WKNO TRANSCRIPT
CHRISTOPHER BLANK (Host): The whole Mid-South has been under-the-weather this week, and by that I mean literally under it. Who knew that snow and sleet can sometimes turn into concrete? Maybe this guy knows: Zooming into my kitchen table from his home office is political analyst Otis Sanford. Welcome back.
OTIS SANFORD: Thank you, Chris. Hope you're staying safe and warm.
BLANK: I can't go anywhere, so I am both warm and safe. You know Otis, the truth is Shelby County dodged the worst of this weather. There are thousands of people in middle Tennessee and down in North Mississippi who are still without power, and I think we both wish them a speedy recovery.
SANFORD: Oh, no doubt about it.
BLANK: You know, thinking about past winters here in Memphis, our usual problems are with MLGW -- power outages and frozen pipes. But this year has really been about the roads. And Sam Hardiman of the Daily Memphian reports that our city has 15 snowplows. And this is far fewer than Nashville and even Knoxville. Otis, I know you've been here many winters. Is this a wake up call?
SANFORD: Yes, I think this is somewhat of a wake-up call. Memphis is about 300 square miles, Chris, with 630,000 residents. We have been having more snow events in the last few years. And so, I do think this is a wake-up call to maybe improve our snow removal structures.
BLANK: One climatologist was quoted that the odds of having plowable street conditions have been 50-50 since the year 2000. That's 2 inches or more of snow. Now, if you're a budget person, does a week or so of shutting down schools, the courts, not to mention the impact on small businesses, does it justify the expense of more infrastructure to get rid of the snow and ice?
SANFORD: I just think that because of the economic impact with lost time at work, businesses losing revenue, public agencies not being able to open, I do think from a fiscal point of view, the people at City Hall should be looking at how can we invest a little bit more into some of this removal to help the city's economy.
BLANK: Well, Otis, state politics have have largely been on hold this week, but we've also been watching the events unfold in Minneapolis. As you wrote in a column, Memphis kind of got lassoed into this news because Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called us collaborators instead of agitators. And she credited Mayor Paul Young for being a team player. Why did that strike a nerve with some folks here?
SANFORD: Well, because I think there are a lot of people who don't want the heavy-handedness that certainly the immigration enforcement people are providing here. While there has not been a serious incident here in terms of somebody getting shot or killed, there have been a lot of heavy-handed incidents here. And so, that struck a nerve because we don't want that level of enforcement where people's constitutional rights are being violated.
BLANK: Mayor Young made a brief statement on social media this week to say that MPD is not doing immigration enforcement, but there have been numerous videos and news reports showing MPD working in tandem with ICE and Border Patrol. The mayor surely has to know this. How should he address it?
SANFORD: I think what he should do right now is be more transparent with the public about exactly what MPD is doing with immigration people. Answer the questions. Don't put out an Instagram video like he did the other day. That's not enough. He needs to be talking to the media and answering questions about exactly what the MPD is doing with immigration and customs enforcement.
BLANK: Memphis has not reacted to some of these federal agencies the way the folks in Minneapolis have reacted. Why do you think that is? Why hasn't there been more pushback here in a city, you know, known for its activism?
SANFORD: With the exception of people like County Mayor Lee Harris and maybe a couple of city councilmen, J.B. Smiley being one, there has not been that level of pushback from elected officials, including Mayor Young. But you have some people in this community, Chris, who are pushing back. There have been some protests, but not nearly to the level of Minneapolis, because, I think, they are far more heavy-handed and brutal in Minneapolis than they have been here.
BLANK: Do you also think that maybe -- maybe -- we as Memphians just like the fact that the crime rate has gone down a lot? That there is, in fact, a lot less crime in the city, at least, judging by appearances.
SANFORD: You know, I would say more than half the population would say, yeah, it's been worth it. But we have to continue to say the crime was going down starting in 2024. The Memphis police deserve some credit for that. And I still say that there are some people, immigrants and even citizens, people who were born in this country, who have been mistreated in Memphis. Not to the level of Minneapolis, but certainly there have been some incidents.