It seems like so many of the people in the consolidation debate have simply defaulted to their kneejerk settings.
That said, the unholy alliance between the suburban town mayors and urban Democratic Party members is surprising in its intensity, not to mention the endless stream of misinformation and lies being spewed out by both sides. It’s a sad commentary on where we are in the life of this community that the only thing these people can finally agree on is that they’ll never agree to work together.
As for the opposition, it is unsurprising. In communities where consolidation has passed, it’s the power brokers and politicians who regularly opposed it. Sadly, the vast majority of elected officials are only motivated by their own political self-interest. Their attention is focused on the next election cycle, and certainly not on the long-term success of the community.
For example, in Louisville, the new government energized public involvement and attracted more than 200 people to run for the new City Council seats. Only a handful of the people elected were incumbents, ushering in a whole new generation of leaders and a panoply of new faces.
Running Hard in the Wrong Direction
It’s as if some politicos would rather have power in a failing government than risk their position to do something to improve the economic trends that are rapidly limiting our options for the future. We won’t run through the data again, because you’ve heard them from us for five years. The scary thing for us is that back then, we were talking about negative trends that were a few years old. Today, the negative trends – historic loss of jobs, income, and young, college-educated workers – have been under way for a decade, and most upsetting of all, they are picking up speed.
Here’s one data point that we haven’t had before that gets to the heart of things: Projections are that the rate of population growth in Nashville region will be nine times the rate in Memphis region in the next 20 years. It means that if nothing changes, we are on the verge of becoming even more of an afterthought in state politics and the tail that wags the dog in the economic life of Tennessee.
What’s almost as untenable as the willingness by some to ignore the elephant in the room – the fact that we are headed in the wrong direction – is the way that some of the intense suburban opposition has used the opposition by the Democratic Party as a way to mask the racism that powers too much of the campaign there. The notion that African-Americans will lose political power ignores demographic trends that show no sign of abating. After all, in the past five years, Shelby County became majority African-American and no extrapolation of the data suggests that this will not continue as Shelby County mirrors the percentage of African-Americans in Memphis now.
Suggestions that black power will be diluted are about as well-reasoned as the town mayors’ hysteria that a new government is going to consolidate schools, bring more of “those people” to the suburbs, and drive suburban taxes up 50%. And those are the least of the fictions being circulated.
MIA: The CA
That’s the thing that’s most disturbing. It’s one thing to have a different point of view. It’s another thing altogether for an elected official to knowingly lie about the facts, and that’s become a common occurrence at the anti-consolidation rallies posing as forums by District 4 Commissioners Curly, Larry, and Moe and the use of public money in the small towns to advance political agendas of mayors.
But none of this is what surprises us most of all. It’s the inadequate coverage by The Commercial Appeal.
No major daily in any other community that’s considered consolidation of its government has been as MIA as ours, and when it does manage to show up, it’s superficial horse race coverage and “he said-she said” reporting. The award for best reporting by a daily newspaper in Memphis is an easy call. It goes to Memphis Daily News, which covered every meeting of the Charter Commission and understood and reported the details and nuances of the charter itself.
It’s next to impossible to imagine that we are a week from the beginning of early voting and The Commercial Appeal has not published a comprehensive report on the pros and cons of the charter or summarized the charter itself. And if it were not for Drake and Zeke on their morning radio show, we would have managed to go through 10 months without anyone in the media talking to someone in Nashville, Indianapolis, Louisville, and Jacksonville, the four communities most commonly used as benchmarks here. Drake and Zeke had an interview with Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson.
Bad to Worse
There’s an absolute lack of context or sense of the big picture in the CA’s reporting, and whether you are for consolidation or against it (it’s no secret which side we fall on), the lack of serious coverage is a disservice to us as citizens and as readers.
