You Do The Math
"`Members of Congress have not received a cost-of-living increase in
four years. We did some pretty good things this year so I think it's justified,'
said Thompson in a one-sentence statement from his office." -- From
a story on Senator Fred Thompson's change of heart about congressional pay
raises by James W. Brosnan, The Commercial Appeal's Washington correspondent.
The increase will add $3,072 to congressional salaries. It will not change
the fact, however, that Thompson's statement is more than one sentence.
Still The Killer
He's got a Web page that's supposed to be up any day now, a 900-number,
and there's talk of a chain of restaurants that sounds to be modeled after
the recently opened Elvis Presley's Memphis. One might think Jerry Lee Lewis
is trying to clean up his image. But, alas, Lewis is still the Killer. "Wielding
a .45-caliber revolver from his private gun collection, Lewis posed for
photos, pointing the long-barreled weapon in jest on occasion," reported
the DeSoto Times Today in a story about Lewis' 62nd birthday party
in Nesbit. "When not in his hand, Lewis kept the gun tucked in the
top of his pants, revealing only its handle and cylinder."
The Battle For The Bar-Kays
The legendary Bar-Kays played the Blues Ball last Friday, but their appearance
was a close call. It seems they'd signed a contract to play this year's
Arts in the Park festival on October 18th that prevented them from booking
any gigs within 30 days of the festival. The parties were able to work things
out, but narrowly. Bar-Kay James Alexander says the okay to play the Blues
Ball came just a few days before the event.
Regional Tensions
At a recent meeting of the Shelby County Commission, chairman Tommy Hart
mistakenly introduced Michelle Vobach of Goldman Sachs as "Miss Bovine."
Inexplicable though it may be, commissioner Buck Wellford managed to muster
a compelling explanation for Hart's slip. "You have to excuse him,"
said Wellford. "He's from Collierville."
Stand-Up Guy
The Oilers' primo marketing strategy continues. The team's Heisman Trophy-winning
running back Eddie George was scheduled to make a personal appearance in
Memphis Monday night at Satellite Feed, followed by a string of appearances
around town Tuesday. Naturally, he didn't show up, reportedly due to a court
date that couldn't be changed. George is now scheduled to come to Memphis
next Tuesday. We'll see.
Notice
Speaking of no-shows, the Saturday-night Idiot Flesh show at Barristers
recommended in "Sound Advice" on page 35 (which was printed early)
has been canceled -- as has the entire IF tour -- due to health problems.
So, if you're in the mood for "frantic, metallic, agit-noise,"
you'll just have to make your own this weekend.
Former MHA Tenants Demand Remedy
by Jacqueline Marino
wo attorneys
who have represented public-housing residents in major civil-rights lawsuits
against the Memphis Housing Authority are challenging the agency once again,
this time on behalf of about 150 families who used to live at LeMoyne Gardens
and Foote Homes.
In a letter sent last month, Webb Brewer, litigation director of Memphis Area Legal Services, alerted MHA to several of his clients' concerns. Some former LeMoyne and Foote tenants, he says, have been transferred to inadequate MHA apartments and others were in danger of losing replacement housing in the private sector. A number of tenants say rent vouchers are too low and do not cover utility costs. Brewer also claims MHA has violated the relocation law by not advising eligible tenants of their home-buying options.
About 400 families in LeMoyne were displaced recently when MHA received approval to raze old, dilapidated units and rebuild the development as part of a comprehensive revitalization plan. About 200 families from Foote moved so MHA could pursue a modernization plan that includes the demolition of about half the development's housing.
"We're talking about a $47 million revitalization project in LeMoyne Gardens, and they've [residents] either been transferred to other substandard units or gotten themselves into situations where they've become financially strapped," says Brewer, who represents the tenants along with private attorney Richard Fields. "We need to make sure they're benefitting from this project. They were supposed to be the primary beneficiaries. We need to make sure they don't just get shuffled around."
For many public-housing residents, MHA's $47 million revitalization grant for LeMoyne Gardens was a ticket out of the projects. Last year, the federal government issued MHA more than 1,000 Section 8 vouchers to be used to relocate public-housing residents to private housing. Since many Memphis landlords don't rent to low-income individuals in the Section 8 program, a number of former public-housing residents moved to East Memphis, where the higher rents often eat up so much of the vouchers that little or no money is left over to pay utility bills.
Section 8 residents are required to have utility service. Those who lose it can be evicted.
If Erma Zine Elliott, a mother of four whose only income is a $225-per-month welfare check, were to pay her $210 Memphis Light, Gas, and Water bill this month in full, she would have only $15 to cover all of her other expenses combined.
"Everyone I talk to out here has high utility bills," says Elliott, a former LeMoyne Gardens resident who now lives in a three-bedroom apartment in Hickory Hill. "I don't know what I'm going to do. I still haven't paid last month's bill."
MHA attorney Greg Perry says the agency has met with Brewer and plans to address the former tenants' concerns. He says some of the complaints stem from a "difference of opinion" in interpreting the tenant relocation law. He plans to contact the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for clarification.
Brewer says there will be no lawsuit as long as MHA continues to work toward solving the problems in good faith. Most recently, he and Fields represented public-housing residents in a lawsuit accusing MHA of not maintaining public housing, failing to rehabilitate vacant units, and failing to follow eviction proceedings, among other charges. As part of an out-of-court settlement, MHA agreed to improve maintenance and security, and make other improvements.
High Notes From the Blues Ball
by Mark Jordan
As ceilings were caving in a few blocks away on the Main Street Mall, revelers at the 4th Annual Blues Ball were busy trying to tear the roof off The Peabody Friday night.
Approximately 2,000 people decked out in "black tie with attitude" attire attended the charity fund-raiser which honors the city's musical heritage. This year's event recognized the king of rock-and-roll, Elvis Presley, 20 years after his death.
Priscilla Presley tearfully accepted the Memphis Music Pyramid Award on behalf of her ex-husband, and daughter Lisa Marie Presley, accompanied by actress Juliette Lewis, was in attendance as well. All three, along with Blues Ball performer Isaac Hayes, were also in town for the next day's opening of Memphis' first Church of Scientology.