@donnaladd

"Mayor Johnson did not show us an enthusiastic candidate as we've seen him before. I personally was not a fan of his choices or some of the people closest to him in his campaign."

This description of Mayor Johnson falls into the sterotypical assessment of a black male, i.e., you must keep laughing, shucking and jiving. Keep us entertained. Remember, Frank Melton was a genius at that trick. He, too, was able to get many "White Businessmen" to support him. What was it that Johnson could have said or done for you and your Board? How could he have acted differently to allow you and members of the Board to know that he loves Jackson and worked tirelessly - daily to keep this city on track.

Mayor Johnson spent his evenings walking the neighborhoods of Jackson. There were people who welcomed him back after moving from "Madison to the City of Jackson". Now there is another chapter to the Johnson story: "He's not enthusiastic".

This is a definite dichotomy because at the beginning of the Board's article, it gave a stellar description of an incumbert (Johnson) who posessed encyclopedic knowledge of the mechanics of capital city government, its problems and its opportunities......" Yet it was now believed that Jackson needed a "change agent" and that experience, dedication, committment, hard working, wonderful work ethics, honest and tangible evidence of many successes no longer matter.. You just need to be "enthusiastic".

I was a strong supportor of Mayor Johnson and for that, I will make no apology. I am also a strong supporter of taking care of the city and change for the sake of having someone "NEW" just isn't an answer for me.

Donna, I guess the moral of this story is that you don't look for a diamond in a Cracker Jack Box:
You will only find shiny stones but never are they real.

@ Editorial Board JFP

This board can do and say anything; however, let's be clear, at best this article of endorsement makes absolutely NO sense, except for the promotion of this paper. Black people should be outraged! This should have been an opportunity for the JFP Board to just simply sit this one out rather than try to justify and make a choice between these two candidates.

I am outraged after the reading the following: "Lumumba worked with the white corporate community, and they reciprocated, getting a sales-tax hike passed through ballot referendum, and creating a sense that Jackson was on the right track even if we weren't quite sure where that track was heading."

It is evident that the white community got what they wanted, but, what did black people who comprise 80% of Jackson's polulation get? Please, don't all of you answer at once. Blacks got a chance to pay the extra tax without adequate representation on the Commission Board designed by whites. The money is paid by Jackson citizens, yet, the Gov. Lut. Gov., Speaker and Chamber get the lion's share of the votes (7). Mayor and City Council get 3. That's not fair.

According to this Board, Lumumba was able to convience Whites that he was no longer an "activist". Antar Lumumba acknowledges his father's past and has promised this community that he will build on it. The seperation of Blacks from Whites through the establishment of a Black Nation is still on the drawing board. The RNA represented by then Attorney Chockwe Lumumba, lost the court case wherein they bought land in Mississippi and wanted to have a seperate Nation. The courts ruled that blacks could not have a Nation within a Nation.

It would have made more sense and perhaps viewed more creditable if the Board said, "We don't know anything about Antar, but we like the fact that his father acknowledged the value that Jackson Whites have over Blacks.

Mayor Lumumba had two Jacksons: One for South and parts of West Jackson and one for North/North-East Jackson. The making of bean pies and the planting of gardens where you could be part owner was the mantra for South and parts of West Jackson. North and North East Jackson was being courted with great tax deals and business incentives.

I am further disappointed that the JFP is complicit in the promotion of Mayor Lumumba who had only 7months in office and with only 2 accomplishments, yet, we are being asked to forget former Mayor Harvey Johnson, Jr. who did so much for the City of Jackson. It's as if his name can not be mentioned.

I guess Mayor Johnson will be like Rev. Dr. King, when whites began to give positive recognition, blacks will fall in line and be able to see and tell the truth!

@sarahmina

Good luck with the "people's plan; however, the pople who will need cultivating are the 7 members of the council who control budgetary spending. The "PEOPLE" elected them to speak for them.

I have read the "People's Plan". Malcolm X died 49 years ago and the germ of his plan is what your delivery of ideas is based on. Had Malcolm lived, there would have been many political adjustments.

