Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Revenge of the 'Burbs
Posted by John Branston on Tue, Jan 17, 2012 at 8:49 PM
On Tuesday the Germantown Board of Mayor and Aldermen (BMA) met to receive a feasibility study in a one-hour meeting that drew a small crowd of about 40 people. There was no public comment and no vote by the board. There will be a public meeting on February 1st at the Germantown Performing Arts Center that is likely to draw hundreds of residents. After that, the BMA will go on a two-day retreat to decide its next move.
Which, Mayor Sharon Goldsworthy indicated, is apt to be this: A referendum in May and, assuming a "go-for-it" vote, a school board election in November and employment of a superintendent next January. That person would hire everyone else, which consultants estimated at 776 other certified and classified employees.
Total projected enrollment: 8,142 students in eight schools. Projected expenditures, $60,921,144 from projected revenues of $62,483,135. The revenue would come from several sources including at least 15 cents on the municipal tax rate — either a new levy or an equal sum taken from the current rate of $1.48. Alternately, the city could levy an extra half cent on the sales tax, which, of course, is paid by locals and non-locals alike.
A similar proposal was unveiled in Bartlett on Monday, and Collierville is on deck for Wednesday.
The 15 cents on the tax rate, said consultant Jim Mitchell — a former Shelby County Schools superintendent — is required by state law. Muni's must spend it, but they don't necessarily have to raise it in the form of additional taxes. Even if they do, the gap between the Memphis tax rate of $3.19 and the suburban rates of $1.43 to $1.49 is so wide that 15 cents seems a pittance by comparison. All Shelby County property owners also pay $4.02 in county taxes. School board member David Pickler said the referendum might not be a lay-down because many of Germantown's young folk go to private schools and the general population is aging into the golden years. But noone on the BMA appeared alarmed in the least at the consultants' recipe.
The sweetest caramel in Mitchell's box was the opinion that the 'burbs can get their schools at no charge. Precedent, he said, dictates as much. He said that Shelby County since 1965 has given 44 schools to Memphis City Schools, via annexation, at no charge. The reasonableness, much less the legality of this charming argument, will certainly be tested.
Board members asked if Germantown could perhaps partner with its wealthy neighbor to the east, Collierville, in a common school system. No, said Mitchell. Each must go its own way, although they can "cooperate" all they want.
"You're going to have to create your own district," he said.
Mitchell was among friends. At one point, he reminded alderman Ernest Chism that they go way back and invited him to call him with any questions. The meeting was business-like all the way, with no citizen input this time around. Mitchell noted that Germantown's school population is 25 percent black, but there are no blacks on the BMA. Nor were there any on the 2011 edition of the Shelby County school board which has merged with the Memphis board. The Shelby County system did not elect board members until 1998.
The full consultants' report can be seen on the Germantown web site. Check page 122 for a summary.
A picture is emerging. The picture looks like this: As many as half a dozen municipal school districts, the strongest of which would have 8,000-10,000 students. And a county system of roughly 110,000 students that would look a lot like the current MCS system with a new name, new board, and different boundaries. Many's the slip, but that's the outline.
Mitchell's final word of advice: This will not be easy, but should Germantown decide on such a course of separation, "you've got adequate time."
Some years ago I was an MCS parent, and my children competed against Germantown and Collierville in soccer and baseball. We were pretty good but simply could not beat them, ever, in those sports. Basketball, the city game, was another story, thanks to the likes of Dane Bradshaw and J.P. Prince. But soccer and baseball, no way, although there were a couple of close calls with overwhelming evidence of divine intervention. My young athletes would go off to college and become teammates and friends with their former rivals, but to this parent, at least, the takeway was: We ain't gonna beat the 'burbs at their own game. I haven't forgotten it.
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Well even if I'm the only 'No' vote in the referendum, I'm not voting to pay for 2 public school systems so my anti-tax Republican neighbors can fund their prejudice from my property value.
