Wednesday, July 2, 2025

"Our City is in a Bad Place Right Now"

 Jackson Mayor John Horhn minced no words in his inaugural address yesterday as he spelled out the state of the city while offering hope to its beleaguered residents.  JJ knows you don't have all day to watch a twenty minute speech so it took the courtesy of clipping out a few minutes and posting it below.  Watch as the Mayor gives some unvarnished truth.  


46 comments:

Anonymous said...

“Our” city. Glad he’s seeing that the terrible shape Jackson in is THEIR fault. Not the state or federal government’s issue.

Anonymous said...

Well there wasn't of Lumumba's usual Marxist hatred in the speech. That is a nice start.

Anonymous said...

"Bad place" is putting it nicely. I'm exhausted just driving through Jackson every day. Between the potholes and the idiots running red lights for fun, we don't even need to talk about the crime rate. You can't drive during or after rain because you can't see the potholes. Someone on FB reported that he bent his rim driving on Meadowbrook. Jackson is what Cabrini-Green would look like if it were a city.

Anonymous said...

Jackson - Hinds County - still has a crook for a DA.

Anonymous said...

and Governor

Anonymous said...

It may not be the best but it is better. At least the city will more reflect the aspirations of typical Jackson residents, not Detroit or New York radicals who want to impose their failed social agendas on a captive city.

Kingfish said...

Don't think I heard him say equity once.

Anonymous said...

That's the best speech (or part of) that I've ever heard Mr. Horhn give and I've been around him for 30 years. Perhaps there's hope for Jackson yet. Godspeed, Mayor.

Anonymous said...

Won't be for long !

Anonymous said...

There is something wrong with his speech. He didn't say "right" one time. Right?

Anonymous said...

No question John is saying all the right things.

Anonymous said...

@11:51 Thank you for telling us what we already know. Why don't we try being positive about the future now?

Anonymous said...

This speech was a very encouraging one to hear. Nothing will happen overnight, and it may take a while to see drastic change, but it is refreshing to hear someone actually point out problems and say we're going after them. If the city, county, state, and fed. gov. will get along then it's hard to imagine Jackson not doing much better a few years from now. We'll see, but this is a good start.

Anonymous said...

The suburbanites predicting that a Horhn Administration will be nothing more than a continuation of the same black separatism/isolationism that marked the previous 8 years are in for a rude awakening.

Anonymous said...

None of the activism talk and calling people racist is quite refreshing.

Anonymous said...

"Our city is in a bad place right now" and its about to get even worse!

Anonymous said...

It's pretty significant that Tater attended and spoke at this event. I'm assuming the invite for the prior two inaugurations was lost in the mail

Anonymous said...

Lumumba has been the laughing stock of everyone, every race, every background for quite some time. Sure, some people bought into the BS initially, but to see damn near every other politician, black and white, state and federal level attend Horhn's inauguration speaks volumes. Hell even Benny was throwing shade at Chokwe during the event talking about him running it in the ground. No one is as universally hated around these parts as him. He had his little experiment, now it's time for the adults to run the show.

Anonymous said...

It's been a bad plase AT LEAST FOR the past eight years.

Anonymous said...

Horhn may not be an ideologue but the results he achieves will speak for themselves. It won't be hard and won't take long to determine if he is on the right track. If he doesn't immediately close the zoo before the next fiscal year starts then more of the same is more likely than any awakening, rude or other.

Anonymous said...

12:12 PM
Yeah that crook governor that stepped in and stabalized Jackson's water system. What an asshole.

Anonymous said...

Well recognizing there's a problem is step one in remediation. Green shoots? I'll reserve judgement until a later date.

Anonymous said...

Horne's goal is to provide basic services.

Anonymous said...

He may not be a black separatist, but what he's said about the airport, water system, republicans "hollowing out jackson" has more in common than you would like to admit.

Anonymous said...

2:07 is correct
You NE jacksonians are celebrating as if a republican was sworn in.
Horhn is a hard- core Democrat.

Anonymous said...

Will my water continue to be free? Asking for a S. Jackson resident.

