Jackson Jambalaya

Harvey did not do that because he is an incompetent boob? Geez, we knew that eight years ago, that is why everyone fled Jackson to begin with, amirite?

Oh, there is someone else who's probably had a hand in this if I had to make a bet and its a city employee who is a white guy.

That narrows it down a bunch!

Kingfish wrote:
However, I must ask why didn't Harvey meet with Barbour or Reeves prior to the vote and discuss their concerns? Why is Harvey getting surprised on something like this? This battle should have been won before a vote was even taken.

Because Harvey Johnson fired the city's lobbyists. That is what a lobbyist gets paid for. To know all the ins and outs. To represent your interests. To know when the meetings take place, when the decisions get made and who needs to be lobbied in advance.


The city of Jackson fired its contract lobbyists this year, choosing instead to use members of the mayor's staff - and the mayor himself - to influence state officials.

Johnson has said the move was part of an overall cost reduction strategy, but he has boasted about his administration's successes in getting a large number of his priorities addressed - one of those being the $6 million in infrastructure bonds the Legislature approved.

Still waiting to hear Harv tell us how much money is owed the city by state govt, JSU, USPS, etc. You'd think that'd be headline news. I'll betcha he's covering up.

@12:46 nailed it. So no small wonder that of all the millions in bond money that were up for approval and were approved, only Jackson didn't know the meeting would occur.

Complete drop of the ball.

NO VISION.....NO LEADERSHIP!!! I said it years ago that the City did not need a convention center as there were more problems that needed money throw at them than tourism!! (Aging Water/Sewer Lines...Roads...ect)

The Convention Center never releases its actual annual operating results to the public. Way back when Harvey Johnson said it would break even. The reality is it doesn't. Johnson is piling city debt onto the backs of Jackson's disappearing taxpayers as fast as Obama is nationally. Then you have Union Boss Brenda Scott renewing the call for a commuter tax in the C-L today. If Mississippi can take over failing school districts then they need to take over this failing city.

"The Convention Center never releases its actual annual operating results to the public. Way back when Harvey Johnson said it would break even. The reality is it doesn't."

If the first sentence is true, how do you know the third one is?

Because I know. You are welcome to prove otherwise. Good luck.

Great case. I'm sold.

More denial at the Bugle today from its #1 blower.

I saw it. How do you respond to someone so damned ignorant on finance? If she'd come over here and enter "bonds" in the search box and just read, she might learn a few things and I don't mean that in a derogatory manner.

Someone should ask her about the bond refinance that will cost Jackson $8 million more than if it did nothing. Or about Harvey using Malachi Group. or why Harvey should have assumed that with a new governor and treasurer from last time he sent up a bond package he didn't try to find out if anything had changed.

By the way, they didn't deny it permanently. They can still approve it, he just needs to go meet with them.

Here is a good place to start:

earlier post on muni bonds

### Ad Valoreum Millage Rates (2009-2010) ###

Jackson = 60.03 mils (proposed)

Jackson = 58.03 mils
Canton = 57.03 mils

Edwards = 43.0 mils

Clinton = 38.74 mils
## AVERAGE = 30.64 mils ##
Flora = 30.5 mils
Byram = 30 mils

Madison = 28.8 mils
Terry = 27.85 mils
Brandon = 23.0 mils
Pearl = 21.5 mils
Raymond = 21.17 mils
Florence = 20.9 mils
Ridgeland = 20.03 mils
Flowood = 20.0 mils

Richland = 19.0 mils

*excludes County & School District

Here is a good place to start:

King there is no interest at the JFP to truly understand and report on COJ's budget, finances, revenue sources and trends, bond indebtedness, etc. To do so the self-proclaimed research whiz would have to, if she provided an honest analysis (and her honesty is questionable), reveal exactly how close COJ stands to insolvency. COJ is broke. Bottom line. It is real, real bad.

Yeah but Hampton and stringfellow will tell us property owners should "do the right thing" and "its only a couple of mills".

