Our Mayor, The "Whore-Monger"

Well, it's too late now. Hubon Sandridge, minister and City School Board member, in talking about the Mayor and his new front in the consolidation effort, called Mayor Doctor Willie Herenton a "disaster" and a "whore-monger."

That last is a reference to his days, as City Schools Superintendent, when he was openly a ladies man. He's far more reserved about such things these days, but Sandridge has a long memory. And that's a symbol of the problems our Mayor can't overcome.

I support City-County consolidation. The upsides are too numerous to mention, including cost savings, more effective government and better planning. It should have happened decades ago. But it didn't and, frankly, I don't think it will any time soon.

Mayor Doctor Herenton has an imperialistic, elitist, arrogant, dismissive attitude that makes him just about the worst possible messenger--never mind being the architect--of consolidation. His antics ever since his second term have endeared him to no one, and alienated far too many.

But he has a plan. It's typically ham-handed, and depends on folks just listening to what he says and falling in line. To him, it's self-evident that consolidation has to happen and failure to join him is nothing but rank obstinancy at best and outright malfeasance at worst. It's why he every so often has to chastise and berate those he sees as blocking his progress.

Memphis' racial divide is deep and almost unbridgeable. It's also created scars that, even decades later, are still recalled and picked at. People have grudges and feuds that they nurse with patient revenge. After decades of exclusion from control of public life, now that black Memphians have it they're going to right past wrongs, but more importantly, unfortunately, they're also going to get their own out of the public trough. And not surprisingly, they're loathe to give it away again.

The gap between public trust and official behavior is also deep, especially after the new coliseum's hurried birth. After scolding Memphians for wanting a public referendum on that coliseum, he now professes to desire public backing for his surrender of the City Schools' charter to the County. Most of us look at that about-face as the political ploy it is, but Herenton would angrily chastise you for saying that. He doesn't have an ear for people, nor much of a public image for liking them. He is, by action and reputation, a divider. And that's why he'll fail.

What's called for is a soother and healer, one who can patiently sit with folks as they air grievances, one who can cultivate people's willingness and bundle it with others into community action. Herenton just can't do that.

I still believe that County Mayor AC Wharton is a stalking horse for Herenton's ambitions to become the first Metro Mayor. Wharton had a long and active political life, including being campaign manager for Herenton's last mayoral campaign! But he's never shown any ambitions to elected office, until he suddenly wants to be County Mayor. And one of his goals, clearly but quietly stated, was to institute "smart growth" for the County. Smart growth is a euphemism for stringent laws and central planning. In a sprawl like Memphis and Shelby County, that would require a metro government to achieve.

It's a shame that Herenton is the man who is promoting consolidation. It means that the cause will lose another decade before anyone can get past the ugly memories he's creating and pick it back up.