You ain't got no ice cream.

It's been a pretty heavy week on this website. Here is a little break.

Kidnap victim sues Robbie Bell

The kidnap victim in the Heather Spencer murder case filed a lawsuit in Hinds County Circuit Court last week against Robbie Bell, the mother of George Bell, III. Copy of lawsuit. She is suing Ms. Bell on the following counts: Negligence and Gross Negligence, Negligent infliction of emotional distress, Premises Liability, and Punitive Damages.

The plaintiff seeks "compensatory damages to make her whole. These damages include an amount to be awarded within the discretion of the jury at a trial of this case, to cover any and all injuries or damages the Plaintiff has suffered, including, but not limited to, any and all medical expenses including future medical expenses associated with the incident described herein, pain and suffering, court costs and attorneys' fees. Additionally, Plaintiff seeks an award of punitive damages in an appropriate amount to punish the Defendant and deter others from committing acts which are grossly negligent and in wanton and reckless disregard for the safety of individuals such as the Plaintiff, and should be assessed with punitive damages in an amount to punish defendants and deter similar conduct by others in the future. Plaintiff seeks any and all additional damages appropriate under the law and deemed by the Court to be just and proper. Plaintiff also seeks both pre-judgment and post-judgment interest."

The lawsuit claims Ms. Bell bore responsibility for the gruesome events of September 10 and 11, 2007. It lays the blame at Ms. Bell's feet, arguing she helped him avoid prosecution for the June 2007 beating of Ms. Spencer as she was instrumental in getting him admitted to a drug rehab facility out of state (and away from JPD jurisdiction by inference). It accuses Ms. Bell of pressuring Ms. Spencer to drop the charges she had filed against her son even though she knew of his "propensity for violence."

One question that has never been asked is why didn't the District Attorney's office prosecute Ms. Bell for helping George avoid prosecution for the June assault. She undoubtedly knew where he was. It is doubtful he found the facility all by himself and given his money troubles at the time, its also doubtful he paid for it. Ms. Bell knew there was an outstanding warrant for his arrest and no judge had dismissed the charges against her son.

The lawsuit also claims Ms. Bell breached her duty to the victim as she "took no action to call the authorities or to otherwise report her son's actions." The crux of the whole case will come down to two issues: what actions did Ms. Bell take to help her son avoid prosecution for the June beating of Ms. Spencer, and why she didn't call the police when given ample opportunity to do so on the morning of September 11, 2007. Indeed, Ms. Bell called James Bell she and George were leaving because they feared he would call the police (not to mention she refused to leave with him and the victim when given the opportunity to do so).

One of the main reasons this case has generated so much controversy is that no trial was ever held and thus the public was denied its right to know what happened. Hopefully this case will go to trial and finally the public will learn the truth about what took place when George Bell, III went on his rampage on that awful night.

WLBT last night on Jim Hood & Robbie Bell

Dayumn. WLBT News Director Dennis Smith brought it last night.

Crime stats

Here are the Jackson, Ms crime stats for the week of July 13-19.

Court, JPD returns gun used in kidnapping to Robbie Bell

Update: Called Chancery Clerk's office. No power of attorney for George Bell, III or Robbie Bell is on file.

One sickening feature of the Heather Spencer murder is found near the end of the police report for the murder of Heather Spencer posted earlier this week on this website. JPD returned the gun George Bell, III used to kidnap Heather's roommate to his mother, Robbie Bell. Ms. Bell showed up at JPD with a cute little court order decreed on April 9, 2008 "the personal property taken into evidence from the home of Robbie Bell, the holder of the durable power of attorney of George Bell, III, shall be released and returned to Robbie Bell." Copy of court order and police report on return of firearms. Ms. Bell wasted no time in getting the guns back as JPD released them to her on the same day.

The fact that Ms. Bell was able to get the gun used to kidnap and threaten others returned to her is an outrage. If a gun is used in the commission of a felony, it should be forfeited unless the owner charges the person using the gun with theft. There is no way JPD should be able to legally return the .38 special used to kidnap Heather's roommate to Ms. Bell and is yet one more example of how justice continues to be abused in this case.

Hood claims Heather Spencer was strangled to death. Was she?

There is a serious question that needs to be asked in the Heather Spencer case: Why is Jim Hood claiming she was beaten and strangled to death? The Mississippi Attorney General stated in his press release announcing the guilty plea of George Bell, III "He went into rehab and, within 48 hours of getting out, he had raped her, beat her with a flashlight and strangled her until she no longer breathed. Heather gave her life trying to change the unchangeable.”

The only problem with that statement is the word "strangled" is never mentioned in the case until the day George Bell, III pleaded guilty to capital murder and kidnapping. Its not mentioned in the coroner's report, media coverage before that day, the police reports, nowhere. Yesterday's post stated:
Hinds County Coroner Sharon Grisham-Stewart reported the time of death as 3:00 AM (page 1). A cold chill runs through the body when reading the evidence list: shorts, panties, red stain swabs, a .38 special revolver, post-mortem prints, and a skull fragment. Dr. Hayne reported Ms. Spencer suffered "severe lacerations to the brain, stress fractures, forced anal penetration, and severe tearing of the rectum. The official cause of death was ruled a Homicide with the underlying cause being Cranium Subreial Trauma/Blunt force trauma to the head." Coroner's Report

JJ questioned Hood's statement last year in a post reporting on Bell's sentencing:
"I just saw something that caught my eye on the WAPT website:
"Bell admitted to kidnapping, sexually assaulting and then beating and strangling his girlfriend, Heather Spencer, to death. " http://www.wapt.com/news/15211732/detail.html

This very interesting for several reasons. This is the first time a possible strangling was mentioned. All other media coverage has omitted that word as it has been consistently reported Mr. Bell beat the late Heather Spencer to death and sexually assaulted her. It is strange suddenly today, Mr. Bell said under oath that he strangled Ms. Spencer.

If Ms. Spencer's death was caused by strangling, that would mean she probably died during Monday evening, not Tuesday morning. This is VERY important since Mr. Bell's mother, Robbie Bell, was indicted for being an accessory after the fact as the media reported it was possible Ms. Spencer died Tuesday morning, not Monday evening. Such a scenario would provide Ms. Bell with a possible defense as she would probably not at home when the attack occurred.

There is just one problem with this defense and it is the fact the autopsy established a time of death. Either she died earlier of strangulation, which would shut off the oxygen to the brain or she died of the beating. This is important as it has been alleged Ms. Spencer did not die for several hours. The coroner's report will state the cause of death and if the allegations are true, consequently, there remains a strong possibility a conspiracy between Mr. Bell and his mother exists and his statement he strangled Heather (the family was outraged when they heard this, one of the relatives started shouting it was a lie in the courtroom) is his attempt to get Robbie Bell off the hook."

Thus the question remains: Why did Jim Hood repeat a claim that was only made by the defense and not supported by any available evidence as fact?

Police report

Ed Peters Represented Robbie Bell

One previously unknown and highly relevant fact about the Heather Spencer case is that Ed Peters represented Robbie Bell when the investigation into the murder began. Detective Derrick Jordan states in his report:
"On 9-25-2007, I, Detective Derrick Jordan along with Sgt Eric Smith, Sgt. A. Cooper and Detective Sparkman meet with Attorney James, Kelly and Attorney Edward Peters in reference to this case. Mr. Kelly and Mr. Peters represent Ms. Robbie Bell. The purpose of this meeting was to obtain a statement from Robbie Bell in reference to the murder of Mary Heather Spencer..." Copy of statement

Ed Peters represented Robbie Bell. That fact alone should give everyone reason for concern. She was later represented by Bobby DeLaughter's current lawyer, Cynthia Speetjeens. Judge DeLaughter heard her arraignment when she was indicted for accessory after the fact and was scheduled to preside over her trial when he was suspended from the bench. The other two lawyers of the Ed Peters gang, Tom Royals and Tommy Mayfield, represented George Bell, III on his murder and kidnapping charges. The only thing missing from this reunion is Dale Danks serving up some drinks and Coppertone.

Keep in mind Ms. Bell came home at approximately 8:00 PM to a home awash in blood and a victim who lay dying, as pieces of her skull littered the floor. She was there all night long, making no attempt to call for the police or medical help for Ms. Spencer (who didn't die until 3:00 AM).

Ms. Bell made no attempt to contact the authorities even when she was alone for an hour. Ms. Bell faced serious charges when George was arrested based upon her conduct. The entry of Peters and the rest of his gang into this affair only makes Jim Hood's decision to drop the indictment against Ms. Bell even more suspicious, given his ties to Dickie Scruggs. The question that remains is whether hiding the role Robbie Bell played in the death of Heather Spencer was another example of Ed Peter's talent for helping his friends escape justice.

Heather Spencer murder: the truth begins to come out

**Exclusive: Must credit Jackson Jambalaya**

Update: WLBT covers story and credits JJ, WLBT video



Warning: This post and accompanying materials contain information of a violent and graphic nature.

Jackson Jambalaya recently obtained a copy of the police report submitted by JPD on the murder of Heather Spencer. It describes how George Bell, III went on a violent rampage of rape, murder, and kidnapping fueled by cocaine on September 10, 2007. A conspiracy of events and legal actions worked together to keep the public from learning the truth about what happened at Robbie Bell's home on Trawick Drive. What emerges from the report is a horrifying story overwhelming the senses. Copy of report

The file contains several statements written by police officers involved in the investigation and capture of George Bell, III, a coroner's report, an evidence list, a toxicology report and other documents.

George Bell, III dated Heather Spencer for nearly two years. The son of Robbie Bell, who was then a Vice-President at the Mississippi Business Journal, George severely beat Heather with a mallet on June 7, 2007. Ms. Spencer required 57 staples in her head. George fled the state and eventually entered a rehab program in Oklahoma for three months. Meanwhile, Heather filed an affidavit requesting the charges be dismissed (she had charged him with aggravated assault). When he returned to Jackson on September 8, 2009, the family had a dinner party for George at Ms. Bell's home the next evening.

