Monday, August 19, 2013

Sun-Herald slams State Auditor

The Sun-Herald sharply criticized State Auditor Stacey Pickering over the DMR fiasco yesterday in an editorial:

State Auditor Stacey Pickering's handling of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources scandal has led to waning confidence by many in the public and by this newspaper.

After months of investigation, Pickering recently made the first move to try to recoup some of the taxpayer money that was misspent at the DMR. Pickering settled a demand for more than $1 million against former DMR Executive Director Bill Walker for a quarter of that amount.

That episode involved the sale of the Californian and Topaz, two boats that figure prominently in Walker's dual role as director of both a public agency and a foundation supposedly established to support it.

But rather than aggressively pursue Walker for the full amount the Auditor's Office claimed he owed, Pickering let Walker walk away from the debt without even having him sign the paperwork that facilitated the sale of the boats.

If this an indication of what is to come of the ongoing state and federal investigations into the DMR, then taxpayers are going to be left considerably shortchanged.

Additionally, there is the matter of the Pickering fundraiser held at the home of Joe Cloyd, a recipient of work at the very same DMR that Pickering is investigating. At the very least, this represents a tone deafness to the community's concerns while mixing politics into the ingredients of this already spicy gumbo.

Then there is Pickering's stubborn refusal to honor the Sun Herald's requests for copies of DMR documents. Pickering's staff removed the documents months ago from the DMR's offices in Biloxi as part of the Auditor's Office investigation.

The very surprising settlement he entered into on the boats clearly shows the importance of the public having the records that rightly are theirs.

The auditor seems to be saying "trust me" on these decisions while hiding behind the tired argument that he cannot discuss the matter because it is part of an ongoing investigation.

This matter is now the subject of a lawsuit filed by the Sun Herald that seeks the release of these records.

If we prevail, perhaps we and our readers can make up our own minds about the decisions that have been made, and will be made, in the DMR matter.

Not that Pickering is the sole hope for those seeking justice.

The DMR is also the subject of a federal investigation.

Already an audit by the U.S. Department of the Interior's Inspector General has revealed the DMR to have been a rogue agency, where federal funds administered by the DMR were misused and abused and conflicts of interest within the DMR were rampant.....

As for state Auditor Stacey Pickering, he can still fulfill his duty to his constituents by forgoing sweetheart deals and instead aggressively and transparently holding fully accountable all those responsible for their misdeeds at the DMR...

Complete editorial

Read the comments. They are brutal.

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

and deservedly so. Stacey has done a fine job as auditor, but this was a dumb move. I don't think people north of Hattiesburg realize how PO'd the folks on the coast are about this whole DMR thing. Just more salt in the wound.

Anonymous said...

Stacy wants a political promotion, and is more interested in raising money and running for the senate if Thad retires, than he is in performing his duties.

Anonymous said...

Stacey needs a primary challenger in whatever office he decides to seek.

Badly.

And 8:40, Stacey has hardly done a "fine job" as auditor. In fact, a sound argument could be made that he is lazy, spineless and uninterested in holding public officials accountable for misdeeds.

Anonymous said...

This is about how politicians of both parties spread around our tax dollars and react when their friends or supporters or relatives get caught in the process.

Politicians need to take more care in doling out the money to only those who will stay within the legal loopholes and not get too greedy.

Anonymous said...

What about Stacey doing that stupid investigation of the Madison BOS. What evidence did he have to do one? ZERO. all he found out was the BOS owed Rudy MORE money. He did the investigation because Mary told him he would find something. So now we run full blown investigations because someone with a vendetta says so. Stacey is a little girl like his name indicates. He should change it to STACIE MARIE.

bill said...

Candidates for State Auditor should sign a pledge that if they win the election they won't run for another political office until ten years after their last day on the job. Frankly, if you're not willing to make that pledge then I'm concerned that you're really not that interested in being the State Auditor. It's too important a position to be used as a stepping stone to a higher office, and the person in the job needs to be able to act without fear for his political future. Loyalty to donors and decisions based on politics should never be considered when trying to determine whether there was financial wrongdoing. Maybe we'd run into a string of one term auditors, but at least they'd be free to act as they need to while in office.

Anonymous said...

I have a better idea, 9:36. Candidates for State Auditor should sign a pledge that if they win election, they will do the job to which elected. I cannot see Pickering successfully passing out the 'I Voted' stickers at a polling place. Spineless, unengaged and wimp are way too kind.

Anonymous said...

Candidates should be a CPA; thats take care of knowing how to do the job..

Anonymous said...

