White Paper

White Paper: Updating Nashville's Vision With A Plan

Now that redeveloping the Tennessee State Fairgrounds has been temporarily put on hold, perhaps the time has finally come to open discussion on updating the vision created for Nashville nearly 18 years ago.
That vision, known as Concept 2010: A General Plan for Nashville and Davidson County, has broadly guided the city’s zoning and economic development [...]

White Paper: MTA could haul more Metro students to save money

By Martin D. Kennedy, Phd
Metro Nashville school board’s decision to outsource custodial work in the schools has caused quite a furor among Metro Council members who are understandably hesitant when it comes to policies that lead to downsizing/privatization. Dr. Jesse Register, the director of schools, asserted that the change made sense, the budget crunch aside. [...]

White Paper: More than market forces required for regional transit logic

Nashville is in the earliest stages of building a case for a regional rail system. How to fund such a massive and long-term project is the biggest obstacle. The size of that obstacle though depends on how such a system is evaluated in the first place.

White Paper: Wine in grocery stores is about the consumer

There is little argument that a regulatory change allowing food retailers to sell wine in Tennessee would yield a net benefit. It would, without question, lower the cost of wine to consumers.

White Paper: Pouring money into schools not an answer

A superficial review of such data leads to this conclusion – Metro Nashville schools are inferior to ring county and non-public schools. Perhaps the aforementioned approach by sportstalkers would help.

WHITE PAPER: The unemployment rate false positive

Proclaiming Tennessee unemployment ‘improved’ after new monthly numbers is misleading.

By Dr. Martin Kennedy, Ph.D
“Not necessarily.”
That is one response to a recent report that the unemployment rate improved in Tennessee in April.  It could be followed with “it depends on what you mean by improved.”
The rate of unemployment did fall in April in most counties across [...]

White Paper: Tennessee government indulges in some deficit spending

By Martin D. Kennedy, Ph.D.
Tennessee, like all other states except Vermont, must balance its budget. Thus constrained, Tennessee is not able to tinker with the fiscal policy lever in the same way that the federal government can in response to a recession. In short, Tennessee, and her sister states, cannot engage in deficit spending, at [...]

Metro Board of Parks and Recreation

Metropolitan Board of Parks and Recreation — 12:45 p.m. at 2565 Park Plaza
Agenda:

The board will consider a request for permission to establish a proposal for hot air balloon annual permits, operation of balloons, and terms and conditions for balloonist permits in Metro Parks
Review proposed improvements at ES Rose Park along Edgehill Avenue.
Nashville Aquatic Club is [...]