Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
But how does this figure into smart growth? The memphis area has an insane amount of sprawl without figuring any growth in Arkansas in. In my opinion one of Memphis' greatest assets is the continued rural/agricultural proximity that is north Shelby County and Fayette County.
Why Toronto’s casino proposals are so last century
"Make no mistake: Casinos are meticulously planned and designed to captivate. The lugubrious man cave with its dizzying jolts of neon and shrill slots is the classic, high-testosterone model. These days, Las Vegas also offers the casino hybrid, combining gambling with a strip joint, say, or a family-fun circus.
...
The problem with almost every other casino in the world is that it’s designed to be inward looking. Great cities pour people out of buildings and into streets and parks. But check the proposed mega-casino plan by Oxford Properties Group; once three office towers and the north convention centre are demolished, the developer proposes 22 acres of continuous underground convention space – underground is certainly not the way to activate windswept Front Street – with a park that stretches over the railway lines south of the convention centre, into a zone where people do not naturally flow.
...
A casino undermines everything we should value about city life. It’s a gamble we can’t afford to make."
Obviously, Memphis has not taken care of its region, they only take care of themselves. As the regional leader, Memphis supposed to a leadership position to make evry part of mid-south region growing. Unfortunately, that is not. What we see right now is Memphis is growing relative slow, but Mississippi grows extremely fast because they suck something from Memphis. They suck visitors, new comers, and everything. However, Arkansas side is in a depress condition?
Honestly, if Memphis makes great connection to Arkansas side. Memphis distance its self from Arkansas but get close to Mississippi. You can pick up a person and ask: Have you ever been to Southaven? Have you ever been to Marion. Most people will say they go to Southaven before, not Marion.
Obviously, does Southave really better than Marion a lot. No. The travel is longer and everything seems same to Marion.
I posted another post a long time on this board about what direction should new cross river bridge go? My plan is go through Frayser and cross the Mississippi River and reach the Marion, that will be another new booming for Memphis region. People will more prefer to move out of the tiny apartment in Mud Island to marion's hugh yard house. As long as Marion get benefit, that will be benefit to Memphis too, they will not suck everything such as the notorious Desoto Civic Center.
First of all as you've stated, sort of, some outlying suburban areas have acquired part of the city of Memphis' momentum and vitality by virtue of the fact that they are a simple distance down the road and over the state line where many can retreat from Tennessee and draw industry, jobs and some suburbanites away from the basic economy of the city and onto the tax rolls of Mississippi. The reason that this hasn't happened in neighboring Arkansas is more geographic than purposeful. One way or the other, the city of Memphis is not singularly responsible for its region as you implied. Due to some loss of a portion of the revenue producing population, primarily to said suburbs and the loss of revenue contribution which accompanies that, Memphis has its hands full funding education and infrastructure within its own area. Budgeting monies which are really not there planning for and "taking care of" of the region is clearly not feasible. That being said, we all should equally work together for the common good of the mostly like minded folks within our metro without the tactics and comments issued when the casino area attempted to draw the American Queen to the Delta, or when the illustrious Mayor of Southaven tried to lead the charge down at the Gulf Coast casino with a rant to divert tourists from Memphis by publicly portraying it as crime ridden and dangerous to stay in, while all those nice modern rooms were lined up over the state line in Missisippi in which to spend the night. We can be more cooperative and respectfull than that if we are going to co-exist economically in the same metro. At least Critenden County doesn't use those tactics, and maybe that respect will result in joint planning and benefit for both.
I completely agree. The cannibalisms of Memphis and Shelby County by Desoto County MS is sickening. It would be one thing if they actually brought new industry and jobs to the region for the overall growth of the Metro, but it seems like they just want to divert business and residents from Memphis and Shelby County. They are the great beneficiaries of many of the tax breaks that Memphis, SC, and the State of Tennessee give out to companies in order to have them bring jobs to the area (i.e. Electrolux, Mitsubishi, etc.). Memphis, SC, and the State of Tennessee spend millions of dollars in incentives while Desoto County and the State of MS gets a windfall from having a good percentage of the people who fill those new jobs deciding to live there since Desoto County is in such close proximity to the airport and major industrial areas of Memphis. Memphis, SC, and the state spend that money on incentives assuming that the cost will be recouped through the economic impact that the new jobs bring to Tennessee. I am not sure if the powers that be realize that a large portion of that economic impact is going across the state line. Once that money gets across the state line, it is not coming back to Tennessee. I am not sure what the contract language states in the incentive packages, but someone needs to strongly look into making sure that the incentives are closely tied to providing jobs to people who actually live in Tennessee; otherwise you are just giving money away to Mississippi. I think this is one of the major reasons why we have such a fractured metro. You have a major city in a state that has no income tax, bordered by two states that do have a state income tax and gladly accept the income tax from its residents that actually earn a living in Tennessee (and there are many). Residents in Desoto County would have you believe that they pay their way by shopping and spending money in Tennessee, but I would confidently say that there are probably more Tennesseans shopping and spending money in Desoto County than there are Desoto County residents shopping in Tennessee. I am confident about this due to the fact that many of the people who live in areas like Whitehaven and Hickory Hill do a lot of shopping in Desoto County because of the lower sales tax rate. It is also obvious that much of the development has shifted from Whitehaven to cities in Desoto County like Southaven and Olive Branch. So now, if people in Whitehaven want to go out to eat they normally head south of the border to MS since there are very few restaurants left in Whitehaven. Memphis is probably Desoto County's greatest source of jobs. You would think they would be grateful or at least be a cooperating partner with Memphis, but that is hardly the case. Sure, some Memphians also work in Desoto County but the numbers and salaries are far less and MS still gets state income tax from those workers who live in TN but work in MS. The state really needs to look into passing a law that requires anyone who works in Tennessee, but lives in a neighboring state that has a state income tax, to pay a privilege tax of some sort to get some of that money back in Tennessee's coffers
Ok. I know your conclusion. But, could you share your thought?