The following Monday, a coke-crazed George raped Heather while bludgeoning her to death with a flashlight. After beating her to a bloody pulp, her body was moved from the hallway to another room. Blood became the new theme as there was blood on the floor, the walls, everywhere. Pools of blood were the new flooring as Heather lay dying in Ms. Bell's home. Skull fragments littered the floor as ghastly souvenirs of George Bell's rage. This is the scene Robbie Bell faced when she came home around eight that evening: a blood-soaked house and a dying victim betrayed first by her boyfriend and later his mother.

Hinds County Coroner Sharon Grisham-Stewart reported the time of death as 3:00 AM (page 1). A cold chill runs through the body when reading the evidence list: shorts, panties, red stain swabs, a .38 special revolver, post-mortem prints, and a skull fragment. Dr. Hayne reported Ms. Spencer suffered "severe lacerations to the brain, stress fractures, forced anal penetration, and severe tearing of the rectum. The official cause of death was ruled a Homicide with the underlying cause being Cranium Subreial Trauma/Blunt force trauma to the head."

The police found a scene gruesome in nature. Officer Ereka Williams reported (pages 27-30):
"At the end of the entry way was a hallway placed on the north side. This hallway runs east and west. In the middle of this hallway a second hallway that runs north and south starts in the middle of the east and west hallway. A pool of blood was observed at the comer where both hallways meet. It appears that the incident occurred in the hallway. Blood splatter was observed in both hallways. Items 2,5 and 7 (shorts, cellphone, holster, paper towel) were observed in the bedroom at the east end of the hallway. These items were collected at their noted times. Items 3 and 8 (shorts and shirt) were observed in the living room which is placed on the east side of the dinning room and south side of the hallway that ran north and south. These items were collected at their noted times.

The complainant's body was observed in the bedroom place on the north side of the residence. A purple tank top clothed the complainant's body. The complainant was partially lying on her right side with item 10 (towel) covering her lower portion of her body. I observed a lot of blood on the complainant's upper body, head and face. It appeared that the complainant had several gashes in her head. Item 4 (flashlight) was observed on the bed next to the complainant's body was collected at its noted time. It appeared that the complainant's body was dragged into this bedroom from the hallway. It appeared that there was not any blood on the lower portion of the complainant's body. The Hinds County Coroner arrived on scene at 1231 hrs and the body was placed into her custody at that time. During the examination of the complainant's body it appeared that the complainant was bludgeoned to death and had several fractures on his skull. It also appeared that the complainant could have possibly been sexually assault also. The complainant's body was transported to the state crime lab for an autopsy to be performed on this date at a later time. When the body was removed I observed item 6 (pants and panties) which was lying the complainant's body. This item was collected at its noted time. Item 9 (skull fragment) was also observed in the area were the body was located.."

Another report (p.6) describes the crime scene in further detail:
"During the processing of the scene, investigators discovered a Mag Flashlight on the bed in the bedroom where the victims body was discovered. This flashlight was covered in blood. The flash light was photographed and recovered as evidence. The victim was struck with a unknown blunt object and this flash light could have been the murder weapon..... The victim's body was partially covered with a bath towel. The bath towel was covered in dried blood and was stuck to the victim's body. There were bloody feet prints through out the kitchen and the hall area of the house. There were large pools of blood in the hallway leading to the bedroom where the victim's body was found..."

Detective Derrick Jordan describes what he found upon entering the house:
"After viewing the hallway of the right side of the foyer, Sgt. Smith observed what appeared to be patterns of blood cast off on a door. We then proceeded to this area and observed a large area of coagulated blood on the floor. Two door to rooms, one to the left and one directly in our sight to the right were closed. A bedroom down the hallway was opened. Sgt. Smith then pushed open the door to the right and observed nothing in this room. The door to the left was then accessed and there lay the motionless body of an unknown gender Caucasian individual. The light to the room was off, a large flashlight was seen on the bed. The subject's body was covered with towels. The head of the individual appeared to be bloody, possibly indicating this is where this individual sustained some time of trauma or injury."

George Bell, III left his mother's home at approximately 7:30 AM on September 11 and went to the home of Heather Spencer. His mother made no attempt to contact the police while George was gone despite sitting in a house literally awash in blood while Heather's body lay in a bedroom. The kidnap victim (she will not be identified in this post) states (p.4) Bell told her he killed Heather, "displayed a handgun", and demanded oral sex from her, which she refused to do. Bell forced her at gunpoint to accompany him back to his mother's house. Ms. Bell later called local attorney James Bell (George's uncle) around 10:30 AM and told him to come over. James Bell did so and tried to talk George into turning himself in, which the younger Bell refused to do. When George went inside, James Bell grabbed the roommate and ran to his Jeep. (It should be noted Ms. Bell refused to leave with Mr. Bell when urged to do so.) A few seconds later they flagged down a JPD cruiser at the intersection of Northside Drive and Ridgewood Road. The officer ordered them to follow her to Highland Village. Once in the parking lot, they informed the officer what took place. Upon receiving this information, the officer then called for backup and spotted Ms. Bell's Inifiti driving past them on Northside Drive towards the interstate. They went to the BP station where the well-known standoff took place.

The rest of the facts are known to all. George surrendered to the police a few hours later. He was indicted for capital murder and kidnapping. He pled guilty to both charges and is currently serving a sentence of life without parole. A Hinds County grand jury indicted Robbie Bell for accessory after the fact but Jim Hood dropped the prosecution shortly before the trial was scheduled to take place. Since no trial was ever held, the public never learned exactly what happened that night.

There are too many unanswered questions about this case. Why did JPD reduce the charges against George Bell, III from his June beating of Ms. Spencer? Why didn't Ms. Bell contact the police when she had ample opportunity to do so? Why did Attorney General Jim Hood adopt the defense claim that Ms. Spencer was beaten and strangled when there is no indication of strangling in the coroner's and police reports? Why was the entire Ed Peters mafia brought to bear on this case? Too many people think with good reason justice was never truly served, even though George Bell, III is in prison for the rest of his life. Until a full accounting of the case is provided (and that includes releasing all of the evidence and reports), there will always be the sense that others escaped justice because the Mississippi good ole boy system decreed the fix was in.

**Must credit Jackson Jambalaya**

*No reproduction of story or police report without written consent of Jackson Jambalaya.

Time for a little game.

Here is the Clarion-Ledger's latest story about the Irby case. How many errors can you spot in Mr. Gates' reporting?

Zero Hedge: It's not over

Zero Hedge published a pretty good article on its website arguing the recession is not over. In "The End of the End of the Recession", ZH posits "It is our hope that this piece will provide some badly-needed perspective on "the recession is over" debate, a topic that has become as one-sided as it is wrong-headed." The format of the article is similar to a power point presentation with many graphics. It's worth reading and more informative than what you see on CNBC.

Article

Oldie but Goodie

Why the Clarion-Ledger doesn't report the race of suspects

Click on photo to enlarge

The Clarion-Ledger has recently caught some heat from people who wondered why it would not publish the race of the suspect(s) involved in the recent spat of home invasions in Belhaven and Eastover. Unfortunately for residents of those and other crime-afflicted areas in Jackson, the newspaper doesn't think its public safety obligations include providing all information on suspects to the public so they may be apprehended. Ronnie Agnew, the Executive Editor of the Clarion-Ledger, adamantly defended the policy a few years ago (after the CL omitted the race of a rapist in Ridgeland who was on the loose) in a column that has since been forgotten. Since we never forget anything at Jackson Jambalaya, we thought it our duty to remind you of the CL's policy. Some choice quotes:

"The suspect, in this case is a black man, but readers of the Clarion-Ledger didn't know it because we chose not to tell them. It was not an oversight.....
But it is our policy not to run vague descriptions of suspects no matter what their race....
Its my contention that such information serves no value in helping the public assist police in identifying the suspect..."

Any questions?

Feds selling record $236 billion in Treasuries next week

It never ends. $236 billion in short-term Treasuries go on the market next week to finance Obama's deficit spending. The Wall Street Journal reports "The Treasury said it plans to sell $205 billion in government debt next week, including $109 billion in nominal coupon notes, a $6 billion reopening of 20-year Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities and $90 billion in three-month, six-month and 52-week Treasury bills." Marketwatch (owned by Dow Jones) reported this sum did not included the auction for four=week T-bills, which was $31 billion this week.

Ouch.

Dear Bob Robinson,

How about I come over to the Department of Medicaid and tape your mouth shut for 48 hours so you can you see how much of a medical necessity being able to talk is.

Turmoil in the Hinds County Public Defender's Office?

A grievance was filed against the Hinds County Public Defender's office by one of its attorneys. Sources informed JJ the grievance was filed after it became known one of the attorneys, Matt Eichelberger, received the highest salary in the department even though he has less senority than other public defenders (See table below.).

Mr. Eichelberger receives a monthly salary of $7,135, $800 more per month than the next lowest salary. His salary is paid out of the JET (Jackson Enforcement Team) Grant program. The Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics issued the grant to Hinds County using funds from a Katrina grant. The grant funds two extra circuit court judges, two prosecutors, a public defender and other staff and is for two years. It should be noted that although the position pays $85,620, it is temporary in nature, as the grant expires next year. The HCPDO will release Mr. Eichelberger unless additional funding can be obtained or a position becomes available through attrition.

Sources have said the head of the department, William Labarre, chose Mr. Eichelberger (who was already on staff and his former employee in Washington County) to fill the position without advertising its availability to the rest of the office. Mr. LaBarre told JJ he would not discuss why he selected Mr. Eichelberger or what criteria was used in making his decision. Mr. Eichelberger worked under him for 16 months. He tried 18 cases, including three where the prosecution sought life sentences.

A review of the payroll information for the Hinds County Public Defender's Office below (obtained through a public records request) reveals that although he is the highest paid attorney, there are eight lawyers with more seniority and six of those were admitted to the bar earlier than was Mr. Eichelberger. One former head of a state public defender agency in another state said there was no standard procedure for selecting the attorney in such situations and that some offices will advertise such an opportunity while other's will not as they use it as a chance to reward friends and allies.

