It’s the season of the pointless government gesture and it’s apparent that it knows no party lines. There is however one silver lining although it’s likely to be brief.
On one hand, Tennessee Senator Mark Norris announced himself as the arbiter of the local school controversy, pledging to delay legislation for a year that would make Shelby County Schools a special school district, but only as long as “all efforts to consolidate the two systems” come to an end.
It’s an audacious condition considering that Memphis City Schools – if it votes to begin the process to surrender its charter – seems to hold the cards. Yes, Memphis City Schools. Not someone in Nashville. Not someone in Shelby County Schools. Memphis City Schools.
Grand Gestures
It was just a week or so ago that Mr. Norris could not resist taking a shot at Memphis City Schools. The city district wants a “mega system,” he said. “The more territory they take in, the more power they can have over more people.” He didn’t produce a shred of evidence for his rhetoric, but said he wouldn’t do anything to hurt Memphis City Schools.
That’s cold comfort, but it’s more than a little disingenuous since a main motivation for the county schools’ interest in a special school district is for it to be guaranteed more territory (by freezing present boundaries)and its constant preoccupation with its own pursuit of power (by staying a larger district with taxing authority).
As a result, it was a largely gratuitous gesture by Mr. Norris to call this week for “everyone to stand down.” In reality, he has little juice in the current political debate and his sudden calls for compromise ring hollow. We can’t remember any similar call whenever suburban interests threatened Memphis City Schools.
Expected Praise
What a shock. Shelby County Schools Chairman David Pickler – the boy who kicked the hornet’s nest – praised Mr. Norris for laying down an olive branch so that “stakeholders” can work together “to achieve a great result.” We’re hard-pressed to imagine why compromise should be the name of the game for Memphis City Schools. They have every right to consider every legal option and to have the paramount priority of protecting their district.
We’re never opposed to substantive meetings, but based on the track record of the county schools generally and Mr. Pickler specifically, we think city schools (as we wrote in our last post) should go ahead and vote for the possibility of charter surrender to keep the pressure on Shelby County Schools.
We admit to a fair degree of cynicism about the motivations of suburban politicians, but we think Memphis City Schools should take action to keep its options open while meeting with the county district to determine if there is common ground where both districts can benefit. We hope that all of this suburban political choreography is not simply aimed at taking the pressure off and letting some time pass while Shelby County Schools regroups and plans another assault for special school district.
Caveat emptor.
Finding Meaning
At the same time, Shelby County Commissioner Steve Mulroy is pursuing a non-binding resolution supporting consolidation. In truth, it has little meaning and leaves us wondering why this much energy and emotion should be invested in a purely symbolic gesture.
We’ve made no secret that we are strongly in favor of consolidation of Memphis and Shelby County Governments, and we are hoping that a federal lawsuit will ultimately bring reason to the dual referenda requirement. Regardless, it won’t too long that Democratic voters will balance Republican voters, so it could be just a matter of time with or without a favorable ruling on the lawsuit. That said, as President Obama once liked to say, election have consequences.
So do referenda, and before people chase their favorite ideas on consolidation, the community needs to continue the conversation about better government to flush out the suburban politicians who said they really do want to find ways to make government more efficient, less costly, and more effective. It’s time to make them once and for all fish or cut bait.
We know that Commissioner Mulroy is right that many city residents were opposed to this specific charter, not consolidation, but while we think many of the people expressing these opinions would never support consolidation for their own personal political reasons, it makes them sound reasonable in the wake of the charter’s defeat. Also, much of what people say they don’t like was a requirement of state law, not a decision of the charter commission.
Politics or Promises
Some people question the fact that one person – Mayor A C Wharton – made all the appointment, others say that the process wasn’t transparent, others say too much was given to the ‘burbs, and others say that the commission didn’t have enough “economic diversity.” All of these have simple answers that don’t always correspond to the revisionist history that is being written by many people in the wake of consolidation’s electoral rebuke.
As for us, we hope that the network of advocates and workers for consolidation will morph into a powerful movement for better government and a force for change.
We hope it does, because one of the first stands that Rebuild Government should be taking is to support Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell’s planned veto of the board of commissioners’ resolution opposing a centralized information technology department that would save $3-5 million a year in costly duplication and waste.
It seemed a no-brainer, at least until political interests trumped reason as the commissioners voted 7-4 in favor of new Commissioner Heidi Shafer’s resolution. Justifying our innate cynicism, she and some others who profess to saving taxpayers’ money during their campaigns instead rewarded the political fiefdoms that populate county government’s archaic governmental structure.
