Memphis City Councilwoman Jana Swearengen-Washington - District 4

WDIA's Stan Bell sits down with her to discuss the xAI Supercomputer--coming to Memphis, Elon Musk, Memphis' infrastructure, crime, reckless drivers, her family, as well as, take questions from the radio audience.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Memphis, boring and bread, walking the walk and talking and talk.
It's the Stan Belle Morning Show, weekday mornings from six
to ten am on the Heart and Soul of Memphis,
ten seventy w D.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
I already moving back, everybody, WHOA wait.

Speaker 3 (00:14):
Yay, welcome.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
Let me smile for the camera first, Hey, come on,
come on security, My god, help yourself. Hi wd I listens.
I had to pull out the green room. She was
having too much fun. Well, you know, it's all about hospitality,
so we try to make our special guests feel special.

Speaker 3 (00:33):
Ladies and gentlemen. On the radio, WD I A.

Speaker 2 (00:36):
On the airwaves, the one and only, the honorable I
call the honorable missus je Missus Jenna Swearing Gen Washington,
not Lincoln, not Jefferson Obama. All right, Washington, all right,
let me cut your mic up a little bit. Coming

(00:56):
up to that mic. A councilwoman, thank you so much
for being here. First of all, look, I know you
got a lot of your schedule, probably just as hectic
as mind. You got people to see, places to go,
things to do, projects to work on.

Speaker 4 (01:09):
It's never too busy for you.

Speaker 2 (01:11):
Well, I like that, up, Kenny latim or never too busy,
but thank you. I always say the two most important
words in the language, councilwoman, thank you. Most important word.
We you being a public service, we at least important eye.

(01:32):
So the remainder of the morning, in this hour, it's
going to be the Janna Swearingen Washington Program featuring yours truly,
Bell Ringer. So you, it's your house, you the angel
of the house. So we're gonna ask you a few things,
and we're gonna let uh your fans and your constituents

(01:57):
maybe call up ask a few questions if you so,
if you so desired, and you can also chime in
any time to get ready. So then, first of all,
you represent anotherman. I don't want to say to jam
how's the family.

Speaker 4 (02:11):
My family is doing well.

Speaker 2 (02:12):
Let's talk about family for equipment. That's most important, right there?
Family doing well? And you come from a long line
swearings that that name is just it just resonates. Talk
to us about that swear engine name, Mama, daddy, sisters, cousins.

(02:33):
Where's the start.

Speaker 5 (02:34):
Well, we've had many generations of public service. My father,
Judge James Swearingen. He served as a circuit court judge
from nineteen eighty two to nineteen ninety nine. And a
matter of fact, his last case was the doctor Martin
Luther King conspiracy case.

Speaker 4 (02:51):
Wow, my aunt Barbara.

Speaker 5 (02:53):
Served for sixteen years. Barbara Swearingen where on the Memphis
City Council. Yeah, my sister to Jamieta swearing and who
is now presently Jamieta.

Speaker 2 (03:04):
The first time I heard this coming from a sibling.
You see you, Jameta.

Speaker 6 (03:08):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (03:08):
All this time we were saying, Jummina.

Speaker 5 (03:09):
It's Jamieta after James. I get it now, Yes, how comes?
She never corrected these folks. It's a Southern thing. You
just smile and keep it.

Speaker 2 (03:21):
I like that.

Speaker 5 (03:22):
Well, I'm glad you see jam Jameta after it is
continue all right. Well, she served on the Memphis City
Council for seven years and she's now presently the Circuit
Court clerk. And I was always behind the scene assisting
and getting names and numbers and making sure that they

(03:45):
are where they are supposed to be, as well as
being a listening ear when they could not get in
touch with one of them. So it was kind of
accidental that I came into this role, but I've always
served in some capacity my husband as a pastor, reverend
doctor Robert Howard Washington Senior. We pastor Harris Memorial CEME Church.

(04:08):
So I support him in the heart of South member
on South Lauderdale Alfa South Parkway. Okay, Yes, services on
Sunday morning, Sunday from nine to ten. We have a
one hour service, an hour of praise. Come as you are,

(04:28):
come on first and you won't leave the scene.

Speaker 3 (04:32):
I like that.

Speaker 4 (04:33):
Yes.

Speaker 5 (04:34):
My cousin, Reverend Bryant Swearingen, he's from Douglas and he's
an outstanding musician and he's our music director. But we
have a good time. We have a praise party Douglas now.
So we're serving in many capacities as a city council representative,
and my colleagues voted me as vice chairwoman.

Speaker 4 (04:57):
So that's been an exciting experience.

Speaker 5 (05:00):
So with me doing thank you, doing the city council
work and ministry, and of course my family, I'm still
a grandmother and mother and all of that. So it
keeps me busy, but I'm doing what I love. Yeah,
And so it's not really like work, right, it really isn't.
It just came out a very important meeting, important community
conversations meeting right with Memphis, like acid water just recently.

Speaker 4 (05:24):
That was a outstalking meeting.

Speaker 3 (05:27):
It really was you're talking about what you electrical grid?

Speaker 2 (05:31):
Were you talking about the fees or what were you
talking about in this in this meeting particularly key issues
I'm sure.

Speaker 5 (05:37):
Well as you know, in many of our urban committity communities,
we have a lot of outages. We have difficult getting
on the internet, and MLGW has committed to starting off
with the worst communities that experienced this, and Orange Mound
was the number one community that had the most outages

(06:01):
that have poor internet services throughout COVID. Their students were
not able to really get online and do the work,
even though they had the computers. It was as if
you just gave someone a box because the internet was
not the way it needed to be. So they have
invested millions of dollars for that and put the wire

(06:21):
in that's necessary. They've done all kinds of tree trimming
in the community. Therefore the trees are not falling on
the poles and making your power go out and all
of that, and our community they were just crying out,
you know, my food is being destroyed. I don't have
any power anything. This is just ridiculous. So they were

(06:43):
the first community.

Speaker 3 (06:44):
Was a nice crowd and it was crowded work.

Speaker 5 (06:46):
It was a very nice crowd, and I was surprised
because a lot of times with community meetings, you do
all the advertising and ask people to come and they'll complain,
but often they don't come.

Speaker 4 (06:57):
But they came.

Speaker 3 (06:58):
It came out. And that was the Orange Mao Community Center, right.

Speaker 5 (07:00):
It was at the Orange Mount Community Center. They had
food there. You could answer any questions. We had to
call h calling area there so you could call in
and get immediate service whether you were there in person
or you could actually call someone the call center.

Speaker 4 (07:17):
And it was fantastic.

Speaker 2 (07:18):
Did anybody ask or step up to the mic alone?
How you how the procedure at that meeting? But anybody
talk about infrastructure?

Speaker 3 (07:25):
Yes?

Speaker 2 (07:26):
About well let me take a break hold that thought.
Let's talk about the city's infrastructure. And I know they
asked about the utility services, so I want to come back.
Let's kind of deal with that in a minute, and
then maybe we might open up the phone lines if
you want to talk to a city council woman, a
woman in power District four and some more. You like that,
District four and some more.

Speaker 3 (07:46):
Jenna no, how come you?

Speaker 7 (07:47):
How come?

Speaker 5 (07:48):
It's is it Jaina's it's Jamna like Banana, Jada like Banana.

Speaker 2 (07:55):
Y'all can call Janna Swearingen Washington not on one five
three five nine three eight hundred five zero three nine
three for two or eight three three five three five
nine three for two Heart and Total Memphis AM ten
seventy w d I A hey, that's what I'm talking about.
All right, everybody, we're back. Thank you so much for
being here. Stand special people, spotlight as always on Fridays,

(08:17):
bring somebody in the studio live. I said, I don't
do phoners, So Washington, I don't do phoners. You come
up in partner prepositions, back and back, you come up
in here.

