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Old 01-29-2014, 02:15 PM
 
433 posts, read 844,466 times
Reputation: 279

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After a year of living in Memphis here is my question: What is the long term plan? I normally do not agree with Wendi Thomas articles in the commercial appeal but this one was one of her better ones Wendi C. Thomas: Memphis' weak bus system creates 2-hour trip to $9 an hour low-skilled jobs » The Commercial Appeal

According to the 2010 census Memphis is 64% Black and 7% Latino. That is a total of 71% of the population. The majority of those two groups have either a diploma or are not high school graduates. Most can only work low skilled low wages jobs and are not prepared for the technological jobs of the futue. Also of the White population in the city outside of Cordova, East Memphis, Mid-Town, and Downtown the same applies to most of them. So lets just say about 85% of the population is made up of under educated low skill workers. What future do you think Memphis has with these kinds of numbers? What can be done to fix these serious problems? It seems as if the politicans and well to do in the city only care about bickering about confederate memorials, school segregation (like it is still the 1960's), or gentrifying and redeveloping downtown and mid-town. It seems they are ignoring the elephant in the room. Memphis historically and continues today to attract under educated low skill African American workers from the Mississippi delta, Arkansas, West Tennessee, and rural Kentucky. Cities like Atlanta on the otherhand attract low skill workers and educated workers. Also there are many Universities in the area that draw young Black and White talented to people and they stay afterwards. Memphis has one major University and that is U of M.

This is the biggest issue facing Memphis because low skilled under educated people do not contribute much to the economy, do not pay high property taxes meaning bad schools and loss of city revenue. No money circulating in the economy means smaller cities like Salt Lake City, Utah have light rail and Memphis does not. You have a serious problem when your schools are so bad that hundreds are willing to wait days in freezing temperature just to get a spot in a couple of optional schools. No where else in America does this. Last with the latest discussions of the budget and the mayor's state of the union address he wants to cut more community centers, libraries, etc... to a city with no other places to use computers or other forms of technology. So what is the solution? What can be done? Because if not Memphis will turn into Detroit with the Shelby county suburbs and Desoto becoming like Oakland and Macomb county in Michigan.

New Orleans faced a similar crisis but a natural disaster fixed their problem. After Katrina many of the under educated and low skilled workers left with many going to Baton rouge. In turn an influx of young talent educated people poured into the city to rebuild and remained. So New Orleans recieved a face lift. Barring some massive earthquake on the new madrid fault line I doubt we will get something like that. So what is our long term plan?
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Old 01-30-2014, 12:10 AM
 
433 posts, read 844,466 times
Reputation: 279
Some long-term solutions in my humble opinion:
1. We are going to need some more young hipster Whites to gentrify other areas outside of Downtown and Mid-town. Maybe start with North Memphis since it is already close to Mid-Town.

2. Create a second major University in the area. Perhaps West Tennessee State University

3. Either extend I-22 from the Mississippi border on lamar all the way to the loop (This can be done by building an elevated portion through the industrial and business portions of lamar) or extend 385 past the 240 loop.

4. Give the freeways names so locals and transplants have simple reference points. For I-22 should be the Olive Branch freeway, 385 the Collierville freeway, Sam Cooper the Mid-Town freeway, 55 south Southaven freeway etc...

5. Create a research park like they have in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, Huntsville, Alabama, and Orlando, Florida. This will attract transplants from other regions for tech jobs. Also Memphis is strategically located at the crossroads of many major southern universities such as Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Alabama, Auburn, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, and Tennessee. A research park would attract grads. The research park would probably be best located near the Memphis/Collierville border. Adding workers in the tech fields will counter balance the uneducated low skill workers that make up the majority of people in Memphis proper.

6. Light Rail. At a bare minimum three lines. One from downtown to the airport and to hickory hill stopping near the collierville and Mississippi border. One from Downtown through midtown near the green line through to cordova. Lastly one going from Frayser/Millington border south to the Desoto county border near Southaven.

7. Mata needs to become a regional metro bus service with routes to the shelby county suburbs, Desoto county, and West Memphis, Arkansas.

8. ELECT A YOUNGER MAYOR. Our mayor is old and not a good look for a city trying portray it self as a young progressive city.
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Old 01-30-2014, 07:47 AM
 
473 posts, read 791,659 times
Reputation: 408
To respond to some of your points:

1. Gentrification is an interesting topic. Generally to draw the types you have suggested, you need unique architecture. Therefore, much of the post-WWII suburban housing will likely never be much of a draw. Also, genrtification can often times drive out long-time residents so it is something that needs approched cautiously. However, I do like the idea of spreading the wealth out. One thing still killing life inside Memphis city limits are the taxes. When I return to Shelby County, I will likely end up outside of Memphis to avoid the insane property taxes.

2. Is the UofM turning away droves of students? If not, then I am not sure how adding a 2nd university will really make much of a difference. Plus, Memphis does have numerous other institutions of higher learning.

