The Clarion-Ledger challenged a protective order that sealed the Tourism Sales Taxe Rebate program application for the Renaissance at Colony Park, LLC. The company is owned by developer Andrew Mattiace. Attorney Leonard Van Slyke filed the motion to intervene and request to vacate the protective order on behalf of the newspaper. JJ is considering challenging the protective order as well.
Reporter Sarah Fowler filed a request on Augusts 19 for "any and all information relating to the Renaissance (Phase II and Phase III), including, but not limited to the cultural tax rebate." JJ and Dr. Charles Bush filed public records requests for the application and other documents as well. The Mississippi Development Authority notified Mr. Mattiace of the request. Mr. Mattiace asked Hinds County Chancellor William Singletary to seal the entire application and supporting records on September 3. The Chancellor sealed the records on the same day.
The newspaper argued that it has a right to challenge the order as the order was granted with no notice given to any other parties. The petition states:
the Renaissance has made no showing that any of the requested information contains “trade secrets or confidential commercial or financial information” as set forth in Miss. Code Ann. §§ 25-61-9(1) or 79-23-1(1), nor has The Clarion-Ledger even been provided access to redacted copies of the “3650 pages of public records” found by the MDA to be responsive to the Request. For all of the reasons set forth above, the Protective Order should be vacated.
35 comments:
Who knew the C-L corpse would breathe again? Who knew?
Why did MDA notify Mr. Mattiace? Is that standard practice? Seems like an odd thing for a state agency to do.
What's the reasoning for sealing this info? Is there a claim of proprietary info in the documents? Can you post another sales tax rebate app so we can see what kind of info these records would contain?
Time to see why the need to hide the information.....
It's time somebody grew a pair.
There have already been two different news sources reporting issues with the application. I serious doubt they entered Chancery Court "with clean hands". The Chancelor needs to jump on these people with both feet. The news articles stated there where untruth statements in the application, as well as a faulty resolution from the city. This whole process smells. If Mississippi had an attorney general I believe he could have a field day with this whole Costco mess. No wonder Mississippi is considered the most corrupt state in Mississippi. A country bumpkin supervisor can misappropriate a couple thousand & he goes to jail. These politically connected guys can get $MM & take a luxury trip with elected officials.
5:31, notification is standard practice. Just a common courtesy, especially with entities you rely on or want to work with in the future. Nothing sinister about it.
What's the point of jumping in, KF? If someone else is willing to fund the fight, why spend resources echoing their argument? If there is a unique angle you have, it would be interesting to read, though.
Here's hoping the CL gets what really isn't proprietary.
You state MDA notified Mr. Mattice of the CL request!? Does MDA work for Mattice or for the State of Mississippi?
Oh where, oh where has Mississippi's Attorney General gone? Oh where, oh where has he gone?
He must be scared to mess with governor's pet project, but the governor is not gonna be scared to mess with the AG's reelection!!!
I didn't know that the chancery court was on the receiving end of real estate speculation. I wonder if the court could get us a bass pro like the one they up yonder in Memphis.
At least we know that the Clarion Ledger is pursuing this solely for the public good and not in an effort to sell more papers. No doubt that they value freedom of information more than profits (or minimization of their continuing losses).
So is the judge going to order MDA to respond to my request if I don't ask him to do so?
So helping others to hide information on tax decisions by our elected officials from the public is a " courtesy" and " standard practice"?
A judge sees it acceptable to help in that process by sealing records?
And, those in government wonder why the taxpayers don't trust government!
That " attitude" is a hint!
Yahoos, you are public servants, not corporate puppets! We pay your salary, they don't! You work for us!
ride those coattails...
JJ, the article didn't indicate you made a similar public records request. The question about why you'd jump in to fight was legitimate. Don't get your drawers in a bunch.
Our AG is too busy helping the body shops fight insurance companies...."We take pride in perfection".
JJ, the article didn't indicate you made a similar public records request.
But if you had been reading KF's efforts were written about previously here. Just because the C-L doesn't mention the fact means nothing.
Unwedge your own panties anytime.
Kingfish says he might jump in. To what end? If the records are unsealed as a result of the CL lawsuit, KF will have access to them. How difficult is that, notwithstanding Kingfish's retord at 9:30 AM.
You've got to be single 9:50AM because it is inconceivable that anyone could tolerate a continually whiny scrub such as yourself.
I am sure Butler Snow is involved somehow.
What is a bond pimp?
Interesting to see a downtown Jackson firm (Brunini) teeing it up against a Ridgeland firm (BS), where the Jxn firm is seeking a resolution that would ultimately favor Ridgeland residents and BS is basically seeking to put the screws to its neighbors in Ridgeland. Go LVS and Matt.
