About the Coalition for a Better Memphis
Early in 2005, the Memphis Regional Chamber became aware of a successful project called The Committee for a Better Atlanta that had been operating since 1996 and has been credited with helping to elect highly qualified public officials in Atlanta, GA.
A group of Memphis community leaders became aware of the project and felt that a similar effort might assist Memphis voters. After reviewing the Memphis Chamber’s initial research, the group went to Atlanta and met with the Atlanta Committee. Two of the members of the Memphis group – Calvin Anderson of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee and Dean Deyo of the Leadership Academy – have taken on the role of co-conveners of a planning task group which has helped to develop The Coalition for a Better Memphis (CBM).
There are already many well-qualified elected officials in Memphis and Shelby County, but the experience of the Atlanta group has shown that qualified candidates have three things in common:
- Qualifications and Experience
- A Vision and a process to address the main issues
- The ability to implement their vision
The CBM believes Memphis needs to continue to elect candidates that can meet these important goals. The CBM believes that voters should have as much information as possible about the candidates including general qualifications and an assessment of each candidate’s understanding of and commitment to key issues facing the City of Memphis to ensure that qualified candidates will be elected. The CBM believes that the process will also encourage new talented candidates, by showing that voters really care about the issues.
The CBM will measure announced candidates against a previously established criteria and bring the results to the attention of the Coalition members and to Shelby County voters.
The Coalition will, through research and consensus, establish the priorities that are important for the community. Criteria will generally cover economic
development and quality of life issues as well as the candidate’s qualifications and leadership traits.
Following the final qualifying, all registered candidates will receive an information packet outlining the CBM plans with a questionnaire to fill out. The questionnaire will ask for information on the candidate’s qualifications, leadership traits and their specific plans concerning the priority issues. Each candidate will also be interviewed by a committee from the Coalition.
The full response from each candidate will be published on the web site (www.bettermemphis.org). The results of the in-person interview will be combined with the results of the questionnaire for a total score. The total score as well as a descriptive guide covering the issues will be widely distributed throughout the community and published in the media. In addition, each Coalition member will be encouraged to provide their members and employees with the results through their own internal publications.
The CBM will not single out or endorse any individual candidate. The scores will feature all candidates that respond. These scores are considered to be an informational tool for voters.
This process is not designed to replace any current media or organization’s endorsement, system or process. The CBM voter’s guide is designed to be a tool for coalition members and voters to provide information necessary to make an informed choice. Individuals and organizations can use this information as a resource for their own process and make decisions about what is important to them in supporting the candidate of their choice.
The organization is funded by its members and by grants, in-kind support, and sponsorships from area companies and foundations.