Friday, July 6, 2018

Better Together: Law don't Apply to Us

The Better Together Commission told JJ that it is exempt from all public records laws since it is not a government entity.  Governor Phil Bryant, the Kellogg Foundation, and Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba created the Commission last fall as part of an effort to stop a takeover of the Jackson Public Schools District by the Mississippi Department of Education. 

JJ recently submitted a public records request to the Commission for any records regarding the JPD $65 bond referendum.   Jason Thompson of Fahrenheit Creative Group sent this response:

This letter is to acknowledge the receipt of your request for access to records of the Better Together Commission. The commission is not a public entity subject to Mississippi Code § 25- 61-5.  However, in the interest of cooperation and transparency, we have reviewed your request and are  responding to let you know that we do not have records related to a bond issue for Jackson Public Schools.


 JJ sent a subsequent request for the Board minutes in 2018 but has not received a response nor even an acknowledgement. Welcome to the Barksdale-Kellogg Plantation.  Claiborne (Hell, the name even sounds like an overseer) Barksdale and his Kellogg buddies get to run a public school system without any accountability whatsoever. 

At least MDE was accountable to someone and subject to public records laws. 

32 comments:

Wow said...

Don't agree with this. Hope you pursue this. Similarly disagree with Republic's shielding of from public requests as well.

Anonymous said...

Real simple to determine is public or not. Under what law was this organization created? What is their tax status with IRS? If it is a private not profit and has a 501-c-3 type status then it is not public.

Anonymous said...

Don't worry Earthlings, Shad White to the rescue!! Not...

Next!

Anonymous said...

I Pheeel they are on the wrong side of this!

Anonymous said...

What a great opportunity for KF and Kennuth to work together! "NO TRICKS!"

Anonymous said...

That is just wrong. You should ask Shad White to handle this....oh wait.

Anonymous said...

KF, the MOU executed by Bryant, Lumumba and JPS (along with the Kellogg Foundation) at the time of the formation of this amorphous entity clearly states that there is no joint venture created by the creation of the commission. It essentially states that each party to the MOU retains all of its rights and there are no obligations created by becoming a member of the commission. Seems to me, therefore, that you would be better served to send public record requests to the individual government entities and demand production of all documents related to the work of the commission, including proposed minutes of the commission. You might find what you are looking for that way.

Anonymous said...

This proves that Shad White’s effectiveness is DOA. He will never be able to effectuate any reform or change because his livelihood depends on doing the exact opposite.

Anonymous said...

6:47 ----- ???????????????

Anonymous said...

@6:47

I have no idea who you are and I don't want to know, but you negative comments about Shad White are getting old in a hurry. And no, I don't know Chad White and had never heard of him until today. Give it a rest already!

Anonymous said...

7:11p!!! Hahaha!!! What a phony cover-up!! Never heard of “Chad”? That’s as believable as Ole Bill never inhaling!! Whatever gets you through 2018, Shad.

Not Gorsuch said...

Not a legal scholar but section 25-61-3 defining what is a public body seems to cover this commission.

Anonymous said...

“In the spirit of transparency, we choose not to be transparent.”

Not Gorsuch said...

AG opinion No. 2016-00545 dated 2/10/17 also seems to say the commission is a public body.

Anonymous said...

Remember that time when one of the previous Attorney General’s launched a thorough investigation of the sitting Governor’s affiliated non-profit? It was the same Gov. who had appointed this very AG....Wait, you don’t remember? Oh, I guess the bottle let me down again tonight.

Anonymous said...

Serious question: What has this Commission accomplished since forming last year? A study to study the problem? I'm guessing JPS will still be in the bottom 3-5 districts when their report card comes out.

Anonymous said...

Serious answer: Due to the insulation the Commission provides to all members- no blame shall attach to the continued failure of JPS to succeed.

Which of course explains why the Commission was needed- to prevent Pheel and friends from being in charge due to a state takeover of JPS, which would inevitably force them to admit they don't know how to fix JPS.

Anonymous said...

Isn't Fahrenheit the group that put together that all-but-forgotten fiasco back in 2012 called "Celebrate Jackson"? Remember they had an event at City Hall on a Wednesday night in November that no one attended (although Jeff Good still used it to get his face on the TV news) then put a few spec ads on YouTube before Hovvy fired them. They pissed away $100,000.

Just goes to show you can pretty much do what you want and get paid if you're "minority owned".

Anonymous said...

5:06...If your information is correct, then the entire body would be the point at which to make the request, not the individual components of the body. The individual components would not have complete knowledge of the working parts contributed by the others. The whole is equal to the sum of its parts. Basic math.

Anonymous said...

10:14, AG opinions are not always correct but until changed or over ruled by a court should be followed. When a public agency spends public money, the public has a right to know.

Anonymous said...

Records? We ain't got no records. We don't need no records. I don't have to show you any stinkin' records.

Anonymous said...

1:55....You are correct. This Commission was formed in the face of an impending state takeover, which no one backed (or wished to take on). The state didn't want it, the city didn't want it/knew it could't undertake it and JPD is obviously clueless. This is an effort to put on the breaks and at least get everyone talking with each other. Hopefully everyone can agree on some plan that's better than the nothingness we now have. It's a step, which is better than the unbelievably constant bitching in here

Anonymous said...

Are charter schools exempt as well?

Anonymous said...

2:57 - many folks did back the state takeover of JPS. Its just that a few political folks who lack a backbone didn't want to take on the issue. Yes, it might have failed and then their action would be questioned. But as it was before, and continues to be, it is a failure.

For you to say the city didn't want it sure flies in the face of what the city was saying --- no screaming --- when it appeared that the state via MDE was going to actually do its duty. They claimed it was racially motivated and that only black majority cities were subjected to such a disgraceful move. Maybe you are right and they "didn't want it" but that's surely not what any of the elected, appointed, or self-appointed city "leaders" were saying at the time.

Truth is, the state passed a new law regarding local schools and the triggering mechanism for a state tackover, AND what was required before a school would be returned to local control. And the Governor did not have the balls to actually do what the law --- the law that he signed --- required.

To say we all ought to sit back and hope that they can do something reflects the basic problem. Let's hope!! No, let's see the state do something since the school and the city responsible for it hasn't done anything for years, all the while losing another generation of kids. While the adults HOPE.

Anonymous said...

Transparency is best when applied to the other person and their dealings. Me? That’s different.

Anonymous said...

6:18pm Preach on! Grown folk continue to put they own interest in front of the children. It is dam tragic. A whole year wasted.

Anonymous said...

Who from the City of Jackson said the takeover was racist? False statement.

Anonymous said...

Form the Mississippi Educational Fund through the Lottery. That is what the other 45 states that have the lottery do!!!! Wake UP Mississippi!!!!

Kingfish said...

No one from Jackson government was saying the takeover was racist? Where were you last fall? Under a rock? Trapped in a Thai cave?

Anonymous said...

They must have been drinking some good stuff, KF. I seem to remember the mayor calling a press conference proposing alternatives to MDE taking over. Isn't that how we ended up w/ this commission so that "whitey" wouldn't take over?

Anonymous said...

They must have been drinking some good stuff, KF. I seem to remember the mayor calling a press conference proposing alternatives to MDE taking over. Isn't that how we ended up w/ this commission so that "whitey" wouldn't take over?

Anonymous said...

File a complaint with the ethics commission, they could probably weigh in.



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