EldRick said...

I wish he hadn't listed prayer as action step 3. People have been praying for Jackson for a very long time. It hasn't worked for anyone other than the self-appointed pastors and deacons who make a living off the praying poor. It's not prayer that's needed, it's getting rid of the deadbeats that work for the city, closing various departments, having the guts to close the blasted zoo and kicking some ass in general.

Anonymous said...

Where is the free stuff that he promised?

Anonymous said...

I’m sure hoping that Jackson will improve. If not get ready for more Jackson residents will move to the suburbs and turn the suburbs into Jackson. I don’t know why people here don’t see that. While they root for Jackson to fail. Promise you Brandon and Madison will be next in next 10-15 years when they flood into the burbs

shadyal said...

1:25 - This "suburbanite" lived in the city of Jackson for 65 of my 71 years. It and so many people, places in things are still home to me. I'm so glad to hear John, who I've known for 30 plus years talk about getting things done...Harvey J would have paid for "a study" first. John will be the best mayor we've had in a long time. Thank you Mayor John Horhn!

Anonymous said...

My hope is Jackson can at minimum clean up some major areas, fix some infrastructure, and try to get some handle on the crime.

Too many in Mississippi act as though Jackson doesn't matter. It does and should to more of us. It likely will never be what it was in the 1970s but just stopping the bleeding will be an improvement.

Anonymous said...

He'll probably be about like Harvey Johnson, and I'm fine with that. ANYTHING is better than Chokwe over the last 8 years. The bar has been set very low.

Anonymous said...

If Horhn could approach the competency of Magee in Ridgeland, it will only take him twenty years to bring Jack City up to "habitable". He must surrender the airport to regional-State management, sell the Convention Center, accept regional management of the water system, close the zoo, stop race-based hiring, accept merit-qualified contractors from all over, focus on his core responsibilities for Garbage, crime and streets and city asset maintenance. Many of us despise the parking app meter system, BTW. Not that downtown is ever a destination.

Anonymous said...

I'm cautiously optimistic. I'm thankful Horhn won, especially knowing the huge margin of victory Chokwe had last election. I just pray Horhn will be a man of action and not a Harvey Johnson retread. It is certainly helpful that Reeves seems (for now) to be on board.

Anonymous said...

I believe the man was speaking with sincerity, that he actually believed what he was saying. Let the man go to work, encourage, and strengthen him if you can. It could be that this man is the answer to the prayers that have been spoken. Prayer is an example of faith, but faith without works is dead, being alone. The prayer has been made, now it's time for work.

Anonymous said...

Horne also said he has not received any help from Chokwe during the transition. He said the first few months are going to be difficult.

Anonymous said...

"The suburbanites predicting that a Horhn Administration will be nothing more than a continuation of the same black separatism/isolationism that marked the previous 8 years are in for a rude awakening."

Surely you meant to say 'the previous 28 years'. Every mayor for the past 28 years has been a black separatist and isolationist.

Has there been a white department head, police chief, administrative assistant, secretary, non-elected official or city hall spokesperson in the past three decades?

Yep...we've all witnessed the definition of separatism and isolationism. This applies to the employment office that Jackson has become as well as its contracts in multiple 'whites need not apply' administration after administration.

Anonymous said...

@2:58. Agreed. The people on here that say "My property value in Madison just went up" and wish for Jackson to fail don't realize that Jacksonians will be their neighbors in 15 years if Jackson continues to fail. Just look at how many Jacksonians have moved to the suburbs over the last 10 years. Rats on a sinking ship will always look for higher ground.

Anonymous said...

I guess since Memphis has finally surpassed Jackson in per capita homicide, there was no need to specifically mention crime.

Anonymous said...

Some of you knucklehead posters still insist on blaming Reeves for the shape Jackson is in. No governor has a damned thing to do with running a city, running it in the ditch or pulling it out of a ditch when it winds up there.

Anonymous said...

Good Lord the Contagion Theorists have shown up en masse on this one KF.

Anonymous said...

