Jackson Jambalaya

Maybe we should name the Zoo after Medgar Evers. That would certainly boost attendance.

Maybe the zoo can have a “stuff the truck” event like the public schools do...

Stilly Jackson City Council.

Remove her as director and you’ll save around $6,000 a month until you find a competent one to run the zoo. She’s had her chance and plenty of years to improve the zoo. She hasn’t and it’s time for her to go.

All the money in the world can not help these bozos.

That area of West Jackson has been in a state of decay for 30+ years, and expecting the zoo to somehow reverse the attendance trend at that location, is an exercise in futility. Heck, Kenny doesn't even go there -- otherwise, he'd know they actually have animals there.

That $55,000 hasn't been delivered because it has probably been spent on something else, but not potholes.

The city's drag assing around on forwarding the $ 55,000.00 is inexcusable.

I'll bet if paychecks for all of the "councilmen" were contingent on getting the $ 55,000.00 to the zoo, it would happen today.

They probably know the zoo is not going to make it, so they're trying to figure out a way to keep the 55k even after the closing. I know, I know the money came from the county, but possession is 9/10 of the law..........

Very few white conservatives under the age of 90 find 1:29’s comment funny or useful. Geez. Move on. Seriously, I mean move on.

The Zoo in it's West Jackson location is a money pit. It's just what a city with astronomical fiscal problems needs right now. The idiot leadership of this city has no idea how to stem these problems but they know they don't want to be known for moving a city landmark out of the Black community. The voters must understand that these knotheads cannot solve Jackson's problems by stalling or spouting slogans, THEY are one of Jackson's biggest problems. The idiot leadership must be made to understand that their inability to make a tough decision is more poisonous to their political future than kicking the can down the road.

Does anybody know what's the breakeven attendance number? If they can't make that then shut it down. No sense in throwing good money away-oh wait this is Jackson. never mind.

Short answer to your question.....NO.

They just need to start planning to disperse the animals to other zoos and close it down. If the City thinks they can run it, then hire a management company, buy some more animals and open the gates. They'll figure out real quick that it can't be done in the current location.
If, and when, the Zoological Society can build a new zoo, they can also buy or borrow new animals. It doesn't even need to be in Jackson. Drop it on 500 - 1000 acres in Madison County and listen to the economic engine purr. A zoo that size would actually be pretty awesome.

since they ask for your zip code when visiting there’s probably a way to see how many visitors are from Jackson, Madison, Ridgeland, and so forth. It would be very interesting to see where the visitors come from.

Sad, so sad in so many ways. I'm afraid that it is time for Jackson to be shed of this albatross around its neck. At this point I don't think even a move to a better location can save the Jackson Zoo. Attendance at the present location is not going to improve as long as the neighborhoods that must be traversed to get there are in the shape they are in. Get a grip on crime, pave the streets and tear down the boarded up houses and businesses that line the streets and talk to me about pouring more money into the sinking ship. I feel sorry for the workers and staff of the zoo. How much longer can they manage to take pay cuts and go unpaid for extended periods. Remember, robbing Peter to pay Paul is only a short (very short) term solution.

Do You Have To Tell The City in English
——It’s —-It Can —Who Cares
1. A Haven For Crime
2. Save Those Dollars to Get The City
Out Of Bankruptcy - Duh !!!!
3. Screw the City Council Kissing Up
Illogical Reasons That Will Never Make Sense
-Use Your Damn Brain
- Close This Disaster
-Be Prudent With Those Dollars
5 -10 Years From Now Move it To LeFluers
Bluff when the City Is Solvent
- Don’t Involve Lawyers
- tell the City Council to get over Themselves
- Watch The Moral Go Positive
One of These Days - the year 2030
If They Get Rid Of The Idiots Who
Would Steal From Their Mother -

Location Location Location. It will fail if not moved.

3:15, what are you saying the county spent it on? Quit spreading ignorance.

Simple solution: Close the current zoo location and put up a cage around city hall and called it the New Jackson Zoo. Best of both worlds....you can charge admission and raise city revenue while seeing the animals as well as keeping them off the city streets.

The Zoo is going to die a slow painful death no matter & regardless of what the City Council does.
The only for a ZOO is to move it to Mclain General Store on Holly Bush Rd. in Rankin County. 3:51 PM, 5:40 PM & 6:17 PM comments are right on target.

Blacks are blinded by race as much as whites.

I don't see how the zoo will survive past the 90 day notice the city gave the Zoological Society about its contract, which gives it about another month. It's over. I don't take pleasure in it. I'm a member and want it to stay open but the writing's on the wall.

