Judge: Tennessee must allow vote by mail for all amid virus

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06/05/2020

By JONATHAN MATTISE —

NASHVILLE — Tennessee must give all of its 4.1 million registered voters the option to cast ballots by mail during the coronavirus pandemic, a judge ruled Thursday.

Davidson County Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle ruled that the state’s limits on absentee voting during the pandemic constitute “an unreasonable burden on the fundamental right to vote guaranteed by the Tennessee Constitution.” The judge wrote that any eligible voter can get an absentee ballot to avoid contracting or passing on COVID-19 in the “upcoming elections during the pendency of pandemic circumstances.”

The decision upends a determination by Republican Secretary of State Tre Hargett’s office that fear of catching or unwittingly spreading the virus at the polls wouldn’t qualify someone to vote by mail, The state argued such an expansion wouldn’t be feasible for the 2020 elections, claiming lack of money, personnel and equipment for increased voting by mail, among other concerns.

The decision requires the state to “prominently post on their websites and disseminate to County Election Officials that voters who do not wish to vote in-person due to the COVID-19 virus situation are eligible to request an absentee ballot by mail or that such voters still have the option to vote in-person during Early voting or on Election Day.”

The judge wrote that the state has taken an “unapologetic” position and has relied on “oddly skewed” assumptions — including assuming preparations for 100% of registered voters to vote absentee if all were allowed — that go against its own expert and industry standards. Eleven other states, meanwhile, have taken a “can-do approach” by relaxing voting by mail restrictions for the 2020 election, while two-thirds of states have allowed vote by mail for everyone for years, Lyle wrote.

“When, however, normal industry-recognized assumptions are used, the evidence establishes that the resources are there to provide temporary expanded access to voting by mail in Tennessee during the pandemic if the State provides the leadership and motivation as other states have done,” the judge wrote.

Attorney General Herbert Slatery. (Photo: Tn.gov)

Hargett spokeswoman Julia Bruck indicated that the fight is expected to head for an appeal. The attorney general’s office blasted the court’s decision as failing to appropriately consider the “extensive safety measures” within the state’s COVID-19 election plan.

“It is yet another court decision replacing legislation passed by the people’s elected officials with its own judgment, largely ignoring the practicalities of implementing such a decision, and doing so in the midst of a pandemic and budget crisis,” Attorney General Herbert Slatery said in a statement.

Tennessee has more than a dozen categories that qualify someone for an absentee ballot, from being sick to being 60 or older.

The Republican-led Legislature and GOP Gov. Bill Lee have dismissed the idea of offering absentee ballots to all voters, with lawmakers voting against Democratic expansion proposals more than once this week as they meet during pandemic times.

Instead, state election officials have recommended preparations as though all 1.4 million registered voters 60 and older — about 1 of every 3 registered voters — will cast mail-in ballots in the Aug. 6 primary. Historically, Tennessee has historically seen less than 2.5% of votes cast by mail, the state has said.

Several states who have refused have been sued, including Texas, where a federal judge last month ordered absentee voting be made available to any voter in the pandemic.

Tennessee’s voter turnout was 14% in the August 2016 primary, then almost 62% for the November 2016 general election, featuring the presidential election. In the 2018 non-presidential year, about 30% of registered voters turned out for the August primary, and 54% in the November election.

Tennessee’s August election will be another test case as U.S. states try to safely prepare for the fall general election highlighted by the re-election bid of President Donald Trump, who has been staunchly against opening up absentee voting to everyone during the pandemic.

The state court lawsuits were led by #UpTheVote901 and by the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee.

“This is a major victory for voting rights, said Dale Ho, director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project. “This ruling eliminates the excuse requirement for the 2020 elections, meaning Tennesseans will not have to risk their health in order to vote.”

The Rev. Dr. Earle J. Fisher (Photo: Karanja A. Ajanaku)

The Rev. Dr. Earle J. Fisher, founder of #UpTheVote901, said, “As delighted as I am that this ruling is in favor of the people, I remain baffled by how hard some federal, state and local officials all over the country keep working to frustrate access and suppress the vote.