We have lived in Fondren for almost two years and we have yet to pay the first water bill. It started with our account being "hung up in the system", then they claimed we needed to repay our deposit, and now we are getting water bills that belong to people that have previously lived at our address as well as water bills for the people that moved into our old home in Belhaven. We have yet to receive a bill that is legitimately for us. I have begged. I have pleaded. Idiots!! Wonder how many other people in Jackson aren't paying for water because of the incompetence of city workers? And all of that lost revenue...

Meanwhile, in their Fondren offices, the JFP staff of unpaid interns think they kick major ass because Mama Donna Roller Derby AlsoRan tweeted that they do and the birds chirp the usual songs the mockingbird chirps to feign disbelief. Chirp, chirp.

To Harvey Johnson:

Watched WAPT News. Then came to JJamba to read the real skinny. After watching Harvey Johnson go beligerent on WAPT it was clear who screwed up.

Thanks Kingfish. When I want the real story behind the story, online and JJamba is where I travel. You have no idea the service you provide to Jackson people.

Thanks. I've been on the phone for the last hour with different people about this stuff. The bond commission meets 5-6 times a year. There are usually 50-60 proposals brought before the BC. Many are denied. Jackson's was NOT denied. Jackson's was passed by the legislature and just sat there. There are some low-interest loans, loans federally subsidized that can accomplish the same thing.

The state wants to keep its bond debt as low as possible, an admirable goal. See California and New Jersey. The bond advisory division looked at it and concluded the city could obtain some very low interest loans (keep in mind bonds are a loan as well). The commission did not decide that.

Now what should have happened was Harvey should have gone to the bond commission and asked them to consider his bond proposal, aske them what their concerns were, and address any issues that might arise. Harvey never did any such thing. He assumed once it was passed by the legislature it would just sail right on through.

The problem was, the bond advisory division has up to 100 proposals sitting in front of it at any one time. It doesn't have time or staff to go chase down every application or proposal to see what the subject wants to do.

If I were harvey, I would have been calling someone in state government to find out exactly what was going on with my request and addressing any problems that might arise. I would have met with the treasurer or Governor and known what had to be done.

However, Harvey didn't do that. He also did not contact the Governor or Treasurer AFTER he read about the bond non-approval in the newspaper. I would think if it were my bond proposal that languisehd somewhere for lack of attention by me, I would be on the phone the next day learning what I could do to fix the problem instead of calling press conferences.

By the way, Jackson's bond proposal was NOT denied. It is STILL in the queue. All he has to do is go down there and push for its consideration, which includes explaining why Jackson should get the bonds instead of a loan.

Harvey, you are the borrower, the state is the underwriter, its up to YOU to satisfy the underwriter, not the other way around. The commission can STILL APPROVE THE BONDS THIS YEAR!!!

As for firing the lobbyists, well, its the lobbyists that know the procedures of how state governments work. They don't just wine and dine but the good ones know the various processes depending on the task. Harvey got rid of them and paid for it yesterday. Not to mention he included unapproved funds in his budget.

Bill, note that this is the way it is traditionally done. The Legislature approved the bond! Who would imagine that, suddenly, the Republicans up there would want to be "lobbied" for it. This isn't going to help the rumor that they have it in for Jackson.

posted by DonnaLadd on 08/05/10 at 06:12 PM

There you have it. Traditionally you count your chickens before they are hatched. If you have a wild ass dream that the Legislature is going to give you a bucket of money just go ahead and factor that into your budget.

Donna Ladd for Mayor. Traditionally ignorant, untraditionally uninformed. In the best traditions of Jackson Mayors she'll make shit up as she goes along.

Saw that. But she offers nothing to substantiate that Harvey's previous practice was traditionally accepted. When it comes to research Donna Ladd is more blowhard than researcher.

Is Ladd a cougar?

What she ignores, and I might add its probably intentional, is that the bonds were not denied or vetoed. They are tabled. What should happen now is Harvey should contact all three members and see exactly what their concerns are and what needs to be done to ensure their approval. He can either gripe to the media or actually do something.

