Strickland??? Yes, Jim Strickland for Mayor.

Now, I KNOW what you're going to say before you say it.

Jim Strickland is for cutting pension benefits, yada yada yada.  I am certainly not for that, because we made a promise to our workers and it should be kept, even at the risk of a property tax increase.  (Remind your friends who may be Republican that if we had a STATE INCOME TAX we wouldn't be so damned dependent upon property taxes!).  I don't agree with Jim Strickland on every issue.  That's why I want a whole new City Council; however, to paraphrase Alton Brown, that's another post, coming in the next day or so.

So, you say, look at all the companies that have expanded or built plants in Memphis under AC Wharton!  True enough, until you see the tax incentives they have received and you realize that YOU, the taxpayer, are paying for most of the jobs brought by Electrolux, IKEA, Bass Pro Shops and the rest, and not these companies.

But wait, you say, didn't Strickland vote for some of these things?  He may have, but he also called for oversight, and besides, that's why we need a whole new Council, one that is NOT beholden to developers or the Chamber of Commerce.  Again, that's coming later, hold your horses!

For my disagreements with Jim Strickland, I can tell you this much about him.  When he disagrees with you on an issue, he will look you in the eye and tell you why.  He allows you to make your argument and will listen to it, and discuss it with you.  He may even change his mind, or he may not.  JIM STRICKLAND WILL NEVER PLACATE YOU.  For my differences with him, there are also agreements.

Jim Strickland is also going to clean up and clean out City Hall, which has been necessary for a long, long time.  Robert Lipscomb needs to be getting his resume in order, I suspect.   (No, Jim hasn't said that to me, but I would hardly be surprised if it happens).  No more running amok from the Retired Directors Club, er, the Riverfront Development Corporation.

At the end of the day, there is absolutely ZERO bullshit in this man's body.  He will be straight forward and honest with you, even if it pisses you off.  Memphis city government needs a cleaning, Jim Strickland will be our cleaner.  That is why his sign is in my front yard.

And, as good government should provide checks and balances, he needs to have a City Council that works with him and checks him as needed.'

That, however, is another post, which is coming later.

UPDATE:  I was just thinking about this, and I realized that I have been voting in Memphis mayoral elections since 1979, that I can remember.  Not counting the vote for the Zambodian fellow in 1991, this will only be the THIRD time in all these years that I have voted for a white candidate for Mayor.

The list:  1979 - Otis Higgs, 1982 - Mike Cody, then JO Patterson, 1983 - John Ford (yes, John Ford), 1987 - Minerva Johnican, 1991 - Mongo, 1995, WW. Herenton, 1999 - Shep Wilbun, 2003 - WW Herenton (albeit reluctantly), 2007 - Carol Chumney, 2009 - Myron Lowery, 2011 - AC Wharton, 2015 - Jim Strickland.