While Mr. Eichelberger is a very capable attorney with a good reputation, Mr. Labarre should have given his other public defenders the opportunity to apply for the job. There is this little thing called "appearance" and it applies in this case. The fault lies not with Mr. Eichelberger (Who after all, is going to turn down a higher salary?), but Mr. LaBarre, who knew better than to risk creating turmoil in his own office when the payroll is a public record. This isn't the Delta where things tend to be swept under the rug but Jackson where public records are a way of life for government officials and the media.

The following information was obtained through a public records request:

Attorney Monthly Salary Hire Date Bar Date
Marjorie Davis $6,335 7-5-00 1-1-79
Greta Harris: $5,993 10-23-01 9-30-97
Alice Stamps $5,426 9-16-02 9-27-90
Virginia Watkins $5,739 2-17-03 9-26-91
Frank McWilliams $5,559 2-1-04 8-1-77
James Powers $5,025 4-12-04 9-24-02
Jacinta Hall $4,496 8-22-06 10-05-05
June Hartwick $4,496 7-01-07 5-03-07
Matt Eichelberger $7,184 11-26-07 10-7-03
Gian Barnett $4,496 2-11-08 10-10-07
Jennie Pitts $4,096 8-11-08 10-10-07
Lesley Priest $4,132 12-08-08 10-5-05

Too funny

Thanks Zero Hedge.

Jackson MADD's latest training video

Hate it when this happens.

Read this in a story about Jack Dempsey yeeeeaaarrrrs ago:
"Late one night during the 1960s, Jack Dempsey stepped out of a taxicab in front of his apartment on East Fifty-third Street, after a long evening of presiding at his Broadway restaurant. He had passed his seventieth birthday. His deep black hair had gone gray.

"Two muggers, seeing an elderly party who looked well dressed and well walleted, sprang out of the darkness. Dempsey spun and flattened both. He stood over them and waited while the taxi driver called police. Having felt Dempsey's fists, the assailants refused to get up until the police arrived to protect them."

Stood over them? Bet that was a long count.

No one wants to hear the truth.

The Inspector General goes on CNBC to discuss the potential exposure of taxpayers of $23.7 trillion only to get mugged by the CNBC talking heads who don't want to hear about it. However, he takes their arguments and shoves them back down their throats. Starts getting good at 4:30. If using Firefox, switch to IE, there is a bug somewhere. Enjoy.

Mortgage industry getting bumpier

The mortgage industry website The Implode-O-Meter reports mortgage lender Taylor, Bean, & Whiticker (One of the top five lenders nationwide) is having problems in funding refinances:
"Funding issues remain on the forefront of wholesale client concerns. From an email sent out on July 20th:
"Any refinance closings scheduled for Wednesday July 22nd (including those already schedule and on our closing calendar) will not fund in the month of July, they will fund in August. There are no exceptions available." Article

This is a disaster as closings have to be redone, days of interest have to be reset if not paid by TBW, payoffs are delayed, and more problems are created for all parties involved in a closing. TBW later told the IOM the problems were suddenly resolved. The article also said the CEO of TBW stated it was not clear if the recapitalization of Colonial Bank in Montgomery, Alabama, would take place.

Why is Kingfish wasting time on this mundane story? TBW is the number two lender in the country. Colonial is the largest issuer of credit lines to mortgage lenders. Underwriting and closing times are already backed up at most lenders. TBW uses large credit lines to fund its loans. If it suddenly can't fund loans because its warehouse lines have filled up, that is a huge problem in the industry. If Colonial has to stop issuing and carrying warehouse lines for mortgage lenders, then many lenders will have problems operating as they will find it nearly impossible to find a line of credit in the current financial climate. What eventually may happen to avert this disaster is Fannie, Freddie, or the Fed may start issuing lines of credit to the lenders which would give some stability to the mortgage industry.

Belhaven crime update

From an email sent by Greater Belhaven to its members this week:
"Belhaven Heights neighbors on Jefferson Street report that this Saturday, a white minivan drove by their house with two young black males. The guys asked some questions about whether the house was for rent, then drove away, returning a couple of minutes later. One of the males (approx. 5'10", 170 lbs, with corn rows) approached the neighbors on the front porch and demanded the husband’s wallet at gunpoint. The wife yelled and hit the guy over the head with a piece of wood, and he ran away. JPD officers responded and told the neighbors that this method (pulling up to ask questions, leaving and then returning soon after to try to hold up the homeowner) has been used before. So, as I said last week – be careful out there, and please call JPD and Securitas to report any suspicious persons in the neighborhood!"

Meanwhile, over at WLBT, a Belhaven resident questions the police sketch of suspect. WLBT story

Wonder what the rest of the story is.

Millsaps announced the appointment of Howard McMillan as interim President of the local college. The Clarion-Ledger reported
"Frances Lucas, who became Millsaps’ first female president in 2000, announced in April her plans to step down as leader of the private liberal arts college effective June 2010.
According to today’s news release from Millsaps, Lucas will use accrued sabbatical leave until June."

Here is what the newspaper didn't report: The board had a ten hour meeting then announced the appointment of Dr. McMillan. Dr. Lucas had already announced she was leaving in April, yet the board couldn't wait and showed her the door before then as part of the board wanted her gone now. Wonder what that story is.

Update: Well, here is what that story is. She brought in a bunch of Emory cronies and the Queen of Millsaps became a drama queen as she bad mouthed Millsaps after the Board extended her the professional courtesy of giving her a transitional year. Instead of moving on, she began "lashing out" (as one source told me) at everyone in sight: alumni, donors, trustees, and the now-departed Dean of the College. In fact, it was so bad it was described by another source as
"the most amazing display of immaturity and unprofessionalism" that source had ever seen. The Board thus moved to terminate her Presidency in order to put an end to the whole ordeal. As a former Millsaps student, I will say Millsaps College is a first class institution that is a credit to Mississippi and its nice to see it has a board that is looking out for the school's and students' best interest.

Crime stats

July 5-12, 2009 by street.

Robbie Bell gets name expunged from records

A Hinds County Circuit Court issued an order on May 5, 2008 to expunge Robbie Bell's name from all documents concerning her indictment in 2007 for the crime of accessory after the fact in relation to the Heather Spencer murder.

Ms. Bell requested the Court "expunge any and all official records and or recordation including docket book entries, affidavits, arrest warrants, mug shots, fingerprints, motions, orders, judgements, and any other materials or data in the possession of the Circuit Clerk of Hinds County, the Justice Court of Hinds County, Mississippi, the Hinds County jail, the Hinds County Sheriff's Department, the Criminal Justice Information Center, the Identification Division of the FBI, and any other agency in possession of any records relating to the arrest and non disposition or dismissal of the above-named defendant in the above case number.."

Order of Expungement

The order cites Mississippi Code section 99-15-26 which states:
"(5) Upon petition therefor, the court shall expunge the record of any case in which an arrest was made, the person arrested was released and the case was dismissed or the charges were dropped or there was no disposition of such case."

The Court then rules "the interests of justice would best be served by expunging the records relating to the above-named defendant in the above-styled and numbered cause."

The Court ruled properly as it followed the law cited above. The fault lies with Jim Hood, who helped a defendant represented first by Ed Peters then by Bobby DeLaughter's lawyer and decided to drop the charges. He did so even though Ms. Spencer didn't die until 3:00 AM (according to the coroner's report) and Ms. Bell did not contact the police after her son left her home to kidnap Heather's roommate. Does anyone think justice was served?

Ipse Blogit has update on Pickering lawsuit.

Ipse Blogit posted a copy of the restraining order Mrs. Pickering sought in the Alienation of Affection lawsuit she filed against Elizabeth Creekmore-Byrd. IB has provided the best coverage on this story and not received proper credit for doing so.

State files motion to compel Stuart Irby's testimony

"Copy of motion"

The prosecutor filed a motion to preserve testimony in the Karen Irby case July 17, 2009. The motion states:
"On or about April 24, 2009, Hinds County Investigator Kenny Lewis attempted to contact Mr. Irby in an effort to obtain Mr. Irby's recollection of the events that caused the injuries sustained to his person and the deaths of Mr. Pouge and Ms. Dedousis. Investigator Lewis was unable to speak with Mr. Irby but requested that Mr. Irby contact the District Attorney's Office at his earliest convenience.

4. On or about May 1, 2009, the undersigned (Patrick Beasley) received a phone call from Lisa Binder (formerly Milner), Esquire. Ms. Binder stated that she represents Mr. Irby in this matter and requested that the State not speak with Mr. Irby until she had the opportunity to speak with him first and ascertain his medical condition. The undersigned informed Ms. Binder that Mr. Irby was a victim in this matter and as such, the state had an affirmative duty to speak with him. Ms. Binder was also informed that Mr. Irby is a victim and a material witness; consequently, his recollection of the events that led to the collision is crucial in the State's preparation of its case."

Ms. Binder informed Mr. Beasley she would be in Jackson in early June and would discuss the issue of testifying with Mr. Irby. Ms. Binder apparently stated she would not waive her client's medical privilege and was very "cryptic" about her client's "willingness to cooperate." Mr. Beasley states in his motion that this "warrants the State's concern regarding Mr. Irby's medical status. Ms. Binder then claimed on the day she was to speak to her client she had a personal emergency that prevented her from doing so that day. (Is anyone surprised?) Ms. Binder repeated to Mr. Beasley she was not waiving his medical privilege and would contact him later in the week. The motion states Ms. Binder "failed to honor her commitment."

The prosecution claims since Ms. Binder repeatedly insists she will not waiver Mr. Irby's medical privilege, the State has "concerns that Mr. Irby's medical condition may be of a nature that requires immediate action be taken in order to preserve his recollection"... The State fears that unless immediate steps are taken by the Court, this information may be lost due to the severe head trauma and/or other injuries sustained by Mr. Irby....

