Jackson Jambalaya

How many times do you need to scream at a wall before you realize it's a wall? I feel for Jeff and the other business owners there, but at what point is it on you to stop screaming at the wall? The mayor doesn't care. He's totally apathetic to your plight.

Our state capital complex and state workers put their lives on the line every day to cross the border into a third world country where the city leaders don’t govern, and the majority of the population doesn’t care to participate in voting for those “leaders”. We need the national guard in Jackghanistan yesterday!!

Millsaps is getting its own well system.

How can an individual resident do so?

The City has lost very capable managers in Mr. Miller & Dr. Williams both to be replaced by incompetent friends of the mayor. The mayor is incapable of understanding or discussing the harm that he and his friends are causing the residents of Jackson. I think it is time to dust off and organize rallies at the city hall & outside the mayor’s home to demand action & change.

“I cannot believe this is happening. Again.”

Really Mr Good? Let’s have some transparency and honesty from you. It doesn’t surprise you. It may frustrate you, it may infuriate you, it may be illogical to you; but if you don’t expect this to be a periodic event at this point you haven’t given any consideration to the environment you operate your businesses in. You’ve chosen to continue in the status quo just like Jackson leadership has continue the status quo. Take some responsibility and admit you made a business decision to go down with the ship.

The City has lost very capable managers in Mr. Miller & Dr. Williams both to be replaced by incompetent friends of the mayor. The mayor is incapable of understanding or discussing the harm that he and his friends are causing the residents of Jackson. I think it is time to dust off and organize rallies at the city hall & outside the mayor’s home to demand action & change.

As a noted community activist cited re the Mayflower closing “ its an old white outdated restaurant, who cares”. So maybe that’s the administrations & social activist view of Good’s restaurants. After all Jackson is the City with Soul!

I love Chaos and Organized Crime.

I guess my property value in Madison just went up another $5000.00.

Bob Miller seemed to be pretty competent, but admittedly I didn't know him well. I do know Dr. Charles Williams well, and have known him for over 20 years. He was extremely competent compared to those around him. But that's like being the tallest midget. Put Dr. Williams in another city with qualified people and you would find out he wasn't all that capable or hardworking. John Thompson, Robert Lee, David Willis, I know them all. Robert is still there, David is with Waggoner I think, John retired. It's an absolute mess.

The city has to start hiring based upon qualifications and skill, not race and friendship. The truth is that they don't really want to fix it. They just want a big government check to waste.

Get out now while you can-

Mayor Lamumble can't "come clean" or be transparent on this because he does not have a clue about what is going on, nor does he care.....

Things are pretty nice out here in the 'burbs.

Democrats are getting what they voted for. Jeff's a nice guy, an extraordinary civic booster, and his restaurants are great, but the mess in Jackson is no longer my problem.

The folks that stayed and shamed others for having common sense, have done nothing but enable the slower decline of the city.

I mean, if a dog is suffering and beyond saving...A quick death is the merciful option.

Anyone who disagrees with this regime will be summarily deemed racist, so valid insults and constructive solutions will never be entertained.

It just took Jeff longer than most of us to realize that.

Jeff had an opportunity to support another candidate for mayor and chose to sit out. I like Jeff and I frequent his businesses
However he could have been more active. This current mayor is absent and is in way over his head. Only if he cared about the water situation the way he cares about the garbage contract we would have clean running water.

Go to Jeff Good's FB page and read the comments. Some apologist named Brad Franklin is actually blaming the MS legislature and Jeff is wrong. Jackson now has less then 150,000 residents, down from 205,000 in 1980. I guess that is the legislatures fault too.

Stokes wants to sue about Hot Pursuit? How about a lawsuit by the citizens and State Of Mississippi to recover the costs of your lawless, polluting, dangerous city and citizens due to YOUR incompetence and racism, Stokes Et Al? How about the endless parade of Moms of Murdered Sons suing YOU and the Council and the BOS for negligence?

How about a lawsuit by all these businessmen and women losing everything because of deliberate neglect and disregard of EPA and State?

State takeover. Federal takeover. Martial law. Whatever means necessary.

No Peace. No Justice.

Works both ways, Stokes/LuMumbler.

"Free the Land!" (of white restaurant owners).

Clean water and trash pickup have to be the top priority. If you can address that, move on to increasing police hires, consolidating school districts, and fixing roads. Once the necessities are taken care of with a long term plan for to maintain those basic services, move on to libraries, parks, abandoned property cleanup, and attracting businesses. Jackson simply had to do a better job of providing the basic services other communities take for granted.

