Every election has its own issues. Memphis suffers from more than several important issues for the daily lives of the Memphians. Here are some of the important issues which were, are, or will be talked about or discussed before, during, or even after the mayoral election in the city of Memphis, Tennessee.
First, the MINIMUM WAGE should be increased in the city of Memphis. The minimum wage is said to be the lowest hourly wage that employers are legally required to pay their workers. The working class in Memphis deserves better and higher wages no matter what.
The issue of the minimum wage in Shelby County and the city of Memphis is much more important than any other counties or cities in the State of Tennessee because it is closely related to or connected with other socioeconomic factors in and for the city of Memphis where such economic opportunities and financial tranquility or serenity are so much important for the social stability and prosperity.
Second, as you already know or may know, we should deal with the urgent issue of fighting against crimes. However, it is not enough to adopt a stopgap measures or such policies. A myopic or a short-sighted way of thinking cannot solve or decrease the social problems of crime in the city of Memphis.
The COMPREHENSIVE COUNTERMEASURES are necessary for responding to the local crimes. And the INCLUSIVE SOLUTIONS should be suggested not only in order to fight against the local crimes, but also in order to decrease the increasing crimes.
Of course, we have to deal with different kinds of street crimes. But the Memphians have to open their eyes in terms of so-called “Hybrid Crimes” in Memphis. Such crimes are the mixture or the cross-breed of the physical(violent) and the white-collar crimes which actually exist in Memphis.
The criminals who commit such hybrid crimes don’t run away when they are caught or when their crimes are discovered or revealed. Instead they tries to hurt or threaten the victims or destroy the lives of the victims through various way including, but not limited to extraordinary schemes or unbelievable machinations.
Third, the GOVERNMENT REFORM must be pursued. Both the political and legal accountability should be found and realized for the government officials who are allegedly corrupt or even criminal. Judicial decisions should be verified by microscope. Administrative actions should be reviewed with attention. Political activities of local politicians should be monitored with seriousness.
Citizens, media, and activists should be more involved in the local democratic process. The local democracy of Memphis should not proclaimed or declared only in the school textbooks. The spirit of democracy should be alive in the local community.
Forth, the RULE OF LAW should function fundamentally in the city of Memphis. There seem to be a lot of serious allegations not only judicial misconducts or police misconducts, but also even judicial crimes and police crimes. And so-called “crooked” lawyers should be censured, condemned, denounced, sanctioned, or even disqualified.
And even though Memphis is located about 3 hours away, by car, from Nashville, but the Memphians need to pay attention to what’s going on in the General Assembly in Nashville because the laws of the State of Tennessee were, are, and will be made there in Nashville. The lives of the Memphians are governed by the constitution and laws of the State of Tennessee including the constitution and laws of the United States of America.
Fifth, the spirit of COMPASSIONATE SOCIETY should be valued or realized in the local community. Such culture of exclusion, discrimination, coercion, disregard, negligence, or ignorance has been deeply penetrated into or widely distibuted over the local culture or minds.
The city of Memphis has been facing very challenging local issues which are both political and social. Some of the urgent issues among them are the minimum wages, the comprehensive countermeasures against the crimes, the government reform, the rule of law, the spirit of compassionate society in the local community, and so on.
Memphis should take a leap in order to move forward, not backward. This city should not be stalled or in a rut.
One vote of a Memphian citizen for the next mayoral election had never been more important than that of the year of 2023 throughout the entire history of the city of Memphis.
You can make a history. And you can make a difference.
Published: July 16, 2023
The Memphis Times
www.memphistimes.org