Mayor Luttrell Should Thank the Memphis City Council for Eliminating the Vehicle Inspections

Before I start on this week's blog.  I need to share this personal information with you.

Last time I checked, I am a private citizen with freedom of speech. But, it seems my questions about street lights made someone blow a fuse. I am not falling out of love with the City Council or any branch of government.  I just try to share my thoughts about government and stay observant.

I am an open book. For the record, it's public knowledge that I worked in a full time leadership position for the City of Memphis in the 80s' for 3 years and 8 months. I returned as a Council member in 2000.  In 2007, I was asked to work for City in Intergovernmental Relations, a position that I am very qualified to perform. So, in 2007, without a break in service, I accepted the challenge and replaced Dottie Jones. It was a position in the Legal Division and Dottie left the city for a better opportunity in County Government. I worked in that position for 4 and 1/2 years. And according to administration and legislative bodies, I served with distinction.

I retired to care for my Mom, be a Granny and start a blog. I retired with twelve and a half years of service. Although, I served sixteen years with the City of Memphis. When I retired from the City, I received 1/3 of my salary based upon my last year. I never made six figures, but I live off a modest salary. I could have bought my time when I worked for the City in the 80s' to boost my pension, but I chose not to do so. I also retired as the Executive Director from the American Cancer Society. I also served on the School Board for eight years. It's all public record.

Like former Councilwoman Gwen Awsumb and Shelby Commissioner Linda Renthrop when asked to serve in an administrative capacity, I did. That's public knowledge and was reported in our corporate daily newspaper the CA.

With friends, I raise $30k a year for Memphis charities. I devote time to civic organizations and try to support two churches in this community. I love Memphis and one thing I learned while serving is that you need skin like an alligator. I am learning to do the thicken this skin with this blog, too.

I value bringing to your attention new information that helps me to understand what's going on with public policy issues.  For instance, a good Council Member reminded me through a friend that there is no fee attached to the inspection.  The inspection cost is included in your property taxes.  Thank you for that information, and I stand corrected. I was taking note of what is listed on the Shelby County Website that reflects we pay $3-6 more for our tags that other county municipalities.  I assumed that was a result of the inspection stations. Now, I understand that difference is not because of inspections. This is on the Shelby County Government's website.

Privately Owned Vehicles Title & Registration FeesThe current prices to title and register a privately owned vehicle with a regular license plate in the various cities and unincorporated areas of Shelby County are as follows: City of Bartlett City fee - $25 Registration fee - $24 Title fee - $13 Wheel tax - $50* Total = $112 $101.00 RENEWAL ONLY City of Germantown City fee - $25 Registration fee - $24 Title fee - $13 Wheel tax - $50* Total = $112 $101.00 RENEWAL ONLY City of Memphis City fee - $30 Registration fee - $24 Title fee - $13 Wheel tax - $50* Total = $117 $106.00 RENEWAL ONLY  City of Millington City fee - $25 Registration fee - $24 Title fee - $13 Wheel tax - $50* Total = $112 $101.00 RENEWAL ONLY Shelby County Registration fee - $24 Title fee - $13 Wheel tax - $50* Total = $87 $76.00 RENEWAL ONLY Town of Collierville City fee - $27 Registration fee - $24 Title fee - $13 Wheel tax - $50* Total = $114 $103.00 RENEWAL ONLY *Note: If the vehicle is leased or owned by a business, the wheel tax is $80. For motorcycles, the wheel tax is $20. To title a car in Tennessee that has presently been titled and registered in another state, the title must be surrendered, or if the vehicle has a lien, the foreign registration must be surrendered and the complete name and address of the lien holder must be provided.

That leads me to the main issue I want talk about today.  When I saw Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell on the news applauding himself on the decision that led to the elimination of the vehicle inspections, I said, "Wow, what about the City Council?"    It was their courage that led to that change.

I will admit, it was a decision that scared me because I did not want to lose federal transportation dollars. But, the Memphis City Council acted upon what we have always said: It was an unfair burden on Memphis'citizens.  The responsibility of air quality should belong to the MSA which includes Shelby County, some portions of MS and AR, but not just Memphis.  I bet Luttrell did try to beg the feds to stop that air quality car inspections.  I cannot imagine him telling all of Shelby that we can't keep Memphis in compliance without you.  That would have be a nightmare for him.

The City Council deserves our thanks for their leadership on the elimination of the Inspection Stations.  I wished I had asked those questions when I was on the Council, and not built those new inspection stations.  As the world turns, lessons are learned.  Thanks to my friend you reminded me of this and to the City Council for their courage on that issue.

I love this blog and all my readers. I will continue to blog and pray for our leaders. I thank God for thick skin, great family and good friends. Remember, I am approachable, but will not be bullied. I have crazy-faith to believe that God will protect me as long as I am honorable with my intentions and actions.

