Part 1 – It’s all Fun and Games on Valentine’s Day Until Somebody Loses an Eye – This week’s Liberadio(!) “To Do” list – Stand For Schools Rally, The NAACP Centennial, Tennessee Equality Day on the Hill, and Charles Darwin’s Birthday – is supplemented by the Liberadio(!) “I Do” list. Don’t miss your chance to get hitched by John Arriola and the romantic County Clerk staff! Plus, one state Representative was for free and fair elections before he was against them, and a caller, who apparently just woke up out of an 8-year coma, accuses “liberals” of ignoring history. [36.9 MB 23:00 download MP3]Download audio file (liberadio20090209part1.mp3)

Let’s Get it On – Marvin Gay
Love to Love You Baby – Donna Summer
Fever – Peggy Lee

Part 2 – Interview with Chip Forrester – Chip. The Chipster. Chipinator. He’s the newly minted chair of the Tennessee Democratic Party and he’s answering our questions about fundraising, reaching out to the old bulls, encouraging the grass roots, the 95-county strategy, welcoming new ideas, staffing decisions, the income tax, feeding the trolls, expanding the base, technology, and “I probably shouldn’t be telling you this but…”. [37.3 MB 23:15 download MP3]Download audio file (liberadio20090209part2chipforrester.mp3)

Je T’Aime Moi Non Plus – Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin

Part 3 – Affairs of the State and Affairs of the Heart. And never the ‘twain shall meet – unless Senator Stanley’s adoption bill passes (SB0078), in which case he goes to heaven while Tennessee’s parentless children languish. Plus, more comments on blog commentors and the world famous Dave Cloud is back to assure us that he’s not the Marquis de Sade. [44.8 MB 27:57 download MP3]Download audio file (liberadio20090209part3.mp3)

Can’t Get Enough of Your Love Baby – Barry White

Part 4 – Bumpers Ugly – Councilman Eric Crafton has some explaining to do – have all his fundraising sources been disclosed? – and some realizations to come to – dude, you have a constituency, you know. Plus, should public policy be guided by religious faith and what the hell is a small d democrant? [46.7MB 29:07 download MP3]Download audio file (liberadio20090209part4.mp3)

Theone – Lambchop (Album: How I Quite Smoking)

Not anymore! Last week’s election showed that we should have more faith in our listeners, the power of the grass roots coalitions, well-reasoned debate, and civil dialogue.

It’s not just Eric Crafton’s English Only that was defeated on Thursday. The brand of name-calling alarmism practiced by the three mouthkateers (can Tom Negri, General Manager of Loews Vanderbilt Hotel, or Rev. Jim Lawson, civil rights icon, really be defined as “liberal-wackos”?) was also given the smackdown by facts, figures, and the intellectual optimism practiced by a wide coalition of business, community, and spiritual leaders.

At this point, Gill et. al. should be frightened. Although they would never admit it, they know their fearmongering has both limited appeal and a limited shelf-life. Which is why hanging on to it while the rest of the country strides ahead is bad for business. Those boys say that they are giving people what they want, but our show – which with only 2 hours a week on a non-commercial station and engaging, reasonable guests, helped to defeat a city-wide referendum – clearly shows that they are so not. These emperors have not a stitch on.

The arguments against the Fairness Doctrine or the viability of progressive talk radio are red herrings use to deflect what DelGiorno, et. al. are really afraid of – that in these times, the majority of people in Middle-Tennessee would rather do what we do – discuss how public policy, elections, and elected officials can best serve the people of Tennessee – rather than what they specialize in – fear-based and divisive bombast (cue tax! abortion! immigration! gun! discussions). And they have no earthly idea how to adapt.

Keep in mind that today you must vote at the polling place listed on your voter registration card. If you can’t find your voter ID card you can find out where you vote, as well as what other forms of ID are acceptable, at Nashville.gov/vote. Or call 862-8800.

The coalition against the English Only Referendum, Nashville For All of Us is impressive and we’ve been fortunate enough to have some of its members on the show to talk to us about the importance of voting against/against. Each interview focuses on the effect the passing of the referendums will have on our guests’ area of expertise, including the law, governance, business, civil rights, and immigration.

You can also read more at NashvilleForAllofUs.org.

