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Taxing Your Grub
In an era of "no new taxes" pledges, you will soon find a stealthy tariff lurking on your cafeteria tray.
Deja Vu, Special Session Style
The state Legislature may soon be heading into its fourth special session. Gov. Haley Barbour said he aims to consider $14 million in upgrades for Baxter Healthcare Corp., in Cleveland.
Blood, Sweat and Fear
In 1904, Upton Sinclair's novel about the plight of immigrant workers in Chicago meat-packing houses sparked legislation like The Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act. "In many respects, we're back to the days of Upton Sinclair," said Lance Compa, labor law professor at Cornell University and editor and author of the Human Rights Watch report "Blood Sweat and Fear: Workers' Rights in U.S. Meat and Poultry Plants."
Union Pledge On Shaky Ground
After a shaky start, AFL-CIO leaders say a meeting last week with Jackson Mayor Frank Melton went well, with the mayor re-stating his commitment to working with the union in renovating or re-building aging Jackson housing.
Crime Plan Faces Reality Check
Last week Mayor Frank Melton announced a number of methods to combat crime in the city. "I'm making a change in leadership at the municipal court, and Gayle Lowery, a current city judge, will take over the municipal court effective immediately," Melton announced at a July 25 press conference in what his office is now calling the "oval office" (the square "ceremonial" mayor's office in City Hall).
Weed and Seed: Successes and frustration with community policing
The duties of a policeman share a similarity to that of firefighting in that the majority of effort exerted by law enforcement usually happens after the brunt of the damage is already done. Like firefighters, policemen generally respond to a frantic call for help, rush to the scene, beat down the door, hose everything down indiscriminately, and leave a mess. This public perception may be oversimplified, but the generalization of a cavalry showing up belatedly at a field littered with the arrow-perforated bodies of settlers seems to stick.
Protect The Vote
Just as President Bush has nominated a potential U.S. Supreme Court justice who may further roll back federal voting-rights protections, the Mississippi State Conference of the NAACP is announcing a rally in Atlanta on Aug. 6 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act and to call Congress to extend the Act beyond 2007.
Trapped In Left Field
The first week of September was a turning point for the Left Field Sports Grill, says President Dan Keith. Katrina blasted through the streets of Jackson, and the grill suffered the same power outage as everybody else. When the lights came on again days later, however, the pub's troubles had only begun.
I Lied, But I Didn't Swear
(Update: Download Circuit Judge Robert Bailey's decision in PDF.)
Genocide in Our Midst
When "Schindler's List" with its black-and-white format and horrifying portrayal of the terrors of the Holocaust hit the theaters in 1993, the movie brought the misery and human degradation of the Jewish extermination to the eyes of millions. Before award-winning director Steven Spielberg released his shocking historical account, he culled through the testimonies of numerous Holocaust survivors—victims, rescuers and passionate observers, trying to get an accurate scope of his subject matter, tales of countless families separated and slaughtered. First the old and infirm, then the children, followed by the adults, depending upon their state of physical fitness—all gassed with chemicals that turned their lungs to jelly; all murders rationalized in the name of eugenics and in keeping the human bloodline strong.
Firefighters Griping Over New Chief
After three months of grumbling among themselves, some Jackson firefighters have officially voiced concerns over Mayor Frank Melton's installation of former Jackson Fire Department Capt. Todd Chandler as interim fire chief.
No More Rotting Hulks
Every little acorn dreams of oak trees, the saying goes. Well, one little seed has come to Jackson, and is now looking to grow a virtual forest of a community.
Playing Chicken With Education
When Gov. Haley Barbour called the special session into order, education supporters noted hotly that education funding was not among the original six issues to be voted on. Sam Bounds, executive director of the Mississippi Association of School Superintendents, joined education supporters last week in calling for the 2005 Mississippi special session to include public school funding.
Mayor, Chief Downplay Crime Stats
Jackson City Council President Marshand Crisler spoke out last week against the city police department's tight lips regarding crime figures, in contrast to Former Police Chief Robert Moore, who provided weekly reports on crime statistics. The computer-generated statistics, called COMSTAT reports, were used to pinpoint what crime was occurring where, and were provided to both City Council and the media.
Low Turnout Paves Melton's Way
Read this story here.
Mass Firings and A Merry Christmas
Twelve days before Christmas, Jackson employees suddenly received a mass e-mail from the Mississippi Department of Employment Security stating that they were "registered with the Mississippi Department of Employment Security" and that they were, thus, "covered by unemployment insurance."
Confusion, Chaos Increasing in Jackson
*Web Exclusive*
Car lines at the gas pumps can easily stretch for miles in the city of Jackson today. Stations regain their electricity, only to drain their pumps within a few hours as hungry vehicles buck and stamp for a turn at the pump. Tempers have risen and threats have been made, prompting police supervision at many pumps.
Danks, Danks Everywhere
The Jackson City Council voted last week to allow Mayor Frank Melton to hire attorney Dale Danks, who will help the city's shorthanded legal department clear its caseload. The council made this decision despite the fact that Danks represents both the city of Byram and a North Jackson family, the Berryhills, in cases against the city, as well as serving as the mayor's personal attorney in lawsuits against Melton himself.
The Maple Street Scramble
A couple of weeks into his new career as mayor of Jackson, Frank Melton issued an executive order saying he would "evacuate, close down and tear down" the Maple Street apartments—also called the Jackson Apartments—at 1129 Maple St. in Georgetown. Days later, Melton said he'd since ascertained that he does not have sole authority to close down an apartment complex, and said he was willing to work with residents and complex owners in renovating the buildings.
Crash of The Blue Screen
The Help America Vote Act of 2002, passed in response to the troubled 2000 presidential elections, requires each state to have up-to-date voting machines installed and ready by Jan. 1, 2006. Meeting this demand, Mississippi followed through with its own modernization. Secretary of State Eric Clark showed off the results at an Aug. 3 conference at the state Capitol.