Jackson Jambalaya

Unbelievable. Allen says that Jackson isn't going to make any money on the King Edward.

is anyone surprised that they're not?

We are fortunate that small minds and simple people are not leading the private development growth in downtown, otherwise, 10 years from now, we would be sitting here in our own pity still talking about the same scenario that plagues Jackson.

Great question and answer session by Kim Wade and Ben Allen.

What changes in 10 years?

What changes in 10 years?

Too easy. Jackson loses another 6-7% of its taxpaying population.

Retail,retail,retail;regurgitated real estate; please wake me when job creators are discussed.

11:58 & 12:06 NAIL IT. Jackson is bleeding residents & businesses that actually pay taxes. Anyone who believes Jackson will be rescued by increasing its reliance on volatile & unreliable revenues like sales taxes is smoking way too much of Ben's DJP wacky weed.

So let's all do nothing except blog, moan and complain, and hope that everything will just take care of utself.

Somewhat disappointed that Ben Allen didn't offer up that bullshit about how Mississippi is going to lose another congressional seat if downtown isn't redeveloped.

Since when did Mississippi turn into France?

1:17 that is four already!

Sorry if this is mentioned in the audio above somehow, haven't listened to it yet, but was anyone listening the other day when Kim quoted some staggering statistic about the percent of taxes paid by the black population in Jackson? Anybody know what I'm talking about?

Not meaning to make black/white thing, was just honestly curious if anyone caught it and remembered what it was he said? Heard tail end of it and almost ran my car off the road.

I have a question? When the voter's demand that government cut back to sustainable levels ( early 90's ), how many state building will be abandoned? I don't see why Jackson is any more important than Vicksburg, Corinth, Meridian, or Gulfport.

Black owned property taxes= 8.7%
White owned property taxes= 41.6%
Businesses black and white (mostly white)= 49.7%

1:01 PM = logical fallacy of the false dilemma

1:01 Better choice -

1)move to Madison or Rankin County

2)hope to find job there too

3)Enjoy life

Damn he is good! I never heard Ben Allen speak, but he has it all pegged to a Tee!! Every single detail!!!

I have been so irritated with the fact that the State owns a BUTTLOAD of property downtown; yet they pay NOOOOO property taxes to the City of Jackson. Federal government is the same way; yet, they don't take up near as much property as the State.

The State and Federal gov't only contribute to the City through taxes their employees pay from buying lunch from a downtown vendor and paying for parking to a privately owned garage.

As well, there are many churches in Jackson that do not pay property taxes nor contribute to help with improving the community.

In conclusion, the citizens of Jackson are taking up the slack for the State and Federal gov't and the churches!!! Why should we have to pay out of our pockets to fund everyone else?

Ben Allen for mayor!!

Too bad 7:52 PM doesn't put as much effort into finding out why taxpayers are leaving Jackson in droves. Treat the illness, not the symptoms. Blaming the churches and govt is the path of least resistance. But that IS typical Ben.

7:52 probably understands that already. It's a matter of not being one dimensional in approach. You should look into it.

Does 7:52 PM live in a cave? You're all clued in about properties downtown yet you've never heard our DJP Cheerleader speak? Sure.

The Partner, a/k/a 8:54, care to share with the audience the percentage increase in city properties, and corresponding losses in property tax revenues, that have been swallowed by government entities over the last 20 years in Jackson?

Save your manifesto about neighborhoods. A three year old could follow that. No one argues with you there. You seemingly keep missing that. Think more than one dimensional, if possible.

If it wasn't for the churches and their benevolence Jackson would be a no man's land cesspool. The people who want to tax our churches are the people who don't attend.

Should churches with "Health Clubs" and who compete with tax paying clubs, such as the "Courthouse" downtown, be tax exempt as well? Should those parts of the "church" get off scott free?

Would you have the YMCA pay taxes too?

i hope you guys don't live in jackson proper. this city has great potential, but it needs residents with vision...not people scared to take a step forward.

