Last-Minute "Emergency" Infrastructure Bills Pass; Summers Spends All of His on Greenway

Besides passing the discretionary infrastructure bills on tonight's agenda, the Metro Council also passed 5 bills that are happily going to be spent on actual public services or infrastructure:

• $40,000 to Metro Parks and Recreation for improvements to the Richland Creek Greenway (John Summers)
• $1,945 to the Metro Historical Commission for a marker (Mike Jameson)
• $20,000 to Metro Parks and Recreation for matching funds for a TDOT road scape grant (Ginger Pepper)
• $10,000 to Davidson County Rescue Services (Buck Dozier)
• $2,000 (approximate; I did not catch the exact total) to the Nashville Alliance for Public Education (Vivian Wilhoite and others)

Take note that John Summers spent nearly all his entire $48,000 allotment (he told the Council it was all) exclusively on infrastructure improvements and to one of the highest causes that can benefit his district: greenway improvements. Likewise, Ginger Pepper spent half of hers on community infrastructure.

However, thanks to all of these Council Members for not directing their funds strictly to non-profits, which should be the exception rather than the rule for earmarks.