In a nightmare scenario for any city, Memphis problems and standards for performance start at the top with Memphis Tomorrow. Memphis Tomorrow is a local CEO
organization, founded by Joseph Reeves “Pitt” Hyde III, that cloaks itself as a community / economic development organization. But the organization is way down in its categories of public safety, workforce and economic development while their non-profit initiatives feast upon a cauldron stew using your tax dollars from federal, state and local sources.
All the while, caped under the label of “economic development”, excessive locally targeted corporate / real estate tax abatements under the Memphis Tomorrow EDGE initiative flourish for the benefit of the few at the top as local small business vitality declines, Shelby County growth lags its peers and income inequality explodes.
Based on what has been researched, this dreadful Memphis Tomorrow Fast Forward initiative performance can be shown to cost Memphis/Shelby taxpayers $124M per year. Frightening is the lack of alarm by local community leaders and rigorous oversight of Memphis Tomorrow initiatives. This appears to be because decline and poor performance have been going on for so long that it has been culturally normed. Leaders that only know Memphis, mistake the social hierarchy of Memphis Tomorrow for community and economic development proficiency.
Memphis Tomorrow can best serve Memphis by providing a $1.5 billion immediate contribution in full up front to the City, stop rigging up the community for decline and shutting down. This will fulfill Memphis Tomorrow promises by providing funds that will help bring the local ecosystem up to average.
DISCONNECTED
Spooky, this normalcy of decline, fueled by low expectations, was evident in a recent Commercial Appeal story. Duncan Williams, a local community leader, said that commenting on the future plight of Memphis Tomorrow is “above my pay grade”. Apparently disconnected from reality, Williams is clearly enchanted by, and yielding to, the local social hierarchical construct while not fighting for the taxpayer for an end to Memphis Tomorrow.
Further, also mentioned in the CA article was Spence Wilson Jr. of the Greater Memphis Chamber Chairman’s Circle and Kemmons Wilson Companies. With trend data in hand, regarding local taxpayer funded initiatives under corporate community leadership, I requested a meeting with Wilson about a 1.5 years ago while questioning leadership effectiveness. Wilson, apparently disconnected from reality as well, like so many in the community leadership complex, declined to meet with me. Instead, Wilson wrote in part through email the following:
“I disagree with your overall assessment of where we are as well as the validity/effectiveness of some of the groups you mention. And, given what little I’ve experienced but more of what others have shared regarding their dealings with you, I doubt your ability to be a uniter. Uniting together as a community has been the key ingredient with humility, trust and mutual respect being some of the key values. Above all, each participant has had to EARN the respect of others every step of the way.”
Wilson’s observations are understandable. Needed confrontation to bust up what is working for a small few and Not for the overall good, is rarely, if ever viewed as uniting or humble by establishment figures such as Wilson. On the other hand, his arrogance towards the taxpaying public is evident in implying that a taxpayer must “EARN” (in all caps) their right to question the performance of taxpayer funded initiatives. With that, the question now, for Wilson 1.5 years later, with the same Memphis Tomorrow community / economic development complex in place, “Where are we now?”. Wilson also serves on the National Civil Rights Museum (NCRM) with Pitt Hyde. The NCRM will be discussed later.
It should also be stated that Jack Moore, a former banker and Wilson’s in-law, serves on the EDGE Board. The diverse EDGE Board has systematically awarded locally targeted corporate / real estate PILOTs using bogus, incomplete accounting that overstate tax revenue generated by an estimated $850M at an estimated loss to taxpayers of $250M+ while claiming an estimated gain of $600M. EDGE uses an accounting methodology that eerily recognizes existing tax revenue as new revenue in many cases.
In a shocking performance, Moore took over the Greater Memphis Alliance for Competitive Workforce (GMACW) initiative as its new Board Chairman under EDGE. Moore managed to only have 1 GMACW meeting in the past year while he met every month with the EDGE Board to administer corporate / real estate tax abatements. So much for education and workforce development for a community in need, under Moore, who is part of the Wilson clan.
