T. Sharp on Twitter (@newscoma) Steve Ross on Twitter (@vibinc) Steve Steffens on Twitter (@leftwingcracker)Mary Cashiola with the Memphis Flyer writes about the impact of sprawl on city budgets. Noting that the city budget now appropriates nearly 65% of all it’s revenue for police and fire services, the question becomes, just how big should we be “Sprawl takes resources out of the existing neighborhoods,” says Sarah Newstok, program...
The Memphis Flyer has a feature story on consolidation. After 10 years of informal talks, consolidation is back on the table. Last fall, the Memphis City Council and the Shelby County Commission voted to create the Memphis and Shelby County Metropolitan Government Charter Commission. State law allows the largest city in a county to...
Former Memphis City Councilor and recently appointed MATA Board member John Vergos, gives us some background into the Metropolitan Planning Organization. First, the introduction: If you ever want to see $40 million of taxpayers’ money spent in a month, with no discussion, you need to go to a meeting of the Metropolitan Planning Organization...
John Branston at the Memphis Flyer give us a primer on budgeting. Blame someone, such as your roommate, spouse, or former mayor Willie Herenton. Momentarily satisfying but ineffective and ignores certain facts. In his first mayoral term, way back in 1992, Herenton proposed merging city and county government by having Memphis government disappear. In...
Jackson Baker caught up with Memphis Mayor AC Wharton after a panel discussion and this is what he found. Following the panel discussion, Wharton was asked directly what his reaction had been to Herenton’s rhetoric, with its essential appeal to African American voters in the 9th District to observe racial solidarity. The mayor responded...
John Branston gives interesting info on the state of blogging and newspapers at the Flyer’s Media Notes column: Blogs are fading. Newspapers are dying. Or they’re not dying. Or there is renewed hope for them. The news about blogs comes from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, via the Associated Press. Only 14...