A C Wharton puts people first.

That’s what he’s done his whole life and particularly as Shelby County Mayor. That’s why we need him as Mayor of Memphis.

It’s time for our city to invest as much energy, time, and money in its own people and their futures as it does in big projects, new roads, and expensive infrastructure.  It’s time to invest in people so they have good-paying jobs, opportunities for every Memphian, and brighter futures for all of our children.

Time after time, Mayor Wharton has proven that he cares about people, not privilege; about progress, not power; and about making headway more than making headlines.  In the process, he has brought people back into the process so they have a voice in crucial decisions about their own government.

The results are everywhere.  He prevented The Med from closing, because every citizen deserves quality health care.  He prevented Shelby County from going bankrupt and implemented its first debt reduction program and the recommendations of a wide-ranging efficiency study. 

He set up the first campaign to fight infant mortality rates that are higher in some Memphis neighborhoods than third world nations, and he set up an office that evaluates the impact on children for every decision in county government. He brought to Memphis a program to give 30,000 children books from birth.  He expanded Head Start and created a new partnership with Memphis City Schools to help more children get a strong start in life.  He spearheaded the campaign to set up accreditation of child care centers so parents would have the information to make the best choices for their children.

He created our first smart growth zoning code so Memphis neighborhoods are given help and our first plan to make Memphis a “green city” by protecting our natural resources and improving neighborhoods.  He created more parkland in one park, Shelby Farms Park, than Memphis has added in new parkland in decades, and he made it possible to develop a 13-mile trail that gives dozens of Memphis neighborhoods access to outdoor recreation.

He gave birth to our first comprehensive, collaborative crime-fighting program, Operation Safe Community and developed our city’s first serious program to connect prisoners with the skills to succeed in life and to support their families.  He made sure that people with mental illness were not treated like criminals in our justice system, and he increased funding for the drug court.  He toughened gun laws to make Memphis neighborhoods safer, and he led passage of laws that make criminals pay into a special program to help victims.

He fought against sprawl that forced Memphis taxpayers to invest in their own city’s decline.  He insisted that economic stimulus funds from the Obama Administration be spent wisely to improve the lives of people.  He fought for tax fairness and eliminated duplication in services with City of Memphis.  He found new ways for the people of the region to join hands to end the conflict and controversy that choke our economic development.  He gave tax incentives to encourage companies to locate inside Memphis and to create the right kind of jobs for our people.

Most of all, he proves that because of his unshakable focus on people, there’s a new and better way to lead and to manage government.  That’s why he has received national recognition for his programs.  That’s why it’s time to put the same philosophy and results-oriented leadership to work for us in City Hall.