Edited To Add: Added some links to the post and to the Resource Page
Last night the Memphis/Shelby County Metropolitan Charter Commission met for the third time.
As with any new board tasked with such a huge mandate, there are still some structural and organizational issues to be decided, as well [...]
So last night was both disappointing and eventful.
First, I would like to echo the sentiments of Tennessee Senate Democratic Caucus Chairman Lowe Finney, about the Adrienne Pakis-Gillon campaign. She worked her butt off without much visible support from the establishment powers outside of Shelby Co. and deserves kudos for [...]
At 4pm in Suite 850 of the Shelby County Administration building at 160 N. Main (Source), the Memphis and Shelby County Metropolitan Government Charter Commission will meet for the third time (as far as I can tell).
You probably haven’t read much about this, because there hasn’t been much to [...]
If you live in SD31, today is Election Day. You have before you, the choice between Brian Kelsey (R ) and Adrienne Pakis-Gillon (D).
Kelsey has made a name for himself in his five years in the State House as a serial self-promoter. This self-promotion has manifested itself in him taking [...]
Strange, and very out of character for the “stunt-baby of Germantown”.
Makes me wonder what he’s afraid of?
The people of SD 31 deserve better. A vote for Adrienne Pakis-Gillon is a vote for responsive representation. Early voting is underway. If you live in SD 31, get out & give [...]
It’s Halloween y’all, and what better way to celebrate it, before the inevitable parties and whatnot tonight, than with a scary story. I know I’m stealing Aunt B’s schtick. She’s been telling scary stories all month and almost got one read on this weekend’s All Things Considered.
When [...]
Yesterday, the Obama Administration signed into law new hate crimes legislation that extends federal protections to victims of hate crimes on the grounds of gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. The law was attached to a military spending measure.
When I read the list of groups covered, I [...]
Yesterday in the Eye on City Hall blog Zack McMillan poses the question ”Has Memphis Ever Had a ‘Great’ Mayor? Can AC Become One?”. It’s an interesting read that lists many of the challenges facing our newly elected Mayor as well as the failures of past Mayors. From [...]
Things seem to have quieted down a bit since the Tuesday’s kerfuffle. This is a good thing. There’s a lot to do, and while all the attention was nice, it couldn’t have come at a more difficult time. I ready to settle back into my routine of working and writing. [...]
Well, today has been pretty wacky.
First of all, I want to thank City Councilman Shea Flinn, Mayor Pro Tem Myron Lowery, and County Mayor/ City Mayor Elect AC Wharton for having the courage and outside the box thinking to nominate me. Even though I didn’t get seated on the [...]
Two months ago I wrote about the changes that have been going on in my life this year. Needless to say, it’s been interesting so far, and signs point to more interesting developments over the coming months. My recent absence from this blog and the twitter are [...]
This week has had me so busy I haven’t even been able to follow ANYTHING. My rss reader is filled to the brink. My email inbox is overflowing. I missed both the County Commission meeting and the City Council meeting due to my return to work. I’m just now [...]
Frequent readers of this blog know that I am a political junkie. I want to know everything that’s going on, even if I don’t ultimately write about it. That’s just how I am. It’s a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, despite my short time living in Memphis, [...]
My watch just beeped 5am. I arrived back home at 3:30, after another work excursion that has become more rare over the past several months, but was both welcomed and dreaded. In the past 90 minutes I have spent my time listening to the pulsating symphony of noises made by [...]
I know everyone in Memphis is focused on the Mayoral race, and for good reason. There is another race going on, the race to replace disgraced former State Senator Paul Stanley. You may remember, Fmr. Sen. Stanley resigned after it was discovered that he had engaged in an affair [...]
One of the biggest questions asked about the Metro Charter Resolution is Why Now?
To be honest with you, I don’t have an answer, but there do seem to be a set of circumstances and realities that make the possibility of creating Metro Government more likely.
Public Opinion
Just days before the 2007 [...]
One of the biggest concerns voiced in the current discussion of the Metro Charter Resolution that has passed the County Commission, and will be addressed in the Memphis City Council on September 15th, is the “decision” to go with appointed Charter Commissioners rather than elected Charter Commissioners.
Much of this has [...]
On Facebook Tuesday, Councilwoman Wanda Halbert reposted a note that she originally posted on August 18th. The note, entitled “The Truth Hurts” dealt with several things including the Metro Charter Resolution.
