If Mississippi Congressman Bennie Thompson thought he could intimidate Governor Tate Reeves with a congressional investigation he is sorely mistaken as the Governor took off the gloves and put on the brass knuckles as he responded to the Congressman's attempt to place the all blame of Jackson's water system collapse at the feet of state government.
U.S. House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee Chairman Thompson and Oversight & Reform Committee Chairwoman Carol Maloney notified Governor Tate Reeves of an investigation on October 17. The notice blamed "state roadblocks" for Jackson's water problems and demanded a plethora of information such as how federal funds for water infrastructure was awarded, alleged state "disinvestment" of Jackson, and placing special conditions on Jackson before it could receive federal funds. Just to make sure the Governor got the point, they accused him of blocking funds for Jackson for "over a decade."
Governor Reeves read the notice, conducted a little research, and skewered them with Mr. Thompson's own words in his opening remarks:
As Chairman Thompson expressed to WJTV News, "I think it would be advantageous for the City to come up with a plan... I know there's a water problem with the City of Jackson, but nobody has shared the facts on the problem with me as one of the representatives as well as the cure or the plan for correcting it. So, as soon as that occurs, I think people will readily roll up their sleeves and do it... Produce that plan that we can begin to sell... I think just saying 'We need help' and not saying what that help entails is where the problem lies... When we don't see the plan for that investment, there is a reluctance to invest on it... You can't just say 'we need money.' You have to say, 'If we had this money, here are the steps based on the plan that we have adopted.' I think that gives confidence to anybody who would give money, that once that money is given it which would actually be spent for that purpose."The Governor noted the Health Department tried to force Jackson to properly run its water treatment plants for years and brought in the EPA for enforcement when Jackson repeatedly blew off the Health Department. Indeed, the EPA complained "the city of Jackson has put no visible effort into hiring new employees" in 2022.
After recounting Jackson's history of neglect and mismanagement of its water treatment systems, Governor Reeves corrected Congressman Thompson on a few statements in the notice. Earlier post and copy of notice.
The Congressman claimed floodwaters seeped into the O.B. Curtis water treatment plant. The Governor said the Congressman was flat out wrong as the water never got close to the plant. (p.4) JJ documented the Congressional falsehood by shooting photos on August 29 that showed floodwater never came close to the plant.
The notice blamed white flight for Jackson's problems: "Due to a steady exodus of white and affluent residents, the city has a reduced tax base to repair aging infrastructure." Governor Reeves said get your facts straight. While the population fell, Jackson's total revenue increased $84 million from 2003 to 2020 while property taxes increased $19 million and sales tax/other revenue increased $18 million.
However, the Congressman's roadblocks accusations drew the Governor's ire as he used the "M" word in his response:
There have been no "State-related roadblocks" that have prevented the City from maintaining its water system. Rather, it has been the ongoing and historic mismanagement of the system¹⁶ that has seen the system's operating income fall from a $7 million profit in 2012 to a $17 million deficit in 2019 (which was reduced to a $10 million deficit in 2020 due to a $14 million infusion from a legal settlement with Siemens). ¹⁷ Furthermore, the City has received an additional $84 million in direct ARPA funding,¹⁸ and as discussed in more detail below, the City recently received nearly $28 million in DWSRF funds in FY 2021, and it is anticipated to receive an additional $35.6 million in matching ARPA funds from the state pursuant to the Municipality and County Water Infrastructure Grant program. Indeed, of the more than 1,100 water systems in Mississippi, only the system operated by the City is unable to set and collect rates sufficient to cover its costs of operations, maintenance and debt service.
The legislature "dedicated $750 million" of ARPA funds to grants for Mississippi's water systems. The Congressional letter accused the legislature of handcuffing Jackson in obtaining its share of ARPA funds. Jackson applied for $36 million of the funds in the first round of awards. MDEQ approved the request to fund seven projects last week.
