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Harris takes MATA plans to Frayser

NEW TRI-STATE DEFENDER — With the Frayser Exchange Club meeting as the setting, Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris on Thursday pitched his plan to fight poverty by way of a new transit proposal. Harris has proposed directing $10 million for Memphis Area Transit Authority by adding a fee for households with three or more cars.

Published

5 years ago

October 1, 2019

Oakland Post

“The 2 percent of our community who take transit everyday are mostly minority, are mostly low-income and mostly don’t have access to a vehicle. If we can help the 20,000 and shave time off of their commute, we can change their lives and the households.” (Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris)

By Erica R. Williams

With the Frayser Exchange Club meeting as the setting, Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris on Thursday pitched his plan to fight poverty by way of a new transit proposal.

Harris has proposed directing $10 million for Memphis Area Transit Authority by adding a fee for households with three or more cars.

“I know that transit advocacy is something that doesn’t touch everyone in this room, but it should,” Harris said to the audience that consisted of mostly community members, local advocates and activists.

The mayor pointed to data that he said shows transit riders make up about 2 percent of the county’s close to one-million population. Despite the low percentage, Harris said those who use public transportation still deserve someone to be their voice.

Although the plan isn’t finalized, preliminary suggestions would require households with more than three vehicles to pay a $145 sustainability fee for their third car. According to the proposal, the increased fee would affect about 17 percent of Shelby County’s demographic.

“The point is very few people have a third, or more vehicles. So, the vast majority of our community will see no change in their taxes. No changes in their registration fee,” Harris pointed out.

Harris’s initial plan was presented to the County Commission earlier this month and required fees for every vehicle after the second one, but Harris said that plan has changed.

“We don’t have to tax additional vehicles because the current estimates to raise $10 million don’t include a fourth or fifth vehicle,” Harris said. “That’s a shift from the original proposal because of feedback.”

During the meeting, residents shared stories of long commutes and inconvenient bus rides. Community leader Charlie Caswell said he once spent five hours getting back and forth on a bus.

“It’s not the best plan, but it’s an idea I can support.”

The plan was also met with clarifying questions from some attendees. Regenia Dowell, president of the Frayser PTSA, asked how the changes would affect the clerk’s office.

Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert, who has previously said she and her team were blindsided by the mayor’s proposal, attended the community meeting.

“We’re going to be working with the mayor and his team and working with the state of Tennessee to make sure that this is something that we’re able to do,” Halbert said.

“Additionally, what resources may be needed in our office. The mayor knows about a number of challenges that we already have and are working through, including some offices that are not ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant.”

MATA Chief Executive Officer Gary Rosenfield also attended and addressed the crowd, which mostly offered support of the plan.

“A lot of the times when MATA is going through funding and get service cuts, it’s neighborhoods like Frayser and Raleigh that see these cuts,” he said. “If MATA had more resources like what the mayor is proposing, it could help stop this cycle of cuts that we have to do every year.”

Harris reiterated that the plan is ‘transparent’ and is subject to change based on community feedback. Because he hopes to garner more input from residents, Harris said he doesn’t want the County Commission to vote on the plan this year. He hopes to get commission votes by February 2020.

This article originally appeared in the New Tri-State Defender

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#LET IT BE KNOWN — LIVE FROM THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION

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3 weeks ago

August 20, 2024

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Democrats Call for Fierce Defense of Democracy and Working-Class Values

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Democrats from all political backgrounds came together to honor President Biden’s legacy, which includes unwavering efforts to reduce costs for middle-class Americans, repair a deteriorating infrastructure, and defend democracy from unprecedented threats.

Published

3 weeks ago

August 20, 2024

Oakland Post

By Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

In an electrifying moment at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) that likely set the tone for the party’s campaign, Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on the opening night, seizing the stage to the triumphant anthem of Beyoncé’s “Freedom.” The crowd erupted with fire in her voice as Harris declared, “I want to kick us off by celebrating our incredible president, Joe Biden. Thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all you will continue to do. We are forever grateful to you.” The first night of the DNC was more than a celebration; it was a battle cry. Democrats from all political backgrounds came together to honor President Biden’s legacy, which includes unwavering efforts to reduce costs for middle-class Americans, repair a deteriorating infrastructure, and defend democracy from unprecedented threats. The message was clear: Biden’s work is not done, and Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz are ready to continue that fight.

