Several Jackson restaurant owners are at Jackson City Hall to discuss the city's water problems with the Ad Hoc Water Committee. The video is posted below. All Council Members but Stokes and Grizzell are present. Mayor Lumumba appeared for less than two minutes at the beginning of the meeting, explaining he had to leave because he had to attend another meeting. The only Lumumba Administration official to attend the meeting was City Attorney Tori Martin.
Jeff Good, Steven O'Neill, Chef Steve of Iron Horse Grill, and John Tierre of Johnny T's stood up to the City Council as they explained the "trauma" they face with the multiple boil water notices.
Mr. Good took the city to task for failing to notify the public about the boil water notice on Friday when it was issued. He said they found out about the boil water notice from their customers. The city finally issued its own notice late Saturday afternoon.
He said it cost $200 to $500 per day to get water and ice. He said they can't make coffee and other drinks. His restaurants can't use their espresso and ice machines. During the water crisis, Sal and Mookies and Broad Street Bakery were closed for 21 days. He said the negotiated settlement with his insurance company for losses suffered at Broad Street Bakery during the February 2021 Ice Storm was $93,000. He said the owner of the parent company for Char said his Ridgeland restaurants saw their business increase every time Jackson issued a boil water notice.
Steven O'Neill of Aplos and the Manship said his businesses generates $30,000 per month in sales tax revenue that goes to the state (Estimated city share is $5,400 per month at 18%.). He said he is nearing lease terms. He said he wants to stay but it is getting harder as strong efforts are made to recruit his businesses to move to neighboring counties.
John Tierre said a notice costs him $300 to $500 per day. Pat Fontaine, the Executive Director of the Mississippi Hospitality Association, said many restaurants do not have the resources to survive the constant barrage of boil water notices and it will be a "matter of time" before restaurants start closing their doors.
67 comments:
Where's Ludumba
These restauranteur’s have it all wrong, it’s a perception of bad water, not real bad water. C’mon man, you know the thing.
Just give the city your taxes and shut up.
This is normal. Every city deals with this so stop being whiny.
And besides, it's the Governors fault. Chuck just needs a few hundred million more to make it all better.
Am I doing it right?
Oh yeah I almost forgot, this blog should just die!
Whew, being a Jxn Cheerleader is hard.
As prominent as this story has been these last few days, the fact that Baby Chok wasn't there tells you EVERYTHING you need to know. End of story. He simply does NOT care. At all.
Now, had any of these restauranteurs been black, the story may have been different......
Bottom line: Move. This is the writing on the wall. The city couldn't give two s**ts about y'all, and you know your customers will follow you / you'll pick up new ones.
The biggest mistake these restaurant owners are making is assuming the boy mayor gives a shit.
Please; no more comments about “perceptions”; not clever; worn out.
Sales tax diversion back to the cities is 18.5%.
thing is...there aint enough room in rankin and madison county for all these restaurants....we already got applebees, subway, and fried chicken tender places...
Other than Johnny T's, these are all outdated "White" restaurants.
But it seems even Johnny understands Antar's nonchalant attitude.
The Black owned businesses are at the same risk of failure due to these Antar policies as much as the White businessmen.
Stokes must be out ordering new Stokes hats, which is obviously more important than Jackistan's water issues. Or maybe he is throwing rocks and bottles at JPD patrol cars.
I blame the Hollywood boomer bait propaganda for brainwashing the idiots who are sticking around Jackson trying to make it better. It’s not getting better here or anywhere in the USA.
I’ve stopped caring about these restaurant owners. They cry about a city not appreciating them yet continue to do business there.
But the mayor is a world-class speaker, remember? He has more important things to worry about than the health, safety, and prosperity of the citizens.
No, it’s not the perception of bad water. Nor of hot water, cold water, or wet water; and, frankly, your “perception of” comments were funny for about 5 minutes a few years ago. Now they’re a tiresome waste of space.
The mayor just got thoroughly humiliated. Oh, no one came right out with it. No one had to. The anger, frustration, and desperation in that room was palpable.