Congressman Thompson and Congresswoman Maloney claimed the Health Department only provided three Safe Water Revolving Loan Fund loans to Jackson in the program's 25 year existence. The charge conveniently leaves out one minor detail. Jackson only applied for three such loans and did not apply for one until 2016. The Health Department approved every loan application submitted by Jackson. The Tater wasn't through with the Congressional critters:
The City of Jackson has received considerable funding over the years. Specifically, in FY 2021, Jackson was awarded assistance from the DWSRF in the amount of $27,953,300, that is 68.4% of total funds disbursed, and over 93% of the total amount to large communities (population greater than 10,000) throughout the entire state of Mississippi (and far in excess of the $5 million cap.)²⁵ To date, the City has committed less than $16 million²⁶ of the nearly $28 million made available to it in FY 2021. No awards were made to the City in FY 2022 because the City did not request any additional funding. Jackson has applied only three times for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund program...
The committees also asked for an itemized list of all spending of ARPA funds. The list should include include information on demographics, race, and size of each entity receiving SWRF funds.
There is also the matter of the handcuffs and straightjackets suffered by Jackson as it seeks funds to repair its water system. The committees asked for documentation of any additional "layer of review" for Jackson's funding applications. The Governor replied:
In 2022, the Mississippi Legislature nearly unanimously passed HB #1031, bipartisan legislation creating the Capital City Water/Sewer Projects Fund as a special fund to be administred by ... (DFA). The legislation requires "funds appropriated or otherwise made available by th eLegislature" and placed into this special fund to be used "for the purpose of providing funds to assist the city of Jackson in paying costs associated with projects (KF water/sewer projects). Further, the legislation stataes if the City wishes to utilize such funds, "it must establish a plan for the project or projects for which the governirning authorities desire assistance and submit the plan and an application for assistance to DFA" That legislation was sponsored by Re. Shand Yates (D), Rep. Debra Gibbs (DO, Rep. Gregory Holloway (D), Rep. Ronnie Crudup (D), Rep. Zakiya Summers (D), Rep. Stephanie Fostaer (D), Rep. Alyce Clarke (D), Rep. William Brown (D), Rep. Earle Banks (D), Rep. Christopher Bell (D). It was passed with the unanimous support of all Democratic and all Black members of the Mississippi legislature.
Congress wants to know if the state gives preference to white communities in awarded SWRF funds. Governor Reeves said the state does not keep such information but since Congress asked, here is some information collected by zip code:
In response to your request, the MSDH, utilizing the applicants zip code and Census QuickFacts data, has attempted to approximate the racial demographics of the recipients of DWSRF loans in FY 2021 and 2022. That data is compiled in the attached charts²⁷ but summarized here. For FY 2021, a total of nearly $41 million in loans were awarded with over $31 million going to applicants that serve a majority Black population, representing 76.6% of the fund disbursed. As noted above, the 2021 award of$27,953,300 to the City of Jackson itself accounted for over 68% of the total awards.²⁸ For FY 2022, a total of $42.7 million in loans were awarded with over $17.6 million going to applicants that serve a majority Black population, representing 41.3% of the funds disbursed. According to the latest Census, Mississippi's population is 38% Black.The ball is now in Congressman's court.
46 comments:
"Congress wants to know if the state gives preference to white communities in awarded SWRF funds. Governor Reeves said the state does not keep such information"
The answer is no, and Bennie is insane. You can look in the SRF Intended Use Plan and Priority System for any given year to see how projects are ranked.
And if memory serves, Jackson also received a wastewater SRF loan from MDEQ to do some work at the OB Curtis plant to handle sludge waste from the water treatment process.
Not a smart move by Tater. Bennie T has significantly more power than Tater, who won’t get but one more term. I’ve seen Bennie T filet much bigger fish that Tate Reeves.
Don't forget, vote tomorrow, Bennie is up for reelection.
B.T.: Posterchild for Hinds Politics.
@254 it won't matter in a day the republicans will take control and Mr. Thompson won't have control of his committee anymore.
@3:02pm - You realize it’s pretty much statistically impossible for Bennie not to win his district…? Wait, apparently you don’t realize that. Go vote anyway.
