Mr. Johnny Mosely, Founding Chairman of Citizens for Better Service

WDIA'S venerable morning show host, Stan Bell, conducts the interview. 

Topic: Public Transportation--namely Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA).

Listen as Stan addresses the issues going on at the agency.

Episode Transcript

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

Speaker 2 (00:10):
I A oh wait, all right, man started me on
my eyes and brother's kid. All right, I got the
deal beaming out of the green room. Man, Good morning, sir,
Good morning, sir, harru Man, you got boice sounded good
and Christmas morning. You know, sometimes I feel guilty about
getting poked up at eight o'clock, you know, eight thirty,
and then you know, you got to unwined. I know
you had a busy evening last last the evening, but

(00:32):
you got to PIU your sign and Chris looking good,
feeling good, Thank you, sir, man and sounding good. So man,
thank you. Welcome to the show. No look, thank you
sir for having me this this reunion. Yes, I should
say welcome back. Yes, sir, but it's been how long
has been since you been on my show? Matter of fact,
if I recall, you were one of the first guests

(00:52):
I had in Standing Special People Spotlight. Yes, sir, been
like two and a half years ago.

Speaker 3 (00:57):
Yes, sir, trying to roll out the roll call back
then again yea yeah for the.

Speaker 2 (01:01):
D I a listener, yes, sir, and man they picked
it up and Ron, man, they've been doing a good job. Man,
I was I was really amazed. Uh, I was a
little I was surprised, actually, but w I listeners picked
it right up. Man, they got it boom more more.
You kick things off with me. Look, thank you for
the honor. You're gonna get to the meeting. To the
meeting just a little bit. How's a family?

Speaker 3 (01:19):
You know, everybody's doing good, you know, shout out to
my mom. I know she's listening now, she's a faithful
uh listener of your sir, So shout out to my
mom and then my mom.

Speaker 2 (01:27):
To my mom, Mom to my mom to my mom.

Speaker 3 (01:30):
Oh, your aunties, and then and then the whole and
the whole hill of hood crew because because they've been
working hard. You know, it's some some some mighty work
that everybody's doing. So just shout out to the whole
hill of the hood family.

Speaker 2 (01:40):
So the day, miss a Beamer, what's what's mama name?
Miss Francis Beaman. Francis Francis Beamon, how you doing, Miss
Francis Beman. I know you're proud of your son. I
know he is. I know you can be telling him
slow it down. And my mama used to tell me
up to uh. But he's doing the work. You're doing it, Mom,
You're gonna be our right, your son doing good in

(02:04):
the hood. Fun intended. So glad to hear families good.
Everybody's great. Talk to us about what's happening tomorrow. You
got a magnificent event playing.

Speaker 3 (02:14):
Oh my goodness, Reset Day, Reset Memphis.

Speaker 2 (02:18):
It's real big for us.

Speaker 3 (02:19):
It's gonna be at thirty six eighty two Ridgeway Road.

Speaker 2 (02:25):
Somebody to call the days where's it gonna be?

Speaker 4 (02:27):
Not there?

Speaker 3 (02:28):
Thirty six eighty two Ridgeway Road. We literally were gifted
seven point zero two acres of land over there, and
so that plaza we own eighty percent of the parking
lot and then the spot where old old Tom Pottery
used to be at back in the day. And so
we're gonna be decking it out, you know, with the stage,
with sound stage, with horseback riding, bouncers, roller skating, we

(02:52):
bring it out the roller skate and we're doing everything
that you can imagine and fun games. You know, amazing
entertainment and it's just gonna be a huge day for everybody,
you know.

Speaker 5 (03:01):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (03:01):
And we had what's called tent city.

Speaker 3 (03:03):
So this isn't a representation of the of the homeless
tense city, but it's a representation of resources, you know,
where people are gonna be able to go and get
all types of resources, vendors, food trucks, a lot of
the bike clubs that you named earlier. The car Club's
going to be out there, the big clubs and the
car crows and all of them gonna be out there.
And so we're excited to really be able to bring

(03:23):
the community together because that's that's what's happening.

Speaker 1 (03:26):
You know.

Speaker 2 (03:26):
We we we launched a campaign.

Speaker 3 (03:29):
It was gonna be We were originally gonna do it
as a as a spring break situation for the kids.
But what happened was we saw need everything that was
happening in the city, that was happening with the school
board and so many different things of fighting a global cafe,
so much going on in the city, and now with
the passing of a pastor, Ricky Floyd, all these different
things that have happened, it's kind of put us in

(03:49):
a position to where we need to reset. And so
that's what the day is about. It's about resetting the
and the tone in the city of Memphis. So it's
gonna be a huge day, man, no doubt. In case
you just joined us, we're talking with Kill the Hood
founder Ladell Beaman. Big event going on tomorrow.

Speaker 2 (04:08):
Call it Reset Day, not a day of rest, but
Reset March to Too is here. It's happening. Oh yeah,
as you would say, Reset Memphis. Don't kill my future. Yeah,
don't kill my future. You know, our kids.

Speaker 3 (04:22):
You know, the thing that I was watching doing the
whole time that all this stuff has been going on,
is that, you know, we forget that our kids are watching,
and you know, we want we always get on our
kids about We always get on the kids about what
they're doing wrong.

Speaker 2 (04:35):
But where did they get that behavior from?

Speaker 3 (04:37):
You know, they get it from somewhere, And you know
that's the reason why you know, I'm excited. You know,
even though I was out there talking to mister Mosley,
you know about what what old school values used to be.
You know, I grew up you know, literally you you
one of my heroes because I remember, you know when
Roll Call used to hit and I I was thinking,
I was I was joking with somebody, I said, man,
I said, I said, I gotta apologize to ut to

(04:59):
brothers stand bill, I said, because one of those times
I was trying to call in, but but right when
I got in, I got so nervous and hung up
from because because that was a huge thing for us
as kids to be heard at that time, and you know,
and it was something positive that you gave us even
when we were in high school. So shout out to
you because you are a hero and then and still

(05:19):
my hero.

Speaker 2 (05:20):
So to be able to meet you years later and.

Speaker 3 (05:22):
You come over to the Pyramid Recovery Center back in
the day, that's when I was breaking.

Speaker 2 (05:25):
Bricks hoak bricks crossed. I said it was this guy, yes, sir,
the black guy in the milimate. I said, this guy really.
I went on to check the brick. I said, it's
a real bread. He ain't do it just once over here, yes, sir,

(05:46):
and three folk. I said, this guy is amazing.

Speaker 3 (05:49):
Yeah, And we were calling the roadblocks where the kids,
letting the kids know, you know, the feature of obstacles,
what what whatever is in front of you mustered up
the strength to go through those obstacles and.

Speaker 2 (05:58):
So you know, it was a lesson in it.