I won’t be holding my breath for the “administration” to issue a statement acknowledging the fact that the two different public notices sent out the same day last week could have and probably did cause confusion. Maybe I’m wrong. It’s just that this mayor strikes me more as a lick my wounds and plot political revenge type of guy. And, I’m not sure that big words, blame, and/or deflection can disguise the fact that there was zero thought or consideration for the people.
$93,000 insurance settlement during the ice storm. That has to affect the premium. The Sal & Mookies in Madison had water during that period.
Dave's Triple B restaurant moved from its former Jackson location a couple of years ago to Flora where it is thriving. It was High Street in the former Chimneyville building. Life seems to be good away from Jackson for Dave's Triple B & it's renowned chef. It's more than worth the drive.
Next.
Lumumba joins Ray Mabus and Tate Reeves as politicians who nobody likes even their own party.
@5:17 PM Has the mistaken perception that "perception" is being overused. I don't perceive that at all, per se.
"[Good] said the negotiated settlement with his insurance company for losses suffered at Broad Street Bakery during the February 2021 Ice Storm was $93,000."
If this was business interruption insurance and the carrier reads the recommendations from JPD but doesn't cancel the policy, it deserves what it gets. And Mr. Good has a guardian insurance angel who must have him as their sole client. I'm not an underwriter or even in the insurance industry, but I am an accredited (501 Reg D) investor who studies my areas of investing pretty thoroughly (i.e., no timber deeds). I have invested in insurance companies for many years. I would not invest in one who wrote many such policies in places like Jackson. Jack Ringwalt once said there are no bad risks, only bad rates. That would be an interesting rate calculation.
Many of these developers were banking on making a killing off of the young that wanted to live in a city. That's not working out so well is it? Interesting I posted once during the boiling notice that I can't see eating in Jackson and a real smart reply was "so what they won't miss you" brilliant! for sure he or she had nothing invested.
Providing business interruption insurance for a restaurant on Jackson water would be like providing life insurance to a guy on D-Day that is about to storm the beach. The premium better be very high to make money.
Go to Belhaven, they have their own city.
Some people think that the child mayor doesn't care. That might be a part of it, but the main part is that the child mayor doesn't have the very first idea of what to do about any of Jackson's problems. He can only talk about them, blame other people, especially white people, and espouse Leftist positions which have been gross failures across the country. The only thing that might help before the State takes over is if EPA takes over management of the water system. The problem is even worse when you consider that there is nobody out there who could be elected mayor who could deal with these problems. The State is simply going to have to take over the management of this town.
@5:11. John Tierre is black, but the mayor still doesn’t care.
These owners would make hand over fist with 95% less hassle if they moved to Rankin or Madison county. The few people that patronize their places of business that actually still live in Jackson would be thrilled to “get out of town” for a few hours and eat in a place where they aren’t worried about the water, crime, or any other “Jackson issues”. Prove me wrong…
Capital goes to where it’s appreciated. Jackghanistan and Lufumble do not appreciate your capital. Move, move now, or watch your investment die a slow death in ‘The City with No Soul’.
Karma Jeff, Karma!!!
To all of you screaming incompetence and Ladumba, please google “Jackson Kush plan.” It is all by design folks, and it is described as “unapologetic”
Chuckway apparently wants the tax payers (home owners and business owners) to leave the city. His crownies can take over. Biden will provide funds. The funds go to Chuck’s friends and family…
The mayoral election in Jackson, MS is definitely just a popularity contest and the majority of constituents or voters, simply have not even heard of the restaurants that were represented today. The clown mayor would have easily been shocked by the reality and pressure of having intellectual discussion, with restaurant owners and chefs that came forward today. Homeboy been hangin around the likes of Stanley & Co. Way too long to feel confident enough to face real men. It’s way too late for Chockwe to come to reality and admit he can’t do the job he was elected to do. He would have been humiliated, in front of a camera, by restaurant owners and chefs, who are more capable than him. What a joke Jackson is. Embarrassed for the whole damn State of Mississippi for Lumumba and his clown show. He’d be workin for Auntie at the bbq stand, if not for his dad. What a flippin shame that he can’t even show his face.