By the way, is there any evidence of Harvey including bond funds in budgets before they were approved?

I've also filed a public records request asking how much money were owed by the state and JSU on water/sewer bills and how many days past due they are.

You have a short memory Mr. K. You don't remember Ladd and Piss Ant Brian Johnson going freaky about Marcus Ward in 2006? Remember how they wrote ad nauseum about his lack of qualifications to be a lobbyist. Or about how there were going FOIA deep on Melton for Ward's resume? Now we've got 2010. What qualifies Harvey to be lobbyist? How about the unnamed members of his staff who he's indicated will also replace the paid lobbyists. One poster here gets it right most of the time when they write 'Ladd is a Fraud'. I think much of Jackson agrees with that.

I remember it well. Melton was wrong back then and Harvey is wrong now.

I have to laugh at JFP, and I'm a bit on the ornery side of folks pissing me off tonight...

"JFP/BOOM interns write, edit, report, design, plan issues, shoot photos, learn biz/creative. Weekly workshops."

Source: JFP Twitter

Donna Kay is nothing more than an EMOTIONAL BLOW HARD. It amazes me that she can only communicate with mostly drop out confused young impressionable folks; no, it doesn't actually.

"I love that this thread is unfolding intelligently with a precise discussion of language and what words really mean. It's too easy to throw around labels without any sense of what you're talking about. Let's keep it up, JFP nation."

Source: Donner K comment during discussion of 'Illegal Immigration is offensive because you are calling illegal immigrants illegal and thats just mean, wrong because it's xenophobic'; how about illegal immigrants are illegal, you want us to call them kinda', sorta', perhaps, maybe, in the grey area immigrants? Really Donner?

OK... dissection time...

The "unfolding" comment??? How about restricting! Lets not share our thoughts, lets limit speech, because our pretty little feewings awre gonna' get huwt.

"Let's keep it up, JFP nation." her foolish-laden youth will relieve themselves of her presence eventually...one can only take so much coffee, dirt, and NO PAY.

On a final note, Donna is a censor. I know this factually to be the case. I registered for an account. I made a statement, submitted it for her site to publish. It was declined. The gist of the message was simple, "Donna, your emotional responses only serve to strengthen the opposition" or maybe it was "weaken your point." Regardless, it was CENSORED. So much for FREE speech. Free press my ass, its Donna's personal financial and emotional gain; and our continued ability to find out where to consume alcohol in excess.

I now return you to your regularly scheduled cartoon, "Hong Kong Phooey".

I have to laugh at JFP

me too

No idea if the Convention Center runs in the red or black but those assumptions McCarthy uses to tout economic impact are absolute crap. To boast that every person who walks in the door there automatically spends $70-$140 dollars in Jackson is pure bullshit.

This Mayor HAS YET to contact anyone in the Governor or Treasurers office, to get this mess cleaned up. My bet is the state still has a "bee in its bonnett" over the $2mm the city had in federal money that the city missed two deadlines in the application process and LOST this "free" money, and the $8MM in Ferderal "Obama Stimulus" money the state earmarked for Jackson (DEQ money who Barbour forwarded the city staff to), which once again, after the meetings, sent in paperwork after the deadline.

This was also a "non recourse loan", which the city, it seems, was not intending to repay, as HJ keeps referring to it as being "in the budget" on the asset side, with no reflection of this debt in the debit side.

Plus, money at near this same interest is available through DEQ for just this type problem, and a lot more that $6MM could be borrowed, if the COJ could EVER get its ducks in a row.

I hope our dear Mayor will let us know soon how much money all these over governmental agencies owe Jackson for water.

King,

I agree the entire bond consultant deal needs clarification to protect the public. Only the COJ council people have the legal right to demand and judicially compell (it would only take a single council person to file a writ of mandamus (sp?)) the administration to provide the facts.

Accounting Tutorial:

1) Budgets are guesses and projections based upon the best information available. The best information avcailable can be historical trends or legally committed income or expenses.

As the legislature "legally" committed the $6 mil to Jackson via legislation, it would be an acceptable and normal practice to include it in your budget.