Speaker 3 (06:00):
Yeah, and so unless you've been strength, you've been strength
to us and you've been strength to me. And so
that's that's one of the huge things that we're gonna
be breaking open at the uh because they gotta come
out because we're finally getting a chance to put you
in our animation, our comic book.

Speaker 2 (06:15):
Yeah, man, the wake Up two evolutions that it well, yes,
sir man, talk to me about this man, because I
what time you need me to be out there, you
know what?

Speaker 3 (06:25):
And so here here's the thing book which we kick
off things at eleven o'clock and so uh at eleven o'clock.
It's gonna be amazing because what we get an opportunity
to do is that we started off with prayer, you know,
we got yeah yet different pastors gonna be.

Speaker 2 (06:39):
Praying throughout the day. And then great singing.

Speaker 3 (06:41):
We got kring must Sing Brown, we got some of it,
got Gerald Richardson, yet got so many different powerhouses of
Terrence Love, so many different people that are gonna be singing.
We got over thirty forty acts that's gonna be out there.
But in between that around the one o'clock hour. We're
gonna have our comic book us signed with our new issue.
And one of the things that I want to do

(07:03):
is is give you a collection of all of our
comic books, because one of the huge things about it
is I got another surprise for you today too. But
the last issue on the back this issue right here
is the issue that we're introducing.

Speaker 2 (07:17):
The Man Damn.

Speaker 3 (07:19):
Hold yes, sir, because because because we want you to
take in the moment, sir, because I want to make
this issue five, issue five, and we're gonna have it
out there. But we only have a few issues of
this too, so you got to get out there because
in this very comic book, we also are we have

(07:41):
a cameo appearance by Trevor Jackson, r B. And he
played Superfly in the He played on one of the
versions of Superfly, the last version of Superfly. But uh
but he did a lot of work with Hill the
Hood Foundation, and so we're so stan Bell officially comes
out in this comic book, and guess what we had
another when it comes out right after this is dealing

(08:01):
with opioids. And then there's another special thing that happens
with you too. Sir, So this is just not a
one off with the opioids. We're dealing with fennol and
the poison and that's happening with our kids. But we
had a chance to tell through these these animations, and
so all the books are based in Memphis.

Speaker 2 (08:17):
It looks a lot like Marvel and DC. The stuff
that you see inside of the books animation it's the
same profession, illustrated by Marthia's Wade, who used to work
for the Red Birds, but he's a huge comic book
icon here in the city.

Speaker 3 (08:34):
And so I do all the writing and coming up
with the characters, and Marthia's does the drawing. And so
we're we got a lot of great stuff that's happening.
And this is what about Robert Townshend and keenan ivery
Wy Memphis, these comic books.

Speaker 2 (08:46):
Man, So yeah, so what's gonna be chock full. So
again tomorrow eleven am doing five to five. A lot
of stuff going on. They can bring the kids. It's free,
it's absolutely free.

Speaker 3 (09:00):
And here and here's the thing we got, uh the
entertainment that's happening first of all, is I mean it
is Memphis on steroids.

Speaker 2 (09:07):
You know what, you guys are gonna be seeing.

Speaker 3 (09:10):
But the other side of it is that we have
prize giveaways from Walmart, giving aways, big screen TVs, all
types of stuff that's gonna be happening. We're also partnered
with the Willness event that's going to be going on
at the community Center as well, So that starts around
nine o'clock at the Hicky Ridge Community Center. But what
we did because we don't we don't want division to
keep happening in Memphis, and so we decided to actually

(09:31):
come together with Links and UH and build together. So
there's a Willness UH deal happening at the Community Center
that starts at nine.

Speaker 2 (09:40):
Link which which one is a particular chapters is Shelby Memphis,
maybe two.

Speaker 3 (09:46):
Or three, all four of them all together, all coming together,
and they're doing something real powerful over there where they're
gonna be doing health screening. They've got a lot of
stuff happening, and they got some bounced houses over their
food trucks as well. And we're doing this to together
and so the whole area in Hickory Hill is gonna
be lit up. And so in order for you to
get inside the big prize drawings, you gotta get your

(10:08):
tickets stamped over there at the Community Center to get
those health screeners because it's African Americans. We really need
to start getting our health on point, you know, if
we're gonna be making it out here, so it's real important.
So we're combining these efforts and it's gonna be a
huge time for us. So shout out to links over there.
It's gonna be making some huge things happen.

Speaker 2 (10:26):
Right, So give us the address where we're gonna be
tomorrow again, if you will please.

Speaker 3 (10:30):
Thirty six eighty two Ridgeway Road, the former location of
the Old Old Time Pottery, and you're gonna see we're
gonna build. We're gonna be building what's called the Hero
Empowerment Center. As a matter of fact, based on these
comic books. We get a whole superhero world based on
these comic books. But it's like pulling Universal Studios out
of Florida and sending it right here in Memphis.

Speaker 2 (10:52):
Because our kids don't have anything.

Speaker 3 (10:54):
No no more Liberty Lands, no more ols, golf Haven, Excites,
Adventure River, all those things are gone, and so we
decided to come together and build. And so when we
were gifted that land, we were gifted an opportunity to
do something for the kids that they have missed out
since the generations when we were coming up, and so
we got to get back to our kids because there's

(11:14):
a void and we want to be able to fill
their void. So yeah, that that ground that we're gonna
be on. This ground zero for the brand new Hero
Empowerment Center that we've been talking about for the last
few years.

Speaker 2 (11:24):
Memphis Reset Day March to two is happening Hill the
Hood Foundation is presenting It. Got a lot of live performances. Man,
too many to mention, but I can tell as they say,
I can tell you Karen Mush, Sang Brown, Lil Rownds,
Bird Williams, Terrence Love, Gerald, g Rich richardson, every McBee

(11:45):
is gonna be powerpack, got my God, Sherman Brown on
bet oh yeah, Preston Waller's Man, lest Pop on.

Speaker 3 (11:54):
What DMG twin Oh yeah. May It's gonna be phenomenal man.
And we got some other nobles. We got Hispanic groups
are gonna be coming in dancing. We got Mods fifty five, Uh,
the the Drill Steppers of the Female Drill Team, They're
gonna be coming through. So we have everybody represented you know,
from Latino to Caucasian. Everybody's gonna be out there, you know,

(12:18):
and we're coming together from Memphis, and so we need
all the Memphis to come out.

Speaker 2 (12:22):
Is free? Is no excuse?

Speaker 6 (12:24):
You know.

Speaker 3 (12:24):
Yes, somebody called the officer and said, shall we we
we heard it on the radio. We heard on stan Bill.
Do we need to bring our lawn cheers?

Speaker 2 (12:31):
Yes.

Speaker 3 (12:31):
We even got a community volleyball game that's going on.
We're gonna be playing some tunk. I don't even know
how talk.

Speaker 2 (12:39):
Cars, y'all. Come on, come on, man, We.

