How many times have we heard a government bureaucrat say, "You can't do that"? Far too often, unfortunately. That's why I decided to seek public office four years ago. I believe government should be about creating opportunities not obstacles.
National statistics may show that the crime rate is declining, however, most Shelby Countians view crime as the top issue facing our community. So a few years ago local governments and businesses came together to form the Memphis-Shelby County Crime Commission. The privately funded Crime Commission seeks "best practice" ideas about fighting crime from jurisdictions across the nation. The commission then seeks to implement these proven crime-fighting strategies in our community.
Most would agree that education is just behind crime on the list of priorities of Shelby County residents. A privately funded Education Commission could examine issues such as school vouchers, charter schools, or uniforms and make suggestions for Memphis and Shelby County schools. The commission would study ideas that have worked in other communities.
The Education Commission's goal would be to create better opportunities for our children to learn. Unfortunately, some in the educational bureaucracy want to create obstacles for such new ideas. The goal of public education is not to guarantee equal outcomes, but to provide equal opportunity to all of our young people. Education, like government, should be about creating opportunities not obstacles.
