What will happen when the music stops playing for Treasuries? You know, those cute little financial instruments used to finance our deficit spending? The Fed purchased 61% of all Treasuries issues in 2011. Don't believe me? Check out Line 7 on page 61 of this table. 4th Quarter 2011 holdings are $10.45 trillion. It was $9.4 trillion 12 months earlier. The chart displayed on the left side of the page shows the Federal Reserve purchased nearly $700 billion in Treasuries in 2011. Translation: This is one of the main reasons interest rates are so low. The Fed is practicing artificial price controls as we print money to buy our own debt. Nice little shell game.
Lawrence Goodman had this to say about the matter in the Wall Street Journal Wednesday:
"The conventional wisdom that nearly infinite demand exists for U.S. Treasury debt is flawed and especially dangerous at a time of record U.S. sovereign debt issuance.
The recently released Federal Reserve Flow of Funds report for all of 2011 reveals that Federal Reserve purchases of Treasury debt mask reduced demand for U.S. sovereign obligations. Last year the Fed purchased a stunning 61% of the total net Treasury issuance, up from negligible amounts prior to the 2008 financial crisis. This not only creates the false appearance of limitless demand for U.S. debt but also blunts any sense of urgency to reduce supersized budget deficits.
Still, the outdated notion of never-ending buyers for U.S. debt is perpetuated by many. For instance, in recent testimony before the Senate Budget Committee, former Federal Reserve Board Vice Chairman Alan Blinder said, "If you look at the markets, they're practically falling over themselves to lend money to the federal government." Sadly, that's no longer accurate...
But in recent years foreigners and the U.S. private sector have grown less willing to fund the U.S. government. As the nearby chart shows, foreign purchases of U.S. Treasury debt plunged to 1.9% of GDP in 2011 from nearly 6% of GDP in 2009. Similarly, the U.S. private sector—namely banks, mutual funds, corporations and individuals—have reduced their purchases of U.S. government debt to a scant 0.9% of GDP in 2011 from a peak of more than 6% in 2009.
The Fed is in effect subsidizing U.S. government spending and borrowing via expansion of its balance sheet and massive purchases of Treasury bonds. This keeps Treasury interest rates abnormally low, camouflaging the true size of the budget deficit. Similarly, the Fed is providing preferential credit to the U.S. government and covering a rapidly widening gap between Treasury's need to borrow and a more limited willingness among market participants to supply Treasury with credit..."
Why should we care?
The failure by officials to normalize conditions in the U.S. Treasury market and curtail ballooning deficits puts the U.S. economy and markets at risk for a sharp correction. Lessons from the recent European sovereign-debt crisis and past emerging-market financial crises illustrate how it is often the asynchronous adjustment between budget borrowing requirements and the market's appetite to fund deficits that triggers a shock or crisis. In other words, budget deficits often take years to build or reduce, while financial markets react rapidly and often unexpectedly to deficit spending and debt."
Where can I get a printing press?
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Fed bought 61% of all Treasuries in 2011
Harper throws Rush off the floor
Congressman Gregg Harper threw fellow Congressman and former Black Panther Bobby Rush off of the floor of the House yesterday. Congressman Harper said he violated the rules against wearing hats by wearing a "hoodie". Watch for yourself:
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Spring is here.
Cynthia Caine and Jenni Woodruff of the Greater Jackson Chamber of Commerce went out to Mynelle Gardens yesterday to take some photos for this website. The game plan was to get good shots of the azaleas when we scheduled this last week but Mother Nature did not cooperate when she unleashed that massive rainstorm. The result was most of the blooms were knocked off by the rain but she still got some good photos. I hope you enjoy these taken by Ms. Caine. 
Greg Davis: Frank Melton Reincarnated? .
Mayor Lancelot is in trouble once more as he channels the Ghost of Frank Melton:
"Southaven Mayor Greg Davis surrendered to authorities Tuesday after he was charged with passing a school bus in a private vehicle that displayed blue police-type lights.
The misdemeanor charge, stemming from an incident last week, adds to Davis' legal woes.
The embattled mayor was already the target of state auditors and the FBI investigating possible misuse of city funds.
Accompanied by attorney Steve Farese, Davis surrendered at the DeSoto County Jail on the charges at about 5:15 p.m. Tuesday. The mayor and Farese entered the jail complex without comment and left together about an hour later.
A brief statement from DeSoto County Sheriff Bill Rasco said an investigation by the department resulted in misdemeanor warrants for overtaking a school bus and for illegal use of blue and red lights..."
Frank? Why do I say Frank? See if this sounds familiar:
"Davis, 46, said earlier Tuesday that the charges were the result of passing the bus last Thursday as he was pursuing another vehicle that he saw pass the bus. Davis, who said he considers himself as mayor to be the city's chief law enforcement officer, said he had the city run the license plates on the vehicle and then let the driver leave with a verbal warning.
Davis' assertion that he is the city's chief law enforcement officer appears to be at odds with a 2002 opinion by the Mississippi attorney general, which states: "The mayor is not a law enforcement officer and does not have law enforcement authority, such as authority to stop traffic..." Article
That's it, he's a gay Frank. Damn, you people in Southaven don't know what you are in for, hehehe.
Schiff calls Bernanke "Public Enemy Number 1"
Peter Schiff discusses a possible bubble in Treasuries. Worth watching as this is how government finances deficit spending and drives mortgage interest rates. Schiff calls Bernanke "public enemy number 1" in this clip. Also discusses inflation and calls the economy "phony". Enjoy watching. .
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
MSU killing suspect in custody
The Mississippi Department of Public Safety just issued the following press release:
Shortly after 2:00 p.m. today (March 27, 2012) Trent Deundra Crump turned himself in to authorities of the Alachua County Sheriff’s Department in Gainsville, Florida. Agents of the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI) developed several leads in the on-going investigation of the Saturday night murder of Mississippi State University student John Sanderson. Those leads were shared with the Mississippi State University Police Department and the United States Marshal’s Service Task Force. The task force released Mr. Crump’s photograph and description to the news media. “We believe Mr. Crump was told about the widespread media dissemination of his description at which time he decided to turn himself in,” said MBI Director Larry Waggoner. “This is a prime example of inter-agency cooperation to resolve this capital murder case.” Mr. Crump is in the Alachua County Detention Center awaiting extradition to Starkville.
