Probably some of the most racist comments i have ever heard from a public official. If a "white" mayor would have said the same thing---black citizens would be on the steps of city hall--demanding impeachment!!!.
On the issue of consolidation--I am all for it..its long overdue...the school system issue--is a problem--and yes the County's system is stronger---both mayors know this---but the overall fiscal health of government stands to improve with consolidation--a fact that people in Nashville, Jacksonville and other cities will testify to---and in the end--that will improve the overall quality of our city's services. It ridiculous to not consolidate when the overall metro population is  somewhere around 1.0 million people--and declining. AC Wharton, has done a tremendous job working with Bartlett, Germantown and Collierville--something Herenton has not figured out. If AC proposed an approach--everyone would embrace it...because he has figured out how to balance the priorities of our citizenry, and is an outstanding communicator--unlike our friend Dr. Willie--who gets an F in public speaking--his only interest is communicating in a manner that will appeal to who else?? ....the majority race in Memphis! instead of the total community. Herenton better wake up and realize where jobs in this city and county get generated. I have to imagine the Chamber of Commerce is sick about certain elements of this speech. Nashville continues to attract more corporate relo possibilities --and memphis?

Mayor Herenton simply wants the County and suburbs to pay for his incompetence.  

There are not savings in consolidation.

Spike--Amen

Herenton needs our money to help pay Memphis bills.  He stated that he DID NOT want to be a mayor of a poor black city.--well by gum he getting just what he didn't want.  now he wants to bring the county down to what the city is.  i had a beautiful home that was annexed by the city.  the taxes more than doubled and i got a very large green garbage can.  and a promise of a much better life-right! six years later-still no street lights-still no sidewalks just a large green garbage can.  i believe that if i'd shopped some i could have found a nice large green garbage can for much less than what it cost me for the city to "give" me a large green garbage can.  if he gets what he wants-you will see the greatest "white flight" to date.  no one is going to be forced to live life the way King Willie wants it to be. this is still a free country and people will go where ever they have to  - to get away from Willies Rule.  From my understanding "no one died and appointed him God".  that's all in his own mind.

King Willie doesn't want Memphis to miss an opportunity to make the other communiities pay for his screw ups. He can't annex them so this is his way to get them under his power & control. He is not satisfied at messing up Memphis now he wants control of everyone in the county. That is the reason they moved out of Memphis to get away from his arrogant racist attitude. He spent a lot of money messing up MLG&W with Joseph Lee. Now he wants you to pay for it along with all his other fiascos (Forum, Pyramid, football stadium,  etc). He just wants history to remember what he has done for Memphis . People won't forget that's for sure.
Just remember cozy conversations in recent past. Learn to read between the lines. There 's more than meets the eye.

I just love the fact that mayor Herenton calls for unity, then tells us "white folks" we live in an African American city..get used to it. If a white mayor made a statement like that, Al Sharpton, Jessie Jackson the NAACP..not caucasion people..and the ACLU would hang him from the rafters. This is an African American city? Really? I hadn't noticed. That's why this city is in the mess it's in. Mayor Herenton is the extreme racist, stirring up crap and making us white folks eat it and like it. I'm sorry, but I grew up here. We won city beautiful awards. We had industry. We were known as the city of churches. What the hell has happened to my home town? Racism!! Black racism..plain and simple. To all of you who whites who voted this horrible example of a man back into office..shame on you!!! The city beautiful; the city of churches is now the African American City..Didn't even know we were in Africa!!

I'm sorry.  I can't get past his language.  Consolidate/Don't consolidate.  He's on the "out-the-door" side of his current job and he’s just trying to create a new one.  I hope you "suburbanites" have enough sense to keep it from happening until he is too old to run for mayor of that new "Black People Ain't Going Nowhere" government.

To Willie :

Back in 1991, when you came to us from your job as superintendant of Memphis schools to win the mayoral race,  I would get so uncomfortable listening to you butcher the English language.   Now, more than 16 years later, you stand before the city you have molded and say, “Black people ain’t going nowhere”.  Please read and pay attention to the following quote from a very prominent leader in the black community.

“I can't even talk the way these people talk.  'Why you ain't, where you is.'  ... I blamed the kid until I heard the mother talk.  Then I heard the father talk. This is all in the house.  You used to talk a certain way on the corner and you got into the house and switched to English.  Everybody knows it's important to speak English except these knuckleheads.  You can't land a plane with 'why you ain't.'  You can't be a doctor with that kind of crap coming out of your mouth."

Willie, do those words ring a bell with you?  If you don’t know who said them, you are not as proud of being black as you portend to be.  If the camera is on or if the camera is off, it  makes no difference.  Someone is always listening and watching.  Your words get repeated in the media, in classrooms, in casual conversations.  More importantly, your words are repeated throughout the black community.  What a shame you must be to the educators of Le Moyne-Owen College.  Are you the knucklehead referred to in the above quote?  

