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[Kamikaze] We Are Jackson

It appears my latest JFP blog post stirred up some emotions. It's no secret that crime and the perception of crime are push-button issues for many of us.

Week Two: Budget Woes, Taxes, Photo ID

Legislators came face-to-face with rough times this week with Gov. Haley Barbour calling for $158.3 million in budget reductions for fiscal year 2009.

Alliances of the Little Guys

Jeff Milchen doesn't like big boxes. In 1997, Milchen noticed with alarm that large chain stores were rapidly displacing the locally owned, independent stores that gave Boulder, Colo., its character.

Opposition to University Mergers Strong

Gov. Haley Barbour's proposal to merge some state universities continues to draw ire. On Nov. 20, students rallied at Jackson State University to protest Barbour's suggestion that the state's other two historically black universities, Alcorn State and Mississippi Valley State, be merged into JSU.

No Fuel Theft Revealed, Yet; McMillin Blasts Council

A city auditor says she has discovered no employee theft of fuel so far, while the chief-sheriff blasts Council for publicly questioning fuel reporting.

State Farm Pulling Policies

State Farm Insurance and Casualty Company said that it plans to pull home-insurance policies from part of the Gulf Coast. The decision leaves many current and potential homeowners, who live between the coastal waters and I-10, without insurance.

Years to Go on BP Suit, Hood Says

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood said it could take years to assess the extent of harm the BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico caused.

Eyes on Spending

One of the great things about government transparency is its trans-partisan appeal. Conservatives can distrust government just as much as liberals, sometimes more. Still, when it comes to high-tech watchdog organizations and initiatives, most innovation seems to come from vaguely progressive, if officially nonpartisan, sources.

One Man, Many Sparks

"Each one, teach one," says Helena Brown, director of the Young People's Project in Jackson.

Minor's Appeal Continues

Minor, who is serving 11 years for judicial corruption, is appealing his conviction on the argument that the federal Justice Department under former-President George Bush and former-U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales steered prosecutions against Democrat politicians and fundraisers like Minor in an attempt to swing elections toward Republicans.

City Using ‘Old' Money for Paving Efforts

The city is moving forward with a massive repaving effort as crews grind out and cover sections of some of the city's most beleaguered roadways. The road work, touching down in spots all over the city, is the result of a $26.2 million bond the Jackson city council approved prior to the municipal elections this year. The council incorporated the bond into Jackson's 2009 road plan, though the bond is not financing all of the paving happening this year.

DOA: Voter ID, Early Voting and Sex Ed

Senate Republicans chose to kill a political effort yesterday that they've been championing for years because they were unwilling to offer early voting to Mississippi residents.

DOJ v. ‘Wackos'

The U.S. congressional investigation of the politicizing of the U.S. Department of Justice is continuing with House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers issuing a June 27 subpoena to the Justice Department. Conyers, D-Mich., demanded a pile of previously requested documents be handed over to the committee by July 9.

Could Melton's Health 'Diminish' Case?

Mississippi College law professor Matt Steffey says that Mayor Frank Melton's health problems could diminish the "prosecutorial urgency" of the federal case against him for allegedly ordering the destruction of a Ridgeway Street duplex in August 2006.

‘Oh, Please Just Shoot Me'

Rep. John Mayo, D-Clarksdale, smirked at the The Mississippi Hospital Association's recent refusal to submit a report to Gov. Haley Barbour of possible Medicaid cuts to hospitals last week. "Apparently the Hospital Association accepted the slap to the face when they accepted the 'either/or option,' but refused to turn the other cheek when asked what cuts should be made," Mayo wrote in an e-mail. "Kind of like the innocent but condemned prisoner, bound and tied to the post and about to be shot. The executioner whispers in his ear, 'Where would you like the bullet?' To which the condemned replies, 'Oh, please, just shoot me.'"

Bellsouth Looting Competitors?

Hurricane Katrina took down power lines across the Southeast and left hundreds of customers without phone service for weeks. Some customers also say that the telephone company Bellsouth has taken advantage of the disaster to further dominate the phone lines in southern Mississippi and Louisiana, costing customers valuable time and money.

X Marks the Boycott

Nearly 40 years ago, in Mississippi, the state fair was segregated. There was a white fair and later a fair for black people. This October, many of the children and grandchildren of those who fought to integrate this 143-year-old tradition say they will boycott the fair due to the presence of an avowed white supremacist and an old man from Neshoba County accused of plotting three of the nation's most notorious murders.

Stepping Stones

"I never thought I'd be going to a community college," Josh Raila laments. "I imagined that I would immediately get a bachelor's and a master's and a Ph.D."

Danks, Danks Everywhere

The Jackson City Council voted last week to allow Mayor Frank Melton to hire attorney Dale Danks, who will help the city's shorthanded legal department clear its caseload. The council made this decision despite the fact that Danks represents both the city of Byram and a North Jackson family, the Berryhills, in cases against the city, as well as serving as the mayor's personal attorney in lawsuits against Melton himself.

Ed Peters Demands Legal Fees from City

Jackson Mayor Frank Melton's assurance that he would be covering court costs in his April 2007 felony trial did not apply to his co-defendants, judging by a Nov. 30 letter submitted to the Hinds County Circuit Clerk's office. Melton's old felony indictments resurfaced late November when Former Hinds County District Attorney Ed Peters submitted a motion for allocation of attorney's fees to the clerk and city attorneys. Peters is demanding payments of $15,000 apiece for attorneys Robert Shuler Smith (Hinds County district attorney-elect) and Winston Thompson for their representation of Melton's bodyguards Michael Recio and Marcus Wright.

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