Update (3:45 PM): Mayor is preaching away on city website.
The Jackson City Council is meeting right now to discuss you know what. The meeting is streamed below.
* Councilman Bryan Grizzell moved to terminate the Council's lawsuit against the Mayor in Hinds County Chancery Court. Councilwoman Lee seconded the motion. Councilwoman Virginia Lindsey urged discussion of the matter. The Ward 4 Councilman asked how much money remains for attorney's fees. A clerk said she did not know but said the city had spent over $200,000 on legal fees for the City Council attorneys. $400 remains in the legal fees accounts.
Lee said the lawsuit was no longer needed when the Mayor asked all three vendors if they would honor their prices stated in their proposals. The motion failed 4-3.
* Mayor Lumumba pulled the submission of the Richard's Disposal proposal from the agenda. Councilman Aaron Banks made an emergency motion to the agenda for discussion of future garbage service.
Mayor Lumumba strongly urged the Council to allow him to explain why he withdrew the item from the agenda.
City Council President Ashby Foote said there was no item on the agenda, thus a discussion could not take place. He promptly adjourned the meeting.
HOWEVER, City Attorney Tori Martin said Richard's Disposal is suing the City Council over the garbage contract (As it once did over ten years ago in New Orleans.
59 comments:
Lol. Denied a 5th time.
Makes no sense why Lumumba would call a special meeting only to pull the item, literally the only item on the agenda. He was called out and shut down.
What a shit show.
What is the basis of the lawsuit? You didn't pick us so we're suing?
Down to the Banana Republics
Down to the tropical sun
Go the expatriated American
Hopin' to find some fun
Some of them go for the sailing
Called by the allure of the sea
Tryin' to find what is ailing
Living in the land of the free
Some of them are running to lovers
Leaving no forward address
Some of them are running tons of ganja
Some are running from the IRS
Late at night you will find them
In the cheap hotels and bars
Hustling the senioritas
While they dance beneath the stars
Spending those renegade pesos
On a bottle of rum and a lime
Singin give me some words I can dance to
Or a melody that rhymes
First you learn the native custom
Soon a word of Spanish or two
You know that you cannot trust them
Cause they know they can't trust you
Expatriated American feelin' so all alone
Telling themselves the same lies
That they told themselves back home
Down to the Banana Republics
Things aren't as warm as they seem
None of the natives are buying
Any second hand American dreams
Late at night you will find them
In the cheap hotels and bars
Hustling the senioritas
While they dance beneath the stars
Spending those renegade pesos
On a bottle of rum and a lime
Singing give me some words I can dance to
Or a melody that rhymes
Down to the Banana Republics
Down to the tropical sun
Go the expatriated Americans
Hopin' to find some fun
What an incompetent Mayor. Hell, basically just incompetent, whether he is Mayor or not.
So, Richards is going to file suit because the Council did not award him a contract. Maybe Richards and the Mayor need to go get competent counsel that can educate them that a RFP is not a binding contract between anybody - and Richards has no "rights" to a contract.
Wonder if Richards will use Baby Chock as his lawyer and go sue New Orleans for kicking him out of his existing contract - would be another good waste of time and nothing talent.
Let Richards sue. Discovery might be enlightening. I too, wonder what the basis of them suing the counsel would be for. They didn't get the contract after the emergency contract was up? That doesn't guarantee you a full contract. Richards is getting kicked out of New Orleans and Red Stick, Jackson is the closest sizable market. It is looking more and more like Richards has cut a deal with Chuck to keep their business afloat and he is doing everything in his power to keep them afloat.
So RDI sues the City of Jackson for failure to execute a contract which creates an emergency for which the City hires RDI until a court says otherwise?...
OH MY GOSH. They did it.
Antar wants us to be shaking in our boots that RD might sue. Please. They need to sue him personally. Was it even legal to drag the council in to vote on the RD for the 4th time???