The Law
Interview with Nashville attorney Gregg Ramos and Assistant District Attorney Sarah Davis – One defender. One prosecutor. How can they both agree that Councilman Eric Crafton’s English Only amendment is not a good idea for Nashville? [37.9 MB 23:37 download MP3]
Download audio file (liberadio20081222part2davisramos.mp3)

Governance
Interview with Councilwoman at large Megan Barry. Councilwoman Barry sheds some light on how Councilman Eric Crafton’s English Only amendment would negatively affect the governing of the city of Nashville. It’s not pretty. [38.3 MB 23:52 download MP3]
Download audio file (liberadio20090105part2meganbarry.mp3)

Business
Interview with Tom Negri. Tom is the Managing Director of Loews Vanderbilt Plaza Hotel, on the board of the Chamber of Commerce, and a founding member of Nashville’s Coalition For Education About Immigration. He knows real immigration reform and what’s good for business and Councilman Eric Crafton’s English Only referendum is neither. [40.2 MB 25:04 download MP3]
Download audio file (liberadio20090112part2tomnegri.mp3)

Immigrants and Immigration
Interview with Stephen Fotopolus. Stephen is the Executive Director of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition and has some very enlightening thoughts on the immigrant community in Nashville and the effects the English Only referendum will have on them and us. If you’re not sure how to vote, we’re positive that Stephen’s measured and well-thought out ideas will help you decide. [37.5 MB 23:25 download MP3]
Download audio file (liberadio20090119part3stephenfotopolus.mp3)

Civil Rights
Interview with Rev. Jim Lawson – Rev. Lawson, civil rights icon, Distinguished Professor at Vanderbilt, and a most thoughtful human being, weighs in on the need to continue to teach the principles of nonviolence; the similarities and differences between the civil rights struggles of various communities (women, African-Americans, gays, etc.); and Nashville’s English Only referendum. [35 MB 21:52 download MP3]
Download audio file (liberadio20081208part2jimlawson.mp3)

Obviously, the good folks in Nashville didn’t ask for our opinion. We’d be remiss, however, not to say that we’ve been there and done that — and we didn’t like it. Dade County, as it was then known, enacted an English-only ordinance in 1980. It quickly became a source of endless legal headaches, heated community debate, political embarrassment and bureaucratic wrangling. Finally, it was repealed in 1993, to near-universal relief.

What can we expect if English Only passes? The same inertia that Miami experienced due to lawsuits and unending minutiae:

There were lawsuits and legal challenges from the federal government over issues such as bilingual ballots. Civil libertarians argued that linguistic restrictions violated the equal-protection clause of the Constitution’s 14th Amendment.

Mass-transit schedules were printed only in English. Doctors at the public hospital were forbidden to give Haitian mothers a brochure in Creole about caring for their infants. Bilingual signs at the zoo were permitted to remain, but when a new section opened up, the signs had to be English-only (until private funding was found).

Welcome newcomers, Miami urges us, because in their experience, “arrivals strengthen us, not make us weaker.”

Part 1 – 1 Day, 3 Hours, 52 minutes, and 12 Seconds – It truly is The Best Week Ever!â„¢ and not only because our BackwardsBush.com Countdown keychain is almost obsolete. All the hope, friendly good-fellowship, giving, celebration, and participatory democracy in the air is making us woozy – but totally in a good way! Visit USAservice.org, pic2009.com, NashvilleForAllofUs.org, VolunteerNashville.com, thenashvillefreepress.com, and Nashville.gov/vote. [18.6 MB 11:36 download MP3]
Download audio file (liberadio20090119part1.mp3)
Part 2 – Interview with Rev. Enoch Fuzz. Rev. Fuzz is the Senior Pastor of the Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church and one of the chairs of The Music City USA President’s Inauguration Day Charity Ball–the first ever in Nashville–which will be held Tuesday night, 1/20/09, at 7 pm, at the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel. (Tickets still available at volunteernashville.com). Rev. Fuzz has plans not just tomorrow night but for our future as well and he joins a growing list of impressive Nashvillians who will help lead us out of the past. [21.6 MB 13:28 download MP3]
Download audio file (liberadio20090119part2enochfuzz.mp3)
Part 3 – Interview with Stephen Fotopolus. Stephen is the Executive Director of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition and has some very enlightening thoughts on the immigrant community in Nashville and the effects the English Only referendum will have on all of us. If you’re not sure how to vote, we’re positive that Stephen’s measured and well-thought out ideas will help you decide. [37.5 MB 23:25 download MP3]
Download audio file (liberadio20090119part3stephenfotopolus.mp3)
Part 4 – Against/Against on Thursday, January 22 – We’ve devoted a lot of air time to the vote against the English Only referendum and we’re not going to stop now with only three days before the election. Learn why Councilman Eric Crafton made the New York Times print a retraction, why he bailed on a locally televised TV debate against David Briley, and why he’s hiding the referendum’s funding source (hint: it’s because they’re not based in Nashville and have serious credibility problems). Seriously, it’s enough to put a serious damper on The Best Week Ever!â„¢ [28.2MB 17:37 download MP3]
Download audio file (liberadio20090119part4.mp3)
Part 5 – Ken Whitehouse, State Political Correspondent – The Oscar Madison of Tennessee political reporting (not sure if he’s messy, lives with a man, or likes sports – but he does wear a baseball cap!) joins us to give us the play by play of last week’s opening day shenanigans in the General Assembly. Is newly minted Speaker of the House Kent Williams really the devil? Will he stay a Republican? What happened while House Republicans prematurely celebrated their victory? And what about those pesky constitutional officers? [36.6MB 22:50 download MP3]
Download audio file (liberadio20090119part5kenwhitehouse.mp3)
Part 6 – 1 Day, 2 Hours, 11 Minutes, and 18 Seconds – More fun with Ken and one last plea to get out and vote Against/Against on Thursday. Do it to honor the memory of Dr. King, to celebrate the inauguration of Hope and Change, and to ensure that when we wake up on Friday, this really was The Best Week Ever!â„¢ [23.5MB 14:41 download MP3]
Download audio file (liberadio20090119part6.mp3)

