Wharton Says It's Time for Consolidation

Shelby County Mayor A.C. Wharton called for city-county government consolidation in his state of the county speech delivered to commissioners.

[No way]

We already moved to Arlington to get away from Cordova because we want nothing to do with Harrington and his crazy schemes. I know of LOTS of teachers from Chimneyrock who quit their jobs as soon as it turned city because they said "they had worked for city schools before and will NOT do it again." How far will Harrington push us all. I will personally move to Fayette county if he keeps it up. I know everyone feels the same way that lives in suburbs of Memphis. I have one thing to say to Harrington. LEAVE US ALONE!! He has to many problems in Memphis he cant handle to be thinking of taking on lots of people who cant stand him.

[Allyn]

Whats strange to me is that during election time, the city and county is always in the black, not the red, and there is never a money problem when the two sorry Mayors are getting raises or needing a new football stadium. I was a big admirer of Mayor Wharton until recently when his true colors came out and we found out that he and Willie have been in cahoots all along, just as Morris was with Willie during the election.

[JME]

Hopefully there will be enough pissed voters to boot his herenton loving ass out of office next time.

[Yolanda]

Why are so many people against consolidation? I see nothing wrong with it. I hear the arguments folks don't want to pay city taxes; well you either pay out the front end or pay out the back end.

I think the real reason folks don't want to consolidate and would rather put their homes up and move farther and farther out having to commute into Memphis longer and longer times each day is the fact that they don't want to be bothered with Herrington and I also feel its a racial component to it.

I really don't understand what the problem is?

[nikkie]

AC just jump started his exit from office.

[Not Happening]

My family and I moved to Arlington to get as far from the city as our work allows. If the consolidation does indeed become a reality, we will again be moving as well as alot of other residents we have spoke with in Arlington and Bartlett. We don't trust those running the City of Memphis. We're definately not ecstatic about our taxes going up to "level out" with the city. I believe (according to recent figures) that 80% of Arlington residents moved from the city of Memphis because we don't want anything to do with King Willie and his corruption. He can't even handle the problems in Memphis and now he wants to take on even more people? The crime rate, the taxes, the hiring of corrupt people, the "you owe us" attitude that's present, etc? No thanks. Memphis has a lingering gloom that hangs over it. It's a depressing violent city being ran by thugs.We don't want anything to do with it and would be content building a wall that seperates us from the city....and building a power and public works plant so that we don't even have to deal with MLG&W. At this point, Fayette county is starting to look real good to us, but who knows. We may even go further than that. King Willie has not done a bit of good for the city. His priorities are misaligned and his work has been inconsequential since the first day he stepped foot in office. Then again this is just my opinion, but I am also speaking for the majority of Arlington. Like the other Arlington resident that posted on here stated..."LEAVE US ALONE!!"

[Not Happening]

By the way. I just posted the above comment (from Not Happening)and noticed after posting that it has my hometown as Memphis. I just had to re-post to make it clear that I live in Arlington, lol. See, I can't stand Memphis to the point that I don't even want the name of it associated with me. Ahhh. Okay, I'm done now.

[Yolanda]

Not Happening wrote:

Memphis has a lingering gloom that hangs over it. It's a depressing violent city being ran by thugs."

I agree with your statement wholeheartedly. I moved to Memphis in January of 2006 from Atlanta. I have never, ever lived in such a miserable city. I use to think it was just me until I started to meet so many others who felt the same way.

Here are some things folks have stated to me.

My next door neighbor (who moved to Dallas, TX) "The folks here (speaking of Memphis) aren't friendly. They are clannish. I (speaking of herself) have lived in Memphis for 8 years and even the people at my church are not very warm and open"

I had an interview for a position on Omaha, Nebraska and the hotel manager where I stated on seeing my TN I.D. with Memphis on it stated to me how he had visited Memphis and "found it awful". In his own words, he stated "The city seems to be filled with crime and poverty and all the people with money live way out in the suburbs; plus their seemed to be a chicken restaurant and liquor store on every corner".

A coworker of mine here in Dallas, TX stated to me when I asked how she liked Memphis that she "found it creepy" and that "something was so dark and depressing" (echoing your words) about the city."