Here is where the motion gets really good:
"This concern was further warranted when on July 16, 2009, the State received a letter from Ms. Binder, emphasizing the fact that Mr. Irby has "suffered substantial head trauma as a result of the collision..." See Letter from Ms. Lisa Binder, Esquire, dated July 16, 2010. See Exhibit "B". (The letter was not included in the filing as the two exhibits were filed under seal).
It is unclear whether Mr. Irby will be well enough, both mentally and physically to testify at the trial. His memory and recollection of the accident is material to the case at bar, and thus his testimony needs to be taken immediately and preserved for later use at trial..."
State requests that this Court compel the testimony of Stuart M. Irby be served and memorialized under oath as soon as practicable."

Apparently some legal gamesmanship is going on in this case. Mr. Irby hires a lawyer from Nashville (formerly of Jackson) who claims due to his severe injuries to his head, he can't testify. The State calls Ms. Binder's bluff with this motion to compel his testimony while justifying it on the grounds that if his condition is so serious it might get worse, the State needs to get his testimony now. What is interesting is Ms. Binder's attached letter doesn't state that Mr. Irby can't testify, it instead states "he does not want to speak with you." One should ask Ms. Binder if Mr. Irby is unable to testify because of his injuries how he can go to his condo in Destin. In any case, what is clear is the State is telling the Irby's it will call their bluff and raise them one.

It should also be noted that under the Article V, Rule 504 (d) of the Mississippi Rule of Evidence, Stuart Irby is barred from asserting the privilege of spousal immunity from testifying, as his wife is accused of committing a felony against him.

Update on Linda Francombe's lawsuit against the Bells

Subpoenas have been issued in the Heather Spencer lawsuit against George Bell, III, Robbie Bell and Narconon Arrowhead. The plaintiff and deceased's mother, Linda Francombe, subpoenaed (and subsequently took) the deposition of George Bell, III on July 7, 2009 at the Wilkinson County Correctional Facility. Mrs. Francombe also subpoenaed from Narconon Arrowhead of Canadian, Oklahoma all records in connection with George Bell, III. Narconon is the treatment facility where Bell spent three months for "rehab" after he beat Heather Spencer in June of 2007.

Copy of subpoenas

Vote for favorite Asian restaurant in poll.

Little Tokyo got my vote.

Poll: JJ voted favorite local blog

JJ recently conducted an online poll asking what your favorite blog was. Some may claim it was rigged as JJ was entered in the poll but au contraire, last year Folo won the poll and beat the rest of us pretty well. In fact, JJ came in second to last place last year. 241 votes were cast this year, a huge improvement over the 59 cast last year. The results this year were:

NMisscommentor	50 (20%)
Ipseblogit (Jim Craig)	27 (11%)
Y'all Politics	49 (20%)
Othor Cain	8 (3%)
Ms Litigation Review	6 (2%)
State Street Posts	6 (2%)
Jackson Jambalaya	67 (27%)
Free Citizen	0 (0%)
Majority in Mississippi	3 (1%)
Right of Mississippi	1 (0%)
Phil Hardwick's Weblog	1 (0%)
Erik Fleming	0 (0%)
Magnolia Daily Photo	0 (0%)
Mississippi Brew Blog	23 (9%)

Don't let the door hit ya on the way out.

Marie Antoon, Executive Director of MPB, is retiring in August. As far as I'm concerned, the woman who destroyed PRM and hijacked Mississippi public radio can not hit the road soon enough.

Earlier post on the destruction of Mississippi public radio

In Iran a virgin can't be executed so guess what the remedy is?

The Jerusalem Post published an interview with a member of the Basiji militia that has played a key part if the Iranian government's brutal crackdown on protestors. The interview gives a better idea of the savage nature of the crackdown and how Iran operates internally:
"The Basiji member, who is married with children, spoke soon after his release by the Iranian authorities from detention. He had been held for the "crime" of having set free two Iranian teenagers - a 13-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl - who had been arrested during the disturbances that have followed the disputed June presidential elections. ....

Then he discusses the marraige-rapes:
"He said he had been a highly regarded member of the force, and had so "impressed my superiors" that, at 18, "I was given the 'honor' to temporarily marry young girls before they were sentenced to death."
In the Islamic Republic it is illegal to execute a young woman, regardless of her crime, if she is a virgin, he explained. Therefore a "wedding" ceremony is conducted the night before the execution: The young girl is forced to have sexual intercourse with a prison guard - essentially raped by her "husband."
"I regret that, even though the marriages were legal," he said.
Why the regret, if the marriages were "legal?"
"Because," he went on, "I could tell that the girls were more afraid of their 'wedding' night than of the execution that awaited them in the morning. And they would always fight back, so we would have to put sleeping pills in their food. By morning the girls would have an empty expression; it seemed like they were ready or wanted to die.
"I remember hearing them cry and scream after [the rape] was over," he said. "I will never forget how this one girl clawed at her own face and neck with her finger nails afterwards. She had deep scratches all over her...." Article

By the way, Madison residents can rest easy as these are Shia Muslims whereas the proposed mosque will be on of the Sunni persuasion.

Happy Anniversary.

Yesterday was the one year anniversay of when I got Louis XIV, this Blenheim Cavalier King Charles Spaniel you see in the photos. He is spoiled rotten of course and has even been on WAPT. Great dog and got spoiled last night: steak and ice cream treats.

Food Fight on CNBC

Schiff tries to tell truth, they try to beat him up for saying it.

Eruption

Erupting Volcano Anak Krakatau
Credit & Copyright: Marco Fulle (Stromboli Online)

Brickbat to JFP and the rest of the media.

Jim Craig and Matt Eichelberger's blog, Ipse Blogit, broke the story about Chip Pickering's wife filing an alienation of affection lawsuit yesterday. Mr. Eichelberger explained later he was in court, happened upon the hearing, and dug up the file, later posting it. There is no question he broke the story and since he was the one who was in the courtroom, it IS original work, not just trolling through public records as some will claim (although he should've tried to grab one of the lawyers for a quote).

NOT ONE SINGLE media outlet gave IB credit for the scoop yesterday but instead ripped him off. I'm singling out the JFP because they have made the most (and only) noise about this issue. Remember this?

"Well, they'd better not plagiarize Adam and not say where they got the story from. This one will be a good test of the ethics of our local media. Will they, or won't they?posted by ladd on 09/01/06 at 10:53 PM"

"It's truly bad form not to give credit where it's due. We do it all the time. They've done better by us in the past, but I guess they couldn't resist trying to own this one themselves. That's too bad. posted by ladd on 09/01/06 at 11:20 PM"

"Here's a hint, insidestory: When someone else reports a story first, just say, "As reported on the Jackson Free Press Web site this afternoon ... ." It's simple. We do it all the time. posted by ladd on 09/01/06 at 11:39 PM"

The media should credit Ipse Blogit for the scoop. period.

WATCH!

Beck nails it yesterday about Goldman Sachs. I can assure you from my own reading he has his facts straight and its about time the media started laying it out as he does for the American people. The Obamabots who think they voted for change just voted for more of the same: a Goldman Sachs takeover of the government. One fact Beck does leave out is that it was a Paulson-led Goldman Sachs which led the effort to remove the leverage limits from firms such as Merrill Lynch, Lehman, Goldman, and Fannie, thus creating this meltdown.

Belhaven crime update.

Update: Compare this post to the story in the Clarion-Ledger

This is an excerpt from an email sent out to members of Greater Belhaven this week after a meeting was held at the college about security:
"JPD command staff, detectives, and officers in attendance reported that JPD is actively looking for an individual who is believed to be responsible for several recent home invasion crimes in Northeast Jackson and Belhaven.

"The individual is described as an African-American man, about 25 to 35 years old. He is 5'8" to 5'10" tall and about 170 to 180 pounds, with a medium complexion and a clean-shaven appearance. He may be driving a gray PT Cruiser or a white sedan believed to be a Pontiac Grand Prix or Grand Am. He has typically approached homes where a woman is home either alone or with children, and knocked on a garage door or front door, asking to use the phone because his car is broken down. If the homeowner does not let him in, he has broken in to the home and stolen jewelry and other valuables. He has not been seen to be carrying a gun but has used a knife. If you have any information about this person, or see him or these cars, JPD encourages you to contact them either using 911 or by calling 601-960-1234. Also, be aware of suspicious individuals in your neighborhood and approaching your home.....

Precinct 4 Commander Ken Goodrum and JPD staff encouraged neighbors to call whenever you see something suspicious, whether regarding this suspect or anything else. They also reported that they have leads on three suspects who are believed to be responsible for car break-ins in the Greater Belhaven area; they encouraged neighbors to be sure that no valuables are left in cars and to lock your car and use an alarm. Many recent car break-ins have been because something attractive (purse, camera, electronics) was left visible in the car. Despite these recent events, Cmdr. Goodrum said that crime is down 10.8% over last year in Precinct 4 and it is the safest precinct in the City."

The controversy about Chip

is pointless without pics.

Karen Irby Previously Arrested for DUI and Reckless Driving

Karen Irby's indictment for depraved heart murder and aggravated assault was not her first brush with the law. Court records show she was arrested for DUI-1st offense and Reckless Driving over ten years ago in Rankin County.

Reservoir Patrol Officer Wes Flynt stopped Mrs. Irby (then Ms. Collins) in her BMW on Spillway Road at 2:20 AM on December 28, 1997. Flynt wrote on the ticket for reckless driving she was driving 70 mph in a 45 mph zone and that she "stated (she was) in a hurry".

Mrs. Irby was convicted of all charges in Rankin County Justice Court on Febuary 23, 1998. Judge Ken Warren fined her $500 and a special assessment of $202 for the DUI conviction, as well as a $100 fine and a special assessment of $51 for the reckless driving charge.

