The following was posted to the Handling-Panhandling online forum a few weeks ago:
“I had a sales meeting here in Memphis this week and I want to share my
embarrassment because of these issues. I had sales reps, vendors, and
industry leaders in town and I received several comments about the
panhandling, arguing, and public intoxication and urination that was
all around us. It is MIND BOGGLING”
I responded to the person who made the post, asking if I could quote him on my blog. His response is below:
“I have no problem with you sharing my views – I read your blog regularly. The most frustrating part is that as a citizen of this city I have done my job. I bought a condo downtown, spend my money downtown, and now have vendors stay, eat, and meet down there as well. I have done my part to grow this ‘new’ community but I am thinking about moving my meetings back east where I am not embarrassed to be a Memphian. My biggest issue is how can our leaders not be embarrassed? Are they so ‘Memphis’ that they are immune to this behavior and see it as okay?”