Our City Council strikes again, further earning the label, Disneyland from the gated community. Not convinced yet? I suggest that you read the Chattanoogan’s latest news piece titled, “City Council Members Clash Over "Blue Boy Pull Toy #1.” This article captures the essence of the mindset of our City Council.
I strongly recommend attending a Tuesday night session of our City Council, because nowhere in Hamilton County will you meet an elected body that is more grossly out of touch with their working class constituents.
The last session I attended, I had a conversation with Councilman Andrae McGary and the former Hamilton County GOP chairwoman. I raised the issue that the city cumulatively spends over $1 million a year in art pursuits. It is very important to understand that $32,000 for "Blue Boy Pull Toy #1" does not even scratch the surface on the ever-growing expenditures for art pursuits.
Our City Council chronically fails to mention the totality of their art spending. Please understand, I live in the N. Chattanooga area and enjoy the riverfront, but the art spending is out of control at the expense of essential services. What would $1 million accomplish in paving or a start on a homeless shelter?
Our city elected leaders fail to disclose to the public the total spending on art pursuits, for example:
1) A public art manger
2) An assistant to the public art manger
3) Insurance for the vast taxpayer-owned art collection
4) Payments for leased pieces.
5) Storage for the collection
6) Mobilization and installation of the art
7) The Mecca of all waste -a newly created Department of Education Arts and Culture
8) A department head for EAC
9) An assistant to the newly created department head of art
10) Annual contributions to Allied Arts from tax dollars.
The pursuit of art within reason is acceptable, but over the top spending under the color of art is being severely abused at the expense of essential services and the chartered functions of our city.
I return to my conversation with Councilman McGary and the former GOP chairwoman. This was an enlightening conversation because it became apparent to me that power of arrogance and politics, rather than need was driving the ever-growing art spending. I reminded Councilman McGary that his district is the most impoverished in Chattanooga, with a poverty rate of over 28 percent, according to a previous Ochs Center report on the state of children and census data. I posed what I thought was a reasonable question - Mr. McGary, do you believe that your district places a high value on public art, when their essential needs in a poverty stricken district are not being met? Mr. McGary responded, "Yes, my constituents want me to fund art."
You see, the city Council art spenders in Disneyland cannot conceive that art spending with property taxes is offensive when the unemployment rate is really double digit and people are being displaced due to home foreclosures. Spending $32,000 on an art piece at this time is offensive every day of the week. In 2010 during the peak of the recession, this City Council raised property taxes 19 percent and stormwater fees 191 percent. These increases equate to a month's worth of groceries to a family barely getting by.
I guess my ramblings seek to convey two points. One, my dear working class taxpayers, your City Council is completely out of touch and are representing the desires of a political power base that starts at Allied Arts. Two, if your City Council ever tells you the city does not spend over a million dollars in art pursuit, please tell them you know better.
Finally, Deborah Scott and Jack Benson, thank you for decision making that is based in logic during a recession, where essential services come first. As for the rest of the City Council, it is all fun in Disneyland, right.