The Money Grab for Private Groups Continues at Tonight's Council Meeting

My watch on Metro Council's spending of the $1.95 million of discretionary funds that it voted itself continues. Charlie Tygard kicked off the spending spree of government money for private organizations in October by getting approval for $8,500 for Youth, Inc., Operation Stand Down Nashville, and the Jewish Community Center. Ed Whitmore joined Tygard last month by getting $8,000 for the Eighteenth Avenue Family Enrichment Center. The Mayor signed off on all of these requests.

This month's round of requests for money from the "Reserve Council Infrastructure Program" is once again all for private organizations. The list includes:

• $1,000 for Nashville Cares (Adam Dread)
• $2,000 for Morning Star Sanctuary, Inc. (Rip Ryman)
• $1,500 for Watkins Institute of Art (Jamey Isabel)
• $5,000 for Nashville Academy Theatre and Nashville Children's Theater Association (Ryman)
• $10,000 for Community Resource Center (Dread)
• $12,000 for Nashville Adult Literacy Council (Ryman, Buck Dozier, Jim Forkum, Sam Coleman)
• $5,000 for Nashville Songwriters Association (Dread)

I am sure that at least some of these are worthy causes, but the question again needs to be asked: why is all of this property tax money going to fund private initiatives instead of bolstering public services to address the community needs serviced by these charities?

Maybe a percentage of tax money should go to private charities that meet certain needs that Metro cannot. But you cannot convince me that 100% or even over 50% of the $1.95 million should go to private organizations. And the conservative Council members like Tygard or Forkum or Dread need to address how it is that they can so easily accept extra tax subsidies to throw at their pet projects.