Speaker 6 (08:30):
Live.

Speaker 2 (08:30):
And she said, and you know what, just she said, absolutely,
I'd be delighted to go. Yes, thank you for the invitation.

Speaker 7 (08:36):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (08:36):
I was sort of light to he, you know, to
text back and say okay, oh and right, I'll be there,
like Michael Jackson said.

Speaker 3 (08:42):
I'll be there.

Speaker 2 (08:44):
You said like that, saying, first, lady, just look over
your shoulder, honey, that's right, you in there.

Speaker 3 (08:51):
What is it you cannot do? Same? Preach teach.

Speaker 2 (09:00):
Oh you got to try to catch usel when it
comes to.

Speaker 4 (09:05):
I do can you do that?

Speaker 3 (09:07):
You played volo to you.

Speaker 5 (09:08):
Know, just Jamee plays too, but she usually puts me
up see there.

Speaker 4 (09:13):
You know how big sisters do you go up there?
Jam do it?

Speaker 3 (09:18):
Do it?

Speaker 2 (09:19):
That's right, put it on the strings. That's a that's awesome.
Now that's a star school right there and up itself.

Speaker 3 (09:25):
Wow.

Speaker 2 (09:26):
They tell me that's one of the most difficult instruments
to master to play.

Speaker 3 (09:31):
Really it is.

Speaker 5 (09:32):
Your mother plays the piano and she sings, but she
always wanted to play the violin. So when she had children,
what does she do? She made us play the violin.

Speaker 2 (09:43):
Yeah, and it lives through her. You, you guys live
through her.

Speaker 4 (09:47):
Wo.

Speaker 2 (09:47):
Wow, Well she lives through you. And you you're playing
a violin, you're playing string instrument. You can play. You
probably can play a little piano too. Just if you
got it, got on it. I can bump, bump, you
can and you can saying and now you're your public servant.
You've been in that sea district?

Speaker 3 (10:05):
Four? How long? Now?

Speaker 4 (10:06):
This is my second year? Year two year?

Speaker 7 (10:09):
Two?

Speaker 2 (10:10):
Okay, so tell us is it a hot seat? Is
it a heavy lift?

Speaker 3 (10:17):
Is it.

Speaker 2 (10:18):
Does it come natural into you because of your swearingen influence.

Speaker 3 (10:22):
It's in your DNA.

Speaker 5 (10:24):
I would say it's in my DNA. It feels natural,
it really does. I enjoy what I do. I love
listing and communicating, communicating with constituents and them sharing their
concerns and allowing me the privilege to advocate for them,
because that's what it's all about. Representing community members.

Speaker 3 (10:44):
Tell me your areas of your District four.

Speaker 5 (10:47):
I serve ninety thousand constituents and some of my areas
would be Sherwood, Glen View, Hamilton, Cooper, Young, Central Gardens,
Orange Mound, Bethel Grove, Alse, some parts of Alsie, Souls
Will Cherokee.

Speaker 4 (11:04):
It's very broad, very diverse.

Speaker 2 (11:08):
Now, if you're in any one of those communities that
Councilwoman Washington just announced, you feel free to call me.
You got some questions. She's your public servant. You have
the right to ask these questions. Uh, I've watched you.
I've watched some of those men. You know they you know,
we see them from time to time, and we see South.
We see the clips. You sit right in between per Eva.

(11:31):
They had Diva Walker. Councilwoman must respect and then the.

Speaker 3 (11:35):
Other guy to use that ford canally.

Speaker 4 (11:38):
That's right.

Speaker 2 (11:39):
You you sandwiched in between these folks. Do they have
a nudge at sometimes?

Speaker 3 (11:45):
Or Washington?

Speaker 8 (11:46):
Uh?

Speaker 9 (11:49):
Uh?

Speaker 3 (11:50):
You mad ain't it? Dude? Do they ever? Washington? I
don't know you felt that way, or let's talk about that.

Speaker 5 (11:57):
It's very interesting. We don't nudge each other. But it
has been quite an experience to be able to listen
to people when they are upset angry, and to still
be able to keep a straight face and listen because
you put yourselves in that feet. I guess that's that
education background. Common people want to be heard. Yeah, so

(12:21):
you don't take it personally. Just listen to what their
concerns are and address it as much as possible. And
when you tell people listen, I'm listening, I hear you.
I will follow back with you, and you do follow up.
People never forget it. Wow, you know they say the
first duty of love is they listen.

Speaker 4 (12:37):
That's right.

Speaker 2 (12:38):
You get up to that microphone. You're up there and there,
but you kick back and you just listen. When they
step up to the podium and they step into the mica,
you just listen. And that makes a wonderful.

Speaker 3 (12:51):
The difference. You got some contact numbers?

Speaker 2 (12:53):
First off, how they can contact you or the MIF
city council office or you directly or email you can you.

Speaker 3 (12:58):
Throw it out right now before I get too fired.

Speaker 4 (13:00):
They can call six three six six seven.

Speaker 2 (13:03):
Eight six area coot of course nine on one, of
course a couple of times, and that number is six
three six, six seven.

Speaker 4 (13:12):
Eight six One more time please.

Speaker 5 (13:15):
That number is nine zero one six three six six
seven eight.

Speaker 2 (13:22):
SIXDI listener writes to me, and my email said, good
on to missus Stanbell. Of course I'm listening jam with
you on this beautiful Friday, coffee in hand. Can't wait
to listen to one of our most dedicated, active involved
city council women, Missus Joanna Swearings in Washington. Why I
am so very proud of our seven women on our

(13:44):
city council. You know, first time in history, right, seven
women voted for city council. MT's lover respect Lucid Kcharp.
I don't know if you know, yeah, but yeah, yeah,
she's probably in some of those meetings and stuff of
you know, back in the cut taking notes, you know,
maybe raise a hand or two or get up to
the mic.

Speaker 3 (14:05):
But yeah, that's from her.

Speaker 4 (14:06):
And always looking beautiful that part.

Speaker 2 (14:09):
Yes, yeah, I think that was whether to be read worthy,
to be read She says, you are one of the
most dedicated, active and involved city council women.

Speaker 4 (14:20):
Amen.

Speaker 3 (14:22):
Wow. So how many are on the council?

Speaker 7 (14:24):
Is it seven?

Speaker 4 (14:24):
They are thirteen?

Speaker 3 (14:25):
Thirteen all together? It's thirteen total, yes, but seven women.

Speaker 4 (14:29):
Seven women.

Speaker 3 (14:30):
Wow.

Speaker 4 (14:32):
And you know what, it's a beautiful thing. We get along.

Speaker 5 (14:35):
If we have any challenges or however, we work it out.
And when we come off that day as it's like, hey,
what's up girl? Yeah it is Yeah, what you got
going on this week?

Speaker 7 (14:48):
Wow?

Speaker 2 (14:49):
Should I love it? And that's the way it should be.
It should be by walking out mass slamming doors. Oh no,
life is too short, it is.

Speaker 4 (14:55):
It is.

Speaker 2 (14:56):
Yeah, but a vapor you say on Sunday.

