Dean Says English Only Defeat Still Paying Off

This week, Nashville was chosen to host soccer matches for the men’s Olympic qualifying tournament. Mayor Karl Dean says the city wouldn’t even be considered for such international events if voters had passed the English-only ballot initiative in 2009.

If it had passed, the proposal would have limited government workers to only speaking in English. While the practical implications weren’t completely clear, city officials like Mayor Dean fought against it, saying Nashville would look less welcoming.

Dean says defeating the referendum was one of the proudest moments of his first term and that it’s still paying off.

“We would not be able to compete for all the different events that are held here downtown or at Gaylord because people will not come to a place that is unfriendly.”

The Olympic qualifying games include six teams – U.S., Canada, Mexico, El Salvador and Guatemala. Nashville was also considered to host games in the failed bid to bring the World Cup to the U.S.

Mayor Karl Dean spoke to business leaders this week on the topic of immigration. While many see the problems caused by illegal aliens, Dean said the city should be flattered. Quote – “nothing speaks more positively of our city than the fact that people who come to this country say, ‘let’s go to Nashville.’” – end quote.