Jackson Jambalaya

Name one city on that list that is functioning!

The sad fact remains, if Chuck and his predecessors had simply done the absolute bare minimum and kept the water supply functioning...they could have kept handing out sweetheart deals as they and all politicians do.

Sadly, they were incomprehensibly inept so the adults finally were forced into the equation.

I'd wager nobody in any leadership role really wanted to shine the light on this because they also benefit from nepotistic deals and favors in varying degrees.

So congrats Chuckles. You were basically criminally negligent and therefore forced them to address this even though it will likely restrict them as well in the long run.

It cannot be disputed by this Mayor, or anyone for that matter, that the City has failed miserably to maintain the water system, both the water plants and the pipes carrying that water. I don't blame it all on this Mayor. This has been a problem which has been ongoing and ignored for decades by prior Mayors and City Councils and more recently by this Mayor and City Council too. On top of the water plants and pipes, the City has had almost 10 years now to fix the broken billing system but has failed to correct that too. Respectfully the City as a whole has long proven that it is not capable of managing the system. Does anyone truly think that, after the system is repaired in say 10 years from now, the City will somehow then miraculously be able to competently run and maintain the system ? By that time, with the system having been run by the EPA's appointee, no one in the City will have any experience running the system, so it simply won't be able to take it over and competently run it again,

So with that argument being undisputable, why does the Mayor oppose a regional utility board ? He won't even be Mayor any more by the time the EPA relinquishes control. Let it be someone else's problem and responsibility and albatross.

"Name one city on that list that is functioning!"

Some of those cities on that list are dysfunctional, but they all have functioning water systems which Jackson damn sure doesn't.

@11:13 AM - San Diego. I have lived there twice. Now do your own fucking research.

Failure of the water plant was a great scheme by Baby Chowke to get
the Feds to take over, fix everything and not have the city pay a dime

The best of the Pace Picante ads featured Mississippi’s own Gary Grubbs from Prentiss.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IleXftEnPWM

11:13 AM, a city that has drugs flowing freely 24/7 from Tijuana? Also, they have major water issues with service and customer pricing.

11:13, I totally agree that some of those cities may not function very well and have their own problems. But their water systems, which are now being run by regional utility districts and not the dysfunctional Cities, are working just fine, and their citizens have safe, drinkable water. That in and of itself, is proof that regardless of how bad a city is run, such as the City of Jackson, the regional water districts are working just fine. Thank you for proving once again why Jackson's water should be run by a regional district and not by the City any more.

Divorcing your water plant and having it taken from you are two different things. Actually, other than pride and kickbacks, why wouldn't Jackson want to rid itself of this obligation? But pride does its thing.

I think some of y’all are assuming that these cities are each served by a regional public utility district that includes at least some of the city’s suburbs. So I’m not sure this is an apples to apples comparison, at least not across the board.

Jackson’s concerns appear to be that, in such a regional district that encompasses suburbs, a larger than proportional share would be diverted to the burbs and away from the city. I can’t blame them for being suspicious in that way. Jackson is a city that gets screwed by state politicians and it’s suburban neighbors time and time again. What’s to make them think this time would be any different?

What do all of these "non-functioning cities" on that list have in common? They are run by liberal, woke, progressive administrations.

I think it's time to address the elephant in the room. For starters the State needs to get its act together before taking over the capitol city. Since there is public corruption at all levels throughout State Government it would definitely make since to start at home first.

Let starting with the TANF Funds. Mr. Reeves/Bryant, their wives and their cronies should be removed from office. Where are their indictments? Surely, stealing is not a race issue.

Next, water and sewer problems in Hinds County has existed for decades. If you can recall, the State diverted funds from Jackson to construct the Ross Barnett Reservoir and if you follow Legislature, they gifted it to the PRVWSD. As the State has demonstrated in the past, it will steal from the taxpayers of Jackson.

