The following is an excerpt from our May issue:

By Chuck Bates

It cannot be stressed often enough that the government that gives you everything you want must by definition take everything you have to pay for it. This is certainly true in Shelby County. Daily it seems someone is crying out for more programs which in turn equal more government. Sadly those crying the loudest are often government officials and their bureaucracies who stand to gain from the new largess. While government does have some basic functions for which the people appoint it to oversee, the vast majority of the growth in government is actually perpetuated by those in power. As we will uncover there is a constant attempt to remove the power from the people and instead place it in the hands of a few non-elected bureaucrats. (more…)

The following is an excerpt from our May issue:

By Sheriff Mark Luttrell

The Shelby County Commission is currently studying several proposals that at the very least result in some realignment of government functions, and at the most, a restructuring of five current political offices. Which direction the study goes and the degree of change we see will ultimately be decided by the voters.

Shelby County, along with Knox County are the only two counties that have taken advantage of a 1977 constitutional convention amendment and qualified for a charter form of government. We have been under this system of government since 1986. Knox County followed our lead and established their charter government in 1990. Their charter was patterned closely after Shelby County with a few minor variations. The Tennessee Supreme Court in 2006 declared the Knox County Charter unconstitutional and although no mention was made of Shelby County, the inference is strong that if legally challenged the Shelby County charter would also be declared unconstitutional. The County Commission is now taking what I think is the responsible step to correct this constitutional flaw before it becomes a judicial mandate requiring an immediate resolution.

There are a variety of ways to correct this problem, but it appears that the most expeditious way, the one that has been chosen, is for the County Commission to craft the language for a proposed amendment to the county charter and then have that amendment submitted to the voters for acceptance or rejection. I have no problem with this method as long as we exercise due diligence and ensure that the citizens of Shelby County have input into the process and that their opinions are given appropriate weight in all deliberations. (more…)

The following is an excerpt from our May issue:

By Jonathan Lindberg

On an April Friday that petitions for the Memphis mayoral election were made available, candidate John Willingham was sitting at Donald’s Donuts on Union Avenue with two dozen supporters, holding court.

“Willingham cannot be controlled by money,” said Bob Pitman, long-time supporter, holding a frosted donut sprinkled with nuts. “He cannot be bribed. That is why political-power-brokers don’t like him.”

Willingham said it blunt. “I don’t care what they think! I am not looking for approval from people of entitlement. I am looking for the votes from people that pay the bills.” (more…)

The following is an excerpt from our May issue:

By Michael Roy Hollihan

Memphis finds itself on the horns of a three-pronged dilemma. The Brooks Road Corridor, or as it’s often called, the Airport Area, has long been a hodgepodge. Light industrial businesses, corporate offices, both of which feeding off the Memphis International Airport and FedEx. Middle and lower class neighborhoods, long-term stable retirees and transient workers. Commercial stores, check-cashing places, nail salons, liquor stores, cheap hotels, and most notorious, strip clubs. The latter category has long-since created a culture of crime and vice that spills into the entire Airport Area, interfering with both commerce and business. It has been an uneasy mix filled with tension, dashed hopes, and unceasing optimism.

That may be about to change. (more…)