721 pages of public comments regarding the takeover of Jackson's sewer system by water receiver Ted Henifin were submitted to the EPA. 95% of the comments approved of the takeover despite the public gnashing of teeth by opponents such as Rukia Lumumba. Not many readers have the time or inclination to read all 721 pages so the Kingfish has taken that burden upon himself and is posting the more notable comments.
Today's comments cover pages 402-494 and are representative of the vast majority of comments. Enjoy.
I am writing as the senior manager at (WLBT). Over the past few years, WLBT has experienced loss of water pressure numerous times, which resulted in the inability of the more than 100 people employed at this campus to use our restroom facilities. This situation culminated one year ago with water issues lasting nearly two months. We had to bring in porta-potties for our team and provide pallets of bottled water. If not for the state coming in as part of a state of emergency, we would have experienced a complete collapse of the Jackson water treatment plant and water delivery system. It would have been catastrophic. Since the water system was turned over to Ted Henifin in late 2022, we have not experienced any water pressure issues. In addition, there were several water leaks on xxxx within a few hundred yards of xxxxx. We reported those leaks to the city for at least two years and there was never any action to fix them. Because of the continuous water leaks, the streets experienced significant decay and extremely large potholes developed, causing damage to many cars, including our employees and our station fleet of vehicles. Not only were the leaks repaired in a matter of months after Ted Henifin and his team took over, the damaged streets were also paved and now there are no leaks or dangerous potholes.
The city sewer system is equally in need of a major upgrade. The JXN Water Team has proven more than qualified to handle the improvements and have accomplished more in eight months than has been accomplished in decades. Having the same organization that is repairing the water system handle repairing the sewer system is a no-brainer and will ultimately result in a better outcome and save money. Those two critical infrastructure operations work hand-in-hand and it requires tremendous teamwork. If there were issues with the water upgrades since it was turned over, that's a different story. The water operation overhaul could not have been managed better.
Please help Jackson get back on the right track and assign the sewer to the same organization so the improvements can begin immediately. P. 228, Ted Fortenberry, General Manager at WLBT
As a resident of Jackson for nearly xx years, I’m begging you to please do not allow any official within
Jackson, MS to regain control of water/sewer services. Clearly, they are not capable of handling this service. Jackson, MS local officials are not capable of running a lemonade stand, much less water/sewer services. Please, oh lord, please…do not allow political pressure or race to overcome logic in this matter. If you need specific examples beyond what you have, I’m happy to answer and provide you more details. P. 247 Derek Ginn
As a resident of xxxxx and advocate for the Downtown Jackson, I support the efforts to place the City of Jackson’s sewer under the authority of Ted Henifin. In order to keep residents and businesses as well as to attract new people and businesses to Jackson, we need a working sewer system and placing the system under the interim third-party manager is the appropriate thing to do.
Henifin has been able to make the water system function properly again which hasn’t been the case for many years. Stabilizing the water system and making the necessary repairs to the water system wouldn’t have occurred if the third-party manager wasn’t in charge.
I believe it will take the appointment of Henifin to ensure Jackson’s sewer system operates properly, and I believe he will bring transparency during the process that has been missing. P. 250 John Gomez DJP
Since Ted Henifen has taken over water system Jackson residents are being lied to and billed for water as he chooses. God help us if he bills what he wants for sewer. What will protect consumers and control his billing?
I am a retired disabled senior citizen whose home is paid for. In June I called water department and asked why water bills stated est (estimated). I was told they could read them from the office -- a Lie.