Taking note and taking names,
TaJuan

Politics 101 Tip 3

The Commercial Appeal’s Editorial today reminded me of the “Bait and Switch” trick in politics.  Thanks for the editorial that asks the question why fees should be levied on citizens for services that have been included in our taxes.

This is a perfect example of "Bait and Switch" Politics.  

The Memphis City Council transferred the responsibility of maintaining the street lights from the City of Memphis to Memphis Light Gas & Water. But, they transferred the responsibility without the funds.  That's like giving a mother child support and she spends it on everything but the needs of the child, and then tells the Daddy the child needs lunch money and the school clothes. When the court ordered support took those needs in consideration.  A parent may choose to do more, but should not be required and nagged to do more.  I can say that because I was once a single divorced mother trying to make sure I was a responsible steward of the funds that were given to me for my children.

The street lights were a part of the property tax. It costs approximately $12 million to provide the street lights.  The City of Memphis did not return that to us as taxpayers and did not transfer it to Memphis Light Gas and Water.  So, what absorbed that cost?

Since, MLGW did not get the funding, they had to attach a fee to our utility bill for that service.  So, in a roundabout way, we get an increase without calling it an increase by the City Council. 

But, the Council will campaign at election time that they did not raise your taxes.  Wink! Wink!  What they did was a "bait and switch"! We can’t vote on MLGW Board Members.  But, we vote on Council Members. The Council will tell you it was the Memphis Light Gas and Water that gave you that fee, but won't tell you why.

I asked why we are paying for an inspection fee when cars are not being inspected.  I have not gotten an answer on that, either. You would think the closing down of the stations would have meant a reduction in that fee.

People see through political games.  Just give us the facts, tell us the truth, and do the right thing. We are paying the same in property taxes that we paid last year and we are getting less and less service.  I am not happy with these financial decisions, at all. 

I refuse to take that bait, and allow them to switch the blame.  "I know what you did, and it’s not cool.”  Wink! Wink! 

TNHope! TNPromise! tnAcheive! TN Can Use Them ALL!

Today, I want to congratulate Columnist Wendi C.Thomas' on her article this week.  She is what I call a journalist who does not mind putting sweat equity into her work to help make us think! On February 5, 2014 in the Commercial Appeal she wrote:

"If Gov. Bill Haslam’s Tennessee Promise plan, which would give free tuition to any two-year state school for high school graduates, sounds familiar, it should.

It already exists. It’s called tnAchieves, which is in 27 counties, including Shelby County.

What would his proposal, which was greeted with bipartisan cheers during his State of the State address Monday, give Shelby County’s students that they didn't have?

Nothing..."

The Governor is presenting an idea that could take money from the Hope Lottery Funds and give it to children that may wish to attend a two-year institution.  Really, it's not new money.  Rep. Steve Cohen warns us that this may leave the Hope Scholarship Funding in a less stable position.  It may, and the Governor needs to address how he sustains both. But, who can debate the need to bolster attendance for some students in two-year or trade institutions?  I won't.  Every high school graduate does not want to attend college and trade schools offer real opportunities for lucrative incomes.  For goodness sake, my mother was a teacher, but my father was a barber who owned his shop, a cafe, and pool hall with a 6th grade education.  His trade and business sense made him the sexist man in town for my mother.

According to a Carnegie Mellon University Study poor people spend more of a percentage of their income on lotteries because they see it as a way out of poverty.   

"Although state lotteries, on average, return just 53 cents for every dollar spent on a ticket, people continue to pour money into them — especially low-income people, who spend a larger percentage of their incomes on lottery tickets than do the wealthier segments of society. A new Carnegie Mellon University study sheds light on the reasons why low-income lottery players eagerly invest in a product that provides poor returns.

In the study, published in the July issue of the Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, participants who were made to feel subjectively poor bought nearly twice as many lottery tickets as a comparison group that was made to feel subjectively more affluent. The Carnegie Mellon findings point to poverty's central role in people's decisions to buy lottery tickets.

 'Some poor people see playing the lottery as their best opportunity for improving their financial situations, albeit wrongly so," said the study's lead author Emily Haisley, a doctoral student in the Department of Organizational Behavior and Theory at Carnegie Mellon's Tepper School of Business. "The hope of getting out of poverty encourages people to continue to buy tickets, even though their chances of stumbling upon a life-changing windfall are nearly impossibly slim and buying lottery tickets in fact exacerbates the very poverty that purchasers are hoping to escape.' "

We are at a crossroads in this community in shifting a cultural mindset with our growing struggling poor. We have to develop real opportunities for a substantial number of people to help a generation realize that the "real lottery" ticket is education, training and a work ethic that values building a career.  We need to help so many visualize that they probably won't win the lottery.  And guess what? Our princesses will likely not become Beyonce, but they can own or design for an apparel industry, become an entertainment promoter, part of the camera crew and/or engineers.  We have to help a generation of mothers realize that there is not a DNA sample hookup that will guarantee you a little King James on the Basketball Court.  However, he can enjoy sports photography, writing, analyst, or becoming a school coach.