“Hopefully this case can encourage others to continue to fight like hell to expand the franchise to all who desire it.”

The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and the Campaign Legal Center have filed a similar federal lawsuit.

Benjamin Crump: “…helping America be America for all Americans!”

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TSD Newsroom

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06/05/2020

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Attorney Benjamin Crump, who represents the family of George Floyd, spoke at the memorial service for Floyd in Minneapolis Thursday.

Collective voice yields multiple expressions of protests, demands for change

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Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell

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06/05/2020

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Screen Shot 2020-06-05 at 10.35.30 AM — Memphis Branch NAACP Youth Leaders Zachery Love and Angela Redwing. (Screen captures)

In myriad places across America, individuals and groups are lending their voices to an evolving movement for change regarding the disparate way law enforcement is applied in the U.S.

For some, it’s the next step in an ongoing journey. Others haven’t long gotten on the road. Still others — jarred and stimulated to act by a video of 46-year-old George Floyd’s killing on videotape by a Minneapolis policeman — are just pulling onto the highway.

Presiding Bishop Henry M. Williamson Sr. (Screen capture)

One such collection of voices was put together earlier this week (Monday, June 1) by the Memphis Branch NAACP and the Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church at historic Mt. Olive CME Church on Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. CME First Episcopal District Bishop Henry M. Williamson Sr. hosted an interracial gathering, which aired live on digital platform Zoom.

There is chaos in the country, Williamson said, because American leadership ignored the pandemic of slavery and Jim Crow. Dr. King’s warning of the three great evils — racism, poverty and war — have been ignored, he added.

NAACP youth leaders Angela Redwing and Zachery Love appealed to the community to stand with young people because their lives could be taken in an instant and because they are protesting for change in policing.

Fifteen-year-old Angela Redwing, president of the NAACP Youth Council, “People are uncomfortable with the rioting that is going on…but I am uncomfortable with having to tell my two little, black brothers that if they wear a hoodie, or walk the wrong way, or if they…move their hand out of their pocket the wrong way, they could die instantly.”

Redwing said she also is uncomfortable with having to explain to her teenage brother that there are certain words he cannot say to a white policeman, or he could take his last breath.

Love, 21, said, “Don’t turn your back on the youth….

”They are rioting because they need someone. They need something to cling to… They need the black church. They need Jesus to step in and show them how to protest, to show them how to demonstrate.”

Young people, he said, are “the best weapon we’ve got. … “They have the energy to take us in to tomorrow. …We can’t talk about how they dress. We can’t talk about their lingo. Don’t let the media brand them as thugs. We want to stand up for our rights, and with the right leadership, we can do it peacefully.”

NAACP Executive Director Vickie Terry set the context for her message by repeating the chilling words Floyd spoke just before he died.

“I can’t breathe. Mama, I can’t breathe. Mama, I can’t breathe. Please, Mama, I can’t breathe,” Terry shouted.

“Oh my God, these words will forever resonate in my heart, in my mind, in my spirit.”

“I can’t breath,” said Vickie Terry. (Screen capture)

Young people, said Terry, are saying, “We can’t breathe.”

Memphis Branch NAACP President Van Turner Jr., also a Shelby County commissioner, outlined a path forward with three points — protest, policy and protection.

“First, we must embrace the protests,” Turner said. “That policeman’s knee was on Floyd’s neck for nine minutes. The charge should be murder one. There was intent, there was deliberation, and there was malfeasance.”

Turner said there must be policy changes, with stronger citizen review boards warranted and all knee holds banned. And, he said, it is the duty of other officers to intervene if they see excessive or deadly force being used.

The Memphis Branch NAACP, said Turner, will represent nine defendants facing charges of obstruction, inciting a riot, assaulting a police officer and other alleged offenses associated with protest marches in Memphis against Floyd’s homicide.

Rust College new president settles in amid uncertainty

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Lee Eric Smith

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06/05/2020

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Dr. Ivy Taylor has taken the reins as president of Rust College, where she says upgrades to campus and technology are needed in midst of pandemic, social unrest. She is the first woman to serve as president. (Photo: Lee Eric Smith)

How does one go from being mayor of a major city to being president of a small HBCU in rural Mississippi?

