FYI

When you change the spelling of words or replace letters with numbers. Such as people do with personalized vanity plates, or as I have done with the title of my blog. There is a name for this. Someone informed me the other day. That they thought I had misspelled the word Commontaries. Of course I knew that they were the one who was mistaken, but I played along anyway.

Main Entry: 1 mne·mon·ic
Function: adjective Pronunciation: ni-'mä-nik Etymology: Greek mnemonikos, from mnem On mindful, from mimneskesthai to remember -- more at MIND 1 : assisting or intended to assist memory ; also : of or relating to mnemonics 2 : of or relating to memory

Who Really Got Played

I must admit I am somewhat tainted in regards to my opinion about this case. I have prior knowledge of the bloodline of the accused Xavier Crawford. As the old saying goes "like father, like son". With all due respect he seems to be a fairly nice fellow,but the "Snowman" as he still likes to be called. Isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer.I just happen to believe the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. He basically admitted that they had an ongoing affair. He claims the charges against him are false and have no basis. I don't believe Ms. Vander Schaff made this whole thing up. What we do in the dark eventually comes to light. He hasn't been arrested because he wasn't there. I think this is just a calculated way of getting him out of the house. I predict at no time in the future, will he be going back to live in the house.

Ms. Pat Vander Schaff the former city councilperson is the complainant. In a couple of days there were as many police reports. She says on one occasion he poured beer over her head. On another one he forced his way in her house and grabbed her by her neck. After she refused to go to the bank and get him some money. This woman isn't your everyday run of the mill jump-off. She may be crazy but she's still supposedly wealthy. Along with her long line of connections, and the fact that she's White. She was a city council member for twenty-two years. Not to mention she is the ex-wife of a wealthy developer. If she can't do it herself, she knows who can.

Then we have Xavier Crawford the X-Man. What a befitting name for him. I'm sure it's intent wasn't meant to be prophetic but unfortunately it has been. This guy is only 36 Yrs. old and all his accomplishments are way behind him. In his high school days he was expected to do big things. Needles to say he hasn't lived up to expectations. He was named Mr. Football in his days at Trezevant High in Memphis. He was so good he received the key to the city. Instead of breaking into the record books, and running over defenders. He's been breaking into houses, and running over women. As I listen to his explanation of the situation. I'm not upset as I am sorry. Though blessed with a golden opportunity, another Black man bites the dust.

I hope Xavier Crawford doesn't consider this to be one of his finest moments. It has once again got his name in the newspaper. Any logical person would see the error of his ways. And know this is pitiful, instead of something to brag about. If he doesn't open his eyes he might not though. Based on what I heard, he hasn't. I hope twenty yrs. from now he isn't still walking around talking about how he got beat. That might be true but that's the way it goes. The promise of gold at the end of the rainbow isn't always true. If you live by the sword, you'll die by the sword.

Another Straw On The Camel's Back

When your partner in crime gets caught it's usually just a matter of time. Especially when they're willing to turn over the goods on you. These guys aren't hardened gangsters, they're just old men who don't want to go to jail. If given the chance to cut their time. What do you expect these people to do? One third of this scandalous trio has admitted his guilt. Joe Cooper a mainstay around Memphis politics pleaded guilty to 1 count of money laundering today. He was originally charged along with councilmen Edmund Ford and Ricky Peete. They still maintain their innocence. His admission of guilt doesn't do much to help their case.

Some people have hinted they expect Edmund Ford to maybe be acquitted. Based on Ricky Peete's past history, everyone has pretty much wrote him off. They believe he did it whether he admits it or not. Much to his credit though. I haven't heard him say he didn't. But I can't say the same about Edmund Ford. He has been pointing his fingers and running his mouth every since this thing started. I haven't heard him lately. I think someone told him the more he says the more he'll have to prove. They're just giving you enough rope to hang yourself.

From A to Z: Conservative Comebacks To Liberal Lies

A is for Abortion: A woman’s right to choose murder?
B is for Bill Clinton: Sex, lies, and blind devotees
C is for Church and State: What our Constitution says about religion
D is for Democrats: Why they’re usually wrong about everything
E is for Economics: Why it really is about the economy, stupid!
F is for Females: Which group really supports them?
G is for Gun Control: Why we have the Second Amendment
H is for Health Care: Do you really want national 80 percent taxation?
I is for Independent Israel: Why we need to support the only Middle Eastern democracy
J is for Justice: Why criminals need discipline
K is for Kids: The leftist indoctrination of our children
L is for Liberal Media: Agenda, agenda, agenda
M is for Mega-Watt Energy: Oil, tree huggers and environmental yappers
N is for 9/11 Attacks: A new kind of war
O is for Operation Iraqi Freedom: Why we had to fight this war
P is for President George W. Bush: The man for the hour
Q is for Queer Eye for Same-Sex Marriage: Why the family is in jeopardy
R is for Race-Based Preferences: What’s wrong with affirmative action
S is for Social Security: How to fix it
T is for Taxes: Cut your way to financial freedom
U is for the United States: What makes us great
V is for Vouchers and Public Schools: How we can fix education
W is for Welfare: What’s wrong with it
X is for Xenophobia: Why illegal immigration is hurting us
Y is for Yankee Doodle Founding Fathers: They really got it right
Z is for Zealot Terrorists: How we can fight them

Letting The Air Out

I decided to let someone else debunk some of the liberal misconceptions for a change. I do my best to explain my point but it often doesn't get across. Sometimes people can better get the message when it comes from someone they're not familiar with. Why I don't understand, but some people just think that way. Hopefully this will help change a few more minds. If not just straighten it out for others.



Excerpts from Conservative Comebacks to Liberal Lies

By Gregg Jackson

If conservatism is to prevail in the ideological and political war of ideas and sustain a substantial majority in our country, those who are dedicated to its preservation and advancement…will have to arm themselves with the facts to overcome the false and misleading claims the liberal left habitually makes….The goal of my book is to provide ideological conservatives, independents, and conservative Democrats with factual information on key contemporary issues to refute the claims and assertions of the left and ensure the protection of our founding principles and values now under attack. (pp. xi-xiv)

Claim: It is uncertain when human life begins; therefore it’s a religious question, not a scientific one.

Response: It is an undisputed biological scientific fact that human life begins at conception.

Scientifically life begins at conception.…this new, unique, human creation is a defined sex and is alive, complete and growing….The new developing baby has the same 46 human chromosomes he or she will have until death…. Bernard Nathanson, a former abortionist who was personally responsible for 75,000 abortions…in the New England Journal of Medicine…[Nathanson} admitted he has come to know life begins at conception. “There is no longer serious doubt in my mind,” he wrote, “that human life exists from the very onset of pregnancy.”

