Interim Mayor Joe Ford’s billboards say that he is the “People’s Voice” and that may indeed be the case judging from his apparent lack of basic information about government and public policy.
Once upon a time, one of Memphis’s original characters, Cliff Tuck, ran Shelby County Intergovernmental Coordination Office. He was a policy wonk before there were policy wonks. His thinking was always provocative and his approach combative when it came to the issues that matter most to Memphis.
Mr. Tuck was given to prescient observations, one of which was that government is about a seventh level interest for most people. After they’ve thought about their family, church, job, neighborhood, hobbies, and a couple of others, then, people think about government. Because it’s so far down on the list, their information is sketchy, knowledge is superficial, and they have opinions that are often not based on even a basic understanding of the public sector.
It Matters What the Voice Is Saying
When Mr. Ford talks about government, we often think of Mr. Tuck, because if the interim county mayor is the “people’s voice,” it is the voice of the person described by Mr. Tuck, someone with a minor grasp on government, its realities and the forces at work in our community.
That’s the only explanation that we have for the mishmash of ideas and opinions expressed by Mr. Ford without a political thread holding them all together. On their best day, they are naïve. On their worst, they are simply dim.
It’s as if Mr. Ford and his political strategists assume that Democrats will reflexively pull the lever for the Democratic candidate for Shelby County Mayor. It’s a race that his opponent, Sheriff Mark Luttrell, would like to become a referendum on a single issue – trust. Mr. Ford wants it to be about getting Democratic to vote reflexively.
We are regularly some of those votes, but voting “D” more and more in this race seems to stand for “dumb.”
We’re not particularly interested in Mr. Ford’s personal financial failings. We’re not particularly interested that the family business is politics, for good and bad. We’re not interested that he moved to a $400,000 house in Bartlett and left behind the supportive district that put him on Memphis City Council and Shelby County Board of Commissioners. We’re even less interested that he didn’t tell the truth when he promised that if appointed interim mayor, he would not run for a full term.
Bad Policies
What matters to us is someone whose positions and policies have a coherency that suggests that he understands the challenges facing our community and has a realistic plan shaped more by policy realism than political expediency.
When it comes to bad policy, it’s hard to know even where to start with Mr. Ford.
He is on record in support of double taxation for Memphians and against single source funding for schools. OK, you know where we stand on this model of tax inequity, so we won’t go into it all again, but lost in his continuing pandering to suburban white voters is any answer to the question of why the residents of Germantown, Collierville, Bartlett, Millington, Arlington, and Lakeland pay nothing from their property taxes (of course the faux city Lakeland doesn’t even have a property tax) to support the schools that they tout so loudly as one of their greatest assets.
To underscore his belief in double taxation, he says petulantly that City of Memphis stopped its $5 million funding for the health department. Then again, if he feels so strongly that Memphians should pay twice for health services, he has a floor full of lawyers in the county building who can surely find some grounds to sue a courageous City Council fighting more more equitable taxation.
Duplications
Meanwhile, he dismisses the consolidation of Memphis and Shelby County – two governments doing the job of one – by saying that he’s unaware of any duplication in city and county governments. Of course, he ensured that there is duplication when he blew up the overdue merger of city and county fire departments, a move that would have brought higher professionalism and better service to firefighting operations in unincorporated Shelby County.
As for duplication, here are just a few for the mayor’s edification:
Information technology – City and county governments together spend $30 million a year for technology that’s always a couple of generations behind and websites that would be embarrassing to Podunk, U.S.A. Shelby County itself has multiple information technology systems that remain to be centralized.
Fleet services – The two governments have multiple mechanics and repair services that prevent clear accountability and maximum cost savings. Shelby County has multiple garages itself.
Human resources – The governments operate bureaucratic personnel systems that are almost mirror images of each other.
Noah’s Ark of Government
In addition, there are other duplications, such as Purchasing, Engineering, General Services, Code Enforcement, road construction, tax collections, business permitting, Public Works, and these are just the ones that come quickly to mind.