Nothing you said seemed to have anything to do with the actual topic (casino ban). The argument itself (Mississippi is sucking away jobs, so build another bridge to Arkansas) does not seem to support the conclusion that it will benefit Memphis. That's why I suggested it was a non-sequitur.
I completely agree. The cannibalisms of Memphis and Shelby County by Desoto County MS is sickening. It would be one thing if they actually brought new industry and jobs to the region for the overall growth of the Metro, but it seems like they just want to divert business and residents from Memphis and Shelby County. They are the great beneficiaries of many of the tax breaks that Memphis, SC, and the State of Tennessee give out to companies in order to have them bring jobs to the area (i.e. Electrolux, Mitsubishi, etc.). Memphis, SC, and the State of Tennessee spend millions of dollars in incentives while Desoto County and the State of MS gets a windfall from having a good percentage of the people who fill those new jobs deciding to live there since Desoto County is in such close proximity to the airport and major industrial areas of Memphis. Memphis, SC, and the state spend that money on incentives assuming that the cost will be recouped through the economic impact that the new jobs bring to Tennessee. I am not sure if the powers that be realize that a large portion of that economic impact is going across the state line. Once that money gets across the state line, it is not coming back to Tennessee. I am not sure what the contract language states in the incentive packages, but someone needs to strongly look into making sure that the incentives are closely tied to providing jobs to people who actually live in Tennessee; otherwise you are just giving money away to Mississippi. I think this is one of the major reasons why we have such a fractured metro. You have a major city in a state that has no income tax, bordered by two states that do have a state income tax and gladly accept the income tax from its residents that actually earn a living in Tennessee (and there are many). Residents in Desoto County would have you believe that they pay their way by shopping and spending money in Tennessee, but I would confidently say that there are probably more Tennesseans shopping and spending money in Desoto County than there are Desoto County residents shopping in Tennessee. I am confident about this due to the fact that many of the people who live in areas like Whitehaven and Hickory Hill do a lot of shopping in Desoto County because of the lower sales tax rate. It is also obvious that much of the development has shifted from Whitehaven to cities in Desoto County like Southaven and Olive Branch. So now, if people in Whitehaven want to go out to eat they normally head south of the border to MS since there are very few restaurants left in Whitehaven. Memphis is probably Desoto County's greatest source of jobs. You would think they would be grateful or at least be a cooperating partner with Memphis, but that is hardly the case. Sure, some Memphians also work in Desoto County but the numbers and salaries are far less and MS still gets state income tax from those workers who live in TN but work in MS. The state really needs to look into passing a law that requires anyone who works in Tennessee, but lives in a neighboring state that has a state income tax, to pay a privilege tax of some sort to get some of that money back in Tennessee's coffers
True.
It's not that Memphis is not taking care of the region. The Chamber has made it very clear that it is willing to assist Marion, Jackson, whomever to attract new industry, as they did with the prior Toyota pursuit.
Also, Mayor Wharton spoke in front of Desoto County twice, something his predecessor never did. And there has been announced regional collaboration efforts in the tri-state area united around the Mississippi.
In fact, I recall one regional organization awarding President's Island a grant for infrastructure improvement.
It's not a black-and-white situation (pardon the metaphor). Cannibalism has existed. And still does. But I think it is gradually changing. It is a shame that Tunica attempted to strongarm the American Queen into moving there and not having a stop in Memphis. Hopefully, Tunica realizes such cannibalistic tactics cost them. Hopefully, those tactics are reduced. I hope for the relationship where we all benefit from the Toyota plant. Where U of M, Ole Miss, even Arkansas State are top-tier universities benefiting the extended metro area. Where the Myriad is actually built, and the Chinese electric car plant finds traction.
The cutthroat tactics need to be aimed elsewhere. To our true competition. The Louisvilles, the Atlantas, the Birminghams, the Nashvilles, the Denvers, the ones seeking our destruction, seeking to poach our companies, our citizens. The civic competition for industry is remorseless. And we need to learn the same crafty yet predatory attitudes that have succeeded elsewhere. There will always still be room to be among the most charitable citizenry in the nation.
I heard on the news this pm that the state of TN has set up a commission to study the impact of allowing casinos in Shelby County. Hmmm it will be interesting to see what comes of this.
This sort of cannabalism is not unique to the Memphis area. Municipalities and states are constantly trying to outcompete each other in giving welfare to huge companies that neither need the money nor give two cents about the towns in which they operate. Meanwhile, the same towns and states are dead broke and are cutting back services and raising taxes on the general public. It's a supremely crooked game and the zillionnaires are laughing all the way to the bank.
Casinos in TN would be a great idea. A lot of money could be made for the state.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
