State Law Authorizes Mayor's Advisers to Raid Public School Funds to Pay for Convention Center

There are probably a few private- and home-school advocates who would love to see an expensive proposal drain public education of resources to hamstring the competition. However, those of us with children in public schools should be alarmed by the latest risks of Mayor Karl Dean's proposed convention center.

The Tennessean reports that the state law authorizing Metro Nashville to establish a convention center authority also authorizes that authority to use money that the Charter designates for Metro Nashville Public Schools

Chances are that the convention center authority, which will be voted on by Metro Council tomorrow night is probably going to be dominated by those close to Karl Dean and those most likelyto go along with his focused intention to carry through with this project, regardless of economic realities and budget limitations.

Is a few more convention dollars on the back end worth the sacrifice of our schools on the front end? Wouldn't stealing sales taxes designated for public schools be the ultimate betrayal of Karl Dean's 2007 campaign promise to make education the centerpiece of his administration?