Same song, second, third, and fourth verse. Our old friend, Fisher Construction, is back with more claims of discrimination after it was fired for not performing work for the contractor that has the Jackson sludge-removal contract. The Clarion-Ledger reported Tuesday:
A Jackson councilman says a major contractor with the city fired a local, minority-owned subcontractor as retaliation for an Equal Business Opportunity complaint against the company.Fisher knew this day was coming so it ran and retained attorney Regina Quinn . She is the attorney for the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority. She showed up at the January 18 City Council meeting (Video posted below) to defend Fisher but apparently to no avail.
However, evidence presented at a Friday EBO hearing suggests another possibility: the subcontractor didn't deliver.
Veolia North America, the firm hired by the city to oversee its wastewater plants in the wake of the EPA's environmental consent decree on the city, terminated Jackson-based, minority subcontractor Fisher Construction Inc. on Jan. 16.
The firing comes just over a month after Fisher filed an EBO grievance on Dec. 7 against the company....
In a letter dated Oct. 18, 2017, Veolia says Fisher failed "to remove cake sludge from the Savanna Plant as directed by Veolia, and provide all labor, tools and equipment to perform its obligations under the agreement in a diligent and efficient manner."
"Veolia will be forced to explore its termination rights under the agreement as well as its other remedies under law," the letter warned. Veolia North America sent a notice of default to Fisher
Veolia North America sent a notice of default to Fisher Construction Inc. which threatened to "explore its termination rights" with Fisher in October, months before Fisher filed an EBO grievance with the city of Jackson. (Photo: Justin Vicory)
On Nov. 2, Veolia notified the city Fisher had not paid four vendors, including Partridge-Sibley Industrial Services. Partridge, which had an equipment leasing contract with Fisher, is suing Fisher in Hinds County court. Partridge alleges non-payment of $37,893.34.....
After firing Fisher, Veolia hired Jackson-based, minority company Four Seasons Enterprises, Inc. to continue the sludge hauling work..... Rest of article.
Video of January 18, 2018 public comments on this issue.
0:15: Regina Quinn speaks
5:50: Fisher speaks.
Kingfish note: Fisher Construction is owned by Renna Fisher and Jacqueline Andrews. Those names will ring bells for long-time readers of this website. To put it bluntly, these people are con artists. They repeatedly take payments and stiff other parties. They stiff the suppliers. They stiff vendors. They stiff contractors. They don't fight lawsuits. They don't even appear in court. They just ignore whatever the court throws at them and keep on going. If they don't get their way, they scream discrimination and sue. This is who they are and this is what they do. They've stiffed so many parties that the company should be renamed Viagra Construction.
The court records are awash in liens and judgments against these two individuals and their companies. They were forced into bankruptcy proceedings in 2012 by Merchants & Farmer's Bank and other creditors. Fisher and Williams won a $1.3 million award against Toyota in 2009 and pocketed the money instead of paying off all of those liens and judgments. Suppliers and subcontractors sued them to get paid, won default judgments, and then collected nothing. M&F sued for its share and instituted involuntary bankruptcy proceedings. The bankruptcy trustee filed a complaint against them and earlier in 2009:
I documented there were nearly $2 million in liens and judgements held by close to thirty individuals, businesses, and government agencies (These were completely omitted by the media.). Post about Fish & Fisher's troubled record.Don't forget what Fisher pulled at Watson Quality Ford only a few years ago. Watson said he allegedly stole two vehicles as he purchased two vehicles, didn't pay the notes, and later sold them even though there were liens on the vehicles.
However, they think they are entitled to city business, I mean, our money. If Mr. Fisher wants to earn our money, he should go operate as a reputable businessman, stay out of court, and pay his people for a while.
Oh, and if readers think this post is too hard on Fisher Construction, go ask some Democrats who nearly blew up the Mississippi Democratic Party in ways that Republicans can only fantasize of doing.
This is the company Councilman Banks defends. This whole episode shows why fewer and fewer businesses want to do business with the city of Jackson.
Earlier posts
Hinds County paid money to a company that doesn't exist.
Meet Wilson Carroll's minority partner.
M&F Bank tried to collect from Fisher & Fisher
More on Fisher & Fisher v. Toyota
The rest of the story.
20 comments:
Good ol' deep research Donner. That is why you got hooked in gill again.
This is purely the hands of Socrates Garrett. Obviously Erin banks is his puppet now days. Must be nice to be the bit@# of a has been like Socrates. Mr. Banks why don't you worry about south Jackson getting the repairs the citizens have waited on. After all south Jackson schools were the last ones to receive running water last month. You need to decide to wear a dress or pull up your socks and get to work. Stop crying about this sh!t as majority of citizens could give a rats a$$. You only seem petty and weak. Stop crying wolf you little bit@#.
Help us out here King.
It appears that F&F and its principals are somehow judgement and jail proof?
How exactly is that done? I can see not having any assets (homes, cars, bank accounts, vehicles, etc.) in their name, utilizing rentals and leases, but how do they avoid jail time from contempt of court assessments.
Or do they subscribe to the Ivan Boesky/Michael Milken model. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Boesky.)
Yes I steal 100 million dollars and here is my assessed fines and expense reimbursement payment of 200 thousand dollars. Which means I get to keep the balance free and clear?
I can recount several general contractors I knew during my career who were either pistol whipped or shot for such behavior by "unsophisticated" labor subcontractors, especially in the Delta and NE Mississippi.
I asked one of the non paying generals why they just didn't write a check to the subs as they were due the money.