Speaker 3 (12:48):
Just asking nobody all that stuff, We do it at all.
We just asking nobody to bring the funny cigarettes out there,
and uh and keep the bottles, you know, the bottles
with the funny funny stuff and make sure because it's
it's a family event here, it's going security, security, Trickling Force,
MPD is out there, the Sheriff's Department, and McGruff is
gonna be out there. So if you do a crime,

(13:09):
he's gonna take a bite out of you, you know.
So we had every superhero is gonna be out there.
We have the Star Wars troops that are gonna be
out there. The storm Troopers, Darth Vader, we got well, yeah,
the kids gonna be able to take picture, Spider Man,
we had a Wolverine, Black Panther, we had some of
everybody's gonna be out there, so it's gonna be phenomenal.

(13:30):
And the game truck is gonna be out there. We
have the Giant Connect four games. We had wrestlers, Memphis
Wrestlers are gonna be appearing. Boxers are gonna be out there,
and so it's gonna be a phenomenal day all day long.
And then somebody may say, well, what if we can't
afford all the food on the food trucks, We got
you covered. We got a grill with free hot dogs
gonna be out there. We're gonna be grilling the hot dogs.

(13:52):
So so there's no we gotta do it because I
just really feel that we owe Memphis better, you know,
we all of us old Memphis better. And tomorrow is
an opportunity to say I want to be the change
that we've been talking about.

Speaker 2 (14:05):
So everybody come on out all right, Adell Beaman Hell
the Hood Foundation bringing it to you tomorrow. Man, thank
you for swinging by.

Speaker 3 (14:13):
And I also want to make sure I give you
this wake coffee mug as well, you know, because we
got more than this for you too. So tomorrow we're
gonna put you in the official wake hoodie. So that's
another presentation we get for you tomorrow. I just want
to tell you now the way.

Speaker 2 (14:28):
Man, Yeah, I appreciate that. Man, keep doing great things
for our city. Thank you. Reset Memphis, tomorrow, Reset Memphis.
All right, I gotta take a break. The time is
twenty eight and a half minutes past the hour. Coming
up next our next guest stand Special People, Spotlight. Welcome
back everybody. Thanks so much for being here in the
studio with me. Right now is the founding chairman of
Citizens for Better Service, the one and only Johnny Moseley.

(14:50):
Welcome to the show, mister Moselad. Thank you for inviting
me to the show. I'm glad to have you.

Speaker 7 (14:55):
Man.

Speaker 2 (14:55):
You're a busy man. You're in and around our community,
but you got your sleep rolled up, always working on frontline.
I'm gonna get right to it, man, because I know
time is pressing and I want to do this equally.
You know, did you guess get at least thirty minutes?
So first of all, okay, let me say welcome to
the show family. Good, Yes, appreciate you good? Okay? All right.

(15:17):
You are the founding chairman of Citizens for Better Service. Right, Yes,
not services, but service. Right. It seems now that your
middle name is service. Johnny's service, mostly because when I
read articles, I see you in the streets, so to speak.
I see you on these sound bites and these clips

(15:38):
the news stories, and then I see you speaking out.
You have a microphone, sometimes you have a megaphone in
front of your mouth.

Speaker 7 (15:45):
And.

Speaker 2 (15:47):
Man, you're a fighter. How long you been doing this?

Speaker 8 (15:51):
Well, definitely, Citizen for Better Service. We formed it in
nineteen ninety three, so that's gonna put it on with
or thirty two years. But it's something that's been insteed
of me from the time I was a little boy
and my dad was one of thirteen hundred sanitation workers
that martial dignity in nineteen sixty eight. He was a

(16:13):
sanitation work for over fifty years, and he taught me
to speak up and speak out, but also be concerned
about those who are less fortunate than you are, or
those who may not be gifted or have the talent
that you have, so always be able to give back
to the community.

Speaker 2 (16:34):
And you said the key word, and I guess this
is why. And you're in your organization's title concern Citizens
for Better Service, and you're concerned man, and unselfishly you
got that unselfish kind of concern for the welfare of others.
I guess you would call that altruism. Right. You've been
on the front line since nineteen ninety three, probably even
before that though, but ninety three is when you form

(16:55):
Citizens for Better Service, right right right, because out of
concern for others, you said, look, we need to do
this right right right. So what's on what's on your plate? Now?
What's the number one topic going to? You know? What?
What do you get? What do you what's your concern
is it? Is it matter in there somewhere on your agenda?
Are people still calling you about what's going on over there?
Right right right?

Speaker 8 (17:14):
Basically because Citizens for Better Service was formed as a
result of things that was going on at Memphis Apia
Transit thore there were bus riders who felt that they
did not have a voice, and that's how.

Speaker 2 (17:25):
Citizen for Better Service got started.

Speaker 8 (17:28):
Uh and even to to to this day, we have
been speaking on various issues and including routes, service cuts,
also we have been concerned about UH bus drivers losing
their jobs, and that's been a big issue within the
last h I would say, eight or nine months, because

(17:49):
we we we've learned over the over the course of
the months that matter is in the sixty million doll
the deference there UH there. We recently learned that that
with some unnecessary spending going on that matter. We always felt,
particularly we've been in the last ten years, that there
was something funny going on that matter, because everything you

(18:09):
look around there was service cards, and we would always
be concerned about why Matter continued to balance their budget
on the backs of those who need the busses the most.
And when we went to the city council, we talked
to the past mayors and and but recently, I would say,
during a mari Yon turn, things UH kind of looking

(18:33):
up and people are now listening. And the fact is
that recently it was just discovered that money was spent
on spas grizzly game parties and people were outside waiting
on busses for thirty four hours at a time. Sometimes
the busses did not show up. And he was talking

(18:55):
about it was hot outside or cold outside. People are
fainting outside.

Speaker 7 (19:00):
Uh.

Speaker 8 (19:00):
God knows the many calls that I got uh concerning
uh uh the trials and tribulation that bus rider was
going through. Uh and even though we had had a
feeling that something was not right.

Speaker 2 (19:14):
Right, So bring us up to speed. So are the
buses not running that that.

Speaker 8 (19:19):
They're not running as as as they ought to. Uh,
they're out there, they're out there. You still have those
things where people are still waiting hours for the buses.

Speaker 9 (19:30):
Uh.

Speaker 8 (19:31):
Uh Uh there was some service cuts that Matter was
going to make concerning five buses uh in under serious area.
Uh that that has changed now because of of what
is happening.

Speaker 2 (19:44):
And of course.

Speaker 8 (19:47):
Uh because money is missing and the money was miss
used or misspent.

Speaker 2 (19:52):
Uh.

Speaker 8 (19:52):
Mister John Lewis, he's the interim right, he's the andre CEO,
no matter for least eight months, and of course they
gave the job back in December, and and he has
been charged to try to find.

Speaker 2 (20:05):
Out what's going on.

Speaker 8 (20:07):
And and he himself has found out that things are
so bad that matter that he had that once he
put together report. He in meeting with Mayor Young and
it was suggested that by the Young administration that he
turned whatever finding that he had over to the state.