It’s a question Dr. Ivy Taylor has answered frequently since being tapped as the new president of Rust College in Holly Springs. Connecting the dots gets a lot simpler as the former mayor of San Antonio explains that a career in politics was never the endgame in the first place.

Dr. Ivy Taylor emerged from a pool of 70 candidates as the choice to lead Rust College. (Photo: Lee Eric Smith)

“Once you run for office, once you get labeled a politician, people think that’s all you want to to do,” Taylor said in a TSD interview on her second day on the job. “I never aspired to actually serve in office.

“I am an urban planner,” she continued. “My background is in city planning and community development. For many years, I was focused on making places better – how do we connect institutions to create places where people thrive? At a certain point, I realized it would be more effective to focus on people – and education is a way to do that.”

At a glance, her resumé seems eclectic. But in many ways, it also seems tailored for her new role at Rust. Her work in planning should help the school upgrade and improve student housing. As mayor, Taylor developed executive experience and important relationships. And her doctoral work centered on how HBCUs and their boards navigate accreditation and the fiscal challenges so many black colleges face these days.

“We believe the abilities she gained in nonprofit management and political leadership will be readily transferable to an academic setting,” said David Swinton, chair of Rust’s board of trustees, in a May statement.

A native of Queens, N.Y., Taylor earned a degree in American Studies from Yale University in 1992, followed by a Master’s Degree in City and Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1998. She will formally receive an Ed.D. in Higher Education Management from the University of Pennsylvania in August.

She’s never attended an HBCU.

“I certainly recognize that folks may be a little bit skeptical that I didn’t attend an HBCU,” she said. “But I feel like it does give me a perspective that’s valuable just as far as knowing what (attending a non-HBCU) is like.”

But just two days in, she feels like she’s starting to get the experience now.

“Everybody’s been so welcoming and excited to have me here,” Taylor said. “And from what I’ve heard, Rust has a very family-oriented environment. People treat students like they’re part of their family.

“I did not get that at Yale,” she chuckled. “That did not happen.”

Taylor will spend her first few weeks observing, listening and assessing up close what the school’s needs are. She also intends to get to know the Rust Board of Trustees. Her entire hiring process was done via videoconference because of the pandemic.

Holly Springs Mayor Kelvin Buck was on the committee that selected Taylor. A Rust alum himself, Buck said that surveys of other alums revealed a pretty clear set of criteria to look for in a leader, and what the new president would need to focus on.

“We needed a president that understood what the future demands – an institution that is fully capable of maximizing technology as a means of communication as well as a means for education,” Buck said.

“That meant someone who understood the challenges of being able to raise the kind of funds that would allow us to improve and make our campus aesthetically pleasing,” he continued. “And certainly, a campus that has some of the latest technology as a part of every department.”

Those challenges were only exacerbated when the pandemic hit. Take student housing. At least one dorm, Davage Smith Hall, has a long history of bunking four students to a room – an already dated concept of campus life that seems completely obsolete in the age of social distancing.

And that’s assuming students come back to campus in numbers. The technology upgrades will be necessary for online classes should students stay away. Rust’s academic year usually starts in early August, and Taylor said the school is working furiously to have a plan for the fall semester.

“We are working to figure out the best path forward to ensure our students are safe, but also to continue to provide them a quality education,” she said. “Of course, our heart’s desires are for them to be back here in person, but we don’t know for sure whether that’s going to be feasible.

“We can’’t necessarily just do what other schools are doing because they have different resources, they may also have different pressures,” Taylor continued. “And so, though we are looking at what other schools are doing, we have to decide within the right context what makes the most sense.”

Dr. Ivy Taylor (Photo: Karanja A. Ajanaku)

She’s also taking office in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the protests that exploded across America in response. Given Rust’s history of student activism during the 1950s and 1960s, she welcomes the opportunity to help channel the energy into meaningful social change.