MDA followed the law which requires notification of third parties who have provided information which may contain trade secrets and confidential commercial or financial information. Section 25-61-9 of Public Records Law allows public release of such information only after notice and a reasonable period of time, unless the affected third parties obtain a court order protecting the records as confidential. Regardless of other issues with this deal, the MDA notice to Mattiace was mandatory.
The Judge acted in accordance with the state statutes on the subject, which as I read them allow the sealing of the records. If you don't like it, work to change the law, don't criticize the judge for making a judicial rather than a political decision (a good thing to see happening in Hinds County for a change.)
And MDA notified Mattice of the request as they are required to do - not because of the people involved.
Geez - opinions are fine, but until you start writing the law and making it read like you want it to, at least read it before you start damning the people that have to act under the rules.
Kingfish at 10:05; It's so obvious when you get your draws ratcheted up your ass crack. You pout so prissy.
MDA followed the law. That is standard procedure.
Mattiace is reading this site right now. Be nice as we don't want to hurt their feelings.
Where is Jim Barksdale, the money behind all of the Renaissance developments, in this?
Big Jim doesn't have to worry about a Costco down the street from his million dollar home. He's probably having a cocktail and a chuckle right about now.
How refreshing you say MDA followed the law. If we could only get the auditor & AG to follow the law, some aldermen in Ridgeland may have to dip into their personal Sants Claus fund.
Yeah 7:11. He lives in 39211 and invests HEAVILY in 39157. SMDH.
He will never meet the construction deadline anyway.
Did MDA follow the law?
Then the law is deliberately awful in its language and/or interpretation! And, it becomes an example of how financially and legally stupid our lawmakers and judges are!
The " trade secrets" shouldn't apply where a developer is concerned as no " widgets" are being manufactured.
This is about a deal on tax breaks, not about the financial solvency of Mattice or Costco.
" Confidential" and "financial" information" is a huge loophole and sensitive information is unlikely to exist in the documents given to MDA or the court. And, IF such information is included, it is a deliberate attempt to use the law to hide political dealings!
The terms are far too broad and I doubt MDA bothers to determine whether or not there is actually confidential and financial information involved. Do chancery judges have the financial knowledge to make this decision? And, instead of sealing all the record, couldn't the judge extract such information if it exists?
Essentially, corporations are being allowed to claim ALL business information they don't want the public to know is "confidential" and that never was nor should have been the intent of the law!
You want to know how corruption succeeds and the public is being snookered at every turn and why they are so angry now?
It's because our elected officials and government agency have forgotten their primary responsibility is to the public that pays their salary! It's because the legal system has gotten so caught up in the " sentences" of the law that they have forgotten the " intent" of the law! The legal system doesn't exist as a manipulated tool for the unethical. It exists to insure " justice for all" and protect the fabric of society.
The big picture matters!
"Big Jim doesn't have to worry about a Costco down the street from his million dollar home. He's probably having a cocktail and a chuckle right about now."
September 18, 2015 at 7:11 PM
Big Jim's house is worth SEVERAL million Dollars. The mere fact of its existence anchors Leftover, which helps insulate Eastover. But you're right: having Costco in Ridgeland will actually draw a bit of crime away from his area. Although, if The District at Eastover actually gets its planned "amenity-rich apartment community", and a theater, then he'll have a lot MORE to worry about (I presume he's not exactly pleased by the proximity to his home, of two of Chicken Ranch Anna's Flophouse Franchise locations).
If I lived in a gated Jackson subdivision whose wall was made of STYROFOAM (with gaps between the wall and the ground, which were widely joked-about during construction: "You know, honey, it's that 'Styrofoam Hovercraft' kinda wall!"), then I'd definitely be trying to move crime out to Ridgeland.
Problem is, crime doesn't really move: it merely EXPANDS.
And when crime expands into their areas, some people will move farther out. But a good many, who tend to be the among the best & brightest, the movers/shakers/job-makers, coming to understand the futility in seeking permanence in the Jackson Metro, invariably opt to LEAVE THE REGION. In their greed to grab the biggest slice of the 'pie', developers, and the Money Men behind them, are actually MAKING THE PIE SMALLER.
Businessmen don't read blogs. So don't worry about feelings. Not that you ever do.
And why the hate for Barksdale? He has earned every penny, shares it far and wide and chooses to live here when he could live anywhere in the world. How much have any of you given back out of your "pie"?
1:14
What are your walls made of... Kryptonite?
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