Speaker 2 (20:26):
So UH.

Speaker 8 (20:28):
In meantime, mister Lewis's h has to look at how
he's going to.

Speaker 2 (20:36):
Reconfederate the routes.

Speaker 8 (20:38):
Uh that that that that that's going to run at
least every thirty minutes or so, uh so people don't
have to stand at the bus stop too long.

Speaker 2 (20:46):
Uh.

Speaker 8 (20:46):
There is a lack of trust uh now not just
the rider year, but with the community itself, with the
mythisterial transitory. So he's gonna have to work to be
a trust, but he's gonna also had to work to
make sure that the ridership is treated with dignity and respect.
Writers feel that they are treated as a second class citizen,

(21:09):
that nobody cares about their concerns.

Speaker 2 (21:12):
And so it's a sad thing.

Speaker 7 (21:16):
Uh.

Speaker 8 (21:17):
I'm glad that we know the information that we know,
but it's also sad to know that so many people
have been hurt as a result of of lack of leadership. Uh,
as a result of there's a sense of not caring
about the people that matter is supposed to serve. And
we always contended that matter was put in the leadership first,

(21:39):
and and and the ridership last.

Speaker 6 (21:42):
Uh.

Speaker 8 (21:42):
And it's it's a sad situation that people have lost
their jobs.

Speaker 2 (21:46):
Absolutely, it's a travesty. Actually, what is your relationship with
the board? Now they got a brand new understand that
the Honorable Paul Young, Mayor of Memphis decides, Hey, let's
let's go, let's go wipe about this old boy. Uh.
I was the old you know, in with the bold and.

Speaker 8 (22:01):
I like and I like this new board because this
new board is actually listening. They're actually doing the research.
They're actually trying to get to understanding of what what
the issues are at the Memphis Area of Transit thorder. Uh,
they're this board is not rubber stamping uh things.

Speaker 2 (22:20):
Uh.

Speaker 8 (22:20):
There were many days when my group set USLF a
better service and and the Memphis Bus Rider Union which
is co chaired by uh mister Samon Hannah and miss
saying Cynthia Baylor, who's also owned the matter board. Yes, uh,
And we would go before the board and we would
plead with the board not to cut routes. Uh, let's

(22:41):
look at something else and other alternative. We put together
a book as you will, uh for Malor a couple
of years ago. Uh, and Mally just swept that book
under the road. And then they took Mary Young to
come in and ask for a study, and of course
he hired trans Pro to.

Speaker 2 (23:01):
Do what we did for free, ye know.

Speaker 8 (23:03):
But but it was only after Mary invited Transpro to
come and do it a study of the administration and
the financial situation that things that got got moving. But
we had already said that long before Transpro had gotten there,
that that that matter was doing the opposer end up,

(23:24):
not providing the basic service to those who need the bus.

Speaker 2 (23:29):
The host Okay, we don't suppose right there, take another break.
If you have a question, comment, something you'd like to
ask our guests, you can do do that. We've got
some more a few more minutes left in this program.
Matter of fact, we got about twenty I HA not
on one five three five, nine, three four two eight
hundred and five zero three nine three four two or
eight three three five three five nine throot two. You
got a question about public transportation area trans authority where

(23:51):
we're saying where they said, uh at this point the
charge that the mayor has given the board. Uh. The
man who can speak about it is the founding chairman
of Citizens for Better Service, mister Johnny Moseley. All right,
we're back, everybody. Let me do a little something here.
Let me see, I'm gonna have to put maybe some
headsets on, mister, mister Moses, we do it live on

(24:13):
the radio. Can you grab those as we say cans.
I'll put this over there and there and you look
on it. You've been here before. I think you might
know how this goes. Take that eighth inch and Jack
can put it right there somewhere underneath the slide under
there all right, been kind of multitasking and filling these
calls and and also looking of the agenda there you

(24:34):
just kind of scowl back and then you'll see some
holes and you can do it like vast holes everybody. Okay,
just make sure you.

Speaker 6 (24:42):
Joe L.

Speaker 2 (24:43):
H By thank you. Nothing. In the meantime, let me
take a few callers while you plug in. You get
anything going there? Okay, let's see, so we're coming in
and out and clear. Let me take a phone call
right here and we get to a WDI Good morning,
thanks so for calling. You're line working, you're on the radio.
Go ahead, yeah, good.

Speaker 6 (24:58):
Morning, understand.

Speaker 2 (25:00):
How do you do that? Thank you know what it
sounds like? What's on your mind.

Speaker 5 (25:05):
Okay, I was just gonna tell the guess that I
have a leiece that lives over any She works the
matter and some of the concerns that she I heard
him saying. She's talked to me about it. She's been
working for about two years.

Speaker 10 (25:19):
And one thing that I do know that they talked
about the people they're servant. The sentizens are your customers
matter and they need to be treated just like you said,
with respect. I think it was a little daddy or
somebody was over the year one day they were talking
about I begged to be talked to some daddy. I've
heard her say that if it was that drive buses.

(25:43):
Treat people like you want to be treated. Everybody's not
gonna have a car and they need their transportation. We
have called litlegit system bus here and we had it
for about fifteen years.

Speaker 11 (25:54):
Maybe now I write it occasion I do have a car,
but threat people with respect because we are yet customers
start jones and matters nids.

Speaker 2 (26:09):
And it's also that the most normal have a great weekend. Yeah,
I appreciate the carter.

Speaker 8 (26:16):
And number one, if you start treating people with a
sense of human dignitary respect, they would definitely start treating
you with that same type of respect and matter would
be surprised, uh, just over the fact that a lot
of people don't ride the bus because they don't want
to put themselves in a situation where they're treated like

(26:38):
second class citizens. The fact of the matter is is
that all of us are our people. There's an old
sense that black or white, we are all pressure in
God's sight. And if we don't learn to work together
as brothers and sister, we're going to go our separations
as food. And we live in Memphis and we need
to learn to work together. Now turn on each other.

Speaker 2 (27:01):
Say that. Back to the phone line, w a good morning,
thanks for waiting. You're in the radio. Who goes there?

Speaker 7 (27:06):
Yeah, I'm a fair of standing man because he does
all he can.

Speaker 2 (27:10):
To deliver great radio. That's the good opening statement right there, David,
good morning man, you're the radio. Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 7 (27:18):
Let me first, good morning, mister Moses, good morning. Let
me first thank you and your organization. Give me that
name that organization again, because I know.

Speaker 2 (27:32):
Say gave my brother citizen for a better service. Okay,
thank you.

Speaker 7 (27:37):
I want to thank that particular organization along with the
Bus Rides Union, for all you are doing for riders
like mel Matter, I'm very much appreciated. Also the rider
who is now a member of the board. I think
that was a good move by the mayor and the board.

Speaker 4 (27:56):
I wish i'd known.