Even Mr. Ford’s own administrators estimate conservatively that there are more than 200 duplicative management positions and about $15-20 million in excess costs that he said don’t exist.
Mr. Ford did trip up in his passion for white votes. He said Memphians don’t want consolidation; they want annexation. What he didn’t realize is that many people of the 60,000 people in the Memphis annexation reserve areas would prefer a totally new government to being annexed by Memphis. And he’s been an advocate in the past for annexation although they are short-term financial infusions that in the long-term do nothing to improve neighborhoods in the urban core.
In the end, it’s not personal or family issues that worry us most deeply about Mr. Ford. It is the absence – after 12 years as member of City Council or County Board of Commissioners – of anything more than a perfunctory understanding of the complexities of government and the interlocking nature of city and county government policies.
Waiting for Answers
If Mr. Ford has a vision of how government will work better, he should let us know, because at this point, it is the consensus inside county government that it is at its dysfunctional worse, that the proposed Ford Administration budget is a ticking bomb, special task forces are tripping over each other and politics is seeping into operational decisions
Here’s the most cynical thing of all: There is no one in Shelby County who suffers more from government waste and high taxes than Mr. Ford’s traditional political base. Every dollar wasted on inefficient government is a dollar that can’t be spent on the kind of urban intervention programs that are needed to make our community competitive again. Poor families pay a disproportionate tax burden because of Tennessee’s regressive and archaic tax system, and that should be reason enough for the interim mayor to put better government ahead of continuing his government paycheck.
>>>It’s as if Mr. Ford and his political strategists assume that Democrats will reflexively pull the lever for the Democratic candidate for Shelby County Mayor.
And they will, like the sun coming up tomorrow morning.
“…There is no one in Shelby County who suffers more from government waste and high taxes than Mr. Ford’s traditional political base.”
The political maneuvering by Mr. Ford shows that the pursuit of a position of political clout leaves little room, at least in his universe, for a steadfast adherence to a basic platform or set of principles. I find that even more disturbing than his obvious wavering and ignorance where the function of our government is concerned. A good leader is more desirable than a poor leader just as a poor leader is preferred above one who fails in their ability to be faithful to a basic set of ideas or a stated platform.
“Mr. Ford and his political strategists assume that Democrats will reflexively pull the lever for the Democratic candidate for Shelby County Mayor.”
There is precedent for those normally Democratic voters to switch over from time to time. Luttrell himself was one of the latest examples four years ago when the Democratic nominee for Sheriff was more famous for problems and scandals than his qualifications for Sheriff. Luttrell’s people should have a mountain of legitimate questions about Joe to exploit, many in this article.
At least some normally loyal Democrats, like me, are switching to Luttrell and then back to Democrats in other races.
I think you nailed the issue with this idiot without actually knowing it….
“We’re not particularly interested in Mr. Ford’s personal financial failings.”
(He can’t manage a budget)
“We’re not particularly interested that the family business is politics, for good and bad.”
(When should politics be a ‘business’)
“We’re not interested that he moved to a $400,000 house in Bartlett and left behind the supportive district that put him on Memphis City Council and Shelby County Board of Commissioners.”
(He’s out for personal gains)
“We’re even less interested that he didn’t tell the truth when he promised that if appointed interim mayor, he would not run for a full term.”
(He lies to get what he wants)
GOOD CALL!! Democrats…Find a candidate that isn’t an idiot then maybe you can help fix this city…..
I just stopped reading Smart City. I guess I’m just not intelligent enough to understand why I ever did.
Irrational democrats would do well to remember that Luttrell would have had US presided over by John McCain and Sarah Palin. Should you vote for Mark, please give me a call–I’ll help y’all take the Obama stickers off your Subarus and replace your “a village is missing it’s idiot” stickers with “Midtown is Full of ’em” ones.