Speaker 5 (15:00):
And such diverse experiences because we have two attorneys on there.
You have Pearl Walker who is uh an environmentalist and
active in her community. We have Cooper Sutton with a
little fire and she has a social work experience. Yes,
you have myself. You have doctor Michael and Easter Thomas

(15:23):
with her educational background and her work with the downtown community,
so it makes it really nice. And then you have
Ronda Logan, who is very active in the Raleigh community.
She runs the school with her her father, the Breath
of Life and a family person, so quite diverse experience.

Speaker 2 (15:49):
It is diverse, and that is awesome. Uh well, well,
let me say this only on the onset outset. We're
all proud of you. You are home grown, Memphis own right.
Uh elementary school, where did you go?

Speaker 5 (16:04):
I went to Sherwood Elementary School and Hamilton Elementary School.

Speaker 2 (16:09):
And then Junior High, Middleware middle School, Bellevue to Bellevy
from there, and I graduated from the high schools that
Central you.

Speaker 4 (16:18):
Had you from you.

Speaker 2 (16:28):
When you put the English teachers say the the high school,
the high school. Yeah, I used to always one that
I used to swing by Central and I saw H
on the you know letterman jacket. You know, I'm old school.
You remember the letterman and jacket. It had an age,
I said, but it's Central, but it got an h R.
So that's where it kind of the high high school,
the high school, that's right.

Speaker 3 (16:50):
I'm looking for the C.

Speaker 2 (16:51):
I saw H on everybody jacket and then the sweaters
and uh, that's old school.

Speaker 4 (16:56):
What's understood doesn't have to be seen.

Speaker 3 (16:58):
Talk sister high school.

Speaker 2 (17:00):
We're talking with a council woman, Jana swering And Washington.
She's on the show representing District four, but she may
just be representing you. Whatever the district is that you're in.
You're welcome and invited to call and talk with her.
I gonna take another short break. Our father, Norman red
Wing a common man. I see them. My lines are
lighting up like a halo. All right, they want to
talk to the council woman. So I'm gonna take this break,

(17:23):
come right back with our very special stand Special People, Spotlight,
don't move Hart and sold the Memphis AM ten seventy WD.

Speaker 9 (17:31):
I A.

Speaker 2 (17:31):
Our time is nine twenty eight, twenty eight past the out. Okay,
we're back, everybody. Thanks so much for sticking and stay in. Yeah,
we stuck like glue and I'm so glad you are here,
all right, saying Special People Spotlight. The one and only
representing District Fort Memphis City Councilwoman Jannel Swearingen Washington is
in the building. I got a mic on her, and
we're gonna feel some calls.

Speaker 3 (17:51):
Is that okay?

Speaker 2 (17:51):
We're gonna field some calls. I that's okay, that'd be fine.
Don't mind your calling. Lines of lighting up like Times
Square in New York. So I gotta take these calls.
They're blinking all right, who's there? Who's on the radio.
Let's do it? Coll screen off, you're in the air.
I'm saying, yes, sir, you are on the radio, sune

(18:12):
in crystal clear.

Speaker 3 (18:13):
You want to talk to our special guests, No red Wing,
fantastic baby Norman Ray, red Wing Junior, Blackcastic.

Speaker 4 (18:24):
How do you know about red Wing?

Speaker 9 (18:26):
Hey?

Speaker 7 (18:26):
So, so, what's going on?

Speaker 4 (18:28):
Hello there? Thank you for all that you do.

Speaker 9 (18:31):
No, no, no, that's that was my statement. I was
called to say that about you and understanding you know
that this.

Speaker 7 (18:37):
Is a wonderful Carring school teacher.

Speaker 9 (18:42):
Out there, Lesards man, and I would have to go
to her classroom and visit her students. Man, I'll tell
you what. She was very passionate and compassionate and cared
about her students.

Speaker 7 (18:56):
That's one of the.

Speaker 9 (18:56):
Things that always stood out to me about her her
work and not working at church.

Speaker 7 (19:01):
I remember that.

Speaker 9 (19:02):
Uh so she's just an all around wonderful.

Speaker 7 (19:05):
Person, man.

Speaker 9 (19:06):
But not only that, but her top family that way
I mean you cannot you cannot reach one without reaching
the others because they all come from the same tree.
They're very intelligent, wonderful and beautiful people. And we have
a real passion and campassion for this community and our people.
So I just wanted to lift her up today for
the work that she does always, and.

Speaker 7 (19:28):
Especially her sister.

Speaker 9 (19:29):
Also, her sister's just a great person, does some great work.

Speaker 4 (19:32):
Thank you.

Speaker 9 (19:33):
So so I just want to lift you up today
because you deserve it. You deserve all the flowers that
the Lord has to.

Speaker 7 (19:39):
File for you.

Speaker 4 (19:39):
Oh God, bless you, Thank you so much.

Speaker 7 (19:42):
Oh my sister, God bless you, June.

Speaker 3 (19:46):
You keep doing what you're doing, African Village and all
of that.

Speaker 7 (19:49):
Man, you know what, Thank you.

Speaker 2 (19:50):
Let me give you a moment or two just to
tell us what you got going on with the Afghan village.

Speaker 3 (19:54):
I know you got some things working. Man.

Speaker 2 (19:56):
Can you do that in like sixty seconds? Crickets, then
you already go, I think already to get that claim
the fame right quick. But he probably had to go.

Speaker 5 (20:07):
But he does take a lot of young men under
his wing and take them on college tours and mental
them give them their needs. He personally helped me with
my son. And I am just so appreciative of his leadership,
his consistency, his love.

Speaker 3 (20:23):
Hold is your son.

Speaker 5 (20:23):
Now he is thirty two years old. Wow, he's on
thirty two. He's a deputy sheriff and him and he
plays the drums at our church.

Speaker 4 (20:32):
That's right.

Speaker 5 (20:35):
You got to put them to work. They never stop
working for you.

Speaker 3 (20:37):
Love to hear percussion. Go back to the phone line. Yeah,
the drummers make a difference.

Speaker 6 (20:41):
And come on now.

Speaker 2 (20:43):
Right after the invitation on him, Uh, you've been to
dramagaining w body on the radio a special guest, Uh,
Jana swearing you're Wahington on the radio.

Speaker 3 (20:54):
Go right ahead, twelve voluntime on the air. Yeah, go ahead.

Speaker 7 (20:59):
Oh okay, I'm sorry about that, pod Jasz. How you
doing this?

Speaker 3 (21:02):
Money? All is well?

Speaker 7 (21:03):
Man, I'm just getting miss where's in Washington?

Speaker 4 (21:07):
Good morning?

Speaker 3 (21:09):
Okay?

Speaker 7 (21:09):
How you doing? I have a couple questions for you
right quick?

Speaker 4 (21:13):
All right.

Speaker 10 (21:14):
The first one is the first one is related to, uh,
the approval that that city council game like gas and water.

Speaker 7 (21:22):
And the increases towards the utility.

Speaker 10 (21:25):
The first year was five dollars. Then the next year
ten dollars, then the next year fifteen dollars. If I'm
not uh, if I'm not mistaken. So with that being
after that third year where those increases dropped back off
the bill over they just stop and be permitted.

Speaker 4 (21:42):
They're going to be permanent.

Speaker 5 (21:43):
We had to do something to address our limbs falling
on polls. We needed to do some train trimming, we
needed to do some infrastructure, and we had not had
an increase with MLGW for years and years and years.
Systems were absolutely antiquated, so it was cheaper to do

(22:04):
a five dollars six dollars increase or however, to also
address public works with our trash and all of that.
We deserved better services, so we had to do that
increase in order to be able to provide the quality
service that our community deserves.

Speaker 10 (22:23):
This question now now I know, now I know, and
I will say that so far it sees that things
are better, but we'll find it. We'll get a little
more insight after this weekend.