"Some people think that the child mayor doesn't care. That might be a part of it, but the main part is that the child mayor doesn't have the very first idea of what to do about any of Jackson's problems. He can only talk about them, blame other people, especially white people, and espouse Leftist positions which have been gross failures across the country. The only thing that might help before the State takes over is if EPA takes over management of the water system. The problem is even worse when you consider that there is nobody out there who could be elected mayor who could deal with these problems. The State is simply going to have to take over the management of this town."
Yep. Aside from the EPA, that pretty much lays it out. The only other debatable point is "child mayor" but at the end of the day it is little more than a question of semantics as to the source of incompetence being immaturity or something more.
Always remember Jackson suck but Mississippi is usually 50 out of 50 in every negative statistics. #The pot calling the kettle black.
6:55 - $93,000 is peanuts for the carrier.
Governor Tate Reeves should call in help from all sources that can make changes to correct problems in JPD, Jackson water crisis, trash collection and crime in general. All of these are out of control and very dangerous.
This city is the most disgusting place in the south.
Ward 5 Councilman Vernon Hartley said, "As we continue to upgrade these plants, we need to have some way of communicating to the public that this thing is coming. That perhaps we might see this, we may see some type of interruption and quality service."
The surrounding water systems are Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning, Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, Josh Allen, etc. The city of Jackson is Johnny Manziel or Jamarcus Russell. That pretty much sums it up.
3:34 am
You are not very smart. It is peanuts to the carrier but Jeff will see his premium increase probably significantly or be canceled. People that say someone has insurance and it is of no concern are dumb as bricks.
11:24 is the mentality of most and it is why we are doomed.
Instead of fixing problems, society finds solace in the fact that we all suck.
Misery loves company and solutions and improvements just hurt delicate constitutions too much to be spoken of.
If Chuckles, Stokes, Calhoun et al. would get on the mic' and admit they cannot do this job, and they will step aside and allow the governor and a board of advisors make all the decisions with no input from any current elected official in Jackson, I would have zero objection to the state allocating funds and repairing the city woes.
Such a scenario is about as likely as snow in August, so I wont fret over the logistics of it all.
It's not bad water. It's just increased turbidity.
I guess it's a good thing the city doesn't operate the electric supply.
I'm so so tired of Jackson Woes!
Tater Tot is not much better at fixing Mississippi either.
I moved from Jackson.
I wish I could move out of state getting away from all the poverty, child abuse, poor schools, bad government, and button pushing blogs.
I even wish I could move out of country.
I'm ready to go home LOORD!
Two questions and then my comment, How hard is it to send out a bill for water? How hard is it to find somebody that can repair the water system? now my comment. I used to enjoy coming to Jackson, Now I avoid it at all costs. I will not stay in a hotel in Jackson, I will not eat in a restaurant in Jackson and if I could avoid going through Jackson I would. I want it to succeed, but right now my opinion is as follows “Elections Have Consequences”. Jackson’s leadership (if you can call it that) is a disaster, stuffed inside a travesty, wrapped in incompetence. If you live in Jackson, leave now while you still can. Let the Fine Upstanding Members of Society have the squalid cesspool they are building. Those that live in the outlying communities of Jackson, I hope you have invested in a quality security system. Those same Fine Upstanding Members of the Community, who didn’t do nothing, will leave the cesspool called jackson to destroy anything that is of any value.
Like a drunk, Jackson will have to hit bottom before it can recover to its former greatness. There aren't enough homes for y'all to buy in Madison County, and who wants to buy a home in Jackson. It's like being the last in line at a gang bang.
I'm sure it's just me, but I can't muster confidence in something called 'The Ad-Hoc Water Committee'.