“I just think we need to be creative, to use the resources we have here at Rust to help our students envision how can they engage in making society a better place,” she said. “I mean, it’s hard not to get down when you look at what’s happening right now. But we need to help students to stay focused on the potential for the future.”

Buck said the committee reviewed 70 candidates.

“At the end of the day, Dr. Taylor’s a qualified person, male or female,” he said.

“I think the alumni understand that the process was fair, thorough, professional and transparent. I think everyone understands that and is looking forward to working with Dr. Taylor, as I do as mayor and as an alumni of Rust College.”

TSD EDITORIAL: Time to accelerate toward change!

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TSD Newsroom

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06/04/2020

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4editorialIdaBWellssign — Ida B. Wells’ dogged pursuit of an end to lynching is sketched on both sides of this marker, which notes, in part, that she went about an aspect of her newspaper business in and around what now is the Beale St. Entertainment District. (Photo: Karanja A. Ajanaku/TSD Archives)

American Citizen George Floyd was killed 828 miles and about 13 hours from the historical marker in Memphis that notes Ida B. Wells’ passion to expose and eliminate lynching. The extreme, reckless disregard for his life warrants consideration of murder at the highest degree possible.

Since Mr. Floyd was restrained to death by a Minneapolis, MN. police officer supported by silent partners, people have marched by, past and/or near the Wells marker at the intersection of Beale St. and Rufus R. Thomas. The offices of The New Tri-State Defender are within the block.

Starting from where the horror of Mr. Floyd’s videotaped last moments of suffering found them, individuals – amid a viral pandemic – have chosen to take to the streets, registering righteous, yet-controlled indignation about that homicide and demanding systemic changes.

Rightly so! People have a right to live free of the fear that enforcement of the law will be carried out by people who don’t know how to do – or won’t do – their jobs. No such bad apples are to be tolerated.

The volume of violence and destruction scarring a number of cities across America puts in context those far fewer instances of violence and destruction that have happened here. For those who have found themselves in harm’s way, haunting experiences may linger. Going forward includes funneling to them any help/guidance/support they may need.

Memphis is our city, a fact reflected in the unity of diversity that has chosen to voice demands for change from the streets and multiple other points of social intersection and interaction. Diverse individuals collaborating beyond their differences because they genuinely care actually is evident throughout the city, a fact laid bare by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

At a point in the past, a new nation – our nation – conceived in liberty took root in a bed of inequality. It has been trying to build a republic on shaky ground ever since.

Now through a collection of sobering circumstances, we can choose to be at a turning point – a rare place from which to address that deep-rooted inequity at the level needed and with the force necessary to uproot it.

It’s fitting and proper to honor Mr. Floyd and every other African American killed while doing nothing threatening. Justice must proceed in all specific incidents while measures are developed and put in place to dismantle the systemic practices spitting out the disproportionate treatment that – in worse-case scenarios – kills people.

Difficult road ahead? Yes.

Still, the mind is its own place – one from which every individual can regroup, make sense of the past, line up with endowed humanity and form fresh relationships based on the principle of equality: 1 = 1. All lives matter. Black Lives Matter.

A helpful starter is a simple truth associated with Bishop Desmond Tutu (played by Forest Whitaker in the movie “The Forgiven”) as Nelson Mandela-led South Africa lumbered out of apartheid toward the ideal of “our” country.

That truth is that there is a difference between difficult and impossible.

We must change the orbit re: police-community relations and the conversations about them. And, silence is not an option to choose at a time such as this.

Changing orbit can be done by slowing down to reposition for acceleration, which often means taking in new information, data, research from new people in the course of developing calculated and timed next steps toward sustained growth and development.

Drawing upon its founding principles, The New Tri-State Defender recommits to reporting upon, fostering, nurturing, hosting and leading – when necessary – the conversations required for “our” community to accelerate toward positive change.

Fed up in Memphis

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Terrisa Coreen Mark

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06/04/2020

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GSWE_2435 — Memphis-area protesters with varied backgrounds and interests found common ground pushing for an end to police brutality wherever its ugliness surfaces. (Photo: Gary S. Whitlow/GSW Enterprises.)

