Fri
Feb 17 2006
08:34 am
Civic Arts Center "treasonous"
By: R. Neal

Two Blount County commissioners changed their vote, and the Blount County's share of funding for the proposed Civic Arts Center was voted down again last night:

"For us, it's extremely disappointing that the County Commission could not see what the federal government, state government and cities of Maryville and Alcoa did," [Mark Cate, vice president for advancement in finance for Maryville College] said, listing the other government entities who have committed funding to the project. "This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

Not to mention generous private donors and prominent local businesses who supported the project. At least our commissioner voted for it. But he's not seeking reelection. According to the article, Commissioner Mike Walker (who is opposed to the Civic Center) proposed a referendum, but it was voted down and received no second for referral to committee, effectively killing the idea. Personally, I'd like to see the outcome of a referendum.

Anyway, chalk one up for the yahoos, who were represented at the meeting (according to the KNS, registration required) by one fellow who said "it's for the rich" and that he'd "never step foot in it," and another guy who said the Civic Center was "treasonous and tyranny!"

OK, then.

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SayUncle's picture

Well, surely the generous

Submitted by SayUncle on Fri, 2006/02/17 - 9:40am.

Well, surely the generous private donors can come up with the $11.9M that the county didn't foot.

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SayUncle
Can't we all just get a long gun?

Andy Axel's picture

No further evidence needed...

Submitted by Andy Axel on Fri, 2006/02/17 - 9:50am.

Supporting the Civic Center gives aid and comfort to the enemy?

Nice.

Just goes to show, the self-anointed, Scaife-funded standards bearers of political discourse have sucked the meaning out of some of the most charged words in the English language.

This is just another reason why Ann Coulter sucks so bad.

____________________________

If we heard mortar shells, we'd cuss more in our songs and cut down on guitar solos

SayUncle's picture

Notice you have TBs now.

Submitted by SayUncle on Fri, 2006/02/17 - 10:10am.

Notice you have TBs now. Just pinged, seems they work.
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SayUncle
Can't we all just get a long gun?

edens's picture

Say, Bubba, I was wondering

Submitted by edens on Fri, 2006/02/17 - 11:50am.
Say, Bubba, I was wondering about your position on this project compared to previous positions you took regarding a new Knox County main library and other, similar, public-private partnerships. What makes this one different?
R. Neal's picture

Knox County already has a

Submitted by R. Neal on Fri, 2006/02/17 - 12:12pm.

Knox County already has a library (as does Blount Co., albeit a newer one), and lots going for it in other ways to attract and retain the "creative class" and better educated business people/residents and provide ameneties that cater to their "cultural needs".

But mainly it wasn't so much the library but proposing a wheel tax (a regressive tax) to fund it seemed cynical, as did suggestions to combine it with the federally funded bus station/cineplex/library/bowling alley. Also, Knoxville and Knox County should have to sit in the corner and not be allowed to embark on any new boondoggles until the Convention Center is dealt with. (The debt service for one year on that thing would fully fund Blount Co.'s portion of the Maryville Civic Center, just for persepctive.)

Blount Co., except for the new library and a couple of plucky downtown businesses, is playing catch up in that first regard. Also there was a broad range of commitment from all levels of government (except Blount Co.), MC alumni, and local businesses. Plus, I live here.

I have to say, though, that the latest ploy of saying it would be a place to have high school graduations (which would involve installing video feeds and using all available meeting/dressing/rehearsal spaces in addition to the main auditorium) instead of having to use the Thompson-Boling arena was pretty far fetched and silly, and as expected did not persuade anyone.

The notion of tying the funding to the hotel/motel tax fell flat, too, and may have even swung a couple of votes the other way. I guess both of these things were desperate last-ditch efforts, though, without much chance of improving the prospects for a new Civic Center. The people have spoken. The Civic Center is treason!

smalc's picture

Speaking of convention

Submitted by smalc on Fri, 2006/02/17 - 12:28pm.

Speaking of convention centers, our neighbors to the west are considering a publicly funded center:

http://bobkrumm.typepad.com/blog/2006/02/should_tenn_tax.html

I hope that works out a little better for them.

Andy Axel's picture

Cover story on the

Submitted by Andy Axel on Fri, 2006/02/17 - 12:30pm.

Cover story on the Tennessean today is about how Nashville is trying to build a $455M convention center.

Half a billion dollars to fund this? What is it with this state and these boondoggles?

And this after the Coliseum and the "Entertainment Center" which now belongs to Gaylord. Gaylord as in "Opryland." Gaylord as in "Opryland Hotel & Convention Center."

(edit -- Xpost)
____________________________

If we heard mortar shells, we'd cuss more in our songs and cut down on guitar solos

edens's picture

OK, then, as you used to

Submitted by edens on Fri, 2006/02/17 - 12:25pm.
OK, then, as you used to say. One thing about the wheel tax/library thing I found interesting was that a lot of people seemed to be more incensed obout the library than the tax. As Blount Co. has seen, "elite" amenities - particularly if located downtown - can be considerable lightning rods. Although, in general, does Blount have the same anti-city, anti-downtown vehemence (regarding Maryville, not Knoxville) that Knox Co. often seems to?
R. Neal's picture

It seems more like

Submitted by R. Neal on Fri, 2006/02/17 - 12:29pm.

does Blount have the same anti-city, anti-downtown vehemence

It seems more like aggressive indifference.

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