" In fact, a sound argument could be made that he is lazy, spineless and uninterested in holding public officials accountable for misdeeds. "

I think you're being too easy on him.

Seriously.

Anonymous said...

Pickering has done such a good job he has never audited the DMR allowing for the complete looting of the Agency by his political friends or at least Republican Brothers. The last audit of the DMR was 2003 at the beginning of Bill Walkers rein. Now we know because of no outside oversight millions have been misused or spent on things like Walker's sons land or the business of a close friend. He is going to find out in the future this disaster he has allowed to happen and his failure to bring these crooks to justice will haunt him and his Republican Party big time. He will chase down a school secretary for a few thousand dollars ,demand full restitution and give or threaten imprisonment but he will not do the same to people who form a nonprofit foundation for the purpose of steeling taxpayers money. They get caught red handed and he forgives over a $I,000,000.Go figure. He then has a fundraiser at the home of Joe Cloyd,Josh Gregory's partner in Frontier Gulf Coast knowing they are involved at the DMR. How can the man be so damn dumb? Pickering is giving it to the taxpayers "Preacher Style" I guess as his education dictates. Thanks for the coverage KF. His dismal performance needs to be known state wide because the money that has been misused, stolen an embezzled belongs to all of us.

Anonymous said...

if we convicted everybody who had a hand in the DMR cookie jar, there would be no state government left. oh, to see the log of all the boat rides given or to be a fly on the wall of some of those trips. that is why nobody at the state level will touch it.

Anonymous said...

Amen, 1:16!

Anonymous said...

Someone on the Sun Herald article wants a list of all those who attended the Pickering fundraiser at Frontier Gulf Coast's, Joe Cloyd's, home. You know, I don't think it's a coincidence that the $200 donation to attend is also the maximum contribution per calendar year while staying anonymous. Of course the Sponsors of the event donated much, much more. Their names are on Slabbed.org somewhere.

Anonymous said...

FYI. There's no hyphen in Sun Herald.

Anonymous said...

No 3:25, its not a coincidence that the contribution level is $200 - the level for reporting. That's the case with many, if not most, fundraisers. And just for the reason that you named. It has nothing to do with Pickering, Cloyd, Gregory, or the Coast. It is the norm.

Frankly, I can join in the whole "Pickering is spineless and unwilling to tackle public officials" chorus. But to connect Cloyd, Pickering fundraiser, and the DMR mess is trying to make egg soufle out of a flock of chickens - they have something in common but one doesn't lead to the other.

Cloyd has been a Republican activist for many years. He has supported Pickering for many years. He has merged his lobbying business with Gregory. Gregory has supported Pickering for many years. They throw a fundraiser for Pickering. Does that mean that they can't do any business with any agency of the state that is subject to audit? Hell no.

Anonymous said...

Well, 4:36, this is not just an agency that's subject to audit--it is under investigation by state and federal agencies. Pickering allowing Cloyd to host a fundraiser for him absolutely reeks of impropriety. Whoever called Pickering "tone deaf" had it exactly right.

Anonymous said...

4:36 must be the new public relations consultant hired by the Frontier consultants to put the spin on the facts. If these two J&J knuckle heads had any consulting sense they would have known better than to hold this type of money grubbing event, at this time, in this location with the original Bill Walker in total view for all to see just 3 days after the public was to find out Pickering allowed him to walk on over a million dollars of misused taxpayer money. Great timing guys! How in the world you don't connect the DMR with Cloyd, Gregory, Pickering, Walker, and the Fundraiser is a little insulting even from someone who is consulting for these dumber than a rock consultants. They can do as they like no matter who it impacts but the public will never buy what you are selling. Gregory should pull that fancy parachute cord on this slow motion plane crash he is involved in on the Gulf Coast Frontier before somebody like Jim Hood does it for him at the crash site. Good Day.

Anonymous said...

Word is that the Snake Nation will be picketing the CMR meeting at the DMR tomorrow morning. Stacey Pickering has fired them up by bringing up the lovely ladies' name whose life he ruined at the Rotary Club on the Coast. He also referred to the CONProfit group (Walker, McKay, Cloyd, Harris', Joe Zeigler, Billy Hewes, etc.)as "dear friends". Now how is that for an Auditor? He is "dear friends" with the ones who are robbing the Taxpayers blind! And he says it right in front of the voters of this State! Anyone who votes for this dingbat gets just what they deserve....more of the same....nothing. How can a man that claims to be a christian do this to those he promised to protect? So long Pickering....
Pickering picked a peck of pickled croakers (over the Taxpayers)!

Anonymous said...

