In 2010 State Democratic Chairman, Chip
Forrester, said this about Shelby County mayor,
Mark Luttrell:
"He's a right-wing ideologue
whose two planks are to build a bigger jail [now #10 in the U.S.] and to
out-source county jobs. He's attempting to cozy up to Democrats, and he's not
clear about his Republican pedigree. There's a sense that Mark Luttrell is a
moderate, somebody who stays in the middle. That's not the case."
The bigger jail, Luttrell got as
sheriff. A really big one. Forbes, in fact, lists Shelby County Jail as #10 largest
in the nation. Luttrell is now leading the charge in Shelby County to
have the county school board take over the annual $23 million federal Head
Start grants in order to find "someone who can enhance and
expand this program to meet the needs.”
"The needs" that Luttrell refers to
obviously have something to do with further chopping of public employees to
benefit a corporation headed up by a Luttrell crony, John Threlkeld, who is not
only President of the Chamber of Commerce in Bartlett, a Memphis suburb, but
who is also President of the Board of Directors of Porter-Leath,
a tax-sheltered corporation that is standing by to take over early childhood
education in Memphis. Oh yes, one of Porter-Leath's corporate partners is
KIPP Memphis, Inc.:
The mission of KIPP Memphis
Collegiate Schools is to provide high performing schools in the Memphis area
that will equip all students with the necessary academic and life skills needed
to succeed in college and the competitive world beyond. Porter-Leath partners
with KIPP Memphis Collegiate Schools to provide pre-school services to 100
children in North Memphis.
From the Daily-News on September 23, quoting Mayor
Luttrell:
“I would hope this school system, through the
leverage they have, that they would certainly tie into the pre-kindergarten
program as well as early childhood and elementary education programs,” Luttrell
added. “We’re not nimble.
Things don’t move fast in government by design.
When you are talking about Head Start … you need to consider that.”
Yes, nimble, that key corporate term for being
able to turn an intentional disruption and manufactured crisis into immediate
corporate profit.
We shall see how nimble taxpayers are, who are
facing a second referendum (the last one failed miserably) to increase the
sales tax by a half-cent to almost 10 percent. With Luttrell and his ilk
planning to collect almost $50 million if the referendum passes, want to guess
where the money is intended to go?
That's right--$30 million will go to a privatized
early childhood program run by Luttrell's cronies, and $17 million to reduce
property taxes for those who can afford property--not those people who will pay
10 cents on the dollar for milk and eggs.
More from the Daily News (my bolds):
The seven commissioners in committee last week
agreed on the idea of the school system taking over Head Start. But beyond that
they had different opinions about other options including alternatives, such as
Porter-Leath getting the contract.
Luttrell said he is open to a Porter-Leath plan
or another private provider.
“I certainly think the school system is very
qualified to do this, and Porter-Leath has a very convincing package to sell,”
he said.
Now was that a convincing package, or an
impressive bundle? Semantics.
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