I am being billed for usage. Added to this is service fee of xxxx. I generally shower once a week unless mow grass. I wash full load of laundry as needed. I use rain water to water my plants and to wash my car. I rarely cook to dirty dishes. I don’t use that much water, but my bill is the same as neighbor with four active people in household. P. 252 Cathy Gos
This email is to show support for the court’s order and the sewer system being managed by Ted Henifin and JxnWater. Mr. Henifin/JxnWater have done a great job thus far rescuing the water system from inept stewardship, and we have faith and trust his group would successfully handle the failed sewer system operation with organization, responsiveness and professionalism (all things that have been missing…). We are in desperate need of help! P. 295 Breck Hines
I strongly support continued management by Ted Henifin of the water system and would support extension into the sewage system. Our city is incompetent and needs help. P. 302 Reed Hogan
Please consider Federal takeover. We have been dealing with this problem for years. I’m more than willing to share my experiences with you. We finally had our issue resolved this year after dealing with raw sewage backup in our backyard since 2019. I have documentation from the beginning to the end. We need leadership in this matter and I believe Mr. Henifin is the best person for the job. The residents of Jackson deserve better. P.306 Rose Holmes
I fully support U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate’s stated intention to transfer control of the City of Jackson’s wastewater/sewer treatment program to Ted Henifin, the Interim Third Party Manager designated by the federal government, for the purposes of retuning the system to EPA/DEQ compliance and resolving the Consent Decree issued in 2013.
I believe that Mr. Henifin and his staff possess the expertise and skill-set to return the system to full functionality at a time when the City of Jackson lacks the capacity to do so. P. 313 John Horhn
Jxn water has demonstrated its competency to clean Jackson water. Because the present administration cannot abide by the consent order and has actually worsened situation over the last six years, I strongly support. Jxn water, taking charge of the sewer system. Raw sewage in the pearl river from Jackson must be stopped. P. 336 Betty Ruth Johnson, Esq.
I live at xxxx xxxxx. My insurance has been cancelled because of sewage and meter damage to my yard in the front yard (facial damage). I have a huge hole in my yard that is getting larger every day it rains. A car hit the hole coming around the corner too fast and totalled out two vehicles. Also my house was badly damaged. There's sewage problems behind my neighbors and my home. We have had seage problems over 20 years. It has been reported with EPA. Water is running down the street of xxx block on xxxx. HELP!!! HELP!!! Thank you!!! p. 410 Jenice Luckett, Photos included (KF Note: There are many letters such as this one.)
My name is Drew Maddox and I live at xxxxx in Jackson. Due to negligence on the part of the City, my house was flooded on December 20, 2022. All of our Christmas presents were lost, the entire first floor of our house was flooded with 3 ft of raw sewage, and the city took 8 hours just to stop the water from flowing in the house.
Over the next 6 weeks, I watched as city crews came to my house every day to work on the water line
on xxxxxx. For 6 weeks, we had no water (we have two toddlers). Once Ted and Jordangot involved, the water line, the sewer line, and the street were all fixed and repaved in 3 days. p. 422, Drew Maddox
We wholeheartedly support the court's order of the sewer system being managed by Ted Henifin and JxnWater. p. 463, The Hu Meena
Let me be very clear that I do not support placing the City of Jackson Public Works division in
charge and certainly not this Mayor, who along with his supporters and cronies has been identified in the record as a racist by Judge Wingate. Putting the City in charge will condemn all residents, black and white, to poor service, dangerous water, and continuing contamination of our natural resources simply because this administration is intent on discriminating against a white manger who is very competently doing his job in all ways, except he failed to be black.
Further, Judge Wingate this week ordered Entergy of MS to turn over its customer list so JXNWater
can cross check for water thieves by comparing power customers to water customers, a simple no
brainer step. This Mayor and his administration have actively allowed theft of the water from the
City and its taxpayers for years when it could have sought the same list years ago.
Please remember your job is to support the residents of the City and the people in this state all of whom are impacted by the sewer dumping filth into the Pearl River and other water sources, the interruption of water in the City and the failure of the most basic of City services. The DOJ's job is not to support the racial politics of Mayor Lumumba.
Again, I support Ted Henifin, clean water, and competent leadership in the City of Jackson. p. 476, Clark Monroe, Esq.
24 comments:
Horhn siting.
I want to thank JJ for encouraging its readers to submit comments - & a shout out also to those who provided suggested wording.
