Now I believe Karl Dean is an honorable and trustworthy mayor. He's proven that in his many years of public service.

Video: Word On The Street (11/19/07)

He was a long-time public defender and later Metro’s director of law.

But being Nashville’s chief executive is a different kind of cat.

As public defender, I imagine most of Dean's negotiations with prosecutors, lawyers were secret and out of the public's eyes.

I imagine both he and the prosecutor said "this is my final offer" hundreds and hundreds of times.

But now, it's a different day for our mayor.

He's been in office only a couple of months and he already tried to play hardball with the Predator investors.

In negotiations over a long-term arena lease to Predator investors, Dean announced that that the deal was Metro's final offer, take it or leave it.

A few days later, Dean softened the demands and a settlement was reached.

Wonder whose idea it was to try to require Predator investors to reveal their personal financial assets yearly?

That's not required of Titans' owner Bud Adams, Dean or his staff.

All of this comes after Dean pledged not to hold fundraisers after he took office.

Within weeks, invitations to the mayor's first fundraiser were mailed to several thousand people.

The event was held last week and probably brought in big bucks.

Say what you mean, Mr. Mayor, and mean what you say.