Jackson Jambalaya

Proposed Hinds County redistricting maps are up on the county website and posted below. The target population for each district is 49,057. Census data show Hinds County Supervisor districts have the following population:

District 1: 48,853
District 2: 45,312
District 3: 48,823
District 4: 53,396
District 5: 47,901

The first proposal is not posted. A county official told this correspondent there were problems with the numbers in the first one so it may or may not be submitted to the Board. This correspondent also observed Derrick Johnson and Robert Graham entering county offices together and they were quite chummy with each other. One black constable standing next to me called the fourth proposal "horrible". It was not Jerry Moore. The public meeting for the proposals is 6:00 PM tonight at the Board of Supervisors' chambers.

Earlier posts on subject:
Clarion-Ledger drops the ball again
WLBT Editorial
Hearing set for Monday night
Redistricting fireworks at Hinds BOS last night. Video of entire meeting.
WLBT coverage of redistricting meeting
Hinds redistricting meeting tonight
More redistricting follies by Hinds Supes?
Northside Sun covers hiring of Derrick Johnson
Hinds Supes sneak paying President of Mississippi NAACP into meeting

Raymond Ethan Thomas. Impersonator extraordinaire. WAPT reported:

Take a look at this bill and see what you think.

Update: The census numbers given out at the February 22 meeting were wrong as they were based on the report used for the 2001 redistricting. Here are the numbers for each district:

District 1: 48853
District 2: 44684
District 3: 48823
District 4: 53396
District 5: 49915

The ideal population size for each district is still 49,057. In other words, the numbers given out the other night (and were included in the post about the meeeting) were bogus as they were the 1992 numbers. Nice job, Mr. Johnson. Here is additional census data by precinct posted on the Hinds County website today. The last three pages are the ones to read. Link to census data by precinct.

Original post:

The Hinds County Board of Supervisors will hold a meeting tomorrow night at 6:00 PM in council chambers on redistricting. The notice says the Board will discuss "adoption of the redistricting plan". A plan no member of the public has seen.

The Clarion-Ledger attempted to cover this story and provided some interesting quotes:

"Public input is welcome, and proposed maps will be available for viewing at 9 a.m. at the Board of Supervisors office and the circuit clerk's office, both in Jackson, and at the Raymond courthouse." Article

How about posting them on the website since most people can't come to the courthouse to view them during the business day? They were not posted at the courthouse as of 4:45 PM Friday. Then there is this story in the newspaper about Mr. Derrick Johnson's contract:

"Hinds County's hiring of the state NAACP president as its redistricting expert, paying him twice that of its previous consultant, has come under fire...

District 4 Supervisor Phil Fisher does not question Johnson's credentials but opposed the board's payment of his $40,000 fee.

That vote "is typical of the board's complete disregard for logic and economic sense when spending your money," he said in an e-mail. "Paying twice as much as other counties ($40,000 versus $20,000 in Rankin and Madison), then lamenting that 'we could have negotiated for a better price, but didn't' is a telling statement for the complete negligence of your elected officials."

Johnson's company "pretty much guarantees us that we will only have to conduct one election," Calhoun said. "That would save the county hundreds of thousands of dollars."....

Said Graham: "The only thing I have to say is that I feel very comfortable in Mr. Johnson's ability to get things done, and to get it done through the Justice Department...."

One can easily imagine that was indeed all Mr. Graham had to say as he is the one who moved the Board hire Mr. Johnson at the December 20, 2010 BOS meeting even though the matter was not placed on the agenda. The fact is the Board hired Mr. Johnson with NO notice to the public at a price double of what CMPDD would charge the county. In addition to his $40,000 fee, Mr. Johnson is also authorized in the contract to charge the county $150 per hour to redraw lines for Constables, Justice Court Judges, and County Court Judges if necessary.

The Board did not post any notice for the only public hearing for redistricting in the courthouse. The county posted the notice on the website a few hours prior to the start of the meeting only after this correspondent personally visited county offices and questioned why it was not posted on the website. The notice was only posted twice in the Jackson Advocate, a weekly newspaper with a circulation of only a few thousand people primarily in the black community. Several municipal officials in Hinds County informed this correspondent they were unaware of the meeting until after it took place.

Earlier posts on subject:
Clarion-Ledger drops the ball again
WLBT Editorial
Hearing set for Monday night
Redistricting fireworks at Hinds BOS last night. Video of entire meeting.
WLBT coverage of redistricting meeting
Hinds redistricting meeting tonight
More redistricting follies by Hinds Supes?
Northside Sun covers hiring of Derrick Johnson
Hinds Supes sneak paying President of Mississippi NAACP into meeting

Kay Hymowitz asked recently in the Wall Street Journal where have all the good men gone:

"Not so long ago, the average American man in his 20s had achieved most of the milestones of adulthood: a high-school diploma, financial independence, marriage and children. Today, most men in their 20s hang out in a novel sort of limbo, a hybrid state of semi-hormonal adolescence and responsible self-reliance. This "pre-adulthood" has much to recommend it, especially for the college-educated. But it's time to state what has become obvious to legions of frustrated young women: It doesn't bring out the best in men.