We would probably have simply chalked this up to the overall decline in newspaper journalism, except for Marc Perrusquia’s two-year investigation about Ernest Withers’s secret work as a federal informant during the civil rights movement’s heyday. So, we know that bursts of quality journalism are possible, which leads us to conclude that there’s been no editorial commitment to covering consolidation as deeply as it’s been covered in other cities.
We know that the news hole as been shrinking along with the number of reporters, but we hang on to the outdated notion that successful newspapers have to remain committed to its mission: the news. Once upon a time, WREG-TV was located in the basement of the Peabody Hotel, and the joke at the time was that its reporters covered everything in Memphis – as long as it took place in a meeting room of the Peabody. More and more, CA coverage feels like it’s about covering meetings and press conferences.
Some people have predicted that two newspaper cities becoming one newspaper cities will eventually give way to one newspaper cities become zero newspaper cities. Publishers flirting with bankruptcy are everywhere and even venerable flagship newspapers are swimming in red ink. The sad thing isn’t just that Memphis is sometimes mentioned as a city will end up with no newspaper but that its own subscribers so rarely defend the importance of its existence.
We’d Pay Extra for Less
In an article in Strategy+Business, four strategies were suggested for the media company of the future. The first is to “develop deeper relationships with readers around targeted interest areas.” This builds on the strength that comes from the personal relationship that effective newspapers have with their readers.
The second strategy is “to tap into revenues beyond circulation and advertising,” including custom content, consumer insights, premium content, and data-based applications. The third strategy is “to reinvent the content delivery model ,” avoiding formula-driven approaches to cost-cutting, and the fourth strategy is “to innovate with new products and pricing models” for online content.
As for customized content, we’d pay extra if that could mean that we wouldn’t get the comments posted by readers to CA articles. As we’ve said before, we’re hard-pressed to think of anything that would improve race relations more in our city than disconnecting the online vehicle for the most venomous and vile personal and racial attacks in our city.
Maybe the CA doesn’t cover it because it is not relevant or news. It is clear that folks don’t want this other than the same group that thinks that moving pinnacle from ‘outside downtown’ to ‘downtown’ is somehow better for the city with the loss of tax revenue.
I am not the first anonymous. The same groups are the ones who are against consolidation for the same selfish reasons. Many people will have to give up something in order to have a better, more efficient government. However, the suburban ones don’t want to give up their little fiefdoms and to be honest, will likely have to pay a little more in taxes.
The Democratic Party steering committee is made up of political lightweights and many from Herenton’s old machine who follow the lead of Sidney Chism and the one who spurred the move for the Democratic Party to be against consolidation is AFRAID he will lose his job when the City Court clerk and the General Sessions Court clerk’s offices as specified in the consolidation proposal.
The CA is doing what it has for several years, bowing to the pressure of its suburban readership.
Anon 6:10
Care to elaborate on how it is not relevant and how it is not news?
I think that the suburban leaderships overwhelming opposition to this measure which accompanies total silence where solutions to the region’s dismal trajectory is concerned is newsworthy.
Are you suggesting that you support this excuse for leadership or are you suggesting that we are in fact on an acceptable path?
It is not relevant and news because it will never pass.
What I am suggesting is that you folks are dwelling about the old Memphis and are keeping that cat on life support. The new Memphis is an exciting an awesome place to live.
Ever since SunTrust moved out from the city, that just solidified that the core business district is around Ridgeway and Poplar. Embrace it, the area is beautiful. Germantown & Collierville are two of the best suburbs in the nation.
I respect that you folks are fans of old Memphis. But understand the folks that drive this city gave up old Memphis and started a new Memphis just outside the loop. Yeah I know it is in the city, all the more reason for you to support new Memphis.
And give it up with CA and consolidation. They gave it up because their readers LAUGH when someone brings up consolidation at a cook out. You guys realize this don’t you?
People laugh at the idea. You might get a more positive reaction if you said, look there is a space ship flying by. That is how silly consolidation sounds.
Who in the world writes these things?