Speaker 7 (27:57):
Who she was there down at Huston centlemen, both the
new chairman and this grill who is Jovis's grill wife
was there along to other board members were giving back
with some hot soup at the center, and I spent
so much time to talk to miss Grid in regards
to how much we like Jovis when he was on there.
I like the new guy too, but just bring up

(28:18):
some old members. I think what you said is very
very important this morning. And I don't know whether people
heard you loud and clear, but your organization was formed
in ninety two or ninety three, and people a lot
of times don't connect the dots with history. One of
the things that I do for even former employees, no

(28:41):
matter who now complaining about it all started now, is
go back in history. I can remember I was catching
the bus and some thirty years ago around that time,
hanging around on Bell Street with Smokey Rip talking stuff
about music and politics. But knowing that I had to
be on that last bus to make that ten OClO
lineup or I would have to cab it. And as

(29:03):
I ended the bus, there were three or four women,
three whites and one Indian from a or Australia.

Speaker 2 (29:09):
Those acts offered to mix.

Speaker 6 (29:10):
Me up, but they were in total.

Speaker 7 (29:13):
Disbelief that the bus stopped running on Saturday at ten
o'clock for a city of his size. Yes, and that
was doing the handst administration.

Speaker 2 (29:21):
I know you remember that. Yeah, yes, now we.

Speaker 7 (29:25):
Knew the bus system was in trouble then, along with
mister Hudson stating that once again that a sole, dedicated
revenue source was needed. So with the black man three
years who was elected by working poor people, along with
the majority black city council, also elected by black working people,
we could even guarantee that they could make it to

(29:47):
work on time and back. And yet no, Strickland didn't
do anything for matter work Mintion after he promised he
would have. But make no mistake about it, black politicians
had been empower the last forty years of mess from
a political standpoint, more than white politicians. We should be ashamed,
We should be ashamed, but we're not because they are

(30:09):
a black working poors that do not do do the
brunt work.

Speaker 2 (30:12):
There's some who are also.

Speaker 7 (30:13):
Black believe they are blessed not to have to do so.
So we created a class issue out of one that
never should be for a city of decide to have
pride in this city managed to be part of that pride.

Speaker 6 (30:27):
You want to be looked at a.

Speaker 7 (30:28):
Big, first class city, but you don't even have a
bible mass transit system, which, by the way, one of
the requirements of the set the second Amazon headquarters, which
they were spending billions on, was to get folks to
and from their jobs with a Bible man transit system.
And closing, we are in this mess because of the
shrinking tax base and from politicians who are not being

(30:51):
honest as to how we are to navigate through it
in the future. Thank you for your service again.

Speaker 8 (30:57):
Brother, your thoughts. Mster Moseley. Yes, I appreciate that company.
Also it boil down as to this. You know you
hear people say, well, folks don't want to work. Oh,
people won't to work. The flip side of it, they
cannot get to work because of the lack of transportation.

(31:20):
If we had a better transportation system. You'll see people
going to work. I mean back in the day, that's
just what was going on, and not just poor people
riding the buses.

Speaker 2 (31:32):
Back in the day, you had people from all classes.

Speaker 8 (31:36):
Where you was a lower class, middle class, upper class,
there were people riding the bus. I knew a gentleman
who was president of a bank would ride the bus
because he worked downtown and he said it was better
for him because it was very hard to find a
parking spot.

Speaker 2 (31:54):
But because of things have.

Speaker 8 (31:56):
Gone on over the years, you saw the trend where
middle class and upper class people start slipping off the bus,
and now the majority of people who ride the buses
today are poor and mostly black, and that's a sad thing.
We need to get back to those days because there
are other cities across this country where every everybody people

(32:18):
have all walks, the lights, are riding the buses. Memphis
need to get back to those days, and they won't
get back to those days until the City of Memphis
begin to fund Matter. But also Matter on the other
end must show their customers that they appreciate them, not

(32:40):
just one day, but every day.

Speaker 2 (32:43):
Yeah, all right, so we gotta take a break. Mister
mostly thank you when we come back on you to
if you can't reveal the real reason for these misbus routes.
If you don't mind, client sir, all right, take this break. Okay,
we're back. Thank you for being here. We are chatting with,
if you will, the founding chairman for Citizens for Better Service,
mister Johnny Moseley. Let's go delicately back to the phone
line money. You have a question comment on the.

Speaker 6 (33:06):
Air stand mal the sun.

Speaker 2 (33:10):
Wouldn't that.

Speaker 12 (33:12):
Mister Johnny Moseley stand say? Let me put a little
respect on their name. First law Sammon Hannah Ben an
advocate for M A t A for years. He went
to school with my older brother Baron. First of all,
the best thing Paul Young ever did was sighted board.
I can't see them.

Speaker 6 (33:29):
Why did they bow skabbox?

Speaker 12 (33:31):
And I would love some of the drivers to call
in to see if they ever got to go to
end of the games and the drivers the walls making
the money. Second, the ball I might be mistaken, but
the guy who are doing over it now I think
it's not even John.

Speaker 6 (33:44):
Lewis, Okay, I was.

Speaker 2 (33:48):
I watched the.

Speaker 12 (33:48):
News not too long ago and I understood that they
was paying either him or his firm f our five
hundred dollars an hour, and I'll hang up and listen,
and I.

Speaker 2 (34:00):
Would like you to if you cool.

Speaker 12 (34:02):
Down to that course.

Speaker 6 (34:03):
And as staying, you're doing a wonderful job.

Speaker 12 (34:04):
Man. You have a good year, have a super great weekend.

Speaker 2 (34:07):
Man. Can't wait to get the bad money.

Speaker 6 (34:08):
Keep you here on the swiler.

Speaker 12 (34:09):
Thank you, thank you, wonderful gifts, thanks.

Speaker 2 (34:12):
Dying, Thank you so much. Steve. All right, mister Moses, yes, sir, yes, let.

Speaker 8 (34:16):
Me say about the money that they're paying mister John Lewis.
And the car is exactly right. It was nearly five
hundred dollars an hour.

Speaker 2 (34:26):
Uh.

Speaker 8 (34:27):
He's here for eight months to try to fix or
straighten out some of the profits here.

Speaker 2 (34:34):
A matter of course, that has.

Speaker 8 (34:38):
Been a very big concern for citizens for better service
and and the Memphis bus rider union too. But let
it be known that matter is not paying that money.
Money is coming from the city of Memphis. But at
the same time, even though I may have had some

(34:59):
concern about the money that has been paid to mister
John Lewis, the facult them out of the years you
had to get someone in there new to kind of
look at the situation as a whole, and if mister
Little has not had not been there, we will not

(35:20):
know what we know today.

Speaker 2 (35:22):
We will not know that.