Speaker 3 (22:34):
I believe in terms of.

Speaker 7 (22:35):
The utility service.

Speaker 10 (22:37):
Last question about the the monorails and the apatheta, there
are going to be any movement towards getting repairs done
in Openham Theater back up like anytime soon, because I
think that'll be something good for the city. Everybody don't
like to go to Mississippi for entertainment when it comes

(22:58):
to concerts and stuff. In the Ampidata will be a
good place for that.

Speaker 5 (23:01):
Now you and our on the same accord, it is
very fat imperative that we get mud Island back thriving.
I believe as you go across that bridge, you should
see lights. We should see a hotel over there, restaurants
over there, maybe even one of those what's the little
thing go round and around a ferris wheel. It should

(23:24):
be something outstanding. We can all remember the wonderful concerts
that we went over there. So we're gonna have to
upgrade it as old and we're gonna have to put
the money behind it. But we're talking now to make
sure that that piece of property is revived. That would
do so much for our downtown and our river. So

(23:45):
we're working out of high school.

Speaker 7 (23:48):
I worked.

Speaker 10 (23:50):
After high school for many years, and that that is
like just a dear zone now for so long, and
something should be done over there to bring more light back.

Speaker 7 (23:58):
To the city.

Speaker 4 (23:59):
Well, just hold help is on the way.

Speaker 7 (24:02):
All right, appreciate you and thank you for you.

Speaker 2 (24:04):
Dave, all right, coming man, thank you so much. Right,
Counselwoman Swergeon. How much talk is there on the council
about Elon musk XAI supercomputer here in Memphis.

Speaker 5 (24:19):
There's a lot of talk about it, not only in
Memphis but nationally. I just had a conversation two days
ago with even Congressman Coin about Elon Musk and the
investment that he's doing in our community, and he agreed,
just as I do, that it's a good thing. We
don't have to necessarily love a person for them to

(24:41):
invest in our community.

Speaker 4 (24:44):
And we needed help.

Speaker 5 (24:45):
So at this point, he is investing in some properties
that we have not been using. It is a financial
gain for Memphis. Even for the water treatment plant. We
paid two hundred twenty f five thousand dollars for sixty
five acres. We sold him thirteen acres for eight hundred

(25:07):
and twenty thousand dollars. We're going to be getting property
taxes from this property. And even with that property, with
the water facility or the water treatment plant, they're taking
dirty waste water that would have been going into the
Mississippi River that we were not using. And establishing a

(25:30):
treatment plant that will clean up that water and cool
the computers. So not only are we getting the plant
that he's building for eighty million dollars, which we would
have had to have paid one hundred and sixty million dollars,
but MLGW and Public Works is having the opportunity to

(25:51):
observe and learn this process so that we can have
some technology people in this area abreast. So it's taking
us to the next level. And even for that property
that he bought for the data center off a two
lane road, that was property that we weren't using. So

(26:13):
that's the money that we can get for property.

Speaker 2 (26:16):
So mister Musker, he approached us city of Memphis, or
do we go out to reach out to him, or
we saw something on the table and.

Speaker 3 (26:23):
Said, you know what, let's let's talk a little bit
about this.

Speaker 5 (26:27):
We were just in one of the cities that he
was considering. But even in the negotiation, throughout this period,
he had people calling from all over the world, don't
deal with Memphis, deal with us, don't deal with us.
We will do business with you. But we ended up
being able to seal the deal, and we're praying and
hoping that other companies are gonna follow him to say,

(26:50):
you know what, he a good business man. He makes
a lot of money if Elon Musk believes in Memphis,
and we're willing to invest as well. So I just
feel that we may not always agree on certain things,
and we may not have the same principles as certain people,
but when it comes to investing in our community, we
need some people to believe and love Memphis as much

(27:13):
as we do.

Speaker 2 (27:15):
So do you actually think this project is XAI and
all that? Will it really serve the people? And is
it one of these projects or what's going on you
know in development?

Speaker 3 (27:26):
Is it here? Will it be here to stay?

Speaker 2 (27:29):
All of this that mister Musk is doing, proposing or
building or developing, and.

Speaker 3 (27:34):
Is it once it's here's here?

Speaker 2 (27:36):
In terms of Memphis, it's not one of these one
of the something that you can just Okay, we're out
of here.

Speaker 3 (27:42):
We've done it. We are out of here. You can
go to the next.

Speaker 5 (27:45):
It says if any business, we never know how long
a company is going to stay. But we're thankful that
they're going to invest the time, they're going to invest,
the money, they're going to be providing jobs, and we're
hoping it will stay here for a long time or forever,
but we really don't know.

Speaker 2 (28:03):
Yeah, well we certainly hope that's gonna be an economic shift.

Speaker 3 (28:09):
Yes, I think would be the end goal.

Speaker 4 (28:11):
That's the goal.

Speaker 1 (28:12):
All right.

Speaker 2 (28:12):
We're talking right now with city councilwoman Jana missus Jana
Swearing in Washington. She's in the building. Stand special people, spotlight.
You gotta call, I mean, you gotta comment. You can
feel free to call not on one five three, five, nine,
three four two eight hundred and five zero three nine
three four two eight three three five three five nine
three for two. We're talking. Be right back, Hart and Tolo, Memphis,
AM ten seventy eight w d I A. You know,
it's a pleasure to have a Janna Swearing in Washington.

(28:34):
It just kind of rolls off, I'm telling you, you know,
Jenna Swears or Washington. Uh, it's a pleasure to have
you on the show. As a former w di I
radio personality back in the day, you may recognize his name,
Rufus Thomas. He would say, it's a plump, pleasing pleasure
of privilege to have you in the air chair. Thank
you for having me in there, because you could have
easily said.

Speaker 4 (28:53):
No, oh, no, who's gonna say no to stand You
must have.

Speaker 2 (28:57):
Been listening to my show. It's nice to be important,
but his boy and to be nice. Yes it is,
you said yes, yes.

Speaker 3 (29:05):
So don't know. I don't take it likely.

Speaker 2 (29:07):
So we're talking this morning about infrastructure. Were talked about
MLGNW a little bit. We're talked about Elon Musk and
how he plans to do what he does or develop.
He's a billionaire with a B. He said, Memphis is it?
And you heard the council woman say there were other
cities on the table or mentioned or try vying to

(29:28):
be that city. But it appears that Memphis is promising,
and we are hopeful that this will be something historic,
particularly all eyes on Memphis and particularly on historically black
communities and cities.

Speaker 3 (29:45):
But when mister.

Speaker 2 (29:46):
Musk said he's gonna launch his x Ai super computer
in the Bluff.

Speaker 3 (29:52):
City, man, we should get excited.

Speaker 2 (29:56):
You know, I know you you hear you know, pros
and cons, benefits, draw back being a council member, But
I think I think it is a plus.

Speaker 3 (30:05):
I think so you gonna have the n right. Well,
we w can't handle that when the power go out
so many.

Speaker 2 (30:13):
So can you unpack the little bit of that, you know,
because we always say can we really truly handle it?

Speaker 3 (30:19):
Is that a whole lot of power? What? What? What?

Speaker 2 (30:21):
What does it all take? If you know, to have
a supercomputer right here in Memphis.

Speaker 3 (30:27):
Can we handle it? We need to bring Doug mcgallity in.

Speaker 4 (30:30):
Bring Doug mcgolly, he's an expert.