It's my understanding that these consultants got input on the legality of these proposed new districts from attorneys that have experience in such matters, and those attorneys put their stamp of approval on these plans. Now I realize there will be some would-be attorneys that will opine differently on the various on-line forums, but legal opinions from such sources and a couple of dollars will get you a mediocre cup of coffee at Starbucks.
ESAU and Driftboat, you seem to always look at a problem in the most favorable way to your interest. There is nothing wrong with that, except it is not the only way nor is it legally correct.
First, there will certainly be a legal challenge. It will be based on the premise that the municipals are trying to go from a completely desegregated school system back to a segregated one, thus, depriving the county of diversity and funds. The forming of municipal school districts will be an attempt to dilute the voting power of the majority, which is the minority of Tennessee, therefore violating the voting rights act, section 2. The portion of the law, SB25, that created the lifting on the ban to form municipal schools was special legislation, passed after MCS surrendered the charter, thus changing the status quo, in retaliation against Memphis. A temporary restraining order will be asked because of the harm to SCS and its, students, if the municipals are allowed to proceed. That equals delay.
Second, the problem of the existing schools, belonging to SCS. Precedence is only used in law and equity, in law. What may have transpired in the past with Memphis annexation of areas, in regards to the schools has no bearing on the status of the existing schools owned by the SCS now. If the SCS has a need for the existing schools, for the purpose of educating the kids of Shelby County, no judge is going to make them give those schools up. That is state law. Those schools will not be considered excess and or abandonded.
Remember, there is always two sides to every coin. I, nor anyone else, can say for sure what will eventually happen, however, this is the beginning. It will be a full throated fight and will take quite a bit of time for the dust to clear. You see, these municipalities are trying to go from 47% black to 95% white, if municipal school districts are allowed to be formed.
Good Luck!
PS: The opinion offered by your people that they see no reason why the municipals should not get those schools is based on speculation, not law. Deals were also made with the SCS, when schools were turned over to the MCS, due to annexation, in order to get Memphis to go aong with the building of new schools in the old SCS. You seem to forget that the old SCS was on the school desegregation watch list until 2009. Any new schools, etc that they built had to be precleared by the federal judge barring any objections from the NAACP and the city of Memphis. That is why those schools were transferred to MCS. Do your research please. l
I forgot to list a link to an article about the municipals forming theire own school districts. I would wish that everyone read it:
http://memphisnewsblog.com/2011/08/on-muni…
OTP, you go man! One day you will accomplish your dream of turning Memphis and the entire Shelby County into a third world ghetto!
How can you trust the opinion of someone who will not even fork over the $20 a month for the local rag? Paywall got ya down?
In response to Oldtimer above with regards to your statement that the municipals are trying to go to 95% white, from 47% black. You will find on page 2 of SES LLC team reported those figures from all categories used in the Tennessee State Board of Education "report card" differs from you calculations.
They are as follows in the order they reported, for your convenience.
25.5% Afrian American
3% American Indian
1% Asian
3.3% Hispanic
1.0% Multi Racial
3% Pacific Islander
61.5% White
To the people that insinuate that I cannot afford to pay $20 for the CA is foolish. I can easily afford it and would gladly do so, if the CA was a good paper. It is not.
As far as turning the entire Shelby County into a third world ghetto, I fail to get your meaning. If wanting Shelby County to be administered by the majority of voters per the democratic republics rules, then, let it be so. You see, I, we, African Americans, didn't write those rules and/or laws, you and your antecedents did. Why are you so loathe, now, to follow them?
Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, I love this one, is a broad rule, that, in essence says, anything done to dilute the power of a prior minority, that achieves majority status is against the law. Intent does not have to be proven by the aggrieved party, only what the results of an action would achieve. Carving out municipal school districts from a county school board, which the minority has finally gained the majority control of, which would negate the gains made by the minority to majority status woul d restrict the power, dilute, of that newfound majority. It would call for strict scrutiny, Look it up, under federal law.
