Monday, October 10, 2022

The REST of the Story: AP Edition

 Don't you just love national reporters? They parachute into Jackson with narrative in hand, talk to a couple of people, then tell us how things are. Report for America's Michael Goldberg is one such reporter.  He recently whirled into town and set up camp at the AP's Jackson office, anxious to fight for social justice in Mississippi. What could be more noble?

Mr. Goldberg was shocked, shocked mind you, to discover Governor Tate Reeves "blocked" funds to help Jackson fix its water problems over ten years ago.  The Googler reported in the Clarion-Ledger on September 27: 

Reeves, a Republican, blames Jackson's water crisis on mismanagement at the city level. The city's latest water troubles are far from its first, and they have stemmed from decaying infrastructure beyond one water treatment plant....

 As Reeves climbed Mississippi's political ladder, he cited his opposition to financially helping the capital as evidence of his fiscal conservatism. Jackson-area lawmakers say the troubled water system is one example of Jackson's status as a political punching bag for Republican officials, who control the Legislature and the state Bond Commission... Article

Oh, the Bond Commission, is that where the self-annointed expert is going?  This is going to be good.  I haven't had a reporter cooked medium-rare in a while.  Let's get started. 

Water service was also cut off in parts of the city due to a winter storm in 2010. By June 2011, Reeves was locked in a Republican primary campaign for lieutenant governor. As the tea party movement thrust government spending to the center of political debate, his opponent lambasted him for signing off on bond debt increases.

With election day just weeks away, Reeves — who was the state treasurer — appeared on a conservative talk radio show to push his track record as a tightfisted "watchdog" over state legislators eager to borrow. The host, Paul Gallo, wanted to know why Reeves had voted to approve most bond projects as a member of the state Bond Commission. His voting record didn't tell the whole story, Reeves said. For instance, take the millions in bonds the city had requested to repair its crumbling water and sewer infrastructure.

"I've never voted against that because it's never gotten to the Bond Commission. We are talking to the city of Jackson," Reeves said. "If we are not comfortable, we never bring it up for a vote."

The Bond Commission decided not to consider issuing bonds for Jackson water projects that had been authorized by the Legislature, Reeves said.

That is not exactly what happened but then again, Mr. Goldberg is more interested in fitting his narrative then digging up facts.  The so-called rejection of the bonds took place in the summer of 2010, not 2011 and the election had nothing to do with it but checking dates does not fit into modern journalism.  

In response to questions at a September news conference, Reeves said his recollection of what happened in 2010 is that the city never prepared the necessary paperwork to receive water bonds authorized by the Legislature. A document obtained by The Associated Press shows city leaders prepared a proposal in 2010 asking the state for $13.5 million in bonds for water system upgrades downtown. The Legislature later approved a dwarfed bond proposal for $6 million.

But after the Legislature's approval, Reeves and Republican Gov. Haley Barbour initially failed to include the city's water project in the state bonds to be issued in the fall of 2010.

 The Legislature added an application requirement for the bond, which former Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration spokeswoman Kym Wiggins told the Jackson Free Press was "exclusive" to Jackson at the time.* In order to have its application approved, Reeves said the city would need to answer a number of questions about how the money would be spent.

Ah, Mr. Goldberg only read websites that agreed with his politics.  Got it.  Well, Mr. Goldberg should have read this website because JJ owned the story back then as the rest of the media consistently got it wrong.  Earlier post.

Governor Reeves did not vote down the $6 million bond package for Jackson.  If the reporter did his homework, he would have found the legislature included $6 million for Jackson water improvements in the "bond bill" in 2010.  However, Mayor Harvey Johnson just assumed the money would fall into his lap (sound familiar?) and penciled it into his budget.  Let's just say Election Man had an entitled attitude for what he thought was an entitlement. JJ reported on August 10, 2010: 

Mayor Harvey Johnson lashed out at the Bond Commission last week after he learned from the Clarion-Ledger a six-million dollar bond package was not approved by the government body. The newspaper reported on his reaction:

"Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. urged the State Bond Commission today to reconsider its decision not to approve $6 million in state bonds to fund water and sewer improvements.