@3.25 PM
Are you going to cry and claim that the election was stolen (again) when that doesn’t actually happen?
You misinterpreted the media get-out-the-vote effort that is intended to motivate Democrats to vote by warning them that they might possibly lose by a thin margin, with actual support for Republicans. There is no longer any support for the GOP outside of marginalized fringe extremist white males.
Facts are stubborn things.
If you could buy Bennie for what he is actually worth and sell him for what HE thinks he is worth.....
THAT would rebuild the entire city of Jackson with gold lined water pipes and repave every roadway in Hinds county with lighted walkways and still have a heep big budget surplus.
Thompson: "Don't you dare downplay my race-baited diatribe of accusations with actual facts! How else can I continue to be re-elected by the clueless, (cough, cough), sorry, I mean fine intellectuals living on public funds in my district?
For 28 years, Fat Bennie has been literally irrelevant. Other than wearing his casual barber-shop shirt and throwing fish fries throughout the district, the incumbent blow-hard has done nothing, nada, zip for the district to include not bringing in a single industrial prospect, much less a single job.
He has failed every town, every community in the second congressional district and he's sat fat and idly by watching the continuing decay of the entire district. Now he thinks he can throw his (considerable) weight around since Pelosi, appointing him token number uno, hoisted him up in a committee chair's seat. Regardless of the silly comments made by 2:54, Bennie will not win this skirmish or this battle or this war.
Bennie Thompson will be on a walker and wearing diapers when it croakes in D.C. cause he is addicted to power. He has never let the truth get in the way of pushing his agenda and this will not change.
Down goes Thompson, down goes Thompson. It's a mauling, folks.
I still wanna see the Mayor's drug test results.
Bennie Thompson is a disgrace for Mississippi or for any state. He is a racist and has made millions being a politician. I would like someone to list what he has done to help his district. All I have seen is Bennie helped himself.
"Don't forget, vote tomorrow, Bennie is up for reelection." And you think he has a chance of losing? He has met the one qualifying reason to be kept in office. Can't lose. Will leave office in cuffs or feet first. No other way. Not bad pay for easy to non-existent work.
It’s always fun seeing Bennie get bitch slapped. In 6 more weeks, his relevance will be back where it belongs.
The Governor falsely assumes the facts are cared about from our liberal friends; it's always about the narrative with them and they were successfully able to create the narrative through their media propaganda arm that the majority white State leadership had racially discriminated against the City of Jackson and had thus caused the water system failure.
Bennie,will have zero power after the control of the House leadership changes hands tomorrow. He will not be a a chairman or anything.
4:09 said it better than I could.
That is the most accurate way to phrase it and probably true of MOST politicians.
This looks to me like straightforward answers to straightforward questions. I think that's the way things are supposed to work.
There was a lot of BS floated by the mayor, which the governor's office has now researched and answered.
The only problem I see is a lot of KF's work was used without proper attribution.
I want some of what 3:59 is smoking.
Check the footnotes
Cited by the executive branch?
Oh noes… now KF is going to get a big head and think he is running a legit news organization instead of a little pissant gossip blog!
Bennie is the biggest racist in the state. He has done nothing for his people or district. Keep them on that government check and voting democrat. Not to mention he attempt at looking important running the Jan 6 kangaroo court that has wasted so much time and money. Look out Bennie, you may be investigated after tomorrow. If your people only knew the real Bennie. I have suffered through 6 meetings with you over the years. All the missed opportunities to help your district is so very sad.
Only fools continue to vote for their own misery.
If everyone goes and votes tomorrow the only chair Bennie may have is on the sidelines
Governor Reeves has made every English teacher in the ENTIRE STATE of Mississippi proud in this A+ reporting. Remembered all of his Term Paper and Foot Note Rules to the T. We all knew the State of MS could not use Race as a basis of Record Keeping for Disbursement of Funds as that is a Blatant Violation-of State and Federal Laws. Thank you Governor Reeves for being a man of Great Courage and Honor Representing the GREAT STATE OF MS! We know the media has and will continue to spew their TWIST or NARRATIVE. We the Citizens of MS challenge all media outlets to post and Publish Governor Reeves Response! Thank you KF as well for your honesty!