Speaker 8 (35:25):
The Memphisiial trans authorities spent six hundred and three thousand
dollars in sponsorship to the Memphis createstly one hundred and
forty four thousand dollars and spending with the American Express
Car for trying to figure out what that is. We
would not have known that five thousand dollars, five thousand

(35:48):
dollars was given to pay Pal, seven thousand dollars was
given to best Buy, ten thousand dollars was given to
a party equipment rent. Third one thousand dollars was spent
in customized purchases. So the fact is, it's sad to

(36:09):
me because we always said that when matter was talking
about cutting routes, even as so recently there were five
routes on the chopping block. Rout sixteen, Route twenty eight,
Route thirty four, Route thirty seven, routes sixty nine. They
were all on the chopping block, and we was like
big and then pleading with Valley, do not cut those routes.

(36:29):
The fact of the matter is we now it has
now been confirmed that the Memphis Area of Transit THOR
has been balancing its budget on the backs of the
poor people in this city. That is now a fact.
And in the meantime, people who depend on the buzzer suffer.

Speaker 2 (36:50):
But as I learned a.

Speaker 8 (36:51):
Long time ago, an air suffering is redemptive suffering. Brill's
character character be of faith, and with faith, you're not
going to be disappointed. So help is on the way, folks.

Speaker 2 (37:01):
Yeah. Mter Mosey, the MEMPISSIREA of Transit Authorities leadership contributed
to a majority of miss trips last year by removing
routes from its published schedule. And you did mention that
we've got an interim CEO, and he's also a transpro consultant,
right right, Miss Lewis. He called the move a quote

(37:21):
deliberate decision by previous management to quote mask service cuts
from the public. What say you about that? And the
information that was revealed right right? They and I called
him ghost route.

Speaker 8 (37:33):
You're looking at a particular schedule and that just says
that sixty nine Winchester, you're looking at that particular schedule
and you stand at the bus stopping and you standing well,
I'm going to catch this bus at nine fifteen. Nine fifteen,
the bus does not show up. Ten fifteen, the bus
is not there. Eleven fifteen, the bus is not there.

(37:54):
Twelve to fifteen the bus shows up. What you did
not know that the previous administration cut that nine to
fifteen bus, that ten to fifteen bus, eleven fifteen bus.
And when the twelve fifteen showed up, you hot, you upset,
you mad at the bus drivers, and and the bus

(38:14):
drivers is saying, wow, I just got to work, so
I don't know anything about those other buses. And so
those services were being mass all across this city. And
even with the published schedule, mister Lewis reported that only
twenty percent of that schedule was actually being ran. And

(38:39):
the fact that the matter is even within that there
were a lot of missing trip. So you know, it
was just very difficult for people to get to their designation,
to get to theirs.

Speaker 2 (38:54):
All together alone on time.

Speaker 8 (38:56):
Right, they were making their lives miserable on the other day.
But but matter was denied, and they were telling me,
they were telling mister Sam and Hunter miss Inivada, they
were telling us all these years that we were that
we were misleading the public that we did not know
what we were talking about. And basically they were saying, uh,

(39:18):
you know we run matter. Uh we have the experience
that it was like, yeah, you're running matter, but you're
running matter to the ground.

Speaker 2 (39:25):
Yeah. And they knew they were not delivering twenty percent
of the public schedule, right, right, right, the only twenty percent. Right.
It was just it was just twenty Yeah, it was.
It was bad. It was yeah. It was just bad.

Speaker 8 (39:41):
And and the fact is I could easily recall days
when I got telephone calls from people who were and
I was like, well, how many people at the bus stop?
Fifteen twenty? How long are you up and waiting out there?
Three hours? Three hours? So I had to pick up
a telephone myself and call Matter or go out there
to the bus stop where those people were and cry
with them and listen to their stories and begging the

(40:04):
Matter to send me a supervisor out to go and
pick these folks up and take these folks where they
need to go.

Speaker 2 (40:10):
No Mandlege.

Speaker 8 (40:10):
Someone mentioned mister Hudson earlier, and I want to say this, Yeah,
he was under funded, the late mister Wad Hudson. He
was under funded, but he he never ran that system
in a way that was hurting people. If he had
to make cuts, he made small cuts. He never said
I'm gonna just cut these complete the riding. And and

(40:33):
he would always try to find a substitute, uh for
for it. And and and mister Hunter seven hundred of
the bus rider us to say, you have to make
adjustments even if you don't have money. Just like your
own house, you might not can buy a whole load
for bread, but you could buy half a load, you know.
And and and you and you're gonna feed your family.

(40:56):
And you're not gonna say if you got five kids,
you're not gonna say four and not gonna eat today.
I mean, and you're just gonna feed it. Well, you're
gonna find a way to feed.

Speaker 2 (41:03):
Everybody, Uh, Miss Moses hole that thought. Uh. When the
waiting moments of the morning show, when we come back,
I do want to talk about, well, how prompt are
the busses now? Is there any improvement at all even
of the ones that are running on the routes? And
I always knew and you mentioned mister Hudson and one
of the calles you said, you know, I came up
riding the bus Man. You know the h Lsea and

(41:25):
the nineteen volentine, you know fifty four Watkins and all that.
And I knew that mister Hudson touted this is my error.
I know that he touted customer satisfaction is the priority?
Is that? Do you think in your opinion, is that
the same thing going on? Now?

Speaker 8 (41:41):
No, it's it's not the same thing. There is a
culture at battle. Uh that that that says, you know,
we got hours uh and you know you are to
who you are and to me, that's that's that's sad
because I know that culture exist. Because even with my education,

(42:04):
even with my background, even the fact that a few
years ago I was only as a as a living legend,
I have been treated, uh badly and treated in a way.
But I'm a fighter, so as you said, and I'm
gonna use my my influence, my education to do what
I need to do to help those folks who are

(42:25):
not as fortunate as as I am, because uh, that's
the way I was taught, you know, for merchant is given,
merch is required, and so and I and I and
I and I make it a point to stick matter
to that philosophy, whether they like it or not. My
thing is if you don't want to serve, uh, not

(42:48):
only just the bus rider, but serve the public, to
serve the city of Buffins, Uh, open up that door
and keep on walking, you know.

Speaker 2 (42:56):
And and there may be some people over there that
may need to walk, you no doubt, you know, if
they ain't need a walk.

Speaker 8 (43:03):
If we don't know what the bed's gonna do, we
gonna know what's gonna happen in the future with these studies.
But the bottom line is that I can appreciate that
I'm looking at the fact that the board and mister
John lewis trying to get back to the basis. If
they get back to the basin, then everything else is
gonna work it stelf out.

Speaker 2 (43:21):
Yeah, So all this time, pretty much we were in
the dark, talking about bus riders and potential bus riders
and folks who were looking for these buses to show up.
And all this time, what I gather is that they
were violating and had the customers a going to fool
out there when the bus drivers didn't really have anything
to do with that. They're just going what they were
told in a sign. So in other words, they were

(43:43):
giving false information to the customers. What I'm hearing and
I know some folk mad is you know what at
double tooth Picks. So let me let me say this,
let me ask this. Actually, so is mister lewis the
interim CEO. Is he pursuing consequences for these folk? Well?

