Stephen Yeargin

Today we cast votes in the run-off election for Mayor and Council at Large in Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson County during early voting. Voting early (and as often as allowed by law) seems to be the best strategy to mesh our civic duty with our hectic lives. While I typically keep my vote to myself, I do have some thoughts on the campaigns as I see them.

Mayor

I spent a very cold evening on election day’s eve in 2002 putting road signs up on a stretch of highway between Union City and Dyersburg, Tenn. for Bob Clement (for U.S. Senate) and Phil Bredesen (for Governor). Bredesen went on to win that race, while Lamar Alexander spent the next four years chasing windmills, a la Don Quixote. Clement picked up the race for mayor of Nashville almost five years later, quickly out pacing the crowded field in fund rasising and the “Battle of the Yard Sign.”

But I did not vote for Bob Clement.

I voted for Karl Dean because I cannot stomach the slash-and-burn politics. Clement has run ads pointing to a presumably waivering Dean on the issue of property taxes. You know that a campaign has jumped on an issue when the word “TAXES” appears in 72 point font on the front of the three mailers I have received in the past few days. Those early contributions are obviously paying dividends in the run-off. They simply say that Dean will raise the property taxes, while as mayor, Bob Clement pledges not to raise them. Simple, to the point — and largely unsubstantiated.

Realizing that politics do not have to be substantiated with facts, I also have the odd complex that would rather see a candidate pledge to be a responsible leader of government rather than not to raise taxes. We could elect a ketchup packet to office and I can promise you that no matter the circumstances, Mayor Ketchup Packet will not raise taxes. If it does, we have bigger problems to deal with than taxes.

Taxes are one of the two pillars of the limited certainty in life; there will always be taxes and life itself will not last forever. If we have the opportunity to provide the necessary resources for public education, safety and infrastructure, I see our tax dollars as an investment into our communities, not a burden. Many in our American society have preached a “What is yours is yours, what is mine and mine, and to hell with the rest of you all” gospel for far too long. The effective and efficient use of those tax dollars is what we should seek in a candidate for public office, not some election day pledge of “no new taxes” that inevitably will be broken. My choice came down competence over rhetoric.

Council At Large

I voted for Charlie Tygard for Metro Council at Large. I met Charlie when I went to work for Youth Incorporated the years he served as Executive Director. Three summers and having him officiate Samantha and I’s secular marriage ceremony last October earned my backing. That, and I have not had too many “what the hell was he thinking?” moments since he went to work in the 35th District. His detractors are aplenty, but the man has logged more hours of community service work (actual physical work in concession stands, refereeing Junior Pro Basketball, coordinating hockey camps, cleaning graffiti) than I could ever hope. For better or worse, he is about as passionate about his community as anyone in Nashville. He sits on the opposite side of the political spectrum, but he has my vote.