"We are sick of hooking up with guys," writes the comedian Julie Klausner, author of a touchingly funny 2010 book, "I Don't Care About Your Band: What I Learned from Indie Rockers, Trust Funders, Pornographers, Felons, Faux-Sensitive Hipsters and Other Guys I've Dated." What Ms. Klausner means by "guys" is males who are not boys or men but something in between. "Guys talk about 'Star Wars' like it's not a movie made for people half their age; a guy's idea of a perfect night is a hang around the PlayStation with his bandmates, or a trip to Vegas with his college friends.... They are more like the kids we babysat than the dads who drove us home." One female reviewer of Ms. Kausner's book wrote, "I had to stop several times while reading and think: Wait, did I date this same guy?" Essay

Interesting read and something I've been noticing more and more myself: Guys who are thirty and well, act and try to look fifteen.

Conservative website Redstate slams Governor Barbour over his support for farm subsidies:

"Haley Barbour is the latest potential presidential candidate to prostrate on the altar of the farm lobby and support the $20 billion fleecing of the taxpayer...." Post

Mr. Fisher announced his intent to run for re-election in this column and had a few choice things to say about the Hinds County Board of Supervisors as well. There are quite a few money quotes in the announcement. I won't spoil your fun- read it for yourself. ;-)

First the newspaper drops the mobile edition. Hey Leslie, while you are cutting Marshall Ramsey back to part-time, maybe you should realize you are in the year 2011, where everyone is using Iphones, Droids, and Blackberries. Good job in making your paper harder to read online. That is sure to drive traffic to your website and increase readership. But we won't stop there.

Here is the Clarion-Ledger's coverage of the Hinds County redistricting mess. No comment, I will just let you read it for yourself. Enjoy.

Minutes from the Jackson City Council meeting on January 11, 2011. They are not available on the city's website. One thing that was discontinued after April 2009. Nothing really noteworthy in this set of minutes. JJ is going to attempt to provide the minutes on a regular basis.

Jackson major crimes for week ending February 20, 2011.

Jackson major crimes overview for week ending February 20, 2011.

Jackson crime maps for week ending February 20, 2011.

City of Madison crime reports through February 23, 2011.

Kaze and Madame DeLadd go at it. Enjoy.

Attorney Vann Leonard pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to one count of embezzling from a bankruptcy estate. Mr. Leonard will be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum term of five years in prison. Mr. Leonard is accused in a civil lawsuit filed in Madison Circuit Court of stealing the proceeds from a life insurance policy that should have gone to a widow. Trustmark filed a Substitute of Trustee notice in the Madison County Chancery Clerk's office and is about to initiate foreclosure proceedings against Mr. Leonard's home.

Mr. Leonard stole $327,585 from the estate of Shirley Douglas. Ms. Douglas retained Jackson attorney Richard Schwartz after suffering injuries in an automobile collision. Ms. Douglas filed bankruptcy before Mr. Schwartz obtained a $500,000 settlement for her. Mr. Schwartz hired Mr. Leonard to deposit the settlement in the bankruptcy estate and approve payment of his $172,414 fee out of the estate. The judge approved payment to Schwartz. Ms. Douglas and the bankruptcy trustee sued Mr. Leonard and alleged he "stole" the remaining funds. Ms. Douglas claims the settlement would have paid off her debts. Instead of enjoying some financial freedom, Ms. Douglas's wages are garnished every two weeks due to her bankruptcy.

WLBT news director Dennis Smith slams the Hinds County Board of Supervisors for the redistricting fiasco in the video posted below. One additional piece of information for you. I went to the library and checked newspapers. Notice of the February 22 meeting was published twice in the Jackson Advocate and none in the Clarion-Ledger.

Marsha brought it last night. She reported on Byram's problems in trying to obtain police radios for its police department. Marsha gets a money quote from Supervisor George Smith at the end of the story which tells you all you need to know about the Hinds County Board of Supervisors. Keep in mind the amount of this purchase is $232,000, no small amount. The more we learn about this problem, the more something smells over on President Street.

Courtney Ann Jackson reported last night on the Byram Police Department's problems in obtaining police radios. Ms. Jackson also reports the "consultant" used by Hinds County keeps trying to push Byram to purchase radios he happens to sell even though it will cost over $10,000 more than the Motorolas. Link includes video.

The House Judiciary "B" Committee passed Senate Bill #2821, this morning with no amendments.

March VIP magazine issues just hit the racks. Can't find one? No problem. Click here for the rack locations. And no, VIP is not the equivalent of a triple martini nor do I know who the VIP girl will be.