‘DEVASTATING TO SEE IT HAPPEN AGAIN’

After protesters had moved on, one family – the Webber family – remained at the courtyard of the National Civil Rights Museum last Saturday night. Their lingering was tethered to death of a family member killed in Memphis by U.S. Marshals a year ago.

Brandon Webber was shot 16 times last June by marshals, who said Webber posed a threat when they tried serving him with a warrant. His father, Sonny Webber, said the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis had him reliving his own family nightmare.

“Devastating to see it happen again in the way that it happened,” said Webber.

Although suffering, Webber felt compelled to show solidarity with protesters who have taken to the streets in protest as has been the case in multiple cities throughout the country.

“I can feel their family’s pain from losing a family member to people that are supposed to protect and serve,” he said.

Webber was part of a protest that began and ended at the site where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968, a year many are looking back to as a point of reference for the massive and ongoing demonstrations in response to Floyd’s homicide

At 6:30 p.m., people from different cities, different ethnic and racial backgrounds and a range of ages converged on the museum site. While incensed by Floyd’s death and the way it happened, there was a collective demand that police brutality end now.

Flowing over several days, the protesters in Memphis largely have assumed a non-violent posture that contrasts with scenes elsewhere. There have been multiple arrests, a number coming after windows were smashed and some businesses looted following peaceful weekend demonstrations.

Mayor Jim Strickland, while praising the vast majority of peaceful protesters, ordered a 10 p.m.-6 a.m. curfew after the weekend spates of violence.

On Saturday afternoon, as marchers wound through parts of downtown, stopping at the I Am A Man Plaza, Jermarcus Phillips reflected on the happenings. He’d brought his young son, Malachi, who, he said, was not too young to learn what is going on in his own country.

He wants his son to adopt the posture of not judging people by their race, color or how they look. And commended Memphis protesters to mostly taking the non-violent approach “because you can’t fight fire with fire. ,,,

“You got to show people that no matter how stupid they are, you still can be who you are, you know what I’m saying, without dropping down to their level.”

Some protestors have marched numerous times before Floyd’s death demanding change and justice. And then there were first-time protesters such as Nathan Thomas.

“I’ve never really done something like this,” he said. “I’ve never really put myself out there to do something good.”

Jojo Sagala from Venezuela said the issue at the heart of the protests was a human one.

“It’s our duty as people in this country…. if we witness injustice or if there’s injustice going on, it’s our civic responsibility to be here….because everyone’s being oppressed, brown people, black people, white people.

“We’re all being oppressed.”

MLGW reviews options for lower energy costs

By

Dena Owens

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06/04/2020

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Now that a draft report has outlined potential savings if Memphis Light Gas and Water Division (MLGW) ends its 80-plus-year partnership with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the city-owned utility company still has serious discussions ahead before making a final decision.

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Last Friday (May 29), the public and members of the (MLGW) Power Supply Advisory Team (PSAT) reviewed a draft report outlining potential savings for the utility company.

Reduced costs would ultimately lower utility bills for MLGW customers.

MLGW contracted Siemens – a global innovator in energy systems, manufacturing and technology – to develop an integrated resource plan (IRP), examining alternatives to its current electric supplier, TVA.

TVA supplies electricity to 10 million customers in Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina and Virginia.

Memphis is the federally-owned utility’s largest customer.

Siemens compared options for supplying electricity to MLGW customers over the next 20 years.

The study is timely since MLGW earlier notified city leaders of the need to increase electric bills by $14 monthly on average – a real concern in a majority African-American city with a 26.8 percent poverty rate on top of lost jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic.

During the four-hour long presentation, Siemens compared TVA’s 20-year contract proposal to alternative energy suppliers based on critical factors – affordability, sustainability, price risks, market risks and the impact on local economic development.

Switching to a new energy supplier could save MLGW $150 to $200 million annually, according to the report, which placed a solid number on how much MLGW could save.

