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Sports, Graceland, education in the Mid-South all make appearances in Beacon Center's 2022 'Pork Report'

The Pork of the Year went to what the Beacon Center calls ‘stadium madness' from Nashville to Memphis and East Tennessee.
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The annual Pork Report from the Beacon Center, which looks at what it calls wasteful government spending in Tennessee, is now out, and the Mid-South plays prominently in several areas.

Pork of the Year - 'Stadium Madness'

The Pork of the Year went to what the Beacon Center calls ‘stadium madness.’ The report spotlighted the $500 million given to the Titans for a new stadium in Nashville. But it also mentioned $2 million for upgrades to the Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, and the city of Memphis’ plans for a new soccer stadium and improvements to the Liberty Park area with talks underway for millions in funding from the state. And East Tennessee was also mentioned for stadiums in Chattanooga and Knoxville.

Economic bonds for Graceland

Also in the report for the Memphis area, the Beacon Center said about $20 million in bonds provided to Graceland by the EDGE economic development agency of Memphis and Shelby County are in default. The report called some of the bonds ‘high-risk’ and ‘unrated,’ and said with the COVID lockdowns that led to a decrease in tourism, some of those bonds have dropped to ‘junk’ status – which means they are at a high-risk of default or of investors not getting paid timely.

Public education spending

The Beacon Center also highlighted money given to public education to help children return to the classroom and recuperate from learning loss from COVID. It said three West Tennessee districts used the money for bleachers, virtual reality goggles, and walk-in coolers, and in Shelby County, the center said $34 million went to ‘indirect costs’ with no information on how the money would be used.

Other statewide entries included:

  • $80,000 paid by Dresden, Tennessee, to a firm to design a new city hall and municipal complex, but the city didn’t own the land.
  • A losing lawsuit filed by the city of Knoxville against Netflix and Hulu for franchise fees.
  • Millions spent by Bristol and Johnson City for ‘economic development opportunities’ that went to pickleball courts and softball fields.
  • $1.2 million worth of homeless pods that sit unused in Nashville.

"There is one piece of good news, however, in such a polarized political environment. Despite many people saying Republicans and Democrats can't agree on anything, this report shows that wasting tax dollars seems to be the one thing that brings both parties together," said Beacon Vice President of Strategy and Communications Mark Cunningham in a news release.

The 2022 Pork Report comes from state and local budgets, media reports, state audits, and independent research conducted by Beacon Center staff and scholars. Read the full report at beacontn.org/pork2022.

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