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It started last Thursday. I was on my way to Jonesboro, when I choked on some coffee, as I am prone to do from time to time. Actually, I can find a way to swallow just about any drink “down the wrong hole” sending me into a coughing fit that would shake your faith...
Big change doesn’t happen overnight. That’s a reality that we need to come to grips with. Big, lasting change can take years, decades even, to take hold and gain enough widespread support to become entrenched. There are a lot of reasons real, lasting change takes so long. First and foremost, as I noted yesterday,...
Yesterday was the 90th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment. Even though the official date isn’t until next Thursday, on the 26th, yesterday was the day that Tennessee signed on to the amendment, effectively ratifying the amendment. It’s a great day in the history of the United States, and Tennesseans should be...
This morning’s Commercial Appeal reports that Memphis Mayor A C Wharton is taking steps to “revamp” the way the City government does business. To that end he’s established a Strategic Business Model Assessment Committee comprised of elected officials, business leaders, and activists charged with evaluating what we’re doing now and ways to do it...
Well, not really. Yesterday, in a joint session of the Memphis City Council and the Shelby County Commission, the Memphis/Shelby County Metro Charter Commission (yes, I know it’s getting confusing) introduced to the two bodies the broad strokes of a new Metro charter that will be voted on in the November election. You can...
The US Census Bureau puts the racial breakdown in the City of Memphis at 62.6% African American, but a study released today shows that contracts to minority owned businesses only account for 9.6% of monies paid out by the City. The full report was released to the City Council in Executive Session yesterday. Audio...
Hey all you dog lovers out there, Memphis has it’s first dog park! From the Mayor’s blog The City of Memphis Division of Park Services will “Release The Leash” on its first dog park, Saturday, June 5, 2010 at 11:00 a.m., 2599 Avery Avenue, behind the Board of Education. Hours of operation for the...
In Morning Coffee, Trace mentioned that Memphis Mayor A C Wharton has released his budget. If you’re not keeping up with his blog you’re really missing out on some good and detailed information about what’s going on in the city, and in his administration. You can see the proposed Operating Budget here, and the...
Chattarati takes a look as some new tools cities are using to help deal with non-emergency problems. A few years ago, the city’s 311 model would have been top of the line. But in the age of web 2.0, it’s a little dated. Early this year the city quietly began focusing on SeeClickFix.com in...
No One Likes Making Tough Decisions
Budget time can be contentious, regardless of the organization. As we saw in the waning days of this state legislative session it can be VERY contentious. City budgets are no different, and are also facing the same pressures, if not more acutely, than the state government. On June 8th, the Memphis City Council approved...
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