“We were counting on those dollars,” Johnson said in a hastily called news conference at City Hall. “This is truly a great setback.”

Johnson learned the commission had already made its decisions for a planned fall bond offering by reading about it in The Clarion-Ledger.."

Harvey even made a veiled threat to the state:

"Johnson said another option is to demand state offices in Jackson catch up with unpaid water bills. The mayor said state government owes the city millions in overdue water charges. (KF 2022: Sound familiar?  Mayor Johnson backtracked and apologized just as Mayor Lumumba did last year when he made similar false claims.) ...

There is a reason Harvey was very upset. It seems he counted his chickens before they hatched:

"Johnson said he already had included the money in his proposed budget for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. He said he was unaware the commission could turn the request down after it had been approved by the Legislature and signed by the governor.

“I didn’t realize that we needed representation at the bond commission,” he said. “Perhaps it was wrong for us to assume.” Article

The Mayor is indeed correct. It is wrong for us to assume. One should always look at the facts and in this case, the first fact to be examined is the law that was passed earlier this year by the Legislature. HB #1701 was passed by the Legislature and signed by Governor Barbour....

 How does Jackson get this money? Section (b) states:

"(b) The City of Jackson must submit an application to the MDA. The application must include a description of the purpose for which assistance is requested, the amount of assistance requested and any other information required by the MDA"

Did Jackson submit an application? ....  JJ spent several days investigating this story. This columnist has spoken to numerous individuals in state government, local government, and the business community. To put it bluntly, it appears Jackson dropped the ball.

Everyone at the Bond Commission and at the DFA's Bond Advisory Division is well aware of Jackson's water problems this year. They suffer along with the rest of us when the water system breaks down. They do not have it in for Jackson, contrary to the conspiracy theories residing in the logical labyrinth that is Donna Ladd's mind....

 The saga with Jackson's "water bonds" started several years ago. The state found some money available to improve Jackson's water system. Jackson only had to submit an application. The application had to be filed before a deadline. Frank being Frank, it was not filed before the deadline. More money was found a few years later, an application was required, none was provided on time. As one can imagine, the desire to carry Jackson's water (pun intended) diminished as efforts to help Jackson were literally ignored by the City.

The legislature passed the bond package. The bonds are available to Jackson in the form of non-recourse loans. For those of you over at the Jackson Free Press where taxes are rarely paid, that means the state can not sue the city for repayment if it defaults on said loans (Disclaimer: the terms of the loan will spell out the non-recourse features). However, the Bond Commission is hesitant to issue bonds when there are other options available to the requesting government similar in nature....

A few more facts escaped the eager beaver in his rush to judgment: 

The bonds were not denied, they were not rejected, they are still sitting on the table where they await further review. Jackson has four years to obtain the Commission's approval. One factor that hurt Jackson was Mayor Johnson fired the lobbyists representing the city. Lobbyists. They wine and dine politicians, throw money around, and are the privileged class in Jackson. However, the good lobbyists are experts on how government works and what procedures need to be followed when dealing with government. Jackson did not replace its fired lobbyists. Jackson also hired a new public works director a few months ago as well. Jackson thus was left without any true expertise on how bond packages such as this one were handled at the state government level.

Mayor Johnson chose to attack the Bond Commission instead of finding out what went wrong and how the problem could be solved. DEQ and MSDH both told this correspondent late Friday afternoon no one from the City contacted them last week about the loan programs mentioned above. Neither Mayor Johnson nor any of his representatives contacted the Bond Commission as of the close of business yesterday in regards to the bond package. Instead of granting interviews to every reporter in town and running for every camera he could find, Mayor Johnson should have ran down to the Governor's or Treasurer's office to find out what is required to obtain approval and what he could do to make it happen. That is called leadership, Harvey, not lobbying or groveling. You are the borrower, the state is the lender, and the lender has some questions before it approves the loan. What Harvey pulled last week reeked of Frank Melton. Who can forget Frank? Grandstanding for the cameras, making headlines, yet when one looked behind the scenes, nothing actually got done.