There is little information is forthcoming about the Borg or their origins and intents. In alien encounters, they exhibit no desire for negotiation or reason, only to assimilate. Exhibiting a rapid adaptability to any situation or threat, with encounters characterized by the matter-of-fact statement “Resistance is futile”, the Borg develop into one of the greatest threats to Starfleet and the Federation. Originally perceived on screen as a homogeneous and anonymous entity, the concepts of a Borg Queen and central control are later introduced, while representatives for the Borg collective are occasionally employed to act as a go-between in more complicated plot lines.
In Star Trek, attempts to resist the Borg become one of the central themes, with many examples of successful resistance to the collective, both from existing or former drones, and assimilation targets. It is also demonstrated that it is possible to survive assimilation (most notably Jean-Luc Picard), and that drones can escape the collective (most notably Seven of Nine), and become individuals, or exist collectively without forced assimilation of others. They are notable for being a main antagonist race in more than one series who never appeared in the original Star Trek.
Anyone get the analogy?
There is little factual basis for opposing consolidation. But there are many personal reasons, such as protecting power bases, general selfishness, and profiting from the we versus they environment of this city. As for the suburbs, if they are so prosperous, why do more than 70% of its people have to leave every day to work? They are appendages to the economic engine, the hub of jobs and economic activity. They too often delude themselves into thinking that their little islands of self-interest can continue undisturbed as Memphis goes down the drain. Anyone who understands cities knows that won’t be the case, and that’s why if people were really concerned about the future of Memphis and its suburbs, they would vote for the end of this two-headed monster we call local government.
That last comment sure sounded a lot like the knee jerk settings you referenced in the article. If you folks are intrested in passing this thing, you might want to start with a persuasive argument, instead of telling opponents that there is no real reason for their position but selfishness and stupidity. Telling someone they are stupid is a bad place to start if you are really interested in changing their minds.
Next, Smart City will tell us “resistance is futile”
aka. we will annex you anyways.
Anon 6:10, et al
Under consolidation:
1. Shelby County will become a General Services District doing the same thing it does now, same taxes.
2. Memphis will become an Urban Services District doing the same thing it does now, same taxes.
3. Suburban municipalities will continue doing the some thing they do now, same taxes.
4. The only difference is we will have one Memphis and Shelby County government instead of two; and all citizens will have the same power at the ballot box.
5. However, the Urban Services District (formerly Memphis) will not be able to expand (annex) unless expansion area citizens vote to approve. This is new.
No one knows the future under the present two governments and no one knows the future under a consolidated government. The opportunity for a better future under one government is at least the same if not better than under two. Nashville and Davidson County didn’t go down hill after consolidation and the one mayor seems to get more done without competing and coordinating with another mayor.
“Streamlining” sounds stupid, who would do that?
Getting rid of waste? Why do that?
getting rid of old black leadership that has been doing all the heavy lifting for white supremacists for decades? Why would a city majority of people of color want that, or even intelligent leadership?
This is all a bunch of crazy talk, consolidation, feh!
I like the fact that media outlets here can ignore important things like this and only put forth backwards reporting paid for by political parties, that way people don’t have to think or research for themselves. it gives them a headache and who wants that, buncha headaches walking around?
Ethics? C’mon, we never needed to have ethics before!
And look whee all that thinking has got us.
Out of business, loosing census, massively failing schools, poverty that won’t go away for nuttin, and overfunding the people who made it all possible to the tune of not being able to get rid of them. They are now the core pillars of our failing city, and they CAN’T make it work, they’re totally invested in he failure of Memphis, it makes real estate cheaper for foreign countries to sweep up, like Chins, only they aren’t successfully courting any Chinese employers to get any, so it’s just more blight.
At least the new mayor is making headway.
Anon 6:10, the next time you actually spend some time outside of this region, be sure to mention that you have 2 mayors and 2 councils that serve the same community and try to defend that form of government. You will quickly find that the source of laughter will not involve the word consolidation and you will do much to confirm that there are in fact sections of the south that are backwards. The comparison of an “old” and “new” Memphis hardly relates to whether either one of these places- being one in the same- should in fact be governed by two governments with overlapping responsibilities and services at the local level.
