Jackson Jambalaya

I am all for merit pay raises, but shouldn't something be going right in Jack-troit before they do this?

We are governed by imbeciles and imbeciles vote by the thousands.

Weill shows integrity by voting with Johnson even though he supported the Mayor's opponent. Has Johnson removed the chip on his shoulder so that now he will treat Weill like a valued resource?

I still say killing JATRAN would free up some much needed cash.

Weill demonstrates integrity when he votes with the Mayor? Then I suppose the Councilman loses, or lacks, that same integrity each time he votes against him. You Harvey Johnson haters need to get over it.

For some, Johnson is right when he agrees with Weill. For others, Weill is right when he agrees with Johnson. When they agree, one or the other is showing integrity.

Well, I guess we're screwed if Johnson and Weill are both wrong on the facts at the same time.

Oh, I guess since some of you think one or the other is infallible, it's is then impossible for both to be wrong.

I think the point was Weill showed some integrity voting for Harvey and showing he was willing to support him even though they just had a public disagreement.

I don't think it is integrity to back your position. Weill was voting his position, which is that the budget cannot sustain the pay raises.

Harvey happens to agree, so they can support each other on this issue. That doesn't mean that they won't clash again. What it seems to mean to me is that the two men are good politicians who can disagree on an issue (the increase in patrol officers by cutting civilian jobs) and then work together on an issue (the city worker raise).

I don't call not cutting your nose off to spite your face a form of integrity.

Oh, and Paul; JackTroit is hilarious! I get it!

It's because you are equating Jackson with another city with a densely African-American population that you perceive to be a failure!

Your humor is so sublime! Why don't you just call it Jafrica and go straight for the racism?

Andrew, I was referring to a failing city run by Democrats that has turned into a cesspool because they always ruin what they control, but I like your racist angle, too! St. Jackson (St Louis) or District of Jackson (Washington DC) don't work too well.

Because it simply cannot be a ideological thing at all. It simply MUST be racism!!!

That's what the thin veneer does for you. It gives you plausible deniability. Good work.

Maybe, just maybe, you equate Democrats with African-Americans. I noticed that you didn't include cities like Denver, Colorado, Seattle, Washington, or Portland, Oregon, or Hartford, Connecticut, Boston, Massachusetts, San Francisco, California, Atlanta, Georgia, etc., on your list of cities run by Democrats. I don't think they have "ruined what they control". Oh, wait, you needed failing cities run by Democrats.

Wait, I see. When you made the racist jab, you didn't explain your criteria, which was apparently "failing cities run by Democrats in Southern/Midwestern cities with majority black populations that make convenient cute nicknames for Jackson". Now I am much more clear.

Seems more about color than politics. When's the last time you spent more than a month out of Mississippi? Maybe you should get out more.

//waits for inevitable weak return smack such as "I was in L.A. for a week last month on work", etc.

Andrew, I am sorry, do you know me? Do you FEEL that you are qualified to make very personal statements regarding what I hold as ideologically important? Or even what RACE that I am? Hmmmm.

I certainly do not believe that you are my travel agent. Plus, I am unaware of any differences in the philosophy of people wherever they live, but I am not an idiot, so tell me, are there?

By the way, is race such an issue that ideology becomes unimportant? Is "Andrew" your anonymous name, BILL MINOR?

The one thing that I should point out is that there is a dumb part of people that support Democrats, their BRAIN.

By the way, Jackver, Jackttle, Jackland, Jackta still do not have the attraction of Jack-troit to me. It MUST be racism. I can safely assume that you are not a poet, either.

Andrew when was the last time YOU spent a month or more outside of Mississippi and where did you go?

The cute question and dismissive prediction of an answer doesn't bolster your argument.

I have lived for more than 5 (adult, working) years outside of Mississippi. I have enjoyed being back except for the narrow mindedness of the people of this city about how to improve it, or rather, how there is no way to improve it.

As far as your comments, Paul, having grown up here, I have heard my whole life people calling Jackson "JackTroit", "New Jack City", "Jafrica", and it's pretty clear what the intimation is. It's not about the state of government, but for the portion of government that is African-American.

You'll never admit it, and I don't expect you to. But the use of the epithet makes your intention clear.

I am quite aware of the difference of philosophies of people in different regions of the country. That is a blanket statement, so to that, a blanket answer.

Oh, and my name is Andrew.

Andrew, odd that you can CLAIM to know the different philosophies based totally on location and I do not even acknowledge that that kind of craziness exists.

So, can we just agree that you attacked me personally because you projected your racism upon me without knowing me? Andrew, usually I refer to yours as a PASSIVE MIND. I do not agree with you, so in your passive mind, that fails to acknowledge differences in ideology, I must be a racist.

When you reach the bottom of the hole, sir, quit digging or risk making yourself look increasingly silly.

One thing that you shall learn hopefully, is that there are a great many people that laugh at charges of racism from intellectually incurious people. Just saying.

Still don't know the color of my skin, huh?

saw this on another site (unrelated topic) and thought it apropos here (note the party notations, no reference to race):
=============================
Guess that explains this!!!!!!!!
Poverty in Our Cities. City, State, % of People Below the Poverty Level
1. Detroit , MI 32.5%
2. Buffalo , NY 29.9%
3. Cincinnati , OH 27.8%
4. Cleveland , OH 27.0%
5. Miami , FL 26.9%
6. St. Louis , MO 26.8%
7. El Paso , TX 26.4%
8. Milwaukee , WI 26.2%
9. Philadelphia , PA 25.1%
10. Newark , NJ 24.2%
U.S. Census Bureau, 2006 American Community Survey, August 2007
What do the top ten cities (over 250,000) with the highest poverty rate all have in common?
Detroit , MI (1st on the poverty rate list) hasn't elected a Republican mayor since 1961;
Buffalo , NY (2nd) hasn't elected one since 1954;
Cincinnati , OH (3rd)...since 1984;
Cleveland , OH (4th)...since 1989;
Miami , FL (5th) has never had a Republican mayor;
St. Louis , MO (6th)....since 1949;
El Paso , TX (7th) has never had a Republican mayor;
Milwaukee , WI (8th)...since 1908;
Philadelphia , PA (9th)...since 1952;
Newark , NJ (10th)...since 1907.

3:35- I think you have it backwards. Poor and low income people don't vote Republican. It's not in their best interest. Republicans want to cut services and not help the poor. Why would they vote for those who want to cut their pell grant? Their nutrition programs? Their healthcare? Their school budgets? They don't have extra funds to supplement their school districts... Their schools are already falling a part.

The cities aren't poor because they vote Democrat. They vote democrat because they are poor and need help. Democrats aren't actually making things better either, but they're not knocking the working poor like the Republicans do. I don't know why so many working poor whites in MS don't see that the Republicans aren't really out for their best interests. Just be cause they look like them doesn't mean they are trying to help them (or trying to help them help themselves either).

Anon 4:03, can you name a single program heralded by Democrats that actually helps the poor become UNpoor? Or do those programs simply ensure Democrats votes?

This is a rhetorical question, because there is an answer, but Democrats will never acknowledge the truth.

And again RACISM!!!

Weill votes against Johnson's budget and throws his meager credibility right out the window.

oh sigh...the Democrats want a dependent " nanny" society and think money will fix everything and the Republicans want to give every con man disguised a businessman everything his lobbyist says he wants or he can buy.

The main difference is whose buddies get MY hard earned money through one kind of favor or another!

... the Republicans want to give every con man disguised a businessman everything his lobbyist says he wants or he can buy.

That describes the handouts doled downtown during the Melton administration quite succinctly.

8:30 money,power,influence take a back seat to honor almost all the time...even for those who start out well intentioned... temptation seems almost impossible to resist for most. Pretty soon they believe they're as smart and vital as the male lobbyists tell them they are and as witty and sexy as the female lobbyists suggest ( or the other way around as needed). And, some don't suspect they're being played and the others just enjoy the ride.