The sacred protection of life should be the final word on this topic. The United States Declaration of Independence affirms that the first and most sacred right is the right to “life.”…No human being should be discriminated against based on his or her stage of development, place of residence (inside the womb), or arbitrary notion of “when life begins.” (pp. 11-12)

Claim: The Constitution mandates the separation of church and state.

Response: The First Amendment ensures freedom of religion, not freedom from religion.

The First Amendment clearly spells out that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion; or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” The First Amendment was written with the intent of preventing the United States from establishing a national religion, to give American citizens total religious freedom without the fear of being coerced to show devotion to any particular national religion….The complete discussions of the Founding Fathers vis-a-vis the First Amendment is contained in the Congressional Records from June 7 to September 25, 1789. Nowhere in these discussions is the term “separation of church and state” ever mentioned. (pp. 44-45)

Claim: Republicans are the party of rich corporate special interests.

Response: In 2002, of the top ten donors to federal candidates and political parties gave overwhelmingly to Democrats.

Of the $59,305,429 donated by the top ten donors, 92.4 percent ($54,798,216) went to Democrats. 7.6 percent ($4,507,212) went to Republicans….Of the top ten individual contributors to “527s” in the 2004 election, the vast majority of money spent came from very wealthy liberal donors and went almost predominantly to Democratic organizations. Only one private donor…gave to GOP organizations.

Big money to Democratic 527s from nine of the ten top donors: $31,802,503; Big money to Republican 527s from one of the ten top donors: $1,020,000; 97 percent to Democrat 527s and 3 percent to Republican 527s! So who’s really the party of the rich special interests? The Democrats!…The richest members of the U.S. Senate are almost exclusively multi-millionaire Democrats. The only senators worth over $200 million are all Democrats. Eight of the top eleven richest senators are Democrats.

Net worth of fourteen richest Democratic senators in 2004: John Kerry (D, Massachusetts) $620 million, Jon Corzine (D, New Jersey) $400 million, Herb Kohl (D, Wisconsin) $300 million, John Rockefeller (D, West Virginia) $200 million, Dianne Feinstein (D, California) $50 million, Ted Kennedy, (D, Massachusetts) $30 million, Mark Dayton (D, Minnesota) $20 million, John Edwards (D, North Carolina) $15 million, Hillary Clinton (D, New York) $8 million, Jeff Binghaman (D, New Mexico) $8 million, Bob Graham (D, Florida) $8 million, Bob Nelson (D, Nebraska) $6 million, Barbara Boxer (D, California) $5 million, Harry Reid (D, Nevada) $2 million. (pp. 62-69)

Claim: The Republican Party is racist.

Response: The Democratic Party has had a long history of racism that is still alive and well today.

The Republican Party was founded in 1854 to abolish slavery….Democrats founded the Ku Klux Klan… Democrats instituted Jim Crow laws throughout the south…. Democrats were the original segregationists who opposed desegregation and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (including Sen. William Allen Fulbright, to whom Bill Clinton awarded the Medal of Honor, and Sen. Al Gore Sr., who vehemently opposed equal rights for blacks). If not for the support of white northern Republicans, LBJ would not have been able to pass the 1964 Civil Rights Act.… Democratic Senator Robert Byrd from West Virginia was a Kleagle in the KKK and used the term “white nigger” twice in a TV interview [in 2001].

In 1991, Democrat Sharpton railed against the “diamond merchants”—code for Jews….After mobilizing hundreds of protesters to march in a Jewish neighborhood to protest the accidental killing of a seven-year-old black child…Sharpton leads chants of…“Kill the Jews!” The result of Sharpton’s incendiary action was that his mob surrounded a Jewish man, Yankel Rosenbaum and stabbed him to death…. There are currently more blacks, Hispanics and Asians in the Bush administration than in any other administration in history. (pp. 57-59)

Claim: Tax cuts—such as the Reagan and Bush tax cuts—cause budget deficits.

Response: Tax cuts have increased tax revenues to the federal treasury.

In the 1920s, ‘60s and ‘80s, taxes were cut across the board. All three cuts stimulated the economy substantially…and resulted in increases in tax dollars to the federal treasury.… As part of the Revenue Acts of 1921, 1924 and 1926, taxes were cut across the board. Top marginal rates decreased from 73 percent…in 1922…to 24 percent in 1929.…tax cuts resulted in greater tax payments, especially by those in the highest tax brackets. When taxes were reduced from 60 percent to 25 percent on top income earners, taxes paid increased from $300 billion to $700 billion a year.

…JFK…[cut] income tax rates…across the board by 20 percent….[and] JFK also proposed a 10 percent reduction in corporate income taxes to spur economic growth and job creation…. From 1962 to ’66, employment grew by over a million jobs…[and] tax receipts to the federal treasury grew from $48.7 billion…to $68.7 billion in 1968.… In 1981, Reagan cut marginal tax rates across the board…income taxes to the federal treasury doubled [from 1983] to…more than $1 billion per year in 1989. (pp. 292-293)

Claim: Bush exaggerated the case for war in Iraq by lying about WMD.

Response: Bush made the decision for going to war in Iraq based largely on findings of the UN and International Atomic Energy Agency weapons inspectors, as well as those of other governments.

…President Bush’s most harsh critics from the Democratic Party made a case for war with Iraq, nearly identical to the President’s. President Clinton…said…“Saddam Hussein must not be allowed to threaten his neighbors or the world with nuclear arms, poison gas or biological weapons.” Vice President Gore…said, “If you allow…Saddam Hussein to get…chemical weapons, biological weapons, how many people is he going to kill with these weapons?”

…Senator John Kerry…said, “Saddam Hussein has already used weapons and has made it clear that he has the intent to continue…to do so…. Richard Butler, who headed the teams investigating Iraq’s weapons programs, said, “Saddam Hussein is a homicidal dictator who is addicted to weapons of mass destruction.”…Iraqi officials later admitted they had hidden more than 100,000 gallons of botulinum toxin, more than 22,000 gallons of anthrax, more than 500 gallons of aflatoxin, four metric tons of VX nerve gas and 2.7 gallons of ricin.

[T]he Senate Intelligence Committee’s report on prewar intelligence found…that neither Bush nor any of his administration officials, “attempted to coerce, influence or pressure analysts to change their judgments related to Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction capabilities.” …President Bush didn’t mislead Americans with regard to the threat Saddam posed to the United States. (pp. 214-217)

Claim: Children who are raised in same-sex homes fare as well, if not better, than children raised in divorced or step-families.

Response: There is little hard clinical data to suggest “same-sex” family configurations would be a healthy environment for children.

…children raised in same-sex couple households…are comparable in terms of well being to those in single-parent households…. Of all the essential elements which lead to a child’s proper development…the most important factor is the marital status of the parents…. “Regardless of which surveys are looked at,” said Sara McLanahan of Princeton University, “children from one-parent families are about twice as likely to drop out of school as children from two-parent families.”