The Birther br'er patch gets more tangled.
The Birther lawsuit industry is apparently trying to contribute to the economic development of Mississippi as the paperwork piles up in Hinds County Circuit Court. Dr. Orly Taitz, Esquire and California resident, filed a lawsuit against the Secretary of State and the Executive Committee of the Mississippi Democratic Party. The petition to remove President Obama from the ballot was filed on February 14. Earlier post
The Secretary of State filed a motion to dismiss on March 1, pointing out she filed her lawsuit three weeks after the deadline to file such a suit. Yes, there are statues of limitations even in challenging Presidential ballots. Dr. Taitz, Esquire responded on March 19 with a filing that contained an opposition to the motion to dismiss AND motion for sanctions AND a motion for leave of court to file an amended complaint AND a RICO cause of action against the Democratic Party of Mississippi AND several other parties.
However, the fun starts on March 15. She filed a motion for summary judgment against the Secretary of State, an opposition to the motion to dismiss, AND a motion to recuse against the Attorney General for representing the Secretary of State. Dr. Taitz, Esq. totally ignored the Secretary of State's argument the petition should be dismissed since it was filed three weeks after the deadline and instead, ready for this?, argued since he did not oppose her motion for declaratory relief, the court should grant her motion. Um, ok.
Dr. Taitz doesn't stop there but also argues "a respondent cannot make up a cause of action." Um, ever heard of a "counterclaim", Orly? She claims President Obama is "known as a fraud, as a criminal, who is using forged documents." The motion to recuse the Attorney General is based upon a criminal complaint she submitted to the Attorney General against the President. She states the complaint calls for the criminal prosecution of the President and the Executive Committee of the Democratic Party of Mississippi. She claims the AG would suffer a conflict of interest by representing the Democratic Party and prosecuting them at the same time. Did you get that? She is claiming the Attorney General would suffer a conflict by representing the Democrats. Does she even understand basic civil procedure? Does she read the responses filed in court? Is civics part of her citizenship test? The Attorney General does not defend private parties (although he makes private lawyers rich). His client is the state of Mississippi and the appropriate agencies. The Democrats have a lawyer, Sam Begley, who signed every one of their responses and other filings. He was even nice enough to include his contact information. But apparently Dr. Taitz missed all that when she said the Attorney General would have a conflict of interest defending the Democratic Party. You.can't.make.this.up.
Delbert fired back with his own response stating in Mississippi there was no such conflict as the Attorney General represents all state agencies and that he had indeed responded to her allegation even if she chooses to ignore them.
However, the fun remains for Sam Begley, attorney for the Democratic Party of Mississippi and at times fellow practitioner of jackassery. Mr. Begley filed a motion in limine seeking to determine if Dr. Taitz, Esq. violated the laws against champerty in Mississippi. He cites Mississippi Code section 97-9-11 and asks the court to allow him to "cross-examine" the plaintiff to determine if she received "financial assistance" and if such assistance "induced" her to file her lawsuit. Section 97-9-11 states:
"It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, partnership, corporation, group, organization, or association, either incorporated or unincorporated, either before or after proceedings commenced: (a) to promise, give, or offer, or to conspire or agree to promise, give, or offer, (b) to receive or accept, or to agree or conspire to receive or accept,(c) to solicit, request, or donate, any money, bank note, bank check, chose in action, personal services, or any other personal or real property, or any other thing of value, or any other assistance as an inducement to any person to commence or to prosecute further, or for the purpose of assisting such person to commence or prosecute further, any proceeding in any court or before any administrative board or other agency, regardless of jurisdiction.."
Section 97-9-13 states anyone convicted of champerty "shall be punished by imprisonment for one year in the state penitentiary." Mr. Begley was not finished with Dr. Taitz, Esq. He also filed a motion to require an affidavit from the plaintiff. He argued Section 97-9-15 of the Mississippi Code gives him the right to "bring a motion" requiring the plaintiff to swear she has not received any compensation or "inducement" to pursue this lawsuit. That should be an interesting cross-examination. Mr. Begley then followed up with a motion for sanctions against Dr. Taitz on March 23.
The motion states the plaintiff lacks standing to file the lawsuit since she is a resident of California and her right to vote in California is not affected by the Mississippi ballot (She is now advertising for Mississippi plaintiffs to join her lawsuit on her website.). Mr. Begley argues the Mississippi Code does not give the Secretary of State or the Committee any authority to determine qualifications. The plaintiff's filing of the lawsuit 21 days after the deadline is mentioned to the court and sanctions are requested. Dr. Taitz is a member of the California Bar. He calls her lawsuit "frivolous" and ask the court to discipline the attorney.
Judge Kenneth Coleman of Union County will preside over a hearing on April 16, 2012. This should be fun.
Motion to require affidavit of Orly Taitz
Deryl Dedmon case: Clockwork Orange in reality
Convicted killer Deryl Dedmon and his fellow droogs apparently saw Clockwork Orange too many times as they engaged in a big bit of the old ultra-violence in west Jackson. The federal case against Mr. Dedmon, Dylan Butler, and John Rice provides the gory details on what these guys did for kicks. A Saturday night party apparently meant getting into the trucks and rampaging through west Jackson, picking on blacks and the homeless.
The indictment provides a glimpse into the world of Little Deryl:
"It was part of the Conspiracy that the defendants and co-conspirators A, B, C, and D, all young white men and women, would drive around west Jackson during the night and early morning hours looking for African American persons to verbally harass and physically assault.
The co-conspirators would use dangerous weapons, including, but not limited to beer bottles, sling shots (yes, you read that right), shod feet, and motor vehicles to attempt to cause bodily injury to African American persons in and around west Jackson. On occasion, the co-conspirators were successful at causing bodily injury to African American persons.
The defendants and the other co-conspirators would particularly target individuals they believed to be homeless and/or under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances because they believed such victims would be less likely to report on an assault.
These con-conspirators would encourage each other to cause bodily injury to and to use dangerous weapons in attempting to cause bodily injury to African American persons in west Jackson."
Apparently the perps were proud of their little misdeeds:
"The defendants and their co-conspirators boasted about their participation in racially-motivated physical assaults in west Jackson on prior occasions which involved the use of dangerous weapons and/or resulted in bodily injury to African American victims, thereby keeping other members of the conspiracy informed of their actions. .."