You know who is gonna be wailing and carrying on behind his bully pulpit at all new level. 🤣🤣🤣
So the mayor pulled the Richard's contract from the agenda so the council couldn't vote on it. The reason he gave was that Richard's had advised it intends to sue the city. OK, fine. It makes sense that the administration wouldn't want to offer a contract to a vendor that's suing you.
Except that Richard's already sued the city last July, but that obviously didn't deter the mayor from his campaign to get Richard's the contract anyway. So what makes this supposed threatened lawsuit any different than the actual lawsuit from last year?
One might be tempted to conclude that the mayor called today's meeting in the hopes of being able to flip one of the votes he needed, was unable to secure said swing vote, decided that the item needed to be pulled to prevent two identical agenda items from being voted down twice in a year (and thus barred from reconsideration), and simply cited the "lawsuit" as a pretext.
OH MY GOSH. They did it.
Antar wants us to be shaking in our boots that RD might sue. Please. They need to sue him personally. Was it even legal to drag the council in to vote on the RD for the 4th time???
You know who is gonna be wailing and carrying on behind his bully pulpit at all new level. ������
Lumumba: "Trust me, you want to hear what I have to say."
Most dishonest Mayor in Jackson's history now asking to be trusted. LMAO
We interrupt this program to bring you an important message:
Cities and municipalities all over the state of Mississippi are - every day - doing business, carrying out the duties of office, serving their tax-paying constituents, and all without filing repeated lawsuits. Thank you.
Now back to our regularly scheduled program.
Antard smells a loss on the 17th.
3:16 rewatch closely; they added a 2nd item, voted on it prematurely to see which way the wind was blowing, then pulled their little stunt. Virgi laid it on thick with her BS virtue-signaling and that moved the needle exactly nowhere.
Why does Kenny Stokes wear a mask on his chin??
Isn't he THE Lawyer who knows the LAW.
an absolute fiasco
Does Richards have pictures on Shockway?
It was reported that the city has wasted several hundred thousand dollars on the sh*t show, but there is some entertainment value coming from it.
Many thanks to 3:27 for the lyrics to Jimmy Buffet's Havana Daydreaming - a most appropriate reference to banana republics in this case. I luv ya, KF - Eudor Welty & Jimmy Buffet within a 24-hour period.
Per WLBT, “the mayor is answering questions from residents now.” Let me translate that: the mayor is lying to whoever is listening, esp the suckers he thinks don’t know any better.
Antar, grizzell, virgi, and lee came up with that amateur hour stunt over the weekend. Raise your hand if you thought voting on the JUST ADDED 2nd item first made sense. Good, no hands. They did that to see which way the wind was blowing. That’s all. Everybody thought Stokes was going to flip. As soon as his and the other 3 hands were raised NO on dismissing the lawsuit, the mayor made his move. It was a total bush league maneuver.
It’s time to call the national medial on this shit show.
April 10, 2023 at 3:41 PM
Whew. I did miss that one.
When I say that Chokwe has said the word, "right," two hundred times, I honestly think that's underestimating the total.
At this point, even sausage would be disgusted.
And the winners are...wait for it....THE LAWYER$
Who is the old bigot with the Jackson Advocate who made an accusation that this is about black councilmen voting under the white Republican?
Mayor: Resign now or make NEW RFP within 2 days.
This bunch should charge for they entertainment they produce. Better than any Netflix is running today. Thanks for the laughs.
Here is the question and the true issue that no one is picking up on: The Council is crying that accepting a contact with Richards is “illegal.” However…..they’ve spent over $200k on lawyers ($375/hr), which was never approved on the minutes. Further, they don’t have the authority to do this. Shad White is looking at them, I’m sure. Now THAT’S illegal (and utterly embarrassing that they’re paying a clown like Deshun Martin).