…Pre-school children who live with one biological parent and one step-parent are forty times more likely to become a victim of abuse than children living with a biological mother and father”…. Children residing in a home with a step-parent are eight times more likely to die from maltreatment than children living with two biological parents.

…National studies show that children from divorced and remarried families are more aggressive toward their parents and teachers, experience more depression, have more learning difficulties and are two to three times more likely to be referred for psychological help at school than their peers from intact families. More of them end up in mental health care clinics, have earlier sexual activity, have more children out of wedlock, have less marriage, more divorce and experience more psychological problems than children of intact marriages. (pp. 247-249)

Special Elections Are Like Burning Money

I finally got an answer to a question that I've asked before. How much is it costing the taxpayer for all these special elections we're having these days? Why are we spending $385,000 to fill a $30,000 a yr. job? That's what the election for state senator in dist. 30, between Beverly Marerro and Robert Spence cost the city. With less than 3000 people voting. This election cost roughly $150 a vote. People in Memphis don't vote in general elections, let alone special ones. If you get a 40% turnout that's above average. When you have a special election you cut that number in half if not more.

This is nothing more than manipulation of the voters. A shearing of the unsuspecting sheep so to speak. The former State Senator (Steve Cohen) who vacated this seat, practically picked his successor. If you can get these races away from the general elections. You can win these contests with a relatively small base of supporters. The only people that are going to go to the polls are those pushing an agenda. The winner (Beverly Marrero) won with about 2000 votes. Her only competitor (Robert Spence) got about 800 votes. A candidate (Steve Gallagher) who dropped out of the race to late to remove his name from the ballot. Got about 80 votes Ms. Marrero otherwise would have gotten, if those people had even otherwise bothered to vote. I think those voters just wanted to make a statement. I think elected officials shouldn't be allowed to put the public through this unnecessary expense. If you don't step down in a timely manner. The only other out should be if one dies. In any other instance, "Special elections" are like burning money.

President Delivers 2007 "State Of The Union"

I missed the " 2007 State Of The Union Address" last night. Through the marvel of the internet I heard it today. The video portion was down due to technical difficulties, but the audio was very clear.I think this might be the best way for some people to hear the speech anyway. In order to really hear what the President said as opposed to what they wanted to hear. In listening to people talk who did see the telecast last night. They seemed to be more occupied with the facial expressions and the behavior of those in attendance. Than they did the content of the speech. Not surprisingly though according to the naysayers. All those there in support of the President and his positions. Were labeled either brainwashed or sellouts. How silly and uninformed does that sound? To estrange the only people who have the ability to change your situation. A little something to ponder..."I have never heard those who know him personally complaining about anything". I think he did a good job myself. Some would consider me biased though.

I think it was just more of what he's said all the time. An appropriate name for this speech would've been "I told you so". As a man I can appreciate another man standing his ground even when it's unpopular. Were it left to Nancy Pelosi and the female mentality of many Americans. The President would be giving a concession speech right now. In spite of what the polls and people around him say he stands by his decision without waver. Obviously there are those who hold that against him unfortunately. They don't share my views that:
James 1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.


Click on the link below and listen to the speech and decide for yourself.

http://www.whitehouse.govnight/news/releases/2007/01/images/20070123-2_v012307db-0202w-772v.html

He's Win Court Decision

I found the following article to be very informative and in depth. Much more revealing than anything I can put together after the fact. This blogger has compiled a chronological account of the story as it unfolded. In the end it all boils down to a matter of opinion. I agree with what this blogger has written. Read the following story.

Justice Delayed...
Today was a big day ... Memphis American Idol auditions were on TV, President Bush gave his State of the Union, my Gil Zero's arrived in the mail ...

... but the piece of news that caught my eye today was the Tennessee Supreme Court's ruling in In Re Adoption of AMH. The court held today that Jack and Casey He would regain custody of their daughter.

I have been following this story for more than a year now, and it is far more complicated than a simple matter of custody. The child in question, Anna Mae He, will celebrate her eighth birthday this Sunday, and she hasn't seen her parents on a regular basis for more than five years. Her adoptive parents, Jerry and Louise Baker, are the only parents she's ever known. One of the Baker's other daughters, Hope, is crying in her mother's arms, after finding out that the courts had taken her little sister away.

Is this the right decision? Is this the best birthday present for 8-year-old Anna Mae? To be taken from her the people she has called "mommy" and "daddy" for as long as she could talk? I'm not so sure about that, but in terms of the law, I am absolutely sure that this is the right decision. The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled 5-0 in favor of the He's. Their opinion was unequivocal, which is perhaps how it had to be to give this case the finality it needed.

But this begs the question - If the issue were so easy to resolve, how did things get this far? How did the trial court give custody to the Bakers? How did the Court of Appeals uphold the denial of parental rights?

In terms of the law, the question was very simple. The Tennessee Code says that if a parent willfully abandons their child for a period of four months, they give up their parental rights. The He's, in a time of financial difficulty (and criminal charges and questionable immigration status), gave their daughter to the Bakers for temporary foster care. Although the arrangement was friendly at first, they became strained around Anna Mae's second birthday. The two couples had a fight, the police were called, and the He's didn't come back to visit. Instead, they went to the courts and began filing lawsuits, but once four months had elapsed, the Bakers filed a lawsuit of their own, successfully terminating the He's parental rights under the statute.

The He's argument was simple - yes, they didn't visit Anna Mae for a period of four months, but the abandonment wasn't "willful." In fact, they were trying to get her back as quickly as possible by pursuing legal action. The Supreme Court saw this very clearly - if you're trying to get your daughter back in court, you're not "willfully" abandoning her. Simple and straightforward - 5 judges in favor, none opposed. But what happenned in the lower courts?

Here's where it gets interesting. At the trial level, the judge became fixated on the Hes' immigration status. It turns out that Jack and Casey He weren't legally married and thus Casey didn't have a valid visa. When Jack was accused of attempted rape by a student (and later acquitted), he lost his graduate position at the University of Memphis and thus his visa status. The judge decided that the He's would do anything to avoid deporation, including filing lawsuits for custody of their daughter ... By the judge's logic, the He's were manipulating the legal system to protect themselves from the immigration authorities. They didn't care about their daughter at all; they only cared about themselves.

In the Tennessee Court of Appeals, two judges agreed, finding that the Hes' pursuit of custody was merely a pretext for avoiding deportation. Nevermind the fact that filing lawsuits doesn't actually protect you from deportation or the fact that obtaining custody of their daughter would have no impact on their immigartion status. In the eyes of these judges, staying in America must be the most important thing on the minds of these illegal immigrants. Now to her credit, one appeals court judge dissented strongly, and that likely provided the seed of doubt that led the Tennessee Supreme Court to grant a discretionary appeal.

The Supreme Court's opinion largely omits discussion of immigration. It takes the facts at face value and reaches the very rational conclusion - how could the Hes' abandonment be willful when they were actively trying to get custody of their daughter? Reading the three opinions is actually a little disturbing. The trial court paints a picture of manipulative immigrants using their daughter as a pawn for their own benefit. The Supreme Court, on the other hand, paints a picture of manipulative lawyers using the legal system to trick the He's into giving up their daughter. The dichotomy is a little bit troubling, because I think neither is completely reflective of the truth ... but it is certainly true that the He's never intended to abandon their daughter, and according to the law, they should have retained their parental rights.

But what about Anna Mae? What about an 8-year-old girl who will now be taken from the only parents she's ever known? What about a child that speaks little Chinese who will now be living in a Chinese-speaking household? What about an American citizen who will be living with illegal immigrants who are subject to deportation? The courts made the right decision, but they certainly did not treat this little girl right.

The Big Sting

In light of the latest developments in Memphis politics, it should be a wake-up call to all the shysters. Anybody that has engaged in crooked under the table deals better beware. Once the ball starts rolling, nobody knows where it stops. A lot of the citizens seem to think the crackdown is racially motivated, directed only at Black elected officials. I don't agree with that assumption. It's just that those being indicted didn't cover their tracks. It doesn't mean that they were the only ones guilty. They're just the only ones who got caught.

Councilman Ricky Peete has been indicted for bribery, and it has a twofold effect. His political future as well as his personal livelihood are both in jeopardy. He is the CEO of the "Beale Street Merchants Association" for now. John Elkington the CEO of "Performa Inc." the management company handling Beale street. Has asked for the rental space now being occupied by Councilman Peete and the group. In an effort to do damage control for the streets image Elkington is severing ties with Peete. He has stated he doesn't plan to renew his contract. I don't think it's a matter of race but of business instead. His main concern is that of making sure "Beale Street" remains the top tourist attraction in the state. Some citizens are already critical of the relationship he has with "Beale Street". Strangely many of those same people are crying racism now.

Then we have the case regarding Councilman Tom Marshall. His company has reportedly made about $5 million consulting the MCS. In light of the present push for ethics reform, he has gave up that contract. All things considered was it fair? It might be of questionable motives but it wasn't illegal. Most people wouldn't make that much money if they had three lifetimes. So if he doesn't ever get another job he can live off that comfortably. That makes it easier to give the contract back. They have both a resume and rainy day fund to tide them over until the next contract arises. Even if they don't secure another consulting job somewhere else. It still was a good ride while it lasted.

Before I could post this story something else hit the newspapers. County Commissioner Deidre Malone took $20,000 for her marketing firm. It was supposed to be to market building opportunities to minority contractors. I was born at night, but not last night. All the public relations this plan needed was a simple public announcement. The minority contractors would have came out in droves. This amounts to nothing more than buying political influence. I have yet to hear her say that she has recused herself from any votes. She checked it out for the county attorney's opinion and it was okay. Again whether you like it or not it's not illegal. It appears she has taken advantage of the same loopholes as some of the others. It was only a couple of weeks ago she was pointing fingers at others. That just goes to show. If you're living in a glass house, don't throw no stones.

The list of subjects could go on and on. City Councilman Edmund Ford and former County Commissioner Bruce Thompson have both been in compromising positions. Once again I think some people are basing their expectations of the law on their emotions. The major difference here is the fact that some of them have been on paper and others just pilfered. When you get stung it hurts all over not just where you're stung. Sometime that whole affected area or limb will swell. For all those that don't get caught in this snare. This should serve as notice. In the big sting, sooner or later it all comes out.

First Time For Everything

The upcoming Superbowl is monumental in more ways than one. This game is the first of it's kind in forty-one years. Coach Lovie Smith of the Chicago Bears, is the first Black coach to lead a team to the covenant game. His team won the NFC title by trouncing the New Orleans Saints 39-14. Secondly the opposing coach is of the same race as him. Coach Tony Dungy the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, is the winner of the AFC title. They won by beating the New England Patriots in a comeback victory 38-34. Peyton Manning has overcome the stigma of not being able to win a big game. One thing is for sure, two things are for certain. Both coaches are Black and one of them is going to win. Regardless the outcome of the game, history will be made.

Until It Happens To You

I was watching a weekly sitcom (Trading Spouses), and they passed the house in the above picture. As I watched the culture clash between the Brown and Perrin spouses, I gained even more respect for neutrality. It provided a real life jolt to those looking at the issue from both sides. It gave a real life perspective through the eyes of others. Blacks tend to see it one way and Whites another. What I think they both discovered is they have no idea of what it's like to loose everything.

The cameras first went to the White families house and heard what they had to say. The husband was the more passive of this group. It would seem if anyone has a reason to complain, it would be him. He lost his job as a result of the hurricane. The scene was an afternoon brunch prepared for a few of the mothers' White friends. A neutral setting where you were more apt to get their honest feelings, as opposed to them being politically correct. They felt the people affected by Hurricane Katrina, were often abusers of the system. Fraudulently obtaining checks and going Christmas shopping. Taking advantage of the goverments assistance. Read my earlier post regarding this http://indepcons.blogspot.com/2006/06/where-is-my-14-billion.html Unfortunately there are far too many instances where they have a point. When the Black mother said that she agreed with Kanye West. You could cut the tension in the room with a knife. I found it interesting how the Whites lived only a short distance away from the catastrophe. Yet they felt less affected than Blacks in a totally different state. They were correct to a degree, but they were still somewhat disconnected.

Then they went to the Black families house and got their spin on things. This was clearly the battleground of the most dominant personalities, Mr. Brown and Mrs. Perrin. He was a modern day Huey Newton, she is a self proclaimed God warrior. They are both extremist if you ask my opinion. Just to give you some idea of what this man felt about the White man, he has changed his name. He made some good points but more often than not he was over the top. I appreciate someone being passionate about their causes, but don't be overbearing. Five minutes after this guy picked her up he started with his pitch. The White man this and the White man that, after a while it got really boring. In his hometown of St. Petersburg Fl., he has a weekly television show. I hope he really looks at this segment with an open mind. Him and his wife both. It magnifies how silly he sounds when faced with an opposing view. Sometimes we surround ourselves with only those who agree. Not allowing the opportunity to look at things with an open mind.

Being on the outside looking in gave me a unique perspective. It allowed me to see the plight of America from two other points of view. Giving me a chance to see inside someone elses house other than my own. I always say one's perception is their reality. It just further goes to prove that self preservation rules. When it comes down to me and you, guess who it's going to be? This is just a lesson in human nature. You can't expect people to rock the boat when they don't have to row. If you are the source of power on your boat. Nobody is going to row for you. You have to put your oars in the water.