SCott, one of the few times I’ve disagreed with you, maybe the first. Luttrell may not be ideal, but Ford will be a disaster. Watch our county debt balloon during his tenure, if he does indeed win. Watch Shelby become the state’s fiscal sewer. Again, I’m not a Democrat, more of a social liberal with a does of fiscal reality, but would have been happy to vote for Malone had she won the primary. This county is at a tipping point of sustainability fiscally, and unless we want to become a permanent ward of the feds and the state (and we all know how much the rest of the state loves us) we have to navigate the next few years in a smart, tough, and bold manner. Maybe Luttrell will or won’t do that, but it’s a foregone conclusion that Ford won’t. And can anyone imagine that buffoon trying to recruit business and jobs to Shelby County? Get real, Herenton comes off better (when he’s behaving) than Ford on his best day.
WitI’m truly sorry to disagree but when lifetime public interest advocates that happen to work in key county departments dealing with our most serious health and quality of life issues ask me to vote for Ford, I listen. And y’know I’m not even a democrat.
Sorry bot the new to android typing
Scott- please define these “lifetime public interest(s)” these people represent. Personally, when county employees begin speaking of support for a candidate who has run with the platform that county jobs are safe with him at the helm despite a gloomy long term budget prognosis, I have trouble taking their opinions seriously.
urbanut, I should have said “lifelong” public interest advocates. I’m talking about folks that have been advocating progressive policy from outside and are now inside due to wharton and don’t want their good work set back by a privatizing visionless republican. Yes I think mark is a nice guy but that’s where agreeability ends.
Scott:
We know a lot of people working inside county government and with county government, and the Ford Administration is a disaster. It’s hard to get a consensus on anything there, but there is one on this. In only six months in office, he’s managed to raise taxes, he’s managed to “save” The Med and then go begging to Nashville, revenues have been overestimated to make the budget work, he thinks sustainability is a waste of time, he’s even killed functional consolidation which everyone in Shelby County says they support, etc., etc.
So, we’ve given you at least three reasons for concern. Can you give us three concrete reasons to change our minds?
Well, admittedly I don’t pay as much attention to the details of administrative budgeting or the Med as I’d expect someone who is hired or elected to to but I do interact regularly with folks involved in environmental, public health, housing, surplus/abandoned property disposition, and the Penal Farm and I haven’t heard any of the above complaints from them.
I’ve sat in Joe’s office twice with other non-profit and neighborhood-based folks that are making “sustainability” happen and he and, more importantly, his staff, are being more supportive of these efforts where they have the resources to do so. Frankly, I feel that he is more open and progressive than even the last administration–the one that left all the remaining glossy copies of Sustainable Shelby on a shelf to collect dust when it moved on.
Is Joe perfect? Hell no. But I’ve been before him many times with many issues in the past 13 years–when he was a councilman, when he was the only guy with enough cajones to attempt to unseat Willie (‘cept Shep) and then as a commissioner. Did he always vote my way? No, but he listened, asked good questions and more often than not, deferred to those who knew best.
If you want more details, buy me a beer.
Scott:
We’ve heard from several of the environmental folks in his office who say his administration doesn’t understand the scope of sustainability and has done everything possible to eliminate the Sustainable Shelby plan of action (and they do in fact have the resources). And we heard complaints from people in all areas of county government.
As we have said before, he is one of the kindest, nicest guys in public office – but then again, we liked all his brothers as well. To our point, his administration has no policy thread or understanding, and as we said, he’s already raised taxes in six months, and that’s exactly the opposite of what’s needed right now.
Tom, you get ’em to call me and tell me about it or I’m calling BS on you. I’ve talked to about half dozen more folks with the county in planning, brownfields, and vector control since this thread started and they all told me the same thing, that Joe has listened to their input and allowed them to do their jobs with minimum of interferenced and his support when they need it. Understand Tom, while you’re blogging, other folks are out there WORKING to make Shelby County better.