At the end of the note, Councilwoman Halbert states:
I may simply be interpreting the information I’ve read [...]
In yesterday’s Executive Session of the Memphis City Council (audio link) the resolution establishing a Charter Commission was discussed. For those of you following along, the Shelby Co. Commission approved the resolution on Monday by a vote of 9-2 with one abstention.
The City Council decided to hold the [...]
This morning, the Wharton campaign released its first TV spot on YouTube that will be played locally. Sets a pretty high bar for the other candidates. Take a look:
[...]I’m sure several others have written about Jackson Day in Nashville already. To be perfectly honest, when I got home I started capturing video of the event and haven’t stopped since.
I’ve never been to a state level political event this large. There were some 3000 people in attendance to see [...]
Last night I gave my immediate impressions. You can watch the entire debate here and you should, because I’ve started selling Brain Bleach, which is coincidentally the word of the day today.
Below is the report from WMCTV who aired the debate.
Commercial Appeal writer and debate questioner Wendi [...]
Tonight marked the first debate for the office of Mayor of Memphis. This was, quite simply 90 minutes of some of the most bizarre TV ever. The candidates present were required to have filed their petitions, which cut the field to nine. The candidates present were; Charles Carpenter, Carol Chumney, [...]
Over the past 8 months, I’ve been fortunate enough to meet and talk to nearly every Democratic candidate for Governor. This weekend, I hope that I will be able to complete that list.
So far, I like all of them, though some more than others. Each brings something different to [...]
Today, the Shelby County Commission voted the Metro Charter Commission Resolution out of committee. The final vote on the resolution will be this coming Monday. Tuesday will likely see a spirited debate in the Memphis City Council on the same issue.
There have been a lot of things [...]
Friday, I left to go to San Francisco, one of my favorite cities in the US, to hang out with my bother, niece and the gaggle of people that currently reside in their house.
In all reality, there’s not a gaggle there, unless you count my mom and I as making [...]
I spent the day today getting ready to go see my brother and niece, and attending events around Memphis.
The first event was the Mid-Southerners for Choice Luncheon hosted by Planned Parenthood of Greater Memphis featuring Jeanne Richardson (HD-89).
It was an inspiring event, attended by people who firmly [...]
Planned Parenthood of Greater Memphis is hosting a luncheon featuring State Representative Jeanne Richardson (HD-89) on Thursday, August 20th 11:30 am, at the Holiday Inn University of Memphis.
Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at the door, or ahead of time here.
Come out [...]
In yesterday’s post I addressed some concerns that were presented about the Metro Charter Commission Resolution currently before the County Commission.
Since then, I’ve received comments, text messages, emails and phone calls about this, so I thought it might be a good idea to take a look at [...]
Earlier this morning, I read with interest the concerns expressed by Brad over at WTL. As I told him in my email to him, I have many of the same concerns.
But before we go forward, we should read the resolution.
The resolution operates under the Metro Government section [...]
Come One Come All!
[...] John Stewart nails it…as usual
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c Heal or No Heal – Medicine Brawl www.thedailyshow.com Daily ShowI know this whole “death panel” thing has been going on for weeks now, but I’ve gotten to the point where I want to slap someone every time I hear them talk about Government pulling the plug on granny because she’s too expensive. What bullshit.
We already have death panels you [...]
Planned Parenthood of Greater Memphis is hosting a luncheon featuring State Representative Jeanne Richardson (HD-89) on Thursday, August 20th 11:30 am, at the Holiday Inn University of Memphis.
Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at the door, or ahead of time here.
Come out and show your [...]
Thanks to everyone who offered their kind words after my meltdown yesterday. Obviously, none of the circumstances have changed in less than 24 hours, and aside from winning the lottery, reality is what it is. Sometimes, I guess, it’s better to put it out there and get the suckage [...]
I loathe writing about myself. Mostly because when I do, it’s something bad or depressing, and I’m not really sure why I would go out of my way to share my gloom and doom with anyone, or why anyone would really care about it.
However, writing gives me the time and [...]
Well, you can’t say the past week has been boring!
Thinking about yesterday’s events (video and comments from other blogs follow) I am reminded of something I said in passing several years ago about “retirement”. Until recently, I could never imagine myself retiring. I always just assumed that I would work [...]
By now just about everyone has head about twitter, even if you don’t know what it is. The best evidence of this widespread knowledge is the fact that at least 5 of the potential candidates for Mayor (County Mayor AC Wharton, Mayor Pro Tem Myron Lowery, [...]