As far as the benefits of diversity on the EDGE Board, the benefits of diversity are overrated in this case. To correct this, I would prefer a new diverse or non-diverse and professionally balanced EDGE Board that would implement balanced economic development policy. A professionally balanced non diverse board would consist of all black females or males or all white females or males. Or, a new professionally balanced diverse board would work as well, as long as it replaces the EDGE Board in place now.
THE HORROR SHOW FILTERS DOWN
There is no sense of urgency in Memphis – NONE. Horrifying, deficient community leadership proliferates throughout the system starting at the top, with Memphis Tomorrow. As an example, almost 2 years ago, Transit Funding – Memphis Deserves Great Transit was published. The study confirms inadequate funding challenges local transit.
Adequate transit supports poverty reduction, workforce reliability, community competitiveness and sustainability. But the “visionaries” of Memphis Tomorrow have yet to publish a funding policy position for adequate public transit. At the same time, the NCRM where Hyde and Wilson are both board members, have yet to publish a position either. NCRM states on their website that they, “examine today’s global and civil rights issues, provoke thoughtful debate and serve as a catalyst for positive change”. Go figure….
Further, a new EDGE Board is needed as a fundamental system check for a tax abating board. Memphis Tomorrow advocated for the creation of an EDGE Board that did not protect the public interest in board member term limits or legislative approval for economic modeling used to justify excessive corporate/real estate tax abatements. Excessive tax abatements have gone to undermine the tax base of a community in need, as income inequality explodes and small business vitality declines.
While there are several examples of excessive abatements, one example involves Nike, currently running a social justice ad campaign. Currently, through an EDGE retention PILOT tax abatement, $50M in wealth is being transferred from one of the most impoverished communities in Memphis (27%), to one of the least impoverished in Portland/Beaverton Oregon, (13%) where the Nike headquarters is located.
Frightening, while it seems everyone was for the social justice found in statue removal (symbols over substance), a number of local advocacy organizations lack public policy positions on substantive issues that can help reverse poverty, small business vitality and slow economic growth trends in, for example, a new EDGE Board or public transit funding. Those organizations that lack public positions include: Memphis Tomorrow, Greater Memphis Chamber, Shelby County Chamber Alliance, EDGE, NCRM, Black Business Association, NAACP and MLK50 to name just a few.
Ghastly is when advocacy organizations don’t advocate on substantive issues for a community in need while yielding to the status quo at the top and seemingly in this case to Memphis Tomorrow. In a way it seems the Memphis Tomorrow complex demands allegiance to a social hierarchy of nonperformance that has mastered the mechanics of control while failing miserably in the art of evolving the community ecosystem.
At any rate, in this analysis, social justice organizations are overrated. By the way, can we get some transit in here if we move the Crump statue? Don’t bother, it won’t work.
THE PRESS
Terrified, the Memphis press won’t write about the paralyzing outcomes of Memphis Tomorrow or even call for a new EDGE Board. It must be stated that the Memphis decline has systematically occurred without an external event while spanning elected official’s terms over the past 15 years.
This points to a deficient corporate community leadership culture as Memphis leads the country in both nonprofits per 10,000 population and poverty. That should raise a huge, blood red flag , but it really doesn’t. It’s a system that is designed from the top to decline. Lacking press and rigorous legislative oversight results in a rigged system that lacks needed vitality to support economic growth.
CONCLUSION – GOOD NEWS !
There is good news and it’s not coming from the highly deficient Memphis Tomorrow corporate community leadership complex. Its coming from the people in groups like Memphis Raise Your Expectations (MRYE). MRYE is leading voter discussions while laying out economic development positions that question real power when no one else will. MRYE is leadership while the likes of Hyde, Williams, Wilson and Moore seem to mistake leadership for a lack of advocacy and bureaucratic conformity to a rigged, Crump like social hierarchical system that is not working.
See my videos and blogs at – http://mcclmeasured.net/resources/
ABOUT MCCL MEASURED
Memphis Corporate Community Leadership (MCCL) Measured is the first ever, and currently exclusive tool for measuring the effectiveness of the Memphis Corporate Community Leadership complex.
