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When I finished college in 1994, I had no intention of working for my hometown newspaper. But then 15 years and thousands of Commercial Appeal bylines later, I had no intention of leaving.
That's basically what I told Brian Stephens and Darrell Cobbins when they approached me over Christmas vacation about joining their new civic undertaking, a coalition called Rebuild Government.
With the Memphis and Shelby County Charter Commission charged with writing a charter for new government that voters will consider in November, Brian, Darrell, and their allies created Rebuild Government to generate a county-wide conversation about the enormous opportunity this community has to reform and reunite.
Come join us at Rebuild Government, they said. We want to inspire citizens to imagine the possibilities for a new, better, more efficient and effective government — and make sure the Charter Commission clearly understands the hopes, values, and concerns of people throughout this county.
Their arguments tugged at a part of me that, at age 38 and with two young children, felt a yearning to advocate for causes that aligned with my values. In short, I had an itch to stop being professionally neutral — to get off the bench — and Brian and Darrell offered an unexpected opportunity to scratch it.
I had gotten to know Darrell a few years earlier and had come to value his insights as one of Memphis' most civic-minded and respected young businessmen.
He's the Democrat in this civic partnership. Brian is the Republican and Army veteran who successfully rallied neighborhood groups to prevent Walmart from adding another big-box store in Cordova and to keep a strip club off Germantown Parkway.
"We can be a part of helping people in this county consider a new constitution that includes the protections we all want," Brian told me. "The city-county model we have is broken."
Darrell's business background has shown him the limitations of our current government model. "What we have is antiquated, rusted, and not transparent," he said. "We want to have a conversation about building a new government that responds to the challenges and opportunities we face in 2010."
Deciding to leave the newspaper was not easy, but ultimately I became convinced that no cause holds greater potential for generating the positive change Memphis and Shelby County so desperately need. That Rebuild Government is bipartisan, diverse, and includes active participants in neighborhoods throughout Shelby County only makes it more attractive.
Like Brian, I'm self-conscious about how idealistic we can sound talking about the possibilities, but it does make me think about my 7-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter. What kind of future do they have in Memphis and Shelby County? Will they have any interest in sticking around after college? Will we even be able to afford the colleges if the Memphis region's stagnant economy continues to smother the earning potential for residents in all communities?
Right now, Rebuild Government is focused on getting people together from throughout the county for small group meetings where people feel comfortable being candid about priorities for a new government.
We are listening, we are organizing data, and we are studying how reformed metro government models have helped peer cities such as Nashville, Louisville, Indianapolis, and Jacksonville accelerate past us toward healthier, more prosperous futures.
When my wife and I told my son that I was leaving the newspaper, he surprised us by getting emotional. Trying to reassure him, I said that Rebuild Government allowed me to try to make this a better community for him and his sister.
"But weren't you already doing that at the newspaper?" he asked. How do you explain to a first-grader about a daily newspaperman's duty to not take sides, to stay neutral, to suppress personal convictions?
Near the end of my first week at Rebuild, at school pickup, his teacher stopped to say my son had shared the news with his class. "He said you were going to help make a better future for him and his friend," she told me.
At Rebuild Government, we recognize that's an audacious goal. But we think it's worth talking about and invite you to join the conversation at rebuildgovernment.org or 347-8523.
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Unlike Zach and Brian, I am not paid for "bettering" our community. To me, helping this community is not a business venture, it is the right thing to do. I am confident once all the facts are on the table, the voters will rebuke consolidation. We can't just "reboot" Memphis, or change the seating chart on a sinking ship. There's a better way, it is called Good Government.
By the way, there's nothing new here. Rebuild Memphis .org wants you to wait on the Consolidation Committee findings, let's be honest, they have already picked out the house, they're just arguing over paint colors and the drapes.
Ask the hard questions. Dig deep into RebuildMemphis.org. And, if you like to fight against the pro consolidation forces, join us at SaveShelbyCounty.org (our grassroots effort). My email is tomguleff@gmail.com. We are up against a $1 million effort that is attempting to rush this through. We would love for you to join us. Take care, Tom
I think it is time to announce my official position regarding consolidation. I know many of you have waited a long time for this announcement. While I have spent the better part of my time here on earth pondering the significance of such of bold move. We find ourselves at a time when bold moves are required to insure the continued prosperity of the argument around consolidation. So I hereby give my full support to the debate about consolidation. May the argument make and break careers, give hundreds of meaningless typed written pages, and generate dozens, if not a hundred page views. So there, I said it. I am for theoritical discussions of plans and what not.
I have closure now. I can move ahead with my life.
Thanks, Zack and Brian for caring enough to invest your time to improve the future rather than protecting the status quo.
Thanks also for dealing with facts instead of the innuendo and personal attacks that's so characteristic of the opponents, who take a knee jerk position without even bothering to gather the facts.
If Tom likes the direction that our community is going, if he thinks we can't do better, if he thinks we can't end duplication, and if he likes the people in office, they can stuck in the past. But the rest of us are ready to pull up a chair and tell the Charter Commission what safeguards we want for a new government and to participate in a conversation endorsed by people as varied as A C Wharton and Mark Luttrell.
Count me in for www.rebuildgovernment.org, and its focus on fighting for the future rather than fighting for the past.
The conversation about New Government in Memphis raises such ire. And such heated debates and disparate perspectives are necessary to affect real change. I do hope that all sides are heard and considered. I have recently moved home to Memphis with my young daughter and want to see Memphis soar, especially in terms of economic development. I firmly believe that the status quo is not working. And this model has worked well in so many other cities that happened to be our competitors. At least in theory because we are not even in a position to squarely compete. We are getting trounced by cities like Nashville, in our own backyard. So by all means, bring on some Good Government in the form of New Government. THAT my friend will Save Shelby County.
If this consolidation thing goes through, will people be able to form into representative communities within the metro Memphis-Shelby county? In other words, will the citizens in Whitehaven be able to form their own town? What about people in currently unincorporated areas? Will the people of Eads be allowed to consolidate to become the Town of Eads? I need answers people!
Tom Jones, stop it. You know that's not how I think. Use that on someone that doesn't care about Memphis.
As far as consolidation goes..i am undecided,but in this debate we should all be careful not to confuse dissent with the process and the form with being closed minded to the concept.Or label opposition as "stuck in the past"...
I worked on the voter education project back in 08 to provide balanced and neutral information to the public about the 10 charter amendments on the November ballot, which I thought what Rebuild Government was supposed to be about. If that is the case then it's counter productive to equate opposition to consolidation as "status quo". In fairness...no one is saying that.
What I hear the opposing side saying is that they have doubts and questions about the benefits of consolidation, and have concerns that the process seems geared toward minimizing dissent.
Tom Guleff and I have different politics but his integrity and intellectual honesty is unquestionable.
Like i said..i'm personally undecided, but think people should ask tough questions and have serious discussions about an issue with so many potential ramifications..isn't that the point of the process?. Do it now.... if you wait until the fall..you will be criticized for not asking them sooner and labeled an obstructionist.
You're asking the right questions, mad_merc.
One of the biggest problems we have with both governments is that districting does not represent distinct communities and the super districts result in a lack of accountability. Any consolidated government should be elected from districts drawn around neighborhoods and common demographics. It would also be nice to go back to completely non-partisan local elections.
I'm happy to help both "sides" of the debate refine their arguments for clarity and accuracy so the voters can make an informed decision.
Scott, I am with you on the non-partisan local / county elections.
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