The Wall Street Journal published Leland Speed's obituary Saturday. To say he was known in the financial community is an understatement.
Unfortunately, the Mayor and most Jackson leaders completely ignored Mr. Speed's passing in what can only be called a colossal insult to someone who spent his entire life trying to better Jackson. He fought for downtown when almost everyone fled to the burbs. He made it his business to strengthen neighborhood associations. His company, Parkway Properties, was at one time the largest commercial property taxpayer in Jackson. He served on the Board of the JSU Foundation and numerous other boards. He played a major role in creating the Rez. He was a friend to the arts over the years. There was not even a mention of his death on the city's Facebook page. In Lumumbaland, he never existed. He deserved better from the city he loved. Such is the Jackson we live in today where the trash are exalted while the worthy are trashed.
25 comments:
Let's be honest, his skin was the wrong color for today's Jackson officials to acknowledge or praise him. How can any reasonable person say otherwise?
With all due respect to a great man imagine what he could have accomplished working on a viable cause rather than a lost cause.
@8:05 - isn’t it fun to play the race card?
So Lord Boomba gives the key to city to his trombone playing CAO? Who by the way was officially censured by the council for lack of oversight on a contract.
But not a mention of Mr. Speed? Shame on them and shame on Councilman Foote as he could put something on the meeting agenda. Councilman Stokes does that for every meeting. Wonder if Stokes would support naming a street after Mr. Speed like he does for all the reverends and local activists he puts forward every meeting?
https://www.wlbt.com/2021/01/19/outgoing-jackson-cao-robert-blaine-presented-with-key-city/
Mc Mayor LaFumbla had a great announcement yesterday.."a new empty walking track..."
Mr. Foote wrote about it on his Facebook page.
Not surprising. At the end of the day, Leland was a proud capitalist who was committed to the betterment of all of Jackson. But of course, because he was white he gets no love from the city's black leadership. Lumumba has no respect for white people who aren’t in lock step with his socialist, economic collectivist ideals. The handful of whites that you do see in his orbit and who earn his praise are the ones he considers useful because they share his goals, or at least sympathizes with them.
Again, City Council literally dedicated the February 4th meeting to his memory.
Were there any stories in the fair and balanced Clarion Ledger and the non partisan Mississippi Today. I don't operate in those circles.
9:44 quit deflecting. They have not offered a resolution for his family. He has not been mentioned by our "airhead but he sounds good" mayor. He is white and these people hate white people.
The loser and dying Jackson Free Press never mentioned his passing either. Not once.
Mr. Speed was white. It seems that the remaining few white people in Jackson are the only ones on the planet that don’t seem to understand they or their opinions don’t mean diddly squat to the ruling junta.
9:44. Nice try. That was a committee meeting, with very few people there.
Don't feel too bad. They didn't exactly break down in tears for Charles Evers either.
10:29 is so correct. They do not give a sh*t about anything the pitiful, remaining 15% think or feel. Corinth, MS (85% white) elected a black mayor in 1990, 30 years ago. Do you think our 85% black city would EVER elect a white mayor? They hate us, and don't care that the US Census puts our population now at 155,000, down from 173,000 in 2010. Death spiral.
Didn't you piss on yourself enough about him, everyone knows he is dead. What more do you want?
This raw racist lack of respect puts an exclamation point on how much I hate Jackson.....and I am in the legislature and not alone.
what's them matter 8:27? Too thin skinned to be dealt the same medicine that ChokeWad and his city council minions bring up every chance they can.....just go bury your head in one (of the many open running sewers) and enjoy the bounty of Dim-O-KRAT living at its finest.
Just a hunch but I'm gonna guess Mr. Speed didn't "play the game" and grease some palms when he was asked at some point.
It is the dismal tide and just the tip of the inept and unqualified icebergs to come. The people that are actually qualified don’t want anything to do with State or local Government, law enforcement or teaching an unruly mob of students where the teacher is called every abusive name under the sun.
Leland R. Speed would tell all of you to get over yourselves and do something positive for your state capital. He wouldn't waste time comparing posthumous acknowledgements. He humbled himself to work with anyone and everyone to make positive change. It is much more disrespectful to use his death as fodder for your negative attitudes toward Jackson. 11am, you and all your Jackson-hating friends can suck it.
I have no doubt at all that Mayor Bloviator considers his few white supporters "his useful idiots."
Did Leland even like you?
Nope. Hated me.
Several Mayors blew him off. Harvey wouldn't talk to him even though PP was largest commercial taxpayer in Jackson.
However, the cake goes to Yarber. They got the bright idea, as every Mayor does, to set up a committee made up of Jackson businessmen and businesswomen. Marshand asked Mr. Speed for some names of those who might be interested. He gave them the list and a meeting was set. Now keep in mind that by this time, he could no longer drive due to his eyes and he was in his 80's. He goes to the meeting. The only people there are him, the Mayor, and the Mayor's team. No one from the business community was present but for him. He asked where everyone was to which Marshand replied "I thought you were going to contact them." Yes, you read that correctly. Make your own judgments. That's the crap you've had running Jackson for years.
Leland enjoyed Kingfish. He respected his in depth analysis and work on many subjects and issues. He ignored the parts of JJ that he found ugly, mean or distasteful (particularly the cruel, meaningless or unfounded comments) and met with Jimmy many times to talk about many, many issues/projects/ideas. Sometimes I was asked to tag along. His relationship with KF was sooooo Leland. He found the positives in JJ and KF and laughed off any ugly. Yes. He liked him. Very much.
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