That's why the funding of educational programs is so critical.  We need more students graduating from college in four years, rather than five to seven years. Delays in graduation dates, discourages students and many will quit with college debt that they can never pay.  We need more students attending two-year opportunities that will lead to careers or a thirst for higher education.  And we need them to start valuing education at the PreK level and sustain that energy all the way to higher education. Most importantly, the student must take responsibility to his desire to succeed.  We must help students make goals and objectives and learn how to reach them.  Even if it's to their own "applause".

But, what the Governor has also offered us is a program that is already in place for students in Shelby and 28 other counties. 

This happens all the time and the newsroom rarely picks up on it because they take the press release or conference at face value and gives it to us without investigating or asking questions.  That's not what Wendi C. Thomas did, though.  She let us know, "Hello! Shelby, and 27 other counties already have a program similar to TNPromise called tnAchieves, so what are we getting that's new for Shelby?" 

Not a thing, unless we "out fox, the fox".  I don't know if it was by design or not, but it offers us an opportunity.

Here is my suggestion.  The tnAchieves program is mostly funded by a foundation with major gifts from private sources.  These corporate giants were trying to meet an unmet need for Tennessee's youth.  Well, let's allow the State of Tennessee to meet the 2-year college need for all 95 counties, including Big Shelby.  Then, ask tnAchieve to change its focus and consider using their dollars for PreK an unmet need that may lose some current funding. Then, we get both programs.

Come on Chamber of Commerce and Mayor AC Wharton, Jr. here is an opportunity to get funding for a serious priority in our community that the State will not expand.  And, we get it without a sales tax increase. 

City and County governments should collaborate and find out how much money would tnAchieve generate and if it can supplement PreK for those 27 communities.  Then, ask the Governor if with the private support would he participate in acquiring the PreK federal funds for those 27 participating counties.

I know this is a lot of Government Relations work, but it may be worth it for our community.   It could be a win-win for all our children from PreK to trade or a college degree.

P.S.  Publicize these programs and hold guidance counselors accountable for students to opt in or out of them.  People in my family knew nothing about tnAchieve. But, I did because I remember when it was formed.

And since our Governor will not participate in the federal Pre-K or Affordable Healthcare Programs, we need our Congress to suggest more competitive grants for those programs that may be accessed by County or City Governments, rather than the State.  I refused to accept a stumbling block to stop access to education and health care.  Tennesseans deserve those services.

E'Nuff Said.



 Carnegie Mellon University
https://www.cmu.edu/news/archive/2008/July/july24_lottery.shtml

The Playbook: Elect Democrats!

Recently,  I read a wonderful article on Huffington Post by Richard Eskow that questioned if Chris Christie is the true face of the Republican Party.  Chris Christie has been sold in a Democratic State as a different kind of “Republican” and is labeled as a “moderate,” a “pragmatist,” a counterbalance to the far-right ideology of the Tea Party Republicans.

Republicans claim to hate big government but they want to expand Defense Departments.  They promote personal responsibility and detest food stamps, but support farm bills and tax abatement programs for corporations. They claim to want government to have no input into their personal lives but they want to forget that notion when it comes to telling women what to do with their bodies.

This paragraph introduces us to the real Governor Chris Christie.

“Tax giveaways for big corporations? Christie doled out $1.57 billion for “job creation,” with far fewer jobs created than across the river in New York State.

Following the ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) agenda funded by the Koch Brothers and other big corporate interests? As the New Jersey Star-Ledger reported in 2012, “At least three bills, one executive order and one agency rule accomplish the same goals set out by ALEC using the same specific policies. In eight passages contained in those documents, New Jersey initiatives and ALEC proposals line up almost word for word.”

 Meet the new GOP; they are same as the old GOP.  And say what you will about him, but Chris Christie is a hell of a “snakeoil” salesman. He’s managed to make this radical corporatist agenda look “moderate.”

This lesson is important to Democrats in Shelby County, Tennessee.  We are the blue corner of a red state; and the purple areas of the state are depending upon us to wave the blue flag rather than a white flag of retreat.

Here in Shelby, we have the same situation. So-called “moderate Republicans” who have all the social graces, broad smiles and firm handshakes to make you feel so comfortable and you never realize that they use your resources to carry out the agenda of the Republican Party in this Democratic County.  It is time for a Democratic revolt!

