WKNO TRANSCRIPT
CHRISTOPHER BLANK (Host): The political battle in Washington is hitting Memphis this week as SNAP benefits are set to run out and food pantries in the area face shortages. With us to talk about that is Memphis political analyst Otis Sanford. Welcome back.
OTIS SANFORD: Thank you, Chris. Thank you for having me back.
BLANK: Shelby County has, by far, the highest number of people in Tennessee who rely on what used to be called food stamps -- over 150,000 people. And that adds up to about $33 million per month in food assistance. On top of that potential loss here, local food banks and church pantries are reportedly low on supplies right now. What kind of impact could this have on our community?
SANFORD: A tremendous impact, and it's all negative. You know, we are already one of the nation's poorest communities, Chris. We've been that way for a while, and the fact that so many people in this community rely on SNAP benefits just to feed their families means that when we don't have those funds available, people are in dire straits. So yes, it is alarming and it should be alarming for all of us.
BLANK: Some people may find it hard to understand how we live in a state where our governor wrote thousands of $7,000 checks this year to help wealthy families with private school tuition, a state with a $2 billion rainy day fund for emergencies, a state where Republicans made the Bible an official state book. Yet, Gov. Lee has said he would not help the state's poorest people get through this emergency food crisis. How does he justify this?
SANFORD: He's justifying it because he's towing the Republican Party line here. You can't tell me that a state with as many technological advances as we claim to have--we can't figure out a way to get money into the hands of people to buy food because he's saying we can't upload any money on the SNAP cards. Well, you're the leader here. Your state ought to be able to figure out how to get some emergency help here. Other states have done it, and he's just playing politics here and towing the Republican Party line.
BLANK: Well, is there anything local politicians can do or need to be doing? Or is this a strictly federal or and state issue?
SANFORD: Well, I mean, let's be honest. it is a federal issue, but other states have risen to the occasion and figured out a way. What local people can do is to continue to work with private entities, try to shore up the Memphis Food Bank. They're running low on food. There's something locals can do. But again, we have money in the state to do this, or at least to provide some emergency help, and we're just not doing it.
BLANK: On another matter, the Shelby County Commission overturned a veto this week by Mayor Lee Harris. And now all nine school board seats will likely be on next year's ballot. Why is this an important change in local politics?
SANFORD: Well, this is an important change because for the first time we will have -- assuming a court doesn't overturn it-- we will have all nine Memphis Shelby County School Board seats on the ballot at one time. So there will likely be a greater turnout. But again, I'm not totally sure that we won't have a lawsuit here, and maybe court intervention, and who knows what could happen after that.
BLANK: Republicans like Sen. Brent Taylor and Rep. Mark White have long been pushing for a state takeover of the school district. If this all passes and we do realign the school board elections -- there's also new term limits for school board members -- do you think that would put a pause on these efforts for a state takeover of the district?
SANFORD: Some on the county commission are hoping that it will forestall any state takeover and maybe some others even in the community who were pushing for this. They are hoping that this will happen. But again, who knows with this legislature?
BLANK: Well, finally Otis, it seems like one of the biggest worries of the Memphis Safe Task Force was about the optics of the National Guard. But at the moment, the biggest news that we keep reading about is about these immigration arrests. They have made a huge impact in some neighborhoods and schools. As this task force goes on, what should we be most concerned about as a community?
SANFORD: Well, I just think you nailed it in your question, Chris. A story that hadn't been reported too widely is that the mayor and the police chief acknowledged that they are now working with ICE. We certainly need to be concerned about the fear that I'm reading about among Hispanic families and who are now taking their children out of school. The truth is, Chris, we were focused on the wrong thing when we kept talking about National Guard, National Guard, National Guard. The National Guard hasn't really had a major impact other than walking around with the police department. It's the ICE agents, the border patrol, and to a lesser extent the state police, and especially ICE with these raids, and it appears to be violating the constitutional rights of people who just are there to watch and to monitor and to take video of these actions. That's what we need to be be concerned about.