Not to be outdone, State Senator and candidate for Mississippi Treasurer Lee Yancey held a fund-raiser at the home of Roger Davis this week. Invitation posted below.

The Hinds County Board of Supervisors set a hearing Monday night at 6:00 PM in their chambers. The notice is posted below. The notice says the topic will be "adoption of the redistricting plan". Interesting. Interesting in that as of 24 hours ago, there was no plan, according to Redistricting guru Derrick Johnson. Does this mean there will be a plan no one has seen that will be adopted Monday night by the Board? Kingfish will try to find out for you.

It should also be noted Mr. Johnson is not being paid $40,000 to handle all redistricting chores. His contract states he can be paid an additional $150 per hour to redraw the lines for Justice Court, County Court, and Constable voting districts if necessary.

Video of meeting and post about meeting.

Note: Want to give a special mention to local attorney and owner of Brent's Drugs, Brad Reeves, who showed up at the meeting on an hour's notice when I asked him to do so. Unlike some other local hot-shot, well-known young Republicans who love to go to parties, but seem to be MIA when actual combat might take place, Mr. Reeves showed up for the fight. Reward him by patronizing Brent's, even if it's just to get a shake or cherry limeade to go.

The Hinds County Board of Supervisors held a public hearing last night on redistricting. The Board hired Derrick Johnson to  handle the redistricting chores. JJ video-taped the entire hearing and posted it below. Before watching the video, it is important to remember several things:

The Madison County Board of Supervisors met yesterday to discuss redistricting. Nearly 80 people attended the meeting and the media was present. Controversy erupted last week when the Board announced that only a committee of five individuals- Tim Johnson, Eric Hamer, Karl Banks, Lee Westbrook, and Brad Sellers, would handle redistricting. The Board also mandated that the company actually redistricting the county, Central Mississippi Planning & Development District, could only discuss redistricting with the committee and no one else, including election commissioners, other supervisors, and the Chancery Clerk.

The Board voted to file a lawsuit seeking extension of the qualifying deadline for Supervisor, Constable, and School Board elections until June 1 as redistricting has not been completed and the qualifying deadline for these races is March 1 (Video, maps, and documents distributed at meeting posted below).

The second page of the documents posted below states the population and racial composition for each district. The ideal population amount for each district is 19,041. District 1 (John Bell Crosby) has 17,350 residents and is 66% white. District 2 (Tim Johnson) has 19,039 people and is 80% white. District 3 (D.I. Smith) has 22,730 people and is 70% white. District 4 (Karl Banks) has 20,361 people and is 56% black. District 5 (Paul Griffin) has 15,453 people and is 76% black.

That was the news portion of this post, now for the editorial part. I suspect the Gang of Five has run into a little problem. Paul needs an additional three to four thousand voters in his district. The guidelines state the districts are to be "contiguous" and "compact" (page four of the second set of documents posted below). The guidelines can only be followed if Paul gains some of Karl's voters. Karl would then have to take voters from D.I. Smith's district, which has three thousand or so votes to spare. Tim's district is at the ideal number and John Bell's district is a little more than a thousand short of being within the desired statistical variation.

The dilemma for the Gang of Four, if they are so inclined to protect themselves in the redistricting process, is Karl has to give up several thousand voters to Paul although he currently enjoys a cushion of 1300 votes. There are approximately 3800 more blacks than whites in District 4. If Karl loses several thousand to Paul, his district gets much "whiter", something he presumably does not want to see happen. Start playing with the lines and you will see it is hard for the Karl, Paul, Tim, and John Bell to change the lines without hurting themselves, if the goal for them is indeed self-preservation.



Here are the current maps and the documents distributed at the meeting:

The Hinds County Board of Supervisors held a meeting on redistricting Monday night. WLBT, the Clarion-Ledger, and the Northside Sun covered the hearing. I'm going to write a much more thorough post later today that will include the video of the entire meeting. However, this video by WLBT provides some highlights.




Here are some undisputed facts to keep in mind when watching either video:

1. The hiring of Mr. Derrick Johnson to redistrict Hinds County was NOT placed on the agenda for the December 20, 2010 meeting. It was brought up at the end of the BOS meeting that day.

2. The Board hired Mr. Johnson for $40,000, twice what Central Mississippi Planning and Development District would have charged for the same task.

3. No notice about the meeting was posted on the website until Monday afternoon, after the Kingfish made a personal appearance at the County Administrator's office asking why it was not on the website. Myself and others asked the Board the same question last night and were assured by Mr. Smith such items were going to be placed on the website in the future.

4. No notice was ever posted on the courthouse bulletin board. Period.

5. No maps or precinct totals by race were presented Monday night. Mr. Johnson asked for input only on criteria and what people would like to see happen.

More to come later. The video is a doozy as the meeting turned into a rumble several times.

