Sunday, November 15, 2009
A C Suggests Compromise Candidate for Interim County Executive: Himself
Posted by Jackson Baker on Sun, Nov 15, 2009 at 9:18 PM
- JB
- Memphis mayor A C Wharton conferring with acting CAO Jack Sammons in City Hall last week
Even as county commissioners ponder the stalemate facing them in selecting an interim Shelby County mayor, the former county chief executive offers a way out. Reflecting on the situation in his new 7th-floor penthouse office in City Hall last Friday, Memphis mayor A C Wharton had this to say:
“If you want something to talk about, one way to get out of that dilemma would be for them to say, ‘Well, we really don’t need anybody to do anything. A C’s been over here. Why don’t we sign an inter-local agreement. We can sign a contract with the city to run this thing for a year.’ And, bingo, consolidation!”
Sporting one of those patented Wharton half-grins that suggest a thought part-whimsical, part-serious, the mayor continued: “Go to the lawyers. You can sign an inter-local agreement to do anything. And I wouldn’t charge anything, because, see, under the charter I’m not supposed to have outside employment.”
Wharton professed not to be surprised by an outburst last week from commissioner Joe Ford, who squared off against fellow commissioner J.W. Gibson in a 24-ballot marathon that left them deadlocked,with five votes each.
Ford had reacted to commissioner Deidre Malone’s nomination at one point of county CAO Jim Huntzicker in an abortive move to break the stalemate. That prompted Ford to thunder against the “former administration” — i.e., Wharton’s, in which Huntzicker also served as CAO — as one in which saw “disastrous” fiscal mismanagement.
“It didn’t shock me,” Wharton said. He’s done that before. I recall when we closed Oakville Hospital, he really tore into me.”
Ford, by the way, picked up an endorsement over the weekend from the Shelby County Democratic Women, who in a press released praised “the leadership and the experience that Commissioner Ford will bring to office of Shelby County Mayor.”
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Like I've said before, let's just go ahead and let him do this and get this consolidation business over and done with.
For the life of me, I cannot see how consolidation helps our city solve its problems.
tom, it would be half as many meetings for public citizens to attend ;-)
Fewer politicians to bribe is good for business.
I'm for Wharton's proposal, especially since he's agreed to do so without pay. Saving over a hundred grand never hurts the budget.
Memphis needs to pull itself up by it's bootstraps (and the PEOPLE need to do it, not the POLITICIANS) consolidation will not pull Memphis up, only bring Shelby County down...of course AC wants the responsibility...everybody wants to be superman... to me it's a bit arrogant to think presiding over more responsibility will make things better...it's just my oppinion that no one is that great and wonderful... to have any politician think so highly of themselves...well, that was Herenton's problem...Memphis's biggest problem is our "too big for our briches" attitude, it seems like most of our politicians here have it...power corrupts and anyone who thinks they are immuned to that has another think coming, just wait and see...we need people power, not government power, people have a way of keeping each other in check, but who's checking the politicians? (Each other, in theory perhaps, but they are all striving for the same thing - to gain or to keep power - so how can we trust them?)
tomguleff: If nothing else and if done correctly, consolidation would be a huge symbolic gesture. It would help drive home the message that we're all in this boat together. It would symbolize the coming demise of the tired "us vs. them" and "city vs. county" arguments and stalemates that dragged us down for so long. Don't underestimate the value of symbolism and perceptions.
I like A C's proposal. It is well thought out and it appears like neither candidate for county Mayor now can overcome the stalmate.
As far as the Democratic Women's endorsement, it really doesn't mean much. Ford would only be there to enrich his special interest sponsors and probably help him out of his personal financial hole. I find this endorsement extremely naive.
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