Jackson Jambalaya

So, the MHP doesn't even produce their on mail. They contract with some company to mail their notices. This may be worthy of looking at. Who has that contract?

Citizens who have received these letters dated between December 11th and December 19th, 2016 are requested to bring a $200 pre-paid VISA card to the Driver Records Division’s DUI Unit.

I am co-owner of a small business in Jackson. Years ago we used to sell a lot of merchandise to the State. I encountered several situations where the State would farm out the work that actually had to be completed accurately and on time to sub-contractors. What I fail to understand is why there is building after building, filled to the brim with State and local government employees and then the real work is subbed out.

There’s more. This was years ago. We were installing some equipment at an office of State government. I passed by the open door of a woman who had her own office, the door was open. She was staring at the ceiling with a vacuous look on her face. I passed by about 20 minutes later and she was in the same position. Frozen, like Lott’s wife.

Another fellow was at his desk, in his private office, reading the newspaper, and no it was not lunch time. Another time we went to the county tax collector to remit our sales tax. One stood at the long counter on the other side of which was the area with all the desks. One employee had her feet up on the desk reading the CL. Finally, after making some noise to get her attention, she slowly peeked around the edge of the paper and heaved a big sigh. I guess it was going to be a great deal of trouble to get up and walk over to the counter to receive the tax money we had collected on behalf of the taxing authority.

Could we not save some money by getting rid of the dead weight? Just saying.

10:50 As someone from the inside, I think that the primary problem is that the state employment system cannot recruit and retain talent so to accomplish even moderately difficult tasks a contractor has to be hired. Basically agencies have to circumvent the State Personnel Board and the Variable Compensation Plan and such by contract in order to pay a competitive rate for quality work. And the SPB is just enforcing the legislature's recurring refusal to allow salary realignments, so it's not their fault. You can't starve agencies yet demand results and also criticize the overuse of contracts. There are 2 realities here: (a) whether you like it or not, government has important and sometimes difficult work to do, and (b) talented people generally do not work for 30k and a pension.

10:50, what you have described has become something that is very common. Not only in govt. but in private businesses. People are given a job because they are a friend, relative, or supporter. It is known that they cannot and will not do the job they are hired to do.

The reason for this is two fold. It gives a job to friends, relatives, and supporters and gives the higher in command a chance at pocketing some extra money. Some one has to do the work so there is a need for a contractor. When there is a contract to let out there is a very good chance some business will pay for that contract.

Everyone knows people who have a job because of this crooked dealing. Everyone knows of a person in charge that is very willing to commit this crime. It has become so common that people do not see the wrong in it. After all, it isn't their money that is going to waste.

Effective use of technology could easily reduce the headcount of gubmint employees in this state by 20% and the citizens would never see a difference, but nobody has the balls to do it.

These notices probably pertain to all of the ghost DUI tickets MHP wrote. It doesn't seem like they can do much of anything without looking like a bunch of idiots. The governor needs to start over with that whole agency.

@10.50. Do not know what kind of tax you were paying at the courthouse, that is collected by the state tax commission. Just saying.

One must wonder, is the result of the Ghost tickets that were written a few months back.

Remember when the law would send to delinquent payers and others being sought...a notice that they had won a prize and come get it. Then they grabbed them up when they walked in the door yacking on their phone?