Month: May 2007

BY
JACKSON BAKER |
MAY 9, 2007

This will come as real news to most Memphians: Our city has
a bona fide declared presidential candidate – David F. Diamond (ne Fentress) –
who has just been attacked by another presidential candidate, Colorado
Republican congressman Tom Tancredo, as something of a mad scientist. By our
reckoning, it’s Tancredo (pictured) who sounds more like a mad scientist. But judge for
yourself.

In last week’s televised MSNBC debate featuring 10 GOP
contenders, each of the candidates got at least one question emailed in by a
viewer of the program. Tancredo’s came from independent Diamond, a former radio
personality and conservative activist whose chief campaign plank is a concern
for facilitating organ transplants.

Jim VanderHei, executive editor of Politico.com, read the
question this way: “David Diamond of Memphis writes in: ‘Do you have a plan to
solve the shortage of organs donated for transplant?'”

Here, in its entirely, is the response from Tancredo,
hitherto best known for his adamant opposition to amnesty for illegal
immigrants, whom he wants treated as felons:

“”Well, I don’t believe that the goal of the United
States..that the president of the United States should be putting forth a plan
to do such a thing. The reality is that technology and the advent of technology
in a variety of areas is going at a pace where, I believe, we can look
forward…we can look forward to a variety of things that will allow us to cure
diseases that we do not have a cure for….”

Tancredo then went on something of a bender.

“But the idea that I take is inherent in this question –
that we should somehow be growing these things, that we should somehow be
cloning people for the purpose of using these kinds of, uh, attitudes is
ridiculous. I absolutely would not support it.”

Growing these things? Using these kinds of, uh,
attitudes?

Okay, David, the debate’s on. You have 30 seconds (or more
if you need it) for a rebuttal.

The newly elected chairman of the Shelby County Election Commission is Myra Stiles, who was returned to the commission as a Democratic member last month, following the second of two brief intermissions in her longtime service, which began in 1987.

Stiles has been administrator of the law firm Farris Mathews Branan Bobango & Hellen, PLC since 1982 and previously served as special assistant to the late William Farris, chairman of the Tennnessee Democratic Party in 1978-81.

She has also been president of the Democratic Women of Shelby County and of the Tennessee Federation of Democratic Women.

–jb

Former MLGW head and current mayoral candidate Herman Morris issued a statement today summing up his views on Willie Herenton’s role in the MLGW mess and about the utility company’s selection of a president to replace Joseph Lee.

The release reads as follows:

“Mayoral candidate and former President/CEO of Memphis Light Gas & Water, Herman Morris, Jr., today called for a moratorium on a national search for the next leader of the public utility until after the election so that the best possible candidate can be found.

Morris also strongly suggested that an interim president can be found among the experienced managers, staff or recent retirees.”

“’On behalf of the people who pay their utility bills on time every month and who deserve to have the best municipal utility in the nation, I call for these steps because I know that no potential candidate for the job is going to agree to become president during a political campaign in which there is an excellent chance that the administration at City Hall will change,’ Morris said.

“’It’s imperative that we find the best possible leader to bring our utility back to the position it once held. As our next mayor, I promise to start that process on day one — October 5,’ he added.

“Morris pointed out in his remarks at a press conference in front of City Hall that MLGW has gone from a number one independent rating among public utilities under his management, to ‘dead last under Herenton’s administration.’

“’On my watch, MLGW was efficient and was operated under sound economic and fiscal principles,’ he said. ‘Under my watch, ratepayers enjoyed the first rate DECREASE in the company’s history, and there were no rate increases for 10 years.’

“Morris charged that under Herenton, MLGW became a ‘nest of cronyism and gangster management at the top.’ Herenton, he said, showed lack of leadership ‘by shoving aside highly qualified individuals and replacing them — often in redundant positions — with what can only be called “friends of Willie”.’

“During the last few years, Morris charged, utility bills have gone up, employee morale at the utility has fallen, and ‘confidence among the citizens of our community has plummeted to all time lows.’

“Morris put the blame for MLGW’s many woes at the foot of the current mayor.

“He said the costs to the public as a result of ‘negligence and incompetence at the top’ have included a 400 percent increase in write-offs of bad debt; a $15 million debacle in Kentucky gas caves decisions; and an outrageous attempt to make ratepayers pay more than $61,000 in legal bills for resigned MLGW president Joseph Lee.

“Morris promised to begin putting MLGW back on the right track the moment he is elected mayor, including firing political appointees placed in various positions at the utility by Herenton.”