Jackson Jambalaya

Just keep throwing money at it Baby Choke. We all know how these “upgrades” will end. JPS will continue to deteriorate, but at least you’ll have Internet cafes for your illiterate students to watch porn and YouTube videos on. That is until your hood rats tear them up. Democrats and liberals love to throw money at a problem without addressing the core issues in their communities. Jackson and JPS are in a downward spiral of poverty and decline. Spending tens of millions of dollars on the school system will not stop these trends. What is your return on investment Baby Choke? All you are doing is racking up debt on a losing investment to score cheap political points. Jackson doesn’t have a prayer unless you stop the hemorrhaging of the tax base. Fix the damn roads and gentrify the city you damn ass clown! Workable solutions exist but your racist voters will never allow this to take place and thus we are in this quagmire where the city continues to die and you will blame whitey, get re-elected and continue the cycle.

That's an impressive list of projects. Who will actually do this work?

@ 8:56

Wow, what a rant, BUT the truth hurts. That is why they're members of the DIM-O-KRAT party.

8:56 may be the greatest comment in the history of this blog.

9:40, a list of "potential projects". Every single bit of spending being used to dupe, er, woo voters is subject to change.

Meanwhile people in Fondren and Belhaven still have to send their kids to First Pres, JA, Saint Andrews, or Saint Joe when they turn 5 unless they want them to be the victims of racist bullies and teachers that can hardly instruct on subjects. Saving 10k per child per year on tuition buys a whole lot of house in Madison or Rankin. Keep driving the tax base of middle class working parents to Madison and Rankin counties. That goes for everyone. I don't know any black family that wants their child in that mess either. The ones that can afford too are moving as well.

8:56 for the win.

The 'Fact Sheet' contains none, and the incredibly round figures will only grow with time, and there won't be a low bid accepted...

8:56 AM - Bravo! Hear, hear!

9:40 check the contributor list for the mayor and councilmen. It should be an easy find for the contractors.

"The District paid off some existing debt ... the existing debt was already being paid by taxpayers..." (So ... debt paid twice? No wonder they've got a mess on their hands)

" ...reissuing the same amount will not cause any increase in taxes paid by homeowners for Jackson Public School ..." (Because everything is exactly the same as it was when the "paid off debt" was initiated many years ago)

Hey Cuzz, let me hold $500,000.00

I may be wrong, but isn't Forest Hill High School the newest of all the high schools? It seems the old school was torn down and a new one built not so many years ago. Why then is 8.1 million being spent on it when the next closet is Callaway, built in the late 60's? Perhaps Forest Hill was sub-standard construction, similar to the Hinds County Detention Center in Raymond which has malfunctioned since the day it opened. Minority set asides perhaps?

11:43, If my memory serves me correctly Forest Hill's new school was finished in 91 or 92? I went to Wingfield and most of my friends went to FH even though I physically lived closer to FH (by several miles) I was zoned for "Wang-field"---I never understood that.

8:56 yup

Alot of anger, hate and vitriol. It's understandable...but I don't hear alot of answers. I have intimate knowledge....many of the schools are utterly falling apart. What are they supposed to do? I know I'll hear the "Baby Chok" and jokes about Phil...but who should run it. Pointing the finger is easy. Lets get into specifics. I'm not being critical...I have no idea how to improve the situation.

What good are schools if the roads continue to crumble to the point no car or bus can get to them?

Anonymous appeal to authority @1:12.

"Lets get into specifics" but you have "no idea how to improve the situation". Therefore you wouldn't recognize a good suggestion if it was made.

1:12 - solutions?

Lets start with JPS deciding to properly budget the millions of dollars they are currently receiving and using an appropriate part of that budget for routine maintenance. Many of these "projects" are nothing but ignored maintenance - ignored because the JPS administration would rather continue to pay excessive numbers of administrative employees excessive salaries.

Why should they cut their own or their deskmate's job if they can instead ignore the HVAC system, or the painting, or the carpeting, etc and borrow 30 year money to pay for these 5-7 year values? So - the first solution is to remove the incompetent administrators that don't care about what it costs and feels that reupping an extra millage is the same as "no new taxes".

Second - consolidate many more schools; forget this "historical" concept of some of the facilities - discussion about who attended the falling down building many decades ago and admit that its time to quit pouring money into the building just for old time's sake. How many elementary schools do we need in Jackson today, considering the ever reducing number of students? Has that question even been asked lately? (yes, they did decide this last winter to close four buildings - which was a good but very inadequate start.)

Third, recognize that JPS is not supposed to be a jobs program for the employees, but rather an educational provider for the students. When they did finally close the four facilities, they proudly stated that it wouldn't result in the loss of any jobs! If we have fewer students, and fewer facilities, does it take the same number of support staff (janitors, cooks, principals, etc.) to run JPS? The answer should be no, but that's not the answer this board gives.

To summarize - get someone in that cares about the real purpose of JPS which is education, and who understand fiscal responsibility. Get rid of the mindset that they have an unlimited source of money to waste however they choose. Provide leaders that will be straightforward and honest with the public that they are wanting to fleece again. Don't give out the kind of "fact sheet" as they have above - with 25% of the total bond issue being lumped into one large catch-all.

Maybe this would be at least a start.

