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Ward 5 Candidates Face Off

The six candidates in attendance--healthcare specialist Plavise Patterson, security guard Charles Alexander JSU professor Fran Bridges, former City Councilwoman Bettye Dagner-Cook, JSU student Corinthian Sanders, incumbent councilman Charles Tillman and sales advisor Courtney Walker--answered a myriad of questions, mostly regarding the city's biggest university and its bid to build a $210 million domed stadium.

The six candidates in attendance--healthcare specialist Plavise Patterson, security guard Charles Alexander JSU professor Fran Bridges, former City Councilwoman Bettye Dagner-Cook, JSU student Corinthian Sanders, incumbent councilman Charles Tillman and sales advisor Courtney Walker--answered a myriad of questions, mostly regarding the city's biggest university and its bid to build a $210 million domed stadium. Trip Burns

The race for Jackson's Ward 5 city council seat heated up Monday night on the second floor of the Margaret Walker Alexander building on Jackson State University's campus.

The forum, hosted by Student Government Association President Brian Wilks, gave the candidates a chance to meet a handful of JSU students and listen to their concerns.

"One thing I wanted to do was promote student awareness," Wilks said. "So we partnered with the Fannie Lou Hamer Political Society and the Political Science Club to get our students more politically engaged."

The six candidates in attendance--healthcare specialist Plavise Patterson, security guard Charles Alexander JSU professor Fran Bridges, former City Councilwoman Bettye Dagner-Cook, JSU student Corinthian Sanders, incumbent councilman Charles Tillman and sales advisor Courtney Walker--answered a myriad of questions, mostly regarding the city's biggest university and its bid to build a $210 million domed stadium.

"This is a state issue," Tillman said of the stadium. "We have local state representatives and state senators and we must engage them ... What we need to do is lobby, lobby, lobby. ... Every major change that has come in this country has been brought about by young people. The day they decided not to fund that dome, you all should have been down there in numbers outside the capitol."

The rebuilding of the Highway 80 corridor, which runs near campus, was also a theme. The most heated moment came when democratic challenger Charles Alexander passionately answered a student's question about development around Metrocenter Mall.

"We have to bring something to attract business there," Alexander said, his voice rising. "We need to bring a Macy's there. You don't have any anchor stores in the Metrocenter. Put one there, that is what's going to attract businesses. Put something in the old Sears that sits empty. That's what is going to bring business back!"

With that, Alexander tossed the microphone to the table.

The security guard also proposed a commuter tax to protect Jackson jobs.

"If you stay in Madison, Warren or Rankin County, you would have to pay a $5 monthly fee to work in Jackson," Alexander said. "That's the only way to influence people into hiring Jackson workers. If you try to tell people who they can hire, you'll have a lawsuit."

Mississippi State University alum Courtney Walker warned against passing a commuter tax, calling it a two-way street.

"If you set up a commuter tax here," Walker said. "You can be sure they are going to set their own tax up, and we're going to be paying one, too."

A group of 15 to 20 political-science students provided questions from the audience. Crowd favorite Corinthian Sanders, a 20-year-old JSU sophomore, defended his youth and inexperience.

"Experts built the Titanic, but amateurs built the ark," Sanders said. "...You don't need experience of being a politician for 10 to 20 years to represent the people you come from. My experience is coming from knowing my community, because I was born here, and I still live here."

Monday's event was the second forum for the Ward 5 seat hosted by Jackson State. The primary for the Ward 5 and other municipal races is May 7.

Comments

robbier 10 years, 10 months ago

" What we need to do is lobby, lobby, lobby"

Better register with the SOS, lest the media berate you.

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justjess 10 years, 10 months ago

I continue to get concerned about young blacks giving age old problems knee-jerk responses and very quick answers. I am referring to Security guard, Charles Alexander who thnks that you can pop a finger and an "anchor store" will appear in Metro-Center. Again I say, the only way to keep anchor stores is be 1. Community Support & 2. Making darn sure that these anchor stores management/owners know that WE are not following them to areas contiguous to Jackson, but, not in Jackson, proper. The third and final thing is for black folks to stop building churchs. This might sound cruel and cold; however, this is where the dollars are. Don't get my message twisted: I am not saying that we should not worship or serve. I am saying that we need to start enterprising.

The millions of dollars that are counted on Monday morning fom our churches are used to finance ivestors, merchants and new venture starters. People of color can not borrow their own funds unless they are matched 25 to 1. Sometimes, the numbers are even grater: requiring the church to mortgage everything that it owns.

Think about it: Jackson Metrocenter had "anchor stores" i.e., Sears, Penneys, Gayfers, McRaes, Holmes, Dillards, Belks, movie theater and others. Some of these stores sold to other companies; however, most moved to North Park . We as a community, followed them. I simply don't understand the logic in trying to repeat the same thing over again without some thought being given to the root cause(s) of businesses leaving. WE must assume some responsibility and take the focus off of symptoms.

