David Fox: The 'Nashville Way' is slipping

David Fox has coined a new phrase during his campaign for Nashville mayor: the "Nashville Way."

It's his way of describing a citizenry he contends is historically kind-natured and community-driven. But at a campaign kick-off event on Thursday night, Fox told a group of 300 or so voters that the "Nashville Way" is showing signs of unraveling.

In a 13-minute speech, Fox continued his call for greater infrastructure investment. Roads are getting clogged, he said. Water mains are breaking. He said school lottery spots are getting harder to come by. And crime, while being handled adequately by Metro Police, is affecting far too many neighbors. He called Metro's debt "officially a problem."

Despite Nashville's prosperous times, he said all these things are jeopardizing what makes Nashville special.

"My bigger concern, because it's flying under the radar, is that this growth is putting huge strain on our 'Nashville Way,' that 'special sauce' we all love," Fox said.

"Voters I've talked to are seeing their neighbors growing a little more short-tempered. People are honking their horns a bit more on the roads. Civility in our public square is sometimes less common than in the past. In short, people are feeling more stressed. And they're bypassing the 'Nashville Way' more often these days. That's concerning."

Fox appears to be trying to appeal to a certain segment of Nashvillians by warning them of signs of trouble on the horizon. Later in his speech, he said if Nashville loses its charm, it will become "another Atlanta." This echoes a point he has routinely made at candidate forums.

He said he is running for mayor to save the "Nashville Way."

"I'm running for Mayor because, as a 5th generation Nashvillian, who loves our city and its people, it's my belief that we are at a critical, fight-for-it or potentially-lose-it-forever moment.

"I'm running to help us beat the odds. To grow as a city while at the same time maintaining and even strengthening the special 'Nashville Way' of life we all love."

He capped his remarks by saying he would continue in the tradition of Nashville's "nerd mayors" Phil Bredesen and Karl Dean. He didn't mention former Mayor Bill Purcell.

Fox held his campaign kick-off Thursday at Nelson's Greenbrier Distillery inside the Marathon Village complex. Following remarks, he took part in a live "tele-town hall" with supporters and voters. A campaign spokesman said around 700 people took part in the phone-based town hall.