Hope is a powerful emotion; however, HOPE without substance to back it up is like telling a horse the word "OATS" and expecting him to be FULL.

It is my opinion that the "leg work" for the 1% sales tax increase should have been done with Phyl Bryant, Tate Reeves, The Speaker of the House and the Chamber of Commerce. These were the power brokers: The ones who held and continue to hold the purse string and with the voting power to say what, when and where. Mayor Lumumba accepted these conditions without any kind of written agreement.

The tax vote was an easy one to sell. Just as it was easy for you to address this issue rather than focus on the severe increase in water/sewer bills resulting in so many people having their services interrupted. I attended two of the town meetings. Lumumba was not "{alone, I might add)". There were people there from Public Works. One employee actually brought a piece of pipe to show the condition of our 100+ year old pipes. The JFP did a story on one of the meeting where citizens on fixed incomes registered concerns about not being able to pay any additional fees. They were told that a certain sum would be set aside to assist with bills for the indigent. Legal would be forced to give the truth of the matter because I can not use your tax dollars to pay my bills.

For the sake of terminating this exchance, you have made my case. I earlier stated that Mayor Lumumba did two things while in office. So, your saying that he got the vote approved for the 1% sales tax increase was certainly one of them. Add the water/sewer increase and you will have the sum total of his accomplishments.

I supported Lumumba after Johnson was defeated. My comments here are not designed to do anything but to tell the truth.

It is my opinion that the "leg work" for the 1% sales tax increase should have been done with Phyl Bryant, Tate Reeves, The Speaker of the House and the Chamber of Commerce. These were the power brokers: The ones who held and continue to hold the purse string and with the voting power to say what, when and where. Mayor Lumumba accepted these conditions without any kind of written agreement.

The tax vote was an easy one to sell. Just as it was easy for you to address this issue rather than focus on the severe increase in water/sewer bills resulting in so many people having their services interrupted. I attended two of the town meetings. Lumumba was not "{alone, I might add)". There were people there from Public Works. One employee actually brought a piece of pipe to show the condition of our 100+ year old pipes. The JFP did a story on one of the meeting where citizens on fixed incomes registered concerns about not being able to pay any additional fees. They were told that a certain sum would be set aside to assist with bills for the indigent. Legal would be forced to give the truth of the matter because I can not use your tax dollars to pay my bills.

For the sake of terminating this exchance, you have made my case. I earlier stated that Mayor Lumumba did two things while in office. So, your saying that he got the vote approved for the 1% sales tax increase was certainly one of them. Add the water/sewer increase and you will have the sum total of his accomplishments.

I supported Lumumba after Johnson was defeated. My comments here are not designed to do anything but to tell the truth.

@The Gentleman/Gentle Woman (Tripburns)
"Justjess, will you back up your statements about city hall being like a "part-time entity?" Based on what? Compared to what?

This charge can be verified by anyone who worked for the past Administration to include members of the Council who are willing to tell the truth. Also, I along with other citizens from my Ward, have tried to make contact on many occassions, on the phone and in person, wherein the only person present was the janitor. Perhaps the janitor will bear witness to the number of times he has tried to answer in the absence of others.

You asked that I "please go further as to what you mean" referring to the accomplishments of Mayor Johnson and when these things were done.

You have asked me to produce the "Herculean" list of accomplishments by former Mayor Harvey Johnson during his 3 terms in office. To be fair, my suggestion to you is to utilize your intellectual prowess to secure your request through the Freedom of Information. It would be easier for you to list, for voters, the accomplishments of Chokwe Lumumba since there were only two: The vote for the 1% tax increase which was drafted by former Mayor Harvey Johnson, but, not put on the ballot for a vote because of the 10 member Comission Board. Remember, Jackson 's Mayor and Council will only have 3 votes. This is known as "Taxation without Representation." In other words, we pay:they say.

We are left at the mercy of Tate Reeves, Gov. Phyl Bryant , The Speaker of the House and the Chamber of Commerce. No Fair! The only other thing that could possible be included is the 108% kick in the behind water and sewer increase. Johnson had a 17 year plan but the Lumumba Administration said, "We can't keep kicking the can down the road. " Sometimes we must have a payment plan!