The speech given by the Germantown High School Principal, that appeared in the Huffington Post, national, world-wide readership, clearly shows your attitude. It will look awful in court, when this case gets there. In essence, he says that blacks, are just not up to it as a people, and are a drag on the school system, SCS, here. With statements like that, how can we lose a lawsuit?
Municipal school districts, within Shelby County would cause severe financial harm to the SCS. You see, it cost just as much to runn a school, that is half full as it does when full. So, you can't equate ADA money as being wholly sufficient to run school operations.
You won't respond, but, I know that you understand. You see, the readers of the Memphis Flyer are above average education and/or income within, not only Shelby County, but on average, all of the state of Tennessee.
While Germantown can fairly be described as a suburb of Memphis, a look at any of these other cities' land use maps reveals that they are not mere suburbs of Memphis. I wonder how many folks commute from Mississippi into Collierville to go to work at Carrier.
Use of the derogatory term "'burbs" to describe cities in Shelby County other than Memphis is an example of the offensive racist code words routinely employed by leftist tyrants.
If this goes through, it will kill the private school system in Shelby County.
Won't somebody please think of the poor, overprivileged kids, who will be cruelly yanked from their sports cars and SUVs and forced to ride the bus or walk to their neighborhood Collierville, Germantown, and Arlington schools?
Rich, you mean code words like your "gibs me dat" lifestyle statements?
Those are suburbs of Memphis, pal. There is nothing derogatory about stating that fact. If Memphis didn't exist, Collierville would still have about 1100 people living there.
Jeff, I live in Germantown and I'm getting inundated with mailers from private schools like Harding (voted BEST!!), Briarcrest, ECS. etc., (none of which I would even remotely consider sending my kids to) and others touting their virtues and trying to get us to come to open houses, etc. YOu are correct, though. If Germantown gets a muni district it's going to make a lot of parents think 2 or 3 times about paying through the nose for tuition at those various mediocre private schools.
Packrat, my little rodent friend, I don't use code language.
There is nothing CODED about gibs-me-dat.
Now, would you please explain why you believe that Collierville would barely exist without Memphis. What exactly does Memphis bring to the table? Keep in mind, I am asking about Memphis. Not the State of Tennessee. Not the federal government.
You've got it backwards, my friend It's the federal taxpayers in places like Collierville that are propping up Memphis.
Richard, my little odious bigot, Collierville without a city of Memphis nearby is nothing but a dusty little North MS town, like it was when I was a child. It's Holly Springs without the nice antebellum houses and Rust College.
I stand corrected, btw. You're not coded at all. Just stupid.
Packrat, my buddy, I'll set aside the name calling since you so obviously got your butt hurt.
Again, the question is, what exactly is it that Memphis does for Collierville:
Is it the efficient Memphis government?
Is it the incorruptible Memphis government?
Is it the safe and crime free Memphis neighborhoods?
Is it the stellar Memphis public schools?
Is it the highly productive and technically skilled Memphis locals?
Well, at least you got a nice zoo (except on free day).
You down with OTP?
Heck no, not me!
You seem to have this (delusional) perception that the "burbs" are doing this based on race and want their schools to be 95% white. You, along with so many other clueless people within the city of Memphis, think that this is completely based off race where the only race war is going on within your own head. When is the last time you have been to the "burbs"? I live in one and have a lot of black neighbors who are just as good of citizens as my family is. Great kids who do well in school. Great neighbors who contribute to the community. Climb out of your cave from time to time and you'll see that the real reason for the muni's is the complete lack of competence that the "burbs" citizens have with the crew that your great city would eventually elect to ruin their children's chances at a decent education.
Poor ol' Packrat. He must be trying to find something good about Memphis on wikipedia but it is blacked out to protest Obama's FCC censors.
The way I figure it, there are at least 17,860 workers living in Collierville. Do they all work for Carrier or Pepsi? What are the other major employers in Collierville? According to the 2010 census data, there are 4,641 firms in Collierville. At least 98% of those must be retail stores.