Tater Tot is smarter than Bennie
Plus he has the facts on his side
After the governor saves the citizens of this godforsaken city its third-world crime junta attacks him. Worthless trash out of hell.
@9:56, you are absolutely correct, Reeves is smarter than Thompson and has the facts on his side.
But he doesn't have the media on his side, and the media-spun narrative is the reality for the everyday, common potatoheads.
11:10pm
Gov Reeves knows the idiom:
"No good deed goes unpunished".
It is a frequent life lesson that acting with integrity brings bruises. Valiant knights like Reeves sally forth in armor, his shield being his keen devotion to honor and facts (withh JJ's help).
@8:57
Not true… bennie has the Mississippi delta Natchez parts of city of Jackson… Republican Michael Guest has NE Jackson not bennie and there is no way bennie will be unseated as his district is always going to vote for him. Not sure where you get your information from sadly they have a plantation mentality there.
Well well… our idiot in chief mayor Lumumba is already claiming to not expect the water plant and pipes to be fully weatherized for the winter and that is not likely or an option due to funds and expect disruptions during the cold weather
Hey mayor your a moron and no one except bennie and the 80 people from the poor peoples campaign really want you around.
despite all efforts Benard will cruise right back into his seat. I voted otherwise but it will not matter. term after term after term. I wasn't invited to the infamous fish fry.
Way to state the facts, Tate. Kill them with the truth. A lot was left out of that NAACP complaint that was published verbatim by MS Free Press without questioning any of the complaints made in it.
Tate Reeves, deep down in my stomach, with every inch of me, I pure, straight despise you. But, for this well written bitch slap of B.T., dammit I do I respect you!
What is it about insuring that the best plan can be adopted by the city, that you missed KF?
I why is Thompson being not characterized as rational and cautious Tate as defensive and belligerent? As well, as making ignoring he is demanding what cannot be done without the qualified PEOPLE and MONEY to implement ANY plan?
Good job Tate on a good factual response to Bennie’s race-baiting. He’s full of bovine scat and he knows it, but of course the truth is irrelevant to people like him.
BAD job on the special session and giving away Mississippi tax dollars to large corporations, all to buy a handful of jobs. This is corporate welfare/socialism and I resent it. Good job on bitch slapping Bennie though, the piece of crap crook.
Warning: 11:51's comment is seizure inducing. Why is Thompson being not characterized as rational and cautious? Because he isn't. Tate as defensive and belligerent? As what, your comment? And how do you go about "making ignoring" something? Ask me how we can tell you're a shining example of the kind of mental integrity Democrat-run school systems are producing here in Mississippi. Well done.
As a citizen of Thompson's district, I can certainly vouch for the fact that he has done nothing for his district. If everyone in his district that was flooded for months and months in 2019 voted against him due to his lack of caring, he certainly wouldn't be our representative anymore. Praying for that day to come.
Ole uncle Bennie may not be the head hog in charge, after today, but he still has his place at the trough.
On a scale of 1-10 with 1 being the lowest & 10 the highest; how would you rate the Governor’s response letter to Bennie Thompson?
8:14 - Maybe that's why the other poster said, "If EVERYBODY...". Everybody as opposed to the usual voters in the district. An unhappy fourth of the district has always thought it would be a useless exercise to roll out and vote. They be right or they may not be right.
Yet, in a perfect storm, Bennie might could be defeated. Well, if it were not for Gerrymandering.
Today's bonus brings us both Thompson and Pelosi going to the back of the bus.
Bennie argued to not have NE Jackson and not have the city of Madison in his voting district
This cat gets what he wants. Fondren being largely white but liberal I’m not sure if that is in his district or if Fondren is Michael guest like Ne Jackson.
Neither Bennie nor Tate gives a hoot about any of us.
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