Jackson Jambalaya

Reverend Timothy Stallworth of the Hinds County Youth Court appeared on the show yesterday to discuss the youth court and the issues they face in dealing with juveniles. Very interesting show. One thing he does need is mentors. If you have a few hours of time to spare a week, he said they can use mentors. Contact the youth court if interesting.

Warning: parts of the posted document below are graphic and may not be safe for work or children. 

Kenya Burks paints a rather violent and lurid picture of the Mayor's office in Vicksburg in her answers to interrogatories. Ms. Burks sued the city of Vicksburg and Mayor Paul Winfield in federal court for $1.5 million for sexual harassment last year. Ms. Burks alleges she and the Mayor had an affair that was at times violent and an open secret at City Hall. The answers are only one side presented in a lawsuit and were submitted to the court on February 13. The Mayor was arrested last week by the FBI on bribery charges.

A Master left us today.  Here is one of my favorite concertos as performed by Mr. Cliburn.

The Senate confirmed Chuck Hagel for Secretary of Defense yesterday on a 58-41 vote. The Washington **** reported:

JJ is trying to bring its readers up to speed on the sexual harassment lawsuit against Vicksburg Mayor Paul Winfield, which is in addition to his arrest on federal bribery charges last week. Former Vicksburg Chief of Staff Kenya Burks filed the lawsuit after she was fired by the city. Ms. Burks alleged the mayor had an affair with her and numerous other women while Mayor of Vicksburg. Indeed, the documents filed in court paint a picture of a Mayor who saw himself as some type of Nubian Chief who had the right to sleep with all city employees if Ms. Burks is to be believed. She charges she was terminated after she ended the relationship.

Sam Hall waxed tragically over the fate of Vicksburg Mayor Paul Winfield in his Sunday column:

The Hinds County Board of Supervisors paid $66,000 for a report produced by Malachi Financial Products. Malachi reviewed the Byram-Clinton Corridor project as an economic impact study for the Board. No comment is made by this website but here is the invoice and the "report".

Please pray for Public Safety Commissioner Santa Cruz and his family as his son died recently. This is obviously a tough time for him and his family and we wish them the best as they deal with their loss.

Drove to Conway, Arkansas and back yesterday to rescue a dog. I am just plain running behind as I didn't get back until early this morning.

I'm going to post the complaint and more filings from the Paul Winfield sexual harassment lawsuit, but I thought you Sunday readers would enjoy this exhibit. The letter was sent to a lawyer friend of the plaintiff before any lawsuit was ever filed. It's quit amusing to read in light of the past week's events in Vicksburg. In case you've been living under a rock, the former Chief of Staff for the Mayor sued him and the city of Vicksburg. She alleged they had a consensual relationship but when she ended the relationship, the city fired her and he harassed her. Enjoy.

George Melloan warns in the Wall Street Journal about the asset bubble created by the Fed:

Collection of all posts on the Frazier case

The trial for Claiborne Frazier, Austin Frazier, C.E. Frazier, Jr., and Spencer Copeland is set for July 22, 2013. A federal grand jury indicted Claiborne Frazier, Austin Frazier, and C.E. Frazier, Jr. on December 12, 2012 for mail fraud and money laundering. The grand jury also indicted Spencer Copeland for money laundering. C.E. Frazier, Jr. is the father of Austin and Claiborne. Mr. Copeland is the step-brother of Austin and Claiborne. Earlier post with copy of indictment.

The FBI announced the arrest of Vicksburg Mayor Paul Winfield on bribery charges. The FBI stated in a press release:

The Columbus Dispatch reports Lowndes County Circuit Judge Lee Coleman has a rather lenient attitude towards wife beaters in his courtroom. Sarah Fowler writes:

Brian Perry and I discussed the legislature this week on the show.  Topics were bonds, DOR scrum, Medicaid, and of course, home brewing legislation. 

Great argument for Pre-K.   Make it stop. Please.

The Ridgeland Board of Aldermen passed a resolution Tuesday night expressing support for the Ergon proposal to locate the Department of Revenue at the site on Highland Colony Parkway. The board also asked the legislature to "respect" the RFP process and cease all attempts to "intervene" in the process. Alderman-at-Large D.I. Smith moved to adopt the resolution he presented to the board. The vote was unanimous.  The Madison County Board of Supervisors passed a similar resolution the same night. The Ridgeland resolution is posted below.

Apparently the Hinds County Board of Supervisors can't even handle simple tasks such as mosquito spraying without trying to work an angle for a friend. The board refused to submit a contract for the job to the competitive bidding process. Board attorney Tony Gaylor said the contract would be a professional service and thus bids were not required, as the board could award the contract to any vendor the board chose.

This one is well-deserved.

Not satisfied with trying to hire a disgraced lawyer as a lobbyist or throwing millions of dollars at Airwave, the Hinds County Board of Supervisors voted yesterday to pay Malachi Financial Products to study the county budget and make recommendations on how the county can save money.

