Jackson Jambalaya

John Bell going to run for Mayor against Mary.

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Were any father-rapers on the list?

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Here is one guy who got a pardon. Douglas Hindman.

Check out the chat logs for this guy. Here is the original WLBT story in 2007.

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Post includes complete video of meeting and minutes from November 2011 meeting.

Meeting starts at 3:30. Board deals with Mayor Rhoads' comments about creating a separate school district at 12:00. Board voted unanimously to oppose such action even though no formal request was made. School Board President Anne Sturdivant later said such a move would deprive the district of 48% of its revenue.

Board goes into executive session then returns to open meeting. Meeting only lasted for three minutes after they returned. Oh I love it, Liesmand and Santelli are going at it right now. Going to have a good video to post later.

Here are the minutes from November. Nothing exciting in them but here is a partial list of the relevant documents:

Page 6: Personnel changes
Page 10: Several field trip requests (Note to NW Rankin Middle: field trip to Atlanta but NO trip to the aquarium? Just the largest and best one in the country but a trip to a baseball game is schedule. )
Page 40: Statement of cash balances for schools
Page 51: Discussion and quotes for fire extinguishers & inspections

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The former Governor sent the following press release:

Some people have misunderstood the clemency process and think that all or most of the individuals who received clemency from former Gov. Haley Barbour were in jail at the time of their release. Approximately 90 percent of these individuals were no longer in custody, and a majority of them had been out for years. The pardons were intended to allow them to find gainful employment or acquire professional licenses as well as hunt and vote. My decision about clemency was based upon the recommendation of the Parole Board in more than 90 percent of the cases. The 26 people released from custody due to clemency is just slightly more than one-tenth of 1 percent of those incarcerated.

Half of the people who were incarcerated and released were placed on indefinite suspension due to medical reasons because their health care expenses while incarcerated were costing the state so much money. These individuals suffer from severe chronic illnesses, are on dialysis, in wheelchairs or are bedridden. They are not threats to society but if any of them commits an offense – even a misdemeanor – they’ll be returned to custody to serve out their term.

Of the inmates released for medical reasons, a small number were placed on house arrest, and all still remain under the supervision of the Department of Corrections.

In Custody at Time of Release: 26 (12%)
* Medical Release/Remain Under MDOC Supervision (13)
* Suspended Sentence/ Remain Under MDOC Supervision (3)

Previously Completed Incarceration at Time of Clemency :189 (88 percent)

Total: 215

Source: Mississippi Department of Corrections

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NMC found another pardon that well, I won't spoil the surprise. Just click and read. If you get caught drinking and driving, just do it again.

Meanwhile Attorney General Jim Hood is seeking an injunction to block some of the pardons. Nice Haley, you are giving Democrats the opportunity to appear tough on crime.

However, that is not all. The Dedousis family has created a Facebook page, Victims of Mississippi Pardons. I don't think this is going away.

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A Hinds County grand jury indicted Byron Thompson of one count of embezzlement on December 8, 2011. Mr. Thompson is the Deputy Director for the Mississippi Department of Homeland Security. He is free on $5,000 bond.

The indictment charges Mr. Thompson with using a state-owner car and a fuelman card for his own personal use. The complaint was filed after State Auditor Stacy Pickering made a demand of $6,565 on the defendant in 2010 to repay the money. Mr. Pickering issued a press release concerning the matter in August 2010:

The State Auditor’s Office has issued a demand against DPS official Byron Thompson in the amount of $6,565.71 to the State of Mississippi following an investigation by the State Auditor’s Office into his personal use of a state-owned vehicle. Thompson, Search and Rescue Coordinator for the Mississippi Homeland Security, used a state vehicle for personal use between August 2009– May 2010.

“State owned vehicles are to be used for official state business and not personal use,” said State Auditor Stacey Pickering. “Personal use is different than traveling in a state car to a meeting, convention or to the office. Special agents analyzed this individual’s time sheets, fuel purchase reports and schedules to determine when he was officially ‘on the clock’ and when it was obvious he was using his state-owned vehicle for personal use that is clearly a violation of State Law.”

Mississippi Code Section 25-1-79 clearly prohibits personal use in a state-owned vehicle for any purpose other than the official business of the State of Mississippi. Personal use is not to be confused with allowable uses of state-owned vehicles as outlined in the Department of Finance and Administration’s Fleet Manual. Personal travel, such as vacations, out of town trips while off duty, transportation of family members, etc., is prohibited.

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Woman kills her husband, gets a conditional indefinite suspension of sentence.

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Collection of all posts on Irby case

BREAKING: Family not notified. Spoke to the wife of John Dedousis, Elaine. She authorized me to state the family was not notifed by the Governor's office and they only found out a few minutes before we spoke even though they were on the list to be contacted by the state. Mr. Dedousis said "I am speechless. I'm appalled. Its amazing what political connections can do. The family plans on taking some form of action which will be decided upon in the next 24 hours."

Original post: You read right. Karen Irby's sentence is commuted to three years of house arrest.Here is the list. Its on page 7.

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Former Madison-Rankin District Attorney John Kitchens sent this website a copy of a letter he sent to MDOC Commissioner Chris Epps opposing any mercy for David Gatlin. Mr. Kitchens stated in an email to this correspondent "Haley Barbour is insane for granting a pardon to this criminal." David Gatlin pleaded guilty to simple murder, aggravated assault, and burglary in the murder of his wife.

Mr. Gatlin rented a car in Georgia, traveled to Mississippi, and spent the night in a motel in the Jackson area in 1993. Mr. Gatlin then went to the home of Randy Walker, forced Mr. Walker at gunpoint to go back to the bedroom where a dressed Tammy Ellis Gatlin stood holding her baby. David Gatlin shot his wife with a .380 and then shot Randy Walker. Randy Walker survived, Tammy Gatlin did not. Mr. Gatlin served as a trustee in the Governor's Mansion. Mr. Kitchens asked Commissioner Epps in his letter to terminate his trustee status.

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The Governor named his team yesterday. His "cabinet" will be:

Bureau of Narcotics: Marshall L Fisher, Executive Director
Corrections: Chris Epps, Commissioner
MEMA: Robert Latham, Executive Director
Employment Security: Mark Henry, Executive Director
Environmental Quality: Trudy Fisher, Executive Director
Finance and Administration: Kevin Upchurch, Executive Director
Human Services: Rickey Berry, Executive Director
Medicaid: Dr. David Dzielak, Executive Director
Marine Resources: Dr. Bill Walker, Executive Director
Public Safety: Albert Santa Cruz, Commissioner
MDA: Jim Barksdale
Chief of Staff: Kirk Sims
Communications Director: Mick Bullock

Some old, some new as the Governor kept some agency heads and replaced others. No word yet on Banking & Finance. What is interesting is who is not on the list. Its rather surprising, to say the least.

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The Israeli Consulate hosted a reception for Governor Bryant at the Fairview Inn last night. Jackson Jambalaya was present and videotaped the evening for you. Here is the video. Enjoy.