Speaker 5 (30:34):
But a lot of what they're using is solar power,
and they're using it a repurposing water. So we will
be able to handle it. You'll be a handling And
we're hoping that this will open up the door to
other businesses. We need some more hotels, you know, these
people coming in using our restaurants, spending money in our community.

(30:55):
So we are claiming that it's going to open up
the door to bring money and jobs to Memphis, which.

Speaker 4 (31:02):
Is what we deserve.

Speaker 5 (31:02):
You know, we are the home of hospitality, the city
of blues and the music. We have so much culture.
Why not Memphis? It's our time.

Speaker 2 (31:12):
I just hope it serves the people. And I will
be honest with you, transparent I am. I'm cautiously optimistic
about this, this project, but being a Myphian like lifelong, myfiit.

Speaker 3 (31:22):
I want to see the best for our city.

Speaker 2 (31:23):
All right, let's get back to the phone lines, if
we don't mind, I's think if you want call us
those the morning, Thanks for waiting on the radio. Who's
next we'll talk to?

Speaker 11 (31:39):
And uh, could you guess I'm I'm optimistic to and
then also I'm kind of pessimisty to our stand concerning
uh there are some equipment that they are operating over
there that uh that is emitting methane gash. I understand

(32:01):
that that equipment, the pieces of little equipment.

Speaker 7 (32:04):
Was supposed to they had a suspense.

Speaker 11 (32:06):
Date that they were supposed to be shut down and
replaced with some there was not emitting the met than gas.
But I understand that that suspense date has been extended.
So I mean, I'm more pessimate about the environmental concerns
of that METS med than gas because of the concerns

(32:26):
that could have on the health of the citizens and cememprics.
So now I'm gonna hang up Bell Ringer, and I'm
gonna try to.

Speaker 2 (32:33):
Ask the question where I put on the council woman,
do you think this the supercomputer is going to be
a downfall for our city and your and you know,
I know you say you were I guess almost like me,
cautiously optimistic. But then again, yeah, you think it's gonna
be a downfall, you think it's going to be some great.

Speaker 3 (32:49):
Benefit in all of this?

Speaker 4 (32:50):
What what's the forecast in your minds?

Speaker 7 (32:53):
Stand? I take it like you know what you always say,
how you feel impair.

Speaker 8 (32:56):
The party clouded?

Speaker 11 (32:58):
But I t like my thing about anything, you know,
I prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
That's about my perspective. You know, I'm hoping that you
know it's.

Speaker 8 (33:11):
For the best.

Speaker 11 (33:12):
And then, like I said, but then I'm being pessimacy too,
you know, optimisity and pessimisic.

Speaker 3 (33:20):
Jump in here.

Speaker 11 (33:21):
Thank you, thank you, and hey you all have a
tony tagle weekend and people love and prosperity to the.

Speaker 7 (33:26):
Three eighty sixty one nine by guy.

Speaker 5 (33:29):
Thank you so much for calling in for your comments.
And of course the EPA is involved and we're going
to be monitoring and we live here just like everyone else.
And if that's right, and if things are not in order,
then it's going to be shut down. And that's just
the way it is with any business. We will have
cold enforcement and other entities to make sure that they

(33:53):
are monitoring and that things are in order. And if
it's not environmentally safe, then it will not contine. So
it will be monitored just as any other business in our.

Speaker 2 (34:05):
So is the counseling agreement or how how's the I
won't say how the votes split, but the concern of
the council. You know, I've heard many of the council,
your colleagues so kind of talk. I want to say
against it, but just you know, cautiously optimistic. H But
I've heard you know, sometimes they have to be gabbled
down on certain when it gets to that, you know,
and and I guess you know, or Mike shut off

(34:27):
and all that stuff. So I'm affording some against something.
Say it's here, let's deal with it. So how do
you fit into that question? I know you're optimistic about
it at all pretty much, But is there anything we
need to be really cautious of. I mean, when you
talk about energy and you know safety and you know

(34:48):
our livelihood, I mean.

Speaker 5 (34:49):
This is something that's going to be an ongoing conversation.
It's just not a one conversation and then moving on,
we will continuously talk about it. We will continuously bring
experts in and discuss and make sure that we are
going in the right direction.

Speaker 8 (35:04):
Right.

Speaker 2 (35:04):
How many times have they had to shut your mic
off in that in the meetings you've been Okay? I
know because I'll see from time to time and I
say that, you know, you always make a valid point.
I've seen commissions. But I mean when you get passionate
about some things, and I know you have been, and
they don't know what they do, they still gabble you down
sometimes count one. But I know you're a passionate person,
and but you never have had that to happen to you.

Speaker 4 (35:26):
Have I haven't had that to happen to me.

Speaker 5 (35:28):
But at that entity, it's like people have taken that
clip and exaggerated it. The real history or the real
information behind it was at the time the chairman was
asking that council member to make amotion. Yeah, and when

(35:48):
you make a motion that's just one or two sentences,
that's not the time to go into detail about how
you feel or However, so when you really really follow
Robert's rules, you know that when you're making that motion,
that's what you're doing, that's not the time to go
in and we were at a time constraint trying to
finish and do things. So it wasn't really intentional of

(36:12):
being rude, but it's like, what is your emotion. I'm
making an emotion that you know so and so so
on however, so that we can vote on it accordingly.

Speaker 2 (36:20):
Stop writing there, all right, so talk to us about
you're on the council those four letters, M, A, T, A.

Speaker 3 (36:32):
What's going I'm just gonna say it, like Marviga, what's
going on?

Speaker 4 (36:36):
What's going on?

Speaker 3 (36:38):
This sounds like a G right there? Uh that key?

Speaker 2 (36:41):
What's going on with Memphis Area Transit Authority.

Speaker 4 (36:46):
That's a whole another.

Speaker 2 (36:47):
Car and I could probably yeah, I could do the
bullet points, but hold on, let me take a break.
I mean to put your spot, but I'm gonna take
a few more callers. We'll talk a little bit about
that matter, because I believe next week I'm going to
have somebody own with that concerned citizens, you know, for
better transportation movement or organization on the show. So if

(37:09):
you want to touch a little bit about what's going
on these routes and when they're gonna be back up
and going, you can. I'll be right back and yeah
we're back and make things official. Yeah legal lot d okay,
let me do a couple of things here. Happy birthday
to anybody and another year older today March fourteen.

Speaker 3 (37:31):
It's still a pis season. Get you get into that
stuff as well.

Speaker 4 (37:35):
And thank you for my birthday. Shout out?

Speaker 3 (37:38):
What was it last last Monday? I sure didn't get
you to do that. You did? That's say your name right?
Well yeah, well you still enjoying your birthday, right?

Speaker 4 (37:50):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (37:50):
Thanking god.

Speaker 4 (37:51):
They roll around so fast. They're going a little.

Speaker 3 (37:54):
Bit faster than the timing. Nothing nice.

Speaker 2 (37:57):
They don't wait for nobody today. You sure you know
what to say? New mercies come on talk morning by morning.
All I have what needed?

Speaker 4 (38:08):
Yes, his hand half what provided?

Speaker 3 (38:12):
Five under there?

Speaker 2 (38:13):
Uh, sister won't be none this double joy. I listen
to rights and we go to the fall line a
little bit. Good morning, stand Uh would you wish me
a happy birthday? This is d Washington. I don't know
young kid now over in Mercedes Benz in Caryville, d watching.

Speaker 3 (38:32):
He's five over today fifty. I can't ring the.

Speaker 2 (38:35):
Bell five O, he said, And good morning. That's my auntie.
You got in the studio who married to my uncle,
very very nice lady. Will you tell our mess so?