Mrs. Irby immediately appealed her conviction to the Rankin County Court. Judge Kent McDaniel granted the prosecution's motion of Nolle Prosequi on June 24, 1998, thus dismissing the case. Mrs. Irby was represented by attorney Dan Duggan.

One must wonder why the prosecution dropped the case when it had already obtained a conviction in a lower court. There is a possible explanation, one that is not too flattering to say the least. Ms. Collins was dating someone at the time who just happened to be the bachelor son of a former Rankin County Sheriff. Given Rankin County's reputation for shenanigans in the courtroom (See the Berry v. Aetna post), it would not surprise anyone if such connections played a part in the prosecutor's decision to drop the case. Regardless of why the prosecution requested the dismissal, the fact remains Mrs. Irby was convicted in a court of law for a DUI and speeding more than 20 miles over the speed limit, even though it was struck down by a higher court that never addressed the merits of the case.

It should also be noted Mrs. Irby was also found guilty on June 17, 1998 of the charge of Disorderly Conduct. Judge McDaniel fined her $1000 but suspended payment of $500 provided she did not get arrested again for one year.

Note: By the way, this post shows that once again, Jimmie Gates displayed his knack for getting basic facts wrong on this case. He wrote in the Clarion-Ledger: "Karen Irby has no prior criminal history, according to police and court records in Hinds County." Do I need to say it?

Copy of DUI & Reckless Driving case
Copy of Disorderly Conduct Case

Come see Beatrice Thursday night at The Auditorium

Swedish Sensation BEATRICE in Jackson Thursday Night

The Peavey Stage at The Auditorium in Jackson, Mississippi will take an international turn Thursday night July 16th when it welcomes Swedish Sensation – Beatrice. A well known artist on the Scandinavian music scene, Beatrice brings her unique blend of country, Mississippi blues, folk and gospel to every performance.

Born and raised in Stockholm, Sweden, Beatrice has been an entertainer since she was a little girl. Formally trained at the Stockholm Music Conservatory, her singing roots trace back to the days when her mother would play the piano and Beatrice would join. Exposure to Elvis Presley church hymns took Beatrice in a whole different direction both professional and inspirationally. Beatrice acquired a great respect for Mississippi born musicians and became inspired by the blues sounds of Howlin Wolf & Muddy Waters and the country tunes of Charlie Pride, Paul Overstreet, Faith Hill, Tammy Wynette, and LeAnne Rimes.

Dynamic, electrifying and exciting are only a few words to describe each of Beatrice’s performances. The Auditorium and The Peavey Stage are proud to welcome this world renowned sensation to Mississippi.

The show begins at 9:18 p.m. Limited tickets are available for this one night only performance and can be purchased at The Auditorium. For more information on this event visit www.theauditoriumrestaurant.com or call 601-982-0002. You can listen to samples of Beatrice’s music by going to www.beatricemusic.com.

Clips of her music

Cajuns and Onstar

Mish: 7 years until housing prices reach bottom

I know I pimp Karl Denninger's Market Ticker here all the time but here is the other guy I read every day: Mish. This column by him on the housing market is a great reason why he should be on your daily reading and another reason why CNBC is having a meltdown over financial bloggers. Mish writes (as Meredith Whitney, Denninger, PMI, and even I have said) the housing market is nowhere close to bottom:
"Housing prices are now one notch closer to their final destination. The US Timeline scale is compressed. At the current pace, housing will bottom in about 7 years....
The Case-Shiller charts suggest that the worst may finally be over. However, so far all we can say is that things are getting worse at a decreasing pace. This is not the same as getting better. Indeed it may take 2 years or more to cross the zero-line in the second Case-Shiller chart. That would be consistent with a bottom in 2011.
Thus I see no reason to switch from my long-held estimate of a 2011-2012 timeframe for a bottom. Furthermore, even once housing does bottom, do not expect a V shaped recovery. Housing prices are likely to remain weak especially in real (inflation adjusted) terms for another decade..." Mish's column

Goldman sticking it to us again

CNBC's Gasparino calls out Goldman Sachs and it's worth watching. He starts discussing GS in the first video at the 2:00 mark.



Goldman sends him a nasty email and he has this to say:


Translation: The Fed Discount Window is a taxpayer-funded ATM that bankrolls Goldman's bets and trading, which Goldman should not be doing as a bank.

Note: If videos don't appear, switch to IE.

Bennie takes some heat for going to the beach

Earlier post: Bennie lives it up in Carribean, Citi pays for it

Roll Call is reporting the House Ethics Committee opened an investigation into Bennie Thompson and several other Congressmen:

"The Office of Congressional Ethics reported Monday that it has recommended the House ethics panel open five investigations — which focus on trips to the Caribbean by members of the Congressional Black Caucus, according to the ethics committee.

This marks the first time that the panel has made recommendations since the House voted to establish the quasi-independent ethics watchdog in early 2008.

Although the OCE status report does not detail the recommendations, the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct confirmed the proposed investigations concerned five Members who attended privately sponsored trips to the Caribbean in 2007 and 2008…

The ethics panel announced in late June that an investigative subcommittee will evaluate whether the Members who attended the Caribbean trips, sponsored by the New York-based Carib News Foundation, violated House gift rules.

“While the committee was investigating the Carib News matter already, there were OCE referrals related to five Members. Those Members were named in the [June 25] statement,” said Blake Chisam, ethics committee staff director and chief counsel.

That statement listed Democratic Reps. Charlie Rangel (N.Y.), Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (Mich.), Bennie Thompson (Miss.) and Donald Payne (N.J.) as well as Del. Donna Christensen (D-Virgin Islands)."

Open letter to Little League parents

Enjoy

Last week's crime stats

Crime stats for June 29-July 5

Fading away?

By now, everyone has probably heard about the last round of layoffs at the Clarion-Ledger. 20 were released and unfortunately for them, Gannett changed the terms of the severance package from those provided in previous rounds. Previous severance packages gave the employees one weeks' pay for each year of service and covered COBRA. The current deal is a cookie cutter one-size-fits-all: they all get the same package regardless of time of service: they cover the difference between state unemployment and salary. Health benefits are not covered. There is also a thread about the layoffs on Gannettoid.com.

Unfortunately for the local newspaper, Gannett is running it into the ground with poor business decisions while a weak economy and changing environment deprive it of much-needed revenue. Even if the newspaper were profitable, Gannet will suck every dollar it can out of its balance sheet. There are many good people at the Clarion-Ledger and our hearts go out to those who must now look elsewhere for employment.

Whitney: 13% unemployment

Meredith Whitney says financials will rise in the short term but in the long term the economy will get worse and unemployment will top 13%. Karl Denninger over at the Market Ticker strongly disagrees in this post.

If you can't see video, switch to IE. There is something about the CNBC code in Blogger when trying to view in Firefox which makes the video disappear. There was a section of code pushing the video waaaaay down the page. Took it out and in IE it appears normally, but not at all in FF. Sorry.

Bluntson trying to pay off bond lawyers

You won't believe this but remember Jackson's proposed $95 million interest rate swap for its 2002 and 2004 municipal bonds that died recently? Remember the $4 million in fees ($60,000 to Sarah O'Reilly-Evans, $60,000 to Anthony Simon, $120,000 to Baker Donelson, and $476,000 to Robert Smith Jr.'s firm, Sterne Agee) that were to be paid?

Apparently the City and the City Council are discussing whether the lawyers should still be paid even though the deal is dead. There is a resolution on the agenda for Thursday's meeting of the City Council:

"21. RESOLUTION authorizing and encouraging the payment of all legal fees related
to the SWAP for the Water and Sewer System Revenue Bonds, Series 2002 and
the Water and Sewer System Revenue and Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series
2004 (Bluntson, Stokes)" Agenda

Considering the deal was never actually DONE much less closed, they should not be paid anything.

Believe it or not.............

our own government produced this video.

Jackson mortgage broker, Bo Barry, sentenced Friday

Former Jackson mortgage broker Bryan "Bo" Barry was sentenced in U.S. District Court Friday according to PACER: "Minute Entry for proceedings held before District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III:Sentencing held on 7/10/2009 for Bryan Barry (1), Count(s) 1&2. Defendant sentenced to 5 yrs supervised probation on each count to run concurrently, 6 mos. home confinement, $36,473.05 restitution, and $200.00 special assessment."

Count I was "Conspiracy to commit mail fraud and/or wire fraud". Count II was "Fraud by wire, radio, or television". Mr. Barry was forced to use a federal public defender after local attorney Robert Louis Williamson withdrew from the case and Mr. Barry met the financial requirements for qualiflying for the the use of a public defender. The case number is "3:07-cr-00102-DPJ-LRA".

Copy of indictment

Bored?

Nothing like jumping out of an airplane on a day like today. Brings back some memories. Slam Dunks. Suspended Agony. Black Hats.

Showing the CoCC the door

Recently a Republican State Senator spoke to a national meeting of the Council of Conservative Citizens in Jackson, MS. Some local liberals as well as the local progressive weekly alternative rag sharply criticized her for speaking at the event and the state Republican party chairman for not more forcefully condemning her actions. Since I and many others don't know much about the Council of Conservative Citizens, I decided to check out their website. Buckle your seatbelts.

(picture used on Alabama Chapter's website)

On the national organization's website, six of the nine "stories" posted are about race-related matters. For a group that touts itself as a leading conservative organization, there is no mention of taxes, deficit spending, expanding government, the erosion of civil liberties but there are more than a few words given to what blacks are doing to whites.

The blogs make for interesting reading. One accuses New York of "declaring war on white people". It blames the train operator's falling asleep causing the train wreck in Washington, DC on "diversity hiring", never mind that DC is heavily minority in population (Someone should tell him that in DC, hiring a white person would be the diversity hire.). He also mentions blacks robbing graves in Chicago.