Now, the Legislature has decided its time to award Rankin County with more e.g. the Jackson Airport. Since they are generous is their redistribution of wealth why not transfer the water sewer system, the legal system, the police department and ultimately the City itself.

This is a ********* travesty of justice and I believe litigation will ensue.

If State Legislatures are so interested in Jackson, why not allocate funds needs to repair the water and sewer system?

The State received $3.2B from stimulus proceeds even when the Governor lobbied against the money. Thankfully, the City was smart enough to seek its own appropriation from the federal government. Because the Theft in Chief is pissed, he wants to take those funds and give them to others. If the state was so interested in Jackson why now divert the stimulus funds to support the rebuilding of the City of Jackson's aged water/sewer system.

What is more ironic why not contribute more funds to the effort since the many state government owned or operated facilities are contributing to the stress and deterioration of the water system that everyone is complaining about.

The actions of the 2023 Legislature and this sham legislative session is affront to the Jim Crow politics of old.

Let's get real!! You guys want to take the City of Jackson from a black administration but you're afraid to state whereas, being transparent would put you in a direct conflict with violating the State's Constitution.

To the bright and likely racist politicians supporting these efforts, when the City of Jackson defaults on its debt and a conservatorship if created, the issues you will have caused will be deleterious to the entire State and the City of Jackson.

Lastly, if you want fair, why not combine Hinds, Rankin, and Madison Counties to accomplish your goals. This would be more in line with your insidious intentions!!

"Failure of the water plant was a great scheme by Baby Chowke to get
the Feds to take over, fix everything and not have the city pay a dime"

I'm 90% sure that is why he never even attempted to remedy the billing system, which is not a difficult task if one has the will to solve it. However, the plan now appears to have backfired as the City will no longer have control over the "asset" that should be the water system, leaving the sticky fingers of his minority contractor pals out of the picture.

Appointed commission as far removed from politicians as possible is the only way to go. You mention good examples of independent public utility commissions but you don’t have to travel that far to find a successful public utility with similar demographics as Jackson. Greenwood Utilities has functioned for 120 years with 3 commissioners appointed by elected city officials. They operate out of a separate checkbook, have excellent electrical and water availability at reasonable rates for those that pay their monthly bill, and maintain significant financial reserves.

11:13 - The vast majority of those cities are well functioning. Every city has issues, but not every city has "Jackson-level civilized society cannot be maintained" issues.

As to the wisdom of a regional water/sewer board, for far too long Jackson mayors and city council insisted upon having sole control of the water & sewer system instead of giving Richland, Pearl, Ridgeland, and Byram (major paying customer municipalities) a say in how the system should be run. It was arrogant and foolish on Jackson's part.

Now, a new western Rankin county water/sewer system is being/has been built because Richland and Pearl did not want to be dependent on an unreliable system run by the city of Jackson. Byram is considering/decided to create their own water system too due to the incompetence of the city of Jackson's management of their system. I hope the court-appointed water czar, Mr. Henifin, can put Jackson's water and sewer systems on the right track physically and fiscally. He has a difficult row to hoe. May God bless him in this endeavor. He needs all the help he can get.

The current mayor does not deserve all of the blame for the current state of the system. However, he has not earned any credit for solving any of the problems that he did inherit. I think the proposed new board is a step in the right direction to ensure the top of the management structure of the water/sewer system will be staffed by professionals who are unconcerned with political considerations.

Also, I would like to note that this proposal is being characterized as a "regional" water/sewer district similar to numerous other cities in the U.S. The distinct possibility exists that the systems in the neighboring suburbs of Jackson would naturally be incorporated into the new regional system in the near future. This is a first step, not the final step for metro Jackson.

Don’t forget the mayor’s hometown of Detroit. Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) runs the water/sewer system there.

Lots of Mississippi cities operate this way. The state laws that govern the operation already exists. It helps insulate the utility from politics, but it’s not a cure all. See Canton Municipal Utilities as an example.