Pickering is very easy on government officials of every type. His office knows of a boat purchased by the Univ of Southern Foundation that had a good deal of issues, He gave DPS a pass on an audit a couple of years ago after they lost guns and looks the other way regularly.

Anonymous said...

The Ms.State Auditor announced this afternoon that the Executive Director of the Stone County Economic Development Partnership has been arrested for embezzlement or misuse of the peoples money in the amount of $24,000.If he is pursued in the same way that Bill Walker and the other board members of the Marine Resource Foundation were this man, Mr.Gumm will only have to pay back $2400.Pickering will also accept live chickens and credit you as if they were boneless chicken breasts. All criminals who break the law should be treated equally. It is their right.

Anonymous said...

The protest is on at the DMR office-Bolton Building. This gathering will include the SNAKE NATION,the SLABBED NATION, the SEA(SCREWED ENOUGH ALREADY) PARTY, the Biloxi Police Dept. and others.

Anonymous said...

I don't get the Cloyd criticism. Didn't his firm get business from the post-walker dmr? Is dmr being investigating for anything they are doing right now? It's not like Cloyd or Gregory is under investigation are they? So why shouldn't they be able to support someone politically?

Anonymous said...

7:22, evidently anyone that currently does work for DMR is guilty, just because it is DMR. And Cloyd better move because his house is next door to Walker's son. Guilty by association if you are from the coast and have ever walked close to the DMR building.

Anybody able to show a connection between Gregory, Cloyd, Frontier, etc. with the Walker administration? I haven't heard of it, but am willing to listen if any of the folks condemning here can provide the facts. Otherwise, I guess only folks not any way associated with the Republican Party can do anything associated with DMR - open invitation to Derrick Johnson, Sam Begley, and Ricky Cole's buddies.

Anonymous said...

9:06 since you represent Frontier Gulf Coast and the owners interest why don't you pick up the phone and ask them about how they worked diligently to get Jamie Miller the DMR job. And once they got their man in position how long was it before they merged to become FGC then got the first no-bid contract to do the hokey PR work at the DMR.Just a coincedece for sure. Also ask Cloyd if he has ever represented anyone doing oil spill cleanup work that required his connections to Scott Walker and Bill Walker. Nobody gives a damn if he lives next door to his republican brother, Scott Walker. What they do not like are people like him feeding at the taxpayer trough by getting no-bid contracts because of connections to elected or appointed officials. This allows him to occupy a Million Dollar Row home just like his buddy.While we do not know if these guys are part of the ongoing state and federal investigations because this information is not public, we do know their names comes up time and time again. This has them under a cloud of suspicion because of what we all know they have been involved in. Time will tell.

Anonymous said...

What about Pickering and his involvement of Howard Industries??? That deserves a LONG look!!! First he was Human Resource director then after he was elected state senator he was moved to Governmental affairs for Howard!! All illegals just happened and little Stacey knew nothing about it!! Poor fall guy that took the bullet while Stacey beats his own drums for Thad's seat!!

Anonymous said...

9:06 ...you hit the nail on the head. The instant gratification re-election culture of fundraising, what have you done for me lately, who's corporate jet can I borrow to fly to the National guv's or whatever conference, who is the "go to" daddy warbuck crowd in the Delta, Tupelo, MMMAAADISON, the Coast, etc....I realize that this is how it works but the people are tired of it and these blogs explain why. Stacey, Cloyd, and Scotty Walker are like a bunch of elephant walking circle jerk dweebs hanging out like vultures thanking their sucker donors for feeding their machine that makes their self importance relevant. These are leaches that need to move on to something that doesn't smell so bad. You boys are hurting Mississippi and need to go somewhere else where your tactics are tolerated. Just not here a**holes



Recent Comments

Search Jackson Jambalaya

Subscribe to JJ's Youtube channel

Archives

Trollfest '09

Trollfest '07 was such a success that Jackson Jambalaya will once again host Trollfest '09. Catch this great event which will leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Othor Cain and his band, The Black Power Structure headline the night while Sonjay Poontang returns for an encore performance. Former Frank Melton bodyguard Marcus Wright makes his premier appearance at Trollfest singing "I'm a Sweet Transvestite" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Kamikaze will sing his new hit, “How I sold out to da Man.” Robbie Bell again performs: “Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be Bells” and “Any friend of Ed Peters is a friend of mine”. After the show, Ms. Bell will autograph copies of her mug shot photos. In a salute to “Dancing with the Stars”, Ms. Bell and Hinds County District Attorney Robert Smith will dance the Wango Tango.

