MEMPHIS, Tenn. (localmemphis.com) – Guess who is not coming to dinner together. Willie Herenton,Jim Strickland, and Tami Sawyer – candidates for Mayor with big differenceswhen it comes to crime.
Youknow, as the kids would say, ain’t no party like a Memphis Mayor’s electionparty, because a Memphis Mayor’s election party don’t stop, yo. Or somethinglike that.
Anyway,one thing you will hear a lot about in this upcoming election is crime. It wasthe number one mayoral campaign issue four years ago, and it’s right up thereagain.
CurrentMemphis Mayor Jim Strickland says he’s working at it.
“We’reworking hard on trying to drive down the overall crime rate,” he says.“We’re increasing police officers.”
FormerMemphis Mayor Willie Herenton, who once more than 10 years ago said the crimerate was not one of the responsibilities of the mayor, is now saying somethingelse.
Hedoesn’t mention Jim Strickland’s name, but according to a published report, hetold a union group, quote, “All through this campaign I’m going to remindyou of somebody who said he was going to reduce crime.”
TheStrickland response? “We’re trying to fix his failures right now and we’rehaving some momentum on that. I am proud of the record we’re having. You giveme 18 years we’ll fix those problems. I’m not going to get 18 years because ofterm limits. But I cannot fix what he messed up in 30 years in 3-and-a-half.”
Stricklandis combining Herenton’s 12 years as superintendent in the old city schoolsystem, and 18 as Mayor.
ShelbyCounty Commissioner Tami Sawyer is also a candidate for city mayor and saysboth of these men need to be held responsible.
“Thefact of the matter is they jointly have 30 years collectively,” she says.“Strickland as city councilman and mayor, Dr. Herenton as mayor. And whenyou put that both have been in office a really long time and they have us wherewe are today, I think they both should be held accountable.”
Totop all of this off is the possibility there will not be any debates in thisrace.