44k total residents
less 12,320 under 18
less 3960 over 65
less 7000 stay at home moms (estimated at roughly 50% of the female pop age 20-64)
less 2860 for 6.5% unemployment
=17860
Jamie Strong, you are wrong. According to the lawsuit filed in federal court, Judge Mayes presiding, the demographics of the old SCS are as follows:
White 55.2%
Black: 36.1%
Hispanic 4.0%
Native American 0.4%
Asian or Pacific Islander 4.3%
Fact check; read the lawsuit that the old SCS filed in the surrender/merger case. I am pretty sure the county lawyers got it correct.
For statistical purposes, both federal and state, all of the municipals in Shelby County are considered suburbs of Memphis. I didn't do it, it is just fact. I won't go into what Memphis has done for Collierville, and the rest of the suburban cities, it is obvious for any intelligent person to see.
To the poster that says race is not the reason that the suburban cities want their own school districts, I hear you, but it just doesn't wash. But, as you say, you don't necessarily want an MSD that is 95% white, that is just the way the cities, in suburban Shelby County worked out. You are correct, however, the county board of education, SCS, has the ultimate responsibility of educating all of the children residing within Shelby County, not proposed Municipal School Districts. If you use that as your criteria, the new SCS would be the most integrated school system in the state, and perhaps, in the entire U.S..
Like I have said before, intentions has nothing to do with strict scrutiny, under federal law. It is not what the intentions of the municipalities that count, it is the results of what will happen if they are allowed to break away from a completely integrated unitary school system only to form MSD's that will revert back to being at least 95% white. Regardless of the reasons or intent, the fact is that the result will be harmful to the majority voters of Shelby County and their children.
I looked forward, all of my life, to the day when my vote, as part of the majority of Shelby County, would lawfully allow me to help influence the direction of government. I hurts that, just as I finally got it, someone is trying to snatch it away by enacting, what I consider, special legislation, akin to the old Jim Crow laws, of the past, to keep me in my place. Now, that will sound good to a judge. That, the way I read the voting rights act, is a clear violation.
Just give me what the law entitles me to have.
I would estimate between Carrier, Baptist Hospital, and Pepsi there are at least 3,000 front line tier 1 jobs in Collierville. The multiplier on those jobs is probably about 4 additional jobs. So you're up to 1,000 jobs based on those three employers alone. That is not taking into account the jobs at numerous smaller manufactures in Collierville such as Strike King Lures. Then you throw in the various government jobs - police, firemen, teachers, municipal workers....
Like I said, I wonder how many folks in Mississippi commute to work in Collierville.
Using the same labor participation rates that Cdel offered in his analysis, there should be more than a quarter of a million "workers" residing in Memphis. I wonder who cuts there paychecks?
Hell. If it weren't for North Mississippi and the "'burbs", there wouldn't be enough "qualified" workers to sustain any significant industry in Memphis at all.
("qualified" was code language. My bad.)
Should be 15,000 jobs, not 1,000 in my previous post, of course.
Typos bite.
BTW, oldtimeyplayer, where does the state consider incorporated Tennessee municipalities to be suburbs?
When I was a kid, I technically lived in Germantown, though I was closer geographically to Olive Branch than either Germantown or Memphis. Germantown used to be where the money was. Then it got all trashy with the lower middle middle class fleeing the Hickory Hill annexation.
Richard Cranium, if you would look up the metro statistical area of Memphis, U. S. Census, it will tell you . Hell, even Desoto County, Tunica, Crittenden is considered the greater Memphis Metro area. Hey, I didn't designate them, the U. S. Government did. Squawk at them.
OTP won't subscribe because he thinks the CA is too far to the right.
OTP, never fear, even if the suburbs form their own MSD, the minority majority will actually have a stronger hold on the remaining Unified School District. Your power will not be dilluted with all those folks in Arlington, Bartlett, Germantown, etc. It will be solidified! Its a win-win! Just like the newly redrawn 9th which removed all those pesky white republicans from the Popular corridor.
