When it opened in 1964, the Mid-South Coliseum was the first desegregated public building ever in Shelby County. This iconic structure was placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the US Department of Interior in 2000 and yet there are some who would tear it down rather than preserve its history. There are numerous uses for this building that can be pursued and finding a viable and worthy use for it is the course that the City of Memphis should take.
I believe the city must provide high quality services to both animals and people through Memphis Animal Services, serving both with compassion and professionalism. Currently, we are lacking both and it’s unacceptable.
Memphis is losing many of our police officers and firefighters to other cities because of the actions of the City Council in regard to city employee benefits. For future employees, changes may be necessary in order to keep the city fiscally secure, but reneging on the promise of benefits to current and past employees is not acceptable. Fighting crime and keeping this City Safe requires a strong police force and quick response from our firefighters – and our Men and Women in Blue and Memphis Firefighters deserve the wholehearted support of all Memphians.
The City of Memphis must address the fiscal cliff it is on a direct path to. We must put an end to unnecessary spending and get to a “back to basics” mindset, dealing only with the services required by governments to provide. Red tape and regulations on business should be minimized. Memphians are proud, intelligent, and industrious and should be encouraged to start businesses that will provide jobs instead of being hindered by a bureaucratic maze of rules and hoops to jump through.
MLGW leadership is determined to install costly smart meters throughout the city regardless of evidence that shows our utility bills will skyrocket. Health, fire hazard, and privacy issues are also linked to these meters. Ratepayers have voiced their opposition to smart meters on a regular basis at City Council meetings, yet most of the Council has chosen to turn a deaf ear to us. Memphians deserve elected officials who are accountable to those who put them in office.
Because I believe people’s property should not be annexed by a city without their consent, I was highly involved at the local and state levels in getting forced annexation outlawed by the Tennessee General Assembly last year. Additionally, areas previously annexed without property owners’ consent should have the ability to de-annex themselves from that entity and I will continue to pursue that right of the people going forward.
According to most recent studies, there are approximately 2,000 people who are homeless in Memphis on any given day and the fiscal cost of homelessness for communities is significant. Using the Housing First philosophy, I would like to see Memphis begin a Tiny Homes for Homeless Project, using a combination of the money given to our city each year by the federal government and donations from private businesses, as well as potentially collaborating with several non-profits.
Transportation is an important piece of connecting families with economic opportunities in our community and moving people toward prosperity. As your council member I will push for transportation investments that connect people to jobs and make our streets safer and more accessible to everyone in our city. Robin Speaks: On MATA & Public Transportation The City … Continue reading Transportation | MATA
Robin Spielberger 