Perhaps another lengthy “analogy” utilizing a vast knowledge of Star Trek will help them understand.
Anon 9:43- I am pretty sure that SCM did not display a knee jerk reaction nor was the other opinion labeled as stupid. Instead they took the time to actually explain the reality of the economic and social relationship between the ‘burbs and the city which runs in opposition to Anon 6:10’s opinion or perception. Instead of using relevant facts and precedent, we got an analogy that used Star Trek as a basis for rejecting consolidation.
Maybe the anons will enjoy this instead: the opinion was made that the “center city” has in fact reformed around the intersection of Poplar and Ridgeway giving us an “old” and “new” Memphis – an interesting notion and one that has in fact been discussed on this site before (but has nothing to do with consolidation). Sticking to that comparison, do you believe it is possible and/or healthy for the overall body when one person within a set of conjoined twins passes away?
The Atlanta metro area contains a 7 member fulton county commission, an Atlanta mayor, a Dekalb County CEO, a city of Decatur Commission and Manager, and is surrounded by many many other counties and municipalities. They seem to be doing ok. Its not how many folks you have governing you, its how well they do it. Atlanta thrived because a long long time ago its leaders decided to be responsible and visionary, not because it consolidated. Consolidated governments are in the minority in this country. Atlanta is just one of many examples that proves that an area does not need to be consolidated to be successful. Neither does this one. It needs leaders.
“Anon 6:10, the next time you actually spend some time outside of this region, be sure to mention that you have 2 mayors and 2 councils that serve the same community and try to defend that form of government.”
I could not think of something other people could care less about to bring up in conversation.
“You will quickly find that the source of laughter will not involve the word consolidation”
I am just letting you know what folks in the ‘burbs’ think of the word consolidation. They laugh at it, they do not take it seriously because the folks proposing it can not put together a serious proposal / plan that gives a road map for how things will get better.
“and you will do much to confirm that there are in fact sections of the south that are backwards.”
I am not sure the jab at the South and how these sections are backwards… Might I ask if you have lived outside the region?
“The comparison of an “old” and “new” Memphis hardly relates to whether either one of these places- being one in the same- should in fact be governed by two governments with overlapping responsibilities and services at the local level.”
Just making the point that the Memphis I hear being fought over on this site is ‘old’ Memphis and does not represent the new business core.
“Perhaps another lengthy “analogy” utilizing a vast knowledge of Star Trek will help them understand.”
Just a cut and paste on Wikipedia. What made me think of it was the lawsuit filed a day or two ago citing the consolidation vote being illegal. It made me think of an old star trek episode where the Borg assimilated everyone no matter what they wanted to do. Sorry to inject brevity into the conversation.
“Anon 9:43- I am pretty sure that SCM did not display a knee jerk reaction nor was the other opinion labeled as stupid.”
He did. Reread it (and no, that was a different anon that said that).
“Instead they took the time to actually explain the reality of the economic and social relationship between the ‘burbs and the city which runs in opposition to Anon 6:10′s opinion or perception.”
All I hear are opinions or idealistic utopias that will be created.
“Instead of using relevant facts and precedent, we got an analogy that used Star Trek as a basis for rejecting consolidation.”
After months of reading the site I have yet to see any relevant facts.
“Sticking to that comparison, do you believe it is possible and/or healthy for the overall body when one person within a set of conjoined twins passes away”
Not sure I get your analogy.
“The Atlanta metro area contains a 7 member fulton county commission, an Atlanta mayor, a Dekalb County CEO, a city of Decatur Commission and Manager, and is surrounded by many many other counties and municipalities. They seem to be doing ok. Its not how many folks you have governing you, its how well they do it. Atlanta thrived because a long long time ago its leaders decided to be responsible and visionary, not because it consolidated. Consolidated governments are in the minority in this country. Atlanta is just one of many examples that proves that an area does not need to be consolidated to be successful. Neither does this one. It needs leaders.”
