The community leadership legacy of civic idiots Blackjack Smith and Puke Hyde is bullying. FedEx/Memphis Tomorrow has authored a pageantry filled, public private bully complex, that rips off the taxpayer, censors public voice, kicks people out of the Chamber of Commerce without cause, botches taxpayer funded initiatives, lies on the public record, bullies people out of public buildings and stifles small business.
All of this occurs as the FedEx public relations foghorn blows non-stop, reinforcing the entirely false perception that Memphis would be nothing without FedEx. After 20 years of this bully nonsense, while ushering in years of community decline, its the only currency local so called “leaders” understand. The fact is the Fedex/Memphis Tomorrow complex is a rerun of the elitist Crump Machine and bully complex of days gone by.
Sheltered in ignorance of anything else, bullying is all that many people know. Following the lead of Blackjack and Puke and rooted in spooner entitlement, bully elitist pansies have, for years now, unfortunately proliferated throughout the Memphis public-private complex, while thinking its “tuff n cool” to bully a community in need. But there is hope.
Bullying Defeated
At the last City Council meeting, the bullying of small business was caught on record. Supposed small business policy advocates in Ted Townsend of the Greater Memphis Chamber and David Waddell of the Epicenter, were nowhere to be found, as the City Council, through ordinance, attempted to bully a new, full taxpaying local pet store out of business.
During the meeting, Councilman JB Smiley, saved the day and stood up to bullying. The measure to disallow the retail sale of pets failed when, Smiley who was originally for the measure, discovered that the Strickland Administration had been bullying Petland owner Mike Davis, through local authorities. The small business bullying described by Davis was similar to what was caught on tape, in 2019 , with AC Wharton and an Airbnb owner.
In City Council testimony (1:38:15) , Davis describes how he returned to his hometown of Memphis 20 months ago, followed all the laws, and invested nearly $1M to open a pet store to be, only now, harassed by City agencies in the Police, Animal Shelter and Code Enforcement, as he is getting ready to open his new store. Davis was paid 3 visits by agencies, in a two hour time frame on the Friday, prior to the City Council meeting and according to Davis, bogusly cited.
Besides the strangely coincidental convergence of City agencies on a local small business, what makes this appear to be more about bullying, is that this move to regulate business with regard to animal rights is something that would typically originate from the political left. But surprisingly, the measure is originating from the right, where none of those that identify as Republicans and supporting the measure, have anything on their bios significantly related to animal rights. Is it one of the local “boll weevils” behind this ordinance? No one really knows.
Those Councilmembers supporting the measure from the right are Colvett, Canale, Carlisle and Morgan. There was one person from the left supporting the measure and that was Warren, whom was left off the image above. Those defeating bullying were Smiley, Logan, Robinson, Thomas, Ford, Johnson, Jones and Swearengen.
Further, during consideration, as if he is the only one, Davis was furthered bullied and accused of unfair lending practices, while citing regulated lending options, that perhaps are far less than optimal, but common in the retail industry. All of this occurs as Memphis needs more small businesses and businesses that pay their full taxes, which Davis is prepared to do.
From the political right and coming out of COVID, increasing local business regulation, on a matter that few overall locally seem to care about, at a time when Memphis needs more small businesses, just doesn’t add up. This points to bullying out of the elitist complex, that potentially in the end serves one of the “boll weevils”.
Conclusion
Regardless of how one feels about the measure of locally banning retail pet sales, which is already State and Federally regulated, the measure was soundly and appropriately defeated because of a local pattern of elitist and tactical bullying. Smiley, again once for the measure, was so repulsed by what he saw, moved for “same night minutes” which procedurally prevents the measure, from being reconsidered.
What was on display, is the type of elitist and culturally embedded bullying that was mocked nationally by Vanity Fair and responsible for grossly excessive corporate/real estate incentives for the small few, oppressed small business sector, botched taxpayer funded initiatives and locally challenged educational outcomes. In the end, persistent bullying serves no one.
Dammit, Stop the Bullying !