Hi, Mr. Mayor. Could we talk for a minute?

First, Happy New Year, here's hoping you are well.  I want to be supportive here, as this is one of those subjects on which we agree, consolidation.  It would clearly be better for all citizens in this county if all services were consolidated.  We'd have to let G-Town keep GPAC, and Bartlett could keep BPACC, but still, it's a wise deal for everyone.

I understand your frustration here, but maybe your suggestion about how the referendums should be conducted might not have been the best way to approach the part of the County outside Memphis.  Oh, I know, they would still get a vote as County residents, and it might have been represented by at least one media outlet as the equivalent of tanks rolling down Poplar Avenue, but still, it DID seem a bit heavy-handed.

Look, don't take this personally, we're on the same side here and I want to see this happen as much as you do.  I think you should listen to Calvin Anderson here, I think he's going in the right direction.  You need to work on this quietly, and take yourself out this as much as you can.

I want to address this as delicately as I can, so here goes:  if you REALLY want to see this get through, you should make a public announcement that you would NOT consider running for a consolidated County Mayor's office.  Simply put, you are a lightning rod, and there are a LOT of people who would vote for this if you were out of the equation.

Look, don't get offended, I KNOW that there are lots of people out there who want Memphians to continue to subsidize their lifestyle so they don't have to pay their fair share of property taxes.  However, there are more people out there than you might think that will support consolidation.

Look, you know yourself who should be the front person for this effort, it's your buddy across the mall, you know he could sell refrigerators in Alaska in January.  Sadly, sir, this is not one of your strong points, even after 16 years in City Hall.  Take yourself out of the equation PUBLICLY, if not privately, and this can get done.

It might even be your crowning achievement, but you have to take one for the team.

Thank you for your time!