Bumpers
Independence Day – Martina McBride
Last Splash – The Breeders
I Can’t Wait – Nu Shooz
Lovely Day – Bill Withers
American Land – Bruce Springsteen
This Land is Your Land – Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings
Fanfare for the Common Man – Aaron Copeland

Guest Playlist
Punk Rock from Whitehouse – A Playlist by Ken Whitehouse

UPDATE: On the other hand, the group opposing English Only, Nashville For All of Us, has released their numbers in all their glory – they’ve raised $286,000 so far and have about $120,000 on hand. Their donor list includes some heavy hitters:

HCA ($50,000)
Steve Turner from Market Street Investments, the company leading the redevelopment of The Gulch ($50,000)
Caterpillar Financial ($25,000)
Rogers Group Investments President Ben Rechter ($25,000)
Ingram Industries ($25,000)
Law firm Bass Barry & Sims ($10,000)
Vanderbilt University ($10,000)
Gaylord Entertainment ($10,000)
Cal Turner Jr. ($10,000)
Venture capitalist Andrew Byrd with Andrew Byrd LLC ($10,000)
Healthways Chairman Tom Cigarran ($10,000)
Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis ($10,000)
Bill Freeman of Freeman Webb Real Estate ($10,000)

Again, not releasing their numbers makes the English Only committee look like they have something to hide. Like, perhaps, that they have no local support or coalition backing them and that the money supporting what they say is a referendum that will benefit Nashville is really coming from an out of town group.

According to Election Commission coordinator, Joan Nixon, if they miss today’s deadline, she will send out a registered Assessment letter tomorrow. When she receives the green receipt card back from the post office, the $25.00 per day fine for missing the deadline will kick in. So, let’s say the Assessment letter goes out to the English Only folk on Friday and, best case scenario, they get it on Monday. Then the Post Office sends the receipt back and, again best cast scenario, Ms. Nixon receives it on Wednesday. If Crafton’s folks then file on Friday, the day after the election, then they’ve amassed a whopping $50.00 fine. Oh yeah, that’s going to hurt.

So let’s add this to what has happened so far in the English Only kerfuffle.

1) Nashville For All of Us, the coalition against the English Only referendum has almost every civic, spiritual, and community leader and organization in Nashville as official members, while Councilman Crafton’s coalition consists of a handful of conservative talk show hosts, Lou Dobbs, the friendly friends over at Fox and Friends, and the advocacy group Pro English, an out-of-state group that is tied to Dr. John Tanton, who has founded other anti-immigrant organizations that have been designated as “hate groups” by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

2) The members of the Nashville for All of Us Coalition have made themselves available for dozens of local speaking engagements dedicated to the civil discussion of the pros and cons of the English Only referendum. Councilman Crafton has made himself available to national news outlets Fox and Friends and Lou Dobbs but recently pulled out of what was to be a locally-televised debate against one time mayoral candidate, David Briley, and moderated by well-respected Nashville elder statesman, John Seigenthaler. The debate will go on, by the way, tomorrow night at 7:00 PM on WNPT Channel 8, with Mr. Seigenthaler, Mr. Briley, and Mr. Empty Chair Representing Councilman ‘Fraidy Pants.