It looks like the rejection of my little public records request submitted to the Department of Public Safety for the concealed carry permit applications approved in 2011 and 2012 by the Department of Public Safety attracted some attention. The Sun-Herald's Michael Newsom wrote in the Sunday edition: (Yes, this podunk blog appeared in a Sunday paper. We have arrived.)

The Secretary of State announced the number of business formations in Mississippi increased:

Clinton resident and CFA Nancy Anderson tries to get run out of town as she opines the state should move the Department of Revenue to the Landmark Building in a Mississippi Business Journal column:

The Mississippi Bar suspended attorney Louis Guichet, III. Not for hanging out at Magoo's. Not for looking like Little John in Rabbit Hood. Not for being arrested on drug charges.  The Mississippi Lawyer reports:

A circuit judge dismissed an indictment against the Quitman County Circuit Clerk and Deputy Circuit Clerk after Attorney General Jim Hood asked the court to do so in a motion filed last Friday. Attorney General Jim Hood asked a Quitman County court to dismiss an indictment against the Quitman County Circuit Clerk and Deputy Circuit Clerk. A Quitman County grand jury indicted Circuit Clerk Brenda Wiggs and Deputy Circuit Clerk Bobbie Buggs for one count each of violating the laws concerning absentee ballots (Section 23-15-751 of the Mississippi Code).

WAPT reported the President of Belhaven University took time out from hating on Fido to dispute Madison Mayor Mary Hawkins-Butler's claim she didn't support Belhaven coming to Madison several years ago. Mr. Parrot said wait a second, we didn't want to come to Madison.

Be careful Governor. Some of your friends don't know how to keep their mouths shut. The Desoto Times reported:

The Sun-Herald uncovered some rather interesting spending at the Department of Marine Resources in today's edition:

Looks like Maker's Mark changed its mind about diluting its whiskey:

Attorney Philip Thomas offered a few comments on his blog, Mississippi Litigation Review about the recent sale of several downtown properties to real estate investor Judah Hertz. The Wall Street Journal reported:

The Rankin County Sheriff's Office issued the following press release:

The EEOC issued guidelines nearly a year ago that make it more difficult for employers to use criminal background checks to screen employees. The EEOC determined blacks and Hispanics are incarcerated at rates that are "disproportionate" to their share of the population. Thus the use of criminal background checks in the hiring process might be considered discrimination as they could have a disparate impact on minorities. Instead of writing a column telling you what the EEOC says, I will just publish excerpts of their guidelines so you can see the new policy in the EEOC's own words:

Parked in front of Primo's this morning:

AJ's is out, Georgia Blue is in over in Flowood. Yes, Georgia Blue will stay in Madison. This will be a second location. As for AJ's, well, does anyone care at this point?

WLBT reported last night a New Orleans bus company is going to sue Hinds County Supervisor Kenneth Stokes over an allegedly unpaid bus bill. No more details will be provided as we don't want to spoil the fun before you watch the video. Enjoy.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives issued this press release concerning Medicaid earlier this afternoon:

Senator Brice Wiggins and Representative Toby Barker submitted a column posted below that supports the establishment of publicly-funded preschool in Mississippi. The column is a response to a press release opposing such funding that was issued yesterday by the Mississippi Center for Public Policy.

District 5 Hinds County Supervisor Kenneth Stokes said he was tired of the "lies" about the E911 fund at a press conference in front of his home this morning. The Board of Supervisors erupted into a heated dispute at the last meeting when Emergency Operations Center Mark Young told the board the fund would run out of money in September. The county projected the fund would run out of money in March 2014. Mr. Stokes said he wanted "to hire someone" to study the system and make recommendations. Mr. Stokes also said he didn't owe a bus company any money and said his signature was forged. Here is the video.

Great footage of a battle in Syria.  Crazy at 25:00.

The Mississippi Center for Public Policy issued this statement opposing state funding for pre-kindegarten:

Well, well, well, look who voted against HB 955 yesterday:

Senators Cochran and Wicker voted to send F-16's to Egypt. You know, the Egypt that is banning Youtube and calling Jews "pigs" and "apes". Senator Rand Paul introduced an amendment “To prohibit the sale, lease, transfer, retransfer, or delivery of F-16 aircraft, M1 tanks, or certain other defense articles or services to the Government of Egypt”. The amendment failed in the Senate recently by a vote of 79-19. Here are the votes on whether to table the amendment:

Senator Rand Paul gives the "Tea Party" response to the State of the Union speech last night in this video.  The transcript is posted below the video.

Here is a new angle to the Medicaid fight. The Wall Street Journal reports states refusing to expand their Medicaid programs may hurt employers:

Is Representative Andy Gipson going to get a bill passed requiring the immediate deportation of all Hattiesburg residents caught in Mississippi without visas or passports back to Hattiesburg? Will the Governor make a speech stating he will send these illegal immigrants back to the hub city? Remember, if you are an employer, it is your duty to report all undocumented workers and to refuse to hire them.  Yes, residents of Hattiesburg look like us, but if they don't have the proper documents, they must be shipped back to Hattiesburg.

