Mayor A.C. Wharton is one of the nicest people in Memphis and
he was just what the city needed after he took office from Mayor W. W. Herenton
on October 6, 2009: Someone who could
bridge the racial barriers, had professional credibility with all segments of the
community, and a demeanor that was quiet, yet effective.
My father often told me that it’s easier to give advice than
to take it, but I’m going to give the Mayor some advice that is going to be
hard to take: Take a risk. Call the
entire City of Memphis into a “cyber living room”, and have that talk about
family finances that EVERY family dreads. We need a grown-up to explain the level of current debt, future
debt, the amount of interest the city is
paying, the current income, the projected income, and TELL the city that he has
a short term AND long-term plan to redo Memphis’s finances by making some hard decisions.
Raising taxes is no longer an option. He knows it. We know it.
I am not privy to the
details, but I know he has had teams of respected Memphis leaders review the
city’s finances and made recommendations, and nothing came of it. The low hanging
fruit of budget cuts among many others is the City Government pension’s obligation.
There is also the bloated payroll of the City of Memphis, which has grown by
multiples while the population it serves has shrunk considerably – despite
annexations. I could go on and on, but the Mayor knows where the cuts need to
take place.
So, we need our friend, our beloved Mayor, to help us help
ourselves. Over the past 3 years, he has earned our respect and our loyalty. He
has the political currency with the entire community to take this risk, what we
want now is political courage. Yes, he will make a lot of people mad at him, and
they will say bad things - probably make him have some sleepless nights. In his heart, he knows this has to be done.
Most Americans have had to make adjustments with less in
this economic environment, and these living room talks are taking place all the
time. I know Mayor Wharton prefers a style of governing that is quiet, yet
effective - and that is what we needed after the last Mayor. Now, we need a
Mayor who is tough, pragmatic and effective – and willing to take a risk for
the greater community.