Ruth Ingram accurately reported in the Clarion-Ledger Byram's attempts to obtain funding for police radios from Hinds County at the regular meeting of the Board of Supervisors yesterday:

"Byram Police Chief Luke Thompson has waited since June for his department to receive hand-held radios.

On Tuesday, he saw the wait extended.

"When it comes to two-way radio communication, Hinds County has options other than Motorola," Hargrove said.

JJ confirmed there will be a redistricting hearing TONIGHT at 6:00 PM at the Hinds County Board of Supervisors chambers in Jackson. No notice was posted on the county website nor on the county bulletin board in the courthouse but notice was posted in the.......drum roll...... newspaper. The law states notice shall be posted at the courthouse or in the newspaper. This correspondent spoke at length to the County Administrator's office about how most people now go to the website for County information. Her office called me a few minutes ago and said the IT department was going to post the notice on the website.

Mr. Derrick Johnson may submit his proposed redistricting of Hinds County precincts to the Board tonight. The hearing is for public comment. County officials assured this correspondent no vote will be taken.

Apparently RGA Disorder has broken out in Madison County as well as Hinds County. The MC Herald reported last week:

"The supervisors are holding a public hearing at 9 a.m. as they begin the process of redrawing district boundaries to reflect the larger population reflected in the 2010 Census.
"This is an opportunity to educate the public," board attorney Eric Hamer said.
Census data shows that Madison County grew 27.49 percent from 2000 to 2010, from 74,675 to the current 95,203.
Representatives of the Central Mississippi Planning and Development District will be at the hearing to discuss redistricting with the supervisors.
Last week the Board of Supervisors appointed a redistricting committee to work with CMPDD on drawing the five districts that are used for electing supervisors. Committee members are Circuit Clerk Lee Westbrook, county administrator Brad Sellers, attorney Hamer, and Supervisors Tim Johnson and Karl Banks.
None of the county's five election commissioners were included on the committee despite a request from chairman Kakey Chaney.
"We weren't invited but we're always available to help," she said."

Apparently this stirred up a few Madison County residents alarmed at the epidemic of RGA as they sent out a few emails. Carl Crawford, President of Brisage Homeowners Association, penned this email a few days ago:

"All MONA members:
A public hearing is being held at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the Board of Supervisors meeting room at the Courthouse in Canton – and you or a representative of your neighborhood need to attend.

All county tax funds are spent by the five-member Board of Supervisors, as you know. The five Supervisors will be elected in November. They run in districts redrawn every decade, now being based on the 2010 Census. The present District 2 Supervisor, Tim Johnson, has generally voted with two rural Supervisors against the best interests of his own voters in District 2 which is largely Madison The City, in the opinion of many Madison residents. Now those three Supervisors – Tim and the two rural Supervisors -- have placed themselves and their county attorney on the Redistricting Committee, excluding Supervisors D. I. Smith and John Bell Crosby, who each represent large portions of south Madison County. Many fear the trio will redraw the Supervisor districts in a manner designed to reduce the voting strength of the southern portions of the county, i.e. split the populated areas into small portions of several districts, so they can maintain their three-person control of the Board of Supervisors and all county spending.

Below is a message from Madison The City Board of Alderman Guy Bowering to his constituents. MONA Board member Nelwyn Madison, president of Ingleside neighborhood, also has sent a similar email to all residents of her neighborhood. You may want to communicate similarly to alert your neighbors to attend the Tuesday 9 a.m. public hearing.

Carl Crawford
Chairman, MONA
President, Brisage Homeowners Association"

The President of the City of Madison Board of Alderman sent out this email as well:
"I'm sending the email to be sure that you are aware of the Public Hearing about Redistricting to be held at the regular Board room where the Supervisors meet. Monday is a holiday and the hearing is before the regular Board meeting. The Hearing will begin at 9:00am.

A Redistricting committee was formed by Tim Johnson and I think Karl Banks and they are on the Committee. Eric Hamer, Circuit Clerk Lee Westbrook, County Adm. Brad Sellers, are also on the Committee. The original contract with CMPDD was amended to read that the Committee is the only group that can give input to CMPDD. I find this very disturbing. This means that D. I. Smith, John Bell Crosby and Paul Griffin will have no input. This is not just BAD government practice, this is an obvious attempt to have total control over redistricting for Madison without all of the Supervisors input and interest of the Voters.

As was in the case of the so called Solid Waste Authority, District 3 has no input here either.

I would ask that all who care about the Redistricting of Madison County and can make arrangements to attend, to please do so. We need open and transparent Government for Madison County and have not had it for almost seven years.

Please make every effort to come to this Hearing and tell your friends and neighbors.

Thank you,
Guy Bowering"

Last but certainly not least, Madison County resident Nelwyn Madison sounded the alarm in this email:

"Dear Ingleside Residents:

I’m sure many of you saw in today’s paper that a committee has been formed by the Madison County Supervisors to re-draw district lines based on the 2010 census. It is quite disturbing that two of the supervisors (Karl Banks & Tim Johnson) placed themselves and the Board attorney, Eric Hamer on the committee. They omitted the other three supervisors (including ours, D.I. Smith). Since all districts have the potential to be affected by the new boundaries, it is unconscionable that three supervisors would not be included in this process.