Governor Barbour said Jackson could get more money for the same payments if it utilized two loan funds at the Health Department and MDEQ. Treasurer Reeves echoed his advice.  Indeed, Governor Barbour told WLBT:

"Why should we issue $6 million in bonds...for the same amount it took to pay them off, Jackson can borrow $15 million, and the $15 million is 83% federal money," Governor Barbour said.

DEQ administers the Water Pollution Control Revolving Loan Fund Program. There is no maximum loan amount, the interest rate is 2% of below, and there is a twenty-year repayment schedule, and no interest accrues until the project is completed. Highlights of program, Program documents.  The Health Department offers Safe Drinking Water Revolving Loan Funds to cities such as Jackson.  The interest rate was 1.95% and there was no maximum loan limit. The loan is amortized up to 20 years after project completion. 

The problem was Harvey had already included the bonds in his budget and figured he knew more than the lobbyist he fired.  The real history - not the one manufactured by the Associated Press - is the Mayor dropped the ball and assumed he had money in his pocket.  Asking for money is somewhat beneath Hizzoner, you understand.  When he found out he wasn't getting the $6 million, he threw a tantrum and that, my friends, is the bottom line, AP be damned. 

Mayor Johnson eventually applied for the bonds and the Bond Commission approved the request. 

 

* That statement is completely false.   While complaining about the Legislature supposedly singling out Jackson by imposing the application requirement on Jackson and painting it as racism on the part of the legislature, perhaps you should actually read HB# 1701. If you did, you might see who actually sponsored the bill: Watson, Peranich, Holland, Scott, Clark, Coleman (29th), Reynolds, and Dedeaux. ALL were Democrats. HALF of them were blacks. Yeah, this was a bill passed by racist Republicans in the legislature that hate Jackson. Perhaps you should go ask the Black Caucus why they put this in the bill. Bill (Section 50). 

 

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

Despite your protestations of their deceptions, you will keep serving (((them))) like a good shabbos goy, right KF?

Krusatyr said...

JJ has deserved cred for his gonzo truth telling.

Anonymous said...

He’s from NYC or Boston where the demographics are totally different and he’s trying to act
Like he knows Jackson. This pisses me off really

Mrs. Eastover. said...

@529

That is so tacky... Don't be like that...

Anonymous said...

Love the lie and lie the love
Hangin' on, with a push and shove
Possession is the motivation
That is hangin' up the whole damn nation


Billions in GubMint money, and patronage, at stake. There is nothing the MSM, parties, and politicians won't do for a piece of that Biggest Pie.

Anonymous said...

Attn 6:09 They have subways in New York. They are killing 4 or 5 a week in those subways. Send those jerks back up there and tell them how to straighten out the subway mess, then come back to Mississippi-and straighten us out!

Anonymous said...

@6:14
Nonsense. If you don’t call them out, and don’t teach your children how to recognize their patterns, then they will just keep getting away with it. There is absolutely nothing wrong with pointing out their cohencidences.

Anonymous said...

KF all Southerns who have lived in various states do not have the hatred as shown here towards you. Thank you for always sharing the truth. It is up to the readers to accept the hard truth using it to make sound decisions to help the children and families of the COJ. I will use these truths when I vote in upcoming elections. We love you KF and State, Federal and volunteers who gave up time from your families for the greater good of the COJ.

Anonymous said...

The only problem I see with the AP article is it didn't start with Once upon a time. Have they changed the way fairy tales are written?

Anonymous said...

