If the legislature decides they are going to let Shelby County Schools become a Special School District, then let's make it bigger than they had planned.
BIG props to MCS Commissioner Tomeka Hart for leading the fight to surrender the MCS Charter if this happens. Hell, I say let's do it anyway. If they think they can educate the poverty-stricken youth of Memphis better than we can, let SCS do it.
That would A) REDUCE property taxes in the City, B) INCREASE property taxes in the rest of the County, C) force SCS to redraw the School Board lines to reflect a county-wide district, and D) that means the City dominates the County, as it SHOULD. Oh, and E) provides a SINGLE funding source for education for the ENTIRE county.
So, all you people out there say you'll sell your houses and move? TRY IT, I DARE YOU. See how far you'll get in this economy, I have NO sympathy for you. You're stuck with us, so you had damn well start trying to work with us, because there has never been a wall built that can't be knocked down,
Ask the Germans.
9 comments:
Yep, that's really tolerant of you. Once again, you issue a call to arms that only allows one way to hold and use them. Is it not the "fundamental Constitutional right" of American citizens to disagree with "us?" Do you have the perogative to literally tell somone else how they are to think, act and where they are to live? Are you, a la St. "I didn't cost Al Gore Florida" Ralph, actually going to say that (in paraphrase) sometimes people need to be told what's good for them and presumably with you doing the telling? Who appointed you Guardian of the Right (or, in your case, Left)? If I owned a home in the county, I would not necessarily "try to move;" but the choice I make would be mine without any of your and your friend's baiting and ideological self-righteousness spurring me one way or the other.
Way to misunderstand what I wrote. The issue, of course, is that if the MCS and SCS boundaries are frozen, Memphis' tax rates will go up exponentially, and SCS, which does not have to deal with the poverty that MCS Students face, at least not to the same depth.
I'm here to fire up the troops, not persuade; one would think as often as you read the blog, you would have figured that out by now.
sometimes dialogues doesn't work and you have to roll the tanks. I would prefer that not be the case, but it is what it is.
SURRENDER THE CHARTER!
Under what circumstances do you advocate rolling the tanks? Do you plan to lead the charge? Do you plan to pull a Cracker version of Tianammen Square and stifle all opposition to your dictates, doctrines, dogmas and conclsuions about what ills the world? How again is rolling the tanks in a presumably democratic state reflective of the democracy and tolerance you claim so mightily to cerish? How many people do you advocate killing, imprisoning starving or perhaps only sending to the Cracker Authoritarian-Gulag in order to bring about the "justice" you desire and for which your "Liberal Identity" claims that you believe? Yep, I really misunderstand what you're syaing. Just like I've misunderstood it for nearly thirty years.
Wow you guys have been debating for 30 years. This is like a West Tennessee version of William Buckley and Gore Vidal. I think we can figure who is like Buckley and Vidal here LOL.
Steve,
If you remember, the City School system discussed surrendering the charter several years ago. County school groups had large emotional meetings and threatened to form a "new county" called Neshoba. The City School Board backed down. (By the Way, I was part of a little group encouraging the MCS Board to go ahead with the charter surrender)
Now the Shelby County Schools, headed by Herr Pickler (who won re-election by 51% of the vote by vastly outspending his novice opponent), says that we want to make sure that SCS stays as segregated as possible and keep evil Memphis away.
The effects will be a City School system that will be poorer than ever and higher taxes for City residents. Any State Rep who votes for the Special District is telling Memphis that he or she wants Memphians to pay higher taxes for the same or less service. That includes the Republicans who represent parts of Memphis, Sen. Brian Kelsey, Rep Mark White, Rep Steve McManus, and yes, our old friend Jim Coley.
So if they want to go through with it, then I hope that at least 4 other City School Board members have the guts to follow Tomeka and surrender the City Schools charter.
Anyone have any guesses on why Mayor Wharton doesn't want the charter surrendered?
The CA article says:
"Wharton, the county mayor from 2002 to 2009, is calling for more discussion while warning that though the backdoor consolidation maneuver might "superficially" appear attractive to the city, it could create "downstream" issues even more harmful to the city and its schoolchildren."
Issues like what?
I am not a Democrat or a Republican. I like to hear both sides of an issue and make up my own mind. I prefer dealing with opinions that are rational and realistic. That is my pragmatic approach.
In the discussion provided here, I have been given reasons why as a citizen of the City of Memphis I would want to surrender the MCS Charter (reduced city property taxes, elimination of redundant services, etc.) but I have heard nothing from the other side except rants and the always present "problems downstream."
If no indication of what these future problems might be or at least in what areas they might occur, I don't see any reason why I shouldn't support the surrender of the Charter. If some rational explanation of why a city resident should wish to keep the Charter especially in light of the likely action of the County, I ask that it be provided as soon as possible. However, if this petty wining is all the opposition can provide then your silence is appreciated.
I'm not seeing any reason to oppose this version of school consolidation, either.
I was against government "consolidation" before BECAUSE it was all creepy and astroturfy and funded by mysterious entities and didn't appear to be hitting the real problem. THIS I can get behind.
So, Hell To The Yeah, LWC! I'm not only going to email Whalum et al, but I'm going to talk to my neighbors about this and do what I can to bring about grassroots outrage and activism over this unjust double taxation and redistibution of wealth upwards. We city members are about 70% of the county. We can win.
Here's the bottom line, either the County will have their special district and we Memphians will end up paying even higher taxes than before and County taxes will go down OR the City School Board will vote to surrender the charter, we Memphians vote to confirm, and our taxes go down and the County will pay a more equitable share of the tax burden.
We can ALL forget about the status quo. As long as Dsvid Pickler is head of the SCS and the State legislature is heavily Republican, they will thy to get their special district UNLESS they are circumvented by the MCS Board and Memphis voters. Pickler can say he wants to make sure both districts are adequately funded and City folks can hope that will happen but in the long run, City students will suffer and City taxpayers will pay more.
There will be lots of challenges merging the systems but nothing as bad as letting things go as they are headed.
I just hope that there are at least 3 courageous Board members to join Hart and Jones to vote to surrender and unify.
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