Given the typical nature of politicians, it shouldn't be too surprising that when Obama announced he was going to create a huge public-works spending program in an attempt to boost the economy, Frank Melton was right there with his list of projects to submit to the federal government, all 170 ($560 million) of them. If you don't have any idea what these projects are, don't feel too bad, as the Jackson media did a pitiful job reporting on Melton's outrageous grab for some government pork (although Gannett's Washington D.C. reporter did write a short list of highlights for the Clarion-Ledger. No link to a complete list was provided.).
Complete List of Projects
Reading through the list of projects reveals more than a few items of pork and questionable value. Here is a partial list of some of them:
$750,000 for Legion Field Softball Complex (4-plex)
$2.5 million for improving Meadowbrook from State St. to I-55
$1 million for renovation of Viola Lake Community Center
$800,000 for design and construction of Historic Garden in the Farish Street
Historical District.
$3.5 million for Splash Parks
$5 million for Buddy Butts Park Improvements
$3.4 million for design and construction of 30 condo units in Farish Street Historical
District (FSHD) (I wonder who thought of THAT one)
$10 million for FOUR OLYMPIC-SIZED NATATORIUMS
$1 million for Josh Halbert Gardens improvements
$1 million for 509 Pearl Street Building Improvements
$1 million for city baseball fields lighting improvements
$115,000 for UMC Medical Mall Signal Synchronization Plan
$2 million for VA Park Lighting Improvements
$5.5 million for Jatran administrative building (to make LEEDS compliant)
$2.7 million for Playground safety enhancements
$4 million for the impound lot facility
$1 million for solar panels for all community centers operated by city
$1.5 million for Mynelle Gardens
$1.5 million for Battlefield Park
$1.875 million to build 15 units of affordable housing in Royal Manor
$2.5 million to build 20 units of affordable housing in Loginlp Subdivision
$4 million to build 40 units of affordable housing units in Bon Air
$12 million to resurface McDowell Road from I-55 to Hwy 18
$6 million for 18 Jatran buses
$2 million for AVL bus tracking system
$1.5 million for signal improvements at Ridgewood and Old Canton (HUH? It was just done
in the last few years and is working fine.)
Then there are the airports:
$30 million to extend runways at JEIA
$6.2 million for pavement rehabilitation at JEIA
$5 million for installation of perimeter road at JEIA
$15 million to expand International Drive to four lanes at JEIA
$15 million to relocate the air traffic control tower at JEIA
$2,672,303 for passenger boarding bridges at JEIA
Why not just tear down the airport and build a new one. Wait, that IS what they are doing. Had enough? Lets go to Hawkins Field:
$3 million for "access control"
$15 million for runway extension
Olympic Sized pools? Practically building TWO new airports? Gardens? Private housing? What the hell are we doing asking the government to pay for these things, as they are a complete waste of money. Developers are having a tough enough time without competing against the government building private condos in the soon-to-be-developed Farish Street District. We've spent millions renovating the airport over the last few years, yet Jackson wants to tear it all down and start over again?
The Clarion-Ledger reported: "They are things the city desperately needs, but we don't have the money for them," said Robert Walker, Jackson's chief administrative officer." The city DESPERATELY needs FOUR Olympic-sized natatoriums? The city DESPERATELY needs to pay for 30 condos so rich folks can enjoy living by some nightlife? Mr. Walker is honest in saying the city doesn't have the money for these projects and if there is any shred of responsibility among the citizens of Jackson, it will NEVER have the money for some of these projects.
The editorial page at the newspaper abdicated its duty to inform its readers and hold leaders accountable, as it referred to building private condos for Farish Street as "Farish Street Entertainment District needs" and said "They could create thousands of jobs." No wonder they are losing money and laying off employees if this is their idea of sound fiscal management. But I digress.
Apparently Melton (surprise) learned nothing from Katrina, as Governor Blanco of Louisiana tried to pull the same stunt with her request for recovery funds. The amount she requested was so high, as she tried to include many creative inventions of government pork, even the Democrats in Congress refused to help Louisiana after Katrina. While there are projects definitely needed on this list, there is simply too much garbage in this request for Jackson to escape any scrutiny.
Think the criticism of Jackson is too harsh? Look at what other cities asked for in their requests: Little Rock: less than 80 projects. Baton Rouge: 40 projects. New Orleans: 38 projects. You read right: 38. Not even RAY NAGIN was as bad as Frank Melton and that is WITH Katrina damage. Birmingham: 28 projects. Cincinnati: 30 projects. Mobile: 12 projects. Jackson requested funding for 170 projects, the longest list out of all the requests.
No criticism needs to be made, as these project requests and Mr. Walker's statements speak for themselves. Nice to know that once again, Melton and his boy have made Jackson the laughingstock of the nation.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Jackson's Demand for $560 Million of Pork.
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1 comment:
I'd question the need for this item also:
$2.5 million for improving Meadowbrook from State St. to I-55
Ironic that while the Council recently approved a bond issue to cover only 1/2 of Boyd's needs to rehabilitate Jackson's degrading system of third-world streets and road -- and when you consider it is about as likely that an iceberg will float down the Pearl as it is that the city is going to have anywhere close to the monies necessary to fund the $10 million needed annually to maintain the roads in good condition (meaning we're spending good bond money on resurfacing/rebuilding but have nothing to maintain after the fact) -- nowhere on the list Melton submitted is a request to go the rest of the way and fully fund the 2nd half of what is required for Jackson's streets and roads. Did you hear anything at all about that fact from the seven stooges on the City Council? NOPE.
More great reporting KF from JJ. You are right, nothing from the C-L or the JFP on any of this.
Meanwhile, instead of looking into these details as you have, control freaky Donna Ladd spends valuable time responding to message board rumors she thinks sullies her reputation over at the C-L website. I've got news for Ladd nobody gives a damn and few people believe your JFP bullshit.
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