Speaker 3 (38:49):
Yeah? What your real name?

Speaker 12 (38:51):
De game?

Speaker 2 (38:52):
He gonna be Yeah, that that your Washington. Try to
sell me one of them big old g wagons one day,
I said.

Speaker 3 (39:00):
Just a d J.

Speaker 2 (39:01):
He big time over there, send me a g wagon.
I said, well, I said, let me go pray. Let
me pray by the first.

Speaker 4 (39:10):
Now you deserve it.

Speaker 2 (39:13):
Well, I appreciate that man to check on my bank account.
And we know miss Belle deserves it.

Speaker 3 (39:19):
Who she showed you, she deserves a g h and
a high wagon.

Speaker 4 (39:23):
All right, you know what to do?

Speaker 3 (39:26):
Yeah, DJ, have you more gigs or something?

Speaker 2 (39:29):
I don't do a couple more problems or something kind
uh yeah, but your happy birthday? D did you Washington?
He said, if you get a chance, can you play
some Rick James for me? You don't play imbout to
do that?

Speaker 3 (39:41):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (39:43):
Yeah, I think I go over there to that lot
and just dream here going over there, see him against
dream asking it shall be given, knock it was, the
doors shall be We gonna see I'm I won't be
like and you're gonna find it.

Speaker 3 (40:03):
Find it, seek you first one. Okay, we'll start.

Speaker 9 (40:14):
Hurt.

Speaker 2 (40:14):
Nobody give it that phone. Tell me I come on
you on the radio. It's the General Washington. Swear to
your Washington show.

Speaker 3 (40:20):
You're there.

Speaker 12 (40:22):
I'm a fan of standing Man because he does all
he can to deliver great radio.

Speaker 3 (40:26):
Yeah, to keep the the women and the listeners in heaven,
all right.

Speaker 8 (40:31):
No doubt about it.

Speaker 11 (40:32):
David Man, Good morning, count for woman, Good morning.

Speaker 6 (40:39):
I am, oh man.

Speaker 3 (40:42):
What y'all got down there?

Speaker 9 (40:44):
Man?

Speaker 4 (40:44):
You better stop that.

Speaker 3 (40:45):
I try to green room. Nothing nice over there. Bring
it with you, bring your what your shoe? We got
a show the dude. I thought I thought maybe y'all
got some of that wis you?

Speaker 7 (40:55):
They can't import export over there to Canada no more?

Speaker 3 (40:58):
But that's man, we can't have.

Speaker 12 (41:08):
Let me first say that I have a tremendous amount
of respect for the swearing and family. Your aunt has
been in this home, very good friends with my grandmother.
And at the funeral, I was all right until your
song and I couldn't hold it in any longer came

(41:30):
out like like way and when she passed away. That's
Barbara Swearinge and where I think I got that right?
Just broke my heart and stand you thank them that
wayalam family and something else that SWEARINGE and family and
something else Musically, I told Brian, I said, Brian, man.

Speaker 7 (41:53):
I swear you sound as good as Luther than me.

Speaker 3 (41:56):
You do so see something else but h your welcome music.

Speaker 12 (42:01):
So now I'm gonna have a kind of conversation you
and my aunt had in my house. First of all,
Atlanta turned them down.

Speaker 7 (42:13):
And the question I have is why have we.

Speaker 12 (42:17):
Had the media research Why the city of Atlanta turned
Eli Mun's down.

Speaker 7 (42:23):
That's number one.

Speaker 12 (42:25):
Number two, I've asked people who claim to be experts
and supposed to though this question, how long would it
take for you to have that water treatment plant operational?

Speaker 4 (42:39):
In years?

Speaker 12 (42:40):
And I've yet to get an answer.

Speaker 7 (42:43):
Would you have an answer, counselwoman.

Speaker 11 (42:47):
Online?

Speaker 12 (42:47):
How long would it take that water treatment plant to
be operational online in order to change that dirty.

Speaker 4 (42:54):
Water and the clean To my understanding, it's going to
be done in a year.

Speaker 12 (43:00):
Mm okay, all right, I just go by your understanding,
because as I said, I have not got these people
who claim the experts to give me a straight answer.
Number Three, I wonder and as I said on Bear

(43:21):
Show once, I've known of him since PayPal because from
a technology standpoint, we were trying to do something different
based upon what PayPal had done, which, by the way,
I take nothing away.

Speaker 8 (43:35):
From his tech abilities any he is. I think he's
a genius in that reguard.

Speaker 12 (43:42):
But the thing that concerns me, counsel woman, is when
I see a man who doesn't even have the respect
of Congress. And I say to myself, if he don't
even have the respect of Congress, him and his boss
who or I forget which one is the boss, But
if you don't have respect of Congress, then how would

(44:04):
he have respect for us? Now saying all of that,
all of that stand, and all of that, counsel woman,
I hope you're right, because he's also a man. He
has a clear track record of not liking regulation at all.

Speaker 10 (44:25):
I say that to say this again.

Speaker 12 (44:27):
Though, as much as I don't like him, don't care
for him, I hope you're right, counsel woman. I hope
that what you and the rest of the council people
are saying that that he's going to be successful.

Speaker 7 (44:38):
It's going to be more jobs.

Speaker 12 (44:39):
But more importantly than all of that, and my hatred
of him, hatred of him is that he doesn't mess
up our water because we cannot live very long without water, food,
but not water.

Speaker 7 (44:56):
So I wish you well and thank you for yourself.

Speaker 3 (45:00):
Thank you, David.

Speaker 2 (45:01):
I appreciate that phone call, A counselman, councilwoman watching in
your thoughts.

Speaker 4 (45:06):
The water that he's using was water that was waste.
We weren't using it.

Speaker 5 (45:14):
He's not using our aquifer, our good water that we're
known for. You know, we have some of the best
water in the country.

Speaker 4 (45:20):
He's not using that.

Speaker 5 (45:22):
It's dirty water, filthy water that normally would have gone
straight to the Mississippi. So that's not affecting us at all.
And we're going to continue to monitor and at the
end of the day, any businessman, any company that comes
to Memphis and invest, we're gonna give them an interview.

(45:46):
If they buy the property or invest in our community,
then it's just done. But we are required to monitor
and to ensure that whatever business that they do with
the Memphis or Shelby County community that we will be
watching and if it's not safe, it will not continue.

(46:07):
We're not going to We don't want a suicide venture.
We need something that's going to be successful and beneficial
to our constituents.

Speaker 2 (46:17):
Got it, Let's take another call it good morning in
the radio. You'll turn Thanks for waiting over here. Yeah,
go ahead, good morning, good morning, morning. Stand there morning,
closer to that microphone of your.

Speaker 7 (46:30):
Good morning, good morning. Come to moment.

Speaker 6 (46:34):
You had a chance to meet me once at the
recent cheap Epics complaint for regarding Chief Sweat.

Speaker 7 (46:40):
So I'm going to read a statement. I do have
an opinion.

Speaker 6 (46:43):
There's so much you guys will say, and I know
this is such a good conversation, so I just try
to write it out to this I could hopeful it's
a help listeners.

Speaker 3 (46:51):
Follow the long and better.

Speaker 6 (46:53):
So my name is Anthora Maxwell. I'm with you alternative
community of the Company Corporation. This concern that we have
that mephis is such a precious gem on a global
supply ject and that as a manufacturing and contribution lub
where things can go seventy two hours see anywhere in
the world. We are listed online as one of the

(47:17):
least cities resistant to AI domination. It's an article you
could google that says most AI proof cities against the
stakeholders it gets the takeover of AI jobs were manufactory
and front end work is repetitive, is being automated.