Stop begging businesses to come or to stay! Build your own! Start small! Grow! Become something other than consumers! I understand that a young African-American couple opened a skating rink in South Jackson. Support them! Carry your children and make sure that they join the rink- not destroy it!

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mcGowan 10 years, 10 months ago

Sigh...."I continue to get concerned about young blacks giving age old problems knee-jerk responses and very quick answers. " While I agree with knee-jerk responses, etc. the "young blacks" could have been left. We all see/saw they are Black and God knows young Blacks are not the only ones giving knee-jerk responses out there.

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justjess 10 years, 10 months ago

@mcGowan

"We all see/saw they are Black and God knows young Blacks are not the only ones giving knee-jerk responses out there".

You are correct. Blacks are not the only ones giving knee-jerk responses. These negatives responses are being given and over blown by media. These messages have been given so loudly and for so long that far too many believe it. Blacks get very little positive coverage unless you read the JFP. (Thanks Ladd).

Our local television stations an the Clarion Ledger news paper can't wait to rush to a story about young black males and they seem to find the worse speaking person in the crowd to interview. There are so many talented people in Jackson. They are people with great ideas; however, they are being brain-washed into thinking that they too must leave Jackson to survive. Anything that you really NEED is still in Jackson. We build on our strengths - Not our weaknesses.

Just keep in mind that white home-owners left before the businesses. This movement had nothing to do with crime. It had all to do with racism. As previously all White residential areas began to sell their homes to Blacks, an exodus began - now to include some white owned businesses who move with the comfort of knowing - IF I LEAVE, THEY WILL FOLLOW.

This is such a simple solution. It is the way other ethnic groups have survived. Jackson can become a model for this. It is my hope that others who read the blog will find something in it that will lead to remedy.

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bill_jackson 10 years, 10 months ago

Just keep in mind that white home-owners left before the businesses. This movement had nothing to do with crime. It had all to do with racism. Let me clear this up for you. When my parents moved out of Jackson back in the 80s it had everything to do with crime. Our neighborhood (off of Hanging Moss Rd.) had really gone downhill, with house and auto burglaries occurring on a daily basis. And the most common cause for young families leaving Jackson in droves is the school system. Sorry to bust your racism bubble.

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multiculturegirl 10 years, 10 months ago

Bill that might be your families story but that is not actual history

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robbier 10 years, 10 months ago

Bill's story simply shows that painting a broad stroke of racism onto all the people who moved to the suburbs, though, is incorrect and a cop out.

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bill_jackson 10 years, 10 months ago

So you are saying that the decline of JPS over the last couple of decades was not a significant motivating factor for people leaving Jxn for the 'burbs? Get real. Also, it wasn't just white folks leaving.

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justjess 10 years, 10 months ago

At the end of the seventies, council schools were springing up every where. Money, books and supplies were given to these schools out of the inventory & coffers of JPS. Many have now closed, secondary to the fact that they could not be maintained by the folks who were trying to pay tuition, buy books and supplies, while making salaries of the average John Doe. (By then, there was a careful eye on books and supplies and also the purse string of JPS). It became illegal to give funds to these council schools.

People with money could carry on their plan of seperate, but, not equal by enrolling their children is St. Joseph, St. Richards, Jackson Prep ect. When St. Jose was forced by parents in the 80s to allow little black girls to become "Spirit Steppers" and the school was becomming more black, the decision was made to move St. Jose to Madison. With the rise in tuition, many black (even catholic blacks) moved their chldren back to schools in Jackson.

There are some great kids in JPS. There are also some GREA TEACHERS. I'm not saying that all are good. I must let you know that there are many kids who graduated from JPS in the 70s,80s, 90s and to the present who are now lawyers, doctors, dentist, nurses, teachers, professional athletes, ministers, counselors, social workers and a host of other professionals. Then there are the graduates who work in blue collar positions and they are just good people. I might add that I have a nephew who graduated from JPS this past May. He was awarded over $390,000 in scholarship awards to include a scholarship from Harvard. You don't hear about the kids who are doing good and we only talk about the bad things or what the teachers aren't doing.

I look at communities such as Belair and others where home-owners take care of their yards, paint and do not allow clutter. We can't keep running.

We must stop DOGGING Jackson and learn the history of how we got here and what is actually being done to keep it heading in the right direction and THE RIGHT WAY.

Remember that we build on our strengths - not our weaknesses.

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bill_jackson 10 years, 10 months ago

Actually, the Council schools sprang up in the early 70s. By the time the late 70s rolled around, most of them had closed.

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donnaladd 10 years, 10 months ago

No, Bill, Council schools started in the 1960s, as did segregation academies. Most later closed, with those families choosing the larger seg academies. Some might have been as early as late 1950s, but I'd have to check that. I have a big file on this somewhere. Very interesting reading.

When the schools were forced to integrate over school break 1969-70, thousands of white families immediately took their kids and fled Jackson's public schools, as well as starting moving to the suburbs in droves. That white flight is perhaps the largest challenge Jackson faced since the Civil War/Reconstruction.

Obviously, economic flight of all races followed that later. It always does when people essentially ghetto-ize a city purposefully.

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