The past five-plus years have been punishing for Clarksdale with population decline, decline in retail stores, decline in property values and a decline in safety and security.
We’ve all heard a lot of talk about improving Clarksdale and there are candidates, past and present, out there promising you the moon if you will only give them a job - and paycheck - serving you as Mayor or City Commissioner.
I drove home Monday night and heard a shooting just blocks from my home.
You can drive around any neighborhood in Clarksdale proper and see abandoned and burned out houses.
Our schools are less than the best, and we would like to point out your Clarksdale City Commissioners and Mayor appoint your city school board members.
So what will Clarksdale look like in five years?
Questions
Will we have done away with 250 burned-out houses by demolishing 50 a year in a tough and aggressive neighborhood clean-up program like the city promised?
Will the streets paved this summer still be in good shape by not allowing heavy trucks and cars leaking oil and transmission fluid to be parked indefinitely on city streets like city commissioners promised?
Can we get 50 junk cars out of people’s yards each year and 250 hauled off in five years like the mayor said he would? With a neighbor on each side and one across the street that’s 750 happy voters.
Will we have our homicide rate in single digits by adequately funding police and then holding hometown judges’ accountable so those convicted of crime are justifiably punished?
Will we have collected half a million dollars a year in unpaid fines to finally get the $2 million owed off the books?
Will we clean up and fix three empty downtown store fronts a year and have 15 marketable business properties that add much to the charm and appearance of our town? There are ordinances that allow the city to do this.
Will our two public school districts be consolidated and the $55 million spent annually on two school systems, bring $275 million in quality education to today’s middle-schoolers who will graduate in five short years?
Will ten percent of our people continue to leave over the next five years sending our population to under 10,000?
Will highways and interstates be built to bring goods to our stores and carry away products manufactured in our factories?
Will our hospital be here and will we have found the solution to solve the healthcare crisis that is affecting the entire Mississippi Delta?
Answers
Yes, it is easy to ask these questions and sadly, many will nod their head and not do anything to help solve these problems.
One of the answers is Clarksdale can not suffer another four years like this.
Population decline is more than people looking for something better. It's people voting with their feet. And those voters have left town over the past five years.
It’s people looking around and saying “why do people live like this?"
I could get all mystical and churchy on you, but that’s not today’s point
Leadership
Look around at thriving businesses, schools and churches in this town. The good ones have have good leadership.
They have men and women in charge who are no-nonsense and serious about pushing their employees, congregation or students to do their very best.
We would like to point out Clarksdale voters will head to the polls in 12 days to pick city leaders.
Who are the men and women who can turn this town around? Who are the men and women on the ballot with the qualifications, education and experience to run a multi-million dollar operations.
Clarksdale also needs leaders who can honestly get people to come to the table and make a plan for our community.
If we don’t . . . well, what will Clarksdale look like in five years?
Floyd Ingram is the Editor of your Clarksdale Press Register. He has lived among you for the past five years. Call him at 662-627-2201 if you have questions, answers or want to lead us to a better way of life.
