No. 247: All Eyes on the Fifth

⁂ Nashville's Alt-Daily ⁂ Fifth · Council · Houses · TDS · At Sea · Much More!

By The Pamphleteer

Newsletter • 5 May 2022

Good morning, everyone.

If you weren't aware, we are not doing Bar Hours tonight. We've decided to move the happy hour to the last Thursday of every month. Hope to see you at Lucky's 3 Star Bar on May 26th.

Today, we look at Robby Starbuck's lawsuit against the TN GOP for taking him off the ballot, survey Toronto's housing market to help us understand what's to come in the US, and observe, in 4k, Trump derangement syndrome (TDS).

You can follow us on Twitter (@realpamphleteer), LinkedIn (@realpamphleteer), or Instagram (@realpamphleteer) for additional content.

Thanks for reading.

Edward Landstreet takes a look at the sudden emergence of new cars trading in nostalgia.

➫ ALL EYES ON THE FIFTH

There’s no question that the US 5th Congressional District Race in Tennessee has been charged with its fair share of drama over the last six months. After the 5th District’s incumbent, Representative Jim Cooper, announced that he’d be retiring from his position due to redistricting, all attention shifted to the Republican primary race.

The stage has been set on a national level pitting fresh Tennessee transplants vying for the Republican nod against hometown heroes who have the benefit of an established root system in the Tennessee GOP. On the 21st of April, the State Executive Committee of the Tennessee Republican Party mailed in their request to withdraw three Republican Party candidates from the August Primary Ballot. The candidates included the Trump-endorsed Morgan Ortagus and high profile political social media gadfly Robby Starbuck.

STARBUCK FILES LAWSUIT

Starbuck refuses to take the blow lying down. After the decision, Starbuck released a statement requesting the SEC overturn the decision. The request came with a deadline accompanied by the threat of a lawsuit. It would’ve been impossible for the State Executive Committee to overturn their decision and as promised, Starbuck filed his lawsuit on Tuesday.

THE CLAIMS MADE BY STARBUCK

Starbuck’s lawsuit points out a few discrepancies regarding the Tennessee Republican Party’s State Executive Committee meeting in which Robby Starbuck, Morgan Ortagus, and Baxter Lee were kicked off the Primary Ballot.

Claim One: Starbuck claims the Tennessee Republican Party violated the Qualifications Clause of the United States Constitution by adding party qualifications that are not in the United States Constitution.

Claim Two: Starbuck claims the Tennessee Republican Party violated his procedural due process rights by not accurately notifying him of the reason for the challenge to his bona fide status, holding meetings in secret, and providing conflicting justifications for his removal.

Claim Three: Starbuck claims his First Amendment rights were violated when the Tennessee Republican Party removed his right to ballot access for reasons that are outside their scope of authority.

Claim Four: Starbuck claims that the closed door meeting held by the members of the SEC where they voted Starbuck, Ortagus, and Lee off the ballot was in direct violation of Tennessee’s Open Meeting Act.

COLLATERAL DAMAGE

The discourse has caused ripples throughout the Tennessee GOP. Some of the criticisms made by Starbuck have directly targeted former Tennessee Speaker of the House Beth Harwell, Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles, and the establishment Tennessee GOP. When asked about what he hopes to accomplish with the lawsuit Starbuck told The Pamphleteer, “Our ideal outcome is direct placement back on the ballot”. Despite the fact that TN GOP leaders and SEC board members have remained discrete in the media regarding the lawsuit, Starbuck will only go down if he goes down swinging, continuing, “With the animosity we've seen from SEC members, we don't believe I could get a fair vote from them.”

The strain on the party has already given the 5th district Democratic candidate, Heidi Campbell, campaign ammunition. She even went as far as to release a statement saying she was glad to see that the TN GOP kicked off the Trump-endorsed and far right candidates. Party leaders in Tennessee also fear that the move may affect Nashville’s chances of winning the bid to host the Republican National Convention.

On the other side of the coin, Tennessee leaders and active Republican party members have expressed concerns about Starbuck’s unflattering description of Tennessee’s GOP and how it will affect the party. “I'm not worried about worsening relations with anyone who's upset about this lawsuit,” Starbuck says in reply. “I'm doing the right thing.”

