Fifty Miles of Bicycle Lanes...Mr Mayor? (Memphis: 2014, health insurance)

[MrOtiose]

I

In 2010, Wharton pledged to build over fifty miles of bicycle lanes
and associated facilities in Memphis during his tenure. Memphis
had been named one of America's worst cities for cycling by
Bicycling magazine in 2008. The program resulted in the
completion of the Memphis Greenline, designation
of bike lanes throughout Memphis,
and plans for further expansion with the aid
of a $15 million federal grant.
Wharton hired the city's first Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator
in 2010. He created the city's Office of Talent and
Capital in 2010 in an effort to promote employment
in the city.
In September of 2013, a U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Foundation report recognized Memphis as a paradigm
for government focused on job creation, crime reduction,
and economic growth. The Chamber cited development
strategies created by Wharton's "Innovation Delivery Team"
in praising Memphis.
Wharton has been criticized
for awarding contracts to his friends underfunding
Memphis City Schools, underfunding the Memphis Police
Department and for cutting services for young people
and the elderly, while offering incentive packages
to corporate interests.
Wharton publicly disagreed with
the 2010 Forbes rating of Memphis
as Most Miserable City in America. By 2013, four years
into Wharton's tenure as mayor, Memphis had
disappeared from the Forbes list entirely.

On June 17, 2014 the Memphis City
Council passed Wharton's budget
"that includes Mayor A C Wharton’s
plan to cut retiree and current employee
health benefits". Under Wharton's
budget current city employee's and retirees
(under the age of 65) (including Police and Fire)
will have an health increase premium rate hike of
24%. City Retiree's over the age of 65 now will
have to pay 100% of their health insurance premiums.
Recent city budget cuts, left the police and fire ranks
depleted, and now even more are looking to flee the city.