I concur with the smart citizens on this blog. Antar is a narcissistic, hot headed Dictator. Thank God I live in Madison County. But I have friends/families who reside in Jackson! Dictator Antar is responsible for that garbage debacle!!! Shameful!! It’s really sad that people do not know how our three branches of government work!!!
It is the MAYOR’S responsibility as the citywide elected chief executive officer to negotiate a contract that the City Council will approve with 4 of the 7 ward votes. He and his entourage are trying to divert attention away from that fact. He is unwilling to listen to the PEOPLE who do not want the 96 gallon garbage can. He won’t acknowledge the documented issues other cities have apparently had with this contractor, and won’t acknowledge that he’s now screwed up the only Jackson utility that worked (water, sewer). He is ultimately responsible for this mess, and all 8 of them bear some responsibility for not finding a way to work together. The biggest joke is Antar’s platform of “dignity” for all citizen. What a sham. The joke is on us. He’s unable to shoulder ANY responsibility for this. He’s bringing some good people down with him, people who had built solid professional reputations that are now likely tainted forever because of the association with this Administration. Sad from all fronts.
Apologies to 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd
Ooh that smell
Can't you smell that smell
Ooh that smell
The smell of garbage surrounds you
Last time Richard's sued, it used John Walker, Thompson's bestie.
Please move the State Capitol and let Jackson be what it desires to be. Quit wasting my tax dollars
Just like the water crisis the state will have to step in. The vendors do not want to do business with the city and do not trust that they will get paid. The very reason the water issue go so bad. Thousands in unpaid invoices for chemicals, services, etc.
"Lee said the lawsuit was no longer needed when the Mayor asked all three vendors if they would honor their prices stated in their proposals. The motion failed 4-3."
-That's a good sign that the motion to dismiss the lawsuit failed 4-3, meaning the 4 members rejecting he Richards proposal are remaining firm in their rejection of it and still want the judge to allow them to issue their own RFP.
"Mayor Lumumba pulled the submission of the Richard's Disposal proposal from the agenda."
-Uh, why did you do that Mayor ? Because you know you still don't have the 4 votes to accept the Richards proposal. Thank you to the 4 who are rejecting it and refusing to be strong-armed by the Mayor and his silly games. I'm glad you 4 realize that if you let the Mayor get away with his stunts on this contract, then he will do it in every other RFP and every other contract.
3:54: "Antar, grizzell, virgi, and lee came up with that amateur hour stunt over the weekend. Raise your hand if you thought voting on the JUST ADDED 2nd item first made sense. Good, no hands. They did that to see which way the wind was blowing. That’s all. Everybody thought Stokes was going to flip. As soon as his and the other 3 hands were raised NO on dismissing the lawsuit, the mayor made his move. It was a total bush league maneuver."
-Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner. You're exactly right, 3:54. As soon as 4 voted no to dismiss their lawsuit against the Mayor, the Mayor knew they weren't going to vote for the Richards proposal, so he withdrew it to prevent it from being rejected once again and now being barred from submitting it for a vote again. What a wuss. Now, what's your PR stunt, Mayor ? This is 100% on you. You failed to even bring a new proposal up for a vote, so the Council had no ability to hire a new vendor. Geees, this guy is so freaking stupid it isn't funny, or maybe it is. What's not funny is there are still some people out there dumb enough to not realize this is 100% his fault.
@4:12 - thank you Dr. Omari for your insightful, but absolutely totally false, statement.
Illegal for the Council to hire a lawyer? You probably found that in the same comic book where Chock found that it would be illegal to give a contract to another bidder, or to issue a new RFP. Same comic book where they found the supposed law that Richards could sue based on some ridiculous theory of entitlement.
But we do appreciate the comic value y'all add to this F****ed up city governenance; and we know we have two more years to appreciate it. What's next, now after the libraries, the zoo, the sewer, the water and now the garbage. Anything left to screw up?
Being on Good Morning America and CNN because your water system didn't work for a week is sad and maybe on the edge of believable. But to have your garbage service end in a contract dispute only 7 months later shows the absolute incompetence of the mayor on a national level.