Speaker 7 (47:34):
And because we have eighty percent of our jobs our
warehouse that switch of transition, if it's not.

Speaker 6 (47:41):
Human centered, we're going to lose a workforce because we
didn't retoon a workforce.

Speaker 7 (47:47):
And I want to say that and step back and say, Elon,
coming here.

Speaker 6 (47:53):
Knowing that the workforce wasn't here, knew that we didn't
know how to defend.

Speaker 7 (47:57):
Ourselves against what he was acting to exchange from us
by being here.

Speaker 6 (48:02):
The access to the strictly and pretty in place with
the fiber that went to everybody's premise and now everybody
is contributing to a new data market.

Speaker 7 (48:10):
And we did not centralize our data.

Speaker 6 (48:13):
We had data flowing through our data fiber here and
no one knew what's tracking it, and we like we
offered up our data to third party venitors. Elon was
one of those third party veditors. What we have not
told the citizens we put we have on July of
last year, O out of d oj I lossuit about

(48:33):
because we saw that something.

Speaker 7 (48:35):
Was oh yeah you no, no, I want to say
about I was coming right back to that.

Speaker 2 (48:41):
Hello, hold on, okay, it's a lot you packing in
with those questions. Uh, doc Uh, Basically, you want to
know did you mention Genus Sweat's name? Okay, yeah, let's
take Well, I'm gonna try to take one at the
time and she'll.

Speaker 3 (48:55):
Probably try to h I got you.

Speaker 7 (48:57):
I appreciate that.

Speaker 3 (48:57):
So what is your most pressing concern so regarding.

Speaker 7 (49:00):
She's Sweat with somebitted interests claim? On February twenty eight,
this complaint outlined several.

Speaker 6 (49:04):
Issues inflated contract costs. We're seeing parts on this contract
there are eight thousand dollars national average, where the ten
of those parts were brought here for seven hundred and
sixty four.

Speaker 2 (49:13):
Thousanday, okay, so a council won't we want to impact
any part that you heard in that any concerns on that?

Speaker 4 (49:19):
Okay, thank you for that, for your call, I appreciate that.

Speaker 2 (49:21):
I'm gonna let a Counselorwoman Washington address a little bit
of that up.

Speaker 3 (49:25):
Okay.

Speaker 5 (49:26):
Well, as you know, when there are ethics complaints, there's
due process and they are some legal ramifications and it
would be you know, compromising for me to comment on that.
But there is an investigation and I'm sure that whatever

(49:47):
needs to come to light will that's about all I
can say.

Speaker 3 (49:52):
Right there, got it? Let me take one more from
one more? Maybe two?

Speaker 2 (49:57):
Man lighten them up today, tell you the money you're
on the gentle swerge in Washington show their go ahead.

Speaker 8 (50:05):
Yes, sir a stand, thank you for let me speak
to this Washington, This Washington was wonderful to have you
on the show today.

Speaker 7 (50:12):
I have a couple of questions for you.

Speaker 8 (50:15):
I don't be brief, because.

Speaker 7 (50:16):
I know we've been running out of time here.

Speaker 9 (50:19):
This is uh.

Speaker 7 (50:21):
The first question was kind of like.

Speaker 8 (50:23):
What I guess normal or someone else had already asked
you about the uh uh why did Atlanta, you know,
turn them down?

Speaker 7 (50:31):
But you can answer that if you want to. But
my concern is the type of.

Speaker 8 (50:35):
Job that I work in in menshis and that is
dealing with I was uh the area of uh lose
my thoughts, the area you listening.

Speaker 7 (50:46):
To so much here, the area of not only the
crime in Mensis.

Speaker 8 (50:51):
But my my area of work that I have to
go throughout the city doing work.

Speaker 7 (50:57):
And my concern is I ain't high taxes.

Speaker 8 (51:01):
I'm buying my fourth house. I've been living rolling different
places in the city. But the thing that I see
now is cold enforcement that's the word I was looking
so thank you Lord. Is that I don't understand from
the things in the neighborhood, the houses that I in,
the neighborhoods that I have lived in in the past,
I wouldn't want to go back and live in those
areas today.

Speaker 7 (51:22):
So cold enforcement in this city is obviously it's.

Speaker 8 (51:25):
Not getting the job done. I grew up in Methis
at a time when a lot of the neighborhoods that
I go into now, I wasn't even allowed to go
into it. I'm seventy seven years old, so I can
tell you that I remember my mother sweeping the dirt
in the front yard just to make sure.

Speaker 7 (51:40):
That the yard was clean when cold.

Speaker 8 (51:43):
Enforcement would come through. Beinghampton, where I was living, the
street that I grew up on to at.

Speaker 7 (51:48):
That time, it's got about two or three houses that's left.

Speaker 8 (51:52):
All the rest of them been torn down and the
street looks terrible. So paying high taxes, but I don't
see of making Memphis great. It once was in the
areas that I have lived in the past was beautiful areas.
But I wouldn't want to go back and try to live.

Speaker 7 (52:09):
In Lenda today. So what is code enforcement really far
in the city of messis I guess that's my question.

Speaker 2 (52:18):
Thank you, sir appre Sich. You're calling a councilwoman Washington
your thoughts.

Speaker 4 (52:22):
Thank you.

Speaker 5 (52:23):
Well, the way cold enforcement is set up now, it's
reactive rather than proactive. They don't just go out and
look for areas of concern and address it, and that's disappointing.
So that's why they are doing a revamping and starting

(52:43):
an entire different division that would be called Neighborhood Improvement.
And after they make this transition, instead of it being reactive,
they will have more code enforcement officers to be able
to go out and identify five things, just as he says,
to see if houses need to be addressed and taken

(53:05):
care of. Now, that's not the entire Memphis community, unfortunately,
it's some of our communities, and a lot of it
is going to take education to taking care of our
properties and respecting our communities and encouraging more home ownership
so that people within the communities will buy these properties

(53:26):
as opposed to people from out of town just buying
them and just leaving them there to neglect. So we're
working hard with our city divisions as well as educating
our community members so that we can take care of
our properties like we used to because we did it.
We used to sweep on the curb and make sure
that there was no trash on the street. And that's
something that's very dear to my heart, keeping the city

(53:48):
clean and fighting blight. So it's going to be a
community effort as well as a city division. Because cold
enforcement just can't clean up the whole city. We're going
to have to do our part as well. Gotcha all right?
And uh, since we're in the waning moments of the

(54:08):
Jana sweringe in Washington show, let me do it. Let
me do an email because they've been hitting me up callers,
all right, So this d listening writes in the subject space,
some are crime questions for the councilwoman. Concerning teenage crime.
Will there be a curfew in place as promised? A

(54:29):
curfew would not only save lives, it would save the
futures of a lot of our teenagers from the judicial system.
Now the question, will the city have a gun buy
back program every quarter, possibly to remove guns from our
communities because people have guns and need money.

Speaker 3 (54:50):
This is not hard your thoughts, Councilwoman, I.

Speaker 5 (54:53):
Think that's a great suggestion, and I would be willing
to ask Chief Davis to see if that would be
a consideration, and a curfew as well, I will ask
that question. We haven't talked about it, but that could
be a consideration for our teenagers to be able to
come in at a certain time or unless you can
show documentation that you're working, or however. But it's going

(55:17):
to take ongoing conversations, and it's going to take commitment
from our parents, from our community members, from everybody to
keep our students engage in a positive way. Make sure
that we're mentoring, that we're watching, and that everyone is
actively involved. But those are two great suggestions, and I
would be more than willing to talk with police personnel

(55:40):
and the mayor and see what their thoughts are.