Update: Here is the RFP issued by DFA for the new site.

One item overlooked in the debate over where to move the Department of Revenue is taxes. It's really quite simple. If the state leases the property, the landlord pays taxes to various local governments. If the state purchases the property, the state is exempt from paying taxes.

I'll comb through it later but here is the Millsaps study recommending the state purchase the Landmark Building on Capitol Street to replace the current site on Springridge Road in Clinton. If interested, here is an earlier post that published the Cushman Wakefield study ordered by DFA.

Here is some video of the tornado hitting Hattiesburg today. Say a prayer for the storm victims today.

Here is the letter issued to Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney by DHHS concerning the health insurance exchange:

The battle over the future home of the Department of Revenue rages on as competing bills emerged from committees in the House and Senate. The House version places the site at the old Worldcom building. The building is in the Speakah's district. The Senate version moves it to the Landmark building in Downtown Jackson. What is interesting is there is already a process in place for determining the new site. The legislature is trying to void the procedures used by the Department of Finance & Administration. The Mississippi Business Journal reported:

A Quitman County grand jury indicted Circuit Clerk Brenda Wiggs and Deputy Circuit Clerk Bobbie Buggs for one count each of violating the laws concerning absentee ballots (Section 23-15-751 of the Mississippi Code). The indictments charge that Ms Buggs signed more than fifty absentee ballots as a witness while she was a candidate for Justice Court Judge. State law bars candidates from acting as a witness when absentee ballots are signed by the voter. Ms. Buggs is charged with allowing her Deputy Clerk to violate the law. A conviction is a misdemeanor and carries a fine of up to $1,000. The Circuit Clerk can be removed from office upon conviction.

Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney announced the federal government rejected the Mississippi health insurance exchange created by the his department. Mr. Chaney said he was "sorely disappointed" in the decision and that it would give Washington total control of health insurance regulation in Mississippi. The Commissioner said "we have given our best efforts to protect the state of Mississippi."

The Sun-Herald reported no fines or penalties have been paid by Alcatec despite losing an appeal last summer.  Rosemary Barbour was the Manager and sole member of the company according to the Secretary of State's webiste. The newspaper reports:

This correspondent filed a public records request with the Department of Public Safety for the following information last week:

They're bad, they're black, and they're BACK!!! And (in my best that movie guy voice), they brought a friend.

The "Community Editor" for the Desoto Times published an article reporting several Desoto legislators complain Jackson hates Desoto County:

Jackson attorney Regina Quinn announced her candidacy in this press release today:

Here are the latest crime stats available to JJ for the Jackson metro area:

Mark Levin wears out Karl Rove on his radio show earlier this week after Karl Rove and his friends leaked to the New York Times they were forming a PAC to stop conservatives. Start at 11:00. He doesn't pull any punches on this overrated windbag who specializes in losing elections while never taking responsibility for anything.

Don't believe me? Watch the video yesterday as he explains why Hinds County should not ask personnel from the Mississippi Wireless Communications Commission to review the Hinds County radio system and E911 fund.

Hinds County EOC Director Mark Young told the Board of Supervisors yesterday the E911 fund will run out of money by October 2013. The bankrupting of the fund will occur six months sooner than projected last year. The Supervisors could not agree on a solution even though they all admitted action should be taken before the fund goes broke. A collection of police and fire officials from Jackson, Byram, and Clinton stood beside Mr. Young as he addressed the board.

Check out the latest email sent out by Kuykendall and his merry band of Superintendents. This time their target is NOT charter schools but disabled children.  Stuck in a school district that offers little in the way of providing support to special needs children and has Jim Keith for its lawyer? Have a kid that is autistic and there is a good program in an adjacent county that is better for the child?  Have a kid with a severe speech disorder and a weekly visit from the district speech therapist is not sufficient to treat the problem?  Kuykendall says tough luck, your kids are going to suffer so he and his friends can enrich themselves at your expense.  Here is his latest email:

Hinds EOC Director told Supervisors E911 fund will run out of money in October. The fund was projected last year, to go broke in March, 2014. The supervisors took no action.

The Clarion-Ledger published a letter from a Mr. Leland Speed concerning downtown Jackson:

Better than Beyonce if you don't want to see the halftime show and I'd like to see a rapper top this.

WLBT reported last night a video was floating on Youtube that supposedly involved students at a local high school. Here it is.

I guess Steve Holley, Tim Ford, and the folks over at Government Consultants are hurting for money as Senator Terry Burton introduced a bill that will issue $1 BILLION in BONDS for the Kemper plant if enacted into law.  The bill passed out of the Senate Energy Committee.  SB #2755 states:

Yup. Did you know Standard Life, Harborwalk, and the King Edward are commie plots? A blogger on the Gulf Coast thinks so: