Gratefu, Grateful, Grateful...

All week long, one song has played in my mind. The song is "Grateful" by Bishop Hezekiah Walker, a praise song.

  "Grateful"

I am
Grateful for the things
That you have done
Yes, I'm grateful for the vic-tories we've won
I could go on and on and on
About Your works
Because I'm grateful, grateful, so grateful
Just to praise you Lord
Flowing from my heart
Are the issues of my heart
It's Gratefulness

I am so thankful for a country that allows me to speak my mind and believes in a democracy.  Because to say we have these rights, but be afraid to exercise them would not live up to our principles.
I would be in trouble without them, because I have so much to say about public policies. LOL

I am grateful for a praying mother who was my first teacher and taught me to love my God, my country, my family, education, and my neighbors.  Her teachings truly influenced who I am today. What is amazing is she still teaches me today and I never take her for granted.

I am very grateful to those of  you who encouraged me to create a Blog and for your interest in what I may have to say on any given day.  I am humbled.  Thank you.

Today, I expected my husband as the head of the family to lead us in prayer, but he asked my 85 year old mother to pray.

Mom said,

"Lawd, I just want to thank you for being so good to us.  Thank you for another holiday that all of us will enjoy.  Thank you for keeping us from dangers seen and unseen. Thank you for clothing us in our right minds. Thank you for health and strength even with my bad feet, I am able to walk to this table of plenty. Bless the food for the nourishment of our bodies and use the strength of our bodies to do Your Will.

In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen."

I know, this prayer was similar to others prayed all over the country.  What's amazing is that from  1 pm-3 pm our country was generally at peace and He was breaking every chain.  Let us continue to live up to our prayers with our deeds. What a Thanksgiving blessing that would be!

Those who celebrated Hanukkah! Agape'

I am truly, grateful, grateful, grateful...

Who Wins? Answer: Democracy Wins!

Sometimes, I think public officials forget that they asked to serve us and that process includes getting input from us and working for us, and not  just their resumes, personal ambitions, and/or egos.  To hear some of the proponents say after the Sales Tax Vote, "We lost. but who won?" was shallow and beneath the office they hold.

I'll tell you who won,  -- democracy won.  You presented a question to the public and they gave you an answer. This was not a referendum on Pre-K. It was a referendum on Sales Tax Increase on a poverty ridden community. It was a question on having an independent body, not elected by the public to make decisions about public funds.  Let's be clear.  The question was not did we want Pre-K?  If  that had been the question,  I am certain that would have passed.

This community is just getting over the shock of what it meant to merge two school districts and the lost of jobs and opportunities.  As a result of that decision, we have a firm from Knoxville on contract cleaning schools and some of our former school board employees who were performing those tasks are now unemployed.  We have employees who were making living wages, and now barely making minimum wage. We have people who can never be more than 30 hour a week employees because companies are trying to avoid giving them benefits, so they have to find a second job.  We have senior citizens, not on food stamps, buying grocery with pennies because 1/2 cents does matter. So, certainly, the public wants to ask questions, get answers that make sense before they vote.

Who Won?  You won.  As officials, you won, because now you can go back to the drawing board and design another plan that addresses the answers given to you by this public. Find a way to fund and expand our Shelby County Schools' Pre-K program. I suggest that you work with the County and Shelby County Schools in developing that plan.

Who won?  We Won.  Now, we know that the Greater Memphis Chamber is committed to Pre-K and they should lead the effort to ask the City Council to amend the Ordinance to release public education funds from PILOTS as an investment in their future workforce.  (However, I plan to ask how much money has the Chamber received from the City of Memphis the last couple of years, and if any of those funds were used on this effort.)

Who won? Children Won.  Because the public's answers  to the referendum questions bring us closer to a solution for our children, if your egos get out of the way.

Remember, democracy is not a spectator sport.  Therefore, we win when the people speak. I really think that who won was the wrong question.  We should ask "what will WORK for our community" given the answers we received from our public.I encourage you to value that input, rather than demean it.

Where Are You?