"Since Ted Henifen has taken over water system Jackson residents are being lied to and billed for water as he chooses. God help us if he bills what he wants for sewer. What will protect consumers and control his billing?
I am a retired disabled senior citizen whose home is paid for. In June I called water department and asked why water bills stated est (estimated). I was told they could read them from the office -- a Lie.
I am being billed for usage. Added to this is service fee of xxxx. I generally shower once a week unless mow grass. I wash full load of laundry as needed. I use rain water to water my plants and to wash my car. I rarely cook to dirty dishes. I don’t use that much water, but my bill is the same as neighbor with four active people in household. P. 252 Cathy Gos"
Shower once a week. Disabled senior citizen. Washes car with rain water. Calling TOTAL bullshit on this one.
Why won't Ted Fortenberry run an editorial on this topic on his station, WLBT?
Thanks for the post and the video - I closed my eyes and imagined I was listening to WZZQ on my 8-track stereo set.
These comments could be directed at most medium or larger blue cities. See a pattern here?
Can someone in the media or a Harvard grad please get Harvard to explain how they gave the Mayor an award?
I can be told anything, but I tend to believe what I see. What I see is a man in charge of this city whose goal was/is to cripple it. No one is as incompetent as this mayor, unless by design. Every sincere praying person in Jackson should thank GOD for Judge Wingate every time they pray.
Make no mistake, I appreciate Mr. Henifin, and those that are working with him to restore this city to 21st century standards, but Judge Wingate with his honest heart has made these changes possible. It is the honesty of Judge Wingate that has stayed the course of lifting Jackson up from ruin, even in the face of the onslaught of the mayor's sister.
9:35. sure, sure. New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Nashville--yeah, they are are all cities that are really struggling these days, as our red paradise of Mississippi just grows astronomically in population and economic prosperity...
With the new meters, they can indeed read usage from the office. One of the issues with previous metering systems is that someone had to physically read the meter (good luck hiring labor to do that and read busted old meters). There are definitely some issues with the new meters but overall they are a vast improvement over the old system and should help aid in the collections dramatically.
The system is aging even in the "newer" of the sewer and water lines.
There was a break that affected Lakeland and Ridgewood yesterday in one of the later developed areas. I reported it. Karen (that was really her name) thanked me and let me know a couple of others had as and the water facility workers were working to locate the problem. She called me back later and told me the break was found and how many hours it was expected to take to make repairs. It was done sooner not later.
But those of you who want to point to every break in the lines as a reason to blame the mayor or anyone else are just wrong-headed troublemakers.
The system is OLD. It's underground and you can't SEE a problem in advance! You have to wait to see water or sewage or as yesterday, a sudden lack of water.
It takes 27.5 years for sewer lines to go bad. Water pipes that are cast iron or brass or galvanized steel last 80-100 years. PVC lasts 24-50 years.
That we have Yazoo Clay which can affect the seals at joints if there wasn't adequate care in locating the pipes long ago.
And, given, the expense, EVERY city needs federal funds to place, replace or repair infrastructure. Indeed, just to run sewer to two Madison County neighborhoods required earmarked federal funds in the 1970's and was a challenge even with far more powerful elected representatives trying to get those funds.
Some of you commenting are either very poorly educated or willing to embarrass yourselves in your partisan zeal.
If you are going to bitch about government or politicians, the first thing you need is to damn well learn how government works and what can rationally be expected from those you elect to represent you.
If you are going to bitch about international policy, you damn well need to learn the " players" and at least their populations and capabilities. That some of you would see Ukraine fall and have no clue why that'd be bad for US is astonishing! You don't even know history for 5 decades much less WHY the Russians want it and some other places with water and key natural resources they lack.
Instead, you rely on gossip and party propaganda and slogans. YOU are why we are in such a mess and will likely become autocratic. You will hate that way too late. We aren't rich enough or populated enough to be valued by either party so there will be NO funds as neither will need us to stay in power. Hope you are young enough for the military.
