Jackson Jambalaya

Are you hungover this morning King? You've already had a post on the WSJ thing....wake n' bake brother!

Metabolic syndrome is endemic in our state.
So many societal costs with no contribution to society.

Nice job telling us about an article from a week ago.

Reeves bemoans the PERS 25 year retirement option - But wasn't he a PERS Board Member as State Treasurer and didn't he appoint Board Members during several other of his state jobs, including the current one?

Mississippi's population percentage on (and seeking) disability is no surprise. This state has long been known for our numbers who covet that designation with doctors in concert. That goal goes hand in hand with welfare participation, high African American population numbers with no marketable skills and middle-aged high school dropouts (of all races) clamoring for just one more check.

But the good news is this: Just give it time. Our new flag, removing statues and more democrats running municipal government are going to reverse this whole thing.

Nope. Reeves served on the Board in his role as treasurer of the state. If he could not attend a meeting, he could appoint someone to represent him. As Governor, he or his representative serves on the Board. In this case, Chris Graham, DOR Grand Poobah, serves on the Board. In other words, Reeves only had one spot on the Board since he became Treasurer. He had no power to appoint anyone else but for his own representative.

May be in the original article but in what was posted here there is no mention at all of Demographics. If you FEED the house cat he AINT gonna Hunt Mice No Mo...

Careful with that last paragraph, @11:05, or you goin’ to trigger some folk who don’t have a sense of wit as wry as mine.

@11:05 -- nice try, but no cigar. PERS is controlled by an 11 member board that consists of the State Treasurer, an appointee of the Governor, and nine members elected by ---- hold on ---- the people who benefit from PERS.

Reeves served as one of eleven while he was Treasurer. Most votes on trying to do something to fix PERS cast since 2004 (when Reeves was Treasurer and Barbour was Governor) have failed 8 to 3, with the Treasurer's vote, the Governor's appointee, and one other board member voting to reform the system.

Reeves had no vote or appointee during his term as LG.

So while he was a member or had one appointee during 12 of those 20 years, that doesn't mean diddly squat when the retirees that demand that 13th check, that COLA, and the defined benefit plan to remain as is (or heaven forbid, be 'improved') have nine of the eleven votes.

With children leaving the state of Mississippi immediately after graduating with Masters Degrees from Mississippi Universities it’s easy to understand why they did so. As young adults they wanted to be able to go out, have fun & enjoy entertainment somewhere other than a “child killing capital (WLBT)” and one of the “deadliest US cities (CNN).”

There are certainly other problems like Mississippi’s more than fair share of obese & dumb, and the PERS scam is a huge issue as well (too bad we don’t aggressively call out the previous professors, so-called journalists and politicians that created/supported/voted for this disaster scam because there’s plenty still around). And watching some of the so-called disabled draw government welfare while enjoying hobbies like crawling in and out of deer stands is a scam that should be addressed as well.

But at the end of the day the absolute number 1 issue for young people leaving (the brain drain) could be solved if the vicious crime was being addressed so said brain drainers could be happy in smaller metro areas like Jackson, MS, with a little fun and entertainment to be had mixed with good schools available for their children later on.

There’s an old saying about life being pretty simple but man is intent on making it complicated. Four + decades ago this country was able to go to the moon and back in only 8 days, but we can’t fix crime? BS! Rewarding vicious criminal behavior and chaos is a leftist Democrat tactic designed to keep residents away that would vote out those politicians not only failing to address vicious criminal behavior, but fighting attempts to do so. And the statewide and national politicians combined with the professors, so-called journalists, etc. supporting the leftist Democrat politicians that are using crime as a tactic, by providing their silence and refusing to be “bipartisan” with attempts to address vicious crime, all in exchange for votes in statewide and national elections? Well, they probably had better hope religion is a scam because its not likely one will want to meet the maker with this on their resume.


“To reject criticism IS to harm yourself and your own best interests” – Proverbs 15: 32.

It would help if State elected officials had to work all 25 to 30 years instead of counting theirs differently from an average employee. Why do they earn time-and-a-half for each year they work?

@11:29 - we know what you are trying to say, however please do not use housecats as an example. It has been proven that the hunting instinct cannot be bread out of cats.

We the dumbest, fattest, poorest state (even more so than DC). Thank you to the conservative leadership that has lead our state to such a preeminent role nationally.

