It Is a Shame: How Memphis Is Being Run by Government Gangsters

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Memphis Mayor Paul Young 

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The Southern Truth

By Gloria Zuurveen, Editor-in-Chief, PACE NEWS

Lord have mercy on Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis needs Your mercy, Your strength, and Your grace to lift this city from the shadows of corruption and neglect. Once a beacon of Black achievement and culture, Memphis now struggles under the weight of government gangsters —according to investigative reporting by the Shelby County Observer, whistleblower Joe Kent uncovered what appears to be a $100 million fraud inside Memphis Light, Gas & Water (MLGW) — allegedly approved and supported by Mayor Paul Young and the Memphis City Council. The staff of the report used the term “government gangsters” to describe the city officials involved, a phrase originally coined by FBI Director Kash Patel in his book Government Gangsters: The Deep State, the Truth, and the Battle for Our Democracy. This powerful label captures what happens when public officials act not as servants of the people, but as self-interested profiteers. While Knoxville pays about $7,223 per mile for cutting trees, Memphis is being charged $23,152 per mile — with projections set to rise to $27,000 per mile in 2026. shelbycountyobserver.com

• Of the $228 million contract:
    • $93.5 million has already been spent or budgeted for 2023-2025. shelbycountyobserver.com
    • $30.3 million is projected for 2026-2028 at benchmark pricing. shelbycountyobserver.com
    • The remaining $103.8 million is deemed “pure rip-off.”

I remember the Memphis of my youth: summers spent at the City Parks, Overton specifically, with peanut butter sandwiches — which we called “Choke Outs” — Beale Street alive with the sound of W.C. Handy, Isaac Hayes lighting up the Mid-South Coliseum, and Rev. Al Green singing “For the Good Times.” Families traveled together, neighborhoods thrived, and Black pride was the fabric of daily life.

But all that changed on that awful April day in 1968, when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel. That day cast a shadow over Memphis — a spell that still lingers, as the promise of integration fractured the once-unified Black community and drove many away from South Memphis. What was once fertile ground for growth became a landscape of blight, neglect, and division.

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Today, the echoes of that betrayal are visible in every corner of the city government. Mayor Paul Young and the Memphis City Council, in collusion with MLGW leadership, have allegedly approved multi-million-dollar contracts that drain the taxpayers. Kent uncovered what is being called a $100 million fraud involving MLGW tree-trimming contracts. Vendors are being paid exorbitant sums — tens of thousands per mile — while the public gets nothing in return. This is not fiscal oversight; this is theft disguised as municipal business.

And yet, amidst the corruption, there are voices of truth. I was informed of these abuses firsthand by Judge Joe Brown, a man who is raw, real, and unafraid to call out wrongdoing. Unlike the politicians who bow to the pressures of contracts and backroom deals, Judge Brown speaks directly to the people. He is widely respected by the grassroots of Memphis for his integrity and unwavering commitment to justice. He is the kind of leader who reminds the city of what real accountability looks like, much like the Holy Ghost power that once permeated the air of Memphis.

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Judge Brown has stood for the people, not the insiders. He rebukes the political elites much like Jesus did the Scribes and Pharisees — calling out their hypocrisy, their betrayal of the community, and their manipulation of systems that were meant to uplift citizens. Where the city council and mayor see dollars and contracts, Judge Brown sees justice and duty. That is why, despite what power and money try to enforce, he remains beloved among the people.

The facts are clear: the MLGW scandal is just the tip of the iceberg. According to Kent’s reporting:

• $228 million in tree contracts spread among three vendors, with costs per mile far exceeding benchmarks from comparable cities.

• Tens of millions already spent, millions projected, and the remainder described by Kent as “pure rip-off.”

• Decisions approved or ignored by the city’s highest officials, leaving taxpayers to shoulder the burden.

This is not just mismanagement — it is a mockery of government, a betrayal of the people, and a stark contrast to the Memphis I remember: a city of Black pride, culture, and community resilience.

It is a crying shame that leadership today prioritizes greed over governance, image over integrity, contracts over community. But Judge Joe Brown reminds us that there is still a path forward — one grounded in truth, accountability, and respect for the citizens of Memphis.

Memphis can rise again, but it will take courage. It will take the people waking up, speaking out, and rejecting this modern-day spell of corruption. The government gangsters must be exposed, held accountable, and removed from power, and the city must return to the values that once made it a beacon for Black excellence and unity.

The Southern truth is clear: we cannot let the city’s promise be stolen. The people must act — not tomorrow, not next week, but now. Memphis deserves better. Black leadership, when rooted in service rather than self-interest, can still restore what has been lost.