Speaker 8 (44:00):
He said at the last board meeting, uh back in uh.

Speaker 2 (44:07):
February. Uh. He I'm talking about I say these folks.
I mean you had not change right right right? He
said that there that there is going.

Speaker 8 (44:15):
To be Uh, there's gonna be some consequences. And and
what are the little consequences are going to be? We
do not know. But the fact is, uh, the body
is at the last board meeting, I didn't see certain
people uh at the board meeting, even the.

Speaker 2 (44:34):
Person who serve as the android CEO.

Speaker 8 (44:38):
UH at the four for Memphis of your Transit daughter,
Uh she was she was.

Speaker 2 (44:44):
Not let's call it what Ms. Malden was not present.

Speaker 8 (44:46):
And some of her other folks who was in hers
they were not present.

Speaker 2 (44:50):
I did not see them.

Speaker 8 (44:52):
But the fact of them out of is he has
to clean up and clean out the Memphis of your
Transit daughter for it to become uh or get on
that role where it can become a first class public trade.

Speaker 2 (45:06):
So I'm gonna take a break. I got one last
break to make. I appreciate you coming in and being transparent,
and I know this is under investigation, so I won't
go too far. You know, I'm gonna get up to
this line and I look over on the other side,
but I know some of this is under investigation. It's
great they are further investigating this issue. But there's a problem,
and the problem is the priority. And I know that

(45:29):
you are more concerned about the riotership, but the former
I say, like this or the not the interim former.
But it appears that they had it backwards that you
mentioned they were more concerned about the administration than the ridership.
Let me take this break. Mister Moseley is our special guest,
stand special people spotlight. All right, everybody who just about

(45:52):
ready to wrap things up, man, But let me just say,
first of all, let me thank you mister Johnny Moseley
for covering out some time to be with wd I. A.
Johnny Moseley is the founding chairman for Citizens or of
Citizens for Better Service, and this morning we've been talking
about bus routes and transparency and improving the city's trust
in Memphis Area transit authority, particularly specifically as Stewart's of

(46:15):
Public Funds. And man, I just want to say thank you. Man,
this is one of these shows. You definitely need more
than thirty forty minutes or so, you know, But I just,
you know, every little minute. That's why I try to
jump in here and get these questions and get some
callers on as well. But man, I know you roll
up your sleeves. You're a fighter. Man, you you're a
voice for the voiceless, those who particularly depend on public

(46:38):
transportation here in the city. I don't care if it's
you know, all my listeners and I know those who
listen to me right now. We got some bus riders, man,
depending on matter, o'kay, if you ride the thirteen lot
there and Lemon Thomas, the forty two Watkins, the folk
I said, foe Walker, wherever one listener email missus Stance.

(47:01):
I used to ride the seven glen View you know, yeah, no,
not said the seventeen seventeen. Right they still have that
route now, Okay, that's gonna yeah, used to have a
seventeen glen View. Now they still got the nineteen volentier.
That's what I used to ride back in the day.
They still got nineteen volentie. Mister this you got to
listen to, right stand. I rode the bus from Hyde
Park to Porter Junior High in the eighth grade and

(47:24):
ninth grade and uh. And I rode the bus from
Westwood tenth grade, eleventh and twelfth loved it. So as
we get ready to close up, mister Foulding, chairman of
Citizens for Better Service Man, give me your final thoughts.
And you know, and and what is it that you
hope to achieve, you know, in pursuit of public transportation

(47:48):
and the trust of those who depend no matter and
what is what's the end goal?

Speaker 8 (47:56):
The end goal is for people to be able to
get leader home, whether they have a car or not,
and go out to a bus stop and that and
knowing that that bus is going to show up and
they and they can get to their designation.

Speaker 2 (48:16):
That's the overall goal.

Speaker 1 (48:18):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (48:18):
And it's gonna it's going to take uh.

Speaker 8 (48:23):
Some work, and not just on the part of mister
Lewis and his spost, but our elected official. We've been
calling for our elected official for years. The whole matter accountabile.
They have to watch those dollar bills. Don't just give
them the money and things that they're gonna do what's right.
We already know they're not gonna.

Speaker 2 (48:42):
Do what is right. But also it's there there.

Speaker 8 (48:47):
There is going to have to be a commitment from
people of the citizens of Memphis too to keep.

Speaker 2 (48:52):
Their eyes a matter.

Speaker 8 (48:55):
Also, our business community needs to get involved so they
can make sure that matter has the necessary tools and
even the dollar bills to get people back and forward
to work. And I said, there are some people who
wants to work, they just can't get to work. I mean,
and then and if they can get to work on

(49:16):
a certain bus line, the buses stopped running at five
six o'clock and so they can't get home. So there
has to be a connection. And let me say this.
The mount of Board meeting is on the twenty six.

Speaker 2 (49:32):
Next week. They meet at forty South Main at three
point thirty.

Speaker 8 (49:38):
And so if anybody needs, anybody wants to come down
there to those meetings or in the near future or
this particular meeting, feel free and you are allowed to
address them out of board, say whatever you want to
say about the public transportation system and get involved as
a community.

Speaker 2 (49:58):
All right, Let me take a come more calls to go.
Want to give you equal time, just as we did
for missing the bit of Dell Beaman. And man, I'm
just I respect you, man, uh for saying what you're saying.
All right, let's go take a couple of calls and
get out of here. Those are the wanting tanks of waiting.
You're on the radio, Yeah, can you make it kind
of quick for me? And to the point, w d
I you on their? Yeah? Are you there? Yes? Hello?

(50:19):
Go ahead? Yeah, how you doing? Yeah? Your guest is
in here listening, go right ahead?

Speaker 6 (50:24):
All right, yes, sir Johnny?

Speaker 2 (50:26):
Uh all right then, uh just a uh.

Speaker 6 (50:30):
Stand you gotta you definitely got a person that's dedicated
and uh, Johnny knows how I'm staying with him. I
worked with him a few years there and you know
even what he did for the uh for the sanitation
uh thing down down there, so we we, uh we
know what Johnny Moses stands for. And if I had
my way, I was whispered to Marry Young about who

(50:53):
the Knights director should be. But we ain't gonna call
no names read that, but saying you got a wonderful
person now, and I just want to let him know
that we put in for Matter as well because we
know those We know people I haven't seen people who
have to try to get off from work. Let's say
a person getting off of work at eleven o'clock at night,
or don't get off and they have to work a
little overtime, don't get off to twelve thirty. Those people

(51:14):
ain't got no bus service and everything. They be standing
out there waiting on somebody to help them to get home.
So we know what the problems are. And he's talking
about the people that need bus rides so they can
get back and forth. And we definitely need the business
community to get involved as well.