Several outlets have reported the Herenton has pulled a petition to run for Mayor, just weeks after retiring.
Maybe he was lonely…(NSFW)
Here’s his statement as reported in the CA
[...]
As much as I enjoy covering local government, as rewarding and annoying as it can be, I’ve been remiss in my coverage of the County. I freely admit this. There are several reasons; 1. There hasn’t been a hot button issue that caught my interest (other than the NDO, which [...]
Everyone is invited and encouraged to attend!
TUESDAY, AUGUST 11th, NOON
UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS
in front of the
NED R. MCWHERTER LIBRARY
This event will start promptly at noon so please arrive early.
There will be a shuttle from Central at Innovation, to the Library.
www.jimkyle2010.com
901-543-VOTE (8684)
FOR MORE [...]
(Source)
Apparently, things are going pretty well over there at Jim Kyle HQ. Check out the new site, and don’t forget about the campaign launch.
From the Announcement –
Everyone is invited and encouraged to attend!
TUESDAY, AUGUST 11th, NOON
UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS
in front of the
[...]
The date’s been set, and even though the filing deadline is over a month away, some 10 candidates have declared their interest to run.
Due to the abbreviated nature of the campaign, learning about the candidates for Mayor of Memphis is probably going to be a cram fest. In an effort [...]
I probably shouldn’t gloat, but apparently I was right about at least one thing. From the Memphis Daily News:
But Halbert told reporters Thursday that it was an inquiry on whether or not Lowery could vote to set a special election date in July since Lowery stood [...]
There are several Town Hall Meetings going on in the area as the week comes to a close.
Tonight is a meeting with Marsha Blackburn TN-07.
Date:Thursday, August 6, 2009
Time:7:00pm – 8:00pm
Location:Macaroni Grill
Street:6705 Poplar Ave
City/Town:Memphis, TN
Tomorrow, Mayor Myron Lowery will host a town hall meeting at City Hall
[...]
A new blog started here in Memphis, right around the time that Herenton put his first letter of resignation called Eye on City Hall. A project of the Commercial Appeal, Eye on City Hall has been an indispensable new resource for me over the past several weeks.
I follow [...]
The political season is heating up here in Shelby County and I’m getting hungry. With a couple of special elections in the near future, and the pending announcement of a Gubernatorial candidate next week from the area, I’m tired of thinking about eating…I want a menu so I can [...]
(Source)
This is interesting. Why would City Councilwoman Wanda Halbert ask the City Attorney to investigate Myron Lowery?
The only reason I can think of is something Halbert said during the “vacancy resolution” debate. Both she and City Councilman Brown alleged that Lowery, Strickland, and Conrad were [...]
Yesterday, in the Commercial Appeal’s Eye on Memphis blog former City Council member and possible Mayoral candidate Edmund Ford Sr. was quoted saying,“People are very tired in this city.”…”You know why?” he said. “Everything that’s happening, people think that people are asleep right now but they’re watching. Hey, [...]
Sean’s already touched on this but in light of both the op-ed in the Tennessean where Jim Cooper announced his “reluctant no” to HR 3200 (summary), and the appearance on Face the Nation Sunday morning I have to say something. Cooper’s segment starts 9 min into [...]
As H.R. 3200 plods it’s way through Congress, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce has emerged as a stumbling block.
The opposition, led by Democratic Representative Mike Ross (AR-04), centers around Medicare payments to rural communities and the assurance that the measure will be deficit neutral. Ross is [...]
All the talk and media coverage surrounding what the Mayor will or won’t do, and why he’s doing it is designed to sell papers more than inform. This thing has turned into something that more resembles a TMZ report than anything else, which is unfortunate because there is a real [...]
Is it just me, or are conservative TV talking heads and Blue Dogs the only people who are sticking to the talking points set up to kill Healthcare reform? It seems like it. Hell, even Republicans are having a hard time staying on point. Case in point, tin foil hatter [...]
Today the Memphis City Council will vote to approve the minutes of the meeting from earlier in the month. This will officially declare a vacancy in the office of Mayor, if the minutes are approved, without an official letter of resignation. This legally tenuous footing is possibly made more tenuous [...]
Yes kids, that’s right, it’s time for another City Council Meeting. Even though I’m not in Memphis, I’ll be able to follow along with the fun via the intertubes (assuming the connection at this hotel in Jersey isn’t a piece of crap). I’ll be live tweeting the meeting on [...]