4:19 So you would say the white separatists run the towns outside Jackson that do not have black department heads? Leave it alone.

Kingfish said...

Harvey had several white department heads and the elder lumumba had them as well. Raff ran HCS during yarber and antars terms as well. His successor was white. Rick Hill served in several of these administrations

Anonymous said...

Are you surprised?

Anonymous said...

Did Horhn say during the campaign what his intentions were, re: the water system? Will he leave it in the hands of the current (apparently competent) administrator, at least for the time being?

Anonymous said...

The mayor doesn't control the water or sewer system.


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Trollfest '07 was such a success that Jackson Jambalaya will once again host Trollfest '09. Catch this great event which will leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Othor Cain and his band, The Black Power Structure headline the night while Sonjay Poontang returns for an encore performance. Former Frank Melton bodyguard Marcus Wright makes his premier appearance at Trollfest singing "I'm a Sweet Transvestite" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Kamikaze will sing his new hit, “How I sold out to da Man.” Robbie Bell again performs: “Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be Bells” and “Any friend of Ed Peters is a friend of mine”. After the show, Ms. Bell will autograph copies of her mug shot photos. In a salute to “Dancing with the Stars”, Ms. Bell and Hinds County District Attorney Robert Smith will dance the Wango Tango.

Wrestling returns, except this time it will be a Battle Royal with Othor Cain, Ben Allen, Kim Wade, Haley Fisackerly, Alan Lange, and “Big Cat” Donna Ladd all in the ring at the same time. The Battle Royal will be in a steel cage, no time limit, no referee, and the losers must leave town. Marshand Crisler will be the honorary referee (as it gives him a title without actually having to do anything).


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Donna Ladd of The Jackson Free Press will give several classes on learning how to write. Smearing, writing without factchecking, and reporting only one side of a story will be covered. A donation to pay their taxes will be accepted and she will be signing copies of their former federal tax liens. Ms. Ladd will give a dramatic reading of her two award-winning essays (They received The Jackson Free Press "Best Of" awards.) "Why everything is always about me" and "Why I cover murders better than anyone else in Jackson".

In the spirit of helping those who are less fortunate, Trollfest '09 adopts a cause for which a portion of the proceeds and donations will be donated: Keeping Frank Melton in his home. The “Keep Frank Melton From Being Homeless” booth will sell chances for five dollars to pin the tail on the jackass. John Reeves has graciously volunteered to be the jackass for this honorable excursion into saving Frank's ass. What's an ass between two friends after all? If Mr. Reeves is unable to um, perform, Speaker Billy McCoy has also volunteered as when the word “jackass” was mentioned he immediately ran as fast as he could to sign up.


In order to help clean up the legal profession, Adam Kilgore of the Mississippi Bar will be giving away free, round-trip plane tickets to the North Pole where they keep their bar complaint forms (which are NOT available online). If you don't want to go to the North Pole, you can enjoy Brant Brantley's (of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance) free guided tours of the quicksand field over by High Street where all complaints against judges disappear. If for some reason you are unable to control yourself, never fear; Judge Houston Patton will operate his jail where no lawyers are needed or allowed as you just sit there for minutes... hours.... months...years until he decides he is tired of you sitting in his jail. Do not think Judge Patton is a bad judge however as he plans to serve free Mad Dog 20/20 to all inmates.

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This is definitely a Beaver production.


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Jackson Jambalaya is the home of Trollfest '07. Catch this great event which promises to leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Sonjay Poontang and his band headline the night with a special steel cage, no time limit "loser must leave town" bout between Alan Lange and "Big Cat"Donna Ladd following afterwards. Kamikaze will perform his new song F*** Bush, he's still a _____. Did I mention there was no referee? Dr. Heddy Matthias and Lori Gregory will face off in the undercard dueling with dangling participles and other um, devices. Robbie Bell will perform Her two latest songs: My Best Friends are in the Media and Mama's, Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to be George Bell. Sid Salter of The Clarion-Ledger will host "Pin the Tail on the Trial Lawyer", sponsored by State Farm.

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If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

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