@6:47 PM The county gave it to the city. One can only speculate on if the city spent it, but if so, it wasn't on potholes.

It isn't ignorance. The city pisses away money like a drunken Marine on liberty.

3:32 - While the Evers remark might have been insulting to some, it was born out of reality, if not frustration. How often over the past fifteen or more years have we seen city council (mostly Stokes) spend valuable time and money renaming streets, changing names of venues, adding more letters and words to names, planning to change names, removing things from City Hall they didn't like, taking down pictures, making lengthy comments and recognitions, proclamations...all in the name of inflaming race relations in the city. All in the name of signaling ownership. All in the name of Stokes being able to proclaim, "We in charge!"

So...while I don't advocate changing the zoo's name (what is its name?) to Evers, it would certainly be in character for city council and the mayor to waste valuable resources and time in piddling discussions over renaming, rebranding and dreaming.

It should be closed and the poor animals sent to a decent, responsible and well operated facility.

I have an idea...let's put a blues club there!

5:40 a zoo is no economic engine. If that were true they would be popping up everywhere. They are outdated and unneeded. And cruel to the animals.

Move the zoo near the children's museum... that's where most of the large benefactors live anyway. Children's museum does incredibly well as does the science museum. City needs to stay out of this issue. Mostly private money anyway. City leaders are concerned it's moving from ask area to a white area of Jackson. That's what it comes down too

6:21 - your last two comments gave you away. With the right product and demand, anything can be an economic engine. Look at theBrookfield Zoo in Chicago, the San Diego Zoo, the Memphis Zoo, the NOLA zoo, the Atlanta Zoo, the Atlanta Aquarium, etc. etc. The USA is full of great entertainment and educational venues that in general, carry their own weight. Pro Baseball and Football stadiums are another matter, they claim to be economic engines but only operate a few days a year and enrich contractors, wealthy owners and your local beer distributor. It's as if you built a billion dollar movie theater that was only open 30 days a year. But hey, we all like movies so lets float a nice 30 year bond....

Put the Costco down there, smooth sailin’ then.

Didn't that Nation of Kush woman want to turn it into a Six Flags?

Maybe we should turn city planning over to her, since she obviously has a stranglehold on the demographics and the economics of the city.

What about a federal grant? I'm reminded of the millions of federal dollars Harvey procured for the redevelopment of the old train station. Now it's a nice train station, bus station and has other stuff. And nobody in his right mind steps foot in the place unless he wants to catch the Amtrak to New Orleans. This could be the same ticket for the Zoo. And it's federal money so it doesn't cost anybody a dime.

I forgot to mention the 'Project Coordinator' funds that come along with grants. As always, the current mayor would get to hand out those plums.

I am more concerned about these poor animals every day. Hopefully a national group will show up at some point and demand the thing is shut down and make it happen. The Jackson Zoo (just like the town itself) has absolutely 0 future. Let's get these animals out of there before the worse happens..

Nia Umoja of the Cooperative of New West Jackson said the following:

I do think we need to have a counter plan for what we need in place before the zoo moves that will bring renewed economic and social vibrancy to West Jackson for the direct benefit of West Jackson residents, like a state of the art fun park (Six Flags Over Jackson) or some irresistible experience that is unique to West Jackson that will bring everybody to our side of town as opposed to a hospital or cancer treatment center that we will end up with if we don't come together on what comes after the zoo.

Here is the JJ post where she said it.

8:59's comment is what's wrong with Jackson, the state of Mississippi and uninformed libtards across the US. "...it's federal money so it doesn't cost anybody a dime..."

Repeat after me: The government does not have any money that it does not first take from you.

Here endeth the lesson

@1:44 --- When you said "stuff the truck," I thought this was a new MHP campaign...but I suppose that would be more like "stuff the trucker"

Federal money and grant money is nothing but bribing the taxpayers with their own money.

But the libtard "free stuff" crowd think there are money trees in Washington. Isn't that was the Federal Reserve Bank is, a money tree?

Let our grand-kids and great-grand-kids worry about the national debt, right?

Close the zoo . Allow the animals to find a better home and employees to find another job .

When I see the headline of help coming to the zoo I conjure up this disturbing image of Kenny Stokes dressed as Superman flying with one arm outstretched and his big red S.

Did Jackson ever hand over the money Hinds County provided to the zoo?

What is a libtard? I suspect it is an adult with a brain and a soul, but need clarification.