From Commissioner Mark Billingsley via email:
Mr. Joe Kent-
This type of communication does nothing but slander extraordinary leaders and contributors to our community and provide miscommunication. I am the type of leader that is always open-minded, willing to strengthen programs and even retool. While many will see your email and appropriately delete it, I can’t allow myself to receive and not respond, as it could be interpreted as supporting your rhetoric. Most of us work daily to make our community better, we don’t sit on the sidelines providing negative commentary and inaccurate information. I challenge you to be a positive contributor and build our community and not break it down.
Commissioner Billingsley,
Thank you and I am glad you are alarmed about something. We are just not alarmed about the same thing. I am making a positive contribution by checking real power when no one else will and am the only person that is covering the County EDGE Ad Hoc committee work in depth. And MRYE is leading as well; not Memphis Tomorrow. We at MRYE were the first to conduct a economic development public survey, that is research based while advising the County Commission on the record that they needed a definition for economic development to guide policy development and taxpayer funded work.
I truly believe if Memphis Tomorrow wants to best serve the community that they will fulfill their promises by making a $1.5 billion contribution to the city to bring the ecosystem to average status, stop rigging up the system and shut the doors. They are just not very good at community and economic development.
Commissioner Billingsley, which fact are you most alarmed about below?
1. My rhetorical slant and confrontation of real power locally
2. Duncan Williams submission to the Memphis Tomorrow social construct and unwillingness to lead for the taxpayer by confronting Memphis Tomorrow’s abysmal results. Memphis Tomorrow was founded by Joseph Reeves “Pitt” Hyde III.
3. Spence Wilson’s core belief that taxpayers must “EARN” their right to question the progress of taxpayer funded work that is demanded in part from a lack of press and legislative oversight. (The good news is that legislative oversight is improving. I believe because of the work of MRYE and MCCL Measured and not because of Memphis Tomorrow. It is accurate that my rhetoric described Wilson’s core belief he stated in all caps “EARN” as ARROGANT)
4. Jack Moore’s unwillingness to hold monthly or even quarterly GMACW Board meetings to address the #1 area for economic development in workforce as small business solutions are stifled which is a cultural norm as 60,000 learners suffer. Instead Moore meets every month with the EDGE Board to abate taxes for corporate/real estate interests while using incomplete bogus accounting to justify retention PILOTs as critical economic development elements suffer in workforce development, small business and site readiness.
5. Memphis Tomorrow’s advocacy for EDGE creation that does not protect the public interests in term limits for Board members or legislative approval of economic modeling used to justify retention PILOTs
6. Symbols over substance in general
7. Lack of public positions from social justice and advocacy organizations on critical questions that can help reverse income inequality trends in for example a new EDGE Board and funding policy solutions for public transit. Those organizations mentioned in the article include: Memphis Tomorrow, Greater Memphis Chamber, Shelby County Chamber Alliance, EDGE, NCRM, Black Business Association, NAACP and MLK50.
I am going to add your comments to my blog and this response as well. I look forward to seeing you on Monday
Spence – First, great hire with Eric Miller at the Chamber which we recognized with a MRYE certificate based on his EDGE Task Force testimony – http://mcclmeasured.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/CertMiller.jpg .I apologize if I have taken something out of context but when someone puts in all caps “EARN” in an email to me, I see it as directed at me personally and in this case I took it to mean that I must EARN my way to raise concerns about taxpayer funded initiatives. Taken in that way, I find that statement to be arrogant.
As far as any definitive statements, those are all press or confirmed using authoritative data sources.
As far as the “rigged” narrative, what attracted me to research the Memphis Tomorrow corporate community leadership complex was not imperfect human beings moving forward but the lack of course correction to get taxpayer funded work back on track when people like you and me make mistakes.
While the examples are numerous, a deliberate lack of course correction can be found in Jack Moore’s determination Not to have GMACW board meetings to support workforce development while corporate / real estate tax incentives using incomplete bogus accounting take center stage every month as career ready education, site readiness, small business vitality and public transit suffer. Having done work in imperfect communities all over the country, I have never witnessed the lack of course correction elsewhere as I do here in Memphis.