3) Today is the filing deadline for the referendum organizations. According to a statement made to The City Paper, Nashville for All of Us, will meet today’s disclosure deadline. Councilman Crafton’s group, of which he says, he is “merely the spokesman” and “not responsible for issues like disclosing campaign contributions and expenditures,” has responded to questions by the City Paper as to whether or not they will file like this:

Jon Crisp, former chairman of the Davidson County Republican Party and fellow leader of the English Only movement, failed to return multiple phone calls for this story.

Lampley [Lewis Lampley, listed as the group’s treasurer] said he had no comment on the “rumor” that Nashville English First intended not to file.

Crafton acknowledged Nashville English First had been supported by the advocacy group Pro English. The group was founded by Dr. John Tanton…

As unofficial Nashville for All of Us spokesman, Mike Kopp, says in the article, Crafton’s English Only group “would be showing a lack of transparency if it missed today’s disclosure deadline” and “Specifically, does this mean they have ties to a group and they’re afraid to disclose those ties? And will those relationships have any bearing on how this plays out?”

The group behind English Only has no Nashville-based business or community organizational support, are afraid to present their case in an impartial forum on local TV, and might be weaseling out of disclosing their funding sources to the citizens of our community. Are these really the actions of a group that says that what they are trying to pass is in the best interest of the city of Nashville?

So, if you’re still not sure of the importance and still need reasons to vote Against/Against, we offer you the “Against Liberadio(!) Interview Series.” Wait. We offer you the “Liberadio(!) Against Interviews Series.” Darnit. Here’s the “Liberadio(!) Presents: The Against/Against Interview Series.”

Each interview focuses on the effect the passing of the referendum will have on our guests’ area of expertise.

The Law
Interview with Nashville attorney Gregg Ramos and Assistant District Attorney Sarah Davis – One defender. One prosecutor. How can they both agree that Councilman Eric Crafton’s English Only amendment is not a good idea for Nashville? [37.9 MB 23:37 download MP3]
Download audio file (liberadio20081222part2davisramos.mp3)

Governance
Interview with Councilwoman at large Megan Barry. Councilwoman Barry sheds some light on how Councilman Eric Crafton’s English Only amendment would negatively affect the governing of the city of Nashville. It’s not pretty. [38.3 MB 23:52 download MP3]
Download audio file (liberadio20090105part2meganbarry.mp3)

Business
Interview with Tom Negri. Tom is the Managing Director of Loews Vanderbilt Plaza Hotel, on the board of the Chamber of Commerce, and a founding member of Nashville’s Coalition For Education About Immigration. He knows real immigration reform and what’s good for business and Councilman Eric Crafton’s English Only referendum is neither. [40.2 MB 25:04 download MP3]
Download audio file (liberadio20090112part2tomnegri.mp3)

Act Now Bonus Interview
Interview with Rev. Jim Lawson – Rev. Lawson, civil rights icon, Distinguished Professor at Vanderbilt, and a most thoughtful human being, weighs in on the need to continue to teach the principles of nonviolence; the similarities and differences between the civil rights struggles of various communities (women, African-Americans, gays, etc.); and Nashville’s English Only referendum. [35 MB 21:52 download MP3]
Download audio file (liberadio20081208part2jimlawson.mp3)

Preview: Immigrants and Immigration
On Monday, January 19, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we will welcome Stephen Fotopulos, Executive Director of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition to talk about the very real effect the passing of the English Only referendum will have on Nashville’s immigrants and refugees.

Councilman Mike Jameson (The Fightin’ 6th!) explains why he believes Councilman Crafton ran screaming from the opportunity with this money quote:

When you sit down in front of a well-informed moderator and a capable opponent that are clearly going to discuss the minutiae of your argument, it’s only natural for your blood pressure to spike. I mean, why does meat fear the meatgrinder?

Fear of a well-informed opponent and well-respected moderator aside, Councilman Crafton’s removal of himself from this public forum proves that his reasons for pushing this referendum have less to do with the well-being of the city than his own publicity-seeking and overtly ambitious personal agenda. He’ll appear on Fox and Friends and Lou Dobbs, which broadcast to a national audience, but a debate on a television station whose signal broadcasts to the greater Nashville area is a no go.

UPDATE: NPT’s Joe Pagetta tells us that their blog now indicates that Councilman Crafton will not be on the show but is still welcome if he changes his mind. Also, the show has been scaled back to a half hour. Thanks, Joe!