The 9:01: Lee Harris unveils transition team

Shelby County mayor-elect Lee Harris announced the executive members of his transition team for the fast-approaching Sept. 1 hand off from Mayor Mark Luttrell.

The team will be co-chaired by former Memphis Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins, who is also an investor in an Overton Square eatery, and former Downtown Memphis Commission president Paul Morris, who is currently president of Jack Morris Auto Glass. Danielle Inez, Harris’ campaign manager, will serve as executive director.

Harris also unveiled a new website, transitionshelby.com, to solicit members of the community who want to help plan and see through the transition.

On the website, Harris re-emphasized his desire for an inclusive government: “We’re building a coalition of leaders that is multi-racial, multi-generational, and that spans the entire Shelby County.”

Here’s what Harris had to say about his executive team:

“We are building a transition team that reflects the astonishing diversity of talent in this County. I am pleased that Paul and Lionel have agreed to lead this effort. They are knowledgeable and highly respected in this community. They have made this community their home by choice. They have raised kids here. They care deeply about our community. The swearing-in and the formal change in administrations is right around the corner. However, I believe that Paul and Lionel are the type of leaders who, even in this compressed timeframe, can get things done.”

Those are all solid choices. During his tenure, Morris set the tone at the Downtown Memphis Commission with his efficiency and optimism. A good question now is whether he’ll have a role in Harris’ administration beyond the transition.

Hollins was looking for someone to coach, and now he’s found that someone. It’s a good start for Harris.

Is the ‘tough-on-crime’ era over?

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland, bolstered by polls, hammered public safety during the course of his 2015 campaign. And it worked.

But would it work again if he decides to run for a second term in 2019? Tonyaa Weathersbee, a columnist for The CA, looked at how Republican David Lenoir’s tough-on-crime message came up short in the county mayor’s race, raising the question of whether the electorate’s appetite for tough-on-crime talk is waning. An excerpt:

But these days, when talk that hints of supporting draconian approaches to crime is mixed with talk of reform, at best it comes across as insincere, and at worse, it comes across as a dog whistle to conjure old stereotypes about Democrats caring more about criminals than victims.

In the end, what Lenoir didn’t realize is that he was behind the times; that even though Shelby County has a high crime rate, people want their resources used to address the issues that fuel crime.

Despite Lenoir’s attempts to create a divide, he and Harris were saying roughly the same thing through the campaign, with a different emphasis: Crack down on violent crime but focus on prevention. Harris seemed more interested in talking about how poverty feeds the criminal justice system than actual criminal justice reforms, though.

Also, Lenoir didn’t hit the public safety nerve nearly as often as Strickland. And in this election year, it certainly didn’t help Lenoir that he had the “R” next to his name.

So, yes, tough-on-crime messaging still works, and it will still play a role in elections — and especially in 2019, I expect. If you ask local pollsters, they say the tough talk works — and that’s especially true with black voters, according to Steven Reid, Strickland’s 2015 political strategist. Strickland needs black voters’ support to win reelection.

Voters’ attitudes are probably changing, gradually, and they should. But expect more of the same from Strickland in 2019 — especially if local law enforcement continues making headway in reducing crime.

Roland’s new job: Terry Roland, a Republican firebrand who is reaching the end of his term on the Shelby County Commission and who lost his bid for the GOP nomination in the county mayor’s race, is the new director of Millington’s Chamber of Commerce.

The announcement came during a luncheon Tuesday, The Daily News reports. But don’t imagine Roland has given up on holding political office again. From the article:

Roland also vows he will be back in four years when the county elections just decided will be on the ballot once more.

Reach Ryan Poe at poe@commercial appeal.com and on Twitter at @ryanpoe.