Clip 1: Welcoming remarks by Rebecca Laskin, Laskin Therapy Group,Dr. Luke Gergen, and Cheryl Katz at 8:30, Congressman Harper at 16:00


Clip 2 starts with Senator Wicker, Governor Bryant speaks at 6:30.

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They kicked our ass fair and square I and I do mean kick our ass. I had to listen to LSU fans bad-mouth Saban, who I've always respected. Well, my fellow Tigers, I hoped you learned something. I wrote 4 years ago on this site Miles was not a championship coach. I tend to save such judgments til after the season is over. I'm drunk off my ass but that's ok, I give Nick all the credit.

By the way, thank you Les. You had a qb on track to be First Team All SEC. But nooooooo, because he looked dumb against a Saban defense like so many other qb's have, you sat his ass on the bench and screwed us with Jefferson tonight. At least Shula in Super Bowl 3 had the sense to put a Unitas with a bad arm in the game in the fourth quarter. Instead we got Jefferson playing all the way until the end even after it was clear he was unable to perform tonight.

I've always given Nick credit for his ability, intellect, and passion to win a game. LSU fans were making fun of his being nervous today, they call him Little Napoleon (Scott McKay). What I see is a guy who HATES to lose, who fights like hell after he does. You had a coach who was the DC for one of the top defenses in NFL history (93 browns, his staff was Bates, Schwartz, Ferentz) now mad after what happened in November and who was not going to be outcoached or prepared for the game. There is a certain contingent on LSU boards who have shut down anyone who says Saban is a very good coach and a true intellect of the game. I've heard both coaches numerous times in private. They are both the same in terms of competitive in nature. They both love to recruit and are good at it. They both can spot coaching talent and hire it but Saban is a little better coach than Miles and proved it tonight.

Having said that, congrats to the Tide. They beat my Tigers' ass, made them quit, and dominated them. Before you Bama fans get TOO cocky, just remember how Nebraska made you feel in the Orange Bowl one year. Bear wasn't too proud, was he?

I won't be surprised if LSU wins the national championship next year. Schedule favors them and history is littered with champions who lost games such as this one who came back and won the next year. Remember the Redskins after the 73-0 game or the Duke Blue Devils against UNLV?

Anyway, I will say it, Roll Tide.

Oh, and MVP for Bama: Jordan Jefferson.


Tuesday morning, 8:30 AM: Now Jefferson is actually saying he played fine and it was the other teammate's fault. And those of you saying Lee threw picks against Bama, well, Saban made Eli, Greene, and Rothlesberger look bad. Does that mean you wouldn't start them again?

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Game thread. Have fun. LSU by ten.

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WAPT reported an escapee from the Hinds County jail is back in custody:

HINDS COUNTY, Miss. -- An escaped inmate is back in the custody of the Hinds County Sheriff's Department after he escaped Saturday.

Investigators said Robert Arnold Morgan escaped from custody about 11:45 a.m.

He was seen getting into a vehicle headed toward State Street. He was captured Saturday afternoon and is now facing additional charges.

His mother is in custody, too, and could face charges for helping him in his escape."

What is stupid about this? His parole paperwork has already been processed and is waiting to be signed. Yup, he was getting out anyway. Not anymore.

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and in the French Quarter signing autographs:

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Consider this the thread for tonight's game.

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Yahoo Sports published a nice article about Coach Miles. Long read but definitely some enjoyable passages. Article

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Ever wondered if there was more to the internet? Well, there is...... if you have the time, patience, and um, inclination to dig into the Deep Web.


"So if the Internet as you know it is an iceberg, the smallest part of that iceberg, the visible portion, is where you have been surfing your entire life. You visit websites, click links, use search engines to research topics of interest and generally just make your way around the visible Web. But below that visible portion, there is a much larger compilation of destinations beyond the reach of most Internet users. This portion, the Deep Web, is much harder for the average person to access and even harder to navigate. Much of the criminal activity that happens on the Deep Web is cloaked in anonymity, shrouded in secrecy or somehow hidden from the prying eyes that would love to put an end to this virtual land of OZ. Essentially what I’m saying is this: You may be familiar with the Internet, maybe even the darker side of the Internet. You may know how to find pornography for free, download music illegally, use a torrent program to download pirated movies and other media or purchase prescription pills from some online pharmacy. But if you haven’t visited the Deep Web, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Sure, there are research papers and legitimate and interesting pieces of content to view on The Other Side but there’s also some pretty nefarious happenings there.

How do you connect to the Deep Web?: Though the Deep Web may be beyond those of you with little in the way of technical and Web savvy, it’s not impossible, nor even extremely difficult to visit. First, you’ll need to download Tor, the software that allows you to access the Deep Web. Tor is designed to provide Internet users with as close to complete anonymity as possible. The Tor website describes their software and their mission as follows.

Tor protects you by bouncing your communications around a distributed network of relays run by volunteers all around the world: it prevents somebody watching your Internet connection from learning what sites you visit, and it prevents the sites you visit from learning your physical location. Tor works with many of your existing applications, including web browsers, instant messaging clients, remote login, and other applications based on the TCP protocol.

You can use Tor on virtually any PC, Mac or even mobile devices like the iPhone and Android-operated smartphones. But, if, like me, you’re using Firefox, you next need to install the Torbutton. With the Tor software up and running and the Torbutton installed, you’ll see a small onion logo near the address bar of your browser. If you’re correctly logged in to the Tor network, you can click this button and begin to explore the Deep Web. This collection of Deep Web links should get you started. But, keep in mind, you won’t be able to maneuver in this new land quite as easily as you did back on the visible Web. There is no Google-like search engine of these sites that I’m aware of at the moment. Instead, it’s a collection of Wikis and BBS-like sites that aggregate links to other locations on the Deep Web. These sites generally have bizarre, unmemorable domain names like SdddEEDOHIIDdddgmomionw.onion. That’s right, instead of .com, these domains generally end in the .onion suffix. And because you’ll never remember how you got to where you are if you spend any significant time here, it’s best to save URLs or bookmark your way through this journey. Article on Deep Web, Wikipedia entry, Tutorial

Here are a couple of interesting posts made on Tigerdroppings by posters, including a warning:

"Take this for what it is worth...

I highly suggest you do not "delve" into the deep web. Most of it is complete bullshit and conspiracy theories, but there is some very legit and some very disturbing things. Those that actually use the deep web for nefarious reasons are highly capable of doing a litany of things to your computer and ultimately with that information, to you. While this thread is entertaining, this really isn't something you should play with.

Most of the stuff you guys are interested in can be found on the regular web with some diligent searches, so why go some place where you will be subjected to the dregs of society? Do you really want to see some poor child being victimized? Do you really want to observe a drug marketplace? Do you really want to possibly get in the cross hairs of some of these people?

Ignorance is bliss. Leave this type of surfing to the degenerate mongoloids of the world, and the decent people who hunt them.


It's mostly bullshit. The stuff that isn't bullshit is the stuff that you wouldn't be interested in or stuff that is really not meant for decent people.