Speaker 2 (51:29):
Thank you very much for my time. Thank you, sir.
I appreciate that. Let me take another caller here, let's
go here. Wdi you good morning, you're on the radio. Yeah,
what say you? Yeah?

Speaker 4 (51:37):
Good moring lit Hey Jay. I wanted to talk about
the good times I had with MATTER growing up. Coming
out of Carver High School in eighty three, we had
the free bus.

Speaker 6 (51:47):
Pass a still exists for students. We could just ride
the bus free. We got a car at a Carver
school and.

Speaker 4 (51:57):
One of the great things we our favorite buff was
at thirty one cross Town. They rode all down through
South List, all the way through South List as far
as I I wrote on it was to Popula and Cleveland,
and then we hit the twelve Florida. You know, me
and Big Mama can drop can jump that twelve Florida
anytime we walked to No Way. And one last thing

(52:17):
is uh back then that was covered bus stop. You
know you can sit down, you know, block the sun,
block the rain. I don't I don't know who was
responsible for putting that there, but uh that's something good.
But I know for sure, I know some people perched
in my family who would work if they could get
out to feed and get back home or get out to.

Speaker 6 (52:39):
Uh Hickory Hill and get back you know to.

Speaker 2 (52:43):
Other part of the time. But they can't.

Speaker 6 (52:45):
You know, my daughter had to quit a job because
we lived we lived at uh my Woodale School and
she couldn't even get to the Hickory the wal greens,
that Hickory Hill the night on the buck got couldn't
you know, I was at work, so I couldn't take
But uh then y'all.

Speaker 5 (53:03):
Have have a good one.

Speaker 6 (53:03):
One more things, man, can you remember the bus I
mean it bought goose bump whenever I thought it buffs.

Speaker 7 (53:10):
Uh.

Speaker 4 (53:10):
That was decorated up like a show boat.

Speaker 6 (53:14):
I mean a good days Yeah that show bob.

Speaker 2 (53:17):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know.

Speaker 6 (53:19):
But boy matter, that was exciting time. But I don't
know what it's like now because I hadn't wrote the
buff since nineteen eighty six. I mean back in the
eighties when it's snow. I didn't want to get no
ice on them.

Speaker 2 (53:29):
Prove and bold and uh yeah I heard them, you
got end of them choosing bold.

Speaker 10 (53:34):
I understand.

Speaker 2 (53:36):
I appreciate you, man, class by the way, eighty three,
I appreciate that. Yeah, I believe that. Yeah, the late
attorney Ricky Wilkoms was that eighty three class and either
pass keep Norman a three class copper copas man, mister Moseley.
I digress. I get excited when I had somebody mentioned
copy and thinking about my mama over there type of
hitting folk knuckles, those great teachers back in the day.

(53:59):
He didn't think so den right, I said, there, you
keep your eyes on the company, pop pop pop pop.
I had a few of those. You just go back
some members and all these bus routes, man, all of it.
You know, the seventeen glen View, the ah Chelsea, the
nineteen Voluntier used to ride the north Side Man thirteen A.

Speaker 11 (54:16):
Lot of that.

Speaker 8 (54:17):
You went to Lamar and didn't you, right, I list
went to Lamorrow so we had the.

Speaker 2 (54:20):
Full walk for walker. Yeah yeah, see oh man. All right, Man,
I can go on with us some many, but I
want to say thank you. Man. Those are two most
important words in the language. I'm hoping and I know
you are and matter even I'm sure they're hoping that
all these outcomes will result in improved trust in the
community and of course satisfies customers and they can get

(54:41):
the best out of the city's investment. Shout out to
the mayor, the Honorable Paul Young, for what he's done
and what he's doing, you know, revamping things, getting a
fresh new board and then you know, and you got
folks who are concerned about this.

Speaker 6 (54:52):
Man.

Speaker 2 (54:52):
That's why I want to have you on. What are
your closing thoughts?

Speaker 8 (54:54):
We got to go Yeah, I can't say mercher about
very young and uh the beauty about the whole thing
that Mary uh uh and his staff reach out to us.
When I say us, I'm talking about not just cit
of better service. But mister Sam and Hannah, mister uh

(55:14):
uh London Bredon Uh and Missincio bat and we met
with him and we we we uh shared with him
our thoughts about public transportation, and we were we were
we were surprised and we were very umber that when
we started seeing things happening, we was like, Wow, he

(55:38):
is doing exactly what he promised that he would do
and and and he's moving this system in the direction
and hopefully things are get getting better. And I know
this may not be very very much consolation to those
who are going through their trials and tribulation right now
wouldn't matter, but but but I'm I feel a little

(55:59):
bit hope. And we got missent to your Bailey Uh
the other coachure. Yes, she is five and I'm not
gonna repeat what she said at that last boy meeting
because it's in the one of the local newspapers and
it was they she spoke her mind.

Speaker 2 (56:16):
And I was praying.

Speaker 9 (56:17):
I said, oh, please don't let her go bring that
hood out of her. You know, because we all we
both uh grew up uh not having uh the economic thing,
but we were blessed because we had to support of
folks and we wanted to thank the community and the

(56:38):
Congressman Steve Corn for being with us and and and
and represented justin Pearson, uh who who's stuck with us
from the very beginning before he even became uh the
state represented that he is today by the way, he's
my state representative.

Speaker 2 (56:54):
Uh. And I really appreciate mister Norman red Wing.

Speaker 8 (56:57):
I thought he was called in how he allowed us
to have meetings uh at his place at the village
and uh uh uh miss uh Barbara Brittain of the
Box Town Association uh uh.

Speaker 2 (57:11):
And and the.

Speaker 8 (57:12):
People all cross this city who believed in us and
and and and encouraging us, and the bus riders particularly
who have come to us and and all they have
said two words, thank you, and and that is exactly
what will keep us going. And all these sleepless nights
that we've had and all these meetings that we have
gone through. The truly that the rioters I mentioned about

(57:37):
being on the air a living legend five years ago
this month.

Speaker 11 (57:41):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (57:42):
Uh it was.

Speaker 8 (57:43):
It was the it was the Harry Tubman State represented
Couper was in charge of the Harry Tubman Living Legend
of Ward. Remember, Yeah, And it was five years ago
at the National Civil Rights Museum, the commercial pier printed
a list of forty eight of us that were being
on a that particular year.

Speaker 2 (58:00):
I was more onner that I Green was only listen,
and so I want to tell you some man, you
deserve it. Man. No one hates a job well done. Yeah,
but the people that the rioters are people the rider bus.

Speaker 8 (58:11):
To me, they are to live in a legend because
they're doing it too.

Speaker 2 (58:15):
The ridership. We've been talking with mister Johnny Moseley, founding
chairman of Citizens for Better Service. Thank you sir. He's
on it popping.

Speaker 1 (58:24):
It's the Stan Belle Morning Show week dates from sixty
ten AM on the Heart and Soul of Memphis ten
to seventy WD. I a