2) The entire $6 mil bond obligation would not show up on an annual budget (Income/Expense Analysis), only any annual premium payments taht were due during the budget period.

The entire $6 mil declining balance due would be shown on the Balance Sheet(Assets/Liabilities)

"But it is weird to watch some Republicans try to use it as a way to blast the city for not knowing that the rules changed."

Donna Ladd

THIS STUPID WOMAN really is STUPID. The rules have NEVER changed. God she is one dumb-ass.

As the legislature "legally" committed the $6 mil to Jackson via legislation, it would be an acceptable and normal practice to include it in your budget.

The window is 4 years. You don't include the money until you've been given the green light. The Bond Commission, for instance, could have seen fit to distribute the money in increments as opposed to all at once. The money isn't gone.

It IS gone, if the arrogant one in the "white house" doesn't swallow his conceited pride and belly up to the bar and clean up his egg-faced mess.

It IS gone, if the arrogant one in the "white house" doesn't swallow his conceited pride and belly up to the bar and clean up his egg-faced mess.

It may not be available to him this year but he can come back and ask for it for 3 more years. It isn't gone but it will be temporarily unavailable.

Though, I must say, the full-length interview he did with Fox40 where he was defiant and claimed that his administration bears zero of the blame was a stupid move politically.

Time for some education:

MDEQ Loan information

Interest rate below 2%.

Department of Health Loans

Interest rate of 1.95% or less. Up to $5 million loan amount. Interest does not accrue until construction phase is ended. Quite a few municipalities and similar districts have used this loan fund.

King do you know how much of the $6m is specifically for Capitol Street? Some of the $6m is to increase water pressure downtown which doesn't sync with Johnson's sell job that the city needs the money to resolve problems like the Jan'10 freeze emergency.

The more she comments on this matter, the dumber she sounds. I'm looking for the bill that passed the leg if anyone has a link to it.

If approved, Johnson had planned to use some of the $6 million to replace the underground lines as part of a project to turn Capitol Street into a two-way street.

...

Johnson said the money also would be used to pay for a $2 million storage tank to provide increased water pressure downtown and for other improvements around the Capitol.

HB1701

@5:22PM: $2 million for downtown water pressure, $2 million for Capitol Street, $2 million for everything else.

Harvey's telling some big time whoppers as 2/3rds of the money will do nothing to fix the broken pipes or improve services for rate payers anywhere outside of downtown. Its more of the same wealth redistribution of taxpayer money to benefit the downtown cult.

Harvey Johnson is lying to Jackson.

This is starting to look like its not about water improvements for Jackson as that is a small amout but more about the fact he is going to have a six million dollar hole or so in the budget. If we can kill the bond refinance, it will be even worse.

Had this been Melton there would have been scathing 24/7 coverage at the Bugle. Basically two mil to fix pipes citywide? Gimme break Harv.

I know. I've spoken to DEQ, MDH, and others. What the commentor wrote above about applications not being filled out in years past is true. Harvey was just plain lazy on this one, yes lazy. Its YOUR bonds, not the state's. I don't care what the procedure is, you stay on top of it because if they are not approved, its Jackson who suffers, not the state.

This is the comment KF was referring to in post above:

"This Mayor HAS YET to contact anyone in the Governor or Treasurers office, to get this mess cleaned up. My bet is the state still has a "bee in its bonnett" over the $2mm the city had in federal money that the city missed two deadlines in the application process and LOST this "free" money, and the $8MM in Ferderal "Obama Stimulus" money the state earmarked for Jackson (DEQ money who Barbour forwarded the city staff to), which once again, after the meetings, sent in paperwork after the deadline.

This was also a "non recourse loan", which the city, it seems, was not intending to repay, as HJ keeps referring to it as being "in the budget" on the asset side, with no reflection of this debt in the debit side.

Plus, money at near this same interest is available through DEQ for just this type problem, and a lot more that $6MM could be borrowed, if the COJ could EVER get its ducks in a row."