Speaker 3 (55:42):
Great.

Speaker 2 (55:43):
Part two reckless driving in our city. Reckless driving in
our city. We need to see people who are driving
recklessly in our city pulled over and if possible, could
we actually drive around Memphis for two four hours where
you won't see anybody pull it over or speeding or

(56:06):
reckless driving anything. What are the police doing about this
reckless driving? Don't nuts it speeding? We need proactive police
in a city full of crime, and he writes, we
never see police doing enough and will the police chief
be asked to step down if crime is not down

(56:29):
more by at least thirty percent. City council has to
do extreme things right now to combat the annual summer crime.

Speaker 3 (56:38):
Your thoughts, counsel.

Speaker 5 (56:39):
Woman, Where we're placing investments in our community so that
we can monitor it more closely, be able to get
more drones. We're trying to get more helicopters so that
we can be on the spot and be able to
monitor even in my district. I've passed a safety resolution
where we can have more technology so that we can
add more cameras and be able to monitor the city.

(57:02):
So there is going to be some financial investments that
we are doing and gonna have to do in order
to be able to monitor our children, monitor our city,
monitor the streets, the speeding or whatever else is going on.
We have a shortage of police officers. They can't be
everywhere at the same time, so we're relying on technology

(57:23):
to assist in that effort as well. But as in
other things, we're gonna have to do our part too.
We're gonna have to slow down and be more responsive.
But we're going to have to assist our police officers
because they just can't be everywhere. So when you see
something ridiculous, call it in, write down the license plate

(57:44):
and turn it in. We're gonna have to work together
in order to demand that our community.

Speaker 2 (57:48):
Is that particular number to call for that is that
one that you gave earlier when you say call in,
is like a call a police department and call one call?

Speaker 3 (57:57):
Maybe not not one but three.

Speaker 2 (58:00):
Is there a special contact number you could call five
four or five cops? Five four or five cops? Yes,
one more question. I guess I know you gotta get
out of here. Got a question this listener, rights, you
got a question for a district for a council woman.
There is a small community in her district known as Chauffeur,

(58:21):
Chauffeur Town, Kerr and McLain Chauffeur Town. I think that's
how you pronounce it, that is in desperate need of
improvements to their streets. I think it's Shattaud Kerr. I
don't love it's Chauffeur, but I think it's that that
particularly is I'm thinking I'm thinking current Gaith, but maybe
it's Curry McClain anyway, said that Era is in desperate

(58:44):
need of improvements to their streets. This community has never
had sidewalks or proper drainage for their streets. When can
this community expect improvements? Maybe with Curry McLain. Is that
small historic African American neighborhood in South Memphis, in that
area you.

Speaker 3 (59:05):
Familiar with that? Oh, maybe that's something you can take
back to and just check.

Speaker 5 (59:08):
I've written it down and I sure will follow up immediately.

Speaker 3 (59:11):
Thank you, all right, appreciate that, mister Osborne.

Speaker 4 (59:14):
Did they leave a contact number?

Speaker 3 (59:16):
I do have one.

Speaker 2 (59:17):
Yes, yes, I get that to you when we get
off their Thank you, mister Osborne. Yes, I sure will.
All right, Well, that's good about doing for us. Man,
You unpacked a lot. Councilwoman, you you know, you take
the questions you feel to them, not necessarily any vetting
going on. You say, Look, that's if we have to
shoot from the hip and I don't know. I get

(59:38):
the information when I go back to council. So when
is the next city council meeting? You often you tell
your micro o.

Speaker 5 (59:45):
Sorry, the next council meeting will be on Tuesday the eighteenth.

Speaker 3 (59:49):
Always on Tuesdays or is it?

Speaker 4 (59:51):
Everything's always on Tuesdays.

Speaker 5 (59:53):
And now we've changed the meeting time to four o'clock
to be more accommodating for community members. That's compared what
three thirty. Okay, all right, so now it's at four o'clock.
And I would like to also share that we are
having a haircutting clinic. This is something that I have
been doing for my constituents. I've done it at MacFarland Community,

(01:00:13):
glen View and now we're at Orange Mound and we
have partnered with Tennessee Applied Technology, so you can bring
your children in to get free haircuts from five to seven.
Children are the priority, but they will do adults and
it's absolutely free. It's a win for the community members
because the children and youth and young men get to

(01:00:36):
get free haircuts and the students are getting extra experience
so they're monitored.

Speaker 3 (01:00:42):
That's awesome.

Speaker 2 (01:00:42):
So when is this?

Speaker 5 (01:00:43):
This is every Thursday from five and to seven and
right now we're at Orange Mound Community Center Community So
come on out.

Speaker 3 (01:00:52):
That's awesome.

Speaker 2 (01:00:54):
Orange About Community Center, twenty seven fifty two Park Avenue.
You better know and mean to make that rhyme. You
better know I'm a poet and don't know it twenty
seven fifty two Park Avenue. That's it, Orange Mound Community Center. Well,
it's been great to speak with you, Councilwoman Washington. Any

(01:01:16):
other things going on before we kind of dismiss class,
I know district for you got a lot of things
going on? Are all important community conversations meeting? Well that
is that going to be like quarterly or is that
going to be monthly? These because I think those are
vitally important. So how often will you do these kind
of conversations.

Speaker 5 (01:01:31):
I'm going to have those conversations as often as MLGW
will partner with me.

Speaker 3 (01:01:36):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:01:36):
Yeah, I love to do community meetings.

Speaker 5 (01:01:38):
That's a way for people to get informed with whatever's
going on in the community. Because everyone can't just come
down to council, so it's important to be engaged and
listen to see what's going on. And I'm going to
those neighborhood meetings and just whatever. I just want to
make sure that I'm advocating for their concerns. That's what
it's all about.

Speaker 3 (01:01:58):
Well, what are your plans for this weekend?

Speaker 5 (01:02:01):
Hoping to get some rest. I just got back from Washington,
d C. Yesterday as leadership uh National League of Cities Convention.
Yeah yeah, I went and was able to also take
my mother who's ninety two years old, and she goes
and hangs out with me and we had a great time.
My sister was there the clerk, so we were learning

(01:02:25):
and engaged, but able to enjoy some family time with
our mom.

Speaker 4 (01:02:29):
So hopefully we can get some rest.

Speaker 5 (01:02:31):
I'm also speaking at a prayer breakfast tomorrow in glen
View Community Center, So.

Speaker 4 (01:02:35):
Y'all come on out if you if you can.

Speaker 3 (01:02:37):
Community.

Speaker 4 (01:02:38):
What time at nine o'clock?

Speaker 5 (01:02:41):
Wow, Pistol seeing me church, They're having their prayer breakfast
at glen View Community Center.

Speaker 4 (01:02:46):
I will be the speaker.

Speaker 2 (01:02:47):
Fantastic, Yeah Bell at Chance that church right, yes, Parking
marshal Ill that's it, bad boy d Bell john d
bil Johnson, Yeah, yes, well Mount pisk seeing me.

Speaker 3 (01:02:58):
That's right, bad boy. What was passing that?

Speaker 2 (01:03:00):
Willie wollen Ward Junior, the bad boy of Damn Camp.

Speaker 4 (01:03:07):
She's actually one of the co chairs for women today.

Speaker 8 (01:03:10):
She's on and popping.

Speaker 1 (01:03:11):
It's the Stan Belle Morning Show week dates from sixty
ten am on the Heart and Soul of Memphis ten
to seventy w d i a