I would just add, the horrible commutes that formed from sprawl drove a lot of infill into Atlanta. As you noted, there is nothing consolidated about Atlanta Metro Government.
Just plain anonymous:
We’ve mapped out our opinions on consolidation for five years, complete with statistics, comparisons, etc. We didn’t see the reason to recap them all here since most readers know them well by now. You can always search, consolidation, if you’d really like to know the facts.
The Atlanta analogy doesn’t hold water. What makes Memphis and Shelby County different than most city-county governments – and why consolidation makes so much sense here – is because the two, mirror-image, 6,000+ employee governments overlap services. In most places, one of the governments, usually the county government, plays the minor role with only the basic county services mandated by law.
Also, in Atlanta, there is the constant stream of new jobs and talented young workers to power the economy. Not only do we not have these – we are losing both in record numbers – but the negative trends are quickening.
Trying to justify a government structure that clearly does not work seems a mere rhetorical exercise, because anyone looking at the comparisons, particularly the cost of government here that is significantly higher than consolidated governments for our size community.
Quick question about consolidation…
What possible legal standing would the Memphis City Schools Charter have seeing the City of Memphis has been dissolved?
Do you think the school systems would be challenged legally and could maintain autonomy under the new charter?
Next question…
Do you believe Memphis could cut the budget 25% by consolidating? Seriously?
Anon 6:10:
Memphis City Schools charter is independently created as a special school district by state law and consolidation does not change that status.
It’s not about Memphis cutting its budget by 25%. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the Memphis tax rate is the same that it was in 1993. It’s county government’s tax rate that is climbing and its costs escalating.
Remember: It’s not about cutting the costs of Memphis city government by 25%. It’s about cutting the overall costs of local government (city and county) by 25%, and there’s no reason that the decrease in the combined budgets shouldn’t be at least 25%.
What are the budgets?
What are the actual overlaps and their related costs per year?
Is the new oversight of the current government including mandatory thorough performance reviews with he ability to remove under-performers, unnecessary duplication, unneeded warm bodies, do-nothings, time thieves, resource thieves, material thieves, and possibly money saved by the re-administration of retirement and insurance packages, less than, equal to, or, greater than consolidation would bring?
How would we be able to ensure that those things happen without a new charter and consolidation?
Anyone who has been taking pot shots at consolidation without putting forth any solutions for these known wastes of money just “isn’t real”, kinda like the shoved up our nose by the LOCAL media that no one will vote for consolidation.
Bullcrap!
Nobody thought that we’d ever see the end of Willie H. either, but when our people saw that he was not helping anyone but himself and making it easier for our less desirable people to control us with bizarre schemes, his butt was finished. Things are getting better.
Either come up with something better, solutions, compete with some intellectual capital or prepare to be dismissed.
People who shoot down ideas and plans to make things better without coming up with better ideas aren’t playing devil’s advocate, they are what’s known as “bleacher bit•hers”.
Anon- the reason I suggested you mention our system of government to someone from outside the region is it has apparently been a hot topic at your recent backyard social events. However, you missed the point. Try deciding how one would go about explaining we have two governmental bodies that supply overlapping services and representation for the same communities and how this is in fact a good and efficient system of government. Throughout your lengthy response, you still failed to support how such a system of government is in fact a preferable model but dodged the topic several times. The facts have been offered plenty of times. Please go back and read through the archives.
Yes I have lived outside this region- most recently Manhattan (the Upper West side to be specific). I wouldn’t expect you to get such an analogy- perhaps if they were guest star/ alien conjoined twins?
If SCM’s response represent knee jerking then it must be catching because I believe your knee is experiencing a spasm of its own.
Anon 5:09
Re: Atlanta situation without consolidation.
