Category: City of Memphis

  • De-Annexation Episode IV: A False Hope

    If the post this morning gave you an introduction to the idea of making Memphis smaller through de-annexation via referendum, or some other planned de-annexation, the flavor of which Mayor Strickland indicated he’s “open to”, this post will take a look into some of the challenges of the actual doing of de-annexation. But first, some…

  • Chopping up Memphis

    It seems like its been a while since the caucus of hillbillies up in Nashville set Memphis in their sights. That’s not to say their disdain for Memphis has diminished any, just that they’ve been too busy fighting the United Nations, Affordable healthcare, and and closing down rural hospitals as a result, and fighting for…

  • Parks, Progress, & Politics

    I’ve been struggling to organize my thoughts since last week’s last week’s hasty action by the Memphis City Council regarding zoo parking. But I don’t want to get into the specifics of the issue. I think others have captured what’s going on there better, and with more detail than I could. The events of last…

  • Transparency at City Hall

    We’re just 11 days into the new administration at City Hall, and expectations are high for Mayor Jim Strickland and his team. Since his inauguration, Mayor Strickland has had his initial appointments approved, though not without some controversy from an appointees former employer. In this world of 24-hour news cycles, and extreme “I want it…

  • Changing of the Guard

    The Commercial Appeal reports that half of the members of MPD’s administrative staff have left, or will be leaving soon. This follows the recently announced departure of Police Director Toney Armstrong. While there’s no question the loss of so many seasoned officers who made their way up through the ranks will be a huge loss…

  • Cameras are only part of the solution

    16 shots. Chicago police released the video this week, after a year of legal wrangling, of the police shooting of Laquan McDonald. Over a year since the incident, the officer is facing first degree murder charges. According to police accounts, McDonald was a suspect in some auto burglaries in the area. The police also say…