” We’re even less interested that he didn’t tell the truth when he promised that if appointed interim mayor, he would not run for a full term.”
It’s almost as if people get an interim position, find out how to scam a ton of money if they stay in there, and then run for office permanently while the city goes down the tubes. It seems to have little to do with any kind of public service for some. Just a way to pay for their party time.
I’ve met his money man, they have absolutely no interest in “public service” they have interest in lining their pockets at the little people’s expense. That’s all they have. Put forth a puppet to do the tweaking to keep it happening. In his case, I wonder if he knows they’re doing it, that’s as pathetic as having a man who’s lost his faculties be mayor for so long, as we did.
No, the Fords need to find another business to be in, selling out Memphis for private interests is not a business anymore.
Scott:
You didn’t answer the question about naming three positive things he’s done in response to our list of the reasons we have serious concerns about Mr. Ford. And last time we checked, we bet we’re out working longer hours and harde3r to make Shelby County better than most of the folks you’re talking to.
Tom, just off the top of my head, he’s unleashed County Surplus to put abandoned properties in the hands of folks that care about them. He’s encouraged the Penal Farm to move ahead with sustainable initiatives in gardening and recycling, as well as labor for neighborhood projects. He’s put together a great crew to implement our EPA Brownfields Grant along the Wolf River in North Memphis. He’s encouraged and empowered Air Pollution to address barge related aromatics issues and has them, working on a comprehensive CO2 emissions reductions identification and reduction program. And, he doesn’t put out styrofoam cups in his meeting room anymore.
Seriously, Tom, I don’t think you go to the right meetings and I’ve never seen sweat on your back, working to clean up the ‘hood. Maybe you should focus on Germantown–last time I was out there it was a nightmare of cars, fumes and unsustainability.
Scott:
Sorry you feel the need to be insulting. We really weren’t trying to be that to you, so if it came off that way, we’re sorry. Many of the things you just listed predate him and verbs like “encourage” and “empower” sound squishy to us. Our overriding concern is about good government, and the fact that his administration isn’t getting the basics right.
And just for the record, all of us down here were sweating on our backs over this city before you were born and still are. Not trying to be insulting, just factual.
This election is about finding the sound management that Shelby County desperately needs right now and the leadership to lead it toward its new place in our community where it is more like traditional county governments.
for some body who was going to quit reading this blog about six comments ago, scott sure does get worked up over you guys opinion
Tom, with all do respect, you are the one who posted a blog claiming massive complaints from within the County government about Joe’s management but provide NO names or SPECIFIC complaints.
I simply put forth the fact that I have NOT heard these complaints from the County employees I deal with regularly on planning, health and environmental issues that affect my North Memphis Community.
I’m not trying to be insulting, I’m just noting that I’ve never seen you out cleaning up, organizing or otherwise helping my neighborhood, or any of the others that I work with.
How old are you and your un-named “we”? And exactly what benefit to our community do “you” claim?
Scott:
We get numerous complaints from within county government. We’ll tell you what. On September 15, we’ll compare notes and see how many people have left if Mr. Ford wins.
You didn’t post any names either. We have allowed anonymous comments on this blog from the beginning because we’ve wanted people inside government who can’t give their names to comment and to email us.
You need to get downtown more, my friend. We’ve been sweating here for 30 years.
Anonymous: We’re fine with Scott’s passion.
Thanks, Anonymous, and Tom, y’know I think we’re really on the same team. This blog was/is just in major conflict with what I’ve personally heard and of course, I can’t name names either.
Please, take me up on the beer–I’ll buy you one too and we’ll compare notes. And I do get downtown regularly, I probably just hang out at seedier joints. 😉
619-8567
To the anonymous guy who thinks I’m worked up, you obviously don’t know me–this is mellow. Folks that do know me know that I take civic engagement seriously, serious enough to never do it and anonymously.