Supporters of a TVA-MLGW split said earlier it would save Memphis anywhere from $453 million $547 million annually. Memphis and Shelby County collectively pays TVA about $1 billion a year for electricity.

Alternatively, TVA’s proposal would save MLGW about $120 million annually.

In addition to cost savings, the report indicated that a move to cleaner, alternative energy sources – natural gas and solar energy for electricity – would lower the city’s carbon dioxide emissions by 50 percent, producing better air quality and a healthier ecosystem.

To get the lower cost and better air quality, MLGW would need to switch from TVA to Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) – a regional energy transmission operator serving 42 million customers across 15 states in northern, central and southern regions of the U.S., plus parts of Canada.

MISO, which began operations in 2001, finds the best deal on power needs for consumers, including renewable energy sources. The organization uses utility distribution systems like MLGW to provide power to homes and businesses.

MLGW would have to add three new transmission lines to connect to MISO power in Arkansas and Mississippi at an estimated cost of $728 million.

For MISO membership, the annual cost to MLGW would be about $730,000 annually.

The PSAT, comprised of 20 business and civic leaders throughout Memphis, was organized in 2019 in to provide diverse, collaborative opinions on the energy needs of Memphis.

J.T. Young, MLGW president and CEO, facilitated the meeting for PSAT and the public.

Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) – a nonprofit promoting clean and safe energy choices – appears to support a switch to a new energy supplier.

“We welcome the findings from this new study, which, although conservative, clearly supports MLGW leaving the TVA system, a move that will both lower costs for customers and benefit the environment,” says Stephen Smith, SACE executive director.

“The report conducted by Siemens strongly recommends that MLGW explore the market with a request for proposals (RFP), and indicates it is highly unlikely that staying with TVA will be good for Memphis customers in the long term.”

Siemens said MLGW should extend request for proposals to energy suppliers to confirm their 20-year energy cost estimates.

Young says MLGW may request such bids for its power supply, but not until the IRP draft report is finalized in a few weeks.

Here are the next steps to potential energy savings:

After PSAT members consider proposals in the Siemens report, the advisory team will present the study to the MLGW Board of Directors for review.
The board will make a decision to approve or deny the report.
If approved, the report will then be presented to the Memphis City Council for review.

No date is set, but MLGW estimates late July or August for that presentation.

Get engaged and ask questions:

MLGW will host a public virtual/phone meeting that will include a question and answer period Thursday (June 4) from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Following the June 4 meeting, citizens will have a 30-day period to make comments.

(For more information about Midcontinent Independent System Operator, visit: https://www.misoenergy.org/.)

County Mayor’s ‘Wheel Tax’ budget a nonstarter for commissioners, constituents

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Special to TSDMemphis.com

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06/04/2020

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Screen Shot 2020-06-04 at 5.41.35 AM — Shelby County Board of Commissioners members Eddie S. Jones Jr. (left) and Edmund Ford Jr. (Courtesy photos)

by Commissioners Eddie S. Jones Jr. and Edmund Ford Jr. —

In April, Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris proposed a budget that included an increase in the despised wheel tax and lots of spending, such as $24 million in operations and $64 million to build one school that has not been fully vetted by community leaders or the school board. During the budget hearings, County Commissioners have rejected these expenses by the Administration.

Eddie S. Jones Jr. represents District 11 on the Shelby County Board of Commissioners. (Courtesy photo)

At the same time, many Commissioners say they want to pass a budget that has no property tax increase, no wheel tax increase, and no adverse effect on services. Additionally, these same legislators are working diligently to increase services that have been distressed by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Let’s place this in clear perspective.

The proposed budget by Mayor Harris had several questionable items. First, it included a $16.50 increase in the wheel tax. Many of us remember that this tax was supposed to be temporary. Truth is, it still exists and has doubled from $25 to $50.

The County Mayor is asking for an additional 33 percent increase of the wheel tax to balance his budget to offset the $7.6 million he is cutting from Shelby County Schools. The budget he presented in April lowers the Education Fund by 4 cents, where each penny equals approximately $1.9 million, thus the math: 4 X $1.9 million = $7.6 million.