The indictment repeats facts about the James Anderson murder that are unfortunately and already too well-known. It does state Dedmon's crew was armed with a handgun and even concocted a story: There was no plan to harass blacks and they were simply trying to help James Anderson get into his truck because "he appeared to be locked out", and blame the victim for starting the fight.
The statement then provides more details on the group's prior history. Dedmon and Rice committed several acts of violence between April 2011 and June 26, 2011. They chased down a black man near a golf course. After they caught him, they beat and kicked him until he begged them not to kill him. "Members of the group thought it was funny that the man pleaded for his life." The group threw beer bottles at blacks later that night.
The Dedmon droogs decided to do their own version of joyriding another night. They thought it was funny to chase a black man in the parking lot of a gas station with their vehicle. Then there was yet another night where they found another black man in a deserted parking lot. They harassed him and then punched him in the face while the others laughed. Dedmon threw a beer bottle at a black man, hitting his target in the back of the head on another occasion. They did this on other nights as well.
However, Dedmon's targets were not always black. One white male student at Brandon High School stated on a Facebook post Dedmon hit him with his truck and his brother captured it on video. The image below contains the post. Law enforcement officials say the investigation is still active and there may be more prosecutions.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Arrest made in MSU murder.
Looks like Jackson crime now goes to Starkville. < ahref="http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=16254#.T3C2w3hGDPQ.facebook">Article.
Click Here to Read More..
Rate of births to unwed mothers in Mississippi has doubled since 1980
There is no sugarcoating it: the unwed birthrate has doubled since 1980. Statistics from the Mississippi Department of Health state the overall rate of births to unwed mothers was 54.7% in 2010. It was 28% in 1980. Dig a little deeper into the report posted below and the numbers become downright scary.
Thirteen counties reported unwed birth rates of over 75%. Read them and weep (1980 rates are in parenthesis):
Claiborne 87.7% (46%)
Humphreys: 87.6% (49.5%)
Quitman 85% (44.8%)
Tallahatchie: 84.6% (51%)
Jefferson: 83.8% (50%)
Holmes 82.4% (46.5%
Tunica: 80.7% (55.3%)
Washington: 80.5% (46.1)
Coahoma: 79%(50%)
Sunflower: 78% (46.2%)
Sharkey: 76%: (57.4)
Leflore: 75.2% (43%)
Its no secret these counties are majority black. Think the majority white ones are faring much better? Guess again as they have nothing to brag about either. Here are some unwed birthrates for some predominantly white counties.
Desoto: 36.5% (18.7%)
Hancock: 47% (16.8%)
Jackson: 50.6% (18.5%)
Pearl River: 46.4% (14%)
Alcorn: 42.4% (12%)
Harrison: 50% (18.5%)
Rankin: 34% (12%)
Lamar: 34% (8%)
George: 40% (13.7%)
Jones: 56% (20.6%)
Stone: 44% (18%)
The question is, what will Mississippi do about this problem? It is a problem, isn't it? Cut every tax, raise every tax, cut spending, raise spending, talk about being tough on crime, charge we are too tough on crime, scream racism, say there is no racism. Doesn't matter. Unless we do something about THIS problem, here is what we can expect: More illiteracy, more poverty, more drug use by kids, more kids unable to get jobs. More kids not prepared for life or relationships. Kids captured by the streets, kids without role models. Did I mention more crime? Did I also mention these are the birthrates for all mothers, not just teens? Time for this state to wake up.
*Note: In order to make the report easier to read online, I uploaded it in jpg form as well. The document was simply too long to upload in landscape form. The pdf version is posted below.
Click Here to Read More..
Sunday, March 25, 2012
And the winner is.....
in the Favorite Scene in This is Spinal Tap poll is..
"It goes to 11".
Here are the results:
I voted for Stonehenge.
The new lineup?
Got an email from a very, very good source the new lineup for the Hinds County Executive Committee of the Democratic Party:
Vicki Mumford, Louis Armstrong, Marshand Crisler, Addie Green, Vonna Frazier (Dr. Le), Gus McCoy, Dorsey Carson, Keelen Sanders, Jacki Amos, Stacy Webb, Terry Johnson, Bill Chandler, Terry Wallace, Blonda Mack. There are some others and JJ is working on getting those names. And no, Claude McCinnis is not on it.
Look who got a pardon: Too Sweet
Who says Haley Barbour only gave pardons to well-connected white folks? The then-Governor also issued one to our old friends, comrade in election arms, Too Sweet.
Yup, Robert "Too Sweet" Henderson now has no convictions on his records. This earlier post will tell you all you need to know about Too Sweet. Here are his convictions:
Mr. "Too Sweet" Henderson has the following convictions:
Three years for possession of cocaine with intent. Pled guilty on 5/26/92. Indictment #92-1-090-00.
Three years for possession of cocaine. Two years was suspended. 3 years probation. Pleaded guilty on 11/21/97. Probation ended in 2002. Was fined $2,000.
One year for receiving stolen property. Sentenced on 12/5/97.
His MDOC ID Number was 98630.
Thanks Haley.
Click Here to Read More..
Saturday, March 24, 2012
No comment
Not saying a word about these pictures taken at the Kroger in Madison. 
Latest crime stats
Here are the latest crime reports available online.
Latest Jackson crime stats for week ending March 11, 2012.
Latest Jackson crimes overview report for week ending March 11, 2012.
City of Madison crime reports through March 8, 2012.
Byram crime reports through March 17, 2012.
Friday, March 23, 2012
The Birthers are coming, The Birthers are coming...
Yes, the Birthers are coming but please remain calm. Doctor Orly Taitz, Esquire, filed a petition for injunctive relief in Hinds County Circuit Court on February 14, 2012 against the Secretary of State and the Mississippi Democrat Party. Dr. Taitz seeks to have President Obama removed from the ballot. The petition argues the President should be kicked off the ballot due to his alleged "use of forgered/altered/fraudulently obtained identification records, his use of a Connecticut social security number" issued to another individual, and his "use of a computer generated forgery as a copy of his birth certificate." Dr. Taitz also filed a "ballot challenge" with the Executive Committee of the Mississippi Democrat Party (Page 9 of documents posted below.).