It’s hard teat Scott on sustainability issues, he does know his stuff and do his part there. If the stuff predates FORD, WE do need to know it. Maybe Ford should get a better class of financier and Hire Scott to do his campaign and someone to research and make sure he’s correct. I’m all for a good race and the best man winning, FAIRLY.
Who has their eye on the election commission?
For what it’s worth, Mayor Ford did show up at the Midtown Zoning Overlay meeting last night. I’m still not convinced he is the best candidate for the job, I just thought it was interesting that he made an appearance.
To bring things up to date, this week, Mr. Ford continued his opposition to Sustainable Shelby. And in addition, he opposed bike/ped at MPO. Also, he said it was a dumb idea to worry about the missing gas caps on cars.
The beat goes on.
Just for the record, we created Greening Greater Memphis which gave birth to the connectivity of environmental assets and Sustainable Shelby which Mr. Ford could champion if he really cared about green issues more than getting elected.
Finally, Scott, we can get pretty seedy, so be careful.
First of all, Ford has totally empowered his pollution staff to pursue CO2 reductions. His penal farms staff is aggressively pursuing recycling solutions and gardening produce for those in need. He IS behind Greater Memphis Greenline, as well as the North Memphis leg of the Wolf River Greenway. I just saw him tonight and he made a big point of the fact that there’s no styrofoam cups in his office anymore.
Maybe he hasn’t embraced the name of the glossy study that YOU got paid to whip up because he doesn’t want to give YOU any props. But he IS empowering his departments to pursue the parts of it that are implementable in our current fiscal environment.
As for threatening me, Tom, I’m not afraid of you or anything you and your buddies think you have on me. I’ve never been indicted for stealing from the County and I’ve never been caught lying about anything. YOU HAVE. I advocate for truth, without pay, and without abandon. You go ahead and try to mix with me, I’ll eat you for lunch.
Scott: Please, take me up on the beer–I’ll buy you one too and we’ll compare notes. And I do get downtown regularly, I probably just hang out at seedier joints. 😉
Smart City: Finally, Scott, we can get pretty seedy, so be careful.
Scott: As for threatening me, Tom, I’m not afraid of you or anything you and your buddies think you have on me.
Me: Huh?
Scott, you clearly brought up the term “seedier” and it’s apparent to me that Tom was simply making a play on your own words. You’ve got to develop thicker skin and read between the lines a bit before going off in an unfair manner.
I’m interested in hearing what you have to say about Ford as well as SCM, if the conversation can stay somewhat civil. Plenty of people in Memphis care about the direction of the city, both blue collar workers and office folk, believe me.
Sorry, guys, and to you in particular Tom. I’ve been rushing around hard the last two days getting stuff together for a Cub Scout Camp in West Memphis that me and my boy aren’t even attending, getting stuff together to go to Potts Camp to celebrate the music of the oppressed labor of the Delta, packing my wife off to see my sister in AZ’s “breasts coming off party” and trying to make a buck here and there.
I sincerely apologize to you, Tom, if no threat was meant. I didn’t think back to my earlier comment and took yours to mean that you intended to play hard with me. In that case it was cheap of me to bring up things from so many years ago. It’s no excuse, but I have received several calls strongly suggesting that I change my views.
I am confident in my appraisal of the current administration and I am fearful of the alternative. It’s not my personal number one issue but the privatization of corrections operations is wrong. It seems that Luttrell has privatized every function at 201 that he can without getting rid of the Sheriffs deputies. I’m afraid that the same may befall the Penal Farm.
As for Sustainable Shelby, what’s important is that good ideas are implemented and it really doesn’t matter whether its called “Sustainable Shelby” or “Clean Green Shelby” as long as it gets done.
Regardless of my mistaking of your willingness to get seedy with threats, I do believe you’ve gone mighty partisan here. I would expect the Smart City blog, which I read with every update to present facts, not innuendo and I sure didn’t expect you to make endorsements.
And I’m still up for a beer and I promise to behave.
I am curious about the MPO meeting, can you elaborate?