Let's Be Objective

I was confronted a couple of weeks ago with reasons why the mayor should be recalled. I don't agree with the recall, but it's a free country. The citizen I was talking to were passionate about their position.They rattled there reasons off real fast, not allowing me to address them individually. They were supposed to send me an e-mail, outlining their complaints. I haven't got that e-mail yet. I don't think I will. The letter below is the closest I have come to a list of their complaints:

So I'm going to give Herenton supporters a chance to focus on the issues. If you believe in the leadership of Willie back it up with facts,and not attacks. I willgive you my reasons for wanting Willie recalled,and you tell me where I'm wrong.

As if we needed his permission. It's interesting that they want facts to disprove them though they don't have any themselves. This whole thing is based on subjection. We don't have concrete answers for anything. There are many factors contributing to the shortage. Unpaid taxes, lawsuits and loss of base due to flight. The population of Memphis grows 39%, during the day.

Willie bragged about taking the city reserves from $3 million to $70 million, now we're down to $1 million,where did the money go? Why hasn't Willie told the community where the money went? Do supporters think that herenton has a duty to let citizens know were their tax dollars went?

As with all the arguments they're one sided. They focus on the fact that the funds are no longer there. But they never ask how they got there in the first place. Remember the storm of 2003, how quickly we forget. What if we hadn't had the seventy million dollars when we needed it? What would we have done to pull us through the storm? We haven't had a city tax increase, in many years. Two in thirteen years to be exact. The county has had an increases every year. Where were the financial gurus in the county under Jim Rout? If you keep taking money out, and not putting it back. What do you think is going to happen?

Willie admitted that in 2003, he made a deal with certain city council members to not tell the community the truth about the finances. Why did he lie? Was winning more important than telling the truth? Do you supporters considered his LIEING deceit?

They call it playing politics. What could any candidate in the race do to turn things around at that point ? If they were stealing the money, that would be one thing. Obviously based on many of the complaints it would take to much explaining. If he had told the public. What would they have done? They wouldn't have a solution, just like they don't now. Why do you think the city council went along with the deception. I never agree with lying. Unfortunately a lot of people can't handle the truth.

Why was the person who over projected the amount of money that would be coming into the city,Joseph Lee never held accountable? Do you believe that Herenton was not having meeting with Lee concerning the finances of Memphis? Why was he not fired? Why was he promoted to CEO of MLG&W? should a person who screwed up the finances be placed over a multi-billion dollard Corp. Like MLG&W? Why was Lee who had no ultiley experience given the job,and why did Herenton fight so hard for him to get the job?

How can you blame Joseph Lee, for the city not collecting taxes or other revenue. If we collected unpaid traffic tickets, that would knock a hole in the deficit. Let's not bring up the property taxes we continually cry about. To grasp what's taking place,you must understand what projections mean. Projections are nothing more than educated guesses. All the meetings in the world won't create the money we need. We're not in this shape because of incompetence. It's due to a lack of funds. Joseph Lee is not a magician, he has to work with what he has. MLGW is a multimillion dollar operation, but it's owned by the city of Memphis. To make it fiscally sound, there would be a whole lot of changes. Mayor Herenton had faith in the abilities of Mr. Lee, that's why he was persistent. He was given the job because of his abilities with numbers. Mayor Herenton fought for him because he felt he would be a asset to his administration. Which thus far, he has been.


Why did herenton sign off on the FEDEX FORUM knowing that the community would never get a return on their investment? Why does the mayor want to cut services and not tell the community why we're in the financial shape we are in? In the face of financial ruin do herenton supporter support the fact that there are over 300 appointed jobs when the charter calls for just over 100?


He signed off on the FedEx Forum because they were finished. How can we say the city will never get a return on it's investment when we already see the rewards? Ask those that don't like the Mayor, they seem to hang out at the forum. The Mayor wants to cut city services because he has too. We don't want to cut jobs, but we don't want to pay anymore taxes. Nobody wants to work for free, where does the money come from? Why are we not complaining about the University of Memphis being allowed to leave the Pyramid? And the exhorbiant salary we pay John Calipari. That's tax money also, the school is state and federally funded. The city charter is over a hundred years old, the city has grown tremendously in that time. Is it fair to hold today's Mayor to those outdated guidelines? The city of Memphis has a population of almost 700,000 citizens. Memphis is not a one horse town anymore, it's a major metropolitan city. In spite of the thinking of some of the residents.

Do you supporters think that these decisions by Willie were good ones? If so why? Are these the kind of decisions of a wise man or a man who cares about the needs of the community? Do you think that his security detail should make over $100,000 when polie officers who lay their lives on the line daily make less than half of that?

I don't agree with everything that the Mayor does. I'm not a fair weather friend though. I am loyal. I'm going to stick with him for the long haul. I share his overall vision for consolidation. That's the main thing. I think the decisions he has made have been his own. That's the mark of a leader. In regards to this security detail, that's exactly what it is a detail. I'm sure being on the Mayor's security detail is a special assignment. Officers probably compete for the chance. Don't act like this is their only assignment. This is not all they do, they're policemen too. If the unions get their wishes, they'll be making even more. With people trying to recall the mayorand scrutinizing his every move. You can never tell when someone, might do more than just talk. Working on his security assignment could be a hazardous detail.

I guess that's enough for herenton supporter to try and answer. If you think Willie is great, then prove it by honestly answering the questions of the issues.

I have honestly answered the questions. For those that don't agree. I welcome honest debate. I think Mayor Herenton is better than anyone thus far we have to compare him with. There was more to the last comment. I didn't post it because it was irrelevant. As usual when someone has nothing to say. They say something derogatory.