Oldtimeyplayer, you didn't really answer my question. But that's ok and not altogether unsurprising.
A word of caution: Hardy Mays ain't no Robert McRae, and, even worse, John Roberts ain't no Earl Warren.
Speaking of McRae (RIP), gentle giant that he could be, he also used to love to rip into lawyers who appeared before him and made what he thought were stupid arguments by asking them "what law school did you go to, counselor?" I ought to know: he did that to me, once.
Along those lines, I ask you, OTP: what law school did you go to?
Awsomebberg, I didn't attend any law school. I don't pretend to be a lawyer, however, I can read the language of the voting rights act. I know what owning a deed to property and schools mean. If you have a deed showing ownership, that is that. It is up to the opposing side to show why it is not valid. Why wait all of these years to challenge the validity of a deed? That is common sense.
You are a lawyer, so, you should be ashamed of yourself for knowing the truth and withholding it from your people. Oh, but giving advice is what you do for a living. I guess if someone pays you, you will offer them your knowledge.
You know that section 2 of the voting rights act is broad, you know what strict scrutiny is. Why don't you enlighten your fellow suburbanites? Are you afraid that if you told them the truth, you would lose your popularity?
As a lawyer, I am sure that you have respect for the NAACP and its experise in civil rights law. Lawyers, friends of mine, won't tell me that what I say is a sure fire win, however, they admit that what I say has merit and more than a 50-50 chance of prevailing. That is good enough for me. What do you have?
Richard Cranium, stop being lazy> I showed you where to get the information on Memphis Metro Statistical Area, it is up to you to get it. Your question has been asked, and answered.
Lazy isn't part of my genetic make up oldtimeyplayer.
You said for statical purposes the state considers the municipalities to be suburbs. I asked you where the state considers this an you were unable to answer where. No hard feelings my friend. You didn't let me down.
OTP, you stated when you posted on the CA that your reason for supporting the merger was one of revenge. You wanted Memphis-elected officials to take over the management of the predominantly white county schools just because they could take over based on population numbers, or at least you thought you could. Munis will happen. There will be no stopping it. No one in the 'burbs will stand by and watch incompetent Memphis-elected people ruin the schools in places such as Collierville, Germantown and Arlington just like they ruind the schools in Memphis.
Why are you so scared of NOT having the Memphis school system merged with the county school system? Are you terrified to go one more year under Cash, Hamer, Tameka and Martavious rule? Please tell us?
Jamie Strong,
Just read your post and your numbers are exactly right for Germantown per the report you cited. What's more important, a Germantown school district will have the same racial makeup that it does now, and will include some children outside the Germantown City limits, at least that's what the consultants' report says they should do.
Drift, there is no way the Germantown muni school system would have the same racial makeup it does now. If the consultant's report says so, it's wrong. Germantown HS now draws heavily from nonincorporated areas in southeast Shelby that are demographically much different (heavily black) than G'town proper. Since those people don't and won't be living in Germantown, paying added school property taxes, they won't have their kids attending a G'town muni district.
Flyhigh and Drift Boat.
A little of it is revenge for the way some of you castigated the poor children of MCA and some of it is retribution for the way we were treated for years. I am human and will attest to that. Mainly, I see great harm being done to the children of Memphis, coulturally and financially, if municipal school districts are formed. It will take resources and cultural diversity away from the Memphis children.
It is just like the charter schools law. The state set forth the criteria for charter schools and the reasons why they could be rejected. One of the reasons a charter school request can be rejected by the Local Education Association, SCS, is that it will have an adverse financially on the school system. I wonder why that would be good for charters but not for municipal school districts? Kid of conflicting, isn't it?
Drift Boat, your figures were correct from the source that you received them from, however, I will take the official figures released by the old SCS in their lawsuit against the MCS on the surrender/merger.