Speakers who are most familiar with Biden, such as Senators Raphael Warnock and Chris Coons, as well as Dr. Jill Biden and Ashley Biden, shared stories that painted a picture of a president who is unwaveringly dedicated to the American people. “In public and in private, President Biden never backed down from his vision for an America where everyone has a fair shot,” Warnock emphasized. Dr. Biden and Ashley Biden gave heartfelt tributes to the man who led the nation and his family with steadfast devotion. The emotional high point of the evening came when Biden, introduced by his daughter Ashley, took the stage to a thunderous ovation as “Your Love Has Lifted Me Higher” filled the arena. The crowd’s response was deafening, with chants of “We love Joe” and “Thank You, Joe” reverberating throughout the hall, a powerful testament to Biden’s connection with the American people.

In a speech that was as much a rallying cry as it was a reflection on his presidency, Biden delivered a stark reminder of what’s at stake. “Let me ask you… Are you ready to vote for freedom? Are you ready to vote for democracy and America? Are you ready to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz?” Biden’s words resonated as he recalled the perilous moment of his inauguration, just weeks after supporters of the twice-impeached former president stormed the U.S. Capitol. “You cannot say I love my country only when you win,” Biden asserted. “The winter of peril and possibility has passed, and with a grateful heart, I stand before you to report that democracy has prevailed. But now, democracy must be preserved.” Biden highlighted the progress made under his administration, pointing to economic recovery, healthcare expansion, and the battle against corporate greed. He singled out Harris’s critical role in these achievements. “We’ve gone from economic crisis to the strongest economy in the world… More Americans have health insurance than at any time in American history. And we finally beat big pharma. Guess who cast the tie-breaking vote? Vice President and soon-to-be President Kamala Harris. Now it’s the law of the land—$35 a month for insulin.”

The evening was charged with passionate speeches that struck the heart of the nation’s issues. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivered a searing indictment of Donald Trump, contrasting Harris’s steadfast dedication to American values with Trump’s chaotic legacy. “Kamala won’t disrespect our military and our veterans,” Clinton declared to thunderous applause. “She will defend democracy and our Constitution and will protect America from enemies foreign and domestic. Donald Trump fell asleep at his own trial, and when he woke up, he made history as the first person to run for president with 34 felony convictions.” Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez delivered a fiery endorsement of Harris, framing her as the champion of the middle-class needs. “In Kamala Harris, we have a chance to elect a president who is for the middle class because she is from the middle class,” Ocasio-Cortez proclaimed. “She understands the urgency of rent checks, groceries, and prescriptions. She is as committed to our reproductive and civil rights as she is to taking on corporate greed. She is working tirelessly to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and bring hostages home.”

Ocasio-Cortez didn’t hold back in her critique of Trump, accusing him of being a self-serving demagogue. “Donald Trump would sell this country for a dollar if it meant lining his own pockets and greasing the palms of his Wall Street friends,” she said. “I, for one, am tired of hearing about how a two-bit union buster thinks of himself as more of a patriot than the woman who fights every single day to lift working people out from under the boots of greed trampling on our way of life.” The night was filled with moments that galvanized the crowd. Golden State Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr, invoking the words of Steph Curry, declared, “After the results are tallied that night, we can tell Donald Trump, ‘Night, night.’“UAW President Shawn Fain tore off his jacket to reveal a shirt emblazoned with the words “TRUMP IS A SCAB,” igniting the crowd into a fervent chant of “Trump’s a scab! Trump’s a scab!”

In one of the night’s most pointed moments, Rep. Jasmine Crockett drew a stark contrast between Harris and Trump: “She became a career prosecutor while he became a career criminal. Who would you hire? Donald Trump or Kamala Harris? Kamala Harris has a resume, and Donald Trump has a rap sheet with 34 felonies, 2 impeachments, and 1 porn star to prove it.” The NAACP President Derrick Johnson and Melanie Campbell, the President and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, led a standing ovation for civil rights icon Rev. Jesse Jackson during the celebration.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson also delivered a powerful message that resonated deeply with the audience. “I know that my daughter will see not only a reflection of herself in the White House, but she will experience the deepest part of American values… Kamala Harris—she’s got us.” Harris’s words from earlier in the night echoed as the event ended: “We are at a pivotal moment. The choices we make now will determine the future of our nation. Together, we will fight for the soul of America and build a future where everyone has a fair shot. Our best days are still ahead, and we are ready to lead.”