The response? "Hell Frank now that guy will never get any money from me. I'll take a whipping for the money any day!!"
I guess my standard of paying ALL of my bills was another reason for my 25 year old company's less than stellar personal wealth building performance
I support Councilman Banks and appreciate all of his hard work on behalf of the city, especially his faith-based community outreach. However, I can't understand how he could support these business owners. Renna Fisher and Jacqueline Andrews are both shady individuals that need to be held accountable for their illegal/unethical business practices.
I invite you to watch/post the video of agenda item 39 of the Council's January 30, 2018, meeting. There,the Mayor of Jackson announced that he is recusing himself from all matters concerning the Veolia contract because a relative (father in law?) is a subcontractor under the City's contract with Veolia.
@ 10:10,
I appreciate your ranting but unfortunately it seems that Mr. Banks is interested in himself and no one in south Jackson. This will make him weak and can't work on the issues citizens truly care about. His a total strawman. Believe me. No leadership there.
Banks=Bitc#...
Socrates owns him. This clown is bought and paid for. He will be as relevant as Tony the phoney before too long. Especially if this fool keeps this up. What an a$$ clown!
A Councilman or Councilwoman's job is to represent the taxpayers, protect their money, and get the best deal for the city in as ethical a way as possible. It is not to run a ministry.
"Viagra Construction" !!
LMAO !!!!!!
Why would any contractor who gets a City contract agree to do work with Fisher/Andrews ? Before a contractor hires a sub, it should do its due diligence and research the background and abilities of the contractor to perform the work. A simple background search would show the extremely poor and fraudulent history of Fisher/Andrews and raise red flags telling a contractor to stay away from them. EBO be damned, there are other minority subcontractors out there other than these shysters.
Likewise, Mr Banks should know better too. I generally don't agree with JforT's posts, but he's right here, Mr Banks should be ashamed of defending these folks and steer clear of any involvement with them, lest he be thought guilty by association. You lie with dogs, you get fleas, Mr Banks. If you are truly representing the interests of the City as you're supposed to do, you would warn contractors to steer clear of these folks and not want them working on any City contracts/jobs. You should not be advocating for them when you know very well how they've screwed so many others.
4:01, maybe you haven't attempted to get one of these city contracts - if you think you get to choose your subs, based on their ability and competence (much less honesty) - you should start entering the procurement process of the Bold New City. Still to be seen how the new administration is going to handle this question, but Councilman Banks (along with his cohort, CM Stamps) seem to think that the 'old way' of doing business should continue - its not what you can do, or claim you can do, but who you are beholden to and how strongly you are beholden. Fisher doesn't get these contracts with the city because of his good looks - and it is not limited to the city. Check out his sweetheart deals with the county, particularly over past few years of the administration of Supervisor McQuirter.
And some wonder why nothing works in Jackson. All the money gets spent and nothing gets fixed. City leaders required that these con men are used for they are part of the con. As a tax payer you get a triple hit City, County and School system that are all dirty. Only way to deal with all of this is to get way from it. Move to an area that is not being run like a 3rd world crooked nation which is about about 95% of the country. There are just no place as bad as Jackson.
Departments of the city are in shake down mode. City Sewer Supervisors are asking for CASH payments to fix city problems or they won't do it. I am a plumber and know of quiet of few of these made for broken sewer taps. The Supervisor shows up and acknowledges that if you want your sewer service restored, you will pay them to fix city property. Water Department employees are still leaving unpaid water on for cash payments. These are the things our crew deal with on a weekly basis. We have operated in Jackson for decades and it has become a Third World.
Fisher Construction should not be certified by the City of Jackson nor by the State of Mississippi. Agree with Kingfish, they are con-artists. I believe Ms. Andrews has an AKA. (also known as)
This clown will continue to be elected as long as he runs... the demographics of South Jackson are much more likely to vote for a candidate that is black based on the race of the candidate unlike white voters. Look at Obama. 11% black population nationwide and whites voted him in 2 times. Most of the state's outside of the south are less than 8% black and he won those. You wouldn't see that from a black district going for a white candidate. He's simply stirring the pot for race baiting. Sadly enough it works in low income areas. Look at Bennie.
KF, thanks for keeping us up to date on these two shit eaters. These kind of business practices should have both of them jailed forever. Its pure stealing.
Like you said, these two are con artists who have no fear of the law, or anyone else.
Let's make them famous !
9:33. If they eke Ted officials care little about the people and only want to enrich themselves, the city employees will do the same. The Mayor recently said all 50% of all city contracts should go to " minorities". It's 2018. Time to crack down on that hate and racism.
@ 9:15
Your post is dead on. Look at Chicago for example city is 29% black and blacks are leaving in droves. Michelle Obama said her husband couldn't win mayor bc he can't get Irish vote. See identity politics again. Democrats use this as excuse to gin up base and that base is declining.
I am an attorney who has obtained a very size of a judgment on these con artists. judge William Chapman in Madison County told me that he would not allow me to turn his court into a debt collection agency. That is how they get away with all of this. The courts don't care. It is not their problem.
5:02 - Meanwhile another Madison County officer of the court (who is running for congress) has a rather prominent prosecutorial role and does run a debt collection agency. Oh, the hypocrisy.
But, please, let's face facts folks....People and companies no longer are 'terminated' because they are black. People are terminated and business relationships are ended because people are not doing the job for which they were hired. Period. End of story. Stop playing the damned race card as a knee-jerk to every damned situation.
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