Uh-oh, Trey Lamar is thinking again. He managed to get a bill passed that requires Jackson to spend all of 1% sales tax funds on water infrastructure. WLBT reported last night:
Monday the House passed House Bill 1168 introduced by Representative Trey Lamar, which would require those funds be spent solely on Jackson’s water system. It currently funds water, sewer, road, and bridge repair.
“The one percent money needs to be spent on streets and bridges,” said Massey. “You can’t be distracted in the City of Jackson because you’re going to run into either a pothole or a cave-in.”
Opponents of the legislation say the federal government will spend more than $600 million on Jackson’s water system, while funds are desperately needed for infrastructure repair. ...
The 1% Sales Tax Commission currently spends the revenue on roads and bridges. Roads and bridges have no revenue stream unlike sewer and water services (from paying customers - when they pay). The sales tax pays for sewer and water line work if it is included in a road project.
The One Cent Sales Tax Commission oversees the allocation of the funding, relying on the city to recommend infrastructure repairs.
Commission member Pete Perry said about $115 million dollars have been spent on street repaving projects. $30 million has been spent on water/sewer line repairs. The tax generates about $14 million dollars annually.
“Our $13, $14 million dollars would be like spitting in the ocean,” said Perry. “Using this $13, $14 million there rather than to the other things that need fixing, streets, bridges. I don’t know why this was thought to be a good idea. I’d like to have that conversation with Trey and find out what his thinking was.” Rest of article.
Um, he wasn't thinking. Reality doesn't mean much to the scion of Tate County. Surely Mr. Lamar does not think Jackson roads are in great shape, does he?
Mr. Lamar claimed he can't be sure Jackson will get the federal money. Um, yeah. The President signed the bill. The appropriations are coming. The leader of the House is merely manufacturing an excuse to meddle and that, my friends, is the bottom line.
23 comments:
Legislation for the sake of legislation
Trey isn't wrong, but didn't he funnel funds to his buddies at a local hospital while ignoring several struggling hospitals not far from his hometown that have a larger population? Yeah, let's tell Jackson how they are going to spend their money while I champion to re-open a hospital in Senatobia that my friends own.
It's not that he proposed such an idiotic bill. That is expected. What gets me is how easily it passed through the house. Pretty good indicator of where the collective heads of the legislature are.
We will see very little constructive dialogue regarding Jackson. The low hanging political fruit is just to attractive to resist....for both sides. It's an elective year, looking forward to a lot more rhetoric and appealing to the fringes of both bases.
Trey Lamar is the best thing to ever happen to Jackson, just ask him.
I can see the argument here. The fact that Jackson has money to fix potholes and the ability to utilize these funds to do so strikes me as troubling considering the fact that the COJ isn't fixing shit, money or no money.
Rancor and accusations aside, Jackson officials, please show us a plan to address infrastructure needs.
RMQ
Going to be interesting when laying all those new water lines leave the streets torn up worse than they are. Mr. Perry needs to have one of his heart to heart talks to the Tate County representative who probably spends more time in Memphis than in Jackson.
Until Jackson locks locks up their criminals I don't give damn what happens to their water, pot holes or trash. It is not fair to have a lawless third world cesspool in the middle of the state endangering everyone around it.
It's an idiotic idea; however, if Jackson voters would elect leaders with an ounce of competence, State Legislators would not be trying to meddle in the City's affairs.
Any legislation that hurts Jackson is fine with me.
The sooner it burns down the better.
Those running it have had their chance.
In all fairness, the only time Jackson used that 1% sales tax to fix the road was when Jackson tried to raid the fund to use it for something else, and somebody stood up and challenged the fact that it was targeted for road repair - when every road in Jackson was so full of potholes that you could not drive a straight line down any of them. They fixed the State Street, High Street and Jefferson Street when the Civil Rights Museum opened. Before that, you could not drive past the Capitol - there was a crater in the street.
Is that not what the extra 1% tax was intended for? Kudos for the one proposing this bill, because I smell corruption whenever someone tries to avoid being forced to do what it is that they should be doing without force.
Prince Chowke and his chamber maids Rukia and Safiya have stated multiple times that Jackistan's roads are in good shape. Right?
Republicans: in favor of local rule….until they aren’t.
So much for consistency
Trey is setting himself in the limelight so he can run for governor in 2027.
Lamar is a no-talent bullshit artist that couldn't make it outside of Mississippi.
Republicans are in favor of “local rule” until graft, corruption and incompetence have been repeatedly demonstrated. At that point, the (honest) adults need to step in and make sure the money goes towards what it is supposed to be spent on.
The rest of us are tired of our state and federal tax dollars being used to bail out Jackson. But even if I’m wrong, is requiring a failed (and dangerous) water system to be fixed such a bad thing? Why aren’t extreme measures appropriate to address extreme situations?
Meanwhile, Tate County leads the state in potholes per mile, zero road/street signs on county roads, lack of internet service to rural areas, the cost of car tags, inaccessibility of landfill for residents (thus a virtual litter-leader in the state) and a representative with his head secured in another body part.
Didn't the people of Jackson vote on this measure for specific spending purposes? Does he favor erasing the will of the people like he favors not giving us the right to initiative and referendum?
Thank you Pete!
I'm so sick of those who don't know what they don't know making problems worse instead of trying to come up with solutions.
Worse, in their ignorance and magical thinking, they create conflict where none need exist.
Worst of all, they prevent possible solutions and improvements.
Amen, 5:06 and 8:48. Pete Perry works hard on the 1% commission to make sure that money is spent wisely. And it works. Don’t mess with it.
Well I too am hesitant to step in or criticize or tell Jackson what to do with this money. But after years of being on the sideline watching this total mismanagement and Jackson Representives head in the sand and none of them having the stones to step up to Jackson Reverend$$$$ and do what is right for Jackson. But the final straw was given a black eye and called racist by media and more hypocritically their Mayor. You have no choice but to step in and run this city for Jackson. We get the blame then we get to fix it. So go back to your high price "strategy" meals and the state will get this cleaned up for you. Expand the Capital police and the schools are next
Is there any record of how much money was collected and what it was spent on? That might be interesting to look at.
'Amen, 5:06 and 8:48. Pete Perry works hard on the 1% commission to make sure that money is spent wisely. And it works. Don’t mess with it.'
Hello Pete!
(Oh, if it works and has been spent wisely, why not put out some sort of expenditure report that includes an analysis of results?)
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