Are You a Deadbeat Parent? Memphis Has A Check For You

Before I write this I will state a disclaimer. Disclaimer begins in 5...4...3...2...1...


I think Memphis has a very good mayor. For 14 years before I moved here the mayor of Memphis was apparently one of the most unlikeable, hate-filled, racist (he is black), corrupt politicians in the history of a city with a rich history of corrupt politicians. The current mayor, A.C. Wharton, seems by all accounts to be very different. I listened to him speak at St. Jude once. He exudes charisma and excitement. He is very positive about this city. He has cut some huge deals to bring big businesses to the city. He is very likeable, not hate-filled, and not a racist (he doesn't blame everybody's problems on white people). The refreshing thing is, I don't know if he's a democrat or a republican. I'm assuming he's a democrat because, hey, this is Memphis but I like him and will vote for his re-election in 2012.

Disclaimer is now over. However, a story in the local news today baffles me. As he always does, Mayor Wharton is this city's number one cheerleader and is always looking for ways to promote the city and for ways to take advantage of programs to bring money into Memphis.

Mayor Bloomberg of NYC has a personal foundation which offers grants to help cities that are suffering excessively from the typical woes that urban areas face (certainly Memphis fits that bill). The foundation focuses on public health, education, the arts, the environment, social services, and innovations in government.

Memphis has been selected to receive a portion of funds from this foundation to combat its many problems. One of Wharton's ideas that caught Mayor Bloomberg's attention is the notion of offering cash incentives to parents as a way to get them involved in their child's education.

I'm a little puzzled by this. On the one hand I want to say that at least Mayor Wharton realizes that a lack of parental involvement is at the top of the list of why Memphis's schools are failing. I mean, there really isn't much that city government can do to legislate better parental involvement.

But on the other hand I'm thinking, is this really the best that can be done with this money?? Offer it to parents, many who are going to spend it on heaven-knows-what?? And the ones who aren't going to spend it on cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, etc. are the ones who aren't involved because they are single moms and have to work full-time just to pay bills so they won't be able to increase their involvement very easily anyway.

Is this what we've come to in our society?? Inner city parents aren't motivated by love to supervise their child's education so we have to offer them money? How pathetic. And sad.

I like Mayor Wharton and I'll chalk this decision up to a moment of careless brainstorming for solutions. He's earned the benefit of the doubt, I think. But it's a sad day when we start rewarding deadbeat parents with a paycheck.