Well, the Secretary of State filed a motion to dismiss on March 1 (p.20). The motion called her a "nationally known figure whose notoriety is derived in part by her numerous unsuccessful lawsuits in which she as an attorney or party has alleged that Barack Obama is not eligible to hold the office of the President of the United States." The Secretary of State points out she is not a registered voter in Mississippi and argues she has no standing to challenge the ballot. The motion states she missed the deadline to file the petition in Circuit Court. Section 23-15-961 of the Mississippi Code states such a challenge has to be filed within ten days after the qualifying deadline ( I can just hear NMC laughing as he reads this.):
"Any person desiring to have his name placed on the presidential preference primary ballot shall file a petition or petitions in support of his candidacy with the state executive committee of the appropriate political party after January 1 of the year in which the presidential preference primary is to be held and before January 15 of that same year."
Dr. Taitz, Esquire, filed her petition with the executive committee on January 8, 2012. So far, so good. But the code has something else to say about this matter:
(4)Any party aggrieved by the action or inaction of the appropriate executive committee may file a petition for judicial review to the circuit court of the county in which the executive committee whose decision is being reviewed sits. Such petition must be filed no later than fifteen (15) days after the date the petition was originally filed with the appropriate executive committee
January 8 plus fifteen days is....January 23, three weeks before she actually filed her petition in Hinds County Circuit Court. Dr. Taitz, Esquire, might also want to read this book. The motion also states the Secretary of State has no authority to determine qualifications of the President. He only has to be "generally recognized throughout the United States or Mississippi as a candidate for the nomination of President of the United States." Delbert Hoseman also filed an affidavit of an employee of the Attorney General stating Dr. Taitz, Esquire, never served the Attorney General with a copy of the lawsuit. The office of the Attorney General represents the Secretary of State in such matters (That was for you Birthers that don't live in Mississippi.).
However, Dr. Taitz, Esquire decided she was having none of that and filed on March 19 a response stating her opposition to the motion to dismiss AND motion for sanctions AND a motion for leave of court to file an amended complaint AND a RICO cause of action against the Democratic Party of Mississippi AND several other parties for "election fraud, social security fraud, uttering of forged identification papers as basis of constitutional elegibility of candidate Barack Hussein Obama (p.30)." Did you get all that?
Dr. Taitz, Esquire spends the first part of the response stating why the President is not an American citizen. Dr. Taitz argues she does not have to be a registered voter of Mississippi to challenge the ballot, claiming such a requirement is not mentioned in Sections 23-15-951 and 23-15-961 of the Mississippi Code. The rest of the response is filled with more conspiracy theories and ramblings about a similar lawsuit in Georgia. She asks for sanction (p.60) against the Democratic Party, claiming it "defrauded" the voters of Mississippi by not "taking any action and not removing Obama's name". I bet Cottonchicken will have a field day with this one. Then there is the part about RICO. Its on page 61, I won't deprive you of the joy of reading it for yourself. Its simply too funny.
The case is assigned to Judge Kenneth Coleman (Senior Status). Dr. Taitz, Esquire posted on her website that a special judge assigned by the Mississippi Supreme Court would hear the case. Nothing special about it as its standard procedure under the Mississippi Code. I suspect the Birthers will try to spin it as the Mississippi Supreme Court is getting involved in determining whether Obama is an American citizen. We have dealt with the Birthers before on this website.
Here are some videos of Dr. Orly Taitz, Esquire, in action:
This is a good one:
Then there is this classic:
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Hood won't take no for an answer.
Attorney General Jim Hood won't take no for an answer from the Mississippi Supreme Court. He filed a motion for reconsideration on the Barbour pardons today at the MSC. Here is the motion. Enjoy.
Dedmon: GUILTY!!! (Video. Warning: Graphic language).
Included in this post:
-Video of entire hearing, unedited.
-Video of District Attorney press conference, unedited
-copy of plea agreement and text of Judge Weill's remarks
-Report of the hearing
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Don Bates wins.
Don Bates certified the winner in the Canton Ward 2 Alderman election by the Canton Election Commission this morning.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
Dedmon to plea
Hearing at 2:00 PM today in Hinds County Circuit Court for accused killer Deryl Dedmon. He is expected to plead guilty to the murder of James Anderson. JJ will videotape the entire hearing and post later today.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
Brown in jail. Order posted. (Updated)
Hinds County Chancellor Dewayne Thomas imprisoned suspended attorney Michael J. Brown at a hearing yesterday. Judge Thomas ruled he committed and fraud and perjury in the guardianship of De Mon McClinton. Bond was set at $250,000. The order is posted below.
Damon McClinton inherited $3 million when his mother, Rebecca Henry, died in 2000. Ms. Henry was the daughter of Mississippi civil rights legend Aaron Henry. Damon McClinton's father, Thomas, hired attorney Mike Brown to establish a guardianship for young McClinton. Then-Chancellor Stuart Robinson established a guardianship and ordered Mr. Brown to deposit the money in a bank account and decreed the money could not be withdrawn without court approval.
Judge Thomas ruled at a February hearing Mr. Brown never deposited the money in an account nor was one ever established. Judge Thomas threw Mr. Brown in jail after he could not account for the money. The attorney also claimed the file (he checked it out in 2006) and bank statements were destroyed when a water pipe burst in his office. Judge Thomas set bond at $100,000 at a later hearing. Mr. Brown made bail and is free. Judge Thomas ordered him to deposit $1.2 million with the court or provide an accounting for all money for the guardianship of De Mon McClinton.
The hearing began after Mike Brown and his attorney Clayton Lockhart arrived 15 minutes late. Judge Thomas called Special Master Paul Rogers to the stand. Mr. Rogers investigated the estate for the court and issued a report (Copy of report). He testified $1.2 million of De Mon McClinton's money went directly into Brown's attorney account at Trustmark and that the overall amount the attorney improperly received was $1.54 million. Mr. Rogers said those funds were used to loan nearly $600,000 to Linus Shackelford. Brown also loaned himself money out of the account. Rogers also took issue with the $398,000 fee Brown charged the estate in 2001 for establishing the guardianship. He said Brown would have had to devote nearly two thousand hours at his $150 per hour rate to earn that fee, which he said was impossible. He also said Brown's fee of $110,00o for an opinion letter was "fraud" as he literally copied an opinion letter from another attorney.