Little Mosque On The Prairie

A Muslim fellow sent me this cartoon which to my surprise was very funny. He and I are usually at each others throat, this time it was different. He sent it in hopes that I would get a laugh or two, and he was exactly right. I was over here rolling, about to crack my side. Then like a epiphany it came to me. This is a chance to witness for Jesus Christ by acting like him. This episode puts a humorist twist on how I really feel about Islam. I have provided the link so others I hope will get a laugh too.

http://www.esnips.com/doc/0630e1e5-29d2-4cb2-96e8-8c9ee2a48a53/Little-Mosque-on-the-Prarie-Episode-1--Part-3

No One Wants To Touch This

I am appalled at the thought of grown men raping underage girls these days. No one has the right to rob a child of their innocence. Likewise no one deserves to be raked over the coals for something they didn't do. The affects of this type accusation has far reaching implications. Even if you're found not to be guilty, the damage is already done. When people are proven to be lying they should be charged as well. That stigma will be attached to him for the rest of his life.

This case is so entrenched in the criminal justice system. You can't talk about Wayne Logan and not mention Judge Carolyn Broffitt. I think what you do in the dark comes to the light. The color you pick for your mate is your business, but a criminal court Judge (Carolyn Broffitt) being shacked up with any race raises a red flag. In my humble opinion that indicates a lack of principals on their part. If I were a sitting judge, I would hate for this to be the only thing the public knows about me. Before now I knew nothing about her. I wouldn't cast a vote for her knowing this now.

I won't rush to judgment on Wayne Logan's guilt.The jury is still out on whether or not he actually raped the little girl. A whole lot of lying is going on by somebody. Him the little girl and her mother, all have different stories. He has had sexual involvement with the girls mother though. I would put money on that. I think before this trial is over we will have a different perspective of Judge Broffitt, and some other Black women in Memphis. Not just Black Women, but other people in high places period. I single out Black women, because that seems to be the distinguishing characteristic about this particular White man. It appears he has a history that goes back several years, of liking young Black girls. There is a reason nobody wants to touch the case. This guys connections run deeper than Judge Broffitt.

Ricky Peete Has His Day In Court

In all fairness I must admit I have never heard Ricky Peete say he wasn't guilty. I think he has come to grips with the fact that they have him on tape. In most cases you can't argue with what you see and hear. Like a good client does, he has remained quiet. He has let his lawyer Handel Durham Jr. do all the talking. And that Mr. Durham has done, more than he should if you ask my opinion. On second thought he's just doing what he's paid for. All things considered Mr. Peete has nothing to lose.

Has anyone noticed that everyone that's guilty seems to have a Black attorney. I have never heard a White attorney using racism as a defense. In cases like these, I have never saw a Black attorney that didn't. Attorney Handel Durham Jr. is building off the momentum he gained in the victory he obtained in the juvenile court case. He represented county employee James Sellers in that proceeding. The case being kicked out, is not the same as being found innocent.

Go to the link below to view the attorney's comments:

http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=2093164&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1

Reading Is Fundamental

Someone sent me this in and e-mail. I thought I would pass it on through my blog.

For those of you who heard it, this is the article Dee Lee was reading
this morning on a New York radio station. For those of you who didn't
hear it, this is very deep. This is a heavy piece and a Caucasian wrote
it.
Dee Lee, CFP
Harvard Financial Educators



Dee Lee

THEY ARE STILL OUR SLAVES We can continue to reap profits from the
Blacks without the effort of physical slavery Look at the current
methods of containment that they use on themselves: IGNORANCE, GREED,
and SELFISHNESS.

Their IGNORANCE is the primary weapon of containment. A great man once
said, "The best way to hide something from Black people is to put it in a
book." We now live in the Information Age. They have gained the
opportunity to read any book on any subject through the efforts of their
fight for freedom, yet they refuse to read. There are numerous books
readily available at Borders, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.com, not to
mention their own Black Bookstores that provide solid blueprints to
reach economic equality (which should have been their fight all along),
but few read consistently, if at all.

GREED is another powerful weapon of containment. Blacks, since the
abolition of slavery, have had large amounts of money at their disposal.
Last year they spent 10 billion dollars during Christmas, out of their
450 billion dollars in total yearly income (2.22%).

Any of us can use them as our target market, for any business venture
we care to dream up, no matter how outlandish, they will buy into it.
Being ! primari ly a consumer people, they function totally by greed. They
continually want more, with little thought for saving or investing.

They would rather buy some new sneaker than invest in starting a
business. Some even neglect their children to have the latest Tommy or FUBU,
And they still think that having a Mercedes, and a big house gives them
"Status" or that they have achieved their Dream.

They are fools! The vast majority of their people are still in poverty
because their greed holds them back from collectively making better
communities.

With the help of BET, and the rest of their black media that often
broadcasts destructive images into their own homes, we will continue to
see huge profits like those of Tommy and Nike. (Tommy Hilfiger has even
jeered them, saying he doesn't want their money, and look at how the
fools spend more with him than ever before!). They'll continue to show
off to each other while we build solid communities with the profits
from our businesses that we market to them.

SELFISHNESS, ingrained in their minds through slavery, is one of the
major ways we can continue to contain them. One of their own, Dubois
said that there was an innate division in their culture. A "Talented
Tenth" he called it. He was correct in his deduction that there are
segments of their culture that has achieved some "form" of success.
However, that segment missed the fullness of his work. They didn't read
that the "Talented Tenth" was then responsible to aid The Non-Talented
Ninety Percent in achieving a better life. Instead, that segment has
created another class, a Buppie class that looks down on their people
or aids them in a condescending manner. They will never achieve what we
have. Their selfishness does not allow them to be able to work together
on any project or endeavor of substance. When they do get together,
their selfishness lets their egos get in the way of their goal. Their so-called
help organizations seem to only want to promote their name without making any
real change in their community.

They are content to sit in conferences and conventions in our hotels,
and talk about what they will do, while they award plaques to the best
speakers, not to the best doers. Is there no end to their selfishness?
They steadfastly refuse to see that TOGETHER EACH ACHIEVES MORE (TEAM)

They do not understand that they are no better than each other because
of what they own, as a matter of fact, most of those Buppies are but
one or two pay checks away from poverty. All of which is under the
control of our pens in our offices and our rooms.


Yes, we will continue to contain them as long as they refuse to re ad,
continue to buy anything they want, and keep thinking they are "helping"
their communities by paying dues to organizations which do little other
than hold lavish conventions in our! hotels . By the way, don't worry
about any of them reading this letter, remember, 'THEY DON'T READ!!!!

(Prove them wrong. Please pass this on! After Reading it.

The First And Maybe Last

I know this is supposed to be the first step in running for President. To form an exploratory committee, to check the American voters pulse. In a way I can't blame him for testing the waters. I would want to know how America felt if I were him too. If nothing else it will give him some clout. To even be considered for running for the nations top job, is an honor in itself.