''i could have been an actor but i wound up here, i just have to look good i don't have to be clear'' ------don henley.......dirty laundry

these lyrics sum up every national reporter.............

Anonymous said...

Why hasn't Tate pushed back on the story? This was front page news on the state's largest newspaper. Silence implies consent.

Tate simply needs to refute the story as has King.

Anonymous said...

I've been saying it for years (even though KF often won't post it) that once a contingent of the national/leftist media get their teeth sunk into Jackson (and then Mississippi as a whole) it's going to get ugly - regardless of whether or not they're telling fairy tales or not.

This is only the beginning.

Anonymous said...

KF, thanks for all you do. You seem to be the only one doing the hard work and telling the truth. We appreciate you!

Anonymous said...

If this keeps Yankees and left coast libtards from moving here it is a win.

Anonymous said...

@2:10 AM
One can only assume that the GOP is okay with this narrative. They have made absolutely zero effort to contest the claims on a national level. In fact, Wicker, CHS, and Grimy Mike, all boasted how they voted to send more money to “help” Jackson.

Anonymous said...

Attn 2:10 Are you referring to the 6 day a week paper that is delivered to me around 9 o’clock most days?

Anonymous said...

@5:29

Having to resort to anti-Semitism to prove a point is a bit less helpful that you seem to realize.

Anonymous said...

5:29 —

Nice parentheses, Jew-hater.

Anonymous said...

Asphalt jungle

Anonymous said...

It baffles my mind that most still believe anything they see reported by the Mainstream/national media.

Anonymous said...

@2:10 AM - Tate should do that, but unfortunately he is a milquetoast governor.

Anonymous said...

@7:36. Bingo, and watch how fast they recoil “I’ve been found out”

Anonymous said...

There is no need to push back on the narrative. Jackson and Lumumba don't have anywhere near the votes in Legislature to do jack squat. Y'all need to get out of Jackson and Hinds sometime. The rest of Mississippi doesn't give a flip about Jackson and don't buy in to any notion that they are responsible for saving the Crapital City.

Anonymous said...

KF, you really don't seem to understand how dirty politics is played when it comes to money from the State to a town or city.
You didn't ask the right questions or look at the requirements closely enough to know how "informed" on the process the State makes sure some are but others are not.
Nor do you look at the "strings" neither attached or enforced for other cities and towns.
Corruption happens in the "small print" and process implementation and some are indeed much more experienced in corruption. Some are more ignorant in the political games involved in governance.

So, yes the State took advantage( rather than reached out to help) the less experienced and more naive.

Kingfish said...

I don't?


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Trollfest '09

Trollfest '07 was such a success that Jackson Jambalaya will once again host Trollfest '09. Catch this great event which will leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Othor Cain and his band, The Black Power Structure headline the night while Sonjay Poontang returns for an encore performance. Former Frank Melton bodyguard Marcus Wright makes his premier appearance at Trollfest singing "I'm a Sweet Transvestite" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Kamikaze will sing his new hit, “How I sold out to da Man.” Robbie Bell again performs: “Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be Bells” and “Any friend of Ed Peters is a friend of mine”. After the show, Ms. Bell will autograph copies of her mug shot photos. In a salute to “Dancing with the Stars”, Ms. Bell and Hinds County District Attorney Robert Smith will dance the Wango Tango.

Wrestling returns, except this time it will be a Battle Royal with Othor Cain, Ben Allen, Kim Wade, Haley Fisackerly, Alan Lange, and “Big Cat” Donna Ladd all in the ring at the same time. The Battle Royal will be in a steel cage, no time limit, no referee, and the losers must leave town. Marshand Crisler will be the honorary referee (as it gives him a title without actually having to do anything).