What can we do to save this city? Something has got to be done where everyone comes together to solve this leadership crisis. I am ready to help.

"I have lived in the city for 41 years now… and I have never been more concerned."

Mighta been just a wee bit late. Like 40 years and 364 days, give or take an hour or two.

Ah, well, you know the saying, "If you aren't liberal at 20 you have no heart and if you aren't conservative at 30 you have no brain."

As long as the voters are Jackson keep voting in an SJW mayor the water issue is never going to be fixed

How pathetic. A grown man begging a city that doesn’t care about him or his business to please care about him and his business.

Yes 9:13, they gotta blame whitey. It ain't like they have been in control of everything since 1997.....25 years. I guess the debacle at the JMAA is the legislature's fault too.

It’s hard not feel for Mr. Good, fellow restaurant owners, hotels, landlords, etc. Their hardwork and all equity may be lost to a city that no longer functions at a level that is safe for its citizens and visitors. The reality is it’s not getting better and abandonment and relocation are likely the only options. Pity aside, no business should resume using any system reliant upon city water without flushing and sanitizing these units. While true the turbidity on its own is not dangerous, the back up and the added surface area it provides for bacteria, molds and carcinogens is. Water fountains, ice machines and even screened sink faucets must be flushed and cleaned. This process is costly and has to be repeated after each failure. Reading between the lines - both the state and epa suspect or know - it’s not just a bad chemical mix here or there. The facilities have fallen into disrepair. The little staffing they do have is entirely unqualified for the job/tasks. More problems if not complete failure is a certainty. The mayor and his team of lackeys do not have skill sets or qualities required to mitigate and manage these issues. Such a pathetic tragedy.

I wonder why some people have a sort of blind allegiance to Jackson. I know some live in the past when Jackson was a truly great place to live and work but those days are gone and will never return. If you continue to decide to operate a business or live in Jackson you are doing so in spite of the facts and history of Jackson. Could Jackson come back? Sure but never all the way back and that would require a lot of people working together for many years. The mayor is a huge problem but not the only problem. The voters are the main problem as they do not hold the elected officials accountable. So if Jeff continues to live and work in Jackson he is just ignoring the facts and jeopardizing not only his family but the employees and their families.

Checklist for travel into Jackson:

Uparmored HUMVEE
Level IV body armor
ACH
HK416s (2) with 20 30 rd mags loaded
20 gallons potable water
PortaPotty on trailer
HazMat kit for walking in raw boo boo
BLM flag on hitch
Rainbow magnetic stickers for Diversity Equity and Inclusion props
14 days rations
Comms, including satellite
Stokes Hat to "act like the natives"
4 rabbit's feet and 28 4 leaf clovers for good luck
12 sets of rosary beads
Will
"No drugs/money on board" sticker
"CoExist" stickers on at least 2 panels
Box of Depends for when incoming starts
Jet powered Roller blades to run in serpentine fashion through parking lot
Smoke grenade launchers to eject modified THC vapes to lull "the community" to allow evasion and escape

I think Guns N' Roses released a song about this place.

"Mayor Lamumble can't "come clean" or be transparent on this because he does not have a clue about what is going on, nor does he care....."

It is difficult to have a conspiracy when the would-be members are too fucking stupid and self-absorbed to know how to engage in one. Don't confuse "Ocean's 11" with a smash-and-grab frenzy of looting.

Mr. Mayor: Get some professional help. PLEASE.

"Dunning-Kruger effect, in psychology, a cognitive bias whereby people with limited knowledge or competence in a given intellectual or social domain greatly overestimate their own knowledge or competence in that domain relative to. . . "

Of course the first step in recovering from Dunning-Kruger is admitting that one has a problem.

Kingfish nails it not only does the mayor not care if Jeff Good left

chowkey doesn't care. this is on purpose. this is not incompetence. this is intentional. you can't build back better until you've destroyed what's already there. demographics in jackson are the problem. there aren't enough conservatives to elect a conservative as mayor. you will only get a democrat mayor. and a black marxist democrat will win over a black moderate democrat. and a black democrat wins over a white democrat, and no republican has any chance whatsoever.

I’d rather eat at the Mayflower than the heart attack in waiting soul food at these greasy restaurants now dotting every downtown street. What a racist thing to say about a restaurant or any other business.