When I saw the above happen over time with more than one initiative without course correction, I suspected that the system was rigged for decline. Only a rigged system protects what is not working. Then I saw the institutional support for the decline in a general lack of 1) advocacy, 2) measurement, 3) legislative and 4) press oversight of Memphis corporate community leadership taxpayer funded initiatives. A rigged system takes needed vitality out of the system to support growth. Then with the below peer average total wage growth and small business vitality external data which is Not the EDGE Scorecard, I concluded that the system is rigged. See the data summary here – http://mcclmeasured.net/data-summary/
My suspicion is that the system is culturally rooted in and has taken on aspects of the Crump rigged machine of the 1940s
.
I have chosen to be a productive citizen by working at the grassroots level with MRYE on economic development issues. I do accept that questioning real power is not seen in some circles as productive. MRYE not Memphis Tomorrow has practiced thought leadership in local economic development work by conducting research-based public surveys and advocating for balanced economic development policy which starts with getting largely a new EDGE Board and getting rid of Al Bright, Tom Dyer, Natasha Donerson, Mark Halperin, Jack Moore, Johnny Moore and Larry Jackson who have all served well over 5 years without term limits. See MRYE positions here – http://mcclmeasured.net/mrye/
I will add your comments and this response to my blog page. I hope you will view my videos and read my blogs which can be found at http://mcclmeasured.net/resources . Thank you for your candid response.
From: Wilson, Spence Jr.
Sent: Friday, October 12, 2018 9:03 PM
To: jkent@pathtrek.net
Subject: Re: Nightmare: Memphis Tomorrow Sets the Standard
Joe, I’ll have to say you are a piece of work. If I’m arrogant then I guess you are ignorant. You make so many definitive claims about what people and certain organizations feel and think. You pick and choose things to fit this “system is rigged” narrative you promote. Much like the quote you used from our conversation a year ago in your email today. Context lost and misconstrued. Listen, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. You have clearly expressed yours. One of the beauties of a free society.
One thing I agree with you on is that Memphis has yet to reach its full potential. I’ve definitely learned since I jumped off the “sidelines” civically 6 years ago that city building is extremely complex, difficult and riddled with uncertainty. It requires tons of collaboration. And, unfortunately, solving the many issues we face are left to imperfect humans beings like me and you. No one I know or work with has all the answers or has proclaimed to have the answers like you do. So, perhaps it is you who is arrogant?
My day job doesn’t involve the things I do civically. Most of the people you criticize have day jobs and aren’t in this for pay or credit either. It is about assisting where we can and seeing Memphis reach its full potential. We represent only a handful of “actors and actresses” in a cast of thousands required to pull this off.
It really is that simple. So, like I encouraged you last year, with or without a formal engagement my hope would be that you would choose to be a productive participant in the renaissance underway.
Spence
Spence,
First, great hire with Eric Miller at the Chamber which we recognized with a MRYE certificate based on his EDGE Task Force testimony – http://mcclmeasured.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/CertMiller.jpg . I apologize if I have taken something out of context but when someone puts in all caps “EARN” in an email to me, I see it as directed at me personally and in this case I took it to mean that I must EARN my way to raise concerns about taxpayer funded initiatives. Taken in that way, I find that statement to be arrogant.
As far as any definitive statements, those are all press or confirmed using authoritative data sources.
As far as the “rigged” narrative, what attracted me to research the Memphis Tomorrow corporate community leadership complex was not imperfect human beings moving forward but the lack of course correction to get taxpayer funded work back on track when people like you and me make mistakes. While the examples are numerous, a deliberate lack of course correction can be found in Jack Moore’s determination Not to have GMACW board meetings to support workforce development while corporate / real estate tax incentives using incomplete bogus accounting take center stage every month as career ready education, site readiness, small business vitality and public transit suffer. Having done work in imperfect communities all over the country, I have never witnessed the lack of course correction elsewhere as I do here in Memphis.