His report states accounts were opened for the money but the bank was never informed of the court restrictions. The report also states Thomas McClinton, Mike Brown, and to a lesser degree Linus Shackelford (through loans) helped themselves to a great deal of money that was supposed to be held in trust for youg De Mon.
McClinton attorney Brent Hazard asked the Special Master if he was "certain he did not deposit all monies into an account until further order of this court?" Mr. Rogers said "as far as I can tell, no money was deposited into such an account. The Trustmark account was not a restricted account." Judge Thomas looked as if he were disgusted. Mr. Rogers said he had established 150- 250 guardianships in his career. He stated if the bank "does its job and follows a court order", there should be no way for a layman to get "that money".
Mr. Rogers said he found a box labeled "McClinton" that contained missing files and documents for the estate. They were the same documents Mr. Brown said were destroyed in a notice to the court filed on February 1, 2012. Mr. Brown said two major water leaks took place in his office since 2007 and the McClinton file and Mr. Brown's old bank records were destroyed. Judge Thomas ruled he committed perjury in his order. However, it must be pointed out Mr. Brown did provide to the court a bundle of checks (estimated to be between 50-75 in number) that were written by the attorney.
Mike Brown assumed the stand. He stated he had no money to deposit with the court because he had provided an accounting for all money for the estate. Attorney Brent Hazard asked how many of the "50-75 checks were authorized by court order." There was a long pause before Mike Brown answered. Mr. Brown said "I think me and the court disagree. The checks to Shackelford were authorized" and that Judge Robinson (the original chancellor when the guardianship was established) authorized his transactions in a conversation in chambers. Mr. Hazard asked if such authorization was mentioned in any order by the court. Mr. Brown replied "yes" when he was asked if he was aware the court said no money could be spent or transferred without its approval.
Mr. Brown then admitted he gave money to Thomas McClinton, De Mon's father, without court approval. He said he thought it was "ok" since Thomas said it was to take care of De Mon. The special master testified earlier Mr. Brown wrote checks for Thomas McClinton to purchase eight cars (including one at Blackwell for a Lottie Campbell), rental properties from Lottie Campbell, and other items purchased by McClinton. Mr. Rogers also testified Mr. Brown wrote checks to himself or to "cash". The attorney said he never kept the money for himself.
Brown then said "I realize I did not do things the way they were supposed to be done and I apologize to this court. " He then said "part of the problem with this case was when De Mon's mother died, he did not have a real relationship with his dad". He claimed when De Mon's mother died, the family would not let Thomas have custody of his son so he helped Thomas get custody of De Mon. He said after the guardianship was established, Thomas came to him and said he needed money for De Mon to buy vehicles to "compete against Aaron (his brother)". He said he told him they couldn't do it that way because Aaron could take custody so they did it "this way". Mr. Brown said "I did it this way to protect De Mon" and then said "I am paying the ultimate price for this because I'm being condemned . I apologize to my family and I apologize to my daughters on this whole thing.
Mike Brown didn't stop with apologies but delved into the investments with Shackelford. He said he thought De Mon would "maximize his return" because the property was worth much more than the loan. He said the properties purchased from Lottie Campbell he thought would be investments for De Mon that would generate a return after they "were developed." The properties are located on streets such as Carnation and Waycaster (Check their location.). He called them a "good investment for De Mon". "He needed time to develop his relationship with De Mon" and that they had one. "Once Shackelford pays the money that is owed by him, De Mon is going to be way ahead in the game. I apologize to the court and realize I have done wrong." Mr. Brown then said "If I had done it the way it was supposed to be done, then De Mon probably would not have became what he became."
Upon questioning by Mr. Lockhart, Mr. Brown said he had discussed the Shackelford investment with Judge Robinson. Judge Thomas finally had enough and said there would be no more references to alleged conversations with judges that did not exist in any record*. He then said "regards to these checks that I wrote, they were written on behalf on Thomas McClinton" for investments... He said I always understood the checks were lost. I did not find the checks. Mr. Rogers tore up my house looking for stuff, he could not find anything. I had a call from a friend of mine in Iraq., I mean Afghanistan, and he had put some of my stuff in his office.." Mr. Hazard interrupted by Judge Thomas allowed him to continue (with a wry smile). "He thought they were in his storage locker. They were not in his storage locker. I went upstairs in my attic, actually fell through my daughter's ceiling, and when I fell through my daughter's ceiling, I put my hand through a box marked "Christmas lights" but it was not Christmas lights, it was these checks. Thats how I found the checks." Mr. Brown then testified again "I did not get any of this money" and that it all went to Thomas, De Mon. Brown again brought up alleged discussions with the previous Judge and claimed he had "approved" the investments. Judge Thomas finally had enough and told the attorney not to mention any alleged conversations with other judges. Mr. Brown also stated upon direct questioning he has not carried any professional liability insurance since the "early 1990's". Mike Brown graduated from law school in 1993.
Mr. Brown Mr. Brown said in documents filed with the court this year the checks were destroyed by water damage when pipes burst in his office. Judge Thomas jailed Mike Brown on contempt of court and perjury. His bond is set at $250,000.
*Mr. Brown claimed the same type of conversations at a recent hearing on another guardianship case in Rankin County. This correspondent witnessed the attorney repeatedly claiming Judge Grant approved in a conversation the parents transferring funds held in a guardianship account for their child. Judge Grant said they never had a conversation and finally sternly admonished Mr. Brown for making such allegations.
Left to right 1) De Mon McClinton (black male), attorney Brent Hazard (white male) 2) Mike Brown (white male),attorney Clayton Lockhart (black male) 3) Linus Shackelford
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
It's war in Canton. Judge orders Election Commissioners to court Friday. Update: Commission meeting at 9 .
Update: STOP THE PRESSES!!! Election Commission just, and I mean just, decided to meet tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM to certify the election.
Madison County Circuit Judge William Chapman ordered the Canton Election Commission to appear in his court this Friday at 9:00 AM. The Election Commission has not certified the Ward 2 Alderman election held on March 13 even though state law requires certification within five days. The commissioners are Johnnie Rogers, Karen Powell, and John Brown. John Brown is the brother of Ike Brown.