@8:45 It depends. If the issues are reading meters, then the city should have adopted a flat rate and simply billed that flat rate monthly until such time as they could figure out how to get readings off of the meters. If the issue is not having customers in the system, then it's just incompetence. Sending a bill every month is extremely easy. Getting the actual reading can be more difficult. And if the reading is wrong, then you have to troubleshoot it.
Lemuria Bldg is up on a hill, dig a well and build a water tower. In addition to private sourcing water to nearby restaurants/groceries/businesses for a fee, Jeff Goode could sell gallon bottles of "Lemuria Spring Water" or "Goode Well Water" in Costco, Sam's and Walmart. Otherwise live with "Lil Choke Water".
Not gonna lie, I laughed out loud when the city said it was going to disconnect water connections for past due bills.
"Pay whatever we say or we'll turn off your non-potable water, peasants!" -Jackistan
"These owners would make hand over fist with 95% less hassle if they moved to Rankin or Madison county."
Are you out of your mind? There isn't enough disposable income in those areas with their "keeping up with the Jones'" mortgages and $1000 car payments taking up upwards of 70% of their take home pay.
Restaurateurs are doers. The boy mayor, Stokes, Calhoun, et al., are not doers and are unable even to do a simple job of pulling their thumbs out of their asses. They’ve never done anything productive; they’ve only ever been the Village Big Man.
@9:46 that would actually not be allowed. You can certainly build a well and tank for your own use (such as the hospitals did). However, you can't sell water to nearby neighbors. That would be "acting as a utility" and would violate the fact that Jackson has the right to serve that area.
at 9:29 AM Unfortunately, I know exactly how hard and the answer is not very, unless you are trying to get a Jackson Government Employees to do anything other than collecting a paycheck. I have worked in the accounting department of several companies based in and around Jackson and have had the unfortunate displeasure of dealing with both Jackson City and Hinds County Employees. They are not even worth the salt content of the on their brow.
Antar is an absolute cancer on this city. Jackson has lots of problems that aren’t his fault but his time as mayor has been like someone finding a medium-sized house fire and spraying it with kerosene. If his name weren’t Lumumba, he’d be a small time ambulance chasing lawyer. The best thing he could do would be to resign and never be seen again in public. It is almost his fault alone that Jackson has become a third-world country and many lifelong Jacksonians of all races, many of whom have sacrificed a lot to remain in the city out of loyalty, are about to flee. Make no mistake about it, thanks to Antar’s incompetence, this city will get a lot worse before it might ever get better.
The one thing jackson has is a great variety of food options from the finest restaurants in the state…..
This is absurd.
Don’t blame any of them for leaving though it will be sad.
ATTN Mayor and City Council
You may want to write this down: If you aren't part of the solution you are part of the problem!
Chuck and the City Council make the same amount of money if they work or don't work.
And they would all win re-election if held today.
There are no consequences or repercussions.
Honestly, they are kind of intelligent in that way.
Why work hard when you don't have to.
I love it when people shoot themselves in the foot over and over again and blame others for it. Either put the gun down or move your foot. This is not a new issue yet you keep putting up with it.
11:24 Well said.
They need to go to Tate Reeves office and call their Senators and Representatives and tell them they don't have the " matching funds" the get them access to the needed federal funds.
I so hate this often used corrupt political trick used by our State officials. I had to go to Trent Lott once after it was tried to keep Madison which was nothing but one street and a few unincorporated sub division to get us city access to sewer.
11.24 or should I say elebumtwinnyfo’ did you go to school at JPS? It really shows since you can’t post correctly. Go troll for Lamumba another day.
Hay business owners just cut your losses and get out while you are still alive.!0 years a meeting to ask about help may have been of value but that day has long passed. Jackson is dead, dead , dead.
5:18 obviously failed english reading comprehension. Poster at 11:24 was spot on.
Mr. Good and co,
Get the word out for a protest at City Hall and people will come back y'all up.
Mr. Good gave a ~5 minute editorial on WAPT last night that was excellent.
August 4, 2022 at 12:28 PM
"Intelligent"? Not really. Many a moron has figured out how to goof off on the job. However, lazy and criminal come to mind.
Post a Comment