It's the last call for the annual Jackson Jambalaya fund-raising drive. Your support makes this website possible and it would not have made it this far without you. JJ led the way in reporting on the Jackson water crisis and covered stories the media would not touch. However, the need for your support remains as strong as ever.
JJ is the leading blog in Mississippi and breaks more than a few news stories. It was JJ that uncovered the EPA emergency administrative order, an order the Mayor hid from the public for over a year and lied when faced with exposure. It was JJ that busted the Jackson Mayor for repeatedly lying to the national media that the state did not pay for its water. As Jackson went without water for months, JJ brought more transparency and sunlight to Jackson's water system than the rest of the Mississippi media combined. JJ also led the way on the Ridgway Lane and Lamar Adams cases. JJ leads on public records fights with three lawsuits and nine public records complaints. When the Pelahatchie Board of Aldermen tried to whisper their way through work sessions huddled in a corner, it was JJ that put a stop to it. Then there is the little matter of a $200 million fraud in the Mississippi Delta. Ignored by all media except a few small websites, JJ broke story after story on the Express Grain fraud.
Not all bit stories were about fraud. JJ is proud of the work it did on the Chauncy Reed case. A man tried to kill a JPD cop several years ago. The police officer killed one of his assailants in self defense. The shootout was captured on video. RSS presented the officer to the grand jury but hid the file for the would-be cop killer. JJ stayed on the case for over a year until MBI sent a copy of the file to the D.A. A grand jury finally indicted Reed. Meanwhile, so-called crime reporters were nowhere to be found as this injustice took place.
The site averages over 300,000 unique visitors and 1,000,000 page views per month. However, it costs money to run this website and nothing gets cheaper. JJ spends probably $500 every quarter for court records that are posted (between MEC and Pacer). Public records requests drive up the costs some more. For example, UMC wanted $90 for a copy of a purchase agreement. Some of those MSDH emails cost $100 or more. Those advertising invoices? $372. Enjoy reading the syndicated columns? Like those Rick Guy photos and Bill Wilson courtroom sketches? Do you watch those Youtube videos ? JJ several times paid someone to videotape them when the Kingfish could not attend the event. Then there are subscriptions. JJ pays for subscriptions to Adobe professional, MS Office, and other software that are required to do the job. Oh yes, don't forget court transcriptions. When you see court transcriptions on this site, that means JJ has to purchase them. You get the idea. Many of the posts you either need to read or enjoy reading costs money.
JJ does not have a pay wall nor does it have subscription drives as some websites. JJ depends on your support to keep the lights turned on and lead the way in Mississippi.
Any support you can give Jackson Jambalaya is greatly appreciated. The ten, twenty, or thirty thousand dollars you donate will be put to good use. You can pay through the Paypal button at the top of the site, mail a check to payable to Jackson Jambalaya at the address posted below, or simple ask me to come by your office. Thank you for your support of Jackson Jambalaya.
The mailing address is:
ATTN: Jackson Jambalaya
P.O. Box 2092
Ridgeland, MS 39158
