Ben Vaught
@benvaught.bsky.social
Carly Rae Jepsen nano-influencer. Plutophobic.
Nashville
Nashville
Bleak shit, man. This is how you kill people
November 26, 2025 at 3:07 AM
Bleak shit, man. This is how you kill people
Reposted by Ben Vaught
If we use tax money to give Steve Smith an armored vehicle before we get a single linear foot of bus or bike lane from Connect Downtown istg
Why do they always try to do the stuff around the holidays?
To the #MetroCouncilNash: our concerns about oversight of surveillance programs actually are not allayed by putting it into the hands of a third party. Please do not let this happen.
readrichtext.substack.com?utm_source=s...
To the #MetroCouncilNash: our concerns about oversight of surveillance programs actually are not allayed by putting it into the hands of a third party. Please do not let this happen.
readrichtext.substack.com?utm_source=s...
{Rich Text} | Mike Lacy | Substack
Nashville politics, metamodern philosophy, nonboring data science musings, and an unhealthy interest in Tom Cruise. Best of Nashville 2025 "Best Metro Watchdog".
Contact me securely on Signal:
https:...
readrichtext.substack.com
November 26, 2025 at 12:02 AM
If we use tax money to give Steve Smith an armored vehicle before we get a single linear foot of bus or bike lane from Connect Downtown istg
Let’s play a game: How many homes does this person own, and how many are multifamily?
November 25, 2025 at 11:45 PM
Let’s play a game: How many homes does this person own, and how many are multifamily?
Just saw one of these in a yard in exurban Rutherford county and idk man I just think Nashville should make it easier for people to leave places with this sort of political environment if they want to
November 25, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Just saw one of these in a yard in exurban Rutherford county and idk man I just think Nashville should make it easier for people to leave places with this sort of political environment if they want to
embarrassing time to be a Tennessean
November 25, 2025 at 7:01 PM
embarrassing time to be a Tennessean
Reposted by Ben Vaught
The lesson: mandatory inclusionary zoning really has to be funded for it to work.
From 2017 - 2024, #PortlandOR’s inclusionary zoning program wasn’t working.
“The city had ordered that at least 10% of new apartments be affordable,” writes @andersem.bsky.social, “but it turned out that 10% of a small number was also a small number.”
“The city had ordered that at least 10% of new apartments be affordable,” writes @andersem.bsky.social, “but it turned out that 10% of a small number was also a small number.”
Portland’s Inclusionary Zoning Program Is Finally Performing, New Data Suggests | Sightline Institute
Because for the first time, the city fully funded it.
www.sightline.org
November 25, 2025 at 4:57 PM
The lesson: mandatory inclusionary zoning really has to be funded for it to work.
always go to the second location
November 25, 2025 at 5:49 PM
always go to the second location
Thankful to live in a progressive city like Nashville that would never weaponize historic preservation to make neighborhoods more expensive and suburban
This is a phenomenal example of how people advocating for the "character of the neighborhood" are often actually advocating to *change* the character to be less dense and more suburban. Which, if you go play with the city's n'hood GIS explorer, is what has happened all over Boston!
November 25, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Thankful to live in a progressive city like Nashville that would never weaponize historic preservation to make neighborhoods more expensive and suburban
November 25, 2025 at 4:48 AM
nothing will radicalize you against zoning quite like engaging with zoning
November 24, 2025 at 4:52 PM
nothing will radicalize you against zoning quite like engaging with zoning
Reposted by Ben Vaught
Time to make The Rent Is Too Damn High a serious third party contender in these elections.
November 23, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Time to make The Rent Is Too Damn High a serious third party contender in these elections.
Nashville’s RN and RL zones try to give the NIMBYs their pound of flesh before they ever asked for it, and the result is yesterday’s solutions tomorrow (maybe!). And the NIMBYs are still mad!
November 23, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Nashville’s RN and RL zones try to give the NIMBYs their pound of flesh before they ever asked for it, and the result is yesterday’s solutions tomorrow (maybe!). And the NIMBYs are still mad!
Reposted by Ben Vaught
November 23, 2025 at 7:17 PM
mfw I try to look both ways before crossing the street and remember that I’m a dog
November 23, 2025 at 6:49 PM
mfw I try to look both ways before crossing the street and remember that I’m a dog
Reposted by Ben Vaught
The concept of Tennessee going blue
November 22, 2025 at 9:05 PM
The concept of Tennessee going blue
In the interest of spreading some positivity:
What’s your favorite Nashville urbanism improvement from the last 15 years?
What’s your favorite Nashville urbanism improvement from the last 15 years?
Which US city has improved the most over the past 15 years?
November 23, 2025 at 1:35 AM
In the interest of spreading some positivity:
What’s your favorite Nashville urbanism improvement from the last 15 years?
What’s your favorite Nashville urbanism improvement from the last 15 years?
Y’all, I’ve been converted. I rode through West Meade yesterday (to get to Costco, NOT to dox and harass) and saw this affordable (only $3.6m!) little historic gem that definitely doesn’t increase stormwater runoff. I understand why they don’t allow redevelopment now.
November 22, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Y’all, I’ve been converted. I rode through West Meade yesterday (to get to Costco, NOT to dox and harass) and saw this affordable (only $3.6m!) little historic gem that definitely doesn’t increase stormwater runoff. I understand why they don’t allow redevelopment now.
Reposted by Ben Vaught
Insane but true fact: making US roads as safe as Canadian, Australian, or European roads would save more lives than eliminating murder from the US.
November 21, 2025 at 3:01 AM
Insane but true fact: making US roads as safe as Canadian, Australian, or European roads would save more lives than eliminating murder from the US.
Probably suboptimal that a project on a public structure is using a bike lane as parking
November 21, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Probably suboptimal that a project on a public structure is using a bike lane as parking
Exclusion enthusiasts will literally give up on democracy before they give up their zoning
“Abuse of Power”: Residents File Ethics & Criminal Complaints Against Councilmember Rollin Horton for Doxxing, Harassment and Police Intimidation
www.newschannel5.com/news/residen...
www.newschannel5.com/news/residen...
Residents file ethics, criminal complaints accusing Nashville councilmember of doxxing, harassment
Residents in Nashville filed ethics and criminal complaints accusing Councilmember Rollin Horton of doxxing and police intimidation tied to a recall effort.
www.newschannel5.com
November 21, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Exclusion enthusiasts will literally give up on democracy before they give up their zoning
so thankful that our zoning has preserved this historic and affordable $2mil cottage 😌
November 21, 2025 at 4:11 PM
so thankful that our zoning has preserved this historic and affordable $2mil cottage 😌
Sending out my own candidate questionnaire in 2026 that’s just “do you think renters should be equal participants in the political process, including parking and rezonings”
We are now saying renters are not true residents. That this is not a city neighborhood.
November 21, 2025 at 2:23 AM
Sending out my own candidate questionnaire in 2026 that’s just “do you think renters should be equal participants in the political process, including parking and rezonings”
Nashville trying to legalize 3 story McMansions walking distance to downtown but not a small apartment building of the same size
One of the reasons USA cities suffer is most urban politicians are not willing to engage in the policy and trade offs to make cities thrive. They don’t conceive of themselves as being in competition with the suburbs all too often they wish to make the city into the suburbs!
November 21, 2025 at 12:12 AM
Nashville trying to legalize 3 story McMansions walking distance to downtown but not a small apartment building of the same size
Part of the reason I bike so much is to make my car last as long as I can. With any luck I can avoid a car payment for 4 or 5 more years
November 20, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Part of the reason I bike so much is to make my car last as long as I can. With any luck I can avoid a car payment for 4 or 5 more years