If Germantown intends to let those that are not residents, within the boundaries of Germantown, attend their propose MSD, at no cost, then it will not be a true municipal school district. They will, in effect, have the same thing that they now have as part of SCS. If it will only be available for residents, inside the boundaries of Germantown, it will be 97% white. It speaks for itself. You can't have it both ways. You will be screwed, either way you go.
Nice try.
Packrat,
Read the report summary at about page 123 or 124 where it talks about attendance zones. What I gathered from the report is that a Germantown municipal school system would have to include the students living in Germantown and students living outside Germantown but in the existing attendance zones served by the schools located in Germantown. Now I'm not qualified to say but I'm relying on the experts that did the study. It may be that a new municipal district would be required by the state to include those children outside the city. Remember, the biggest part of the funding for these schools will come from the state and Shelby County government based on average daily attendance.
"Just when I thought I had control they snatched it away from me."
Heh! Snatched.
Sing it with me again oldtimeyplayer. On three...
"Nobody knows
The trouble I've seen."
Packrat,
It also looks like Germantown city officials asked that the study include those children outside Germantown. It would be stupid not to. Germantown might be looking at a legal challenge with some merit if they cut those students out. Those folks out there aren't stupid and they are getting expert legal advice.
OTP: I love arguing with you---you present such a target-rich environment. I know it will fall on deaf ears, but don't overestimate the validity of your opinion. You know what they say about opinions and assholes. Just ask Smitty about that. I hear he's thinking of running a special for anyone who has an opinion.
As it happens, your opinion in this instance has a great deal of validity (in my opinion). Hey, you know what they say about putting enough monkeys at enough typewriters, etc. (no offense). The problem is, you're not taking the political environment into account. Republicans (i.e., neanderthals---and, more often than not---racists) control two thirds of our tripartite federal government, and in Tennessee, most of our state and local governments as well. This is a LOT different than the situation that pertained in 1972 (when the Memphis city schools were desegregated) or, for that matter, in 1954 (when Brown v. Board of Education was decided).
So, while the scenario/outcome you predict may very well be the right one (the way it should come out), it's far from being the likely one (the way it will come out). Oh, and I ain't no suburbanite, a fact I'm annoyingly reminded of every time I look at my property tax bill.
Drift, I may later be corrected on this, and I haven't read the report, so I defer to you on what it says, but I believe if it were to be a true muni district, it could not include students outside of that municipality's boundaries, or annexation reserve area, with perhaps some very limited exceptions. The "new" SCS would be responsible for students in areas not actually IN the municipal boundaries. Of course, this is all going to be litigated.
I'm also interested in knowing details of what entity will actually have taxing authority for the district. Would it be the City of Germantown itself or would it be the new G'town Muni School Board?
Packrat,
You really ought to read the summary. It answered all my questions about funding and the law. It's just a few pages and also has a collection of common questions and the answers to those questions. What do they call that on-line, FACS, or something like that?
Believe me, I didn't wade through all the minutia in this report but the summary is well worth the five minutes, particularly if you live in Germantown. They answer your question about funding too.
M_Awesomeberg,
You just said in part, "OTP: I love arguing with you...". I could be wrong about this, but something tells me you will live to regret those words. If you appeared before Judge McRae then you have been around long enough to know not to argue the law with non lawyers.
Judge McRae was a crusty old judge. I had the distinct pleasure of being in his courtroom when Steve Cohen, representing a prisoner in the Shelby County Jail, passed up to the judge a transcript of a hearing in State Criminal Court before Judge Smokin Joe McCartie, where the good judge had some unkind words for federal judges. There was an assistant district attorney there for the state. I felt sorry for him, but it was fun to watch.
I am a graduate of Germantown High School, Class of 1985. Interestingly, I went to a private non-religious school for elementary, a mostly black MCS school for Junior High and GHS, which was/is a Shelby County School that was vastly majority white.