Another friend of mine here in Dallas stated to me that her ex husband was from TN and that she had briefly lived in TN and when I asked her how she liked it she replied she didn't. She stated that "the people there aren't friendly".

That's to name a few.

Now I'm sure that there are some people who love Memphis. I believe that Memphis needs a change of leadership. The leadership there is crooked. The city has a depressing, evil feel over it (Memphis that is, not the suburbs). Something is rotten in Memphis and that's for sure.

I hope Memphis has a change of leadership soon. But I doubt it. I believe that the next Mayor of Memphis will be Herenton's handpicked successor and yes, I believe that person will be Mayor Wharton.

[Yolanda]

Not Happening wrote:

By the way. I just posted the above comment (from Not Happening)and noticed after posting that it has my hometown as Memphis. I just had to re-post to make it clear that I live in Arlington, lol. See, I can't stand Memphis to the point that I don't even want the name of it associated with me. Ahhh. Okay, I'm done now.

Arlington and many of the suburbs are so nice. They won't be that way if Mayor Herenton has his way.

[grifter]

Yo

The place is dangerous to boot ! did you read the April 2009 Forbes most dangerous cities?? MEMPHIS was number 2

People seem to want to gloss-over the truths about Memphis for sure-It IS 'clannish', it doesn't like outsiders- it doesn't like differing points of view or opinion-they seem to take it personally too when you offer up deserved criticism, or suggest in a simplistic or snide manner that the problem is WITH YOU ! which is quite laughable, defensive, and ignorant !

But Yo,

they like it, they like having someone to bash like Herenton, they enjoy the crap, the descension, the finger pointing, the racist games, the ignorance, the white flight, the 1950 attitudes

The suburbs are nice I think-I didn't mind Germantown at all-considering--- I still travel there, and they STILL suffer from the same ole crap, and they probably always will

I would attempt to dissuade anyone from moving there unless it was a position you just had to take for a career move- I encourage every professional I know that still lives in that cesspool to consider broadening their horizons and move just about anywhere else (Dallas, Houston, Nashville, Charlotte, Coastal SC, North AL, outside Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Palm Coast area, Charleston to name a few) I tell them to put their career 'skates' on and don't waste anymore time than you must in that City- THERE IS TOO MUCH of the REST of the United States (in the south esp) to see, experience, and to enjoy ! If someone is trapped there I understand, but my longtime experience with Memphis is that the ones who 'love Memphis' are either the ones who were born there, MS or AR, or those who have NEVER lived in more than 2 other cities or regions in their ENTIRE life, so they become extremely insular, parochial, defensive, and at sometimes even hostile-

Let's be clear, Memphis' quality of life/people, etc is seriously deficient compared to a whole lot of other place in these US

That's not just gobblygook- that's imply factual when you take time to visit and live in other locations for any period of time.

Are there worse places ?? well I should say YES....places like Newark, Oakland, Jackson MS, Montgomery AL, New Orleans to name a few

Mayor Herenton is not the only impediment believe me- they like having him as a 'whipping boy'

He's only one man- he doesn't dictate the culture and dynamic of the city- its citizens do that

Just GET OUT and see some great southern, up and coming cities- Memphis is NOT one of them...unless you have 15 years or so to waste.

[Joe Mama]

Yolanda wrote:

Why are so many people against consolidation? I see nothing wrong with it. I hear the arguments folks don't want to pay city taxes; well you either pay out the front end or pay out the back end.
I think the real reason folks don't want to consolidate and would rather put their homes up and move farther and farther out having to commute into Memphis longer and longer times each day is the fact that they don't want to be bothered with Herrington and I also feel its a racial component to it.
I really don't understand what the problem is?

My main problem with it is my housing taxes would automatically double with no extra benefits for myself, maybe you would like to pay for the misuse of taxes????-

[Formerly of Jonesboro]

That's the biggest question I have about the consolidation. I, too, live in Arlington. Will my property taxes be raised to the level of the city? That would be another $1500 or so per year sucked out of my pocket for no good reason.