Really 1:13. "Lets get into specifics" but you have "no idea how to improve the situation". Therefore you wouldn't recognize a good suggestion if it was made. Huh? Why the shot at me? I said I don't have an answer....let's hear some. Nice attitude. Are you frustrated....I mean personally?

@2:15 "get someone in that cares about the real purpose of JPS which is education, and who understand fiscal responsibility." That's mind blowing. Who?

@2:05

I hope you are looking for a job. You might be the one to straighten out JPS!

@1:12 PM, specifics? How about focusing effort and resources on the basics. Its the economy stupid. The city of Jackson is suffering from a lack of resources to maintain and provide services in its sprawling city. The "economic pie" of Jackson continues to shrink every year. Step #1 is to stop the bleeding. The City government's policies (led by Baby Chok) continue to provide disincentives for the tax base to stay, let alone grow and expand. Businesses and middle class tax-paying residents continue to leave the city every year due to high taxes, crumbling infrastructure and rising crime. Any additional resources at the City's disposal (i.e. $65 million) should be spent on initiatives to improve infrastructure, lower crime or lower taxes. This shit with the zoo and JPS blows my mind. Quit wasting money on the zoo-Jackson CANNOT afford it. And as for JPS, the numbers don't lie. King Fish has already demonstrated that plenty of money is spent per student in the JPS kingdom. Reform the school system and get rid of inefficiencies.

People that pay most of the taxes do not have children or grand children that go to these schools. What a deal for the school system.

@3:01. My original post was about JPS's crumbling schools. The "JPS infrastructure". How do we fix that? By spending no money? That was a ton of bitching on your part, but again, no solution to a crumbling school problem. Total waste of your time.

I live in NEJxn and I'm anxiously waiting on my doorbell to ring for my input as promised by JPS bond supporters. I challenge all NEJxn residents to document any pro-bond visits with pics as I seriously doubt we get "surveyed." The door-to-door campaign in every part of the city except NEJxn will be nothing more than "this is free money from NEJxn...so you need to vote YES."

Councilman Foote should monitor closely and demand that his district be included. He has a microphone and should use it for a change.

@ 6:38
I wouldn't hold my breathe on Ashby foote getting involved with anything that requires effort for his ward. Sad but true. He's not there for long anyway. Also, JPS will not knock in NE Jackson. Although I sure hope they knock on mine.

Mr. Foote voted for this crap.

Ashby hasn't a clue what his voters want. He didn't even campaign. There will be several well qualified sharp business minded individuals running in his place next time.

I didn't look too closely, but the third item was $270,000 for interior and exterior painting and playground canopy. I don't think they are using the same painter I use when I need something painted!!!!!!!

There be some fuzzy math here, coupled with some hungry wallets begging to be fed.

Come on folks, even though your roots are in Jacktown, it is a lost cause.

The have-nots by far exceed the haves, so nothing will change at the polls, and it is obvious that the downhill slide will continue until it will look like Detroit of the recent past.

The city administration for the most part are racists who pander to their base to get elected, and the hamster wheel keeps spinning.

Get out while your property has some value remaining. (Of course you will have to hide the truth from any potential buyers).

Jackson is analogous to an alcoholic or drug addict=> It must hit rock bottom until it can get better.

Used to live in old Lake Trace. Liked my house, liked my mortgage payment. Got out in 2003, just at the right time. Got what I needed for my house.

Close the Zoo.
Close JPS.
Fix the streets.
Fix the water system.
Hire more trained cops.

A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always rely on the support of Paul. The have nots are far more than the NE Jackson haves. Lumomba knows who votes for him and he's there to be reelected not make a positive change.

As with the zoo, best solution is to close every JPS school. Jackson can't afford it.

Forgetting for a minute the bad economics of this bond deal, and the lack of truthful transparency from JPS, and the lie that it won't cost anyone anything --

Lets find out who is the "playground canopy" salesman. For some reason, JPS has suddenly decided that every Elementary School in the district - 40 something it appears, needs and must have a "Playground Canopy". Along with facade repair, this seems to be a constant.

Obviously, someone has gotten to the board with whatever the newest and best 'canopy' that has ever been developed that JPS just cannot operate without. Any idea what this product is, and what it costs per school? Be a great question if JPS ever agreed to answer any.

The flyer starts out in a very telling manner - “ to address” ; meaning: think about and begin to deal with (an issue or problem).

Do you really think anyone in this administration or within the bureaucracy is even remotely capable of managing 65million in projects?
The schools will almost assuredly need another round of bonds each 7-10 years; therefore, you have 3-4 30 year bonds issued in a 30 year cycle. This is financially unsustainable. Do they even have a plan for what the schools should look like in 30 years? No long term goals insures that you have long term problems.

I would be very interested to have each person involved with teaching or administration to take the standardized test for seniors. My guess is the average would be around middle school. And, if you took a writing sample, it would be completely inadequate.

You NE Jxn residents are not the only ones that do not like the city's current situation. Problem is that there has been generations of mistrust, so those that feel the same way you do cannot trust you.

So what are the measurable goals?
How will success be measured?
What are the milestones?

Love the diversity on the cover page.

JPS is one of the least diverse school districts in the state. Much less diverse than the burbs have also less diverse than private schools in Jackson area. Look at Jackson prep... Indian students, Asian, white black and Hispanic. Same for st andrews, St.Richard, St. Joe, JA... etc...