There is a ton of scientific data that is basically stored on massive servers that can be accessed. This information has nothing to do with ET, Elliott, or Drew Barrymore before she got hooked on booze. It's scientific data, ie, shit that unless you know what you are looking at, you have no clue what you are looking at.

Of course there is plenty of music and movies, but if I wanted to create a bunch of slave computers, what better way than to embed something in Lil Wayne's latest mix tape?

Like I said, it's mostly bullshit. Kids/low level hackers doing rudimentary hacking to steal passwords and CC information. That should be the least of your concern. Getting dotted by someone that has much larger aspirations and ability could easily take advantage of your dumb ass. You just wanted to get the latest glee sound track and read about ET banging a hybrid unicorn and next thing you know...

The really big fish can walk through your firewall, sit in your living room, then proceed to take a shit on your bread rack. It's really not worth this risk. Like I said, take it for what it's worth and do as you will..."

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Mississippi Democrats issued a press release today condemning Republicans for a pardon issued by Governor Barbour:

On the Sunday before his term expires, Governor Haley Barbour has pardoned David Glenn Gatlin, a man convicted of murder, aggravated assault, and burglary in 1993. Gatlin, who has served as a trustee in the Governor’s mansion, was convicted of killing his wife, Tammy Ellis Gatlin.

House Democratic Caucus Leader Bobby Moak (Bogue Chitto) said, “The Republican party needs to lead and re-think its catch and release program. Law enforcement picks these violent criminals up and Republicans let them go.” Moak added, “This is the latest in a long line of irresponsible decisions by a party that claims to stand for law and order.”

WLBT story on pardon

“I know that people will say that lame duck pardons are a political tradition but this is one tradition that needs to go away. The people of Mississippi and their justice system deserve better. In the past we have tried to limit this authority by allowing law enforcement and victims’ families the opportunity to have their voice heard on these decisions that bypass the parole board. It’s time to make these changes,” Moak said.

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The Wall Street Journal published a column by Steve Malanga that has a few things to say about the epidemic of cities bitten by the convention center bug:

"For two decades, America's convention center business has been declining, resulting in a nationwide surplus of empty meeting facilities, struggling convention halls and vacant hotel rooms. How have governments responded to this glut? By building more convention centers, of course, financed by debt backed by new taxes and fees on already struggling taxpayers.

Back in 2007, before the recession began, a report from Destination Marketing Association International described America's convention industry as a "buyer's market" suffering excess capacity. It's only gotten worse, attracting just 86 million attendees in 2010, compared to 126 million in 2000. Meanwhile, the amount of convention space angling for business has increased to 70 million square feet, up from 53 million in 2000 and 40 million two decades ago.

That's largely because governments refuse to stop making convention centers bigger and hotels even more dazzling, arguing that whatever business remains will flow to the places with the fanciest amenities. To finance these risky projects—which the private sector won't build by itself—cities float debt backed by new taxes and fees on already struggling taxpayers. As Charles Chieppo, a former board member of Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, lamented last year, "Logic rarely has a place in the convention business."

Take Illinois, an industry leader,where officials have invested heavily to keep Chicago's McCormick Place, long one of the three most-used centers in the nation, on top. They spent $1 billion in the early 1990s to build a 840,000-square foot expansion financed by fees on auto rentals, a hotel tax and a surcharge on restaurant meals in downtown Chicago. In 2007 they opened a new building, McCormick West, at a cost of an additional $900 million. The result? According to the Chicago Tribune, the center operates at 55% capacity.

Then there's Boston, perhaps the quintessential example of a city that interprets failure in the convention business as a license to spend more on it. Massachusetts officials shelled out $230 million to renovate Hynes Convention Center in the late 1980s. When the makeover produced virtually no economic bounce, officials decided that the city needed a new, $800 million center financed by a hotel occupancy excise tax, a rental-car surcharge, and the sale of taxi medallions. Opened in 2004, that new Boston Convention and Exhibition Center was projected (by consultants hired by the state) to have Boston renting some 670,000 additional hotel rooms annually within five years. Instead, Beantown saw just 310,000 additional hotel room rentals in 2009.

Now Massachusetts officials want to spend $2 billion to double the size of the Boston Convention Center and add a hotel. Of course, they predict that the expanded facilities would bring an additional $222 million into the local economy each year, including 140,000 hotel room rentals. Even with these bullish projections, officials claim that the hotel would need $200 million in public subsidies.

"The whole thing is a racket," Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby recently observed. "Once again the politicos will expand their empire. Once again crony capitalism will enrich a handful of wired business operators. And once again Joe and Jane Taxpayer will pay through the nose. How many times must we see this movie before we finally shut it off?"

Many times, if officials in Baltimore have their way. Several years ago they built a $300 million city-owned hotel, (the Hilton Baltimore Convention Center Hotel) to boost the fortunes of the city's struggling convention center. Having opened in 2008, the hotel lost $11 million last year. Now the city is considering a public-private expansion plan that would add a downtown arena, an additional convention hotel, and 400,000 feet of new convention space at the cost of $400 million in public money.

The list goes on—everywhere from Columbus, Ohio, to Dallas, Austin, Phoenix and places in between. One problem is that optimistic projections about new facilities fail to account for how other cities are expanding, too. Why did Minneapolis struggle to hit projected targets after it enlarged its convention center in 2002? "Other cities expanded right along with us,'' Minneapolis's convention center director, Jeff Johnson, said this year.

The surest sign that taxpayers should be leery of such public investments is that officials have changed their sales pitch. Convention and meeting centers shouldn't be judged, they now say, by how many hotel rooms, restaurants, and local attractions they help fill. That's "narrow-minded thinking," said James Rooney of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority this year. Instead, as Boston Mayor Thomas Menino has said, expanding a convention center can "demonstrate to the world that we have unlimited confidence in our city and what it can do, not only as a convention destination but as the center of the most important trends in hospitality, science, health and education."

This new metric—a city's amorphous brand value—is little more than a convenient way to ignore the failure of publicly sponsored facilities to live up to exaggerated projections. But as far as city officials are concerned, that failure is nothing that hundreds of millions more in taxpayer dollars can't fix." Column

Check out the letter to the editor in this weekend's edition defending the Boston convention center:

When there's an old and tired argument to be made, it's always convenient to leave out a few facts and dismiss new perspectives ("Have We Got a Convention Center to Sell You!," by Steven Malanga, Cross Country, Dec. 31). So let me offer a few: Boston invested $850 million in a new convention center that opened in 2004. Since then, Boston has hosted 1,808 events, produced 3.9 million hotel-room nights and generated $3.9 billion in audited economic impact for the region. These activities support 5,500 hospitality-related jobs in Massachusetts. Not a bad taxpayer return on this investment.

Further, we are not changing our "sales pitch." In addition to our traditional tourism metrics, we have expanded our thinking to include the value that our region's medical and life sciences industries will receive when Boston hosts 24 major medical/life sciences events in 2012, including the world's largest biotechnology industry gathering, BIO 2012.

Conventions are organized for knowledge exchange and commerce. So why, as Mr. Malanga suggests, would we restrict ourselves to measuring the value of meetings in terms of how many hotel-room nights are generated or what some consultant said about that in 1997?

