It's understandable that Mayor A C Wharton wants to reward his political allies, but in doing so he is robbing those he was elected to serve (March 11 article, "Wharton draws fire over firings / Library staff questions moves").
First, we are being deprived of the services of experienced, qualified, longtime city employees who are dumped and replaced with less-qualified (or unqualified) appointees. Second, we are being forced to pay their often inflated salaries and benefits, including high-paying make-work positions.
Enough already, Mayor Wharton! Many of us are struggling to pay our own bills. By forcing us to pay your political bills too, you may soon disillusion us as badly as "King Willie" Herenton did.
S. H. Naron
Memphis
It really is who you know
It's understandable that Mayor A C Wharton wants to reward his political allies, but in doing so he is robbing those he was elected to serve (March 11 article, "Wharton draws fire over firings / Library staff questions moves").
In Tennessee you must have a law degree to be a lawyer; you must have a medical degree to be a doctor; you must have appropriate education to obtain certification to be a teacher; and you must receive the majority of the votes to be the mayor of a municipality.
Memphis has now added one further requirement to the job description for mayor: Must have the ability to fire and/or "accept" previously unplanned retirements within the educationally qualified and experienced ranks of the Memphis public library, in order to appoint unqualified and inexperienced friends in the vacant positions.
It was true in the Herenton administration and is now true in the Wharton administration.
Lesson to be learned: Students, don't worry about your education and experience qualifications. Just "hitch your star" to someone who is going to be mayor of Memphis. He/she will have the ability to find you a position even if you don't have appropriate education/experience.
Annelle Huggins
Memphis
More to deal with than parking
As a Midtown resident, I am confused -- even outraged -- by your March 10 front-page article "City says fairgrounds parking will increase."
Why is a single football game that occurs once a year driving decisions about a piece of public land that could provide important public services and amenities to the city and the surrounding community? And how can the attorney for the founder of the Southern Heritage Classic presume to threaten to charge the city $200,000 every time there's insufficient parking on game day? Is the city making deals behind the scenes with the Southern Heritage Classic? Is there something corrupt going on? Or just plain misguided?
And why are we tearing down buildings and making deals about parking spaces, when the city hasn't even decided on --or shared -- its final plan? I may be confused, but I'm sure of one thing: If the city's focus for the Mid-South Fairgrounds is game-day parking, then our priorities are misplaced -- and something's not working.
Susan Dynerman
Memphis
Let consumers win one for a change
Your March 11 editorial "Ripe for passage" is spot on. The retail liquor industry in Tennessee has had a stranglehold on our legislature and consumers for too long. Their monopoly results in higher prices for consumers and less convenience for shoppers who would like to pick up a bottle of wine to go with dinner.
In the St. Louis area where grocery stores sell both wine and liquor, wine stores seem to thrive and new stores open regularly. There, liquor and wine stores sell nice cheeses, cigars, ice and many other items one might want to go with their wine and liquor purchases.
It seems logical that the liquor wholesalers would support wine sales in grocery stores as it would open up additional markets for them. The retail side seems to have them cornered as well.
It is time for Tennessee to make the jump into the 21st century and join the 33 other states that are already there.
Phil Pilcher
Lakeland
See how they play on a court of law
How soon we Memphis Tiger basketball fans forget the actions of the inglorious one-year-and-gone point guard Derrick Rose (now with the NBA Chicago Bulls) and Coach John Calipari (unceremoniously having left for the University of Kentucky). I'd like to suggest the University of Memphis consider litigating against both those men for existing and prospective economic damage, breach of fiduciary relationship and, of course, damage to reputation to the university, before any statute of limitations runs out. Similar actions could exist for the booster club, ticket holders of that now infamous season, even, and perhaps especially, those players who toiled so hard for all those wins, and to now have them vacated. I know of at least 10 excellent Memphis lawyers, Bruce Kramer included, who have agreed and would assist in the representation of the university.
Brian Dominski
Memphis
Get tough on crime-magnet clubs
With its appearance high on the lists of "most miserable" and most dangerous cities, it's safe to say Memphis has fallen a long way from the days of routinely being named America's cleanest city.
One way to rid our city of its horrible reputation would be to bring strip clubs in the Memphis area under the laws that clubs in other cities in Tennessee operate under.
Duncan Associates, a research firm the city and county retained to study area adult-oriented businesses, has proved that underregulated strip clubs lead to more crime. Strip clubs are harbingers for drug, sexual and violent crimes. Among Duncan's findings: "More crass presentation of sex (as opposed to erotic dancing) than we have seen in any group of clubs in any other city -- that includes our work in Detroit." And "The available crime data clearly understates law-breaking activities at these establishments. We personally witnessed dozens, if not hundreds of violations." (The comparison to Detroit, which also finishes alongside Memphis on the misery list, is interesting.)
Why are Memphis strip clubs so underregulated? In 1996 lawyers for the clubs had the city's adult business laws overturned because they were too vague, leaving no regulations in place. In 1998, the state passed a law governing strip clubs but said each county or city must vote to adopt it as law. Nashville and other cities adopted the new laws, but Memphis did nothing. The Shelby County Commission, spurred on by the Duncan report, adopted the law in 2007.
Did the city follow suit? Not quite. The city attorney, backed by strip-club industry lawyers, asked the club owners to rewrite the ordinance and, as you can imagine, it was whittled down to nothing. The same lawyers also got an injunction halting the county from adopting the state law. Thankfully, the courts have ruled the state law as constitutional. Not surprisingly, there are efforts to press the City Council into passing the lame ordinance written by the club owners.
So, Memphians, how's this crime thing working for you? Are you happy with the status quo? Then take action! Call the mayor and your councilperson, and storm City Hall. Will regulating strip clubs solve all our problems? No. Is it a good place to start? Yes. I wish to live in a city that once again is known for cleanliness, not crime. We Memphians can make this happen.
George Kuykendall
Citizens for Community Values Collierville
Schools teach lesson in freeloading
Last fall I was sitting in my car at a red light on the corner of Highland and Poplar. To my right at the bus stop stood a group of high school kids with buckets and signs which asked for donations for their school band activities.
Later that day I called Memphis City Schools to ask why these kids were not out earning their money instead of begging. I can't see much difference between them and the regular panhandlers. Whatever happened to selling candy bars, washing cars or any other means of securing money? Who is teaching our children to expect free cash without working for it?
I never received a call back to my inquiry.
Last Saturday my husband answered the door to find another group of kids, this time from the Collierville High School band, asking for money also. My husband asked them why they weren't working to earn their money, and they said they didn't know. This mentality produces freeloaders.
Mary Agnew
Collierville
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