Billy is criticizing the WSJ for doing what he does. He continually takes derogatory shots at this state.

Being last in all categories, bashing Mississippi is child's play.

Wow this is what’s going to happen this country if we continue to elect folks like these guys holding power in the state right now. Tater, Lynn they grifting like the orange leader!

12:19, you make some great points. But one's ability to "have fun" or "be entertained", was NOT even on our children's list, when they announced they were not going to college in Mississippi, and were certainly not returning after Med School.

In fact, the local OVERemphasis of "having a good time", was one reason they cited, for leaving (we followed, when our eldest's degree path approached the stage when she'd need logistical support - as has become necessary, now that foreign families provide logistical support for their own children in challenging degree programs).

Their list:
1. The Football Sickness
2. TOO MANY SKANKS (our sons became averse to makeup-encrusted, daisydukes-wearing, skanks flickin' cig ashes into cocola cans, at some point before they were old-enough to drive. Their sister decided they would "turn out Gay", unless the kids relocated to a market full of well-scrubbed blondes pursuing STEM degrees. Apparently, her strategy worked.)
3. Druggies (when you can't go out to eat, without being waited-on by some methhead you really don't want to trust with your credit card)
4. Pressure to "Go Greek" in college
5. Pressure to be "down to earth"
6. The whole 'Hangdog Loser Southern Culture Caricature' one is expected to become
7. THE FOOD (the sugary slop passing for "Home Cooking" - the candied meat called "Barbecue" - the giant fryers full of rancid PUFA oils, for frying chicken and catfish...)
8. THE MUSIC (It's old. It's lame. It's scummy. It's everywhere.)

Mississippi needs to hire better help to spread all the good news about Mississippi to all the haters that never hear any of the good news.

Why hasn't Tate hired competent help like Gulf Coast Strategies or Snapshot Publishing to fix this problem? According to him it's a liberal media biased against any good news from Mississippi, and it's been that way since before the days of Ross Barnett.

If Tate thought the problem was serious he could reallocate some highway repair or government oversight dollars to fix this public relations problem quicker than Bart Favre got his volleyball arena commitment funded by Phil's loyal minions. Maybe Tate doesn't have a clue.



Many people on the outside think Mississippi can't get right, but they probably don't know that despite all that bad publicity and finger pointing Kemper is producing electricity right now. It's been that way for years. Most people don't know it's a success though. That's because bad news travels faster and farther than good news.

The coal part of Kemper didn't quite work out, but the pivot to natural gas has been working great. It's a good thing they had good plans and could change the concept quickly. A person can't even see much evidence about the coal part anymore at the site, the scrappers did a real fine job cleaning that all up. It's like it never happened! Most people outside Mississippi have only heard Kemper Clean Coal is a failure.

That's just one example of a story Tate's consultants could spread around, maybe they already are on it.

@4:23 - what are you smoking? How much money (b as in billions) was lost in that so-called 'pivot to natural gas'? Here's another b - boondoggle!

So, the Southern Company is reimbursing customers for the egregious cost overruns that occurred during the initial construction phase?

"Education Freedom Accounts" will be a focus of 2024 MS Legislature, which, though late to the dance, can be the Beau of the Ball if successful. If Sarah Huckabee as a first term Governor can get this done in Arkansas, MS has no excuse for not using the Arkansas model and knock the knees out from under wastrel public schools in Jackson, the Delta and other areas in MS that repeatedly graduate students who speak broken English, have not read nor appreciated important literature and who are lost in Science and Math.

4:23pm
Kemper was a bust threatening to rape rate payers with cost overruns, until a couple local heroes, including the Northside Sun, forced it not to be.

Well, I am retired living on a fixed income. I like living in the poorest state in the Union, all be it the nicest subdivision in the state.

@5:16 and other knotheads who thing 'education freedom accounts', aka vouchers, is 'a thing', take note:

You can throw vouchers at every 'scholar' in the 19 Delta and part-Delta counties and most of the other counties in this state and they still won't or can't transfer to another school.

Name a school (outside of JPS) where there is a good option of transfer, logistically. Where are these 'other schools' in a poorly performing district? How will the kid be transported? If you think busing in 1966 was a fuck-up, just wait.

And imagine half the population of Canton Separate deciding they want to attend Madison County Schools. That situation exists statewide.

