. At the board’s meeting last week, Gentry asked the administration for a ‘before and after’ picture of the demographic impact of the rezoning plan. A district administrator answered her question, but Gentry didn’t respond.

“I’m not sure if I answered your question,” the administrator said.

“I’m just waiting for the rest of it,” Gentry replied.

“I’m finished,” the administrator concluded.

The exchange drew some laughter from the crowd. Gentry’s desire to see data showing the impact of the plan was one shared by most members of the board, and she was correct when she stated that the community’s biggest concerns about the plan stem from this information. It’s also in the interest of rezoning supporters to have the data out there — the choices made by students mitigate the diversity drain first projected when the plan was drawn up.

Meanwhile, several board members have identified the need to improve data given to board members publicly at meetings. For dramatic reforms in the district to take place, transparency needs to improve.

 

Thirsty Thursday’s gone dry

Not too long ago, Rex opined that the Nashville Sounds decision to become teetotalers and banish their discounted beverage night “Thirsty Thursdays” to history was about as good a decision as buying a 2010 model Pontiac off of Craigslist. So far it looks as if Rex was right.

Rex has been to Greer Stadium and compliments the new owner on cleaning up the joint, but it can’t be appreciated unless people are there. Thursday nights at the ball game were pretty popular last year — perhaps the only thing the old owners of the team did that WAS popular.

But a recent trip on Thursday night saw more empty seats than a meeting of Steroids Users Anonymous at Barry Bonds’ house.

Note to the new Sounds owners – bring back the beer.