Then there is the anti-Semitism. The same blogger refers to an L.A. Times article about Michael Jackson as a "piece of Jewish garbage" and opines about Steve McNair's death:
"McNair may have been a decent guy, but nothing can hide the obvious truth that wherever blacks go, crime, death, and misery follow. The sports channels will recount all McNair’s stats as they lionize him as a hero and great American. I’ll certainly rank him well above Michael Jackson, but let’s not get carried away. Could you imagine the howls of laughter if the sports TV Jews like Chris Berman, Rich Eisen, Linda Cohn, (the list could go on and on)"

Christians don't escape their ire as the Family Research Council, attacked by liberals everywhere for being conservative in nature, apparently doesn't meet his definition of conservatism:
"Tony Perkins, head of the Family Research Council, and the evangelical’s man in DC, recently held a rally in the nation’s capital to oppose same-sex marriage. There were several speakers at the rally -- Perkins, the FRC’s Uncle Tom “Bishop” Harry Jackson, some brown guys who can’t speak English, etc...". He even bashes Billy Graham. You got it. Even Billy Graham is the enemy.

Other money quotes from this blogger:
"The sooner the GOP collapses, and is replaced by a party that will speak up for white people, the better."

"Anyone who thinks free speech can survive in a multiracial America is dreaming."

Another blog on the website has the headline "Saving the White Race" and has a few things to say:
"The civility in this Forced Union is 3000 miles wide, but only an inch deep. And anytime you come into contact with murderous negros or other non-Whites, that civility has collapsed." So murderous whites don't cause a collapse in civility? Oooook.

Over at the Alabama chapter's website there is a post titled "Stuff black people don't like" with the above picture and a link to a website containing black jokes. The chapter has a list of "recommended reading". Here is a taste of the vintage found in this winery of racism:

• The Citizens’ Council: Organized Resistance to the Second Reconstruction, 1954-64″ by Neil R. McMillan
• “You and Segregation” by former Georgia Sen. Herman E. Talmadge
• “Mississippi’s Defiant Years, 1953-73″ by Erle Johnston
• “The Authentic History of the Ku Klux Klan, 1865-1877″ by Susan Davis
• “Take Your Choice: Separation or Mongrelization” by former Mississippi Sen. Theodore Bilbo

This organization is not a conservative group as conservatives believe in a limited government that is color-blind, free-market capitalism, strong national defense, and civil liberties for all. Racism has no place in conservatism or the Republican Party. Mississippi Republicans have NO BUSINESS WHATSOEVER speaking at one of these events and the chairman needs to condemn this group in no uncertain terms as racism and anti-Semitism have no place in the Republican big tent.

Chairman Brad White should forbid any Republican from speaking at one of these events. A group like this shouldn't get the attention it has recently as it is a fringe group but since a Republican State Senator decided to welcome them, the onus is on the Republican Party to show these guys the door and make it clear the Council is not welcome to Republicans or true conservatives. William F. Buckley and others threw out the Birchers when it became clear the Birchers were not true conservatives. Mr. White, Governor Barbour, and others should do the same and show the Council of Conservative Citizens the door.

Jena 6 Update

Looks like the apples didn't fall too far from the tree where the Jena 6 is concerned, as the sister and outspoken defender of the troubled lads just got arrested for being part of a very large drug operation:
"JENA — LaSalle Parish Sheriff Scott Franklin stood before a group of more than 150 law enforcement officers from at least 10 different agencies early Thursday morning, July 9, getting them ready for their day’s mission – Operation Third Option.
“We’re going into neighborhoods that are being controlled by drug dealers,” Franklin said. “I want to give them back their neighborhoods and return to them a safer neighborhood.”
Operation Third Option targeted a high-level drug trafficker and money launderer, those in the man’s drug ring and other lower-level dealers, police said. ....
A dozen arrests were made Thursday, and more than 20 more are expected as part of the investigation.....
The others arrested during the first strike of the operation were Adrian Carlinsky Richardson, 34, Michael D. Patterson Sr., 34, and Catrina Lynette Wallace, 29. All three are from Jena..... Wallace three counts of distribution of cocaine, according to police.
Wallace is the stepsister of Robert Bailey Jr., one of the “Jena Six” who recently pleaded no contest in connection with the 2006 attack on then-classmate Justin Barker at Jena High School. Wallace was outspoken during rallies in the community, helped organize a benefit concert to raise money for the Jena Six teens and was at one point the secretary of the local National Association for the Advancement of Colored People chapter." The REST of the story

Oh yes, the Jena 6 recently pleaded no contest to beating Justin Barker to a pulp.

Hollywood Royalty

Some guys have all the luck (NSFW)

It's no secret that here at Jackson Jambalaya, women are held in high regard. JJ, after all, IS the home of the "Hottest Reporter in Jackson Poll", the "Hottest Defendant in Mississippi Poll", as well as posts every so often paying homage to beautiful women from all walks of life. Apparently one of our local residents, who is somewhat known, made it to a party at the Playboy Mansion (with his wife, no accusations of anything immoral or unethical are being made here). While there are some who undoubtedly will get their panties in a wad over said excursion, such will not be the case here, as he gets major props, as I've enjoyed an occasional costume party at Mardi Gras.

As for the Kingfish and the JJ nation, we think he achieved the pinnacle (without any TIF's or Ben Allen's help): he got to hang out with Hef. He's earned JJ's admiration for doing something many of us only dream of. Kudos to our new friend for achieving greatness and setting a new standard for the guidos and rednecks everywhere to follow. If anyone says otherwise, they are just jealous.

Taking a stroll down memory lane

Mark Bolton passed away.

Former Clarion-Ledger cartoonist Mark Bolton passed away on July 2, 2009.

Online guestbook

Oops

Over at the Jackson Free Press:
"The June 2009 issue of the "Mississippi Economic Review and Outlook," a monthly report authored by Marianne Hill, senior economist for the Institutions of Higher Learning, says the state's recovery from the current recession will be slow. Hill predicts that it will be 2014 before employment rates are back down to where they were in 2000" (The statement was not Hill's but the JFP's.)

Um, don't you mean unemployment rates?

So if it's not reported, did it not happen?

A little wino told me an interesting fact. The National Traffic Safety Administration requires law enforcement to report all traffic fatalities to the federal agency. Anyone want to guess which wreck that caused two deaths in the last few months was not reported to NTSA by JPD? They are supposed to report fatalities to NTSA within a short time (by that I mean a few days) after they occur. Wonder how Lee will explain this one since Mac has left him holding the bag.

Windpower: nothing but hot air

The American Thinker makes a good case against windpower in a way which will not make T. Boone Pickens too happy:
"A typical large wind-driven turbine is rated at about 1,500 kilowatts. It's 350 feet tall and has a fan blade of about 240 feet in diameter. It will actually deliver about 375 kilowatts. It can power about 375 microwave ovens, or 6250 60-watt light bulbs simultaneously (only when the wind is blowing at about 25 miles per hour, which is a very strong wind). An average (1 gigawatt) power plant can power nearly a million microwaves, or 16 million light bulbs at the same time.
A power plant near me produces 1,100,000 kilowatts (1.1 gigawatts) of power. At a 25% capacity factor it would take nearly 2600 large wind turbines to produce the same power as this nuclear power plant. And this is not a particularly large plant.
If you placed these 2600 wind turbines the recommended 5 rotor-blade diameters apart, they would stretch for 600 miles. That's as far as the distance from Michigan to Georgia. In practice wind turbines are not placed single file, they are placed in several rows, like crops, in what are called wind farms, but you get the idea.
The amount of electricity generated by a wind turbine is proportional to the wind speed to the 3rd power (a 20 MPH wind will produce 8 times as much energy as a 10 MPH wind). Therefore wind turbines often produce energy in bursts; when the wind gusts, the energy output spikes, when the wind dies down, energy output dips.
Unfortunately, there is no easy way to store these bursts of energy for later use. There are no batteries large enough that are also practical, and pumped-storage systems, which use unwanted energy to pump water into an aboveground reservoir for later use in turning a water-driven generator, require a large body of water."
Column

WLBT twitter feed added

Added WLBT Twitter feed to the sidebar. Enjoy.

Home prices to fall another two years

Who ya gonna believe? CNBC tool Jim Cramer who tells you the housing market has reached its bottom OR a leading mortgage insurance company who says housing prices will fall for another two years? Housingwire reports:
"Home prices will be lower in two years compared to Q109 for much of the country’s metropolitan statistical areas, (MSAs) according to an economic trends report released by PMI Mortgage Insurance Co......
Florida, California, Nevada and Arizona are home to 36 of the most risky MSAs, but other regions are not immune, according to PMI’s chief economist and strategist David Berson.
“Rapidly rising foreclosure and unemployment rates, continuing declines in house prices, and weakening consumer demand all worked to increase risk in the general economy, and the housing market specifically,” Berson says in a statement today. “As a result of the continued weakness in prices, and the relatively low level of interest rates, improvements in affordability across the nation’s MSAs will continue to incentivize repeat and first-time homebuyers back into the market.”..."

Although the Jackson market should stay fairly stable, the housing market nationwide should continue to decline. The subprime implosion has passed and low interest rates have mitigated the effects of the ARM and Option-ARM resets to some degree. Unfortunately, the no-money-down mortgages that Fannie and Freddie passed out by the bushel are now imploding. Another time bomb is blowing up as well: the Fannie Mae stated income program for investment properties. Yup. Fannie Mae financed stated income program investment properties and allowed the purchaser to put only 10% down. This will cause prices to decline further as more foreclosures take place. There will be some temporary spikes as people take advantage of the lower prices in some markets, but they will be outweighed by the loss of potential homebuyers as underwriting standards have drastically tightened. Remember, the median price of a home should be no more than 3.5 times the median income. Until we reach that ratio, we are still sliding towards the bottom.

Magic in Vicksburg

Enjoy more of his work here.