@3:12 You, sir, may want to continue to live in a totally dysfunctional city, but some of us do not. Name one thing the City is in charge of that is functioning as it should. I'm not holding my breath.

@ 6:08pm What is functioning at the State Level? When you overtax a declining city/county there will be challenges. Why hurt the City and County with additional financial burdens? This is BS at its finest.

I can recall the effects of what Tort Reform in the State of Mississippi. You are free to debate me but get your facts together.

Let's discuss crime. The legislature passed open carry and concealed carry laws in the state and crime hit the moon. I am gun safety, but arming citizens with guns was never a smart solution. Yet, the results caused by the so-called Christian legislators have resulted in scores of car jackings and shootings in Jackson including Belhaven, Flowood, Fondren and Northeast Jackson, Ridgeland and the surrounding areas. The City of Jackson didn't make it unsafe you did!! The state as a whole has become the Wild West and your guys have the gall to criticize.

As a white person, I am appalled the State will overthrow the City of Jackson to score political points. There will be unintended consequences because of this and the other sophomoric legislation you are passing.

Please wake the he** up and realize you're destroying this State by disfranchising its citizens.

February 8, 2023 at 9:57 PM
Stay in jackson white liberal. The problems of over taxation have been a thing for the past 30+ years. Jackson has been losing population since the 80s.

Law abiding citizens being able to carry their weapons doesn't have anything to do with prior felons carrying and commiting crime/murder with stolen guns. Oh and by the way the gang violence made Jackson unsafe in the 90s. Well before constitutional carry was implemented in 2016.

You clearly weren't appalled at the way the city was run. The last working municipal serivce working was destroyed by Lumumba and now his cronies are running it. So Neither roads, water nor garbage are working.

There is a huge difference in the nature of the "divorces".
And, yes, to the idiot , more than a few are not just functioning but functioning extremely well. But, they didn't have a legislature that wanted them to fail or how no clue what " success" looks like.

@ 8:43am you’re either an uneducated republican or you’re an uninformed tea party/extreme right wing
republican. I’m proud of my affiliation but why is it germane to this discussion.

There are several things you and the clowns like you fail to understand. History will repeat itself whether you believe it or not.

These failed policies that we’ve created have done more damage to people far more than the bad roads. Roads are not permanent, water and sewer fixes are not permanent. Soil conditions are causing damage to the streets. Or perhaps it’s the road contractors providing an inferior products and service.

For example, Gov. Barber, was instrumental is getting parts of I-55 near water works, and parts of I-20 past the I-55 S exchange covered with an overlay material to improve road conditions. It failed miserably. Is this a City failure?

How about MDOT allowing vagrants to steal electrical wiring from light poles on interstate roads when there are cameras everywhere to catch the offenders. Not only does it endanger lives, it creates a black eye for the capital city.

The illustrations could go on and on but it’s pointless having a meaningful discussion with a close minded person.

Is crime a problem? Yes!! Will changing the Courts in Hinds County fix the problem? Unlikely!

Do you think the water and sewer problems will be addressed without financial assistance from the state? Unlikely!

This is a financial play and we need to be honest about it.

I hope the blacks in this city doesn’t start rioting, and boycotting businesses in protest because they would be another national blunder that’s avoidable. The County red necks sponsoring these bills are doing more harm than good the this state.

Let’s debate the facts.

Finally, I love my community. It’s not without fault but it’s home. And perhaps, I have numerous concerns about the way this administration is handling things but no one wants to discuss the lawlessness of the Danks, Davis, and Thompson administrations.

It’s obvious you are not a resident of Jackson/Hinds County so please spare us with the cynicism.

Rather than focus on the negatives, we should be debating the potential of the City.

10:52 AM
All your drivel can be summed up by: Failure of Jackson residents.

>Is crime a problem? Yes!! Will changing the Courts in Hinds County fix the problem? Unlikely!