Candidate Don Bates filed a petition for a writ of mandamus this morning in Madison County Circuit Court. Judge Chapman stated he will hear the petition on Friday with the Election Commission present. Mr. Bates won the election with 272 votes even though he was the only white candidate in a field of five candidates including the Mayor's wife. The petition is posted below and provides a very good history on the election and the refusal of the Election Commission to even meet. A writ of mandamus allows a judge to order an official to perform a duty.
Here is the petition for the writ of mandamus. The attorney did such a good job drafting it there is no point in me recapitulating the facts. If you want to learn the facts of the case in a brief manner, just read the petition.
Special Master casts blame on Brown, Shackelford and...Thomas McClinton.
Hinds County Chancery Judge Dewayne Thomas will ask suspended attorney Michael J. Brown and funeral home owner Linus Schakelford why he should not imprison them when over $1 million disappeared from the guardianship of De Mon McClinton. Judge Thomas also appointed attorney Paul Rogers as Special Master to investigate the case.
Damon McClinton inherited $3 million when his mother, Rebecca Henry, died in 2000. Ms. Henry was the daughter of Mississippi civil rights legend Aaron Henry. Damon McClinton's father, Thomas, hired attorney Mike Brown to establish a guardianship for young McClinton. Then-Chancellor Stuart Robinson established a guardianship and ordered Mr. Brown to deposit the money in a bank account and decreed the money could not be withdrawn without court approval.
Judge Thomas ruled at a February hearing Mr. Brown never deposited the money in an account nor was one ever established. Judge Thomas threw Mr. Brown in jail after he could not account for the money. The attorney also claimed the file (he checked it out in 2006) and bank statements were destroyed when a water pipe burst in his office. Judge Thomas set bond at $100,000 at a later hearing. Mr. Brown made bail and is free.
Judge Thomas said in his findings Mike Brown "loaned" over $500,000 to Linus Shackelford out of Damon McClinton's estate. Mr. Shackelford owns Lakeland Garden Place cemetery on Lakeland Drive. Judge Thomas gave Mr. Shackelford 40 days to return the money to the estate or face jail at a hearing scheduled on March 20. The March 2 order states if the monies and interest are not returned, Mr. Shackelford "will have to show cause" why the Chancellor should not order his incarceration.
Mr. Rogers's report (posted below) states Mike Brown, Linus Shackelford, and Thomas McClinton spent young McClinton's money without the court's approval. Apparently the father didn't mind spending some of his son's money. He bought rental houses that were not exactly in the best parts of town on streets such as Waycaster and Carnation. The report says $1.2 million was placed into an account held by Thomas McClinton at Regions bank in 2002 and another $750,000 to an Amsouth/Regions investment account in 2003 held by Thomas as well. The report says Thomas "failed to account for any of the funds disbursed to him as Guardian" and was "never relieved of the obligation to do so".
The report states Michael J. Brown "breached" all duties by not making sure all funds were placed into restricted accounts for De Mon McClinton. Mr. Rogers states there was no way the attorney could justify his 2001 fee of $398,000. He states that at $150 per hour, it would take 1,920 hours and a fee of $110,000 for an "opinion letter" to reach that amount. The Special Master said the opinion letter was "unnecessary." It should also be pointed out the report states Trustmark was given proof of the guardianship but no copy of the order. Thus the question is whether Trustmark ever had notice this was an account with court-imposed restrictions.
Judge Thomas will accept the report today. Judge Thomas said last month Linus Shackelford and Michael J. Brown could either produce the money today or "explain" they he should not hold them in contempt of court.
Legislature: We expect some mo' money
The Lieutenant Governor just issued a press release on the budget:
The Joint Legislative Budget Committee today adopted increased revenue estimates for the current fiscal year and FY 2013 to reflect slight growth in state tax collections, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves announced today.
The Joint Legislative Budget Committee increased expectations for the current fiscal year by $99 million to $4.761 billion, which would be a 3.5 percent increase over the previous fiscal year. The revenue estimate for FY 2013, which begins July 1, rose by $128 million to $4.759 billion, which will be a 1.3 percent over the current budget year. This week, Senate and House Appropriations Committees will begin crafting a budget for FY 2013 based on the new estimate.
“This revision is a measured attempt to recognize that we are seeing some economic growth in our state,” Lt. Gov. Reeves said. “However, we still won’t see significant growth over the next several years and must remain cautious in our spending.”
The Joint Legislative Budget Committee revised revenues estimates after a presentation by State Economist Darrin Webb. He warned legislators the economy is recovering slowly but remains fragile.
City council discusses racism, baseball, nepotism, & grass-cuttin' yesterday (Video)
Here is the video of yesterday's work session of the Jackson City Council. The council discussed possible nepotism in awarding contracts for landscaping services. Councilman Whitwell asked for "assurance" in how the contracts are awarded and said he could not vote for claims while he had "concerns". He said he wanted to separate the grass and weed contracts out of the claims docket. The Mayor said they are still investigating and it takes time to do so. Councilman Yarber pointed out the size of the payments was not that much and the vendors could not afford to miss payments by the city. Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon said she was willing to vote for the claims docket and take a risk on a $1,300 payment.
Meeting starts at 4:00. Video is discussion of grants to various small businesses in Jackson.
Baseball discussion in this clip. Discussion about claim by Patton starts at 23:00. Mr. Patton is getting paid his $1,300. Discussion about alleged nepotism in awarding of grass and weed contracts starts at 24:00.
Discussion of grass and weed contracts continued.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Chowke tries to find racism at..... baseball fields (Video)
I kid you not. The Jackson City Council had a work session today. While reviewing various parts of the agenda, Mr. Chokwe Lamumba questioned a lease agreement between the City of Jackson and an LLC owned by Con Maloney and Cal Wells for Smith-Will Stadium. The company will pay Jackson $50,000 per year. Needless to say, Mr. Lamumba used that as an excuse to launch into a diatribe about racism at the baseball fields in Jackson. I kid you not. Mr. Bluntson finally had enough and set him straight, upon which Mr. Lamumba finally shut up. Here is the video. Enjoy.
Canton....here........we go again.....
