Mayor Herenton resigns effective 7-10-09 (Memphis, Bartlett: crime, neighborhoods, buy)

[strumpeace]

Originally Posted by thenuegeye

"hopefully a new mayor will be able to bring this city back up to where it should be and where it once was before '91."

Right. Let's turn Downtown back into a ghost town. I don't recall Memphis flourishing in the 80's. You could not have been here then.

Excellent, excellent point. Mayor Herenton has been a catalyst for Downtown revitalization. No matter what else is said about him, I wish people would be reasonable and recognize that a few good things have happened under his administration. (That doesn't mean I think his administration has been 'great' or even 'good' overall; it just means I think it's just as fair to credit him for the good he has done as it is to blame him for the bad.)

[Pearlbob]

Unfortunately it is hard to concentrate on the good things he has done when those things are extremely over-shadowed by his obnoxious and inappropriate behavior. Hopefully we can get a mayor in office who has good leadership, good ideas, and isn't a circus act.

[thenuegeye]

Name one candidate with those qualities. And don't say Wharton. He's a eunuch.

[firepower]

Originally Posted by thenuegeye

Name one candidate with those qualities. And don't say Wharton. He's a eunuch.

Jerry Lawler

[Pearlbob]

Is BB King too old? How about the Neelys? Could Elvis run? How about JT, he has that new golf course, I'm sure he'd be willing to try his hand at being the mayor too.

Originally Posted by thenuegeye

Name one candidate with those qualities. And don't say Wharton. He's a eunuch.

[TN-rox]

"Right. Let's turn Downtown back into a ghost town. I don't recall Memphis flourishing in the 80's. You could not have been here then."

I didnt mean the eighties, I was here, although you have to remember beale street, the peabody, and mud island all got in gear during the eighties. I really meant the entire history of memphis before 1991. It was a push to say that, I was just overwhelmed with him finally getting out. There were great strides in the nineties to improve downtown and had some to do with Herenton I agree with that.


"I'm not sure what "mess" the new mayor would have to deal with either. I'm no fan of Herenton but please, don't make up things. "

So im making it up that Memphis is one of the most dangerous cities in the nation? Personally, I would call that a "mess".


"Honestly, the new mayoral candidates have no vision either. The city will continue to decline. Maybe at an even faster rate. And why would county residents move back into the city?? That's wishful thinking on your part. Memphis will continue to be segregated and crime-infested. With the same politicians at the helm, there will be no change in the culture here."

They arent the best candidates but at least they have a greater vision now than Herenton's. I try to think that Memphis has a future, sorry. Id hope that a new mayor could help with crime, but plenty of cities suffer from segregation, and its been here since the city was founded. New politicians couldnt change over a hundred years of segregation even if they tried, if thats what your implying than thats wishful thinking on your part.And I dont recall saying anything about county residents moving back into the city, dont make up things.

[thenuegeye]

"I read in the paper about the decrease in population in the city,..."

That's why I made the statement about the county. The decease is due to the people who have moved to the county. So don't expect a population boom with a new mayor.

"but plenty of cities suffer from segregation, and its been here since the city was founded."

Sorry. Don't know about you but a city that segregates itself doesn't equal progressive. Things will remain the same.

[joninclay]

I just hope the city can move forward, whoever the new guy is.

[plattsburgher]

can at least take baby steps toward having some sort of favorable reputation again in the near or distant future...............

Having Herenton around just sucked all the life out of stability in this city's government, honesty or having qualified and capable, not to mention admirable?????, leaders in this city.......That was not the definition of Herenton as mayor of Memphis.

Having a brand new mayor at least gives people hope that certain (NOT all) disappointing gov'n appointments or changes can be righted..........but nothing can change without solid leadership.

Other cities have struggled and come back from a lot worse..........Times Square used to be the staple of talk show jokes.......regarding murder and crime. I don't pretend to have answers, but I do think that things can and will change for the better with new leadership. In my opinion, things couldn't have gotten much worse. Morale should improve........

[mobilecomb]

Watching the mayor as he gave his speech was rather off the wall.
He says he is not about color, well as he said from the photos hanging on the wall in the courts he saw something different. If he looked at people as people and not a color he would have never said such on live tv.

Next he had to throw in the cotton thing about a white man handing them a $3.00 check after picking cotton from dark to dark. He could have just said a man, but he wanted to cut the white some more. I know about Bethel Grove where he started being the principal. I know about being mistreated because I was not the minority.
My mother was raising four children and we could not get free lunches and really needed them.

At summer park commission they paid for the minority to have a free lunch.
I tried to save my home after being sick, and could not get help from the housing association because I was not the minority. Bull...what ever.....I say in Memphis the whites are the minority. The hispanic, chinese, Indians, and etc.

I think paper trails are more than just lots of paper. Notice the next time you try to get help.