The Georgia legislature created the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) in 1998 with state funding and powers over land development in the Atlanta metropolitan area. GRTA can buy land using eminent domain, deny local governments funds from state and federal governments, and halt certain real estate projects. This regional government is an attempt to reduce congestion and air pollution caused by fragmented decision-making among competing local governments in the absence of consolidation.
You are correct that Atlanta grew to where it is without consolidation and Memphis grew to where it is without consolidation. The difference: Atlanta was bailed out by the State of Georgia when suburban growth was hurting the metropolitan area’s quality of life.
Yes, the GRTA has done a great job keeping congestion down in the ATL.
But Atlanta does not seem to have been held back because it has multiple governmental bodies offering many of the same services, multiple voices re economic development, etc. Why, one of its suburbs – Gwinnett county – has long been one of the fastest growing counties around. You don’t need consolidation to be successful. You need leadership.
Are we talking about the same “healthy” Atlanta that had to turn to the state just 6 years ago (during a period of prosperity) in order to finance the overhaul of a sewage system that was flirting with failure?
Are we also talking about the same “healthy” Atlanta that prompted this article in the AJC: http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/georgia-often-sneers-as-165972.html
The article highlights the extreme budgetary issues that occur when only 1 out of 10 in a metro area actually live within the city limits and thus are forced to bear the financial burden to support the services of a central city that serves as the hub for a region of 5.4 million. I was making sure that we are talking about the same “healthy” Atlanta.
Atlanta is not trouble free. It has issues just like any other city. It has bigger problems, in fact, than we do because it somehow grew bigger even without consolidation. But what it doesn’t have is people claiming that consolidation is a silver bullet to make its big problems disappear.
As we mentioned earlier, the delineation between city and county services in Atlanta is clear rather than the overlapping services and duplication that exists here.
Cities like Atlanta are successful economically because they are major magnets for 25-34 year-old college-educated people. We’re not, and the trend line is getting even worse and picking up speed. We have to change the trajectory here, and if we leave everything as it is, we are competing with Shreveport and Monroe (read today’s post). We have to do something dramatic to shake things up, send a different message about Memphis to the rest of the country, and become the 11th largest city in the U.S., which automatically gets us on the list for many business expansions.
Do you really think that businesses that wouldn’t come here today would come here tomorrow simply because overnight we were put on a list as the 11th largest city?
Anonymous: If we’re not on the list now because a company is only interested in the 15 largest cities, yes, it does make a difference. We still have to sell ourselves, but at least we get considered, which often doesn’t happen now. Louisville says that by moving up the list of largest cities, it has received many more inquiries.
So we are going to consolidate so we can get more inquiries? That makes for a sexy pro consolidation slogan.
Well, while some are looking for a “sexy” slogan, there are those who realize that the current rate of failure where the entire region is concerned has us competing with places like Shreveport for “quality” individuals and opportunities. I think there are some that are either so ignorant, lazy or are simply afraid of anything that could resemble a change in equation they would instead prefer to do nothing- fiddle as Rome burns.
Someone quoted the mayor of Louisville as saying:
“You can’t be the suburb of Nowhere.”
Anonymous:
And we’re not going to consolidate because we like languishing at the bottom in economic indicators?
Nut – there’s that winning strategy. Vote with me, or you are ignorant, lazy or afraid! After all, we will get more inquiries!
No wonder the county is replete with signs against this thing. And before you call all county residents selfish or racist or stupid or whatever insult you will use this time, let’s not forget that there are plenty of folks in town against it too.
Its pretty amazing how when you push a pro consolidation person enough, their argument devolves into – you are a racist, selfish idiot. And that’s why the measure will never win.
Back to the point of this post: the major daily newspaper has done a mediocre job of covering this issue, and that’s inarguable whether you’re for or against it. Great newspapers are the mediators and the conveners of the conversations that matter for their cities. That hasn’t taken place here.
