Words To Live By
Reading Chicago Metropolis 2020 plan tonight, I ran across the following… “The sustaining force of this historic process of renewal is Chicago’s strongest spiritual asset: its swaggering self-confidence. This...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Aug 12, 2005 | Uncategorized
Reading Chicago Metropolis 2020 plan tonight, I ran across the following… “The sustaining force of this historic process of renewal is Chicago’s strongest spiritual asset: its swaggering self-confidence. This...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Aug 12, 2005 | Uncategorized
Every war seems to bring with it an unexpected aspect unforeseen by The Pentagon. The War in Iraq – whether being called by The White House the War on Terror or the Struggle Against Global Extremism, depending on which is...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Aug 11, 2005 | Uncategorized
If you haven’t read it, it’s still news. And in that vein, consider a study on the impact of tax abatements on education by the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR) that failed to cause even a...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Aug 10, 2005 | Uncategorized
This week’s column by longtime urban commentator Neal Peirce has special meaning for our community, where the amount of taxes waived for businesses approaches $100 million a year. When tax freezes given by Memphis, Shelby...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Aug 9, 2005 | Uncategorized
With the search for the next president of the Memphis Regional Chamber now down to five candidates, the decision looms as one of the most important that will be made in setting the course for the city’s future.It has not always...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Aug 8, 2005 | Uncategorized
In recent years, Memphis has shown a welcome appreciation for doing things right – National Civil Rights Museum expansion, AutoZone Park, FedEx Forum and Stax Museum of American Soul Music. The cumulative effect of these...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Aug 6, 2005 | Uncategorized
From the New York Times:By THOMAS L. FRIEDMANI’ve been thinking of running for high office on a one-issue platform: I promise, if elected, that within four years America will have cellphone service as good as...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Aug 5, 2005 | Uncategorized
If term limits are an idea whose time has come, perhaps a good place to start would be the members of the more than 150 public boards in Memphis and Shelby County.Media attention regarding terms limits concentrates on elected...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Aug 4, 2005 | Uncategorized
In response to last Thursday’s blog about ministers preaching hate, we received another copy of the following email, which seems to make a reappearance every few months, but which bears rereading:On her radio show, Dr...
Read MorePosted by Smart City Memphis | Aug 3, 2005 | Uncategorized
For those who asked about the weedy welcome mat at Memphis International Airport, here’s a photo of what the “flower bed” that was supposed to greet our guests actually looks like these days. Let’s tell the truth. Hollywood...
Read Moreby Bill Day. Memphian Bill Day is two-time winner of the RFK Journalism Award in Cartooning. His cartoons are syndicated internationally by Cagle Cartoons. Cartoons Archive →
Since 2005, this has been Smart City Consulting’s blog with the aim of connecting the dots and providing perspective on issues and policies shaping Memphis. Editor and primary author is Tom Jones, columnist, author of two books, and consultant on public policy. Smart City Memphis was called one of the most intriguing blogs in the U.S. by the Pew Partnership for Civic Change; The (Memphis) Commercial Appeal wrote that “Smart City Memphis provides some of the most well-thought-out thinking about Memphis’ past, present, and future you’ll find anywhere,” and the Memphis Flyer said: “This incredibly well-written blog sets out to solves the city’s ills – from the mayor to MATA – with out-of-the-box thinking, fresh approaches to old problems, and new ideas. If you have questions, submissions, or ideas for posts, please email Tom Jones, at tjones@smartcityconsulting.com.