THE DEFENDANTS

The defendants named in the lawsuit filed by Starbuck are the State GOP Chair Scott Golden, Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett, and the state coordinator of elections, Mark Goins. In a few conversations The Pamphleteer had with State Executive Board Members before the lawsuit was officially filed, the SEC members and the state GOP chair anticipated the lawsuit and seemed ready to tackle whatever was coming down the pipes. We’ve reached out for a statement from all three defendants and are awaiting a reply.

❍ TONIGHT'S METRO COUNCIL MEETING

Metro City Council considering buying downtown property for $20 million (WZTV) (WZTV) Metro City Council is considering buying a historic property downtown for $20 million. Council members already voted against buying the same property back in 2019 for about half the price, at $11 million. Council members were split in 2019 because they couldn’t agree on the future of that historic building. But some city leaders, including Mayor John Cooper, are currently trying to buy the property for a second time for double the cost.
Hotel-motel tax increase sought to partially fund new Titans stadium (Tennessean) State and local officials are pursuing a third major funding stream to help cover the massive bill for Nashville’s proposed new professional football stadium. Rep. Bill Beck, D-Nashville, submitted an amendment to a bill in the House finance subcommittee Wednesday opening the door for the Metro Council to consider raising the city's hotel-motel tax to put additional revenue toward a new Tennessee Titans stadium.
Council member Freddie O'Connell announces 2023 bid for Nashville mayor (Tennessean) Downtown Councilmember Freddie O'Connell is running for Nashville mayor in 2023, he confirmed to The Tennessean Wednesday. O'Connell has served District 19, the city's most populous and fastest-growing district, since 2015. "I spend a lot of my time in actual neighborhoods," O'Connell said.

HEADLINES

Titans pick firm behind Raiders stadium for initial concept designs (Post) The Tennessee Titans have picked Kansas City-based Manica Architecture to work on initial concepts for a proposed stadium to be located along the Cumberland River.
Additional block of Broadway sidewalk project complete (Channel 5) Broadway, between First and Third Avenue on the south side of the street now has wider sidewalks with permanent barriers. On the north side of the street, the new sidewalks extend to Fourth Avenue.
Former Homeless Impact Division Staff Say Agency Has Shifted to Reactionary Closures (Scene) According to former employees, new leadership is less interested in hearing from experts on staff, taking direction from Metro Social Services and the mayor’s office, and became more “reactive” to public pressure about encampments.
Tennessee awarded $2.9M for flood prevention projects (Channel 5) The federal government is giving Tennessee $2.9 million for more watershed and flood prevention projects. It's part of a larger $420 million investment across 31 states.
Police arrest Tennessee Department of Corrections corporal after locating child pornography (WSMV) According to police, 54-year-old Michael V. White was arrested Wednesday after a police investigation uncovered the images. Police say that the investigation began after an internet service provider reported “multiple uploads of sexual images and videos depicting young girls.”

POLITICS

Acquired Immunity Bill Passes Into Tennessee Law Without Governor’s Signature (TCN) The bill recognizes natural or acquired immunity to COVID-19 as being equal to getting vaccinated became Tennessee Law on Friday without Governor Bill Lee’s signature and takes effect immediately.
Lee doesn’t sign bill banning camping on public property (TNJ) The bill has been criticized as targeting homeless people. The measure defines camping as erecting temporary structures, cooking, or sleeping outside of a motor vehicle.

DEVELOPMENT

GBT Unveils The Amenity Package For Eden House in Green Hills, Nashville (Now Next)
Rivian taps Nashville’s Clearloop for solar energy (Post)
Vanderbilt seeks to buy Midtown restaurant property (Post)
MDHA OKs central business district project (Post)
Milkshake Concepts announces three new concepts in Nashville's urban core (NBJ)
Pie Town property sells for $19M (Post)

◉ A LOOK AT WHAT'S TO COME

The housing market in Toronto offers us a glimpse of what's to come in the US as the Federal Reserve considers the biggest rate hike in more than 20 years.

Two weeks ago, the Bank of Canada raised its baseline rate from 0.5% to 1% and indicated it plans to raise it again by another 50 basis points in June to bring baseline rates to 1.5%. The housing market in Toronto, one of the hottest in the world during the Covid-era of suppressed interest rates, wasted no time in responding to the announcement.