However, his wheel tax budget generates more than the $7.6 million to make up the difference. In fact, it would raise between $10.5 million and $14 million. If the wheel tax is yielding more revenue than what is needed, a reasonable person could ask where the excess money is going? Is it going to increase school maintenance of effort? Is it going to pet projects? Is this going to be a slush fund for the County Mayor?

Shelby County Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. represent District 9. (Courtesy photo)

We personally asked these questions and still have not received a real answer. In fact, a couple of Commissioners were verbally attacked for inquiring about such things. Taxpayers deserve to know where the extra cash is going to be spent, and we were asking for them.

The wheel tax, to several Shelby Countians, has been the most unpopular and untrusted tax for the last three decades. For Mayor Harris to balance his proposed budget on the “hope” that a raise of the wheel tax by a supermajority (nine votes) of the County Commission is presumptuous at best. Last month, the County Commission, on a 10-3 vote, voted against such increase.

This left Commissioners to perform a complete reset of the entire budget. Taking the same approach as the City of Memphis, which was able to successfully fill an $81-million gap in their operating budget due to projected shortfalls due to the pandemic, the Commission decided to use the practical approach of working with the numbers from our current budget, eliminating the one-time expenditures, comparing line items in the proposed budget, and making decisions accordingly.

Most changes that passed in committee used figures from Mayor Harris’ FY2021 budget book. He cries that some Commissioners are “targeting” his office with cuts, which is impractical. Follow this simple exercise. You project to spend $5,000 for food for 2021. You spend $7,000 in 2020. If we compare the food line item for 2020 and 2021, one can change that line by reducing it by $2,000. That is not a cut as the County Mayor wants you to believe. It is an adjustment, using his own numbers. You cannot have it both ways.

It appears that this Mayor is not getting his way, so his only recourse is a threat to fire people and to publicize layoffs recklessly to the media and others. In the time of pandemic and protest, no elected official should be playing games with people’s lives to get misleading sound bytes.

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland has proposed a budget that is $8 million less than his current budget, has filled an $81-million gap, and has pledged no layoffs in this critical time. Why is Lee Harris doing the complete opposite? It is another question to add to the other ones that have not been answered.

NOTE: After another lengthy session on Wednesday (June 3), the Shelby County Board of Commissioners next meets on Monday at noon in pursuit of a budget agreement.

#Access901: You Oughta Know – Mille Manny

By

Joy Doss

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06/04/2020

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Mille Manny – cause getting to a million of course! – is a 17-year old rising star creating his own hybrid sound, which he calls “hip pop.” While he may put you in mind of Chris Brown, he’s seventeen-seventeen not a Chris Brown 17.

TSD #Access901 columnist Joy Doss. (Photo: Demarcus Bowser)

His “Dadager” Ernest Strickland (what’s the opposite of “momager???”) is NOT going for any wildin’ in these streets, mannish shenanigans, foul-mouthed lyrics or any such similar foolishness. His current single, “Mind Games,” is radio ready and kid friendly with stellar production quality from Memphis Trackboy and smooth vocals that easily rival any of the other youngers in the game.

When you see Manny, you may expect Cali sound. Though he spent a few years there, be clear that he is a Memphian all day! He is ready and willing to be one more artist that puts Memphis on the map. He recognizes that he has been provided with a lot of opportunities so as he levels up in the game, he will be ready to reach back and reach across.

By now it’s common knowledge that Memphis has racks on racks of talent but lack the opportunities and access to go higher and further.

“Once I make it to where I can come back and start helping, I want to give kids my age an opportunity they may not have,” said Manny. “Whether it’s a recording studio….kids having a place to do homework…[or creating] a family-oriented environment.”

He also, correctly, points out that people always expect kids to wait until they’re older to pursue dreams but assures young people, “The time is now. Wait for nobody. You don’t have to hold off (on pursuing your dreams.)”

