Fight Fair

Smaller, more-responsive districts countywide – each with its own commissioner, each with a single responsible voice speaking for that district – each small enough that more people can know their commissioner and new ideas and new people can defeat tired old politics.

For months, those have been fighting words. Now, it looks like the fight might just be winnable.

As published in The Daily News, January 27, 2012, and in The Memphis News, January 28-February 3, 2012

OKAY, PEOPLE, BREAK IT UP.

Are you ready to rumble?

If Terry Roland and the whole County Commission really do get into it, is it even possible they could get hit hard enough to knock some sense into the whole body?

In this corner, self-service. In that one, public service. Over here, public civility. Over there, public spectacle. Progress against same-old, same-old. Stupid actions going nose-to-nose with smart-ass comments. If Muhammad Ali tried his famed rope-a-dope with this bunch, he’d have a hard time deciding which dope to rope.

The County Commission should stop marking votes and roll calls with lights or video displays. They should ring a bell. But, then, the Democratic chairman screams so loud, nobody would hear it, and the Republicans would never come out of their corner anyway because they’re too busy fighting each other.

This is the most pitiful public fight since once-proud Joe Frazier surrendered his dignity in the ring to the heavyweight ego of Willie Herenton – who once asked one of our current combatants, Brent Taylor, to step outside. But even that sorry Frazier/Herenton farce purported to raise money for public benefit. What the County Commission is currently engaged in, drawing new districts, has nothing to do with public benefit and is entirely about personal gain.

The prize in this fight is making sure whoever has a seat, keeps it, by fixing districts in favor of incumbents – making sure that challengers have less of a chance than Rocky did against Apollo Creed, than Brent would have had against Willie.

Various forms of multi-member districts have been sparring with each other for votes – all with several big districts with several commissioners, and one with one for a total of 13 seats. In other words, whoever and whatever you like in your district can be stomped by somebody else in your district, and the district is so big that it takes too much money and too many resources for a promising newcomer to contend for office against entrenched partisan interests.

The fix is in.

The underdog – but on the rise – is 13 single member districts. In other words, all of us would have one representative on the County Commission. One to represent and fight for our interests. One to advance those interests and to answer for failures. One to rally behind or to replace. In other words, fair voter representation and accountability for all of us and fair opportunity for public service.

The champion of this approach, Steve Mulroy, didn’t appear to have a chance, but don’t count him out. He’s not a big guy and he’s abstained lately from a round or two, but he’s quick, and he gets in more than his share of jabs.

Remember, Rocky almost took Apollo down and then went on to victory in, what, 60 sequels?

Brent might have gotten a lucky punch in on Willie … okay, I’m getting carried away.

In a fair fight, you and I win.

I’m a Memphian, and I want one single commissioner I can count on.