Jim Gotto

Jim Gotto (b. September 25, 1949 in Nashville) is a member of the Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County, representing the 12th district. Previously, he had been employed by Bell South for 32 years, and he has also worked 18 years in governmental affairs. He received his Bachelor of Engineering from Vanderbilt University and graduated from Antioch High School in 1967. [cite web | title="Nashville.gov - Metro Council - District 12 Representative Jim Gotto" | url=http://www.nashville.gov/council/council12.htm | accessdate= September 9 | accessyear= 2007 ]

Political career

Bills proposed

In May 2005, Councilman Gotto proposed to erect a $4,000 glass or Plexiglass wall between the public and the Metro council members. The glass wall would have been built on top of the three-foot wall that had already been there to separate the Metro council and its audience. The proposal was sparked by an incident where a woman reached over wall and touched Councilman Ludye Wallace, which, Councilman Gotto stated, showed council members are vulnerable if someone decides to do them harm. [cite news|first=Anne|last=Paine|title=Metro Council to discuss putting up glass shield|work=The Tennessean|date=May 17, 2005|url=http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070823/COLUMNIST0101/708230377/1092/NEWS01]

Views

One of the issues that Councilman Jim Grotto campaigned on in 2003 was that he would not raise property taxes for the next four years. [cite news|first=Diane|last=Long|title=Impact of school cuts proposal felt from pupil to councilwoman|work=The Tennessean|date=March 10, 2004|url=http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070823/COLUMNIST0101/708230377/1092/NEWS01]

On his website, he states he agrees with Senator Zell Miller's "Deceit of Decency" speech. In it, Senator Miller decries the moral state of modern America and declares he is pleased to present S.J. Res. 26, a proposal to amend the U.S. constitution that would define marriage as only between one man and one woman, and S. 1558, which would reserve to the states or their political subdivisions the power to display the Ten Commandments, to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, and to recite the national motto "In God we trust". [cite web | title="District 12 Issues" | url=http://www.jimgotto.com/issues.asp | accessdate= September 9 | accessyear= 2007 ] [cite web | title="S.1558" | url=http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c108:S.1558: | accessdate= September 9 | accessyear= 2007 ] [cite web | title="S. J. RES. 26" | url=http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c108:S.J.RES.26: | accessdate= September 9 | accessyear= 2007 ]

In 2007, Jim Gotto would be challenged by the first openly gay man to run for public office against an incumbent in the State of Tennessee, Shane E. Burkett. Jim Gotto received 73% of the total votes, Shane E. Burkett received 33% of the total votes for District 12.

References