Manny has a big vision for himself which includes cresting the top of the music charts and elevating his brand, Slick Cocky, to Rocawear levels. He is already networking across having collaborated with 17-year old video director Cameron Boyd (K.W.A.D. Films – Kid With A Dream) on “Mind Games” and making special appearances on songs with BlocBoy JB, Lil Migo and Fresco Trey.

Memphis artists like Yo Gotti, Moneybagg Yo, Kevo Muney and Blac Youngsta top his collab wishlist. Reaching beyond our berg, he would like to work with H.E.R, Drake (obviously!), Chris Brown, DJ Khaled.

(JD Note: I personally would like to hear a H.E.R. duet. Putting that in the universe for you Manny!)

But first things first – the business. As his dad Ernest says, “If you don’t have the business side, it’s pretty much just a hobby. He handles the music. I handle the business.”

He ensures that Manny is informed and engaged throughout every step of the process. He says they even go through practicum exercises so that Manny is prepared for various situations.

With the guidance and backing of dad, Manny has been able to secure distribution through United Masters, which is one of Steve Stoute’s companies. If you know the music industry, you know that Steve Stoute is a major player. One small step for Manny and a giant leap for Memphians!

Perhaps more importantly, Dad keeps a close eye and tight rein to ensure that he stays, “steeped in his core values.” Again, good on ya! There are so many ways that the game can send kids hard left.

One of those values is keeping it clean. We are inundated with song after that song that, while they may SLAP, are not quite appropriate for younger ears. Even the radio versions! As I mentioned earlier, Manny’s lyrics are kid friendly. You won’t find any cuss words, N words or less than flattering synonyms for girls and women in his lyrics.

“With my music, I make you like it. You don’t even know you’re missing the cuss words. I’m able to go through more doors [because of it].” Yep. And this mom of a middle schooler approves!

So what’s next?

On the business side, Manny is working on securing airtime on Memphis radio stations. While he has gotten some solid traction on social media and YouTube and some success with Internet radio, the goal is to create a solid foundation here in Memphis, prioritizing our audience base.

On the music side, look for the first single off of his 6-Song EP “Ride My Wave” dropping on June 11.

“I feel like it’s something no one’s heard before. I’m just excited and ready for y’all to hear it.”

The single “All in” will be available on all music platforms.

(Check out Mind Games here: https://youtu.be/ce-pI1_LRWw. Follow Manny on Instagram: @millemanny_)

Miller steps down from the University of Memphis

By

Terry Davis

-

06/03/2020

0

Former Grizzly and and now former Tiger assistant coach Mike Miller after demonstrating his speciality -- shooting threes. (Photo: Johnathan Martin)

The winds of change continue with the University of Memphis basketball team. The last gust of wind blew assistant coach Mike Miller from the sidelines.

Miller informed Tiger Nation of his decision to step down via Instagram.

“The last two years have been amazing, and I have so many people to thank: Coach Hardaway for believing in me, all our players for the commitment, the University of Memphis and its incredible fans, my wonderful wife and kids, and the entire city of Memphis for everything you have done for me and my family. All of you made this opportunity possible for me, and I’m truly grateful,” said Miller.

“As much as I’ve loved this job and had a blast being part of the special program Coach is building, the past few months have made me realize that it’s time for me to spend more time focused on family and wherever the journey will take me next,” he said.

“I will find a way to stay in basketball and continue to make an impact on this city that I love so much! I will always be a TIGER.”

Miller has two sons, who are playing high school basketball at Houston High School. The oldest is senior Mason Miller and the younger is Maverick Miller.

Both players have received offers to play at various schools, including the University of Memphis.

Mike Miller was rumored to be a candidate for the University of Nevada Las Vegas opening last season. It was widely speculated that Miller would be a candidate for a head coaching position this season.

The way the season ended did not result in many jobs openings that would have fit into Miller’s criteria.

The retired NBA veteran helped Lebron James and the Miami Heat win an NBA title. He did not close the door to returning to the sidelines anytime soon.

A vital piece in the recruiting process for Hardaway, Miller led the recruiting for Boogie Ellis, Precious Achiuwa and Lester Quinones.

His departure will hurt because of all of the contacts he has with grassroots programs across the country.

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