Today, I visited Grace Temple Ministries and the Associate Pastor Daryl Braden preached from Genesis  3:9-10,  "And Jehovah God called unto man, and said unto him, Where are you? And he said, I heard a voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself."

As I pondered this scripture and message it spoke to me and my heart was so heavy. During the service, a young woman walked in and sat besides me. She wore an over-sized puff car-coat. (That's a throw back term) She had on jeans, a tight shirt that revealed she was pregnant. Her unstructured ponytail was telling me she was a young soul. The young man with her held her hand. I drew assumptions about her, as I am sure she had some about me.

We all have insecurities, and we sometimes hide behind them. We hide behind our earthly possessions, brand names, and what we consider the popular thing to do because we want to feel a part of the world. When God really wants us to be the Salt of the Earth. We hide from our values, our beliefs for fear that some group will shun us.  We hide from our own sin because it is embarrassing to admit our imperfections. And when we hide, God asks the question, "Where are you?"

During the alter call, the young woman beside me wiping her tears said, "I am going to get what I came for..." She got up and went to pray. Before I knew it,  I was at the alter, too. Her courage nudged me to admit that I needed to pray.

I don't know what God wants me to do with this passion for social justice, and it scares me.  Because when you are truthful to power you are criticized and obstructed. For weeks, I have tried to avoid answering the question, "Where Are You on the Sales Tax?"

But, I am here, probably alone. But, I am comfortable that it is where God led me.

I support Pre-K for all children.  I do not support the referendum we are asked to vote for to fund it. Therefore, I will vote "No".

Why am I opposed to the sales tax referendum?

• It is a regressive tax.

A tax with a rate that decreases as the taxpayer's income increases.

The result of a regressive tax is that the lower-income taxpayer pays a larger percentage of his or her income in taxes than does the higher-income taxpayer.

•    It is a double down regressive tax.

 Even though is it already a regressive tax,  the provision of lowering property taxes of  property owners makes it a double down regressive tax.  The poor who rent will not get a reduction in rent, but the owner of the property will benefit from the poor's sacrifice.  That makes this morally wrong for me.

•    Public elected bodies should determine the spending of public funds.

Education is the responsibility of the State and County. Why are we building a new foundation to go around  the public entity charged with that responsibility? Why would I want a handpicked boby making these decisions over an elected Board of Education with broad representation from every district in this city.

•     I don't buy their ice water colder theory.

If we raise the public funds for the implementation of Pre-K, it should be the responsibility of our school 
board that is charged with educating our children. The notion that we should have a select foundation because people don't trust our school system's leaders is a message that I do not care to send.

I have lived in a world all my life that because of my skin, my sex, my status, it was assumed that I could not make sound decisions.  I reject that message.  I don't think the proponents are trying to send that message, but we must be careful about subliminal messages.  I have disagreed with decisions of the School Board but I trust that they are good stewards and want all our children to share the resources for their educational success.

The gains that have been made from hardworking board members, superintendents, administrators, teachers, parents and students should be applauded and I think they are capable of making a Pre-K plan for our children with funds from our public.

•  As a city, the citizens decided to abolish the Memphis City School System, and now they want back in.   This is confusing and a little  schizophrenic. 
• Is this plan constitutional?
  If we know we will only have money for some members of the class and the need for Pre-K is greater can we really withhold Pre-K from some of the members of the class while allowing others to a service when the funds were generated from a tax from all citizens?  Lawyers, please examine this. 

So, where am I?  
Here, I am God, probably alone, but at peace with this decision.

I am ashamed it took me so long to stand up and say it. I respect the will of the voters.  I just regret that we are voting on this issue at a time when the turn out will be low. This is another political tactic that allows you to get your target voters who support the item to the polls while those who oppose with no funds to educate the public will stay home.  These funding referendums should be placed on the ballot during a Mayoral election or a general election that is not a special election.


P.S.
By the way, to fund Pre-K, I suggest working with the new County leaders and tap the funds that are a part of the Pilot Program that should be directed toward public education.  I read on Smart City that there may be approximately $10-12 million in that area and review the Motel/Hotel Tax.  Surely, tourism and corporate understand the value in educating its future workforce.