3. I like this idea.

4. I don't really see how giving the highways different names will make much of a difference.

5. Drawing in skilled workers is always a good idea.

6. Agreed. Here in STL, while the buses still generally are utilized by lower income residents, people of all economic classes use the Metrolink to go downtown for sporting events and other activities.

7. While that would be nice, we need to sort out what we already have before expanding much.

8. While I agree that a younger mayor may be helpful, Wharton was primarily elected due to his success in the county. However, the county is a pretty smooth running ship and I think many people have realized that even Wharton has been unable to change deeply entrenched Memphis city government problems as quickly as expected.
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Old 01-30-2014, 08:12 AM
 
188 posts, read 369,699 times
Reputation: 234
Still not sure why anyone expected anything different from AC than Herenton. AC is just Willie light.
Most educated people with any wealth realize they are nothing more than a cash cow to this city as their tax dollars are sucked away and put into trying to shore up the rotting core of the city. Young upwardly mobile professionals see the city as the Titanic and move to better run neighboring cities.
The city is deeply in debt yet when they try to do anything about it those used to the handouts scream bloody murder.
If AC has any cojones and cares he will shove real change down the throats of the city unions and not care about the next election. I'm afraid though he sees himself being carried out in a pine box though so we are stuck with his mismanagement until that day.
When Herenton told the people that were tired of his mismanagement to move way too many took him up on it. We are left now with an overwhelmingly poor and uneducated voting block that will run this city into the abyss.
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Old 01-30-2014, 07:25 PM
 
13,336 posts, read 39,700,756 times
Reputation: 10760
Quote:
Originally Posted by SippiStateBulldogs View Post
Some long-term solutions in my humble opinion:
1. We are going to need some more young hipster Whites to gentrify other areas outside of Downtown and Mid-town. Maybe start with North Memphis since it is already close to Mid-Town.
Why does it have to be hipster whites?

Quote:
Originally Posted by SippiStateBulldogs View Post
2. Create a second major University in the area. Perhaps West Tennessee State University
Where are the students for a second major university supposed to come from? The U of Memphis already accepts just about anyone who applies for admission yet its enrollment has been stagnant for the last 30 years. Is the state supposed to build a huge university and 20,000 students will magically show up from out of nowhere? And where will that money come from to build this second major university? There is nothing wrong with having "just" a high school diploma--as long as that diploma means something, and as long as the holder of that diploma is willing to work hard. Memphis public high schools, unfortunately, are churning out graduates who can't function in the real world, don't know how to work, and hold worthless diplomas. There will never be a need for another university in Memphis until its K-12 schools improve dramatically.

Quote:
Originally Posted by SippiStateBulldogs View Post
3. Either extend I-22 from the Mississippi border on lamar all the way to the loop (This can be done by building an elevated portion through the industrial and business portions of lamar) or extend 385 past the 240 loop.
This would cost a fortune, but it's still a good idea.

Quote:
Originally Posted by SippiStateBulldogs View Post
4. Give the freeways names so locals and transplants have simple reference points. For I-22 should be the Olive Branch freeway, 385 the Collierville freeway, Sam Cooper the Mid-Town freeway, 55 south Southaven freeway etc...
What difference would that make? That's a very West Coast kind of thing. No other city in this part of the country does that. Charlotte, Nashville, Raleigh, and Atlanta still refer to their freeways by their designated numbers, and it certainly hasn't hurt those cities grow.

Quote:
Originally Posted by SippiStateBulldogs View Post
5. Create a research park like they have in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, Huntsville, Alabama, and Orlando, Florida. This will attract transplants from other regions for tech jobs. Also Memphis is strategically located at the crossroads of many major southern universities such as Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Alabama, Auburn, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, and Tennessee. A research park would attract grads. The research park would probably be best located near the Memphis/Collierville border. Adding workers in the tech fields will counter balance the uneducated low skill workers that make up the majority of people in Memphis proper.
This is a good idea. Memphis is already kind of trying to do this in the medical district partnered with the U.T. medical school. However, I seriously doubt the states of Arkansas and Mississippi have any desire to spend their public dollars developing a research park in Tennessee.

Quote:
Originally Posted by SippiStateBulldogs View Post
6. Light Rail. At a bare minimum three lines. One from downtown to the airport and to hickory hill stopping near the collierville and Mississippi border. One from Downtown through midtown near the green line through to cordova. Lastly one going from Frayser/Millington border south to the Desoto county border near Southaven.
Also a good idea. Frightfully expensive, but still a good idea.

Quote:
Originally Posted by SippiStateBulldogs View Post
7. Mata needs to become a regional metro bus service with routes to the shelby county suburbs, Desoto county, and West Memphis, Arkansas.
Excellent idea. Getting DeSoto County and Crittenden County to participate will be a long shot, unfortunately.

