----This was posted by Rich over at www.wrestlingnewscenter. I am not sure where he got it from, but Lawler did come off in the article as being a real candidate. It surprises me that he would not quit the WWE. CLICK HERE to watch the whole debate!!
Jerry Lawler was at the the first Mayoral debate that was held by WMC-TV in Memphis at Opera Memphis . All candidates answered a rapid-fire series of questions from a trio of panelists well-versed in Memphis politics.Candidates also answered questions from Action News 5 viewers.
The funniest thing to happen last night was when the candidates arrived, Shelby County Mayor A.C. Wharton headed in the other direction when he saw Robert "Prince Mongo" Hodges, a repeat mayoral candidate who claims to be a space alien from a planet called Zambodia. Hodges was seated next to candidate and pro-wrestler Jerry Lawler, who slowly moved away from him.
Jerry Lawler was asked the question "Would you quit WWE if you become Mayor of Memphis"? Lawler told the reporters it would be a good thing for him to continue to be on WWE Monday Night Raw. He's like an ambassador for Memphis. He said that nobody running could give more national exposure to Memphis than him being on WWE every Monday night for two hours in front of a millions of people.
Lawler said some consider his campaign a "joke" because of his wrestling celebrity, but he emphasized that he would run the city like a business. Lawler said "In 1977...I walked in off Union Avenue into WMC's studios, met with the General Manager, and asked him if he would like for me to start a wrestling company at his station. I walked in off the street, started with absolutely nothing, and built one of the most successful wrestling companies in the entire country."
In a night where many politicians agreed and refused to take hard-line stances, Lawler pledged to not raise taxes under any conditions. "That is a politician's way of answering all our problems: raise taxes. As mayor, I will go through the city budget with a fine-tooth comb. We all know there's waste, misapporpiation, and fat that needs to be cut out. The money is there, without raising property taxes or raising taxes of any kind. These people [other mayoral candidates] don't care about your money. Politicians think they know how to spend your money better than you do. I'm about finding the waste, cutting out the fat, spending that money that is allocated properly, not raising taxes, and letting the people keep their own money in their pockets."
When asked about the issue of the Pyramid, Lawler assured the voters something would absolutely be done with it. "We have been sitting with a closed Pyramid, at a cost to the taxpayers of over a million dollars a year." Lawler pledged to keep all options on the table. "Whether it be Bass Pro Shop, a casino, or indoor amusement park...we can't do what we did yesterday, and that's nothing."
Lawler again reaffirmed his commitment to bringing new jobs and industry to Memphis: "The potential of Memphis is just tremendous. Memphis has never been marketed properly, not only to the country, but to the world. I want to market Memphis like a superstar. I want to sell Memphis to the world."
On increasing and revitalizing tourism: "I, as Mayor, would do everything in my power to utilize other parts of Memphis - possibly the Pyramid or Mud Island - to help complement Graceland and bring more tourism into the city."