Here’s the one incontrovertible fact: We are failing as a region (yes, the region) – and at an increasingly faster rate – when it comes to loss of income, jobs, talent, and population. As the post today points out, we are not in the league with Nashville. We’re in the league with Shreveport.
The present system gives us Shreveport, but we can do better. We have to do better. Doing the same and expecting different results is, oh, well, you know the rest.
Re the CA – no doubt.
Look, the nashville comparison has serious problems. First, no one can say with any certainty that out of the many factors, it was consolidation that really pushed them over the edge. You can’t even really pinpoint a range of how much credit to give consolidation. Nashville is the capital, its protected by the legislature, given special attention, etc. And they consolidated years and years ago. Meanwhile, Herenton took about a 10 year nap from really caring about anything except the Grizzlies and the voters turned the city council over to a confederacy of dunces. And it was their consolidation and our lack of it that made the difference? Let’s be honest. Apples and oranges.
All former mayors and business leadership in Nashville say it was the government structure that was the pivotal change that they made that turned the city around. When they passed consolidation and we voted it down, they were much smaller and our taxes were lower. Now they’re 25% bigger and their taxes are 75% lower.
In fact, one former mayor said folks in Nashville always said, Thank God, Memphis never got its governmental house in order because it gave them such a competitive advantage.
The averaged cost of government in Nashville, Louisville, Jacksonville, and Indianapolis is more than 25% less than our own. We are paying a heavy price for duplication, added bureaucracy and waste. And it’s not city government that’s driving up costs and taxes. It’s the county government.
What’s the real downside of trying something different?
Instead of consolidation, isn’t there a way for Collierville and Germantown to form their own county? The rest of the northern towns could do the same. I think that vote would pass.
That way you wouldn’t have two mayors.
Why do I keep thinking that Anonymous is Tom Gulef? Is it because he has the same arguments on 5 different web sites with half truths, distortions and meaningless statements made to sound like consolidation is an evil plot and that its supporters are elitists.
So just out of curiosity —
In a few days, when consolidation fails, what are all of you pro-consolidation folks going to do? You’ve spent months and months talking Memphis down, making it clear that consolidation is absolutely necessary for Memphis to ever have a chance of being anything worthwhile at all. When the votes are counted, and consolidation is over and finished for another two decades–as it will be–are you all going to throw in the towel? Or are you going to work to make Memphis better?
I ask because it is my opinion–and only my opinion–that the pro-consolidation forces have done quite a bit to tarnish Memphis’ image, particularly its image of self. You’ve made it clear that Memphis is horrible, worthless, and that consolidation is the only chance of salvation. But now the writing is on the wall. Consolidation is going to fail.
What are you going to do?
When you can’t figure out how the opposition to consolidation listens, you can’t speak into it and they can’t hear you if you don’t.
Either we aren’t listening, or, they aren’t.
Stalemate.
Anon- that is my opinion and I am not too concerned about convincing you to support consolidation seeing as you had already made you decision before even entering into this exchange. The reason that I used that specific set of adjectives is not because anyone pushed me too far, it simply the opinion I have of the majority of those who oppose the measure based on two points:
1) The majority of those who have informed me they are against consolidation have not bothered to read the charter.
2) The majority of those who have informed me they oppose consolidation have not been able to defend the existing system nor can they arrive an any alternate suggestions for how Memphis and this region can pull out of our economic nose dive.
Thus not one single person that plans to vote against the charter has been able to defend the existing system or critique the charter for specific innate weaknesses on this site on in person. Perhaps you are the one, so please proceed to defend your stance which means you must defend the existing system of government.
If you can, you will prove that you do not deserve any one of the three labels. You do not have to convince me, you just need to be able to show that you opinion is not in some way a knee jerk reaction to any sort of proposed change to the status quo. Be prepared to defend your examples and your sources. As SCM has illustrated, referring to Atlanta simply means that one does not really understand the relaitonship between Atlanta and Fulton County.
