Jackson Jambalaya

Um, Chrysler is in Auburn Hills.

In other words, Madison.

Bad example.

Stopped reading at:

"waller in hate"

Didn't Kaze recently wash out working for Watkins?

Wow, you know that little key next to the enter/return button on your keyboard? That is right, it makes a little symbol that looks like '. Take a little time and learn where you should put it.

Jackson will not be attractive to anyone unless you give the entire JPD and JPS a massive enema. People can run commercials, rebuild old buildings and pump billions into the city but until the Police actually do their job, and you can educate the kids as well as the suburbs, there will be no change.

Would someone like to explain to me exactly how a "rebranding campaign" is going to stop people leaving the city? That commercial is a pretty effective way to sell a car, but it's got nothing at all to do with deciding where to live. It takes a lot more than some good marketing to override the headlines I read in the newspaper every day.

I'm a Jackson native, and I wish I could live in Fondren or Woodland Hills or Belhaven, because I love the area. Instead, I live at the Reservoir, and am moving to Madison, because nobody breaks into my house, the water works and the roads aren't full of potholes, and I won't have to spend $30K a year to send my kids to private school.

Fix that, and you won't need to blow a few hundred grand on an ad campaign to get me to move to Jackson.

Rebranding isn't going to replace poor leadership. He gets it right about JPD, JPS, and the City Council. They are out of touch and somewhat insulated.

However, a rebranding campaign won't make a difference unless things actually change. Want an example?

Halloween. Went trick or treating in a Brandon neighborhood by Whitfield. Brandon cops all over the place. Several parked in the neighborhood, several more patrolling. Kangaroo tells me the same thing happened where he lives around the Rez and others tell me it is like that in Madison. Got it? Your kids can go trick or treating in relative safety because the police made a concerted effort to have a visible presence.

now go to Jackson. No cops watching or parked in Fondren, Belhaven, or NE Jackson. No heavy patrols, you're just on your own on Halloween. What I DID see in Fondren was a bunch of car- and truckloads of teenagers who obviously did not live there and did not wear costumes getting out to go door to door demanding their treats. The burbs you can trick or treat in safety with the cops watching everything, in Jackson, you don't see the police and your neighborhood gets invaded. And no one cares or if you mention it, you're labeled a racist or Jackson-hater. Nuff said.

Better yet, JPD says they won't do anything about graffiti on interstate signs because no one filed a complaint. Does that really need a comment?

Over 30 years of democratic policy and entitlement society has come home to roost. Add to that a mayor and city council that could give a flip what happens to the middle class in jackson as long as they pay taxes and there is the recipe for decline.

Anon 11:17, those entitlement policies accomplished exactly what they were designed to do, keep the poor folks poor and uneducated. They were a simple extension of "Compassionate Jim Crow."

Why did you capitalize "North" Jackson and not capitalize "south" Jackson?

How many times can you "digress" and still be on point?

More importantly, exactly what was the point? To film a commercial for "rebranding" Jackson?

Dang, Anon 11:51, did you miss the point that we should find and develop a white rapper? Man, sometimes you have to deliver these messages with a cudgel.

So, we're supposed to mock the people who actually do care about the city?

I'm not sure what this accomplishes...

I believe this is one of the best pieces that Kaz has written. He drops the cloak of the JFP racial overtures and focuses on the problems.

The gentrification of leadership within the city may very well be one of the major driving forces behind the continued head in the sand approach to governance.

I think however, the analogy to Atlanta would be a much better one. They were much more successful at reversing the urban decay than Detroit has or ever will achieve.

Ideas, implementation, and results never matter, it is ONLY about intentions for the left, Chris.

Did I say overtures? I meant racial editorial requirement.

He drops the cloak of the JFP racial overtures and focuses on the problems.

Where does he mention crime Kappy?

As I see it, raising sales tax is just going to speed up middle class flight. It's happening everywhere. People are reacting "with their feet." It puts more onus on the decreasing Jax. middle class. Raising taxes isn't the long term answer.

Good grief. Why is everyone dancing around the real issue? White people don't want to live near black people and they don't want their kids going to school with black kids. They are willing to uproot their entire family and purchase an expensive house in the suburbs to accomplish that.

THAT is the story of Jackson, MS since schools integrated around 1970.

