Monday, April 10, 2023

Trash Talk: Showdown at 3

Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba called a special meeting of the Jackson City Council today at 3 PM to discuss the garbage contract. 


The Mayor will submit yet again a contract to award a garbage contract to Richard's Disposal.  The proposal requires citizens to obtain 96-gallon carts from the company.  A Detroit company will provide the carts to Richard's Disposal.  

The City Council has rejected the proposal several times, saying it prefers a cart-less option with the best score. 

Councilmen Ashby Foote and Vernon Hartley presented their side at a press conference last week.  They must have gotten under someone's skin because a Mayor Lumumba supporter barged into the press conference and tried to shout them down.  The video is posted below. 


32 comments:

Anonymous said...

The City Council is a check and balance to the executive, not a rubber stamp. The 96-gallon cart requirement speaks for itself.

Anonymous said...

Do we have the name of the Detroit Company that will provide the carts? We sent the Siemens settlement money out of state to the tune of $30mil. Now the garbage cart contract goes to Detroit? Surely someone locally can do these things and keep the money in state.

Anonymous said...

Impressed with Vernon Hartley.

Anonymous said...

So if it gets voted down aGAIN, this time for real and for true he can't bring this contract forward again? Is that right?

Anonymous said...

So how many times can a vendor or contract be voted down? How many is it up to already 4? Is this legal?

Anonymous said...

Love it when a plan comes together. Just remember, y'all put these guys in place.

Anonymous said...

@11:34 I'm not impressed with any of them. Water, sewer, streets, crime, garbage......

This entire city is a lesson in incompetence. The bar is so low, that a semi-competent employee or official seems like a genius. Those same people would get fired anywhere else.

These idiots couldn't close an umbrella. The whole city needs to start over. Clean house of everyone. They couldn't do basic financial crap to provide to the auditor.

I ask "Is there anything that Jackson government does well? Can you name one thing?"

Anonymous said...

First time I’ve listened to Councilman Hartley up close. He could have my vote for mayor in the next election. I like his demeanor. He can laugh at himself. He understands that being on the losing side of a vote doesn’t mean you go all toddler, throw a hissy fit tantrum, take your toys and go home, then set about plotting and executing vengeance.

That’s pretty much my bar for mayoral qualifications in Jackson. Just those few intangibles would put us light years from where we’d ever be with lumumba.

Anonymous said...

richards gets approved

then jacks the rates

thoughts?

Anonymous said...

12:11 Hartley also is missing one key qualification to become mayor of the Bold New City. Hint: He will never have it either.

QueenBee said...

Hey Kingsfish, is there a way to get ahold of the entire contract? Personally, I'd like to see WHO all the "players" are listed in this so-called contract. I'm confident this will tell me WHY the Mayor is ONLY pushing RD and is literally crying tears over this! All these murders in Jackson and he hasn't dropped ONE tear, yet? I hate to break the news but, something ain't right, ya'll.

Anonymous said...

The hold outs on the city council are between a rock and a hard place as Lumumba knows. Stokes will likely vote for the contract, having shrewdly abstained "waiting to determine the will" of his constituency. Hartley, Banks and Foote voting on principle and facts, face the ire of constituents who do not understand or care about the mayor's missteps and shenanigans that led to this debacle. They simply want their trash picked up. End of discussion. Some RD advocates ask why opposing council persons are against RD. The question SHOULD be, why does the mayor insist on continuing to push a company that has been voted down many times. A company that has a dismal record and poor performance reviews in Louisiana. For RD, its a do or die situation --- Jackson is their key to remaining viable as a company. And thanks to the mayor, they (RD) appear to now be the only immediate option. If I had a reputable garbage disposal company, there is no way I'd submit a bid and enter into this dysfunction with the city of Jackson. When RD increases their costs and their performance remains spotty ... Oh, well.

Anonymous said...

If Stokes rolls and sticks us with this, he has no right, reason or excuse to ever open his mouth again in public.

Anonymous said...

“Whatever comes out, we’ve got a better chance of survival if we work together.”
Maximus Decimus Meridius

BOHICA said...

12:33, my thoughts are that you're right.

In this case, the punishment is the process. The last minute drop to insure that we had yet another crisis was to force a holdout to cave. I hope that doesn't happen but people are going to get tired of their trash not getting picked up.

The overwhelming majority of Jacksonians will go back to not paying attention as long as their trash gets picked up. Hell, most of them aren't paying for it and don't care.

That cave essentially neuters the council. Again, hope it doesn't happen but guess we'll see at 3.

Anonymous said...

Detroit is where Lumumba Sr was from, and where the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement and Republic of New Afrika was founded.

The carts appear to be a means of funding the parent organization, or perhaps return some favors/campaign cash.

None of it passes the smell test.

Anonymous said...

Ditto, 12:11. I have never met Councilman Hartley but am impressed. He would get my vote too.