A Veto in Favor of Reason
Despite experts from the University of Memphis recommending centralized information technology, county experts’ opinions, and Mayor Luttrell’s request for approval, the board of commissioners – none with experience or expertise in technology (as far as we know) – voted down a common sense idea.
The arguments by some of the people defending the current inefficient, wasteful system are getting lamer and lamer, as evidenced by Shelby County Register Tom Leatherwood’s wishful interpretation of the laws governing county “fee offices.”
At any rate, it’s highly possible that the Shelby County Board of Commissioners will extend our week of irrationality by overturning Mayor Luttrell’s completely justified veto. We’re hoping that all of this sleep-walking is a result of too much tryptophan and that soon it will be stopped cold turkey.
most of your post reminds me of those charlie brown cartoons, wahh wahhh wahh, give me give me give me. boo hoo wheres my blanky
remember consolidation lost in the county by what 70-30 margin. oh yeah, and that includes everyone in the county including the city of memphis
Norris and Pickler’s response was no surprise. They realize that the action to create a special school district is out of their hands and now they are acting out in any way they believe might stall the process.
Cry-
Wow, what an intellectually stimulating and mature response. The wha, wha comparison can be equally attributed to your little rant including its inaccuracies. The final county wide result was 36 % in favor and 64% not in favor of consolidation. Apparently you were unable to understand that the message was not focused on consolidation but on the actions of lawmakers in their never ending practice of creating meaningless legislation and their habit for taking grand yet hollow stances.
What a joke. Add this Norris asshat to the list of people I want to fight.
I applaud Mayor Luttrell’s efforts to consolidate IT and other duplicated functions. This is the type of action governments at all levels should be taking. I wish the lame CA would shine a light on what these clowns are up to on the council. These old time county racists are too stupid to realize that their stand against all types of consolidation is KILLING THIS REGION. It will be what drives people like me out of this area all together.
Hey Cry More: Instead of coming on here and dismissing SCM, why don’t meet me to discuss things in person. Name the time and place and I will be there, ready to fight.
Bocefius, what good would a physical altercation do? Just brings one down to the intellectual level of someone who posts “wahh wahh wahh,” instead of engaging in some level of constructive debate.
Wow! I wish the media would do their homework before they choose to publish a piece. This, in particular, is pure fallacy: “pledging to delay legislation for a year that would make Shelby County Schools a special school district”. Norris has NEVER sponsored legislation that would make Shelby County Schools a special school district! To do so would be an act of frivolity because the formation of a special school district is prohibited. The legislation in question seeks to change an archaic law that no longer allows the formation of special school districts, by deleting the prohibition on such formations. Any new special school district would still have to go before the legislature as a wholly separate measure. Please, please, please, for your own sake do your research! You’re beginning to make the CA look good!
Read- so what you are saying is that changing the statement from Norris “pledging to delay legislation for a year that would make Shelby County Schools a special school district” to Norris “pledging to delay legislation for a year that would enable Shelby County Schools to establish a special school district” would suffice. Got it. Thanks.
I would suggest that “archaic” is in the eye of the beholder. I find the existing regulations to be more than adequate. It has been noted that the proposed legislation would not become a new law of the land, otherwise it would not be able to receive the support it would require in the state legislature. Instead it would essentially open a temporary window for Shelby County Schools to establish a special district. Seems like special interest legislation to me being forced down the state’s throat by a group of self described bigots.
So early ’80’s legislation is archaic? The ban was to address a flood of special district requests and the realization that lots of little special districts was not good for education.
In the meantime, consolidation of districts has gone forward. Davidson has had it for awhile. Know, Hamilton, Madison, and Tipton all have one school system.
It’s time for Shelby to go forward, not backward to the 50’s.
Read: You don’t have a clue. Go back to commenting beneath CA articles with the other racists in this town.
Let’s not be too hasty Jones.
I actually prefer having those such as Cry and Read post their viewpoints seeing as they present a contrast to the views expressed in these posts, I would just prefer them to support their views with actual facts and logical reasoning.
Cry more: We’re not crying, because on this one, Memphis is holding the cards, and for once, the narrow-minded thinking of your leaders and the parochial actions of your politicians really are of no concern to us.
Read the facts: We’ve printed the process and the actions needed for Shelby County Schools to become a special school district, so from now on, we’ll probably just write it in shorthand. The reasons that the Legislature in its wisdom eliminated additional special school districts is just as relevant today as it was when it was passed.
Read: How does it feel to be straight owned by SCM?????