There is a program out there, everyone, that is called the Jackson Leadership Initiative Program, sponsored by some businesses in the community as well as several civic groups. The local colleges here send students from the political science departments to participate in it. The students work on programs that will help to change Jackson. In a meeting last week, they all agreed that change for Jackson will come from its youth, not the older inhabitants. As an older inhabitant, I could have been offended, but I realized they are correct. The students are about to bring a new program before city council where they applied for and received a grant that will cover paying overtime for police, trash pickup, insurance, etc. It's a fabulous program designed to have a summer movie program at night that is family oriented.

They also get to work with state legislators and lobbyists to see how state officials do things. They get to see the good, the bad, and the ugly and make decisions for themselves what works and what doesn't. And believe me, they get an eyeful. They believe in Jackson and want to change it.

These are the youth that will change our city. If you are interested in helping with this program, contact Downtown Partners. And this post was not authored by DJP..... it was authored by the program coordinator. Kim Wolford

Instead of sending students from political science departments, why not send the students from the business and management schools? What about the law students? It would seem to me that some future politicians might be served better by observing how efficient politicians can operate...

Let's bring some fresh ideas into Jackson that can build and retain businesses, thus providing infrastructure and a true reason for visiting the city. Unless that happens, they can build a wall around it and flood it for what it's currently worth.

So the (still remaining) "older" inhabitants of Jackson would rather tolerate crime and a failing public school system while Jackson's "youth" will not tolerate either? Good luck with that.

Darryl, the reason we limited it to poli sci students is that we can only accommodate six students to monitor. MC has a law student in the program. Tougaloo declined to participate. If you would like to help, we would be glad to have you help us. I wholeheartedly agree with what you say.

And 3:21, you are missing the point of the program as well as the post. As with most cities, change usually comes with the younger generation. Someone made a comment earlier about Atlanta. I lived there during the 70's and it was exactly like JX is today; no tax base in the city, people left for the burbs, etc. And the younger people in Atlanta in the 80's moved back downtown, got involved in city government and changed things. I think we can do it here too. 3:21, become a part of the program and help change things. Kim Wolford

Lets say you wanted to live in Jackson, but didn't want to live in a 70's Rancher, where the hell would you live?

3:03, if ONLY white people were leaving Jackson, your statement might hold water. But it's not. The African-American middle class is getting out of Dodge as quickly as anyone. Take a look at Madison, Ridgeland, Clinton, Byram, Brandon, etc. They have fast-growing black middle classes. Jackson does not.

Sure, there are still racist morons out there who want to go back to the 1940's, but to say that's the sole source of Jackson's problems is just silly.

I am a white woman who lives in Jackson. My two closest co-workers are both black women who live OUTSIDE of Jackson. They have been on me for months to move to a suburb. Just an example.

I spoke with an African-American Madison County sheriff's deputy who told me he'd never work for JPD because of the leadership and because the people who get arrested in Jackson never get tried or punished. I have to think that he's getting at the heart of the problem. If the courts don't punish, the police give up. If the police give up, crime skyrockets. When crime skyrockets, PEOPLE OF ALL COLOR LEAVE.

3:04........

What an idiot u are. Jackson IS the result of "another program" .

Also, what's with this younger generation bullshit? They're the ones tearing the City down! Look at whose in jail?

Cut off the welfare, subsidized housing, AFDC, shoot all of the criminals and we might have a future to talk about.

Until that kind of change happens (which it won't) Jackson will be no more than a shining example of the US Government rewarding bad behavior and a local populus that applauds it.

Anon 3:03 got HALF of the typical victim's ideology right, if you want to take the racist perspective.

The other half of that perspective is that the black population is moving back to the idea of separate but equal. They do not want to live near white people, either.

But, such is always the nature when instead of the melting pot mentality, you adhere to "Progressivism."

3:03 Why don't you just use your real name? Just like the cry from whence you came?

That kind of crap comment might fly over at the Bugle, but not here.

I agree with the 70's rancher comment although I would add, that doesn't require a boat load of renovation.

As with most cities, change usually comes with the younger generation.

ROFLMAO. Lawlessness and crime are the result of Jackson's older generations?

Kim, God Bless You, but like most of the downtown-centric creative classatron pollyannas you're treating the symptoms and not the illness.

Touche February 9, 2011 2:33 PM...

I did miss that. The lack of acknowledgement about the criminal activity in Jackson does cast a pall over the leadership argument. The question I pose is what are the drivers behind the crime?

Leadership?
Jobs? Or lack there of?
Decaying city roads/sewer?
Welfare programs?
Lack of development?
Drugs?

I'm curious. Kaz has struck a nerve here.