Meet KIM Waaaaaade at the Entergy Tent. For five pesos, Kim will sell you a chance to win a deed to a crack house on Ridgeway Street stuffed in the Howard Industries pinata. Don't worry if the pinata is beaten to shreds, as Mr. Wade has Jose, Emmanuel, and Carlos, all illegal immigrants, available as replacements for the it. Upon leaving the Entergy tent, fig leaves will be available in case Entergy literally takes everything you have as part of its Trollfest ticket price adjustment charge.

Donna Ladd of The Jackson Free Press will give several classes on learning how to write. Smearing, writing without factchecking, and reporting only one side of a story will be covered. A donation to pay their taxes will be accepted and she will be signing copies of their former federal tax liens. Ms. Ladd will give a dramatic reading of her two award-winning essays (They received The Jackson Free Press "Best Of" awards.) "Why everything is always about me" and "Why I cover murders better than anyone else in Jackson".

In the spirit of helping those who are less fortunate, Trollfest '09 adopts a cause for which a portion of the proceeds and donations will be donated: Keeping Frank Melton in his home. The “Keep Frank Melton From Being Homeless” booth will sell chances for five dollars to pin the tail on the jackass. John Reeves has graciously volunteered to be the jackass for this honorable excursion into saving Frank's ass. What's an ass between two friends after all? If Mr. Reeves is unable to um, perform, Speaker Billy McCoy has also volunteered as when the word “jackass” was mentioned he immediately ran as fast as he could to sign up.


In order to help clean up the legal profession, Adam Kilgore of the Mississippi Bar will be giving away free, round-trip plane tickets to the North Pole where they keep their bar complaint forms (which are NOT available online). If you don't want to go to the North Pole, you can enjoy Brant Brantley's (of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance) free guided tours of the quicksand field over by High Street where all complaints against judges disappear. If for some reason you are unable to control yourself, never fear; Judge Houston Patton will operate his jail where no lawyers are needed or allowed as you just sit there for minutes... hours.... months...years until he decides he is tired of you sitting in his jail. Do not think Judge Patton is a bad judge however as he plans to serve free Mad Dog 20/20 to all inmates.

Trollfest '09 is a pet-friendly event as well. Feel free to bring your dog with you and do not worry if your pet gets hungry, as employees of the Jackson Zoo will be on hand to provide some of their animals as food when it gets to be feeding time for your little loved one.

Relax at the Fox News Tent. Since there are only three blonde reporters in Jackson (being blonde is a requirement for working at Fox News), Megan and Kathryn from WAPT and Wendy from WLBT will be on loan to Fox. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both and a torn-up Obama yard sign will entitle you to free drinks served by Megan, Wendy, and Kathryn. Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required. Just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '09 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.


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Jackson Jambalaya is the home of Trollfest '07. Catch this great event which promises to leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Sonjay Poontang and his band headline the night with a special steel cage, no time limit "loser must leave town" bout between Alan Lange and "Big Cat"Donna Ladd following afterwards. Kamikaze will perform his new song F*** Bush, he's still a _____. Did I mention there was no referee? Dr. Heddy Matthias and Lori Gregory will face off in the undercard dueling with dangling participles and other um, devices. Robbie Bell will perform Her two latest songs: My Best Friends are in the Media and Mama's, Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to be George Bell. Sid Salter of The Clarion-Ledger will host "Pin the Tail on the Trial Lawyer", sponsored by State Farm.

There will be a hugging booth where in exchange for your young son, Frank Melton will give you a loooong hug. Trollfest will have a dunking booth where Muhammed the terrorist will curse you to Allah as you try to hit a target that will drop him into a vat of pig grease. However, in the true spirit of Separate But Equal, Don Imus and someone from NE Jackson will also sit in the dunking booth for an equal amount of time. Tom Head will give a reading for two hours on why he can't figure out who the hell he is. Cliff Cargill will give lessons with his .80 caliber desert eagle, using Frank Melton photos as targets. Tackleberry will be on hand for an autograph session. KIM Waaaaaade will be passing out free titles and deeds to crackhouses formerly owned by The Wood Street Players.

If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.

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