Additionally, not a single member of the Madison County Election Commission was included, despite a request by Chairman, Kakey Chaney.

There will be a public hearing this coming Tuesday morning at 9:00 in the county Board Room in Canton. The people in Madison county whose supervisors are being excluded (included all residents of Ingleside) should rise up and demand some representation in this process.

Please consider showing up for this hearing, even if you don’t plan to speak. We need to let them know that ALL districts should be represented in a decision that will affect all of us. "

Of course, unless Lucy Weber or Steve Watson reports it, there is no controversy. Should be interesting Tuesday morning. Hope someone tapes it.

The Hinds County Board of Supervisors is at it again. First they failed to place the hiring of Mississippi NAACP President Derrick Johnson to handle redistricting chores for the county on the agenda for the December 20, 2010 meeting. The Board then voted (Robert Graham made the motion) at the end of the meeting to award the redistricting contract to Mr. Johnson for $40,000, twice the amount Central Mississippi Planning & Development District charges for redistricting. However, the Board is not through.

A public hearing on redistricting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 22 at 6:00 PM at the BOS chambers according to two county officials. The meeting is not listed on the county website (See screenshot posted below). Mr. Johnson has not submitted the new voting maps at the close of business Friday when this correspondent spoke to county officials. County offices are closed tomorrow in honor of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Thus the public will have no chance to review the proposed voting maps before the public hearing Tuesday night, if the public even knows about the hearing to even up. I will leave any editorial comments on this matter to you, the reader.

Check out the latest invite for Lucien Smith:

Josh Harkins issued the following press release announcing his candidacy for Lee Yancey's Senate seat:

Came across this study on one of the problems bedeviling websites and online advertisers alike: How to count website traffic:

"Many visitors to locally oriented news and information Web sites are neither local nor loyal, according to a new study from Borrell Associates.

On average, about 30% of the visitors don’t live in the market and about 25% of the page views are by “fly-bys” who may not return for another year, if ever, according to the study "How Unique is Unique? Gauging the (Actual) Size of Local Web Traffic," which is based on surveys of site visitors conducted over the past two years and some “complicated math.

The study also found the average local Web site unique visitor count overstates the number of actual local people coming to the site by a factor of five...." Article, Study

Local favorite Johnny Crocker plays at Olga's tomorrow night from 7:30 to 10:30 PM. Enjoy some drinks in the bar or some of Yuriy's cooking. Reservations are accepted but not required. Olga's is the new weekend hangout for those who enjoy fine dining and good music. Call 601-366-1366 for reservations.

Vote for Olga's in Metromix's Best Restaurant and Best Restaurant Categories.



This post is a paid advertisement.

Campbell Robertson of the New York Times takes Jerry Mitchell to school in his coverage of the lawsuit filed against the author of The Help in a story published yesterday. Mr. Robertson obtained an exclusive interview with Ablene Cooper, the maid allegedly portrayed by author Katie Stockett in the book against her wishes, and asks some basic questions such as.... where doe Ms. Cooper currently work:

"In the complaint, Ms. Cooper argues that one of the book’s principal characters, Aibileen Clark, is an unpermitted appropriation of her name and image, which she finds emotionally distressing.

It is more complicated than that. For the past dozen years, Ms. Cooper has worked for Ms. Stockett’s older brother, Robert, and sister-in-law, Carroll, and still does.

“Ain’t too many Ablenes,” Ms. Cooper said at a law office after a day’s work at the Stocketts, for whom she has helped raise two children. Ms. Cooper also said that she had their support in her legal quest." Article

THAT is interesting. Now we need Paul Harvey to come back and tell us the REST of the story.

Good day.

Update: The House Agriculture Committee passed its substitute (posted below)bill for SB #2821 this morning. The committee came in, sat down, and passed it in less than two minutes. The bill now goes to House Judiciary Committee "B" for consideration.


Original post
The House Agriculture Committee took up SB#2821 yesterday, one of the two animal cruelty bills to pass the Senate. 26 committee members were present. Chairman Ward introduced a committee substitute that would create a second-offense felony for animal cruelty. The first offense would be a misdemeanor with a maximum imprisonment of six months but the fine is increased to $2,500 from the current $1,000. The bill explicitly states the law only applies to dogs and cats, not vertebrates (Got that puppy mill people over at AKC and Mississippi Canine Coalition?). The committee adjourned until today and will meet again after the close of the floor session today. However, it being Friday, there is a question whether there will be a quorum as legislators are known for taking off on Friday regardless of any hearings scheduled. If no quorum is present, then the committee will meet early next week and take up the bill.