The fact that the Democrats are even considering him shows division. Until a couple of months ago Sen. Hillary Rodham-Clinton N.Y. was the front runner. I think this is proof the country isn't ready for a female President. I think the timing of Nancy Pelosi has worked against her. In the short time that she has been majority speaker of the house, she has proven to be ineffective. She lacks the ability to bring the party together as a unified group. Inadvertently I think that has something to do with Barack OBama's rise in popularity.

I don't think it is as much a matter of race in this case as opposed to record. Even if he wasn't Black some of his positions are unpopular among the voters. Just like myself some Blacks wouldn't vote for OBama based simply on his race. We would like to know what he stands for and how he votes. Democrats are desperate they're throwing everything in the pot. The same people shaking his hand and smiling in his face, won't pull the lever by his name behind the curtain. For all those people that govern by the polls. If Sen. OBama thinks like them he will he will be in for a rude awakening. I think when he looks at the numbers he will change his mind.

He Needs To Give It A Rest

This ranting and raving has worked in the past, but I don't think it will this time. This goes deeper than the voters of 6th district, it involves the FBI. I notice Ford tried to issue a threat to the other councilmembers. I can tell he felt betrayed because they seem to have closed ranks on him. This is yet more proof of the Mayors claim that, "none of the councilmen are leadership material". What Edmund Ford doesn't seem to understand is he is all by himself. Even Ricky Peete doesn't get involved. Nobody is going to take a chance on putting the spotlight on themselves. Regardless what anyone else has done, that still doesn't clear him. They may be guilty as sin, but he's the one that got caught. I'm sure he was at all the meetings looking for opportunities for kickbacks or just being disruptive. I guess we can see where his defense is headed. Like many of those indicted before him. I don't think it's going to work this time.


Click on the link below to get the unedited version of his charges:

http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/myfox/MyFox/pages/sidebar_video.jsp?contentId=2082977&version=1&locale=EN-US

It's Not Much, But That's All I Know

Madeline Cooper Taylor (Interim City Councilperson Dist. 3)

Taylor is a program coordinator for the Memphis branch of the NAACP where she has worked since 1991. She received a master's degree in human ecology from Cornell University and an undergraduate degree from Si
mmons College in Boston.

Genuinely Wants To Serve

I know Jennings Bernard personally, and overall he's a pretty good guy. Some of his positions are a bit extreme but he's entitled to them. He is a successful business owner, and aspiring politician. I don't agree with his politics but I do respect him. After discussing his non-selection to the future vacant council seat of Tujuan Stout-Mitchell. Though I usually predict the outcome of these things, and am not surprised at the outcome. I finally felt his pain. I am blessed to be not forced to deal with those I don't agree with on a constant basis. Jennings to some degree enjoys that priviledge also. That sometimes causes us to suffer from a bit of tunnel vision. Ones perception is their reality.

I see Jennings Bernard's politics as being one sided. Whatever the issue is you can expect him to take the Black stance. That's commendable but not always correct. Sometimes we as Blacks get exactly what we signed up for. The benefits awarded Blacks have largely been squandered through entitlements. That attitude can often work against you. Everytime we see favors being repaid, nepotism or sex in the workplace. Being the dominant factors for hiring and promotion. Blacks are tribal in everything except sharing the bounty. Which has resulted in pockets of prosperity. Fueled by the mentality of every man being for themselves. When it all goes down, you'll be standing by yourself.

One thing I can say is he is unyielding. In spite of repeated defeats he keeps coming back. He does this with little support, he uses his own money. After yesterdays decision I did agree with him. They changed the rules in the midst of the contest, still leaving him out. It was obvious unless everybody else dropped out he wasn't going to win. They went and found somebody to select. One might wonder why he just doesn't quit. The word unelectable has often been associated with his name. That might be true, but he genuinely wants to serve.

The life of Martin Luther King Jr.

Any number of historic moments in the civil rights struggle have been used to identify Martin Luther King, Jr. — prime mover of the Montgomery bus boycott, keynote speaker at the March on Washington, youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate. But in retrospect, single events are less important than the fact that King, and his policy of nonviolent protest, was the dominant force in the civil rights movement during its decade of greatest achievement, from 1957 to 1968.

King was born Michael Luther King in Atlanta on Jan. 15, 1929 — one of the three children of Martin Luther King Sr., pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, and Alberta (Williams) King, a former schoolteacher. (He was renamed "Martin" when he was about 6 years old.)

After going to local grammar and high schools, King enrolled in Morehouse College in Atlanta in 1944. He wasn't planning to enter the ministry, but then he met Dr. Benjamin Mays, a scholar whose manner and bearing convinced him that a religious career could be intellectually satisfying as well. After receiving his bachelor's degree in 1948, King attended Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pa., winning the Plafker Award as the outstanding student of the graduating class, and the J. Lewis Crozer Fellowship as well. King completed the coursework for his doctorate in 1953, and was granted the degree two years later upon completion of his dissertation.

Married by then, King returned South to become pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala. Here, he made his first mark on the civil-rights movement, by mobilizing the black community during a 382-day boycott of the city's bus lines. King overcame arrest and other violent harassment, including the bombing of his home. Ultimately, the U.S. Supreme Court declared bus segregation unconstitutional.

A national hero and a civil-rights figure of growing importance, King summoned together a number of black leaders in 1957 and laid the groundwork for the organization now known as the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). King was elected its president, and he soon began helping other communities organize their own protests against discrimination.

After finishing his first book and making a trip to India, King returned to the United States in 1960 to become co-pastor, with his father, of Ebenezer Baptist Church.

Three years later, King's nonviolent tactics were put to their most severe test in Birmingham, during a mass protest for fair hiring practices and the desegregation of department-store facilities. Police brutality used against the marchers dramatized the plight of blacks to the nation at large, with enormous impact. King was arrested, but his voice was not silenced: He wrote "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" to refute his critics.

Later that year King was a principal speaker at the historic March on Washington, where he delivered one of the most passionate addresses of his career. Time magazine designated him as its Person of the Year for 1963. A few months later he was named recipient of the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize. When he returned from Norway, where he had gone to accept the award, King took on new challenges. In Selma, Ala., he led a voter-registration campaign that ended in the Selma-to-Montgomery Freedom March. King next brought his crusade to Chicago, where he launched programs to rehabilitate the slums and provide housing.

In the North, however, King soon discovered that young and angry blacks cared little for his preaching and even less for his pleas for peaceful protest. Their disenchantment was one of the reasons he rallied behind a new cause: the war in Vietnam.

Although he was trying to create a new coalition based on equal support for peace and civil rights, it caused an immediate rift. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) saw King's shift of emphasis as "a serious tactical mistake" the Urban League warned that the "limited resources" of the civil-rights movement would be spread too thin;

But from the vantage point of history, King's timing was superb. Students, professors, intellectuals, clergymen and reformers rushed into the movement. Then, King turned his attention to the domestic issue that he felt was directly related to the Vietnam struggle: poverty. He called for a guaranteed family income, he threatened national boycotts, and he spoke of disrupting entire cities by nonviolent "camp-ins." With this in mind, he began to plan a massive march of the poor on Washington, D.C., envisioning a demonstration of such intensity and size that Congress would have to recognize and deal with the huge number of desperate and downtrodden Americans.

King interrupted these plans to lend his support to the Memphis sanitation men's strike. He wanted to discourage violence, and he wanted to focus national attention on the plight of the poor, unorganized workers of the city. The men were bargaining for basic union representation and long-overdue raises.

But he never got back to his poverty plans. Death came for King on April 4, 1968, on the balcony of the black-owned Lorraine Hotel just off Beale Street. While standing outside with Jesse Jackson and Ralph Abernathy, King was shot in the neck by a rifle bullet. His death caused a wave of violence in major cities across the country.

However, King's legacy has lived on. In 1969, his widow, Coretta Scott King, organized the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Non-Violent Social Change. Today it stands next to his beloved Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. His birthday, Jan. 15, is a national holiday, celebrated each year with educational programs, artistic displays, and concerts throughout the United States. The Lorraine Hotel where he was shot is now the National Civil Rights Museum.

— Based on The African American Almanac, 7th ed., Gale, 1997.

Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" Speech

Always Fishing For Votes

Last night I had a conversation with Councilman Myron Lowery (dist. 8 pos. 3) himself. I always had a respect for Mr. Lowery because I thought he was his own man. I always expected him to vote his conscious even though it may have been unpopular. Many of those unpopular instances I agreed with him. He usually plays the role of the mediator. Which in the Black community draws accusations of you being a sell-out. That's not the extent of the names he's called, but that'll do for now.

Unfortunately after last nights conversation, he fell down the ladder a couple of rungs. I asked him what he thought of the Mayor and Sheriffs new proposals. He didn't answer he just danced around the question. He said the Mayor has vision for the city and he didn't know how we were going to raise the money. He said he hadn't seen any concrete plans for the jail. He needed to see that first. How many times have they supported something before they had the money. We already know that, neither has anyone else. That still didn't tell us how he felt. Another listener called and cornered him for a straight answer. He finally admitted he didn't think we needed a new jail, but he didn't say anything about the stadium.I didn't expect him to be so elusive. He caught me off guard.

Then I considered where he was. Why would he be on WLOK at 10 o'clock at night? Where maybe 200 people heard what he said, 100 of those don't remember. He knew most people listening to the radio would be tuned to WDIA. He was only prepared to answer the questions of people that listen to that show. He can say one thing on there, something else somewhere else.

I can't help but remember what the Mayor said about the city council once. He said none of them were capable of leading the city of Memphis. There are some that I wouldn't even consider based on past performance. While listening to him last night I saw the Mayors point. You can't depend on what he says, because he's always fishing for votes.

I Detect A Reign

I know it's hard to beat an incumbent especially if they do anything notable. All those people expecting to hold newly elected 9th district congressman Steve Cohen accountable just lost their leverage. This latest issue is just what the doctor ordered even if it's unsuccessful. He supports lowering the grade point average from 3.0 to 2.75 to receive Hope scholarships. If it passes he comes of like the great deliverer. If it doesn't he can build a career off trying to get it changed.Either way he holds the voters captive. The same mentality that got him elected is going to keep him in office.

I have never been in support of Mr. Cohen though I predicted he would win. I'm not in support of gambling, I think it does more harm than good. A scholarship is supposed to be a reward for making good grades. Not something graduates are entitled to upon graduation. If we keep lowering the standards what it amounts to is a grant. Two things are going to happen 1. People that were going to send their children to college regardless, will get a state funded kickback. A hidden tax incentive, but not for the poor. The best qualified students were going to get scholarships anyway. 2. Secondly our institutes of higher education will be loaded with people that can't possibly finish. I know some people consider this to be callous but I think steps should be taken to prevent this. I don't know if this was a joke but this came up earlier last year. Read the story and see what you think, every rumor has at least a grain of truth. Now that we have the Democrats in office who knows? http://anti-tandbush.blogspot.com/2006/05/no-child-left-behind-or-is-it.html This may come up again down the pike. To counteract this proposal.

I felt this was worthy of mention being this won't be the last time. I would be willing to bet this will be one of his highlights. This is just what he needs to keep the voters of the 9th district beholding. This builds on the same loyalty that came with the lottery. Mr. Cohen hasn't been in office two full weeks but he has already showed his true color Red.

What is the Memphis Charter Commission

Memphis is a "home rule" city that operates under a contract --a charter-- that is determined by the electorate. Any municipality, after adopting home rule, may continue to operate under its existing charter, make amendments, or adopt a new charter to provide its governmental or proprietary powers. An amendment may be advanced by ordinance of any home rule municipality by a charter commission provided for by act of the General Assembly and elected by qualified voters.

Many Memphians believe that recent and current events are evidence that change is needed for Memphis. The Charter Commission is a non-partisan group that will review the current city Charter and recommend changes. The recommended changes will be presented to the citizens of Memphis in the form of voter referendums.

Memphis' prosperity, to an extent, will be determined by the Charter Commission's true insight.

Through the judgment of this Commission, Memphians can give birth to a change that will help Memphis progress in the right direction. The Charter Commission will have 2 years to review the charter and ordinances and formulate recommended changes. Those changes will be presented to the voters as a referendum - you, the citizens of Memphis, will ultimately accept or reject the recommended changes.

What Has Been Done In His Tenure

During Mayor Willie W. Herenton’s Tenure…

Fiscal Accountability

The City’s savings account increased from a dangerous low in 1992 of $3.5 million to $69 million, maintaining the City’s favorable AA bond rating.

The City administration presented a balanced budget every year, despite such fiscal emergencies as ice and wind storms and increased security risks due to the September 11, 2003 terrorist attacks.

Property taxes were increased only three times in the past 13 years.

Sewer rates were increased only once in the past 22 years, making Memphis’ sewer fees the lowest of the 250 largest cities in the United States.

The Administration continuously seeks alternative revenue sources, such as the proposed storm water fee, rather than solely relying on property taxes as the City’s main source of revenue.

City government maintained strong fiscal budgetary management in General Fund Operations and Capital Improvement Budgets.

City government implemented a five-year budget plan and developed a five-year fiscal and management plan.

Quality of Life

Memphis secured the Memphis Grizzlies NBA franchise, and constructed, on time and within budget, the FedExForum – a world class, state-of-the-art arena in downtown Memphis.

Memphis secured Triple-A baseball franchise the Memphis Redbirds, and used less than five percent of public funds to add AutoZone Park baseball stadium to its repertoire of sporting venues.

Opened the doors to the new state-of-the-art Canon Performing Arts Center, using private donations amounting to more than $5 million.