@11:21
See the beautiful thing about America is free speech, the right to have an option and the right to share it (even if its a shitty one), or as you say "uneducated". By the way, I LOVE the word "uneducated" , it is a complete riot every time someone uses that word because I have never met one highly "educated" person whom has ever uttered that term.............
Speaking of fun buzz words your last two paragraphs are full of"propaganda".
By the way, the mayor didn't create the issues with the water or sewer system, he just magnified the existing problems because he is a shitty leader, corrupt, and overtly racist.
Hope you enjoy eating cricket paste and everything communism has to offer you.
@1121 - wow! You are exactly the “head-in-sand” voter that plagues this city
11:21, the current mayor inherited aging pipes and the associated problems but has sole responsibility for the problems last summer at O.B. Curtis and the resulting extended water crisis. Please do your homework before preaching to us.
Aging? you are right.
However, it took Harvey , Yarber, and Lumumba to turn a system running at a $7 million profit into one losing nearly $20 million per year.
Maybe you forgot the moratoriums. Or when the electrical panel burned up, it wasn't ordered for 9 months until the last day when the Health Department placed the city on a deadline to order it.
Or how the mayor wanted to build a new plant when all that was needed was to find and fix leaks and open closed valves.
Maybe most of the water, and sewer problems aren't totally the fault of the current mayor. What is totally his fault is the way he has hidden the letters from the federal government sent when his administration was in violation of federal regulations. Yet, he continued to ignore the upkeep.
I mentioned the electrical panels.
Remember, the Mayor blamed supply chain problems when asked about it by media. However, the real truth was the city had not even ordered the part. Took threats to make Jackson order it.
@11:21, dude, bro, bruh, man, dawg, put down them all-caps hammers, step outside, and get yourself some fresh air.
It never fails I have a gleeful laugh at leftist rants. Lifts my day every time. Thanks, @11:21.
@KF
Do you have any indication why Lumumba would do this to the citizens who elected him? Is this intentional or is he just utterly and completely incompetent?
11:21 You know, you can just donate some of your fortune to help save the ageing infrastructure that the 3-4 mayors have accelerated the demise of.
As "educated" as you are, surely your salary affords you great amounts of disposable income.
Instead of asking the government to save Jackson, you can step right up and be the hero yourself.
As you state, you clearly know more than all of us.
So why not put that scholarly money where that Mensa mouth of yours is?
@1121 - dont forget the 7000 connections that never received a bill. This has been going on for 8-9 years. All the feds did was cross-check Entergy and property tax rolls to determine who hasn't received bills. This could have been at least started years ago, but it never was. A true leader would've hired an agency to cross check, and begin collecting, but no...Not a chance.
11:21 knows less about federal money than he knows about pipes (what are sewer pipes made of?). "EVERY city needs federal funds to place, replace or repair infrastructure." This going to come as shock to 11:21, but that quote is untrue. To wit: a well-run water/sewer system charges more to the public than it costs to deliver their services. Why? So they can bank the overage in order to make necessary emergency & long-term repairs/replacements/& extensions. Why do local gov'ts try to get federal funds? Several reasons: Because it's there. Because they failed to run their water/sewer system in a sound manner. Because of a natural disaster. But, mostly because its there. The last reason is the only valid reason for federal funds. In the real world this is called self-insurance. If there was trouble getting federal money in the 70's it was because the feds didn't normally just hand out money for those things. Now, they hand it out like candy in order to buy votes like yours.
Kf, let’s not forget the $2 BILLION the mayor said it would take to build that new water treatment facility he wanted. If it’s not about race with Lumumba, it’s about the dollar signs. Not dollar signs for the city, but dollar signs for his personal enrichment. I used to think there was no way he or anybody would want services to collapse. Now I’m convinced that’s exactly what he wanted. What he didn’t expect was to get frozen out when it came to the oversight and distribution of all that federal money. The insane thing is how he tried to pretend that if only Uncle Sam would gift him that shiny new thing, he would suddenly be able to manage it, staff it, and keep it running. I don’t know who he thought he was kidding.
Who takes a bath once a week. I bet it some hipster from Belhaven
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