The City of Canton Election Commissioners refused to certify the election for Ward 2 alderman today. Don Bates won the election as the Mayor's wife came in third. Commissioner Johnny Rodgers called a meeting for 10:00 AM but the other two commissioners did not appear at City Hall. A meeting was scheduled for last Friday afternoon at 4:00 PM. However, the two commissioners refused to enter the room where the aldermen meet and elections are certified. The two commissioners then ran to the parking lot and left in their cars when Commissioner Rogers tried to hold a meeting in the hallway. Mr. Bates is the only white candidate in the race and received 272 votes- two shy winning the election outright. The ward is majority black.
State law mandates the Election Commission has to certify the election within five days after election day. Section 23-15-611 of the Mississippi Code states:
"(1) In municipal elections, managers of elections shall, immediately upon the closing of the polls, count the ballots and ascertain the number of votes cast in each voting precinct for each of the candidates or ballot measures and make a return thereof to the municipal election commissioners. On the day following the election, the election commissioners shall canvass the returns so received from all voting precincts and shall, within five (5) days after such election, deliver to each person receiving the highest number of votes a certificate of election. If it shall appear that any two (2) or more of the candidates receiving the highest number of votes shall have received an equal number of votes, the election shall be decided by lot, fairly and publicly drawn by the election commissioners with the aid of two (2) or more qualified electors of the municipality.
(2) Within five (5) days after any election, the municipal election commissioners shall transmit a statement to the Secretary of State certifying the name or names of the person or persons elected thereat, and such person or persons shall be issued commissions by the Governor. The statement shall also include vote totals for each candidate for each office and vote totals for and against ballot measures, if any, including the vote totals for each candidate a ballot measure in each precinct in the municipality.
The election was Tuesday.
This is the post from Friday and will provide the entire history of this ordeal:
Update: Commission did not meet at 1:00 PM. Two commissioners were at city hall at 1:30 and spoke in parking lot for 30 minutes, violating open meeting law. They came in and provided details of the outside meeting. Commissioner Brown said he wanted the other candidates there and then left. Commissioner Powell said she had concerns that the election was not properly conducted. She said she would not certify election. SOS, Attorney Ed Blackmon, and Attorney General were consulted and she was informed of that fact. She said she had to talk to SOS but would only call that office from her house and then left. Commissioner Rogers is ready to certify but can not do so without one of the other two. They are supposed to meet at 4:00 PM.
Update: Commission did not meet this morning as two commissioners could not be present. Four people who voted by affidavit tried to switch their addresses to Dr. Truly's home. Commission supposed to meet at 1:00 PM today.
The Canton Election Commission will meet at 10:00 AM today to finish counting votes and certifying the special election for Ward 2. The commission did not meet yesterday. The panel was supposed to meet yesterday at 1:00 PM, then postponed meeting until today. Don Bates, who was the only white candidate, is only two votes short (271 votes) of avoiding a runoff election . Edward Thompson has 102 votes and Mayor Truly's wife is third with 63 votes.
Supertalk bill is dead
The Senate recommitted the "Supertalk" bill to committee last week. Such a move kills the bill. The bill would have stopped state agencies from spending money on radio and tv advertising. The legislation exempted colleges and universities, federally-funded programs, and free public service announcements from the ban. Earlier post It caused no small amount of anguish over at Supertalk (WFMN, 97.3 FM) as Paul Gallo took to the airwaves Thursday gnashing his teeth over the bill for a half hour. Well, Mr. Gallo can rest easier now as he is free to practice is free-market conservatism on one hand while getting no-bid advertising contracts with the other. However, what went unnoticed in all the debate was the second part of the bill:
"(3) The Personal Service Contract Review Board shall have the following powers and responsibilities:
(a) Promulgate rules and regulations governing the solicitation and selection of contractual services personnel including personal and professional services contracts for any form of consulting, policy analysis, public relations, marketing, public affairs, legislative advocacy services or any other contract that the board deems appropriate for oversight, with the exception of any personal service contracts entered into for computer or information technology-related services governed by the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services, * * * and any contract for attorney, accountant, auditor, physician, dentist, architect, engineer, veterinarian and utility rate expert services. Any such rules and regulations shall provide for maintaining continuous internal audit covering the activities of such agency affecting its revenue and expenditures as required under Section 7-7-3(6)(d), Mississippi Code of 1972;
(b) Approve all personal and professional services contracts involving the expenditures of funds in excess of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00);
(c) Develop standards with respect to contractual services personnel which require invitations for public bid, requests for proposals..."
The dirty little secret of state government is the money made off of consulting contracts and in this case it is so-called marketing or advertising contracts. The agency hires a consulting or marketing firm, which then has someone else produce the advertising and places it on the station. Such firms would include Bryant cronies Josh Gregory and Quinten Dickerson, the owners of Frontier Strategies.
They came in with Haley and immediately got to work using Frontier to land millions of dollars in state advertising contracts. Frontier obtained over $14 million in state advertising business since 2004 according to the Seethespending.org website. However, you might make money for Haley but you will never be off the leash with Haley soooo.... when Mr. Byrant became Lieutenant Governor, these two barnacles jumped off the Barbour ship and became the Bryant consiglieri. The Bryant campaign paid Frontier $747,119 last year during the campaign. The Bryant campaign also paid Alpha Golf Aviation $41,235 for use of its airplane. Josh Gregory is co-owner of the company and flew the Governor around during the campaign.
So was the bill an arrow aimed at Supertalk and the Bryant team or a true conservative effort to clean up the budget and save money?
Sunday, March 18, 2012
We report, you decide: A tale of two audits.
A review of the 2009 audits between the school districts of Desoto County and the city of Jackson reveals some interesting differences. The two districts approximately the same size as there is only a difference of 212 students. The 2009 audits were used because that is the last time JPS submitted an audited financial statement.
JPS receives $35,720,918 more in total general revenue than DeSoto County schools. It receives over $13 million more in federal grants for special education than Desoto. JPS enjoys a nice advantage in property taxes- a difference of $15,075,567. However, the Jackson Public School District also spends more money than the Desoto County School District: $56,092,382. You read that right. JPS received $35,720,918 in revenue than Desoto BUT spent $56,092,382 more than its northern counterpart.