The Memphis Zoo became one of only four locations in the United States to have a Giant Panda exhibit—a feat achieved through a public-private partnership that produced private donations of more than $11 million.

The new $60 million Central Library “InfoHub” was constructed using approximately $15 million in private donations.

The Stax musical legacy was revived with the construction of the Stax Museum and Music Academy. This $20 million “Soulsville Revitalization” project was leveraged with $2.5 million in City of Memphis funds.

Downtown Memphis underwent a renaissance that resulted in $1.7 billion in new private investment. Today, downtown Memphis is the centerpiece of community renewal and source of pride for citizens.

As part of a 50-year master riverfront development plan, Memphis’ riverfront morphed into an easily accessible attraction with the completion of such riverfront development projects as the Tom Lee Park expansion, Riverside Drive enhancement, and the construction of the Riverfront and Riverbluff walkways and the new Tennessee Visitor’s Center. Additionally, more projects are in the works to transform this invaluable asset into an economic boon.

City of Memphis government constructed two new state-of-the-art community centers, renovated nearly every city playground in the park system, and developed the first City Parks Master Plan in the park system’s 100-year history.

Economic Development

More than 78,051 new jobs were created in Memphis and $12.2 billion in private capital was invested (this figure does not include the projected $1 billion of private investment for the year 2004, making 2004 the eighth consecutive year the City has reached the billion dollar mark in private investment).

More than 30,000 individuals were removed from Memphis’ poverty rolls during the first five years of the Memphis 2005 Economic Development Plan.

Based on a 2004 economic analysis, Memphis was ranked in the top 10 percent of metro areas in economic strength — ranking 23rd out of 361 metro areas.

Major corporations reinvested in Memphis: FedEx erected its world headquarters; UPS opened a major hub; St. Jude experienced a $1 billion expansion and significant employment growth; International Paper increased its employment numbers; Smith Nephew expansions totaled more than $50 million; Sofamor Danek corporate headquarters and new research facility created more than 500 new technology jobs; and, Technicolor added more than 1,200 new jobs. In total, Memphis’ growth represents 25 percent of the entire state of Tennessee from 1996-2001.

City of Memphis provided more than 100 loans to small businesses. Additionally, the Renaissance Business Center provided technical assistance to hundreds of businesses. Further, the Division of Housing & Community Development provided bonding, technical assistance and loans to small and minority contractors.

While encouraging the private sector and quasi-governmental agencies to financially support minority and women owned businesses, City government continuously increases its financial support.

Local leaders initiated a five-year strategic plan that included the Memphis City Council, City of Memphis administration, business leaders and citizens.
Education/Training

City of Memphis government committed $175 million to fund the installation of air conditioning in local public schools, upgrade existing schools and construct new ones.

City of Memphis funded the construction of the Downtown Elementary School.

City of Memphis government established an Office of Youth Services that provides summer jobs to more than 2,000 youth each year.

City of Memphis established the Second Chance Ready 4 Work Program to help ex-offenders obtain employment.

Neighborhoods

The federal government designated Memphis a “Renewal Community” – a key economic incentive that awards federal tax credits to businesses that locate to key parts of the city and/or hire residents from these areas.

Memphis received more than $100 million in direct HOPE VI grants that resulted in more than $200 million in dollars leveraged.

Memphis expanded affordable housing opportunities, helping more than 12,500 individuals to become new homeowners through the down payment assistance program.

The Memphis Housing Authority and the City’s Housing & Community Development Division completed major neighborhood revitalization efforts in such communities as LeMoyne Garden/College Park/Soulsville, the Uptown Redevelopment Area, Fowler Homes, New Chicago and University Place/Lamar Terrace.

Transportation

The Memphis Area Transit Authority opened the trolley system in 1993, expanded it in 1997 to include the Riverfront Loop, and expanded it again in 2004 to run along Madison Avenue to the Medical Center.

Central Station was renovated and reopened in 1999.

The North End terminal opened in 1998.

The American Way Transit Center opened in 2001.

The Burlington Northern Railroad and the Canadian National Railroad both have new intermodal facilities under construction that will help retain Memphis’ position as a leading transportation and logistics center of the country.

Memphis International Airport added domestic service, international flights, a new “World Runway,” and for nine consecutive years maintained its ranking as the largest cargo airport in the world.

Pinnacle Airlines expanded its capacity at the Memphis International Airport.
Safety

The Memphis Police Department (MPD) hired more than 600 new police officers.

The MPD established “Community Policing Units” in 14 neighborhoods.

Homicides were reduced in 2003 by 17 percent.

The Downtown Entertainment District Police Unit was created in April 2004.

The MPD received the Center City Commission’s Vision Award for policing downtown.

In October 2003, the MPD received the National Crime Prevention Award for Excellence and Community Policing.

Memphis residents who took the Memphis Poll in 2004 ranked the Fires Services Division as the top division in City government for the 11th consecutive year.

Memphis Fire Services hired more than 100 new firefighters.

Memphis Fire Services reduced fire fatalities by an average of 32 percent and increased fire safety inspections by 30 percent, resulting in the abatement of an average of more than 11,000 fire hazards annually.

Memphis Fire Services performed more than 12,000 Commercial Anti-Neglect inspections, reducing blight in Memphis and increasing property values by an estimated value of more than $20 million.

City of Memphis added seven new fire stations to serve citizens in the downtown, Hickory Hill, Cordova, and Berryhill areas.

City of Memphis built a new fire station on Humphries Boulevard to replace Fire Station No. 44 on Walnut Grove.

Recent National Media Recognition

The Memphis economic development team was recognized as the 5th best among the south's top economic development groups.

Expansion Management Magazine ranked Memphis 14th on its “America’s Hottest Cities for Manufacturing Expansions and Relocations” list.

Memphis ranked in the Top 10 among “America’s Top 40 Real Estate Markets” according to Expansion Management magazine.

Memphis was named 2002 "Major Market of the Year" by Southern Business and Development.

Memphis was cited by Site Selection Magazine, Conway Data Inc.’s New Plant Database as 5th out of the top metro areas in 2002 for new and expanded facilities, ranking just behind the largest metro areas of Chicago, Detroit, and New York. Memphis ranked above Minneapolis, Charlotte, Washington, D. C., and Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Mayor Herenton was selected as the 2003 Municipal Leader of the Year by the national publication “American City and County Magazine.”

How Common Is Genital Herpes

Results of a nationally representative study show that genital herpes infection is common in the United States. Nationwide, at least 45 million people ages 12 and older, or one out of five adolescents and adults, have had genital HSV infection. Between the late 1970s and the early 1990s, the number of Americans with genital herpes infection increased 30 percent.

Genital HSV-2 infection is more common in women (approximately one out of four women) than in men (almost one out of five). This may be due to male-to-female transmissions being more likely than female-to-male transmission.

Saddam Huessein's Hanging