About Jackson Baker’s Politics Blog post, “Judge Joe Brown Uncorks a Shocker, Taunting Weirich About Her Sexuality” …
I’m a 65-year-old African-American male who grew up in Memphis. Anyone who knows Joe Brown knows that if you attack him, duck! They also know his justice is justice and not “just us” and the punishment fits the crime. They also should know Memphis politics, so don’t get caught up in the smoke. Mr. Brown dispenses justice not politics. The power structure in Memphis — primarily white male and home-grown, black point-men can’t get comfortable around him. If you’re a single mother, at or below the poverty line, trying to rear sons, you need Joe Brown; that is if you’re interested in justice.
Sylvester
I actually believe that there are enough decent people in this county, of all races, who will vote against Joe Brown and Henri Brooks. Sure, there will be people who vote for them, but I expect an overwhelming rebuke in a few weeks in August.
Greg Cravens
BJC123
Does this mean that Joe Brown won’t be attending the annual Memphis Pride Parade?
Tom Guleff
About Bianca Phillips’ post, “TVA Proposes Retiring Allen Fossil Plant” …
Wind and solar costs are dropping so fast that the media, let alone our collective consciousness, are having a hard time keeping up with it.
Yes, we need to maintain some local spinning generation capacity to provide power during peak demand and to assure reliability for local industry like Nucor, but we don’t need a full-time gas plant that’s larger than the existing Allen coal plant as TVA prefers.
Scott Banbury
Retiring the coal plant is a big step in the right direction, but cheap natural gas from fracking is not going to last forever. This would be an excellent opportunity for TVA to investigate solar thermal technology. There are new techniques available that can store the heat generated during the daytime to continue producing electricity at night. And if you don’t think solar thermal will work in Memphis, just think about how hot your car gets if you have to park it in the sun in the summertime.
Chris McCoy
About Bruce VanWyngarden’s editor’s column on the city budget …
You need to check your facts on the pension reform. The city wants to put us into a 401(a) program, which has major differences not in our favor. Also, we have offered three scenarios to raise money that would tax visitors to the city more than residents: 1) a gas tax of $0.01 on every gallon sold; 2) a hotel tax of $2 on every $100 spent at a hotel; 3) a 25 percent increase on the sales tax.
As far as raising property tax, the average house in Memphis pays $100, therefore the tax increase would roughly be $5 a month. I am pretty sure citizens would give up a Starbucks latte for police and fire services.
Lastly, Mayor Wharton and his crew of seven have got to stop spending on projects we don’t have the money for. They need to learn from Mayor Luttrell’s leadership; he suspended capital improvement spending until he balanced the county budget.
Keeley Greer Officer PII
About Randy Haspel’s Rant on Dick and Liz Cheney …
My stock portfolio soared thanks to Dick Cheney and his little buddy Bush. At the club we figured we profited over $220 million for every American death. You can’t argue with results like that.
Ern
It is a complete waste of time to get worked up about the Cheneys while President Obama continues to prove himself as willing as his predecessor to mire the USA in foreign conflicts and nation-building. He labors under the same delusion as the neo-cons — that “democracy” is workable and ideal, anywhere and everywhere. Even John Kerry is singing a different tune these days than when I voted for him in 2004.
Brunetto Latini