JPS audit
Desoto Audit
Quick facts:
Desoto: 61% white, 32% black, 6% hispanic, 36% at poverty level
JPS: 98% black, 2% white, 82% at poverty level
Number of Students
Desoto (p.54): 30,411
JPS (p.59): 30,199
Difference: 212
Cost per student
Desoto: $8,996
JPS: $9,848
Difference: $852
Instructional Cost per Student
Desoto: $4,375
JPS: $5,475
Difference: $1,100
Total Assets
Desoto: $431,250,366
JPS: $271,905,280
Long-term debt
Desoto: $214,577,384
JPS: $226,831,005
Current Liabilities
Desoto: $10,828,242
JPS: $19,503,471
Total General Revenue:
Desoto: $239,146,390
JPS: $274,867,308
Difference: $35,720,918
Total revenue from Property Taxes (Included in above general revenue)
Desoto: $70,911,063
JPS: $85,986,630
Difference: $15,075,567
Expenses on Instruction
Desoto: $111,739,759
JPS: $147,618,829
Difference: $35,879,070
Expenses spent on Support Services:
Desoto: $90,036,135
JPS: $102,604,317
Difference: $12,568,142
Total Expenses
Desoto: $221,746,554
JPS: $277,838,396
Difference: $56,092,382
Interest on Long-Term Debt
Desoto: $8,272,980
JPS: $10,011,554
General Obligation Bonds:
Desoto: $136,495,000
JPS: $144,950,000
Revenue from Federal Sources:
Desoto: $973,317
JPS: $2,289,820
Revenue from State Sources:
Desoto: $132,912,091
JPS: $128,746,595
Revenue from Local Sources:
Desoto: $60,308,347
JPS: $76,403,538
PERS Contributions
Desoto: $10,945,513
JPS: $17,275,853
Public school parent of the day...NOT!!!
The Clarion-Ledger published a very spirited defense of public schools in a letter written by Walterine Odom. Here is an excerpt from her epistle:
"If a charter school system is truly worth doing, it's worth doing right, and that is not happening now!
Furthermore, it shouldn't be done at all until the issue of consolidation is finally addressed and more study is done to learn why certain schools fail while others succeed.
Finally, absolutely no funds should be spent on a new system until the existing one has a chance to work with adequate money.
Years of education cuts have taken their toll, and legislators need to take a long, hard look back at their failure to support public education in this state before they start making such grandiose plans for the future.
Charter schools may be great, but much more time and attention needs to be spent looking for potential problems and pitfalls. A more reasoned and careful approach will avoid wasted time and money down the road.
Again, what's the hurry?!
Walterine Odom
Jackson"
Just one problem. Does anyone want to guess where Mrs. Odom sent her child to school? Why St. Andrews of course. In fact, he was "Mr. St. Andrews" in 2009.
Do I even need to say it?
Saturday, March 17, 2012
You can't make this up.
Coach makes two kids run laps since they got into an argument. Parent comes up to school and beats coach until he knocks him out. Watch the what fathers' friends have to say.
Click Here to Read More..
Friday, March 16, 2012
WJNT this morning
The Kingfish appeared on WJNT this morning with Kent & Larry, minus Kent today. We talked about Canton and then the Jackson Public School District. Barf away.
Fetal heartbeat bill & T-V exams (Warning: GRAPHIC)
The House passed the fetal heartbeat bill this week. The bill states:
"3)(a)Except when a medical emergency exists that prevents compliance with this section, no person shall perform an abortion on a pregnant woman before determining if the unborn human individual that the pregnant woman is carrying has a detectable fetal heartbeat. Any person who performs an abortion on a pregnant woman based on the exception in this section shall note in the pregnant woman's medical records that a medical emergency necessitating the abortion existed." Rest of bill
Just one little problem. The ultrasound commonly used by most doctors -using the device on the belly- can not be used until three months. A doctor has to use a transvaginal ultrasound in order to detect a heartbeat. Don't know what that is? Here is a video explaining the procedure. Warning: Video is graphic in nature.
I'm not telling you which side to support, just making sure you know what exactly is involved.
Canton update
Update: Commission did not meet at 1:00 PM. Two commissioners were at city hall at 1:30 and spoke in parking lot for 30 minutes, violating open meeting law. They came in and provided details of the outside meeting. Commissioner Brown said he wanted the other candidates there and then left. Commissioner Powell said she had concerns that the election was not properly conducted. She said she would not certify election. SOS, Attorney Ed Blackmon, and Attorney General were consulted and she was informed of that fact. She said she had to talk to SOS but would only call that office from her house and then left. Commissioner Rogers is ready to certify but can not do so without one of the other two. They are supposed to meet at 4:00 PM.
Update: Commission did not meet this morning as two commissioners could not be present. Four people who voted by affidavit tried to switch their addresses to Dr. Truly's home. Commission supposed to meet at 1:00 PM today.
The Canton Election Commission will meet at 10:00 AM today to finish counting votes and certifying the special election for Ward 2. The commission did not meet yesterday. The panel was supposed to meet yesterday at 1:00 PM, then postponed meeting until today. Don Bates, who was the only white candidate, is only two votes short (271 votes) of avoiding a runoff election . Edward Thompson has 102 votes and Mayor Truly's wife is third with 63 votes.
The Clarion-Ledger reported yesterday most of the affidavit ballots were thrown out:
"The commission began certifying affidavits this morning at Canton City Hall, but needed assistance from Madison County Circuit Court Clerk Lee Westbrook.
At issue were several addresses of registered voters that don’t reside in Ward 2 or are not registered to vote.
Out of the 78 affidavits, the voter registration rolls determined three were from Ward 2. The others came from other wards, outside Canton city limits, nonexisting voters and streets split by wards 2 and 3.
Bates, who challenged the affidavits, contacted the secretary of state and Madison County district attorney’s office contending pollwatchers violated election laws at City Hall by interfering with and intimidating voters." Article
JJ reported Wednesday representatives from the District Attorney, Attorney General, and Secretary of State went to City Hall Tuesday afternoon after the Mayor had Mr. Bates thrown out of City Hall. Individuals who were not poll-workers and not affiliated with the Bates campaign were examining the poll books, writing down names of people who had not voted, then would go to the parking lot and hand the notes to other individuals who would then leave, presumably to go "round 'em up". Elderly people from Canton Manor Nursing Home were also brought in with "caregivers". Witnesses told JJ it was quite clear these voters were not of "right mind" and the "caregivers" would vote for them. The Mayor appoints all three election commissioners.