Jackson group to visit Baton Rouge for ideas

Baton Rouge Business Report reported last week:
"A contingent of about 70 people from Jackson, Miss., will be in Baton Rouge next week to learn about the progress the city has made in downtown redevelopment, Mayor Kip Holden says. The group will be in Baton Rouge on July 9-10, looking at a things such as the consolidation of state government buildings and how city initiatives spurred developments such as the Shaw Center for the Arts, the Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center and Kress at Third and Main, says Davis Rhorer, executive director of the Downtown Development District. “That’s a moment to celebrate, that we are moving to that level,” Holden says. Holden made the announcement Wednesday evening at a meeting of Progress Is Baton Rouge, a grassroots organization that supports the bond issue the mayor hopes to have before voters Nov. 14. The details of the next bond issue will be revealed July 22, but Holden says it will be at least $100 million smaller than the $989 million voters rejected last year that included various infrastructure improvements, expansion of the River Center and the Audubon Alive riverfront attraction. The cities of Baker, Central and Zachary, which voted overwhelmingly against the last bond issue, will be eliminated from the potential taxing district and therefore won’t vote this time around.—David Jacobs"

Robert McNamara died.

May he rot in hell.

Vote for your favorite blog.

Just posted a new poll about the local blogs. As some people will wonder why I didn't include Sid Salter or Marshall Ramsey, I think an explanation is in order. The poll excluded blogs by journalists and professional media outlets. I tried to limit it to blogs that covered the Jackson area to some degree, and didn't include websites such as Magnolia Report, which are not blogs but aggregators. (They just post headlines from other websites.) Vote early and often and if there is one I missed, feel free to let me know.

Subpoenas issued in Irby case

Copy of Subpoena

The Hinds County District Attorney's office has subpoenaed two individuals to testify in the Karen Irby prosecution. Prosecutor Patrick Beasley filed the subpoena with the Hinds County Circuit Clerk's office on June 29, 2009. The two individuals subpoenaed are Dr. Lisa D. Williams and Kirk McDaniel (Kirk McDaniel of Ridgeland).

No information is known about Dr. Williams. Mr. McDaniel was once an attorney who was suspended from the practice of law for a year in Pennsylvania. Text of decision' Mr. McDaniel was suspended after being found guilty of unethical conduct as well as being found guilty under UCMJ for being awol and also testing positive for cocaine.

JJ Poll: Margaritas best Mexican restaurant in Jackson

Although I voted for Cinco De Mayo, Margaritas won the recent "Best Mexican Restaurant in Jackson" poll. It was a close race but in the end, the Pear Orchard cantina pulled it out. Congratulations to Margaritas.

El Charro	14 (8%)
Cazuela	27 (16%)
Fernando's	22 (13%)
Cinco De Mayo	12 (7%)
Cozumel	8 (4%)
El Potrillo	22 (13%)
El Sombrero	8 (4%)
Margaritas	35 (21%)
Papito's	15 (9%)

Mid-year check of Market Ticker's 2009 predictions

Wonder why I post so many items from Karl Denninger's website, The Market Ticker, or why Kim Wade has him on his show so much? Its because Karl's track record the last few years predicting the economy has been on the money (pun intended). Every January he makes his economic forecast for the next 12 months and sufficeth to say, he's usually right. He is one of the reasons many of us don't listen to the CNBC gurus anymore as they are known for consistently getting it wrong. Here is his mid-year check of his 2009 predictions:

"Let's take a look at the scorecard first from my 2009 Prediction Ticker, remembering of course that I have six months left!

1. The economy will not recover in 2009. No sign of it yet, "green shooters" be damned. I predicted that U3 would reach 8% by the end of the year, it has exceeded that wildly, and is now 9.5%. U-6 also has exceeded my predicted value already.
2. Deflation, not inflation, will become evident well beyond housing. Already has. CPI and PPI have come in with negative prints as has capital goods pricing.
3. Housing prices will continue to decline. Yep.
4. The Fed's attempt to "pump liquidity" will be shown to be an abject failure. I'll leave this one on the table for now; I believe the evidence is in, but I'm in the minority. Score this one as a "no result" as of yet.
5. GDP will post a 12-month negative number. 12 months aren't up yet, but we're working on it!
6. The Stock Market has not bottomed. Remember, this was made with the market around the 900 level. Major check; we declined to 666. My secondary prediction was a 50% trading range and a 5xx low; we missed that by 67 points, but I still have six months left. I'm sticking with this one.
7. Precious metals will not be a safe haven. Oh Jim Sinclair! Where's my $1,600+ gold price? (Or for some, their $5,000+ gold price?) Missing, that's where. I know, I know, its all manipulation (instead of debt deflation.) Check.
8. The Dollar will not collapse. Hasn't yet.
9. The pound or euro will be where the FX dislocation originates if it occurs. I predicted Par for both being a possibility, not happening yet. We'll see what the next six months bring.
10. The US Consumer will go from a negative savings rate to a seriously-positive one. I'm predicting 4% but it could go as high as 10%. Major double-check! We're up close to 7% now. That's a home run in any book.
11. Commercial Real Estate will effectively collapse. The REITs have not yet imploded but the pricing and occupancy look like something that came out of the back end of a horse. Anyone got a finger to lend to push this pile over?
12. Along with the above, expect 10% of retail stores to close. We're getting there.
13. Several states will get in serious financial trouble and outright default of one or more is possible. California anyone? Major check.
14. Mortgages are not done. Yep. Prime, OptionARMs, ALT-A.
15. If you want to refinance you may get one brief shot at it with long rates around 4%. Check again. Hope you took it.
16. Those who have said that the corporate bond market is being "unreasonable" in its expectation for defaults will start to look like the jackasses they are. Ding! Check CDS spreads the last few weeks? They're widening again. Even worse, the actual corporate default rates are getting rather nasty. This trend continues.
17. Calls for "more lending" to consumers and businesses will go exactly nowhere. Major check. The drunk who is passed out from intoxication can't lift the bottle. Nice try guys.
18. General Motors and Chrysler will wind up in bankruptcy. DING!
19. Protectionism and currency manipulation will rear their ugly heads. This has started but there's much more to come. Watch out; this has the possibility of igniting wars.
20. Commodities will appear to be headed for a new bull market but this will turn out to be a false hope. Attempts to manage oil output to prop up the price will fail. Crude just rolled over, in fact, and major agri commodities were lock-limit down on one day last week. Ding......"

So let's see - I have 25 predictions and of them I can score 13 "confirms", half the year is over, and no busts as of yet (although there is one, the Euro/Pound prediction, that is looking shaky.)" Rest of article

If you are interested, here are his 2008 predictions. When he made them, many thought he was nuts.

Remembering Entebbe and Freedom on the Fourth.

I'm going to take a different twist in remembering Independence Day on this blog. It's been over thirty years since the Raid on Entebbe. Many of you don't know what this was, as nearly a generation has passed since that night when the Israelis freed their people from terrorists on July 4. The Israelis knew something about freedom as it was denied to them for so long. After a long struggle, they finally established a homeland and created a free and prosperous nation amid decades of wars initiated by their neighbors, as the Arabs refused to acknowledge they even existed. Fresh off the heels of the Arab sneak attack of Yom Kippur and the murder of its Olympians at Munich, the Israelis must have thought "not again" as PLO terrorists hijacked a plane, flew it to Uganda, and separated the Jews from the rest of the passengers, whom they freed.

The Israelis sent several C-130's carrying commandos (led by Netanyahu's brother) to the airport in Uganda where they were held, as Idi Amin gave the terrorists and their hostages sanctuary. The Israelis killed the terrorists, freed the hostages, and returned home to a shocked world and joyous nation. Watch the faces of the crowd in the clip below as they wait for the planes to return. What does one see but hope, relief, and a feeling that only among each other are they free and safe, that they have something worth fighting for.



The movie is available on Youtube. Forget the phony action movies filled with pretty boy 'roid monsters produced by Hollywood. Here is a movie needing no scriptwriting, as the true story was script enough. It has an all-star cast, a great director in Irving Kershner, and several moving scenes. The ending. The commandos singing several hymns as they flew to carry out their mission. The barbarism of the terrorists and the surreal nature of Idi Amin's Uganda. Entebbe is a lesson for the free world and to its enemies that there will always be those who will fight and die for freedom.



Interviews with some of the people involved 30 years later.

John Wayne explains the meaning of freedom

Santelli: "Bait and Switch Economics"

Start at 9:30. Having a problem with Firefox. If video doesn't appear, here is link.

JPD drives past suspect leaving with stolen goods.

WLBT reported:
"Surveillance cameras captured a man falling off of a bicycle at 4:15 A.M. at the entrance to Woodland Hills at Old Canton Road and Glenway Drive. The man picked up dropped materials, put them in a bag, and started to ride away. About that time a Jackson police car came by. The man waved at the officer and went on his way. The officer did not stop....
Assistant Police Chief Lee Vance looked at the video and said he couldn't tell if the officer actually saw the man on the bicycle. Vance said Commander Kenneth Goodrum, of Precinct Four, where Woodland Hills is located, consistently has the lowest crime rate in the city. Vance says crime is down over 10% in the past year, and violent crime in that area is down over 23%, so he trusts Goodrum and his officers.
Vance told WLBT that an officer cannot just stop a black man for riding a bicycle in a white neighborhood because that is profiling." Story

This is simply ridiculous and yet another example of the incompetence at JPD. Vance as usual is covering for his officers and defending a cop's dereliction of duty. Keep in mind Vance opposed releasing police reports to the public because he said he didn't want his officers getting sued, his duty to the public be damned.

JJ has learned two houses in the area were hit that night and two things were stolen: a purse out of an unlocked car and a woman's bicycle. Hmmm.... what was the suspect in possession of when the police car drove by? A woman's bicycle and a purse.

Unfortunately for Fondren residents, Vance is more interested in protecting his officer than he is protecting the public. His excuse that JPD does not profile is just that, an excuse as JPD profiles all the time. If you are white and in a certain part of town at a certain time, you will get stopped by JPD as they assume you are in that area to buy drugs (and they are probably right). No one wants JPD to stop and question black people in white neighborhoods or vice versa. What IS expected of JPD is for police officers to stop and investigate suspicious activity, regardless of color.

