Charlie Tygard Promises to Expand Council Patronage of Private Organizations

While Megan Barry responded to the Tennessean by proposing streamlining the inefficient run-off process as a means of saving Metro tax dollars, Charlie Tygard--the Council's King of Non-Profit Patronage--was telling them that he would continue to shunt our property tax dollars away from public services that benefit all Nashvillians. He said that, if he wins the 9/11 run-off, intends to send them to private groups like Habitat for Humanity, despite the fact that Habitat officials told me in July that Nashville's last contribution represented only a tiny fraction of the money donated to the local building projects.

You might remember that one of the beneficiaries of Mr. Tygard's penchant for private patronage appeared in one of his campaign commercials to endorse him over the summer, and "Habitat for Humanity" was listed right next to her name. Mr. Tygard's comments to the Tennessean are replete with irony, as he says that his highest priority is to provide "ethical leadership and experience" if elected. Given his promises to expand private patronage, I don't see any ethical leadership and experience starting in the next Tygard regime.