Is there anything good about Memphis? (Midtown: middle-class, apartments, credit)

[Kabluey]

Originally Posted by tigergal

This is always what puzzles me. I cannot stand Herenton for all the reasons mentioned above (plus the way he ran the city schools into the ground before becoming mayor). I'm frequently told I just dislike him because he's black. That's just plain silly. I'm crazy about AC Wharton who is also black. It would stand to reason that if skin color were my issue with a person, I'd have that issue with both of them, wouldn't I?

I always wonder about the need for people to label other's views as racially-driven instead of accepting that they quite possibly just disagree.

In the beginning, I was concerned about WW. Then, he went on a roll, a lot of efforts to really push Memphis forward. Then he just went nuts. I can admit I recognized that effort in the middle, and appreciate it to this day. I hope others who want Memphis to pursue its potential can at least acknowledge that future mayors should at least continue that portion of his tenure in office (and not others). The portion I'm thinking about is the vision he had for a future Memphis. If future mayors can think outside of the box while also improving on things that Herenton neglected or underdelivered, we have boatloads of reasons for optimism. Herenton was far from perfect, and his arrogance compromises appreciation for some of the good things he's done. I think people think in black and white not so much in skin color, but good and bad. They can't analyze Herenton and say, well, he did x, y, and z differently than prior mayors, and that was good, but he did a, b, and c, and those things hurt the city. It's he did a, b, and c, and he is evil, and x, y, and z either never existed in their mind, or they trivialize those achievements to nonexistence; or they demonize the achievements by imputing ulterior motives behind them (he doesn't REALLY believe in the future in Memphis, he just wanted great pr).

What must continue: pursuit of big dreams and big projects. The pursuits of IP, Service Master, Nucor, Toyota, the NBA, AAA baseball, pro boxing, the VMAs, the Grammy Hall of Fame, Smithsonian Rock and Soul, Gibson plant, St. Jude expansion, Le Bonheur expansion, Stax resurrection. These are each worthwhile pursuits. [edit: particularly worthwhile in light of the string of disappointments that threatened to trap the city in a psychological trap of perpetual low-self esteem (losing AA baseball, Riverkings moving to Desoto, no state support for stadium upgrades to NFL level, state support for new NFL stadium for Nashville, NFL in Nashville)]. Heck, the mention of Memphis pursuing the Olympics was great, even though it may never happen. When was the last mayor who painted a picture like that for Memphis? I was just so relieved that finally someone in my lifetime had huge dreams for the city I love. Restored the necessity of high expectations even if we might fail every now and then. We used to be so afraid to even try. These pursuits paint Memphis as an aggressive city demanding that it possess the amenities and attractions worthy of a city of its history and potential. We weren't perfect. But we can no longer be challenged with a defeatist attitude. We have to possess a resilience that marks successful entrepreneurs -- it's ok to fail if the pursuits are worthy. We have to inspire future generations that Memphis is worth dreaming about. We have to vaccinate ourselves from the infection of low standards, expectations, and complacency. Of course we have to improve education and crime, but it's not an either-or thing. We don't have to sacrifice big goals, and a world-class potential to improve on basic services. I think that was perhaps Herenton's lasting and maybe only positive legacy. And a lot of the regression in his reputation was self-inflicted.

This is not to diminish the necessity of improving education and crime. But to counter the hidden arguments throughout the city that insinuate that we should sort of cower back in our hole and that everything Herenton has done has been horrible. Not true. But he should not be re-elected. It's time for a change. But whoever replaces him must continue to inspire the city and region to compete with the major cities in the country and the world, and not regress into itself. We should never again be in that place where we are so gun-shy we won't try to pursue big projects. I don't want that atmosphere for my city. Memphis needs to stay at the forefront in the areas where it's either been a leader or been a visible competitor for projects.

[iluvmem]

I have been reluctant to respond to any more messages on this board because of the narrow-mindedness of many of the posters. While it is great to expound upon that which you know, in your own opinion, it does our city a great disservice when opinions are expressed which have NO basis in fact. It also does our potential visitors a disservice.

With that in mind, I would like to applaud Kabluey's fact-based, non-opinionated, unskewed view of the direction of our city. I, too, appreciate what Herenton has done for our city in past years, and I too wish he would just step aside. He reminds me of an aging athlete who feels he has " a few more good years in him", but in reality is going downhill rapidly. Corruption????

[iluvmem]

unfinished post from above......I can't remember any corruption the mayor was involved in, but I won't soon forget his arrogance. And as for his baby-mama? She was 31 when the child was born, not 20.

[crystalblue]

do y'all feel like memphis is headed in the right direction then?

[Pearlbob]

31, 20, whatever. Not his wife and half his age.

[Pearlbob]

Herenton cut the school budget by a TON a while back. You can put all the new restaurants, museums, NBA teams, etc in this town, but when the schools don't have enough money to pay teachers or educate the children, the city will never get better. It all revolves back to that. Uneducated kids create adults who commit crime, can't get jobs, and don't have money to spend on restaurants, museums, and NBA teams.

I have never understood what the problem is here, that so many things are developed for adults, things to do, improvements to the city...yet no one seems to understand the fact that we're still graduating 70% of our kids and even then, they graduate with an equilvalent of a 6th grade education. That should be Memphis' main concern right now. Not developing the riverfront, making Graceland better, creating more tourism. That's great that people want to visit here for a week and see Graceland and Beale, but that does nothing for the continual education, poverty, and crime problems we have.

[defiepilex]

i hate that people get in a huge fuss over someone in a position of authority fathering a child outside of wedlock. WHO CARES?????!!!!! how does that affect me??

[Pearlbob]

That a man who has a one night stand with a girl 1/2 his age, and then she comes out on the news 9 months later claiming he is the dad....that man is not representative of "me" and my standards. Not to mention his education cuts, which is the main reason I don't like him.

[tomterr]

Originally Posted by Pearlbob

That a man who has a one night stand with a girl 1/2 his age, and then she comes out on the news 9 months later claiming he is the dad.....

This IS reflective of community standards, in a community where "babies daddies", and "babies mammas" is the norm, and not the exception. These episodes help to solidify Willie's support, it shows "he is no better than the rest of us."

Of course no one has mentioned how he took control of MLG&W which was one of the nation's best run utilities and turned it into one of the most corrupt, wasteful utilities in the country whis is subject to federal investigation for said corruption, and for overcharging customers, while giving away utility service to his political cronies.

[Pearlbob]

Tomkerr...exactly! It has become such the norm here that people don't even blink an eye when things like that come up. "Oh there goes Willie again, having more babies at age 63 with more random women...." If that's his moral lifestyle, than he is NOT better than me. Or the same.

And good point on MLGW. We just need a new mayor. I wasn't in Memphis decades ago, but from what people say, politicians like this are not a new thing. I think people have become accustomed to it, and dont' realize how much better things could be. (just like with the schools....people say "oh...they are fine!" when if you have lived anywhere else in this country, it is apparent that the schools here are no where near being "fine."