That was the news portion of this post, now for the editorial. The discussion at the hearing was spirited at times but good. Several asked legitimate questions: "Will spanking a dog be considered an offense" and "What is domesticated?" were some of those asked. Mr. Ward ran a right ship yesterday and made it clear he wanted a bill passed out of committee. Representatives Whittington and Lane formed the subcommittee that drafted the substitute. The substitute strengthens the bill that passed the Senate by changing it from a third-offense felony to a second-offense felony. It is an improvement over current law. It is a better bill than SB#2127. The bill, as all other bills are, is not perfect but it is probably the best that could be hoped to be passed out of the committee. Several committee members wanted to adjourn so they could offer amendments. I spoke to several members after all and the sentiment was several want to tighten up some of the definitions in ways that made sense.

Radioreference.com. Enjoy.

Here are the latest minutes from various local governments available online. Enjoy.


Madison County BOS minutes from December 20, 2011.

Hinds County BOS minutes from January 18, 2011.

Rankin County BOS minutes from February 7, 2011.

Ridgeland minutes from January 18, 2011.

Brandon minutes from January 18, 2011.

If a local city is not included, that means its minutes are not available online.

Governor Christie gives a speech to the American Enterprise Institute.

The Rez News blog published a press release by the Stennis Institute announcing it will study the Pearl River Valley Water Supply District. It seems the Rankin County Board of Supervisors and several Rankin legislators requested the study. You can read the announcement here.

Jackson weekly crime reports listing crime by incident and street have not been updated since January 2 and only three times since November.

Jackson major crimes overview for week ending February 6, 2011.

Jackson weekly crime maps for week ending February 6, 2011.

City of Madison crime reports through February 15, 2011.

Congratulations to Mr. Quentin Whitwell, the new Jackson City Councilman from Ward 1. He won with 90% of the vote and now gets to deal with Harvey and the rest of the City Council, not to mention the rest of us telling him every day what he is doing wrong. Turnout yesterday was 25% of the vote, which is pretty good for a city council special election.

Recent poll by Southern Research Group of 301 registered voters in Mississippi shows some interesting facts about the Lieutenant Governor's race. Treasurer Tate Reeves "has a 41% to 22% name ID lead over State Senator Billy Hewes but 60% do not have any awareness of either candidate. 73% of those polled state they do not have a preference at this time.

Note: Quentin Whitwell will be on Kim Wade from 5-6 PM today on WYAB. Click here to listen live.

The Northside Sun provided a few new details on the hiring of Mississippi NAACP President Derrick Johnson to handle redistricting chores for Hinds County at a cost twice as much as that charged surrounding counties by Central Mississippi Planning & Development District (The Earlier post breaking story.):

"Hinds County taxpayers are on the hook for nearly twice as much as other counties when it comes to paying for redistricting.

At its meeting on January 18, the board of supervisors voted to give Jackson attorney Derrick Johnson $40,000 to redraw district lines. (KF Note: This action by the Board was NOT on the agenda and was brought up at the end of the meeting.).

The decision could indicate that the board didn’t quite do its homework before approving the contract. The Central Mississippi Planning and Development District (CMPDD), the planning organization that typically does redistricting for the metro area, charges half that amount.

That fact is something Board President District Five Supervisor George Smith admitted to in an interview with the Sun. “We could have negotiated (for a better price) but we didn’t,” he said. At the time of the vote, Smith said he didn’t know what other counties were charged for the same services...."

"CMPDD has conducted the previous three redistricting efforts for Hinds County. Holmes said $40,000 appears to be a large amount on the surface, but said whether or not it’s too much also depends on what the contract entails.

Graham said Johnson would be redrawing district lines for county supervisors, constables, election commissioners and justice court judges. “He’s not redistricting for one set of people,” he said.

For the same services, CMPDD charges a flat fee of $20,000. Additional fees are charged if the proposed boundaries are challenged in court. “If we go in to court, we expect to be paid. But if we don’t we don’t charge for it,” Holmes said.

Holmes said districts drawn up by the metropolitan planning organization are rarely challenged - or defeated - in court." Article

in the Republican primary.

DO NOT OPEN THIS POST IF AT WORK OR AROUND CHILDREN.

MSU Cheerleader Taylor Stone (not her real name) was named Playboy's "Co-ed of the Week" for the week of Febuary 3. In an attempt to give full coverage to the controversy, JJ is posting some photos of her work so you can decide for yourself if she should remain on the squad at MSU. Oh, Happy Valentine's Day.
























































And if it were me, I would have kicked her off the squad. Sorry, she represents the school and she has no constitutional right to cheer in an official position. Make her sue and see if she wins.

I can't resist. ;-) I see this editorial in the Jackson Free Press and it screams "Kingfish, have some fun." Sooooo.... I'll give in to temptation, deliver myself into some literary evil, and dissect this one.