When I saw the above happen over time with more than one initiative without course correction, I suspected that the system was rigged for decline. Only a rigged system protects what is not working. Then I saw the institutional support for the decline in a general lack of 1) advocacy, 2) measurement, 3) legislative and 4) press oversight of Memphis corporate community leadership taxpayer funded initiatives. A rigged system takes needed vitality out of the system to support growth. Then with the below peer average total wage growth and small business vitality external data which is Not the EDGE Scorecard, I concluded that the system is rigged. See the data summary here – http://mcclmeasured.net/data-summary/
My suspicion is that the system is culturally rooted in and has taken on aspects of the Crump rigged machine of the 1940s.
I have chosen to be a productive citizen by working at the grassroots level with MRYE on economic development issues. I do accept that questioning real power is not seen in some circles as productive. MRYE not Memphis Tomorrow has practiced thought leadership in local economic development work by conducting research-based public surveys and advocating for balanced economic development policy which starts with getting largely a new EDGE Board and replacing Al Bright, Tom Dyer, Natasha Donerson, Mark Halperin, Jack Moore, Johnny Moore and Larry Jackson who have all served well over 5 years without term limits. See MRYE positions here – http://mcclmeasured.net/mrye/
I will add your comments and this response to my blog page here- http://mcclmeasured.net/nightmare/ I hope you will view my videos and read my blogs which can be found at http://mcclmeasured.net/resources . Thank you for your candid response.
Joe, I don’t understand! Why don’t you point out these people that Memphis, Tennessee on the “Worst Cities in Country to live” list. That Child Poverty grew from 2017 to 2018, The Shelby County has the hightest property tax rate in the Nation!, etc. etc. etc. They are proud of that?!! Come on mannn! “Memphis Tomorrow, yesterday, two days from now, who is kidding who? History shows that no matter what they saying, after all their big talk, they are either unable or unwilling to get Memphis off these lists. Either way they should change or relinquish their post. don’t let these folks call you Negative, ‘les you let them ignore the facts. 🙂 i.e. whatever they been doing, is not working.
Thanks Gary. I am not letting them tell me I am negative. I was down at County Commission pushing back today. Here are my County Commission public comments:
Thank you Mr. Chairman. I do accept that questioning real power when no one else will is not seen as productive, positive or even appropriate in some circles.
MRYE not Memphis Tomorrow has practiced thought leadership by facilitating voter education, conducting research-based public surveys and advocating for balanced economic development policy. I would also like to meet with local corporate community leaders so that they can learn about our work provided I EARN in all caps the right to meet with them.
Along with this new commission, I would like to celebrate the benefits of new Economic Development Legislative oversight under Commissioner Brooks’ leadership.
We know now that we need an economic development plan that addresses gaps in the ecosystem unknown until recent oversight in 1) Site availability 2) Target industry identification to include small business. 3) Workforce needs, 4) Marketing needs and 5) Better connected communication throughout the county. These gaps result after a 7-year hyper-focus on locally targeted corporate / real estate PILOTs that have undermined the tax base.
Memphis Tomorrow, over an extended time frame, cannot arrogantly disregard the taxpayer and not expect to be questioned while being down in all their categories of public safety, workforce and economic development as their initiatives use taxpayer money.
The community cannot afford to have only 1 board meeting regarding the #1 area of economic development in workforce as Jackson W. Moore chose to do as he met every month with the EDGE Board to administer costly and locally targeted corporate / real estate tax abatements using incomplete bogus accounting . The MBJ validated local workforce development challenges and I believe I am going to be talking to some of you about addressing this in the near term. These challenges come at an estimated annual recurring cost to taxpayers of $15M.
To reverse current trends, a community cannot afford advocacy groups to advocate for taking down statues in symbols over substance per Andrew Young while not publicly advocating for adequate public transit and a new EDGE Board that has served without term limits per Memphis Tomorrow advocacy. MRYE is the only organization to publicly advocate for a new EDGE Board to replace: Al Bright, Tom Dyer, Natasha Donerson, Larry Jackson, Jack Moore, Johnny Moore and Mark Halperin.
And finally, I am here to answer any questions you may have regarding this list of concerns to include proving bogus EDGE PILOT accounting concerns or here to simply be held accountable if you like for my rhetorical slant in confronting primarily the highly deficient Memphis Tomorrow founded by Joseph Reeves Pitt Hyde III. Thank you.