Why are the people getting on facebook and crying for help? You are part of the problem. If you refuse to do anything do not act surprised when others make the decisions for you. This is not something that has just happened in the last few months. You decided who you vote for. Now it is time for you to accept what you have done. When you are finally forced out of Jackson please do not come into my community. We do not need people like you. Stay in Jackson and learn to enjoy it. You built it.

Put Bravo in Madison, Broad Street in Flowood, Sal and Mookies-do like you did in Madison and let people open a franchise. or open a few and see what happens. but Get out while you can!

if you are dead set on staying in Hinds County, the only place to go would be Clinton-i wouldnt because Clinton is a restaurant graveyard..but they do have their own water and a reliable garbage contractor..

next closings/moves-another round of churches closing or leaving..

It has been a long long time since Jackson was a good place . Danks held it together for a while but the end was starting then. Kane placed the City in official free fall. Jackson is now the worst City in the country and will never get any better. The only hope is to get out but no one really how far away is far enough.

"Only if he cared about the water situation the way he cares about the garbage contract we would have clean running water."

Why hasn't he switched to a manual billing system until the upgraded software gets the bugs worked out? Hell, a local CPA firm could have a spreadsheet set up and bills sent out the old fashioned way to all water connections within a month. It's like the destruction is intentional. Why is shoring up the water/sewer fund not priority #1b?

I see a municipal bankruptcy filing in the near future

Ignore the fact that the State legislature could provide funds for repairs and upgrades as could our

federal Representatives and Senators.

And, let's not ignore that if "former" Jackson residents had not cowardly fled at the appearance of a neighbor of color and held fast like other Southern Capitol cities that now thrive. Indeed, "downtown" real estate" in those Capitols are the most expensive in their States.
But, no...you were too stupid to realize that those who could afford a house in your neighborhood were likely to have wanted to be more like YOU and wanted their property values to increase.
Indeed, they would help you make sure by supporting protections for your neighborhoods and making sure property was maintained.
But, no...you abandoned your Capitol, which tells the entire country and world about your lack of pride and concern for anything but immediate gratification of your whims of the moment and your blind prejudices.
Indeed, many of those who led you to this sorry conclusion don't even live in Mississippi anymore much less Jackson.
Am I frustrated and exasperated too? You bet I am. Do I think it cowardly not to keep us informed? I do. But, I also am aware why wanting to avoid more of what the " abandon" your Capitol dish out. And, continue to know how incredibly stupid and short sighted that " battle cry" is and not just for Jackson, but it dooms the entire State.
If you really think any cities other than Oxford and Biloxi/Gulfport will fare well with your strategy and you will attract business and investors to McMansions and faux shopping centers for long, see the similar Houston suburbs and how fast they decayed and sadly, Queen Mary didn't acquire enough details to duplicate the suburb she visited or Madison would have had a better chance and not become more and more tacky mismatched faux.
Our current mayor needs to do his homework too and develop a thicker skin and seek those who speak truth to power, not self-serving flatters.

Jackson has two options:

1) Dig out of the hole. It takes work, it takes sweat, it takes effort, it takes long hours. It's tough being responsible and taking care of your business. It's a long journey, but it can be fixed with tremendous effort. Go to the suburbs and see what happens. In the suburbs, you will see public works directors and general managers and maintenance personnel called on weekends and in the middle of the night. They get up and do what is required to keep the water flowing. It's friggin' work. If the people don't get up and keep the water flowing, they are terminated. It's a job for men.

2) Do nothing. Let the hole get deeper. Blame everyone else as it happens. Work 25 hours per week and brag that you are trying. Hire your buddies. Only hire your race. Ignore problems. At some point the federal government will have to bail you out and take care of you like you are a dependent.

Does anybody guess which route Jackson has chosen?

Lumping in the City Council members with the Mayor only proves that Good doesn't yet possess the stones to call out Lumumba.

@10:08 Don't be snarky. Not ALL of us voted for these morons.
What a ridiculous comment.

Why are you all acting so shocked? Did you really believe these democrat charlatans could run a functioning city despite the evidence that they have never ever run a successful anything, anywhere? Why do you think our military is so dysfunctional now? Same democrat charlatans running the military now too!

Oh yes, blame the state legislature. Perhaps the Mayor should learn how to work with the legislature before blaming it for his mistakes.

1. Get rid of Quincy. He is a crap lobbyist who never had a serious book of business. Get one of the lobbyists who makes things happen. Thompsons, Clay Firm, CRG, etc. Several are in Jackson. Hell, his father had the right idea, if the GOP is in charge, hire a GOP lobbyist, which he did. He hired one from each party. But then, his dad had some sense.