Anon 3:24
I think we may have found a common thread. You are correct. Herenton’s sleeping at the wheel (or worse depending on who is giving the description) did irreparable damage to this city and region. However, the economic timeline indicates that the city and region had begun its noticeable decline before that administration. The trend was already evident during Hackett’s administration and had in fact begun before even he took office.
Hindsight always being in such clarity suggests that stronger leadership during that period would have allowed for smaller course corrections to avoid the socioeconomic quicksand in which we find ourselves. Missed opportunities. Now we are to a point that a massive change to the equation is necessary. We need big bold moves in order to really see those indicators start inching upwards.
As for Not- Admitting the reality of the city’s economic and social state does not tarnish the city’s image- it simply acknowledges what is in the mirror. It’s not all negative, but our beauty marks do not somehow balance the extreme trauma that is causing us to bleed out. I know, at least for the time being I will work with what I have in the areas I can best serve to make the biggest difference I can. However, it will be with the knowledge that those efforts are handicapped by those who in fact prefer the current state of the city and region to other potential realities. Some of us are simply unwilling to accept “the way it’s always been” or the “status quo” when the status quo is an increasing city and metropolitan poverty rate, a community that is either unable or does not care to try to attract and retain college educated citizens and a place where the built environment is regarded with such little respect which borders on contempt.
Sorry about all of that- it really is not on topic with the post. The fact that these conversations are still occurring and that there is so much misinformation and so many vague talking points out there only reinforces the charge that the CA has failed the metropolitan area miserably where this issue is concerned. Perhaps that is a point with which we can all agree.
Not That Anonymous posted the most intriguing question (challenge) on this subject in a long, long time. I’d really like to a response from SCM and his like minded cohorts.
I think he is correct in his assessment. The pro-consolidation group has done more to debase Memphians and Shelby Countians than anything Herneton said or did while serving as mayor. Your campaign went negative from the moment you pronounced “there is no other option” because that is simply, irrational and a disservice to the people have come to rely upon your commentary.
Germantown and Collierville 2 of the best suburbs in the nation? I live in Germantown, and while it is a pleasant and nice place to reside, I’d have to say you haven’t been around much if you think that.
The charter is DOA, that’s apparent. More importantly in my view, it would be nice if the suburbs would at long last admit that their fate is tied to the fate of Memphis irrevocably and closely, and that is in their best interests to help Memphis prosper; if companies leave, don’t expand or locate here, who the hell is going to live in all those $500k houses in Collierville? No suburb is an island, we’re all going to have to work together to improve things, and unless you have an exit plan to depart soon(and I’m sure some of you do, in that case, you’re completely irrelevant to the conversation in the first F#cking place b/c you don’t care whether things really get better here) we all have a vested interest in turning Memphis around, even if it costs us something to get it done.
Anyone hear Dr. Kenneth Jackson speak last night at MUS? If not you missed an interesting series of discussions which apply directly to issues raised on this blog…
Mary- would you prefer instead to ignore the trend data? The facts are portraying this city, county and region in a negative light. Maybe that’s one of the problems, too many in this area choose to ignore the socioeconomic realities of the region. There are those who chose to accept reality and work from there and there are those who would prefer to ignore it or simply “hope” things work themselves out. I for one will choose action over listless and lazy inaction every day.
I already stated my stance should the consolidation measure fail to pass. I would like to add that if the measure fails it will not suddenly cause a reversal in all those pesky facts and indicators such as the ever increasing degree of poverty found in the Memphis metro, the departure of those with the most potential from this region and it will do nothing to alter the existing governmental landscape. It will also do nothing to alter the fact that each and everyone of these issues (and many more) are directly interrelated and failure to address them with actual action is to support them or at least accept them as part of one’s unalterable reality.
And maybe, just maybe, when it does fail we can finally start addressing those actual problems instead of pretending that somehow consolidation will solve them all for us.