The Jackson Free Press’ readership is diverse in many ways, and we get criticized from the left and right for editorial stances and endorsements. Our editorial board believes in groups of people with varying opinions getting together to debate and discuss and, thus, find a better solution due to diversity of opinion.
For that reason, we rather like the idea of a City Council with varying viewpoints, much as we like the fact that President Obama has shown a willingness to compromise and reach out to the business community.

Nothing wrong with this part. The obligatory "we are open-minded" and "welcome diversity of opinions" claptrap. Otherwise known as the smile given to the victim while the dagger is sharpened. Sure enough, here it comes:

To that end, we wish we could feel more comfortable with the thought of well-funded Republican Quentin Whitwell taking over Jeff Weill’s Council seat in the special election on Feb. 15. We wish we believed he would partake in a healthy dialogue with other Council members and vote independently from what his funders might want, should the situation merit it. We’d like to think he would think for himself more than Weill, who seemed to treat the seat as a Republican stepping stone to higher office, and take often-not-well-considered positions just because they were against the mayor.

Well funded? Would they feel comfortable if Patricia Ice was well-funded? Did they complain about Barack Obama shattering all fundraising records? Is there any reason why they should not believe he would engage in a "healthy dialogue" with the rest of the City Council? What exactly should he do when they try to refinance bonds that will bankrupt the city while enriching disgraced bond pimp Porter Bingham? Should he kiss their ass when they try to hike wages while the city is broke? When exactly has Mr. Whitwell shown in his career he does not engage in healthy dialogue with other parties? That is the essence of a good lobbyist you know, not that one should expect them to know anything about politics. A top lobbyist such as Clifford Thompson or Clare Hester is good at listening to and negotiating with the other side.

As for the comments about Weill, that is just plain hackery. Weill was the only one raising hell about the Fuelman cards. He was the ONLY one who tried to stop that $97 million interest rate swap Rick Hill, SORE, and George Smith's nephew tried to cram down our throats while paying out $4 million in fees (The JFP said nothing about this.) He was the only one that tried to have some accountability on the claims docket whether it was Frank or Harvey. Yet he treated it as a stepping stone. Right. He was about the only one on that council that asked any real questions about the budget. Yes, he screwed up sometimes (Millsaps study) but he was the only one on that city council trying to hold city government accountable for its actions.

Then there is the next paragraph:
But Whitwell has a huge warning sign hanging over his head: his own resume. He is a tried-and-true corporate-conservative lobbyist—with clients from United Healthcare to U.S. Smokeless Tobacco to Ashbritt (Google it with “Katrina” and “Barbour”). His firm has lobbied the state Legislature on behalf of a national charter-school group (we understand discussing them, but lobbying is something else) and for power companies such as Entergy that want customers to pay now for possible nuclear and coal plant construction in the future.

Oh my gosh. He's a lobbyist. HEEEEEEEELLLLLLLPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!! OHMYGOSH OHMYGOSH!!! MASHED POTATOES!!! CRANBERRIES!!! GRAVY!!! SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!! Wait a second, you mean a lobbyist is like a lawyer and represents these things called clients? You mean that is where you get paid to represent someone? What happened to the JFP's position of defending lawyers who represent murderers? Protestors? Illegal immigrants. Oh, I get it, only some people deserve legal representation in the criminal justice system or in dealings with the government. Bill Chandler and his wife are fine folks because they represent illegal immigrants and the poor but Mr. Whitwell should be penalized for doing what his clients pay him to do. Got it. It might be news to her but a lobbyist is acting on behalf of his paying client's interest. That does not mean he agrees with their interests or viewpoint. Just because Haley represented a chinese company once does not mean he is a communist. Beth Clay is a known Democrat. Think she agrees with all those Republican-type clients she has? Of course not. She is doing her job as a lobbyist in representing them. Doesn't matter. He's a lobbyist who represents corporations. Never mind he might bring a private-sector or business-oriented viewpoint to the council, he's the enemy.

Better yet, he represents conservative causes such as charter schools. Damn. Can't have that, can we? So does that mean the JFP actually opposes charter schools? What was that the editorial stated earlier about "varying viewpoints"? Careful, your slip is showing, JFP. The truth is, the JFP does not want a diversity of idea on the Jackson City Council. Even if one accepts the editorial's arguments at face value, Mr. Whitwell will be opposed by a Mayor and probably four or five city council members with completely opposing views on most issues. The "progessive" weekly only wants council members that think the same way, vote the same way, and above all else, give Harvey what he wants every time on demand. Make no mistake folks, the smile is off and the dagger is out. Mr. Whitwell is a scumbag lobbyist who doesn't do honest work and defends conservatives as well as corporations. Can't have that ANYWHERE near the City Council. However, the JFP is just getting warmed up:

We’re also concerned about his not-subtle ties with “Two Lakes” supporters; the spokesman for that project, Dallas Quinn, is his campaign manager; vocal “Two Lakes” supporter Ben Allen is his treasurer. The Ward 1 council member should look carefully at all flood-control options—and look out for constituents who are concerned about higher property taxes to pay for expensive development, not to mention the use of eminent domain to take property. This is a complicated issue that deserves more than a lobbyist’s approach to it.