It is funny to read the comments about having a movie in the park (we do), police patrolling around holidays (we do), and in general low crime (we do). And if there is a crime, they get caught, and they get punished. Not sure why Jackson can start somewhere and do the same. If they can get it to work in one area, perhaps they can replicate it in others.

I don't know. I'm living in the suburbs.

The reason I don't live or conduct business in Jackson is because of crime and the taxes. Both are TOO HIGH. Anyone ever heard of the infamous inventory tax? Unlimited taxation. I also got sick of the break-ins and searching for tools at local pawn shops b/c the guy we hired decided to go on a crack binge.

Many very interesting comments. Bottom Line: You can stick a fork in Jackson; it's done. The costs of all the efforts and programs needed to resurrect Jackson are incalculable; at the end of the day you're just throwing good money after bad. Move on and let 'em have it, and live to fight another day.

4:16: The ranchers are quite simple, easy to mod and big time plentiful in Jackson with lots, in many cases, far larger than you'll find in Looking-Glass communities. You'd be surprised what a good architect and contractor can do to a rancher.

The downside is that you'll be in Jackson where a vocal micro-minority has hoodwinked the city leadership that Jackson's salvation lies in downtown and not in the neighborhoods. Though I'll give Yarber credit for realizing that is absolute bullshit. Ask him yourself.

Go grab a copy @ the Welty of Harvey Johnson's FABRIC study. He, to his credit, accurately predicted almost 10 years ago that if Jackson's neighborhoods aren't saved that the city will be lost.

5:16PM That was an interesting comment. Together with my original comparison to Atlanta, the resurrection of any major urban decay has started in the neighborhoods. It has started with access to affordable, SAFE, housing and schools that actually graduate intelligent students.

There is a simple plan in this thinking on a neighborhood by neighborhood approach. Little Five Points and Virginia Heights are two excellent examples of neighborhoods being resurrected. Unfortunately, for Atlanta, the South Side has been the beneficiary of relocation of the crime and decay.

One point that needs to be made, Bellhaven and the surrounding area around the College, while holding on, appears to be under pressure, in other words, there is difficulty in expanding any success. I would say the same for Fondren. Cross over State Street and you are in a war zone in some areas. With all the Pro-Jackson folks in the Fondren screaming "we need to solve the problems"...put your money where your mouth is. Reinvest in your neighborhoods and grow it. The continued focus on Arts, Drinking, Bars, Music, Bars, Drinking does little to grow neighborhoods. It might bring in a younger crowd to drink, listen to music, drink, eat, drink; in the end though they head back out to the burbs.

Right now, Fondren has an investor looking to invest a great deal in the retail end (and it is being fought); what are Fondrenites doing to reclaim their residential safety and property values? At this point, I say complaining and blaming. And no amount of cheer-leading will solve these complex problems.

It is amazing to me that Kaz can generate more and highly intelligent comments here than on the JFP.

Wonder why Kaz can't post this type of intelligent writing in his current position?

Read....

DonnerKay Donna Ladd
Look OUT! Jackson is turning white again! White reflight!?! Oh, it's just snow. #nevermind
1 hour ago Favorite Retweet Reply

"It is amazing to me that Kaz can generate more and highly intelligent comments here than on the JFP."

Too easy. It is the difference between an Editor who is dead set to promote (her) an agenda versus an Editor who facilitates a real discussion. Big, big difference. Even if KF made everyone adopt a login nom de plume the intelligent discussion here would blow the doors of the "guided" commentary there.

BTW, hope Emmerich enjoyed all the progressive bird shit he got on his boots today. He only has himself to blame because he was goaded by the wearer of the strap-on.

4:58, thank you for the condescending comment. Your input is meaningful. And I am far from being a pollyaana. Anyone who knows me can attest to that.

That being said, the program includes every college in the JX area. These students are ones that want change. They are black, white, Republicans and Democrats who think that JX should be a better place. I htink this is idea that if they want to make JX a better place, then I say let them try. Maybe they will have ideas that can help stop crime, poverty, and whatever else ails Jacktown.

And give the students credit for trying. When we all stop trying, then we all lose. Kim Wolford

Damn 6:04PM...adopt a non meus verus nomen we need to know when you write such truths.

RE: Crime in Jackson

It takes police too long to respond to 911 calls. If im ever getting robbed, im ordering chinese and asking them to bring a gun...