Now, members of the Jackson community are carrying cans of warter from their neighbor's house because their services have been interrupted. We could not afford this severe increase.

"Lumumba responded that the recent improvements were not done in part by city council but by his father." He also stated, according to the articel, "So the reason why things weren't getting done in the past is because city councilmen were making suggestions, and you did not have a mayor in office who was taking the time to do that" .

This is a slap in the face for people who know the story about what Mayor did what for Jackson and when these things were done. Lumumba was only in office 7 months. City Hall operated like a part time entity during those 7 months. Maybe one could assume that the Mayor and his staff could get their work done in record time and could leave, almost daily, before 5.

Johnson lost the race, but, his legacy should not be lost by negative reports or lies for the sake of gaining political favor.

It was bad enough listening to so many voters say, "Johnson has not done anything" or that he "Just moved back to Jackson from Madison to run for office." This was the product of low informational voters being told anything negative and their running like a bunch of chickens whose hen house had been hit by a ton of bricks.

Of course there were others who should not have been politically visible,i., e. , the D.A. and a US Rep. This was unbelievable!

With Lumumba, this is a very different story and Johnson voters/supporters will not let him get away with lies about Johnson who worked tirelessly and whose planted seeds are being seen, but, whose credits are being given to someone who does not deserve them.

It ain't going to happen!

@kenjxn "I want a Mayor I can trust to be open, faithful to the city, sober, dedicated (not one that jumps ship)"

To be honest, that was the kind of Mayor this community had in former Mayor Harvey Johnson. He, too, knew the struggle and he gave the city experience we could trust. Lumumba gave two things to the citizens: A 1085 increase in water/sewer bills and a 1% sales tax increase that is governed by a "Comission" and where the Council has only 3 votes. The gov. has 1, Tate Reeves has one, The Speaker of the House has one and the other four are given to the Chamber. This is truly messed up!

I want one person to tell me about this "VISION" laid out for the city by Mayor Lumumba. What exactly did he do? His son, Antar, complains about the people he hired. Does this mean that the vision was not being followed? What exactly is Antar expected to do? He can't keep saying, "Let the people decide."

There is more to leading a City than making people feel good by the things we say. At some point, if the Lumumba Administration was based on some mythological belief and all secondary to his death, Jackson, again, is in BIG trouble.

@kenjxn "I want a Mayor I can trust to be open, faithful to the city, sober, dedicated (not one that jumps ship)"

To be honest, that was the kind of Mayor this community had in former Mayor Harvey Johnson. He, too, knew the struggle and he gave the city experience we could trust. Lumumba gave two things to the citizens: A 108% increase in water/sewer bills and a 1% sales tax increase that is governed by a "Comission" and where the Council has only 3 votes. The gov. has 1, Tate Reeves has one, The Speaker of the House has one and the other four are given to the Chamber. This is truly messed up!

I want one person to tell me about this "VISION" laid out for the city by Mayor Lumumba. What exactly did he do? His son, Antar, complains about the people he hired. Does this mean that the vision was not being followed? What exactly is Antar expected to do? He can't keep saying, "Let the people decide."

There is more to leading a City than making people feel good by the things we say. At some point, if the Lumumba Administration was based on some mythological belief and all secondary to his death, Jackson, again, is in BIG trouble.

It is a great possibility that Antar Lumumba could become Mayor of the City of Jackson. To justify this "ART" painted on City property, inadvertently, sets the stage for others to do the same. Every citizen in Jackson did not have warm fuzzy feeling about Mayor Lumumba.

My point about the possibility of Lumumba's son becomming mayor is only to say that this could be the beginning of playing by the rules. The legal issue here can not be based on emotionalism. Think about it: What will be said or done when John or Jane Doe paints a picture of their love one because he/she was "loved by so many". This is at best a can of worms and removing it , in my opinion, was the right thing to do. Wrong was painting it without permission.