2. Leave the entourage behind. Jackson Mayors love to show up as if they are somebodies. What they don't realize is that to the legislators, they are just another hand seeking a check. Leave Dr. Omari, leave the driver, leave the bodyguards outside, leave them all out when you visit the capitol. Bring along the Public Works Director if its public works related but that's it.

3. Quit insulting and lying about the legislature, LG, or Governor to the media and in public. They don't have to work with you and damn sure won't when you lie about them as you did about the state not paying its water bills.

4. Actually use the black caucus. Ms. Yates didn't get the aid she wanted for Jackson but frankly, y'all shut out the black caucus on that deal. Try including them.

5. Realize no one at the capitol trusts Jackson. Wait, they do trust Jackson. They trust Jackson to waste the money, give it out to the buds, and make a bunch of kinfolk deals that fix little but cost alot. That is the theme at the capitol. Black, white, Republican, Democrat, male, female, the chorus is the same: they don't trust Jackson especially when all you do is ask for a big fat check with no conditions.

I have had a broken city water pipe behind my business since January leaking 50% of the water. The water department says they can't repair because it is on private property yet, they layed the water line down the ditch 35 years ago when they moved the water lines on the frontage road widening on 55 North. Our meters are on our side of the line. They said get a plumber but the city is the one losing the water. Have called about 5 times on this. All it needs is a collar. Why throw money away? I know because the employees look at it as not their money.

Jeff is finally realizing that Jackson is gone and needs to pack up his restaurants and go to Madison and/or Rankin, where they will be welcomed and appreciated.

We all miss the Jackson of not too many years ago, but it has become totally unlivable for businesses and families.

ITs Just not hard services and safety. The Mayor and council should remind themselves about that before each meeting. I mean I suggest changing name of Jackson to Boil water, MS

Rome continues to burn while we watch.

We still have a long way to go before the state gets involved. My guess is the water will have to basically become unavailable along with the sewer treatment system.

"I suggest changing name of Jackson to Boil water, MS"

Wait a sec - give "Dumpsterfire" and "Hotmess" a fair shot (pardon the pun), too.

10:32 fails to see what those of us who left realized.

You cannot speak rationally to the 10:32s of the world. They will never see anything but color and all fault lies with the white man.

Those of us who left could see that the 10:32s of Jackson were taking over and we knew it would be the end.

The 10:32s are just angry we did not continue to fund them as they desperately virtue signal and refuse to admit that the only race to blame for their current state of affairs has nothing to do with Caucasian skin tones. Enjoy your free land. You have earned it.

August 1, 2022 at 10:32 AM; just so i have this straight. you are blaming the white people that moved out of jackson because black people moved into their neighborhoods as the reason the nearly all black jackson leadership can't perform or maintain basic city functions for the nearly all black jackson population. and i'm the racist?

"And, let's not ignore that if "former" Jackson residents had not cowardly fled at the appearance of a neighbor of color and held fast like other Southern Capitol cities that now thrive. Indeed, "downtown" real estate" in those Capitols are the most expensive in their States."

Except, facts show even working class blacks have fled to the suburbs in order to get a decent education for their kids. But, by all means, keep showing us how racist you are.

Lumbubbles is a train wreck that is on fire.

Jackson is like a drug addict - it won't recover until it hits rock bottom, like Detroit.

KF - excellent suggestions/observations above.

The response to Jeff's plea from the Mayor, or lack thereof, probably will determine whether he stays or throws in the towel. He really is trying to give the mayor every opportunity to step up. I doubt he hears a peep.

Jackson, MS is a harsh mistress.

Does anyone remember the very thoughtful but verbose Facebook posts of former Councilman Melvin Priester, Jr.? Even a genius such as he could not hold on and threw in the towel.

Trying to rationalize Jackson's woes will drive you mad. Just leave, people.

10:32, if you REALLY believe what you posted, and aren't just trolling, you are the DEFINITION of why Jackson will never recover. No further explanation required.

Now, back to reality. As much as I hate to note it, I'm glad that enough people are starting to acknowledge that Jackson is gone. Period. (Or as I see so many on the left say these days, "Full Stop.") All of the issues people are mentioning as solutions - and I mean ALL of them - take a LOT of money. HUGE amounts of money. So, when whatever politician you want to blame has run the vast majority of the tax base out of the City, how exactly is it that the money will appear to fix these problems? We are where we are because of the gross mismanagement by all those before Baby Chok, but I'm convinced he's exacerbating the problems we have now by design. Think about it: exactly what would he have to do to "run" the city in a worse fashion? I'm not sure it could be done! The garbage fiasco is a perfect example. Something as back-of-mind as garbage service ran pretty much flawlessly for as long as I can remember.....so what does BC do? He intentionally takes a service that most people don't even think about, brings it front and center, then ruins it in a grand fashion! Isn't that pretty much how he's treated everything he's touched?

