P R E S S S T A T E M E N T

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 CONTACT:

Susan Kaestner, TAG, (615) 373-8867 or 948-8867

Kay McDowell, The Brumfield Group, (615) 496-2003 or 244-7104

Tennesseans for Accountability in Government -- TAG

 Tennesseans for Accountability in Government, TAG, believes building a grand ballroom beneath the front lawn of The Tennessee Executive Residence is an irresponsible waste of money. Equally troublesome is the fact that it is being done secretly without providing relevant information to the citizens of Tennessee.

The proposed space, as cited by local authorities, is 12,000 square-feet. If built to those specifications, the Tennessee Ballroom will measure nearly four times the size of the East Room of the White House and will surpass the entertainment space of our nation’s President.

Twenty-nine of the country’s 50 states do not have a ballroom or entertainment facility in the Executive Mansion. In addition, six states do not even have an Executive Mansion. Somehow, all 35 of these Governors manage their social functions.

Of the 15 states that do have ballrooms in the Executive Mansion, none are as large as Governor Bredesen’s proposed space. While officials claim the new facility is “needed” 49 other states manage with less or no space at all.

Existing Nashville venues mean the Governor’s proposal is an unnecessary redundancy. Facilities such as the Symphony Hall of the Schermerhorn (one of the grandest spaces in the Southeast measuring 5,700 sq. ft. and seating 1,860) and the War Memorial Building, which the taxpayers of Tennessee have already paid to renovate, are more feasible and economical options for government entertainment functions.

The estimated cost of the newly conceived underground ballroom is unknown. The state has not released the figures. The current $19.2 million total budget for the renovation and the addition that has been made public, is based on estimates for a much smaller above ground conservatory. This budget cannot still be accurate because the ballroom specifications have changed dramatically.

This project comes under the purview of Governor Bredesen and the other members of the Tennessee Building Commission. We demand, that before the first shovel breaks the ground, the secrecy surrounding this project be lifted and the plans and costs are made public by the State. Anything less is unconscionable behavior by our public servants and is unacceptable.

TAG calls on all citizens of Tennessee who believe we do not need to spend millions of dollars on an extravagant ballroom at the Governor’s Residence to act. We urge all concerned citizens to contact the Governor, members of the State Building Commission, their State Senators and Representatives. Go to our website www.taxwastestopshere.org to get their addresses and additional information.

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Tennesseans for Accountability in Government, TAG, has been established as a non-partisan 501 (c ) (4) not for profit corporation to educate and inform the public on issues relating to the expenditure of state tax revenue by government officials and agents for the purpose of holding those officials accountable to the citizens of Tennessee for the use of State funds for the public welfare.