When I heard you say, “Black people ain’t going nowhere”, I immediately thought, “Well, then you must be going somewhere.”  Where are you going, Willie?  Two negatives make a positive when used in a sentence.  I am positively ecstatic that you just announced to the city that you are leaving.  We await the details.  Please say it is not a *** pit or an operating room.

Ole Willie shows his ignorance every time he makes a speech. He loves to boast about education but just listen to his speeches. Just when I think he can't be more ghetto, he is. He will forever be known as the Mayor who brought down a beautiful city. Rather than wanting to lift it up he has tried and succeeded in every way to racially divide a city.  He must have an underlying hatred for himself and blacks...a little to insecure deep down inside. He is so stupid, he states the majority of the city is black and then must admit the city has the highest crime rate in the US!!  Duh! Willie what does that tell everyone???!!!  Blacks need to stop voting for whomever they are told to vote for and  start looking at what a man stands for. I have family from NY to AZ and all talk about the pathetic publicity King Willie Wonka gives himself and the city of Memphis! Bottom line..he's a joke that will play out this round...we can all thank GOD for that!

I've never understood why me being a Homeowner, I have to Pay city & County Taxes? This does need to change, I live in the City & shouldn't have to pay for the county. I visited Louisville Ky this past summer & its the way I see Memphis in the next 5 to 10 years if things dont change, It was like Memphis but if everyone had almost moved away & made it a Run down Ghost city, Mayor Herenton comes off as very racist, He seems to believe that since most of the white votes went to Morris & Chumney that its a race issue, Well he plays that into the black community to keep giving him all their votes because he knows if he can keep them believing its a Race issue they will support him, Well sorry to say just accept the fact the people didnt want you in the office for another term, Morris is Black and I would have prefered anyone but Herenton I voted for Morris so how am I a Racist?, But when things get worse people just remember this is your "Black" City that Herenton claims he wants to not be racist but continues to say "Black this and Black that"  & Thats Racist!!

Louisville Kentucky is NOTHING like Memphis!  Memphis is a cess pool.  Louisville is a great city with a lot to offer.  It has a good side and a bad side, but it is 500% better than Memphis!  

We moved to Arlington barely 2 years ago from Texas with high hopes of settling in and becoming part of the community. After watching the nightly horror news broadcasts and people blaming me on a daily basis for being "white," well we've been trying to sell our beautiful new home for a year now and can't because of the daily murders, home envasions, you name it, people aren't relocating here, they are getting out of here as fast as they can. Take note, the mass exit has begun. Become part of Memphis . . .  NEVER! Why should I have to pay for the errors made by an inept, corrupt, uneducated racist good old boys/girls club that they call the Memphis City Council? That is the whole reason we didn't move into Memphis proper. Well, come out to the burbs, as we are all pulling up stakes now, moving out before any more horrors are blatantly pushed upon us. What is Memphis going to do once us "whites" all move out, who's going to pay their taxes and support all of the people that don't want to work? Yeah, New Orleans all over again, they'll never learn as ignorance breeds ignorance. Good luck to all that elect to stay because we're out of this nightmare, and we've have spread the word to all of our friends all over the US, do not ever, relocate here. I will live with the border issue over this hell on earth where reverse racisim reigns supreme.

The "white" votes don't put him in office.  The "white" votes live in the county and can't vote in the Memphis election!  That is exactly why he keeps getting put back in office!  Who is the white people's Al and Jesse?  We need them now---

I find this very interesting: First and foremost, I am not a Willie supporter, nor do I support the city council, half of them sit or hold seats that another competent person, no matter his or her COLOR could be holding and doing a great job.

I grew up here, I'm native of Memphis. All of the mayors who have held seats here in Memphis whether white or black, never did anything to help the working class. The working class, be professional or non-professionals, are the backbone of any city.

We have people now, who need good jobs, a few major companies come into the city, and provide jobs. but take  a close look at how many people compete for those jobs. Then, you have people, who do not want to work, but they are able, and they would rather live off of my sweat, so the city taxes the hell out of me instead...

There are solutions to all of these issues we face in this city, even the racism..
Until, our society as a whole, learn how to STOP judging, stereotyping, and hating one another, based off our physical attributes. We will continue to have these issues.

It is also very easy to call another person a racist, when the person that is doing the calling is also a racist or a bigot too.

Herenton is the biggest racist there is in this city.  He should have been voted out but no, his people kept him in office.  A racist supported by idots.........

Vote NO on Consolidation!!

How to Kill A City.

A novel.


Chapter 1.

Elect Black leaders.


The End

Just once I would like to hear  the Memphis Mayor make a speech without using ghetto language.  Anyone with any common sense could...I'm waiting to see if he shocks me and does.  I won't hold my breath.

I moved to Collierville knowing Willie could never annex this town. I feel sad for those who moved to Cordova.  No one in the county wants to be affiliated with Memphis..that's why we MOVED! So Wee Willie - you won't change our vote and you won't take away our right to vote.

Herenton is a racist windbag.  Memphis will continue to spiral down until it is unsafe for any human being....it's almost there now.