Daily Archives: January 22, 2009

Jan 22

The Butcher Has Some Instructions for You

Vote against the first thing (English-only) but vote for the second.

Because he has no doubt in his abilities to get 1% of the voting population of Nashville to sign on to a bunch of stuff he has in mind for the city–dissolving the jail, legalizing pot, the first of the month all city workers are required to wear pink hats, voting Eric Crafton out of the city, etc.

If you know the Butcher, which you probably do, since he knows everyone, you, like me, harbor no doubts in his ability to do this.

Jan 22

The Joiners

Okay, folks, I am going to shamelessly plug The Joiners, not because I like to pretend I’m a “The Joiners” impersonator, though that also brings me great joy, but because ages ago I got their album “Olives and Oil” and I stuck it on my iTunes here at work and promptly forgot about it.  Friends, I didn’t even bother to do it the courtesy of listening to it all the way through once.

In fact, I was only passing myself off as a “The Joiners” impersonator because I love Cabbage Babble’s lunchtime lists.

But this morning I was listening to iTunes and three times–THREE TIMES–a song came on and I said, “Who the fuck is this?  This song is great!  I needed to hear a song about chickens/jobs/kisses and didn’t even know it.” and every time it was The Joiners.

Jan 22

Lefties in the Lead!

Before I start my post, let me put forth my usual disclaimer, which is that my part of town sucks.  Oh god, it sucks.  It’s nasty and ugly and the people are mean and there are absolutely no cute children laughing in their back yards where you can see while you’re out raking your leaves.  It’s inconvenient to everything.  The school where I had to vote was staffed by ugly, mean, petty people who kick you once you’re done.  It’s terrible, terrible, terrible.  DO NOT MOVE HERE AND SPOIL IT FOR ME.

Anyway, I went to vote this morning at the grade school right around the corner and it was so awesome.  Everyone was friendly and charming and the little old lady who had me sign the giant book was keeping tabs on how many left-handed people were voting and she told me (as I am a left-hander) that in the hour and a half they’d been opened, three more left-handed people had voted than right handed people.  Which is, she remarked, pretty remarkable when you figure that we make up such a small proportion of the population.

I said it was obvious proof that left-handed people were more civic minded.  She smiled and said, “Now I never said that.”

But it’s obvious.

Jan 22

Please Vote, Nashville

Polls open at 7 a.m.

Let’s just briefly run down why English-only is a bad idea.

1.  It’s bigoted.

2.  Racists are heavily funding it.

3.  It’s inhospitable.

4.  It sends the wrong message to potential employers.

5.  Trying to enact English-only in a special election is a huge waste of money.

6.  If we do enact it, we could lose massive federal dollars as a city.

7.  And there will be lawsuits.  Which we will lose, repeatedly.

If for no other reason, think of the people in Nashville who are out of work.  You know some, I know you do.  We all know smart, capable people who just need a good job to support their families.  Until the economy turns around, the only way for a city to add jobs is to add places looking to employ people.  We have to attract business and industry.

And we have heard repeatedly from business and industry leaders that English-only will dissuade them from coming here.

Yes, I am a crazed liberal Democrat who believes that you should be able to hear 80 languages anywhere you go, so I know I don’t have a lot of credibility here.  But listen.  The economic shit has hit the fan.  All over the city places are cutting or have cut back.  If we want to add jobs, we have to look as attractive as possible.

Defeating English-only is as easy a way as there is of making Nashville look like a good place to move your business.

Please, vote in your own economic self-interest.

Please, vote no.