James E. Rooney
Executive Director
Massachusetts Convention Center Authority

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This post is for the political junkies out there. Here is the video of the first meeting of the House Management Committee. The committee is responsible for operating the House of Representatives and setting all policies. It sets the budget, approves expenses, and makes personnel decisions. Its the nuts and bolts of the chamber. Speaker Pro-Tem Greg Snowden chairs the committee.

Not much happened at the first meeting. Subcommittees such as budget and personnel were established. Pretty much inside baseball for the lobbyists and politicos who keep up with this fort of thing.

Roster of committee members:

Rep. Richard Bennett (R-Long Beach)
Rep. Credell Calhoun (D-Jackson)
Rep. Angela Cockerham (D-Magnolia)
Rep. John Hines (D-Greenville)
Rep. Rita Martinson (R-Madison)
Rep. Willie Perkins (D-Greenwood)
Rep. Margaret Rogers (R-New Albany)
Rep. Ray Rogers (R-Pearl)
Rep. Jerry Turner (R-Baldwyn)
Rep. Hank Zuber (R-Ocean Springs)

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Vann Leonard appeared in federal court to plead guilty....again. The U.S. Attorney charged Mr. Leonard with several counts of fraud and wire fraud on December 16, 2011. The bill of information (posted below) alleges the Ridgeland attorney embezzled substantial sums of money belong to clients from his escrow account. U.S. Magistrate Linda Anderson issued a detention order (posted below) yesterday for Mr. Leonard, stating there was a "serious risk that the defendant will not appear".

Mr. Leonard faces a maximum sentence of 20 years and a fine of $250,000. The court continued the sentencing to a later date. The court also ordered Mr. Leonard to forfeit $440,000 as it was proceeds derived from the illegal activity. What is interesting is the detention order states Mr. Leonard "is currently detained in state custody on contempt charges, to be followed by a pending sentence of imprisonment from the Northern District of Mississippi."

Mr. Leonard has resided at the Rankin County jail since May 2011 after Chancery Judge Grant incarcerated him after finding him in contempt of court. Mr. Leonard was accused of embezzling from the Downing estate and did not return the money in question when ordered to so by Judge Grant. Mr. Leonard pleaded guilty a year ago to embezzling $327,000 from the bankruptcy estate of Shirley Douglas in the Northern District of Mississippi (Federal). Mr. Leonard remained free pending sentencing until jailed by Judge Grant. Mr. Leonard's federal sentence will apparently not being to run until he is released from the Rankin County jail. Mr. Leonard was indicted last month by a Rankin County grand jury for embezzlement in the Downing estate. Earlier post

Earlier posts about Vann Leonard case:
Richard Schwartz settles
Vann Leonard now in federal custody
Vann Leonard Update
Client accuses Vann Leonard of stealing $200,000 after conviction
Bar files suit to take over Leonard's practice. Finally
Richard Schwartz..but, but but, its not my fault.
$362,342 judgment awarded against Vann Leonard
Rankin County Justice served on Vann Leonard
Vann Leonard pleads guilty
Vann Leonard accused of stealing from another client
Trustee accuses Schwartz and Leonard of misappropriating hundreds of thousands of dollars

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Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves announced announced his slate of committee chairmen this morning. Here are the major committees:

Appropriations: Bucke Clark
Finance: Joey Filingane
Highways & Transportation: Willie Simmons
Judiciary A: Briggs Hobson
Judiciary B: Hob Byran (yes, you read that right)
Legislative Reapportionment & Congressional Redistricting: Merle Flowers
Public Health & Welfare: Dean Kirby

Here is the press release sent out by his office:

(Jackson, MS) – Flanked by Senators in the Capitol rotunda today, Lt. Governor Tate Reeves announced his committee chairmen.

“I am very proud of the leadership team we have assembled. It’s bi-partisan, inclusive, and represents all areas of the state,” Reeves said. “I am ready to get to work, and I have full confidence that there will be a cooperative spirit among these leaders to serve the citizens of Mississippi well.”

The following is a list of the Lt. Governor’s Committee’s listed in alphabetical order including the Chairman and Vice Chairman:


Accountability Efficiency and Transparency
Nancy Collins Chairman
J.P. Wilemon Vice Chairman

Agriculture
Billy Hudson Chairman
Russell Jolly Vice Chairman

Appropriations
Buck Clarke Chairman
Terry Burton Vice Chairman

Business and Financial Institutions
Gary Jackson Chairman
J.P. Wilemon Vice Chairman

Compilation, Revision and Publication
Derrick Simmons Chairman
Dean Kirby Vice Chairman

Congressional Redistricting
Merle Flowers Chairman
Chris McDaniel Vice Chairman

Constitution
Michael Watson Chairman
Will Longwitz Vice Chairman

Corrections
Sampson Jackson Chairman
Lydia Chassanoil Vice Chairman

County Affairs
Nickey Browning Chairman
Billy Hudson Vice Chairman

Drug Policy
David Jordan Chairman
Michael Watson Vice Chairman

Economic Development
John Horn Chairman
Steve Hale Vice Chairman

Education
Gray Tollison Chairman
Nancy Collins Vice Chairman

Elections
Chris McDaniel Chairman
David Blount Vice Chairman\

Energy
Merle Flowers Chairman
Giles Ward Vice Chairman

Enrolled Bills
Alice Harden Chairman
Kelvin Butler Vice Chairman


Environmental Protection Conservation and Water Resources
Tommy Gollott Chairman
Deborah Dawkins Vice Chairman

Ethics
Bennie Turner Chairman
Gary Jackson Vice Chairman

Executive Contingent Fund
Robert Jackson Chairman
Gray Tollison Vice Chairman

Finance
Joey Fillingane Chairman
Merle Flowers Vice Chairman

Forestry
Melanie Sojourner Chairman
Giles Ward Vice Chairman

Highways and Transportation
Willie Simmons Chairman
Perry Lee Vice Chairman

Housing
Hillman Frazier Chairman
Chris Massey Vice Chairman

Insurance
Videt Carmichael Chairman
Rita Parks Vice Chairman

Interstate and Federal Co-op
Kenny Wayne Jones Chairman
Sampson Jackson Vice Chairman


Investigate State Offices
Albert Butler Chairman
Videt Carmichael Vice Chairman


Judiciary A
Briggs Hopson Chairman
Bennie Turner Vice Chairman

Judiciary B
Hob Bryan Chairman
Chris McDaniel Vice Chairman

Labor
Kelvin Butler Chairman
Robert Jackson Vice Chairman

Legislative Reapportionment and Congressional Redistricting
Merle Flowers Chairman

Local and Private
Perry Lee Chairman
Tony Smith Vice Chairman


Municipalities
J.P. Wilemon Chairman
Bill Stone Vice Chairman

Ports and Marine Resources
Brice Wiggins Chairman

Public Health and Welfare
Dean Kirby Chairman
Hob Bryan Vice Chairman

Public Property
David Blount Chairman
Sally Doty Vice Chairman

State Library
Deborah Dawkins Chairman
Albert Butler Vice Chairman

Tourism
Lydia Chassanoil Chairman
Sean Tindal Vice Chairman

Universities and Colleges
Terry Burton Chairman
John Polk Vice Chairman


Veterans and Military Affairs
Haskins Montgomery Chairman
Philip Moran Vice Chairman

Wildlife Fisheries and Parks
Giles Ward Chairman
Angela Hill Vice Chairman

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Here are Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves' prepared remarks for his inaugural speech yesterday:


Thank you, Thank you! What a great day in Mississippi. Congratulations to Delbert Hosemann, Jim Hood, Stacey Pickering, Lynn Fitch, Cindy Hyde-Smith and Mike Chaney who took their oaths alongside me here today.