I don’t get emails from people challenging the words I use, well, ever, but just the other day I did receive the following email from someone who apparently didn’t want to comment on the post.
Upon reading your article “Chickens and Eggs and Calls to Murder,” I wanted to bring [...]
Yesterday, flying high on a series of events that have turned the possibility of a change in leadership at the City Mayor’s office for the first time since I left college into a possible reality, there was more political coverage, opinion, and conjecture floating around since I moved here over [...]
“Which came first, the chicken or the egg?”, as the old question goes. If you’re a radical anti-choice/anti-contraception advocate, the egg is the same thing as a chicken.
It’s being called the ”personhood strategy”, and the language is pretty broad. From the proposed ballot language: “the term ‘person’ shall apply [...]
UPDATE 2: The Memphis Daily News is reporting that Mayor Herenton is already packing boxes to vacate the Office of Mayor.
UPDATE: As luck would have it, something more popped up while I was writing the post. Apparently an Election Commissioner, Brian J. Stephens, feels that scheduling a special election [...]
If you’re not tired you’re not paying attention.
Yesterday, Mayor Herenton issued a statement announcing his intention to delay his retirement until July 30th
As the CA reports, and the letter notes, there are, in Mayor Herenton’s mind “important city business matters”, “contractual matters” and, get this, a [...]
There are a lot of things going on with the effort to reform the nation’s healthcare. Probably more than I’ll be able to distill here. Here are some of the highlights.
Some of you may remember that Democratic House leaders pledged to address healthcare by July 31st. For those of [...]
After 18 years of intrigue at City Hall the time is right for someone boring to take the reigns. Who that person is, is still to be decided, but whomever it is must be willing to take a back seat personally, to the issues surrounding the city in an effort [...]
A little birdy dropped this fine piece of testimony in my lap overnight. In it, former CIGNA executive Wendell Potter describes just how important profit is over care in the current healthcare system in the US. From the testimony:
The average family doesn’t understand how Wall Street’s dictates [...]
In his ”Exit Interview” Mayor Herenton says he’s “not a deal maker”. Of course, he also said a lot of other things, and you can read them here.
I wonder if Mayor Herenton understands the office he is seeking? Surely the Mayor knows that as 1 of 435 in [...]
Ed Note: Yes I know I’m way behind on this stuff, but hopefully I’ll get caught up just in time to get behind again
Governor Sanford:
You don’t know me. I’m not a resident of your state or a member of your political party. In fact, politically we are polar opposites. This [...]
It’s not the voting that’s democracy, it’s the counting.
Tom Stoppard, Jumpers (1972) act 1
British dramatist & screenwriter (1937 - )
Since the beginning of this legislative session, the efficacy of your vote has been under attack. HB0614/SB0872 sought to delay the implementation of the Tennessee Voter [...]
The Shelby County Democratic Party announces it’s first “Meet and Greet” since the April Re-organization.
Friday, June 19, 2009 (that’s today people)
5:30pm to 7:30pm
Hattiloo Theatre
656 Marshall Ave.
Memphis, TN
Appetizers and Cash Bar
$25
Suggested minimum contribution benefits S.C.D.P.
829-3377 or 830-3283
Host Committee:
Van Turner
Dave & Diane Cambron
Ron & [...]
Affordable, portable healthcare has been an issue in American politics since long before the 1990’s. Unfortunately, little, if anything has been done in that time to ensure that Americans have access to insurance coverage, despite a great deal of support for reform. Today NBC News and The Wall Street Journal [...]
prejudice |ˈprejədəs|
noun
1 preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience :
I was kinda sorta trying to avoid this whole topic completely, but since I’m defining words today, I guess I don’t have any choice. Maybe I should go back to school and major in linguistics.
I’m [...]
Since the assassination of Dr. George Tiller at the beginning of June, and the attack on the Holocaust Museum, many on the left have characterized these actions as “Terrorism” and warned that they are likely to continue as long as the “Hate Speech” that motivates these actions go unchallenged. Just [...]
Today the Shelby County Commission unanimously approved a resolution by Commissioner Ritz to assume control of MSARC. The resolution includes the creation of a Victim’s Services Board, but was soft on funding and other details. Ritz’s resolution was an alternative to the one brought by Commissioner Mike Carpenter, [...]