It does seem that the city is putting all its hope on bars,hotels and convention centers down town but when the day is over the people will return to their respective cities and people will drive home to Madison. The City of Jackson needs a stable tax base not just monies generated on sales of beer. I live shop and would love to work in madison where my kids go to public schools which contain rich, middle class and poor children who are blck, white and asian. Crime is non existant and taxes are low. Jackson has to fgure it out and provide a good option instead of calling everyone who moves out a racist.

I bet that Jeff Good could help if he opened another super duper eating hole next to a bunch of crack houses. Make sure Jeff that your place is so overpriced that the rest of your Fondren apologist friends from St. James are the only ones who can afford it. And then, voila, you have changed the hearts and minds of the inner city by showing them that you and your cronies really do care as much as you want all of us to believe. Wait, I think that Babalou beat you to the punch. Didn't a nice white lady get drug out of the parking lot by some carjackers? Fools. Give Donna Ladd a big old squeeze, but not too hard, she might cry foul.

My new favorite comment :

Posted in the CL by Pikecounty last weekend :

There is nothing intrinsictly honorable about living in Fondren.

Whenever I ask them what is so great about living there, they mumble something about eating egg and olive sandwiches at Brents or going to Walkers. "

JPD busts a PETA couple. But damn if they or the DJP Brown Shirts can stop Willie.

Mr. Bodacious

" Give Donna Ladd a big old squeeze, "

Sorry, but I don't even think allot of progressives' would enjoy giving Ole Donner-K a squeeze.

Remember, there is no crime in Fondren.

Eat an egg & olive sandwich at "the Drug Store" and feel happy about your White Guilt !

My wife and I would love to live in Jackson closer to our jobs, in Jackson. My job is very near Fondren. Our youngest attends school, very near Fondren. But...where we live now we can leave our back door open for our older kids, park our recreational vehicles and automobiles in the driveway with the garage door open and not fear for everything needing to be locked down with titanium-grade locks and an armed guard. But...not if we live in Jackson under the present conditions. This isn't a "perception" that I speak from, but one of experience. I've had two vehicles stolen in Jackson. Locked,with nothing of value in sight. My wife doesn't feel safe and carries her purse, with her hand in it, grasping a BIG pistol while she leaves her job in Jackson.

See the pattern here? We know if you come across the river, crossing the county line and commit a crime against us, and get caught, you are going to JAIL. End of story. Until we can know that we can live in Jackson and feel the same level of personal safety,what is NOT going to happen , is our living in Jackson. Period.

Terry McLeod

Question for Kaz: do you own residential property in Jackson?

Recommendation for Broughton: if you have something to offer, please, by all means, move to Jackson and run for mayor.

short and sweet - our city council members that have been on there forever and watched the city spiral downward need to resign and admit that whatever they are doing is not helping.

boy, do we need term limits!

I live in Jackson and the embarrasing city council leading our city is one of the major reasons I consider leaving.

By the way, since Kaze has designs on doing some of the stuff that Detroit is doing, like hiring white rappers and stuff, here's how that is succeeding for Detroit.

I am at a loss to understand the level of fear expressed here.
The problems cited are common to cities throughout the Nation over the past several decades and the efforts currently being made in Jackson are those that have proven to be successful eleswhere.
I can only assume that those making such comments do not have friends and relatives living in cities in other parts of the country. Every city has areas where crime is a problem and areas where it is rare. Suburban communities have less crime because crime and poverty go hand in hand.
I've been here 40 years now and have never felt the need to carry a gun around with me. I've never been a crime victim. The worst and most shocking crimes committed while I've lived here were committed by wealthy white people.

I do agree that the corruption in politics and past racial strife has adversely affected Jackson, but I find it has adversely affected the entire state and left an us/them mentality and acceptance of corruption that is bad for everyone and very sad.
Blacks and whites seem to turn a blind eye when it's " their guy" and tend to excuse those of their race or political party who do bad things.
I've found most Mississippians, black and white, to be good and decent people. I wish they would unite to demand higher standards of leadership and behavior.
This is a beautiful state with so much that is wonderful if only we could put the past behind and look forward together. I'm heartened that more and more are trying but disheartened that so many seem to want failure to prove to themselves their racism ( both black and white racisim) was justified.
And, some of you are so committed to being "right", that you will never open you minds or educate yourselves as to whether any new information exists or question your belief systems ever but will continue to let your emotions and the past color your future.

February 10, 2011 9:49 AM

Huh?

You need to read ALL the comments in the entire conversation, not just those you pick and choose to debate.

Anon 9:49, thanks for the condescension. In case you are wondering, the word FEAR shows up twice on this thread, once in relationship to getting stuff stolen from a garage, and once in your comment.