 We need a Democratic County Mayor to serve as our drum major on health care.  “Our County Mayor” should make it uncomfortable for the Governor to continue to ignore the Affordable Health Care Program. 

A Democratic County Mayor in Shelby County understands the best ways to reduce poverty in Shelby County is to improve education and create jobs. The federal Pre-K program is critical to our community.  The County Mayor should work with the Republican Senators to find provisions that would allow those funds to come directly to Shelby County to support our needs that may be unique to the state. 

Ø  A Democratic County Mayor would not have been quiet when the County withdrew funds from Planned Parenthood.  Those actions underscored the Republicans’ national agenda.  A Democratic Mayor would have understood that those funds serve health care issues for women.

Ø  A Democratic County Mayor would find it difficult to be silent on the ALEC movement that swept through this state and created Stand Your Ground and Voter ID Laws and laws to restrict municipalities from have prevailing and living wage ordinances.  All of this is ALEC and it opposes the Democratic principles of our Party.

Ø  A Democratic County Mayor would work with Unions and appreciate the value of the workforce and labor protections.

I hope when the filing deadline looms for the Shelby County Races, we will see Democrats challenging Republicans.  Please do not buy the rhetoric that there is a not a Republican or Democratic leadership style for local politics.  If that were true, these  headlines would not be in the media.

ELECTION 2014: South Carolina GOP asks for cash to win more local races – Red to the Roots  --Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2014/01/08/3195713/election-2014-sc-gop-asks-for.html#storylink=cpy

Republicans may reconsider national strategy amid batch of local elections -- (The Guardian, November 5, 2013)

Those are the headlines in other areas.  But, it did not take long to find a quote from the Tennessee Republican Chairman Chris Devaney announcing “Red to Roots” program.  Devaney is quoted by Tom Humphrey, reporter from the Knoxville News Sentinel, July 21, 2013:

“We’ve had a lot of success with our state-level candidates,” Devaney said, referring to the GOP supermajority in the legislature and Republicans holding the governor’s office, both U.S. Senate seats and seven of nine U.S. House seats. “Now, we’re ready to look at the local offices — county mayors, sheriffs and maybe a few judgeships.

These are places where Democrats still have a hold,” he said. “It’s their bench” for candidates who could in the future seek a state-level office. With local-level partisan campaigns, he said, “We can build our bench.”

The “Red to the Roots” program, Devaney said, has generated “a lot of excitement” among local Republican groups as well as within the Republican State Executive Committee membership. The effort was officially launched at the GOP’s Statesman’s Dinner fundraiser earlier this month.”

They are building a bench to continue a lineage of leadership for state general assembly seats and promote their agenda to local levels.  We cannot afford to retreat and “play nice”.  We must vote for quality, articulate, responsible democratic leaders on the local level.  This will be a year crowded with political activity and names.  Let’s be careful and vote for people in the May Democratic Primary who can not only represent us well but can get elected in the August General election.

Not only does it counter Republicans from building a bench, it will also help us with our National Presidential Election in 2016.  Let’s get our game ready in 2014 for 2016 and having Democratic Shelby County leaders to lead our national election is a good start.

We can win in Shelby County!  Remember, when Democrats win, the People win.

As we approach the 2014 NFL Superbowl, with over 160 positions on our ballot this year in Shelby County, here’s our Democratic Playbook:  Let’s keep our Big Tent People Together and Elect Democrats! 

About TaJuan Stout Mitchell

Elected to the Memphis City School Board in 1991 and served as its President of the Board in 1997-97.  She was elected to the City Council in October 1999 and served as the 2006 Chairman of the City Council.  She is retired from the American Cancer Society, where she served as the Executive Director and retired from the City of Memphis in 2012.  She received a B.A. degree in Sociology and Education from Lane College and an M.A. in Education Administration from Trevecca Nazarene University. Mrs. Mitchell has also completed post graduate work in the area of social work administration at the University of Tennessee.

In December 2006 I was appointed by the Mayor of the City of Memphis to head the Office of Intergovernmental Relations.  In this position I provided leadership and manages the network of contacts to impact state and federal policy for the City of Memphis.

I am an amateur photographer and a sports enthusiast. I supported the NBA Grizzlies’ move to Memphis and is still an avid fan of Coach Lionel Hollins.

I am married to Retired District Chief Ronald E. Mitchell, Sr. and they have lived in the Whitehaven Community of Memphis for 28 years. We have a blended family of four children, Nakia, Cathryn, Ron, Jr. and Evelyn, and seven grandchildren.

I believe everyone can be philanthropists and find personal joy in raising funds for non profits and serving on the Board of Directors for the Women's Foundation for a Greater Memphis.