If nothing else, someone weaving all over the place while riding a bike at 4:00 AM is enough to give an officer probable cause to see if he is guilty of public intoxication. Then he can question him about the items in his possession. That is not profiling, that is police work and in just about any other jurisdiction, that is exactly what would have happened. Lee Vance's defense of his police officer was pitiful and a kick in the stomach to the victims whose purse and bike were stolen by that thief. Lee Vance owes us an apology.

More on Goldman Sachs

Rolling Stone writer Matt Taibbi is interviewed by Business News Network about his recent expose on Goldman Sach's market manipulations. Video

Bond deal dead, new one possible

Well, you never know what happens until you try. That old adage includes fighting Jackson's decision to refinance its 2002 and 2004 public works bonds with "interest rate swaps" derivatives that have bankrupted other local governments.

In the original deal, Jackson planned to refinance $95 million in bonds while paying $4 million in fees to various parties (this included $120,000 to Baker Donelson, $60,000 to Anthony Simon, $60,000 to Sarah O'Reilly-Evans, and $476,000 to Sterne Agee plus additional fees to "monitor" the contract to Sterne) for bonds which generated only $1.5 million in fees when originally issued.

However, City Finance Director Rick Hill announced Jackson will only refinance $40 million of bonds using interest rate swaps. The deal fell through because Deutschebank insisted Jackson would have to pay early termination fees if it ever got out of the deal (if it refinanced for example.). Other cities have been burned by these prepayment penalties as they usually cost millions of dollars. The deal was going to be insured by Financial Security Assurance, which proposed Jackson should have five years to pay the fees if termination occurred. The two parties could not agree on this issue so FSA is only going to insure a smaller amount.

Unfortunately, Mr. Hill tried to spin this new refinance as a good deal for Jackson. First he misstated the reasons why these swaps bankrupted Jefferson County:
"Hill said the banks involved in Jefferson County were unable to find anyone to buy the county’s variable-rate debt. He said Jackson has safeguards in place to prevent the same things from happening here. “They went way beyond normal practices,” he said." Northside Sun story

Actually Mr. Hill got it completely wrong. Whether he didn't know the facts or tried to deliberately mislead the reporter is for the reader to decide. The truth is the credit rating for the insurer, Ambanc, for Jefferson County's swap was slashed, causing the interest rate on it's bonds to literally jump overnight from 3% to 10%. There was no problem with selling the bonds as JP Morgan Chase was more than happy to collect ten percent interest and bankrupt the county. In fact, Chase allegedly overcharged JC by over $100 million.

Mr. Hill also says that the fees will only be $2 million. Only. The fees when the original $128 million in bonds were underwritten were $1.5 million dollars. The amount refinanced will be 31% of the original amount yet the fees will be half a million dollars more than what was originally paid. I asked Councilman Weill for a copy of the fees and was told Mr. Hill has not provided the Council with any materials yet showing the structure of the deal and further details about the fees. At this point, we only know there will be $2 million in fees, which is an exorbitant amount.

One other part of the story was wrong: "The agreement would have generated between $10 million and $13 million in upfront cash for the city and would have meant lower payments on bond indebtedness."

There was no upfront cash from the original refinance. Nowhere in the documents provided did it mention Jackson would get any upfront cash. A swap such as this consists of several different cash flows (which is why they are so complicated). Jackson was going to receive a cash flow every year that eventually would have reached a total of $10 million. However, the money was no sure thing, as several factors such as a change in Jackson or another party's credit rating, a change in interest rates, or a default, would have jeapordized the proposed $10 million.

What Jackson should do is suck it up and stick with the fixed interest rate it has now unless it can refinance for a lower fixed rate. It is true Jackson will pay a fixed interest rate in this deal. However, these swaps consist of several transactions and cash flows and those are based on adjustable interest rates. If they move in the wrong direction for any reason, Jackson will pay dearly for what little savings would realize. This deal should be thrown out along with the rest of the Melton administration.

WLBT story
WLBT video

earlier posts:
Stern Agee: Come get your bottle
Sterne Agee's connections
SEC going after JP Morgan for ripping off Jefferson County
Sterne Agee gets more money for "monitoring" swaps
Municipal Carnage caused by Wall Street
Jackson: paying $4 million in fees
Will Jackson end up like Jefferson County?

How Goldman created the oil bubble.

Yesterday I posted a great article from Rolling Stone which chronicled how Goldman Sachs made quite a pretty penny manipulating bubbles for decades. It's a great read and I wish I could require every one of you to read it. There was one tidbit of information, though, that really got my attention and it was how GS was able to manipulate the oil bubble last year:

"So what caused the huge spike in oil prices? Take a wild guess. Obviously Goldman had help - there were other players in the physical-commodities market - but the root cause had almost everything to do with the behavior of a few powerful actors determined to turn the once-solid market into a speculative casino. Goldman did it by persuading pension funds and other large institutional investors to invest in oil futures - agreeing to buy oil at a certain price on a fixed date. The push transformed oil from a physical commodity, rigidly subject to supply and demand, into something to bet on, like a stock. Between 2003 and 2008, the amount of speculative money in commodities grew from $13 billion to $317 billion, an increase of 2,300 percent. By 2008, a barrel of oil was traded 27 times, on average, before it was actually delivered and consumed.

As is so often the case, there had been a Depression-era law in place designed specifically to prevent this sort of thing. ... In 1936, Congress recognized that there should never be more speculators in the market than real producers and consumers. If that happened, prices would be affected by something other than supply and demand, and price manipulations would ensue. A new law empowered the Commodity Futures Trading Commission - the very same body that would later try and fail to regulate credit swaps - to place limits on speculative trades in commodities. As a result of the CFTC's oversight, peace and harmony reigned in the commodities markets for more than 50 years.

All that changed in 1991 when, unbeknownst to almost everyone in the world, a Goldman-owned commodities-trading subsidiary called J. Aron wrote to the CFTC and made an unusual argument. Farmers with big stores of corn, Goldman argued, weren't the only ones who needed to hedge their risk against future price drops - Wall Street dealers who made big bets on oil prices also needed to hedge their risk, because, well, they stood to lose a lot too.

This was complete and utter crap - the 1936 law, remember, was specifically designed to maintain distinctions between people who were buying and selling real tangible stuff and people who were trading in paper alone. But the CFTC, amazingly, bought Goldman's argument. It issued the bank a free pass, called the "Bona Fide Hedging" exemption, allowing Goldman's subsidiary to call itself a physical hedger and escape virtually all limits placed on speculators. In the years that followed, the commission would quietly issue 14 similar exemptions to other companies.

Now Goldman and other banks were free to drive more investors into the commodities markets, enabling speculators to place increasingly big bets. That 1991 letter from Goldman more or less directly led to the oil bubble in 2008, when the number of speculators in the market - driven there by fear of the falling dollar and the housing crash - finally overwhelmed the real physical suppliers and consumers. By 2008, at least three quarters of the activity on the commodity exchanges was speculative, according to a congressional staffer who studied the numbers - and that's likely a conservative estimate. By the middle of last summer, despite rising supply and a drop in demand, we were paying $4 a gallon every time we pulled up to the pump.

What is even more amazing is that the letter to Goldman, along with most of the other trading exemptions, was handed out more or less in secret. "I was the head of the division of trading and markets, and Brooksley Born was the chair of the CFTC," says Greenberger, "and neither of us knew this letter was out there." In fact, the letters only came to light by accident. Last year, a staffer for the House Energy and Commerce Committee just happened to be at a briefing when officials from the CFTC made an offhand reference to the exemptions.

"1 had been invited to a briefing the commission was holding on energy," the staffer recounts. "And suddenly in the middle of it, they start saying, 'Yeah, we've been issuing these letters for years now.'.....

Armed with the semi-secret government exemption, Goldman had become the chief designer of a giant commodities betting parlor. Its Goldman Sachs Commodities Index - which tracks the prices of 24 major commodities but is overwhelmingly weighted toward oil - became the place where pension funds and insurance companies and other institutional investors could make massive long-term bets on commodity prices. Which was all well and good, except for a couple of things. One was that index speculators are mostly "long only" bettors, who seldom if ever take short positions - meaning they only bet on prices to rise. While this kind of behavior is good for a stock market, it's terrible for commodities, because it continually forces prices upward. "If index speculators took short positions as well as long ones, you'd see them pushing prices both up and down," says Michael Masters, a hedge-fund manager who has helped expose the role of investment banks in the manipulation of oil prices. "But they only push prices in one direction: up."......

But it wasn't the consumption of real oil that was driving up prices - it was the trade in paper oil. By the summer of 2008, in fact, commodities speculators had bought and stockpiled enough oil futures to fill 1.1 billion barrels of crude, which meant that speculators owned more future oil on paper than there was real, physical oil stored in all of the country's commercial storage tanks and the Strategic Petroleum Reserve combined. It was a repeat of both the Internet craze and the housing bubble, when Wall Street jacked up present-day profits by selling suckers shares of a fictional fantasy future of endlessly rising prices.

In what was by now a painfully familiar pattern, the oil-commodities melon hit the pavement hard in the summer of 2008, causing a massive loss of wealth; crude prices plunged from $147 to $33. Once again the big losers were ordinary people. The pensioners whose funds invested in this crap got massacred: CalPERS, the California Public Employees' Retirement System, had $1.1 billion in commodities when the crash came...."

Do I really need to make a comment?

Another business leaves

Mugshots is moving in a few weeks to the old Corky's location in Flowood. But although that might bother some, I could care less if they do. What REALLY has me bothered is the fact I don't know where the hell I can get some damn good barbecue this weekend. Pig Out was average but it closed. No Homers. Corkys, as bad as it became, bit the dust. Red, Hot, and Blue sits empty. They are even tearing down the Northside Drive Exxon, which had the best ribs in town.

So where am I supposed to get some decent barbecue on Fourth of July weekend without driving to Grenada?

Note: Don't mention Hickory Pit as it's simply not that good. What I wouldn't give for some Jake & Rip's.