Again, no one will make me believe that Jackson's downward spiral - at BC's hands - isn't by design. You couldn't do your job this poorly if you didn't intend for it to be this way.

Why doesn't the EPA fine the City like they keep threatening to do? I blame the EPA for letting Jackson get away with this water mess.

They’re trying to get everyone out so the liberal locusts can come in and gentrify Jackson and all infrastructure problems will be solved then. That’s why if you notice places like Byram, Clinton, and Flohood are the new forward operating bases for Jacksonians. The little blue strobe light parking lot cameras never used to be there.

Sound advice, KF. I'm appalled that the Mayor has to have a "posse". It's the political equivalent of a small business buying a plane. A sign of impending bankruptcy in both cases. You do well to draw the contrast between father and son. It's stark.

I see that a City Council committee has scheduled a hearing on the water crisis for Wednesday afternoon. See you there, KF?

It's like pleading with a cat to love you back.

Poor Jeff. Once the tort-reforming uber-capitalist, now reduced to begging for COVID welfare handouts! Be sure and visit Broad Street Bakery, home of the incredible shrinkflation sandwich. Karma, she's a real bitch.

A great start would be for Jackson to do what it can to prove they are worthy of the investment. Straighten out the water billing would be a good place to start. Anything to show a little competence. I can’t blame the legislature for not wanting to spend money on Jackson. The city has mismanaged everything it has touched. Heck, WM was doing fine picking up trash and the mayor messed that up worse than anyone could imagine.

"Jeff's a nice guy, an extraordinary civic booster, and his restaurants are great, but the mess in Jackson is no longer my problem.

My same thought 9:10 AM.

I like Jeff.
Always have.
But I can't feel sorry for him.
I have to believe, within his business mind ... he's always known Jackson is a "no win scenario".

The man was smart enough to build a restaurant empire, but I don't understand his logic for staying in Jackson so long. I think he's come to the realization if he doesn't get out now, he might not be able to relocate before long.

"I don’t understand how 172,000 of us living here can continue to be subjected to this."


Look at the Mayor and his priorities and you'll understand.

11:01 AM
KF, Point 2 could not be screamed louder at his face and he still wouldn't understand. When I started working down town in 2018 I was taking a walk around the Capitol building and saw an old coworker who had changed to working at DFA and during the middle of our talk Hizzonor came walking out of the Woolfolk building surrounded by 10 people. Had I not known better I would have thought they were bodyguards.

The 2020 census shows Jackson now has 153,000 residents.

When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.

In years gone by, Goods company was a third owner in banner hall. When you consider taking a hit on selling your home, think of the loss on this huge building…if they could even find a buyer.

Lil Choke might suggest Jeff Goode build his own well and water tower to use, until the marxist mayor takes it by emergency decree or imperious Imminent Domain. His Empire is imminent, he's an emperor, clothed or not.

Find a buyer for Banner Hall you say? Maybe the MBar could expand!

August 1, 2022 at 3:14 PM

The comment about the Mayor and his entourage puts me a little bit in mind of Earnest Hemingway from the Sun Also Rises:

"I have noticed that doctors who fail in the practice of medicine have a tendency to seek one another's company and aid in consultation."

Jackson, Detroit, Atlanta, Chicago, New York, San Fran, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Baltimore, New Orleans, Cleveland, Newark, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh.... sincerely, folks, when does one learn? The proof is crystal clear, and factual: you absolutely get what you VOTE for!! SMH...

@ 9:46.....LMFAO

I moved from that Mississippi 4.5 years ago-one of the best things I have ever done! I do still have some family in that area, so it is still somewhat of a concern to/for me. Between the completely out of control crime, the piss poor management of the city, the absolute derelict city government, and crumbling infrastructure; Jackson, MS is an absolute HELL HOLE! There is nothing redeemable about Jackson, MS. Unlike others, I will post my name to this as I am not ashamed of telling this truth (someone's got to).

It wasn't long ago that Little Jeffie Good was Jackson's biggest cheerleader, championing the cause of all the up and coming eateries in the burg with even whispers of his becoming mayor. Now he's the opposite. His days are numbered, if not already defunct.