TWOLAKESTWOLAKESTWOLAKES!!! The world is gonna end!!!! Its 2012!!! Frank Melton is back from the dead!!!!! HEEEEEEEEEELP!!!!!! Guess what, most of NE Jackson supports Two Lakes. Most of NE Jackson damn sure doesn't want a levees-only plan that adds six to ten feet of heigh to levees and condemns over THIRTY businesses on Lakeland Drive. The argument about higher property taxes is a flat-out lie. The only way property taxes will be higher is if the Two Lakes plan is implemented. You know what that means? The taxes are higher because.......drum roll.......the land is WORTH MORE MONEY. While families suffer nationwide from declining real estate prices, the editorial complains about something that might actually increase real estate values for the same NEJammers it bashed for years. By the way, how come the JFP never says a word about the property taxes in Jackson being twice that of surrounding cities? Where is the concern for property taxes for Jacksonians, who on average make less money than those in those same communities, who pay twice as much? How come there is no defense of those business owners who will lose their land to a levee plan and are now unable to sell their property (No one will buy it because it will be condemned!) Oh yeah, those are evil corporations. They don't count. Doesn't matter. The same people who backed Melton support Two Lakes. They are evil and deserve no voice whatsoever in government.

Besides, we are dismayed to see Whitwell marching out the same tired Morgan-Quitno “dangerous city” rhetoric of failed local candidates to try to scare people into voting for him. This is a very bad omen.

Got news for ya, JFP. Jackson DOES have a crime problem. Maybe if you start raising hell about Harvey no longer publishing crime stats since November (unless asked by JJ) as you did when Frank did the same thing, we might take you seriously. JJ agrees with you about the MQ study (and posted very critical articles about them several months ago).
That guy in New York said "The rent is too damn high" well guess what? The crime is too damn high. Notice how the people at the JFP shrugging off crime are usually single people or have no kids. Different story when you have a wife and kids to worry about or are a single mom. The same single moms the JFP defends on domestic violence suddenly don't matter as much when it comes to discussing crime in Jackson. There is a reason the middle and upper income blacks are moving out of Jackson and if you've noticed, they aren't exactly griping about the tough on crime policies pursued by neighboring cities. They can call crime a luxury tax for living in Jackson all they want but crime is a huge problem. Of course, this editorial is printed by a "paper" whose editor thought crime under Dinkins in NYC was no big deal.

As for opponent Patricia Ice: We know her as a person, an advocate for the less fortunate and an immigrants-rights attorney. She is a smart family woman, and she cares about the residents of Jackson. We believe she will think independently, but with an ear toward the rights of people over corporations. We’re glad she decided to run, and we believe she would represent the people of Ward 1, and the entire city, better than her opponent.

Please turn out and vote for Ice on Feb. 15.

That says it all. Everyone on the council needs to look alike, think alike, and agree with us or else we will trash you in our editorials. Ignored by the JFP is the disturbing fact there is probably no one on the city council who knows how to read a balance sheet, understands what it takes to run a business, or has any experience in private economic development. The editorial makes no mention of Ms. Ice's resume while devoting most of its space to Mr. Whitewell's. Not one word about Ms. Ice's qualifications is made or what she brings to the table. Just "she is a good person" and "she agrees with us". Funny, I thought endorsements were just that, endorsements and not character assassinations but such is typical for the Jackson Free Press.

This post is not part of any paid advertising by the Whitwell campaign. It is simply an editorial opinion provided by Kingfish.

See below for Tour stops. Send groupie requests to Kingfish1935@gmail.com. Kingfish is the appointed screener of all groupies.

Hal & Mal's, Saturday, February 12, 2011
Silent Auction 6 PM, Live Auction: 9 PM

Mississippi HeARTS takes over Hal & Mal’s Restaurant in downtown Jackson this Saturday, February 12, turning it into a Valentine’s Wonderland of amazing art, cuisine and music. Featuring more than 300 pieces in Silent and Live auctions, more than 65 restaurants and caterers and the live entertainment of Scott Albert Johnson, Natalie Long & Clinton Kirby, Eric Stracener & The Frustrations and Mama's Black Sheep. Tickets $35 per person or available online for only $30 at Mississippihearts.org.

The letter written by Kamikaze about Jackson's problems generated no small amount of traffic and comments on this website. I received a thoughtful email from a law student at Mississippi College on the subject and obtained permission from him to post it in its entirety. Enjoy.

"I am the law student at Mississippi College and member of the Jackson Leadership Initiative Program that was referred to in the comment section under your post of Kamikaze's email.