...and you know what makes jackson different from vicksburg, meridian, etc.??? it's that building in the center of downtown where all of the legislators meet. that's what makes the difference. this is the state capital, and until the problem-fleers realize that and realize that a capital city represents its state, we'll never be able to reach our potential.

i know i'm in the minority on this site, but i don't mind that. the people stupid enough to think they can make a difference are usually the ones who do...proud to be one of them.

also, i'm not ashamed to show my name on here. you shouldn't be either.

also, i'm not ashamed to show my name on here. you shouldn't be either.

Oh Please.

"Would you have the YMCA pay taxes too?"

HELL YES

Yes I would. I belong to the Courthouse and I'm sick and damn tired of seeing it pummeled by the tax-free gyms that offer lower prices because we subsidize them with tax exemptions.

I'm surprised there's not a Six Flags over Jesus gas station on the corner of High St and State S - if there were, would it be tax exempt too?

Are you saying Kingfish that the Courthouse is failing as a business?

Not at all. They are doing just fine. However, I've seen the Y take more than a few members as it opened up two facilities in the Reservoir area. All subsidized by us. I think if the Y is in the gym business, it should compete with other gyms on an equal footing.

If a level playing field is what you are after then ALL businesses downtown and elsewhere in Jackson should also receive their sales taxes kicked back for a 10-year period so their break-even may also be guaranteed. Unless you demand the same deal for every business then you only want to tweak the status quo to benefit your own sacred cows.

In the "real world", he or she who negotiates with a $100MM account, the same parameters as he or she does a $2MM account, is a fool.

August 18, 2010 7:52 PM


That's right. The answer to Jackson's problems is government taxing government. And as for the only impact being buying lunches and paying for parking; I guess none of those employees live inside the city limits of Jackson, do they? I guess none of the people who visit those offices and stay overnight stay inside the city of Jackson either. Well, come to think of it, maybe no state/federal employees or visitors do live/stay in Jackson since it has become such a craphole.

Those who resort to ad hominem attacks are those unable to formulate a coherent response. Please take your anger back to the Clarion-Ledger.

as far as the King I don't see how anyone is going to make money on the Edwards. It took too much money to renovate it 80.000.000. One day in the far future it will be worth it but it would have been sold a couple of times by then.

I was born and raised in "J" and will always consider the great place and state my home. One day in this decade I will be home. But in all honesty, I am worried about my city. I like what's going down in DT but there are bigger needs in the surround. Focusing solely on DT is like having your front teeth whitened and fixed and the back ones are rotten. It takes the whole set to make it right. There must be viable upscale neighborhoods to make a city whole. The remaining viables seem to all be in Northeast. Belhaven and Fondren of course. Are you guys still in the "Get Whitey" phase or are the "poobahs" on the city council seeing the light, meaning Whitey and Whitey's businesses are the tax base and the sooner you realize that things may stabalize.

by the way 9:11pm is Auburn Rat. I am not quite "anonymus". but if you take issue with my comments then smack away...... : ) but know I really do care about what is going down over there.

I'm just reading through the crap commented here, and wonder, who here actually has ran a business in DT Jackson? I have. I resented every year having to pay a freakin' inventory tax, not on new inventory - ALL INVENTORY even if it was paid in prior years. What? This was not single taxation, this was in the fifth realm - our product went in cycles and some inventory was written down, but we STILL paid taxes. I have lived in enough places to know that that is a death tax on business. It is antiquated, it punishes businesses within the city limits and has directly contributed to the demise of small business retailers.

If Jackson wants businesses to stay there and contribute to the sales tax base, why not make it a business friendly environment?

Wonder why Fondren never has emerged? Take a freakin' guess!

And to you developers, you are just as guilty. You own dilapidated property downtown and you do what to encourage business? NOTHING. You seek city/state/federal funding to improve, but you don't solve the very fundamental issue...small businesses cannot survive under the current stranglehold of the city tax demands.

Oh by the way, we shut down operations at the beginning of this year. Suppliers, workers (full & part time) all lost out. And we were loyal to Jackson business owners. Thanks Jackson, that was my mother's retirement.