Voters placed their confidence in everyone elected in this chamber to keep Mississippi on a path to a brighter future. They want better-paying jobs, better schools and a safe place to raise their children. Speaking of children, I’d be remiss if I did not mention my family who is here with me today. During my first campaign for State Treasurer I said that my wife Elee was my biggest asset, but my friends kept telling me that she was my ONLY asset. Our family has grown since then. Many of you know my girls Tyler and Emma and we have another little girl on the way. It’s my hope that the work we do together in this building will make their future and the future for all Mississippi kids brighter than ever.

And I believe we can accomplish that. We need to continue to improve the climate for companies to bring highly-skilled jobs to Mississippi – keeping taxes low and providing the best in workforce training opportunities. We need to look at innovative ways to provide quality education through our public schools, community colleges and universities. And we need to ensure our law enforcement has the tools needed to keep our families safe.

We can move toward these goals, but it will not be easy. Our state’s economy – like the nation’s – is struggling. Revenues are coming in at slightly higher-than-expected levels, but that could change over the course of the next six months. Most economists, including our state economist, believe revenues will continue to be sluggish and won't return to pre-recession levels until FY 2014 or 2015. Caution should be the standard as we design a budget for the next fiscal year.

We will need to budget conservatively and look for more ways to save money. We should pass legislation requiring agency heads to find more efficiencies in government. And that is why I created a new committee in the Senate named Accountability, Efficiency, and Transparency – whose charge will be to help accomplish this. By right-sizing government and holding down the state’s debt, we can make Mississippi a more attractive place to do business. In all things we do we should remember that government does not create jobs, instead we should strive to provide an environment that encourages the private sector to invest capital and create jobs.

We have seen great success in economic development over the past eight years. Mississippians are making solar panels in Senatobia and Hattiesburg. They’re making jet engines in Batesville and defense systems in Columbus and on the Gulf Coast. And, of course, Mississippians are now making cars in Canton AND Blue Springs.

But we cannot let these successes lull us into a false sense of confidence. Our neighboring states have taken notice of our accomplishments, and they are positioning themselves to be more competitive and to attract the higher paying and highly skilled jobs that we want here.

We cannot lose our intensity and focus on economic development. A big part of that is workforce training. We have to keep upgrading the skills of our workforce. A well-trained workforce is the key to recruiting better jobs for Mississippi. And with good jobs, we can keep our children at home to raise their families.

Like many of you, Elee and I grew up in small Mississippi towns … went to a Mississippi college … graduated and got great Mississippi jobs … got married and started raising Mississippi kids. Most Mississippians want to do just that. But not all of them have that option. Our job is to change that.

Everyone in this Chamber knows someone who moved to Texas or Georgia or Florida or somewhere else to get a better career. We need to reverse that trend. Too many Mississippi teens do not see college as part of their future, and we need to change that mindset.

We will start by improving the education attainment level of our students. We have to make sure that we’re providing access to a quality education for all of our people. Black, white, rich and poor. We have to improve the early education curriculum to get children off to the best start possible. We have to put college within reach of every child who needs it.

We all want these things to happen for every citizen in Mississippi. So, whether you serve in the Senate or the House … whether you are from the Hills or the Delta, the Pine Belt or the Coast, working together we can accomplish our goals.

I look forward to working with Governor-elect Bryant, Speaker Gunn and each of you to keep Mississippi on that path to that brighter future. God bless you and may God bless the State of Mississippi.

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Here is 2 Gutta's latest video.

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The City of Madison sent out the following press release concerning the Ark:

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Not your typical boring Hinds BOS meeting. I tried to point out for you where the good exchanges took place in the video. Enjoy.

Meeting starts at 7:05. Graham elected Board President at 10:00. 14:55: Stokes asks how many parks Hinds County has. Yup. Wasted no time and went right for..... the parks. Sheriff Lewis presents new policy manuals to Board at 17:00. Stokes asks at 23:00 about interfund advances. Deputy Chancery Clerk Greta Lovell gives a good explanation how it works. Stokes questions whether it is "sound fiscal policy". Stokes voted no on every one.

1:52. Supervisors look at borrowing nearly half a million dollars from the E911 fund. Stokes questions it. Stokes asks if EOC Director is in favor of it. Um, Kennie, Mr. Lewis is an employee of the board who does what they say. Stokes then raises the specter of bankruptcy if something happens. Mr. Fisher says "That was fresh to hear after four years of saying the same thing." The Board passes a motion by Mr. Stokes at 12:50 to broadcast the meetings on public access channel (Don't worry, I'll still post videos here.).

15:10: Stokes then addresses the budget. Very interesting and worth watching as he expounds on the need for a reserve of 5% and how the county has to quit wasting money. Stokes was surprised the budget was only a little over $50 million. Stokes takes issue with Public Safety and Courts eating up $30 million of the budget. "We can not have good government without having a reserve". The reserve is less than half a million dollars. Stokes recommended having 5% reserve or at least $2 million. Stokes said the board needed to make "hard decisions". Mr. Fisher chimed in and said the issue was "the discipline of the board" and made a few comments. Stokes then comes back at 28:00 and mentions how many deputies are used at the front doors of the courthouses. 29:20: Sheriff Lewis responds to Stokes. Sheriff said the county had 250,000 residents and 900 square miles.


Sheriff Lewis continues his response to Mr. Stokes in Part 3. The Sheriff said he had 500 employees (including the jail). Stokes fires back and says HCSO doesn't have to cover Jackson and Harvey won't allow them to do so. Mr. Stokes said "there ain't no crime in the country. If you think the crime in the country is the same as crime in Jackson, they sleepwalkin'".

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Governor Bryant sent out the following email to the Executive Committee of the Mississippi Republican Party:

Dear State Executive Committee Members:

I am honored to have been elected to serve as the 64th Governor of Mississippi. I hope all of you will plan to attend the festivities planned for January 10th in Jackson. It will be a time for both celebration and preparation as we get ready for the job ahead of us.

The well being of our State Republican Party is very important to me. I am eager to build on the successes of Governor Barbour as well as Chairmen Jim Herring, Brad White, and Arnie Hederman. I plan to be very engaged in the activities of the Party and help strengthen it for the next generation.

Chairman Hederman told me he plans to step down and vacate the Chairmanship at the next State Executive Committee meeting on January 11, 2012 at 10 a.m. I want to thank Chairman Hederman on a historically successful year for our Party. His excellent work will benefit our Party for years to come.