Quote:
Originally Posted by SippiStateBulldogs View Post
8. ELECT A YOUNGER MAYOR. Our mayor is old and not a good look for a city trying portray it self as a young progressive city.
Memphians have a history of voting for lousy politicians.
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Old 01-30-2014, 10:07 PM
 
Location: Seattle
7,497 posts, read 17,100,431 times
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JMT's final comment is the only thing that has mattered in this thread. I'm not trying to sound flippant (the idea of extending 78 at the loop to I-22 is a GREAT idea, and the Medical Center transitioning into a research park of a national calibre is a wonderful goal for Memphis), but without the leaders, we ain't got nothin.

Simply put, too many people are voting for Janice Fullilove and Joe Brown because of name recognition. These are some of the DUMBEST people I have ever seen. Seriously. They only want the power, prestige and connection that being a Memphis "leader" comes with - not dramatically improving the lots of the citizens they supposedly represent.
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Old 01-31-2014, 12:27 PM
 
139 posts, read 309,063 times
Reputation: 143
Quote:
Originally Posted by JMT View Post
Why does it have to be hipster whites?



Where are the students for a second major university supposed to come from? The U of Memphis already accepts just about anyone who applies for admission yet its enrollment has been stagnant for the last 30 years. Is the state supposed to build a huge university and 20,000 students will magically show up from out of nowhere? And where will that money come from to build this second major university? There is nothing wrong with having "just" a high school diploma--as long as that diploma means something, and as long as the holder of that diploma is willing to work hard. Memphis public high schools, unfortunately, are churning out graduates who can't function in the real world, don't know how to work, and hold worthless diplomas. There will never be a need for another university in Memphis until its K-12 schools improve dramatically.



This would cost a fortune, but it's still a good idea.



What difference would that make? That's a very West Coast kind of thing. No other city in this part of the country does that. Charlotte, Nashville, Raleigh, and Atlanta still refer to their freeways by their designated numbers, and it certainly hasn't hurt those cities grow.



This is a good idea. Memphis is already kind of trying to do this in the medical district partnered with the U.T. medical school. However, I seriously doubt the states of Arkansas and Mississippi have any desire to spend their public dollars developing a research park in Tennessee.



Also a good idea. Frightfully expensive, but still a good idea.



Excellent idea. Getting DeSoto County and Crittenden County to participate will be a long shot, unfortunately.



Memphians have a history of voting for lousy politicians.
Thank you for your signature. Loose for lose absolutely drives me crazy...LOL.
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Old 02-03-2014, 10:33 PM
 
89 posts, read 112,766 times
Reputation: 489
I wonder what you do for a living.

I was born and raised in the Memphis area--young, black female who attended elite universities (not in Memphis). Two of the issues I see with Memphis going downhill are 1) Memphis employers do not care about education and 2) the lack of diverse and professional career opportunities. How much the two go hand in hand I'm not sure. But I do know that, 1) yes, a lot of people here are uneducated...2) the majority of the jobs here seem to be either warehouse or customer service jobs...and 3) the process of getting better jobs than these in Memphis has no rhyme or reason to it other than knowing the right people. Everyone I know here who currently wants to do more with his or her life than work crappy jobs or who has ever wanted that feels his/her best bet is to leave Memphis altogether. So that is what happens and will continue to happen with the educated people in the area. I know that right now if I could find a job elsewhere, I would be elsewhere. In fact, that is the only reason I ever move back to the Memphis area, along with affordability and family being here. I didn't have a ton of trouble finding a job in Chicago, for example, but I had trouble finding a job that paid all of my living expenses in such an expensive area while up there.

What Memphis could benefit from is the attraction of more professional businesses and the development of more professional businesses, and better hiring practices in these businesses. Getting a good job here shouldn't be so political. Hire people who have the proper background with good references and degrees. If need be, open the jobs up to out-of-state residents to bring in better-educated workers, but you also want to keep the educated people you do have around here who are looking to get out because they feel there is nothing here for them. The problem is not that there aren't enough educated workers here. Memphis runs off the educated people, plus many potentially educated workers leave the area to GET educated because they want more/better than the University of Memphis and Southwest TN Comm. Coll. And a good percentage of them never come back. Again, if there were more and better job opportunities here you would keep some of these educated workers and attract the ones who go out-of-state back, plus attract educated people who see potential in Memphis.
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Old 02-04-2014, 09:17 AM
 
680 posts, read 1,027,859 times
Reputation: 392
U of Memphis is doing pretty well. One of the best economic drivers for the Memphis area would be if the state started shoveling money into that institution (responsibly, of course).


Memphis has to attempt to market itself as a business magnet in fields that Nashville or Dallas don't already exploit. Higher education is flexible as it can more organically find those niches than if some politician just decides one morning to offer incentives for XYZ company.

Distribution and logistics are big here....there's some technology demands associated with that area that I think Memphis can exploit.
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Old 02-11-2014, 10:07 PM
 
482 posts, read 940,990 times
Reputation: 653
This is a good thread. Not to minimize the cities plight, but I just started watching Police women of Memphis and was shocked, but not afraid of what I saw...I really hope it can turn around because there is so much history in Memphis, and not just on Beale Street.
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