If 'vouchers' is a successful initiative, the largest outcome will be a tremendous expansion of private academies absorbing well performing children in public schools who can't survive the influx of petulant malcontents whose momma got a different car-tag.

@4:20, you lost me at blaming barbecue for young folks leaving the state, barbecue is one of the only reasons to stay in Mississippi.

Keep blaming Hinds county for Missippi’s problems . You can paint the house or change the flag and the house is still a dump!

In order to keep young people in Mississippi you need a thriving metropolitan area but everyone in this State outside of Jackson hates Jackson. You see it everyday day on this blog. It’s crazy.

Urban issues, urban development, and those quality of life investments that young educated people crave simply have no traction with policy makers in Mississippi. We are still a rural plantation state and the one urban area which might have challenged the old guard, i.e. Jackson, not only has no clout but is hated worse than New York City. Other Southern States give their cities a place at the table...in Mississippi they are not even in the room.

Beavis: "Ahhhh, ahhh ... he said Northside Sun ... heh heh".

Butt-Head: "Shut-up Beavis".

Beavis: " Heh Huh Heh ... the Northside Sun is the great corn-hool-io".

4:20pm
I acknowledge your line "candied meat" is the ruination of BBQ, so for 70 years here and in TX and CO, I never eat nor prepare smoked meats with sugar/honey/corn syrup. Meat smoked low and slow over mesquite+hickory needs no sweet stuff polluting the deep rich, inherently seductive flavor.

The main problem is that MS employers do not pay competitive salaries that are in line with other states. Given the lack of overall economic opportunity, people are forced to accept a well below “market” salary, or move to a state where employers pay for the desired skill set. The business owners are the problem, as they continuously b*tch about lack of talent, but aren’t willing to pay for it. Jobs that are easily 6 figure jobs in other states are paid $70-80k in MS. Cost of living should not be used against employees. What about having to pay for a decent education in most parts of the state? Sure, housing is cheaper, but there are so many negatives that far outweigh that. “Move to MS, where our healthcare is horrible, education is equally as bad, and upward mobility is limited.” Anyone with any sense or talent runs as fast as they can…

"You can paint the house or change the flag and the house is still a dump!


There's no denying that any state's capital city is its front porch.

Oh, 10:23, 'market' is whatever an employer is willing to pay for the labor to perform the task.

4:20, I likely couldn’t agree w/you more re the “Football Sickness” and “Pressure to Go Greek in college.” 10’s of thousands of screaming fools, many of which having never played in a college football game in their life, or never even played the game at all, allowing the actions of others to dictate their emotions is an incredible brain function behavior mystery for sure. And paying what ends up being 6 figures for a child to be educated at a university while on campus fraternities full of heathens corrupt their members by demanding the kids furnish alcohol and cigarettes at the football games (products the kids are not even legally old enough to buy yet) is as shocking today as it always should have been. But, these “sicknesses” are certainly not even close to being exclusive to Mississippi.

Re “TOO MANY SKANKS” and “the Druggies,” while we used the zip code and private schools to keep from dealing this issue while raising our children, it’s certainly a problem in MS that likely won’t be going away anytime soon – as is the case in certain zip codes/areas in most states.

But there is one thing even the “Young Sheldon’s” of the world, those caring for no fun or entertainment at all, can unanimously agree on…is that a civilized safe society is much, much more preferable to the viciousness perpetrated in Mississippi’s “child killing capital” and one of the “deadliest US cities,” Jackson, MS.

And the fact that not being a “child killing capital” and not being one of the “deadliest US cities” i.e. dealing with the “vicious CRIME” in Mississippi’s capital city is not an almost a 100% bipartisan priority…is one of the most incredible brain function behavior mysteries of our country’s history.

But wait, it’s not really a mystery at all is it? It’s simply the immoral actions of those providing cover for the Chokwe’s of this country in exchange for their votes in statewide and national elections…isn’t it?

America’s favorite feral family member at it again. Lol Doesn’t understand how not investing in 40% of your population leads to this. A culture of victimhood and a unnatural allegiance to losers. Lol

Hat tip to @4:20 for capturing six reasons our young family moved from the Jackson area a few years back. We miss the food, so I can't agree with #7. I'm not sure what #8 refers to, but music didn't drive us away.

