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Blame the Music: Mayor Talks to Hip-Hop Coalition

April 13, 2005 The gap between the generations gets wider with each passing decade. Looking to bridge the gulf between gurus and grandpas, Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr., spoke with the Mississippi Artists and Producers Coalition (MAP) April 5, at the Birdland Café on Farish Street. MAP, a union of rappers, singers, producers, entertainment lawyers and other media personalities, had a volley of questions to toss to the mayor.

ISSUE: Crime—Fear of a Dangerous City

April 14, 2005 As the municipal elections roll through the city, one of the most repeated questions bombarding candidates concerns the issue of crime. Jackson, say some residents, has a disproportionately high rate of it. Joe Lauderdale, owner of Sunbelt Sealings Inc., and Jackson resident of 35 years, is one of those residents. "They say the numbers are good, but I say they're still bad," Lauderdale said.

Mayor Takes the Gloves Off

April 13, 2005 Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. pulled no punches against the campaign of political adversary Frank Melton at a conversation in the home of a Belhaven supporter last week. Until recently, Johnson has spent the election playing defense, lauding his record with various city achievements. But rankled by recent rumors, Johnson veered from the high road on the evening of April 7.

Gus and David Abron

Need a snow cone? Hot dog? Nachos? A newspaper or a bottle of water? Gus and David Abron, a couple of charming guys, are there for you in the Jackson Medical Mall Thad Cochran Center. In fact, they were the mall's first vendors when it opened in 1996.

City Election Buzz

Orley Hood: This isn't just an election; it's a war

Orley Hood writes in the Clarion Ledger:

Statistics, and Damn Statistics

Read full story here.

Would the REAL Democrat ...

April 13, 2005 Democratic Mayoral candidates Annell Smith and incumbent Harvey Johnson Jr. met at an April 9 forum hosted by the Mississippi Democratic Club in the historic Woodworth Chapel of Tougaloo College. Democratic candidate Frank Melton avoided the forum, originally claiming bias of one of the moderators. He later canceled his appearance, asserting "scheduling conflicts."

Jackson ministers endorse Mayor Harvey Johnson

C-L: Fire union agreement to be signed by mayor

The Clarion Ledger reports:

WLBT 3 - Voting Record Of Mayoral Candidate Challenged

WLBT 3 reports:

Jackson Mayoral candidate Frank Melton is responding to a series of challenges on his character.

WAPT 16 - Democratic Mayoral Candidates Spar At Forum

WAPT 16 reports:

JACKSON, Miss. -- Two Democratic candidates in the race for mayor shared a podium this weekend, but not without some tough criticism.

Eric Stringfellow: Why back candidate who does not vote?

Eric Stringfellow writes in the Clarion Ledger:

C-L: 2 mayoral candidates speak at forum

The Clarion-Ledge reports:

WLBT 3 - Mayoral Candidates Square Off

WLBT 3 reports:

Is Frank Melton a Republican in disguise? Is the city of Jackson in trouble under the Johnson administration? Those were just some of the issues and insults raised Saturday as the candidates for mayor of Jackson spoke up.

Sen. Thad Cochran Key to Democracy ‘Integrity'

A Moveon.org alert/verbatim: During the next few weeks, the integrity of our democracy might well lie in the hands of Mississippi voters. The radical Republican bid to seize absolute power to appoint extreme judges (using a parliamentary maneuver known as the "nuclear option") is nearing a final showdown in the Senate. Democrats are standing united, but to win we must secure at least 6 votes from moderate Republicans. In the end, it will all probably come down to one final swing vote—and that vote may well come from Senator Thad Cochran.

C-L: Texas to review Melton's exemption

The Clarion Ledger reports:

C-L: Melton touts plan to end blight

The Clarion Ledger reports:

‘Highway 80 Day' In Jackson

April 6, 2005 Democratic mayoral candidate Frank Melton announced at a March 31 catfish rally at Howard Wilson Kia on Highway 80 that, as mayor, he would be paying more attention to what he calls the "Forgotten Commercial Corridor." The highway, once a main artery connecting Jackson with Meridian and Vicksburg, began a slow decay in the 1970s and is now considered by Melton and many residents to be a blighted area.

Angela Graves

It's obvious—Angela Graves is 6 feet tall with a megawatt smile book-ended by deep dimples. It's not obvious, unless you're standing outside her classroom listening, that she's one of the lucky ones. Eyes sparkling, Graves will tell anyone she's right where she should be—teaching eighth graders at a middle school—the Ramp Up reading literacy program at Morrison Academic Advancement Center, where I am the librarian. She has been at Morrison all five years that she's been a certified teacher.

"Frankly Speaking," April 6, 2005 (Melton's newsletter)

Melton's new campaign newsletter is out. Of particular interest:

[McCoy] The Clock Is Ticking

The House of Representatives remains very disappointed that there has been no compromise on the budget for the fiscal year 2006. We pledge to remain here as long as there is hope to reach such a compromise, but obviously time is running out. Here at this late hour, Gov. Barbour and the State Senate have proposed that his economic development package be revived. However, there are time limitations facing us taht in the opinion of the House of Representatives do not allow serious consideration of such a massive, wide-ranging proposal.

Dems Challenge Melton's Residency

ht>This story will appear in the print edition of the Jackson Free Press on Wednesday. by Adam Lynch

Sun Herald: Mayor's race in Jackson takes unexpected twist

The Sun Herald reports:

WLBT 3 - Melton's Residency Dividing Democrats

WLBT 3 reports:

Frank Melton's candidacy for mayor is being challenged by members of the Democratic Executive Committee in Jackson. Now Jackson democrats are accusing their fellow party members of candidate allegiance and favortism.

WLBT 3 - Questions of Candidacy Spark Reaction

WLBT 3 reports:

Tuesday, candidates reacted strongly to a challenge of Frank Melton's eligibility to be a candidate for mayor.

WLBT 3 - Ministers Endorse Harvey Johnson Jr. For Mayor

WLBT reports:

A group of Jackson ministers is throwing it's support behind Harvey Johnson for mayor.

WLBT 3 - Attorney General To Give Opinion In Frank Melton's Candidacy

WLBT 3 reports:

Frank Melton's candidacy for mayor is being challenged by members of the Democratic Executive Committee in Jackson.

Urgent: Last Call for Education Funding

[verbatim from Nancy Loome] According to a report in today's Clarion Ledger, Senate Appropriations Chair Jack Gordon implied to the full Senate that other state agencies, specifically colleges and universities, must be shortchanged in order to fully fund the MAEP. THIS IS NOT THE POSITION OF THE COALITION, nor is it the position of other education supporters. Here's what you can do right now....

Salter: Mississippi NOT Throwing Money at Education

Clarion-Ledger columnist Sid Salter again pulled no punches in his Sunday column about funding of public education. Importantly, he shot down the funding myths being spread by the governor and his agents in the Senate. Sid, again, gets the columnist's gold star for this column:

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