4:15 - you mean people like Terry Williamson in the City Attorney's Office? The fact that the Mayor hired Felecia Perkins to represent him in the garbage suits tells you a lot. She's barely literate.
Richard's will not sue, it's more practical and self serving to just leave town, maybe try Monroe or Shreveport. Meantime, Richard's may have a Louisiana bayou suitable for Lil Choke's deep dive to eternity.
Will somebody go outside and twist the antenna? I wanta see what other channels I can get besides this blog.
I've seen this damned re-run forty-five times. Actually, 'The View' might even be less painful.
4:12, hol up, there are AG opinions and maybe even some case law authorizing boards of aldermen and city councils to act WHEN THE MAYOR HAS BEEN DERELICT IN HIS DUTIES.
I don’t know about you, but that little attempt by Ms Lee to cast Antar in a light of having acted responsibly was nothing more than a straightup desperate grasping at straws.
KF- Get your copy of the Richards filing to post!
Question for all: About the notice from MDEQ, now what is next from MDEQ?
4:51 PM
Why would they go out of state when they can just go to Lake HiCo, keep it in Hinds county and if they ever get caught pull a judge like Faye Peterson get a rediculously low bail and skip town never to be seen again. No reason to drag the feds into it.
96 gallon carts must hold lots of palm grease.
So was a suit actually filed? If so, what venue? Or was the Mayor simply bluffing that RDI intends to sue?
4:53 for post of the day.
Does this mean Metrocenter will continue to be a city dump site and isn’t gonna get renovated and restored to it’s former glory in the 80’s?
Remember, y’all voted for these morons!
Me: yea, the water debacle, failing sewer system, EPA consent decree, national news coverage, and briefly being murder capital of the states is bad, but I guess it can’t get any worse Mr Mayor.
Mayor: hold my beer.
Do the right thing, not the easy thing. Or,
"Just do right, and you won't go wrong." -- Advice from a Wise Auntie
I applaud the 4 councilmembers who are holding firm and refusing to participate in enabling the mayor's corruption. I am especially impressed by VH, and AF, and AB.
Although I give him credit for not totally caving in to the wrong, albeit 'easy' thing, Stokes has unwittingly prolonged this standoff. By abstaining, and suggesting he will 'let his people (who want their trash picked up) decide', Stokes is signaling to the mayor to keep at it -- he's on the brink of caving in.
Kenneth I. Stokes, you are making a mistake. Your legacy can be standing up for right, or your legacy can be rubber stamping corruption and illegal actions because it was... wait for it... easier. Stokes - you're better than that. Keep the faith. Do that and I'll still be looking for that coveted STOKES ball cap.
831 - you maybe misreading Councilman Stokes. Maybe you ought to listen to what he had to say in the shouting match --- or whatever the deal was after today's adjourned Council meeting. Also look at the Town Hall meeting Stokes had that the Mayor crashed and tried to take over last week.
I don't see Stokes caving - and even if it is a possibility, its not doing anything towards prolonging this mess. That lies squarely on the shoulders of the Mayor, who waited until the last possible day to bring back up this contract and then today pulled it off the agenda avoiding it receiving another negative vote.
What is causing this to be prolonged is that the Mayor can't get his way and refuses to offer a different proposal - all the while proclaiming that he doesn't give a damn about who gets the contract. What he leaves off of that sentence is "as long as its Richards".
Okay for the ones who wondered why HB 1020 was needed here is why, these clowns cant do anything
And so...right....right....and so....right....therefore....and so....right
Enoch Sanders for Mayor!!!
Why is LuDumba prolonging this matter??
Maybe LuDumba has already spent the money he supposedly received under the table from Richard's ... and doesn't have the funds to make Richard's whole. So Richard's is pressuring the pawn.
When does the EPA start fining the city $25,000/day?
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