I am writing to let you know that I am supporting Joe Nosef to be the new Chairman of our Party, and I hope you will consider supporting Joe, too. Joe served as Chief Counsel to Governor Barbour during his first term and as my chief of staff during the first year I served as Lt. Governor.

He was Campaign Manager for Governor Barbour's successful reelection campaign and has helped in numerous campaigns over the last 25 years. Those are just some of the reasons I believe Joe has the qualities necessary to lead our Party as we face the new opportunities and challenges ahead.

Thank you for your service to our Party and our state. I look forward to working with all of you in the future and to seeing you next week in Jackson.

Sincerely,
Phil Bryant

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Latest from Legislature

House adjourned until 1:45 & Senate 10:00 AM tomorrow. Senate Rules Committee meets today at 4:00. Bennet, Ray, & Martinson elected to House Management Committee. More to follow. Scuttlebutt on chairmanships: Flowers to Public Health, Filingane to Finance, Buck to Appropriations. No word on House Chairmanships. All of this is unconfirmed and can easily change so take it for what its worth. JCVB has a reception at 5:00 PM at the Convention Center. No rooms available for overnight stay.

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Yup. Check out the new manager of Cannon Nissan in the newspaper today:

Look familiar? Try here and here.

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Properties owned by the Steadivest companies will be sold at auction. The properties are listed below.

U. S. Bankruptcy Auction
Steadivest, LLC Case No. 09-01013EE
Steadivest Development, LLC f/k/a Jackson Property Liquidators, LLC
Case No. 09-01823EE
Steadivest Capital, LLC f/k/a Tactical Financial Solutions, LLC
Case No. 09-01824EE
MTW Investment Financing, LLC Case No. 09-01825EE

Online Only Bidding Beginning Monday,
January 9, 2012and Ending Thursday,
January 19, 2012 @ 1:00 PM

2913 Greenview Drive, Jackson, Ms 39212
114 Mason Boulevard, Jackson, Ms 39212
375 Mason Boulevard, Jackson, Ms 39212
3228 Whitten, Jackson, Ms 39212
1027 Walnut Street, Jackson, Ms 39212
3443 W. Capitol Street, Jackson, Ms 39212
3637 Warner Avenue, Jackson, Ms 39214
303 Wacaster Street, Jackson, Ms 39209
704 Westmont Drive, Jackson, Ms 39209
2857 Greenwood Avenue, Jackson, Ms 39212
318 Fairhill Drive, Jackson, Ms 39212
632 W. Hillsdale Drive, Jackson, Ms 39209
221,223, & 225 Delaware Avenue, Jackson, Ms 39201(Vacant Lots)
321 Broadview Street, Jackson, Ms 39209

Contact Taylor Auctions.

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Hinds County Sheriff Tyrone Lewis announced his new command staff at his first press conference yesterday at the Hinds County Extension Center. Sheriff Lewis said the department was "top-heavy" and released several officials yesterday. The Sheriff said the changes would make the department more "efficient" and economical. All deputies had to reapply to the department (This was done when Sheriff McMillin assumed office.).

Sheriff Lewis said Chris Picou of Richland is the new Chief Deputy. Chief Deputy Picou is known for his work in K-9 units and drug interdiction. Sheriff Lewis said he was abolishing the position of Undersheriff and instead was making the Chief Deputy his second-in command. Mr. Picou has been in law enforcement for twenty-two years and was the Sheriff's "right hand" during the transition phase. The command staff is:

Perry Martin, Deputy Chief, Community Service
Ken Magee, Deputy Chief, Enforcement
Joe Austin, Deputy Chief, Support Services
Markas Marbury, Captain, Patrol
Joseph Daughtry, Captain, Community Service
Michael Ivy, Captain, Corrections
Steve Baily, Captain, Investigations,
Dana Price & Kamau Franklin: Legal Counsel

One observation I made yesterday was Sheriff Lewis "broke out" the corrections division. It now has its own policy and personnel manuals and is a separate division. The Sheriff said corrections is "governed in a totally different manner" and will be under a different set of rules. Sheriff Lewis said an audit of the entire department was initiated yesterday.

This correspondent asked the Sheriff if videocameras were going to be placed in the cars. The Sheriff acknowledged the cars did not currently possess such technology but his goal was to install them in all cars. The Sheriff also said deputies would probably still be allowed to work private details although the amount of hours allowed will be reviewed.

Starts at 3:00. Media questions start at 17:00.

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Here is the video of Sheriff Tyrone Lewis and Supervisor Kenneth Stokes after the meeting of the Hinds County Board of Supervisors today. Supervisor Stokes said the county had no money and needed to cut money from the Sheriff's budget. The Sheriff had a few remarks to say about it and pointed out after a question from me the so-called $21 million budget included expenses for operating the jail. Mr. Stokes states in the clip below "there is no crime out in the country" and that if Hinds was spending so much money housing Jackson criminals, then Harvey needed to either pay Hinds more money or build his own jail. Believe it or not, you will be surprised at some of Stokes' remarks about how the county budget is managed.Starting at 2:20 he has some money quotes. Enjoy.

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Its a new day in Hinds County as we get a new Sheriff. Just wanted to take this opportunity to wish the new Sheriff well. Yes, this website has criticized him in the past and stands by those comments, even the ones that were more of a jackassery nature. The campaigns are over and now the real job of governing begins. When the new Sheriff does a good job, JJ will be the first to congratulate him. We are all in this together and need Tyrone Lewis to succeed.

I suspect Mr. Lewis will realize at some point he is bigger than some of those who supported him and now think they have the keys to the office. The same thing happened in Madison County when a certain Mayor backed a certain candidate for Supervisor who realized the same after a few months in office and we all know how that turned out. Hope you're remember that, Chokwe. All Mr. Lewis has to do is do a good job and he won't need your support in the future. Considering less than 40,000 Hinds County residents are not served by a municipal police department, it will be interesting to see how Mr. Lewis reshuffles the deck in Raymond. Having said that, good luck.

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Mississippi House Democrats sent out the following press release last night:


"Jackson, MS- Members of the fifty-eight person Mississippi House Democratic Caucus met today to select a new slate of leaders for the 2012 Legislative Session. Succeeding Rep. Tyrone Ellis as Caucus Leader will be Rep. Bobby Moak of Bogue Chitto. Serving as Deputy Leader will be Rep. Bryant Clark of Pickens. Floor leaders were selected based on Mississippi’s three Supreme Court districts. These include Rep. David Baria of Bay St. Louis, Rep. Kelvin Buck of Holly Springs, and Rep. Adrienne Wooten of Ridgeland. Members decided that the fourth floor leader will be selected by the Caucus Leader at a later date.

“As in previous elections, the vote in November sent a clear message that you have to pay attention to what Mississippians are saying. Our Caucus takes the lessons of November seriously and we are looking forward to the opportunity to work with our Republican colleagues toward real solutions,” Moak said.