I'd add "The Alcohol Culture" to the list, right behind "The Football Sickness." We're now living in a "fairly Southern" state, and it's amazing to see the difference. Middle-aged adults don't get sloppy drunk at dinner here. Young adults generally don't either. Somehow, by crossing the border, we entered a place where grownups manage to complete dinner with just one drink -- sometimes two. It's rare to see red-cheeked, beer-bellied, sweaty middle-aged men with glassy eyes. It's the same as far as not seeing many leather-skinned, wine-bellied, eye-bagged women. Mississippi's alcohol culture is not normal, and it's a part of the problem that no one wants to acknowledge.

Let me say this first and foremost, I love Mississippi and I want it to succeed. I am a long time resident of the state, born here, raised here, moved away for a time and came back. I am not blind to what is going on around the state and in front of us. Mississippi has major issues overcoming perceptions and realities. We do and will continue to have issues with race. One side or the other will always question intentions of the other side. We have a problem with teen pregnancy and the government funding unwed mothers. “Baby Momma” will file a tax return as a single parent with just enough income to Max Out the earned income credit and Baby Daddy will “Live” somewhere else. We have a meth and drug problem. We have issues with employees showing up consistently and not high on Mary Jane. This is not a Black issue, it is not a White issue, it is a non-partisan colorblind issue. We have an issue with Black-on-Black Crime and an unwillingness to do something about it for fear of being called a racist. It’s easier to move. We historically have moved elsewhere when our neighborhoods started to decay, whether it was those that are described by a word that cannot be used in polite company or “White Trash”, that moved in. We did this because it was easier and cheaper to move than to stay and fight. We have corruption in our government siphoning money to pet projects or their favored donor, See the Brett Favre accusation and the Jackson Water Works debacle. We have a group of individuals that will “Always” and I mean “Always” cry racism over the lease little snub. Mississippi had and I mean "HAD" lots of medium sized businesses where you could earn a living but these jobs were out sourced to other lower wage countries or the business was merged out of existence. See Motorguide, DGNB and lots of furniture and garment factories. Jackson and the surrounding areas used to be a destination city for lots of young adults, it was for me and a bunch of my graduation class, but it is no more. Jackson’s issues also affect the rest of Mississippi. I tell all my kids, their friends and acquaintances to move elsewhere and consider coming back only after they earn their stripes. Mississippi businesses will not pay them what they are worth unless they are forced to bring them in from outside of the state. I’m too close to retirement, too invested in my community and business to move, but If I was a young adult looking for employment, I can, by and large, find better pickings elsewhere. That includes Jobs and potential spouses. While some of our school systems are improving, overall, it is still languishing behind. Why would I settle for a job in a dying city, with minimal advancement prospects, when I can move to a larger city with better opportunities. Mississippi has squandered so many opportunities.

Reeves is a pandering idiot to blame PERS for taking people out of the workforce. For one thing, 25 years gets a person 50% of their average high four years, a pitiable amount no on can live on unless they worked 15 or 20 years somewhere else and have retirement from previous employment. By the way, the average PERS benefit is approximately $27,000 including the cost of living adjustment.
https://www.pers.ms.gov/Content/Supplemental/persfacts_figures.pdf
Page 4

For another, since 2011 the retirement requirement for PERS is 30 years. Try to keep up tater.

Reeves should pay more attention to what is actually going in the state and adopt policies to address the problems instead of looking for marching orders and social issues to overblow from the maga cultists.

Tailgating in the Grove? The state's best and brightest nepo babies and their legacy admit parents drunkenly celebrate whatever the Greek way at the state's flagship edumacational institution.

Hotty Toddy!

People are proud of that.

It is what it is.

If you aren't with it you are agin it!

>>>Reeves should pay more attention to what is actually going in the state and adopt policies to address the problems<<<


Oh the hopium is strong.

This article isn't bashing Bill, it's reporting truths that Mississippians will not report on themselves. I know it is hard being a cheerleader for a state that is performing horribly but it is through reporting these hard truths that change for the better will take place in Mississippi.

@6:57
Apparently you’ve never left the state or sampled BBQ anywhere else in America. This is why we are last. Never interested in how to improve.

It is WAY , WAY too easy to get on disability in Mississippi. They system is rigged to get you on it, and there are some crooked doctors out there who will make sure you never get off - so you can some see them every month. And tax dollars can pay for it. Huge scam. We need to make it way harder to be "disabled".