These comments are not based on fear, they are based on HISTORY and CRIMES. Actual, real, concrete things that have happened in the past, are happening now, and shall happen in the future.

And just so you know, I do not carry a gun into Jackson at any time, because I am not scared. I am certainly cautious when I have to go to JSU or a few other places after dark, but that is simply because there is so much CRIME. Even JPD acknowledges that Jackson is in the 94% for violent crime in Mississippi.

Facts are curious things.

And, some of you are so committed to being "right", that you will never open you minds or educate yourselves as to whether any new information exists or question your belief systems ever but will continue to let your emotions and the past color your future.

Welcome to the 'Being Right' club! Your "level of fear" doesn't trump another person's freedom of choice.

... and the efforts currently being made in Jackson are those that have proven to be successful eleswhere.

What efforts are those being made in Jackson? Please, enlighten us with your rightness.

I moved up here from the Coast after Katrina, and so have somewhat of an "outsider's" view of Jackson. I saw 1) really crappy schools; 2) a really serious drug problem; and 3) a really serious crime problem. All interrelated? Probably, though I'm no sociologist. A recipe for a really crappy city to live in? Absolutely. No person in his right mind would choose to live in the city of Jackson if he had ANY other option.

BTW, hope Emmerich enjoyed all the progressive bird shit he got on his boots today. He only has himself to blame because he was goaded by the wearer of the strap-on.

Sooner or later Ladd ALWAYS bares her fangs. She bullshits about reaching out to Wyatt, yada, yada, yada and how she's trying to be compassionate.

But then when he tells her that he doesn't plan to smoke her dope she chimes back with her prayer that the other members of the small JFP blogging club rip him to shreds because he deserves it.

Maniacal.Rantings.of.a.Vindictive.Lunatic

Grew up in South Jackson, moved and returned - to the county across the river. It's beyond the demarcation of Jackson city limits. Keep the entire COUNTY.

IT’S THE CRIME STUPID!!! Always has been, always will be. Jackson began its downward spiral when the Jackson Police Department became corrupt in the mid 90’s. And this won’t be changing anytime soon because most JPD Officers are minorities; and minorities get a pass.

Except for a minority of minorities, minorities stick together based on race, not what’s right or wrong. The Eric Holder (In) Justice Department protecting Black Panthers with nightsticks at voting poll proves this beyond any doubt.

The vast majority of minorities are fine people; but they have been brainwashed for so long that they continue to follow bad leaders. Their leaders keep lining their pockets and keeping their jobs by spreading the hate; and this also is not likely to change anytime soon.

Maybe one day a majority of minorities will rise up and stamp out the Eric Holder’s, Reverend Wrights and Kenneth Stokes of America. Until then the only solution is to keep running; even if it means moving out of state.

I think it is the self-fulfilling prophecy. The former mayor left us all in a complete quagmire. The JPD is so ill thought of--for good reason. JPD got taken over by a zealot that ignored the other needs of the City--so much so that the former mayor jeopardized and lost earmarks for infrastructure. The former mayor half-ass tried to take over JPD and left them in ruins--just like he left the rest of us that depend on our city government...
Johnson has had to mend the crap of the past failures. Johnson left an up and coming city in which he worked to get earmarks to improve--only to come back and find out that almost all was lost. Johnson came back to clean up the pile of sh%t we were left with. He is a damn fine administrator in that he does not put all his efforts into one Department-or one issue--of personal interest. A good balance is necessary in paying attention to all organizations under control. In my opinion, the former mayor had no balance, and we are paying for it now.

^^That is utterly hilarious. JOHNSON is the past mayor. Frank did not move the bar on anything at all in his four years.

Ignorance is why Jackson stays the same.

Frank actually made things worse and if you disagree, that means you haven't been reading my website for that long.

Kingfish, Harvey paved High Street from the interstate to the Capitol in eight years. How do you do worse than that?

Do you not remember why Frank won?

The only thing I'll say is this. PETA people should be arrested on principle. Every one of them, and without probable cause.

Bunch of pagans.

he blasts the city council but endorses a radical like patricia ice over whitwell. nice!!

Well, that settles it. PETA = pagans. End of discussion.

he blasts the city council but endorses a radical like patricia ice over whitwell. nice!!

WHERE DID HE DO THIS?

I've not seen where Kaze endorsed Ice. That being said sure wish we had some other choices besides Whitwell or Ice. Both are underwhelming.

Melton was Jackson's biggest drug dealer