Wrestling returns, except this time it will be a Battle Royal with Othor Cain, Ben Allen, Kim Wade, Haley Fisackerly, Alan Lange, and “Big Cat” Donna Ladd all in the ring at the same time. The Battle Royal will be in a steel cage, no time limit, no referee, and the losers must leave town. Marshand Crisler will be the honorary referee (as it gives him a title without actually having to do anything).


Meet KIM Waaaaaade at the Entergy Tent. For five pesos, Kim will sell you a chance to win a deed to a crack house on Ridgeway Street stuffed in the Howard Industries pinata. Don't worry if the pinata is beaten to shreds, as Mr. Wade has Jose, Emmanuel, and Carlos, all illegal immigrants, available as replacements for the it. Upon leaving the Entergy tent, fig leaves will be available in case Entergy literally takes everything you have as part of its Trollfest ticket price adjustment charge.

Donna Ladd of The Jackson Free Press will give several classes on learning how to write. Smearing, writing without factchecking, and reporting only one side of a story will be covered. A donation to pay their taxes will be accepted and she will be signing copies of their former federal tax liens. Ms. Ladd will give a dramatic reading of her two award-winning essays (They received The Jackson Free Press "Best Of" awards.) "Why everything is always about me" and "Why I cover murders better than anyone else in Jackson".

In the spirit of helping those who are less fortunate, Trollfest '09 adopts a cause for which a portion of the proceeds and donations will be donated: Keeping Frank Melton in his home. The “Keep Frank Melton From Being Homeless” booth will sell chances for five dollars to pin the tail on the jackass. John Reeves has graciously volunteered to be the jackass for this honorable excursion into saving Frank's ass. What's an ass between two friends after all? If Mr. Reeves is unable to um, perform, Speaker Billy McCoy has also volunteered as when the word “jackass” was mentioned he immediately ran as fast as he could to sign up.


In order to help clean up the legal profession, Adam Kilgore of the Mississippi Bar will be giving away free, round-trip plane tickets to the North Pole where they keep their bar complaint forms (which are NOT available online). If you don't want to go to the North Pole, you can enjoy Brant Brantley's (of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance) free guided tours of the quicksand field over by High Street where all complaints against judges disappear. If for some reason you are unable to control yourself, never fear; Judge Houston Patton will operate his jail where no lawyers are needed or allowed as you just sit there for minutes... hours.... months...years until he decides he is tired of you sitting in his jail. Do not think Judge Patton is a bad judge however as he plans to serve free Mad Dog 20/20 to all inmates.

Trollfest '09 is a pet-friendly event as well. Feel free to bring your dog with you and do not worry if your pet gets hungry, as employees of the Jackson Zoo will be on hand to provide some of their animals as food when it gets to be feeding time for your little loved one.

Relax at the Fox News Tent. Since there are only three blonde reporters in Jackson (being blonde is a requirement for working at Fox News), Megan and Kathryn from WAPT and Wendy from WLBT will be on loan to Fox. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both and a torn-up Obama yard sign will entitle you to free drinks served by Megan, Wendy, and Kathryn. Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required. Just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '09 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.


Note: Security provided by INS.

Trollfest '07

Jackson Jambalaya is the home of Trollfest '07. Catch this great event which promises to leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Sonjay Poontang and his band headline the night with a special steel cage, no time limit "loser must leave town" bout between Alan Lange and "Big Cat"Donna Ladd following afterwards. Kamikaze will perform his new song F*** Bush, he's still a _____. Did I mention there was no referee? Dr. Heddy Matthias and Lori Gregory will face off in the undercard dueling with dangling participles and other um, devices. Robbie Bell will perform Her two latest songs: My Best Friends are in the Media and Mama's, Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to be George Bell. Sid Salter of The Clarion-Ledger will host "Pin the Tail on the Trial Lawyer", sponsored by State Farm.

There will be a hugging booth where in exchange for your young son, Frank Melton will give you a loooong hug. Trollfest will have a dunking booth where Muhammed the terrorist will curse you to Allah as you try to hit a target that will drop him into a vat of pig grease. However, in the true spirit of Separate But Equal, Don Imus and someone from NE Jackson will also sit in the dunking booth for an equal amount of time. Tom Head will give a reading for two hours on why he can't figure out who the hell he is. Cliff Cargill will give lessons with his .80 caliber desert eagle, using Frank Melton photos as targets. Tackleberry will be on hand for an autograph session. KIM Waaaaaade will be passing out free titles and deeds to crackhouses formerly owned by The Wood Street Players.

If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.

Note: Security provided by INS
.