I sure hope and pray that he and Councilman Foote, as well as Councilmen Stokes and Banks stay the course and continue to vote no (or that Stokes at least abstains again and the other 3 still vote no). Something smells about this deal between the Mayor and Richards, and I don't mean the trash.

It's not about lowest price as the Mayor claims. If so, he would propose the 2 day pickup without carts bid as that is the cheapest. It's also not about saving the jobs of the Richards' employees as, under the terms of the prior RFP, the new vendor would have to hire the old vendor's employees, and they would keep their jobs. And no one can dispute that Richards has a horrible reputation in New Orleans and woefully underperformed there, to the extent that they've lost most of their routes there.

Grease those Palms, Right? said...

And the winner is..........................................................Richards.

Anonymous said...

If the four stalwarts on the Council have their ball sacks in order at 3pm, they will send Richatd's back to New Orleans. The April 17th hearing with Judge Clark will likely give the Council an opportunity to do the Mayor's job for him and solicit two additional RFPs.

Meanwhile, taking garbage to Christ United Methodist required all of 15 minutes there and back this morning, no wait at all at 8:05 am.

Kingfish said...

Here ya go. scroll to bottom

Anonymous said...

I said it when the Mayor threw his 1st tantrum on behalf of RDI, Richards WILL be the trash company going forward.
Nobody will stand up to him. And the majority of the voters are content with the bow tie in charge.

THe only people who see the problems for what they are, saw them coming and left Jackson years ago.

The constituents simply see this sort of contract-giving/bribes/theft as finally their turn. And they are not wrong...Its just that "their turn" is by leaders SO inept, the fundamental services are lost in the process of the theft.

Conservatives at least manage basic utilities, before they steal.

Anonymous said...

I have no place to put a 96 gallon cart. What is with the cart obsession of the mayor? NOBODY wants the carts but him.

Anonymous said...

Will Richard's apostles fill the gallery as before? I hope so since such crude intimidation will only cause Foote, Stokes, Hartley and Banks to resist harder.

Anonymous said...

April 10, 2023 at 1:01 PM

That didn't happen.
And if it did, it wasn't that bad.
And if it was, that's not a big deal.
And if it is, that's not my fault. <--- Lumumba (and Co.) is here
And if it was, I didn't mean it.
And if I did, you deserved it.

Clay Edwards said...

Of course the company is from Detroit, would be curious to see what their connection to the Lumumba's is (if there is one at all)

Anonymous said...

Why do the majority of Jackson residents object to buying the trash cans? They know they won’t pay for them and still get them provided to them. They are getting water (occasionally) without paying for it, why not garbage pickup. The purpose of the trash cans is to help the collectors to distinguish between what is and what is not trash.

Unknown said...

Queen Bee, you can find all 48 pages on the council’s webpage. Go to the April 1st meeting and on the far right you’ll see links for agenda and documents. Click on the latter. Oh, and I might as well you that none of what you are looking for is in it. Apparently, they get around subs by calling them EOB or EBO. Nobody ever say’s what that stands for but it has something to do with minorities (which imo is a fascinating paradox for the 18% of caucasians who live In Jackson).

Remembering when a captured John McCain said...

things by blinking his eyes in Morse Code, I think Kenny made his point the other day with his "Follow the Law" rant that got JPD Deputy Chief Grizzel in front of Councilman Grizzel and ultimately obeying Chowkes orders to NOT close da does.

Anonymous said...

"Do we have the name of the Detroit Company that will provide the carts?"

You mean the knee capping's don't you?

Anonymous said...

2:57 - EBO is the Jackson "Equal Business Opportunity" requirements - that certain percentage of each contract go to various minority contractors; black, of course; but there are other 'minority groups' that also have to get a part, to the extent that every engineering contract they issue requires a 2% or such to go to an Asian Business, with the only qualifying company that meets this being a woman in Georgia.

Besides the Black (which they refer to as African American, whether the individuals have any African roots or not) there are the Hispanic, Asian, Native American and Female business entities.

Richards avoids the hassle by claiming they are black owned, therefore don't need any EBO partners - except maybe the Hispanic, Asian and Native folks.

I imagine this gives them a big leg up on the competition since they don't have to farm out part of the contract to subs who may or may not perform any services.

Anonymous said...

The Mayor's comment in his statement today:
"We know that our residents are suffering and we are working diligently to resolve this ongoing dispute."

No, mayor, you are not working diligently. You are only submitting the same Richards proposal over and over and over again.

Anonymous said...

I thought that a RFP could only be presented twice before it was tabled for a year. Has the RD RFP been presented twice? What is the sensible thing that needs to happen from here? Is there a quick way to get garbage picked up regularly that does not involve RD?


Recent Comments

Search Jackson Jambalaya

Subscribe to JJ's Youtube channel

Archives

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.


Note: Security provided by INS.

Trollfest '07

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.

Note: Security provided by INS
.