In outlining the Caucus platform for the session, Moak said, “Democrats in the House are committed to putting Mississippians back to work. This means building on our proven track record of attracting world-class employers to Mississippi and working to ensure that our small businesses have the tools they need to be successful.” Moak added, “We also know that Mississippi’s economic future rests on our ability to provide a quality education for our young people. As we begin work on what promises to be another difficult budget, we will continuously be reminding our colleagues that Mississippi’s best economic development tool is its education system.”

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Here is the social calender for the Legislature in January. It will be updated as needed. Enjoy.

January

4: Christian Action Commission Legislative Prayer Breakfast, JCVB Welcome Reception
5: Ms. Economic Council Capital Day, Capital Gala & Swearing in for officials
9: SOS Delbert Hoseman Legislative Reception (5:30)
11: Ms. Assn. of Supervisors and Ms. Planning and Development Assn. (6:00)
12: MAE Luncheon for all freshman legislators, Jim Barksdale & the Parents Campaign, Stennis Space Day (8:30 AM), Ms. Assn. of Nurse Anesthesists
17: Ms. Hospital Assn. Health Advocacy Day Program, Ms. Gulf Coast Reception (5:30)
19: Ms. Primary Health Care Assn. (5:30)
23: Ms. Farm Bureau (5:30)
24: Bishop Hope Morgan Ward's Legislative Breakfast (7:00 AM), Ms. Assn. of Community & Junior Colleges (11:00 AM), Mississippi Ambulatory Surgery Center Assn. (5:30)
25: MCHS Centennial Recognition Day (11:30), Ms. Children's Home Services (5:30)
26: Ms. Dental Assn. (7:30 AM)
27: Governor's Prayer Luncheon (11:30 AM)

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LSU website And the Valley Shook took a few shots at the BCS that are right on the money. I thought it would be appropriate to post it today as today used to be my holy day of the year: Watch the minor bowls in the morning, the Rose and Fiesta in the afternoon, then the Orange and Sugar at night. Now they are completely screwed up. We have to watch each major bowl on a different night- as if most of us can take off three or four nights in a row during the week to watch football games. Then the match-ups suck: Virginia Tech v. Meechigan? Please. Arkansas would've sold the place out but noooooo.... we have a rule that prohibits the best teams from the same conference from being in the BCS if there are too many of them. Think of it as the BCS affirmative action plan, something liberals should love. Anyway, I digress. Here AVS goes:

"Conference titles used to matter. Teams used to schedule tough cross-regional games with frequency. Now, thanks to the BCS, they don't. The BCS claims to make the regular season more meaningful, but under the BCS, college football's regular season has become less meaningful. The quality of out of conference schedules have steadily declined under the BCS as teams have learned it is more important to not lose than to go out and prove your worth. The BCS has consistently rewarded teams, as it has this year, for avoiding tough games....

The biggest loser of the BCS era has arguably been the Orange Bowl, which has a litany of terrible games, thanks to its ACC tie-in. Hey, at least this game isn't Louisville v. Wake Forest again. But it's not just the matchups, it's the schedule. January 1 used to be my favorite holiday. You'd sit in front of the TV all day with your family and watch a cornucopia of college football. I'm okay with moving the title game to different day, but each BCS game? By stretching out the schedule like that, the juice has gone out of the non-title BCS games. Worse yet, it has ruined January 1st to such a point that hockey has moved in on college football's turf, and they schedule their showcase event on New Year's Day. That's right, the BCS is so stupid that it allowed college football to be outsmarted by the NHL. Let that sink in.

BCS rules prevent more than two schools from a conference going to the BCS bowls, which tied the Sugar Bowl's hands. The Sugar Bowl passed over teams ranked 6 through 9 to take a #11 vs. #13 matchup. By rule, the Sugar Bowl couldn't take Arkansas or South Carolina (or Georgia). So the Sugar Bowl reached out and picked Michigan, who didn't even make the Big Ten title game. Michigan St finished ahead of Michigan in the Big Ten and beat them head to head, and wasn't even allowed to be considered for the bowl by rule. Think about that, Michigan St was punished for having a BETTER SEASON than Michigan. Michigan demonstrated, on the field, that they were the inferior team to Michigan St, and because they missed the title game of their conference, the BCS rewarded them. The regular season, once again, didn't matter. More people would be making a stink about this if it, but this was, by far, the less objectionable selection...." Column

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Less than four weeks to go:

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Here are some of the latest videos from Iowa. Enjoy. ;-)

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"Recently released results from the Baltimore Convention Center Hotel show rising room receipts in 2010 were not enough to cover a $11.5 million loss, the fourth consecutive year of red ink for the property heralded as the savior of the city’s still sagging convention business.

The hotel also failed to meet projections consultants used to sell the deal to the City Council in 2005. This year the hotel collected 27 percent less than projected for each room sold and fell 36 percent below projections for the crucial Revenue Per Room statistic, or REVPAR, which often determines a hotel’s potential for profitability....

Heywood Sanders, an urban planning professor from the University of San Antonio Texas, said significantly missing projections used to forecast debt service on the $305 million bonds sold to finance construction of the project could indicate the corporation which runs the hotel might have trouble meeting interest payments in the future.

“The fact is that the hotel is only selling three-quarters of the rooms that the consultants projected at this point,” Sanders said.

Along with failing to meet projections, Sanders said that his analysis of the most recent financial statements raises questions about the project’s ability to make interest payments on the bonds without dipping into reserves.....

Thus far the hotel has racked up a $42 million deficit in roughly three-and-a-half years of operation.

The hotel was approved in 2005 by the City Council after the Baltimore Development Corporation convinced a divided council the project was crucial to making the city’s Convention Center more competitive. However, since the hotel opened, the city's Convention Center business has dropped.

Besides depreciation, the project adds property taxes it does not have to pay, the result of tiff or tax property deferment to its revenues, a move which actually adds a paper gain to the hotel’s results...." Article

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Enjoy New Year's Eve at Olga's. Olga's will offer two seatings at 6:00 & 9:30. The first seating is a three-course dinner at $45 per person with live piano music. The second seating offers a limited menu. A $10 cover charge includes champagne toast, party favors, and music by Ronnie McGee & The Boys. Call 601-366-1366 for reservations (Required).

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Warning: Explicit language.

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Ted Carter reports in the Mississippi Business Journal:

"A Jackson Redevelopment Authority board so eager to get a developer on board to build Jackson’s $96 million convention hotel met the day before Thanksgiving to issue a request for proposals with a reply period cut down from 30 to 15 days.

But when a second developer entered the picture — Journeyman Austin Holdings of Austin, Texas — board members got cold feet and decided Dec. 16 to bag proposals from both Journeyman Austin and Transcontinental Realty Investors, a Dallas real estate investment trust with which two Jackson mayoral administrations, including Harvey Johnson’s, have sought to negotiate a public-private development. Authority members say they needed more time to scrutinize the proposals and could not do so within the tight timeframe they were working under.

This time around, Johnson brought a deal close to completion only to see it scrapped in the late going. He vowed last week to renew efforts to get a deal done. “Getting a convention center hotel is still a priority for this administration and we will continue to work to make it a reality,” Johnson said in a statement issued by spokesman Chris Mims..."