You're really going to place bets that Wooten, Kidd and Green and their ilk? You're a lost cause. At least with an appointed judiciary they don't have to worry about getting reelected because someones rotten crotch fruit killed another while out on parole for his/her 5th murder.

10:52 wants to blame COJ failure on Conservatives.
8:43 wants to blame it on Democrats.

And both think they are somehow morally superior to the other, and both are dismayed that this approach fails to bring about any bipartisan effort for real change and improvement.

This is happening at our City levels...as well as State, and Federal government.

And we peons are all punished and defending our preferred slum lord while this asinine bickering creates no results. I am ok with us doing it on this board. Why not!
But the fact that our "esteemed" leaders on both sides are doing it is revolting.

Funny how open carry and concealed carry didn’t result in an explosion of crime in the suburban communities. Wonder why that is?

@10:52, care to enlighten us on your proposals to turn the city around? Empty talk and hoping for the best sure aren’t going to get it done.

@ 1:38 and 1:36 There are solutions to the states crime problem: why not change sentencing guidelines; why not force mandatory gun training and registration on gun owners along with a tax on each gun being carried. At the very least when someone is caught with an illegal weapon very stiff penalties including mandatory sentencing will curtail illegal guns on the streets and revenue is created.

What do you think is going to happen when people are walking around the state with assault weapons?

An unelected judge will have the same sentencing guidelines as the present judges.

I’m not playing a race card and neither should you. For example Swan Yeager was a tough judge but history will judge him harshly.

Ed Peters was a clever prosecutor however he was a crook but the state allow him to surrender his license without regard for the thousands of lives he negatively impacted because of his corrupt deeds.

Phil Bryant and Tate Reeves are being investigated for public corruption but it’s being swept under the rug. Public corruption exists all over the state but you will have everyone believe the legislature has pure motives for the City of Jackson.

I could drop names all day long and in fact, I’m going to do an editorial highlighting my thoughts and concerns.

Please keep in mind, the deeds of the past are not unnoticed.

If the state has a pure motive start with releasing the files from the sovereignty commission.

Let’s be honest to the families that were mistreated by the states past.

Change the laws if you want harsher penalties.

Finally please remember Robbie Bell and her son George Bell III. She was an accessory to a violent crime committed by her dear son but she got off. The Spencer family continues to suffer as a result of the judicial system which want the one in question.

let’s get real!!!

@ 1:38 and 1:36 There are solutions to the states crime problem: why not change sentencing guidelines; why not force mandatory gun training and registration on gun owners along with a tax on each gun being carried. At the very least when someone is caught with an illegal weapon very stiff penalties including mandatory sentencing will curtail illegal guns on the streets and revenue is created.

What do you think is going to happen when people are walking around the state with assault weapons?

An unelected judge will have the same sentencing guidelines as the present judges.

I’m not playing a race card and neither should you. For example Swan Yeager was a tough judge but history will judge him harshly.

Ed Peters was a clever prosecutor however he was a crook but the state allow him to surrender his license without regard for the thousands of lives he negatively impacted because of his corrupt deeds.

Phil Bryant and Tate Reeves are being investigated for public corruption but it’s being swept under the rug. Public corruption exists all over the state but you will have everyone believe the legislature has pure motives for the City of Jackson.

I could drop names all day long and in fact, I’m going to do an editorial highlighting my thoughts and concerns.

Please keep in mind, the deeds of the past are not unnoticed.

If the state has a pure motive start with releasing the files from the sovereignty commission.

Let’s be honest to the families that were mistreated by the states past.

Change the laws if you want harsher penalties.

Finally please remember Robbie Bell and her son George Bell III. She was an accessory to a violent crime committed by her dear son but she got off. The Spencer family continues to suffer as a result of the judicial system which isnt the one in question.

let’s get real!!!

So the solution to Jackson’s crime problem is to release the Sovereignty Commission files. ROFLMAO 🤣