Jackson Jambalaya

The empty suit will say anything. A year in and he's accomplished zilch.

So the zoo society will build a zoo off Lakeland, taking almost all of the animals with them. And they have "impressive" management companies that are willing to acquire almost all the animals and compete with a zoo that's off Lakeland. This business lesson is going to be fun to watch.

Somebody bait kennuf into suggesting separate but equal zoos.

Hey look, bring the zoo near the science museum and Mississippi children's museum all of the donors are the same people and many live near there and would support it much more as well. It's a NO brainer!

The problem with moving it to Lakeland is the smell. If you were living around it would you like smelling elephant dung?

To 2:08 pm- Much progress has been accomplished in Jackson under the
new administration. Competent individuals have been appointed to key positions.
Plans have been developed for managing long-term but infrastructure improvements.
The Mayor is working with the State 1% Commission to assist in financing improvements.
Jackson's problems, many that have festered for years, will not be fixed overnight.
But, we do have at last competent individuals and plans for addressing Jackson's
Infrastructure problems.

No, 3:44, not all of those "donors" that live in the area off Lakeland - that the zoo board has decided to appropriate, without any approvals from even the current (state) owner - want the zoo in that location. Just because a few self-annointed individuals have decided they want to take this state owned land for their pet project doesn't mean that they are entitled to it. But more important is the fact that they can't raise a few hundred thousand dollars to complete a feasibility study - how are they going to raise $100 million of so from "donors"? Truth is, they are expecting the state to pony up most of the required money for their pet project (pun intended) and under their conditions. And, before this is all settled, there will be a whole lot of legal fees involved in determining who's animals those are that they are wanting to move. Not quite clear that they belong to the non-profit who bought them with govt money.

This would create an interesting issue, if the city brought in another management company. The current zoo society is still years away (and millions of dollars away) from moving. What would happen to the animals if the society had to close - what would they do with the animals?

No mamagement company is going to convince potential zoo-goers to venture into theat blighted, crime-infested hellhole where the zoo is currently located.

NOPE. It will never happen.

5:14 Plans and talk. Show me one thing our mayor has completed. He is a smooth operator. Even stokes doesn’t like him. As for the zoo. Jackson will soon be without a zoo for the first time in any years is chuck keeps up his new world order for Jackson.

5:14:

Did you type that at your city desk on your city compooter?

Competence is open to interpretation especially when the paucity of actual results has been taken into consideration.

Mayor Boy Wonder, his competence remains debatable.

"But, we do have at last competent individuals and plans for addressing Jackson's Infrastructure problems."

Of course you have no idea what those plans are so you won't be able to share them here. Please name three of those 'competent people'. OK, two.

Anonymous at 5:14. You make some interesting, and to some degree accurate, observations about this administration. But your reference to the "State's" 1% commission is a total misnomer. The Commission is not a representative of the state - three of the ten members are appointed by state officials. Three are appointed by the Mayor. The other four by the Jackson (not state) Chamber. This commission does not give the state any control over the money generated by this tax. Your statement that the Mayor is "working with" the commission appears to be - at least certainly in comparison to his predecessor, Mayor Yarber - correct. And it appears that may be because this administration is attempting to solve some problems rather than provide funding for campaign supporters and selected "professional" businesses.

But, lets not fan the flames but rather try to move forward. There are many citizens of our fair city that want to point fingers at the state every chance they get. This structure, though, does not fit that category. And, I trust that this Mayor has enough sense to not suggest to the Commission that it provide any money to support keeping the zoo in its present location, or to help in moving it to NE Jackson.

"The problem with moving it to Lakeland is the smell. If you were living around it would you like smelling elephant dung?"

The elephants will just have to get used to the smell of Lakeland like the rest of us did :-)

"But, we do have at last competent individuals and plans for addressing Jackson's
Infrastructure problems."

Soon we'll have have the newfangled technology to put functioning manhole covers in the street - take that, Madison!

I'm curious what "..long-term but infrastructure improvements" means?

>>>I'm curious what "..long-term but infrastructure improvements" means?<<<

Don't be harshing the buzz dude!

Close the Zoo now. Give the animals to a functioning zoo.
--Next

The Jackson Zoological Society should just call the cities bluff and offer to turn it over to the city after sending the animals the Society owns to zoos that will take them. Then the city can figure out how to get reaccredited, purchase new animals and earn enough income to keep the doors open. Good luck Mayor.

I’m worried about all of those Animals relocating to Lakeland. Too close to rednecks from Rankin County that would love to shoot them.

It's impossible for a Democratic led administration or council to conceive of prioritizing debt which might result in actually cutting certain programs. They must be forced in to it. They'll jive around with "plans" for a few more years until the zoo or whatever actually dies on it's own. Then they'll spend the next 10 years blaming the white Republicans for the failure. It all works out in the end.

Jackson IS a zoo.

The elephants will fall into the sinkhole at Lakeland and Lelia....or, just thinking out loud, perhaps they can fill the sinkholes with the elephant dung. Just sayin'

Yeah 8:42am.
Rankin county condones the seasonal shooting of animals and Hinds county condones allowing animals to shoot anyone, year ‘round.
We are just silly rednecks, indeed.

I’m still waiting for a “very impressive” administration to run this city. Haven’t seen one in 30 years.

I can see that there is logic in placing the zoo next to a Children's Museum and Natural Science Museum.

Our State could create a competitive tourist destination and stop along two major highways.

The " smell" issue is laughable. Have you people never been to the zoo in New Orleans or D.C. ? Are you " hit" with the smell? Really??!! How many elephants do you think there will be???? You don't think the animals have their areas " mucked" ?

It's obvious that this plan cannot work unless it's a State supported zoo.

For one thing, you will have to have an exit off of I-55 that currently doesn't exist. You should have access from I-20 as well. You should either bridge over to the AG museum or close the section of Lakeland in between the two to make one large destination attraction and obtain all the land at least to Ridgewood and the river to allow for expansion, development and proper barriers.


But, the most sense is to have a long range plan and do it right to start. And, that will involve cooperation from all parties and a good plan for the existing zoo property.

I think that rational cooperation to benefit the entire State as well as improve the capitol city will prove to be the problem.

Let's face it, we just can't play well with others.

Relocate the zoo animals to a better zoo.