About two weeks ago I wrote about the public option. Around the time I was writing that, I started seeing some discussion of putting a “trigger” into any legislation that included a “public option”.
I could go off and spend a lot of time trying to explain what a “trigger”, [...]
I’ve been thinking, and reading a lot about the assassination or Dr. Tiller in Kansas last week and activities of Operation Rescue and other anti-choice groups. As a collective, their rhetoric, strategy and tactics are nothing new. They’ve been doing this for a long time. The tenor of their [...]
I’ve been doing a lot of organizing and digging on the MSARC issue over the past several days. In addition to the audio of the last Executive Session of the Memphis City Council, I’ve been working to create a comprehensive directory of government actions, community activism, news reports, and blog [...]
This morning’s Commercial Appeal has two articles dealing with MSARC. The first, addresses the reality behind one of the victims from Bartlett who was left to wait 3 hours with a frustrated Bartlett Detective only to find out help was not on the way. The second article deals with [...]
Today, in Executive Session, the Memphis City Council met with Mayor Herenton concerning the problems facing the Memphis Sexual Assault Resource Center, MSARC. MSARC has been in the news quite a bit over the past several weeks, after 2 area victims were turned away due to staffing issues. I wrote [...]
Way back in March, when Speaker Nancy Pelosi pledged to pass some kind of healthcare reform by July 31, people probably thought she was crazy. Now, two and a half months later, with little public information regarding the progress, it seems impossible. Up ‘til now, the only real public [...]
Really, it’s that simple.
Opponents of the proposed Shelby County Non-Discrimination Order, protecting members of the GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender) community may want to shift the debate from public policy to scripture, but scripture ain’t public policy, period. Either you support discrimination, or you don’t. End of story.
Wendi [...]
For weeks now we’ve been hearing about the city’s failure to maintain staffing and round the clock operations of the Memphis Sexual Assault Resource Center (MSARC). Wednesday, the Shelby County Commission moved a resolution out of committee that would allow the County Mayor to present a proposal to operate MSARC. [...]
Yesterday, my family gathered to celebrate the life of my Grandmother, Martel Ross. She passed away on Saturday at age 88, after several years of declining health.
This was the first time I remember seeing my brother, father, mother, aunts, uncles, cousins and their spouses in one place since 1989 when [...]
This is part 3 of a three part post. Part 1 deals with gun issues, Part 2 deals with SJR127. This section is different. This section is about forcing accountability and ways to do that
Accountability Defeats Barbarism or It’s the Accountability, Stupid
There is no accountability in barbarism, and [...]
Fighting What the Fight is Really About or The Barbarism of Subterfuge
This is part 2 of a 3 part post. Part 1 can be found here
What about SJR127? The truth is, SJR127 is a Trojan horse, being rolled into the state constitution that would allow the state to make [...]
(Ed. Note: This is part one of a three part post concerning recent developments in the legislature and potential actions that can be taken in the future to keep them from happening again.
Guns, Guns everywhere or Are We Still Barbarians?
Are we any more civilized than we ever were? I mean [...]
Most of y’all don’t know much about me because I don’t like writing about myself. You may have some idea what I do, or that I travel or that I work in the event industry, but you don’t really know that much about me. I’ve gone to considerable lengths to [...]
Tennessee is growing. According to US Census estimates Tennessee has added some 525,614 people since the census in 2000. In that time, the Eastern and Middle Divisions, as defined by TN Code 4-1-202 through 204 have seen their population increase by nearly 500,000. The Western Division, by contrast, [...]
Tomorrow is going to be a busy day for activists seeking equal protection for people in the GLBT community. In Nashville, HB 0335 sponsored by Jeanne Richardson of Memphisis before the House Judiciary Committee, but there’s also something going on right here in Shelby County. County [...]
I just got home from the TNDP Summit in Monteagle, and I have to say, I’m completely blown away. I’ve been to my fair share of political events but this was something completely different. I don’t think I’ve ever left a state or local political function of any sort [...]
The past week has been a cornucopia of news stories, locally, statewide, and nationally. Here’s a short rundown…
Last Tuesday, Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton announced he was exploring a run of the 9th District seat currently held by Steve Cohen. The poll released last night [...]
I just finished training with Democracy for America here in Memphis. It was an awesome experience.
I encourage everyone, if you want to work or volunteer on a campaign, or even if you’re just a political junkie like me to go to the training. The insight itself is instructive. A [...]
