Jackson Jambalaya

The city "leadership" obviously can't get their priorities straight.

Water, streets, water treatment, and public safety are at the top of the list, not a sinking ship called a zoo.

It's all about egos and rice bowls.

The city of Jackson is clueless on running a business. This joke of a zoo board is clueless on running a business. The zoo manager (or whatever term they use) is clueless on running a business.

This is what happens when you let bloggers, people right out of law school, and other non qualified persons on your board. Pitiful. Although it will never be their fault.

When the zoo finally reopens the only way I'm going is if they allow open carry so I can protect myself from feral predators.

@4:14
I think cereal bowls would be a more accurate term. Coco Pebbles, to be exact.

A city whose residents believe that quality of life consists of public money spent on physical infrastructure (i.e., water, streets, water treatment, and public safety) but not on culture (education, the arts, libraries, museums, and yes, even zoos) will be a city that has neither.

The culture in Jackson is very happy with the results of their government. The leaders were democratically elected and are fulfilling the wishes of their constituents.

Those of us not living in the city should keep our mouths shut and worry about our own problems.

Just because they are all dumb asses and thieves is not our problem.

10:10,
And thus you have described the death of the Republic

This is what happens when you let bloggers, people right out of law school, and other non qualified persons on your board.

Your comment is what happens when the owner of the business allows a piss ant's comment to be published.

Hinds County said "never mind" last week on their token financial assistance.

Actually pretty good job of managing their expenses. Most businesses couldn't handle that kid of revenue drop and still break even. I'm surprised their AP isn't higher.

The Zoo will never reopen. Or if it does, it won't stay open for long.

Wow!
It seems that no one can imagine that all the Zoo bashing and negative word of mouth in any way decreased attendance.
Frankly, the Zoo could have been bashed for the very same things when I moved in 40 years ago. It was already in a bad area and there were abandoned buildings and houses nearby.
Mississippi is almost all " natives" so word of mouth is worth more than advertisement. All of you with a negative attitude spread it to relative in the State who will say, " Oh, don't go to the zoo. I have a cousin in Jackson and he's afraid to go there".

CAMELOT

If the real problems were to be solved it will take hurting somebody’s feelings and being a racists. Sorry, but true. Only way any positive progress will be achieved.

8:23, while you totally ignore the issue of "priorities" -what is NECESSARY to have a functioning government - you could still be describing Jackson.

It has neither. It's infrastructure is failing or non-existent; its 'culture' as you describe it, as well as in any other definition, is non-existent as well. Libraries not maintained and allowed to deteriorate; city parks not maintained unless by local neighborhood volunteer groups, and inability to maintain the absolute non-necessities such as a zoo.

Yes - it doesn't exist in either world. So there.

Damn 910 - you should be on the board. You read this as 'breaking even'?

Let's think through this a minute; starts with a million dollar donation from the city, which has been ongoing forever. Next, there is the three months operating expenses the city had to pay due to it not being able to "break even" as you say. And then, of course, there is the almost $400,000 'diverted' from the state bond funds that were supposed to go to pay for repairs that paid for ongoing operating expenses and salaries. All the while, the water bill was ignored for years, amounting to unknown 'savings' of expenses to the board.

Yes, if my business had a goal of breaking even and I could get someone else to pay for 1/4 of my annual operating expenses, along with stealing of another 1/4 of those expenses, and ignoring another significant amount - I think I could make my business 'break even' while having to address this drop in attendance and revenue.

Thanks for your economic analysis - I'll turn it over to my banker next time I need to get an operating loan since I won't have the state bond funds to divert to cover my costs.

Under the lease agreement, the city is responsible for fixing infrastructure. That includes a multitude of water leaks.

Chimp moat has had one for years and is just one example of non repair. Otter exhibit had a leak this year. Splash pad and community room was closed for awhile this year due to water main busutsts

Zoo got hail mage during 2013. Insurance paid a quarter mill. City pocketed the check and dont fix anything until last year.

Getting the idea?

8:23, Maslow's hierarchy of needs would suggest that we'll never arrive at a point of supporting "culture" until our most basic needs (food and water, and "safety") are met.

Actually, there IS culture in Jackson, and it's what has led to flight to other cities.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs

John , Maslow didn't ignore that a culture at the top of the pyramid would have those whose poverty or assigned role or lack of ability would put them at the bottom.
It's about human needs and whether or not there are enough humans who are free to educate themselves, innovate and create.
Time is a factor in his theory. If your time is consumed with obtaining basic needs, you don't have time to interfere with those trying to innovate ,create and solve problems, do you?
The problem we face in this society is that today, those at the bottom of the pyramid have the time to stop those at the top from solving problems but not ability to do more than problem identification.
Wikipedia isn't a reference book, it's a reference arrow to find more information. Maslow wrote a book.

I don't need a book, a wikipedia link, or a lecture to know that if given the choice between:

1. A museum.

2. Clean, healthy, dependable drinking water.

I will take #2 every time. Every time. So while your kid is attending a museum while dying after drinking water out of the same ditch that somebody sh**s in upstream, my kid will be drinking clean water and dreaming about a museum he didn't get to attend.

October 12, 2019 at 8:23 PM, please...
You CANNOT support arts and culture when a theater, art museum, library, schools, and "yes, even zoos" have water leaking on artifacts, books and patrons, or non-functioning toilets, and craters and crime in parking lots! GET REAL!
You probabably support the parklets too!