The average housing price in the area sank 6.4% from March to April, and the number of houses sold decreased by 26%. The sudden decline in buyer interest signals that Canada's housing market, which has seen price increases of around 50% over the past two years, is set to reverse course. Like Nashville, Toronto's housing inventory remains low even as it trends upwards month to month in response to rate increases.

If you're looking for a good perspective on America's housing market, check out Bill McBride's assessment of housing affordability on his Substack, Calculated Risk.

Source: Toronto Home Prices Drop Most in Two Years as Rates Slam Market
Bloomberg, 4 May 2022, Read Online

✱ GRAPH OF THE DAY: TRUMP ON THE TOUNGE?

⚔ MISSIVES ⚔

🦠 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday said that it still recommends that people wear masks on planes, trains, airports, and other modes of public transportation, despite a court last month ruling against the agency’s rule
🏦 The Federal Reserve ramped up its attack on rapid inflation on Wednesday, approving its biggest interest rate increase since 2000, detailing a plan to shrink its massive bond holdings and signaling that it will continue working to cool the economy as it tries to tamp down the fastest price increases in four decades.
📈 Job openings and the number of times workers quit reached the highest levels on record in March, as a shortage of available workers continued to pressure the U.S. labor market. The Labor Department on Tuesday reported a seasonally adjusted 11.5 million job openings in March, an increase from 11.3 million the prior month.
🏛 Chief Justice John Roberts ordered an investigation Tuesday into the leak of a draft Supreme Court opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling recognizing abortion rights for women, as the breach sent tremors through the court, Congress, the White House and state capitals.
🍼 A trio of pro-abortion rights groups is rolling out a $150 million spending plan ahead of the 2022 midterms. The groups — Planned Parenthood Action Fund, NARAL Pro-Choice America and EMILY’s List — will spend the nine-figure investment on paid ads, field programs, messaging research and polling in nine states

THINGS TO DO

View our full event calendar here.

🍺 The Pamphleteer hosts Bar Hours on the last Thursday of every month at Lucky's 3 Star Bar from 6-8 PM. The first ten guests get drinks on the company tab.

🎙 Hannah Juanita is playing two-steppin' music every Friday in April at Bobby's Idle Hour. Great show, she packs the place.

🎪 Check out our favorite driving distance festivals this summer.

👨🏻‍🌾 The Pamphleteer farmer's market guide

TONIGHT

🍀 Live Irish Music @ McNamara’s Irish Pub, 6p, Free, Info

🎸 Kelly’s Heroes @ Robert’s Western World, 6:30p, Free, Info

🌊 The Brian Jonestown Massacre @ Brooklyn Bowl, 8p, $25, Info

GET ‘EM WHILE YOU CAN

🐷 Primus: a Farewell to Kings tour & Battles (5/9) @ The Ryman, 7:30p, $55+, Info

🥁 Gogol Bordello (5/21) @ Brooklyn Bowl, 8p, $33, Info

🎸 Boulevards (7/17) @ Basement East, 7p, $10, Info

NEW THIS WEEK

FROM THE ARCHIVE

Around the Web

➥ Checking in on the Zero-Covidians Corona eradicationist Yaneer Bar-Yam has gone mad.

⧠ Actually, Twitter is Real Life In praise of social media as a force for egalitarian debate

⇟ The Poverty Wages and Indentured Servitude of Baseball’s Minor Leaguers Baseball’s anomalous antitrust exemption is overdue for repeal.

Political Theater Highlight Reel

Joe Biden blasts ‘MAGA crowd’ as the ‘most extreme political organization that’s existed in recent American history’
Don Lemon assault case dropped by accuser after 'deep dive into my memory'

Words of Wisdom

"The passionate tenacity of hunters, woodmen, early risers, cultivators of gardens and orchards and fields. The love of healthy women for the manly form, seafaring persons, drivers of horses, the passion for light and the open air — all is an old unvaried sign of the unfailing perception of beauty, and of a residence of the poetic in outdoor people."

Walt Whitman

Today's newsletter is brought to you by Megan Podsiedlik (Nashville), Edward Landstreet (Local Noise), and Davis Hunt (everything else).