Jackson Jambalaya

Porter ran a bunch of cons on Jackson and I guess he paid out a few bucks for help from within.

He and his buddies the Malachi thieves also ripped off Hinds County with a little help from a few supervisors on the Board. Hope this traces back to that.

The first defendant to squeel gets the deal.

@cynicalsam: What makes you think that Porter hasn't already been dimed by someone else who hasn't yet been indicted? (Or whose indictment remains under seal at the moment?)

The proposed fees for Malachi financial are the reason that Jackson does not have a convention center hotel.

Thank God that Greer, McQuirter and Calhoun kicked Malachi out of Hinds County when they were cleaning up corruption! All the sweetheart deals evaporated!

Please elaborate, 7:05.

Malachi financial was Mayor Johnson's chosen financial advisor for the City on the convention hotel project when the developer Prime Income Asset Management was ready to move forward. The deal was close to being finalized when increase in fees (that many thought were for no work), blew up the deal. As a result, the City ended up having to take back the property with $6.9 million in HUD debt that has weighed on the City ever since. A complete disaster for the City.

Don't forget, the day of the vote, this website got a copy of better bids and published them.

The disaster was building the red-ink gulping convention center in the first place. Total unmitigated disaster.

Kingfish, are you talking about the JRA vote when the deal was rejected because of the exorbitant Malachi fees which made the project excessively risky while serving a dubious purpose? Or are you talking about better proposals from developers. I don't remember any other developer's who submitted proposals the original RFP. I am familiar with all the proposals that have been submitted over time and it seems likely that Prime was the only developer that has ever been involved with the capability and will to actually build the project.

The City was going to have to provide a 50% guaranty if the income would not cover the bonds which was certainly a risk to the City. But it would have been a far better outcome than where things are today.

@5:25 PM - that is a plausible scenario.

The fable of our tough on crime Ms. AG continues. I suppose fraud is not a state crime. Otherwise, surely Mississippi prosecutors would arrest them, right? Nah, that’s just a fable. Guess our AG was too busy playing fiddle for the contributors while the federal ants did the work. Drain the swamp.