What I will say is that how well a school works or functions anywhere has to do with the quality of the people running the PARTICULAR school, and the level of parental and community involvement. There is nothing that inherently wrong with the MCS system except for the bloated bureaucracy, and the element of inner city poverty and crime. Memphis is POOR and their graduation rates stink because of poverty, which spawns ignorance, crime and limited opportunities. MCS gets far more money than SCS per pupil. The state of Tennessee requires "X amount" of courses passes, AND a skills test passed (I took mine at GHS when I was about in 10th grade, the test took all day) before one can recieve a diploma. It doesn't matter if the school is Booker T. or Collierville. There are good, college educated, dedicated teachers out the in MCS that will go to the rough neighborhoods of North Memphis, Orange Mound, Southwest Memphis and elsewhere. Lastly, there are many kids in MCS who go to and graduate from colleges and Universities. Hell, a few end up at U of Memphis.
MCS surrendering their charter was BS and it should have never happened. What should have happened was that the State of Tennessee should have taken over the district, and got rid of all that "dead weight". There are many top echelon positions in MCS that pays well over $100,000 a year that could be eliminated. Kriner Cash himself makes as much or damn near as the Governor of Tennessee (please, look it up). You would think for a man who makes that much in salary and perks could dress better than the Al Sharpton purple pimp suit with 1973 style ties. Willie Herenton had nothing on this guy. Willie was not a bad of a Superintendent, he would not have pulled this crap.
This also comes down to race, whether we like it or not. MCS is probably 90 percent (or more) black, while SCS is over 60% white. A reason that Germantown wants to be a Municipal School District is merely to disallow an excess of black students from outside the city into their schools, and this has been the aim of one of the Germantown aldermen who spent many years working administration in SCS. My old high school, GHS is now majority black. This rankles their leadership no end (but at least probably GHS has a basketball team!)
MCS fails (because again, the leadership or lack thereof) and decides to close up shop and force a merger with Shelby County. To me, this is like a company who is going bankrupt and decides unilaterally that it will forcefully merge into another company that has been profitable. The profitable company has no choice, and because of that, individual branches of that tree is going to break up and make smaller companies, which is going to offer the same service as the bigger company.
Personally, I dont want Germantown to be an independent district. This is just going to cost more money. It is not fair that the suburbs have to pay higher property taxes, because of mostly white and white collar African Americans mad/scared about a "ghetto" element entering their system. Can't fault them too much.
My suggestion to Germantown, lay off some of the police force who write petty tickets, speed traps and racial profiling. How much money can be saved from police stings catching 20 year olds buying wine coolers at Circle K. Too much needless overlapping of cops, something the County could deal with. Put that into the school system.
"Too much needless overlapping of cops, something the County could deal with"
That's more properly a function of a city than the county. At some point, when Shelby is completely annexed out by all the municipalities, there won't be much need for deputies that roam around in their cars anymore, at least if Lakeland ever becomes a real town and has its own police force. At that point, the Sheriff will basically be responsible for running the jail.
Senor,
The main reason MCS surrendered its charter was because the Republicans took over Nashville. They didn't know what the state was going to do, but they knew it wasn't going to be good for the politicians in Memphis. They had already voted to surrender the charter in the late 70's, but it failed 5-4, so this was not a new idea. Rather than wait to see what the Republicans would do about their horrible schools, the Memphis pols decided to make a move. By tearing up the charter, they knew they would ultimately control the new county school board, meaning they would seize control of all of the schools in the county, and, Memphis would no longer have to pay for the schools. (Recall that they had simply refused to pay for the schools in 2008, and they still owe MCS 57 million, even though there have been a couple of court orders telling them to pay up. That gives us an early indicator of the irresponsible nature of the city pols, and the direction they would ultimately take.) It was a pleasant surprise to see the judge order Memphis to pay MOE. Hopefully, that will be extended even after the hostile takeover is complete.
There was one question they could never answer, and still can't: How was this going to help the kids in MCS? The net result for them would be, when the dust settled, the only change was the kids they would lose tens of millions of dollars in funding from Memphis City. This question has been asked over and over at the CA during the past year, and each time has been met with silence. That is because this whole fiasco was not about the kids, it was about power and money.
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