Regular readers of JJ are familiar with the hotel saga. There is an interesting tidbit of information at the end of the story. Apparently the city and JRA never looked at a marketing study:

"City officials were prepared to proceed with the TCI partnership despite not having a market feasibility study done on its behalf. TCI said a market study performed for it by PKF provided assurances that hotel revenues could cover the hotel’s bond debt.

Now, however, city officials are saying the Jackson Redevelopment Authority was responsible for having the hotel market examined and determining whether a convention hotel could pay for itself. “We relied on JRA and its board to vet the deal,” Johnson said in the statement his office issued.

The JRA never commissioned a market feasibility study. The study for which it contracted with H.C. Johnson Consulting of Chicago assessed marketing opportunities and suggested market strategies, say representatives of both the firm and Redevelopment Authority." Rest of article

So does this mean Harvey was pushing a deal that awarded millions of dollars in fees to his um, associates, while not even "vetting" the deal? Is the Mayor once again placing the blame for TCI somewhere else? I seem to remember the Mayor pushing the deal as hard as he could. Did I miss something here?

Meanwhile Westin announces they will build a hotel on the site of the Mississippi Valley Title building with little public money. Nice.

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Kenneth Stokes missed his own swearing-in ceremony. I swear he will miss his own death.

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"COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) - State Senator Terry Brown (R-17) of Columbus is likely to become the next Senate President Pro Tempore.

According to sources close to Lt. Governor-elect Tate Reeves, Brown is his choice to take the position, now held by Sen. Billy Hewes.

While not official, since Brown must be elected by the majority (GOP) party caucus and confirmed by the entire senate, it appears, with the backing of the Lt. Governor-elect, that he'll move into the spot when the senate reconvenes in 2012." Article

Supposedly it came down to Dean Kirby or Terry Brown. The other gentleman from Columbus made good after all. ;-) No word yet on what the chairmanship assignments will be. One little question speculated about by insiders is what do do about Hob Bryan. You see,he is considered soooooo much smarter than most of the Senate. There is one school of thought that he should be given a committee, you know, bring him in the fold, keep him happy sort of thing since he can be such a dangerous opponent. Then there is the other school which is treat him like any other Democrat and put him out in the cold.

My advice? Yes, he is very smart, yes, he has a great deal of procedural and institutional knowledge that enables him to run rings around his opponents. Yes, he can be very vindictive. However, the Lieutenant Governor-elect should put him on the outside. The Bryant team played the get along game last year and for their troubles they got to see Mr. Bryan dominate Terry Burton and the rest of the redistricting committee to the point where Phil had to fight to kill his own committee's plan. A source of no small embarrassment to the Republican Party. They can engage in detente with Mr. Bryan all they want. They give him a chairmanship and engage in other acts of so-called smart politics. All to the applause of most of the media. The problem is Mr. Bryan is very mercurial and well, will get his panties in a wad over a real or imagined slight and turn on his Republican benefactors in a heartbeat. They will regret the day they decided to be statesmen. Better to treat him as the rest of the Democrats. Treat him with respect, treat him as a fellow Senator, but make him earn any favors before he receives them. If statesmen the new leadership wants to be, there are better Democrats appoint.

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Warning: Video is very disturbing. The "N" word is used repeatedly.

Canton Estates Apartments sued to evict the parent of a participant in a very disturbing rap video posted on Youtube. The lawsuit was filed in Madison County Court in November against the parent of a participant in a very disturbing rap video seen on Youtube. The video included the frequent use of firearms and several small children were present in the video. The apartment complex filed several eviction actions in Madison County Justice Court in October but withdrew the lawsuits.

The video is rather shocking in nature, as 25-30 black youths and children lip-synced "Welcome to my Hood". Guns repeatedly brandished. Small children always present throughout the video. Roughly half the youths in the video are shirtless. The song uses the word "nigga" over and over. Canton Estates is owned by North Mart Corporation, which is in turn operated by Bruce and Carol Kirkland. The same Bruce Kirkland who owns Baymeadow Apartments in Ridgeland. Canton Estates is also listed by HUD as a recipient of Section 8 payments.

The complaint names Jennifer Williams and her son Clyde Jones as the defendants. It states they produced a video that used the Canton Estates signs, repeatedly waved deadly weapons in the air in a "threatening manner", used vulgar and abusive language in the video, and the "use of intimidation". The complaint states their lease was terminated but they refuse to vacate the premises.

This correspondent obtained through a public records request copies of emails between HUD and Canton Estates (See documents posted below). HUD inquired about the video in an email to Canton Estates on June 16:

"A Youtube video is circulating around town that was filmed at Canton Estates- rather disturbing that it was staged with guns withe the large clips in the video. Please review the video and lets talk. Thanks"

Canton Estates replied:

"I have spoken with the Manager of the complex who was not aware of the video and who is appalled that it occurred. ... It appears that the police cars used in the video were actually called to the complex to break up the loitering. We are in touch with the Madison County Sheriff Department and other residents to continue our investigation. Management will take immediate action to those residents involved in this disturbance."

Local attorney Damon Stevenson represented the defendants and told several tv stations police were present to "supervise". It would appear Mr. Stevenson is not telling the truth as sources at the Madison County Sheriff Department have confirmed the information provided to HUD by Canton Estates. HUD sent another email on June 28:

"Management has asked me for an update on your investigation. I would appreciate any information that you have."

Canton Estates replied it had "identified eight residents in the video" and was preparing "termination notices." Canton did file termination notices but the sweet and innocent residents lawyered up as Mr. Stephenson sent a letter to the manager on July 25, 2011:

"As you should be aware, my clients received a 30 day notice of lease termination on June 30, 2011. The letter stated my clients and/or members of their household violated the lease agreement due to certain members of their household being identified in a video titled "Welcome to my Hood."

While my clients and their family members deny any wrongdoing, my office is interested in knowing why only certain individuals received lease termination letters when the video featured "an exorbitant number of individuals." Additionally, my office has seen no proof that "weapons" were real and not props. Your letter states the video was filmed without the knowledge or permission of management. However, nothing in the lease agreement states that the use of recording equipment requires prior management approval..."

My office is only attempting to put you on notice that we do not believe any of my clients have committed a substantial breach of their lease agreement and therefore my clients do not intend to vacate their apartment units or increase their monthly rents. Please understand that ANY attempt to prevent my clients from exercising their lawful right to enjoy the use and possession of their apartment units without a valid court order will result in immediate legal action from my office against Canton Estates Apartments...."

The hearing is set for January 11 at 9:00 AM. Judge Ratcliffe will preside.




Justice Court complaints. Withdrawn.



Part II of earlier complaints.




Editorial comment: The media covered this story after it was posted on this website but lets just say the coverage was not exactly critical in nature. Here is one reporter who contemplates auditioning for groupie: WAPT story. David Kenney over at WLBT was not much better. Funny how they didn't ask the yewts to reproduce the "fake" guns. I'll say it right now, Mr. Stevenson is lying and those were real guns in the video. They also couldn't wait to report they were no longer facing eviction.

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