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Hills And Gullies On State Street
I've got two different things I need to say this week, and they're almost impossible to segue between, so let me just get the first one out of the way.
[Stauffer] Movin' On Up
Read about the JFP's exciting moves—from moving into new offices in Fondren to hiring a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter.
Your Name In Lights
You gotta love the folks who decide to do something instead of just complain about it. Last year, in response to the common refrain "We never get any decent independent films in Jackson," the Crossroads Film Society decided to expand from its core mission—supporting and nurturing independent filmmakers through educational programs and the annual Crossroads Film Festival in April—to make it possible for more people to see the great independent films that are being made all over the country and the world.
What a Difference a Week Makes
May marked the first full year of the Jackson Free Press as a weekly publication, a feat that we were excited to dive into last summer and, now more than 50 issues later, we're very glad that we did.
[Talk] Alabama on our Minds
In an effort that riveted the attention of the nation and even got Alabama favorable copy on The New York Times editorial page, Alabama's Legislature passed the largest tax increase in that state's history on July 7, 2003. (It's now headed for an up-or-down voter referendum on Sept. 9, 2003.) The act, spearheaded by the state's freshman Republican governor, Bob Riley, was designed to make Alabama's tax code less regressive by shifting some tax burden from the poorest Alabamans to the richest landowners and corporations. The goal: Increase revenues to fill a projected $800 million shortfall in the Alabama budget. Oh—and the governor wants to please God.
Center Foes Hold Court
The debate over a convention center tax proposal, on the ballot this November for Jackson residents, heated up this week with the two major campaigns showing decidedly different tactics. A youthful convention center rally took place on Saturday in favor of the proposal, including an enthusiastic speech by Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr., a slide show of supporting information for the plan, and musical appearances by The Broken String Band and the Vamps.
Mississippi Youth Vote ‘Blue'
You've heard it a million times since Election Day: It's hard to be redder, electorally speaking, than the state of Mississippi. Well, yeah—unless you're under 30. Young Mississippi voters not only turned out in record numbers; they led the South, and much of the nation, in the percentage who voted for John Kerry for president (63 percent) over George W. Bush (37 percent).
Whose Desecration?
Most likely you've heard that various lawmakers, such as co-sponsor U.S. Rep. Chip Pickering, R-3rd District, have once again voted for a constitutional amendment that creates penalties for desecrating the U.S. flag—an act that, while technically against the U.S. Flag Code, doesn't currently have any penalties attached to it. The last time Congress tried to attach penalties—a fine and up to one year in prison—was in the Flag Protection Act of 1989. The Supreme Court struck down the act in 1990.
The Artist and the Councilman
Photograph by Jessica Kinnison
Mid-afternoon on New Years Eve, Ward 1 City Councilman Ben Allen is finishing an eight-year run on the Jackson City Council, and artist William Goodman is heading toward his first major exposition in New York City. Worlds apart, Allen surfs through introductions with his gold wedding ring resting against the crease of his jeans, leaning back in his chair just as he does in City Council meetings. The purple acrylic paint on Goodman's fingernail looks bold against the green grapes, as he grabs another from the bag he brought with him to the interview.
Blogging the Body Politic
Read about presidential hopeful Howard Dean's remarkable grass-roots blogging campaign. And add your voice at the end: Will this campaign change politics as we know it?
'Balance'or Pandering?
The Clarion-Ledger's editorial director has asserted that when Molly Ivins was alive, he ran Ivins and Ann Coulter columns in rotation because they "balance" one another.
[Publisher's Note] Kudos for Team JFP
It's a big week at the Jackson Free Press. First, we sadly (for us) and happily (for her) bid farewell to Lynette Hanson, copy chief, as she leaves Mississippi, Jackson Public Schools and the JFP family to move much closer to her beloved sons (both top-notch chefs) in Portland, Ore. The cooking is about to get a lot better for Lynette and her mama, Edna, both of whom have become a fixture at JFP parties and karaoke gatherings.
Ode to Fondren
I moved to Jackson because of Fondren. (I can hear a few of you cursing Fondren now.) More specifically, it was because of Rainbow Whole Foods, which a friend of ours had turned us on to during a dinner in Manhattan.
[Stauffer] Where the Sidewalk Begins
I stepped out of Peaches Restaurant on Farish Street the other day after stopping in to hear Dorothy Moore sing and to celebrate her recent album release. When I got to the curb, my feet turned away from the car and headed south down what there is of the sidewalk that borders the torn-up street. This, I thought, is the Entertainment District. In a word, it's a mess. But, I thought, it seems to be a little less of a mess than it was a few months ago.
I Want a Reality-Based President
I want George Bush out of the White House. I think his "conservative" administration has been anything but fiscally conservative, and I'm sick of George Bush dodging responsibility for his actions.
Seeking the Authentic
Since I'm one of those folks who was "brought back" to Mississippi by a native, I sometimes feel like I have a unique vantage point. Mississippi reminds me enough of my boyhood Texas to be a second home to me, and yet it's weird enough to feel like "a whole'nother country."
Cochran and Lott AWOL on Lynching Resolution
[Originally posted June 14] In a highly publicized resolution last night, the United States Senate formally apologized for the body's failure over the years to pass a federal anti-lynching law that might have been used for intervene in lynchings that occurred in the past century. The entirely symbolic resolution, co-sponsored by 80 Senators, was passed last night by unanimous voice vote ("All in favor say 'Aye'"). A recorded vote was skipped to, presumably, avoid embarrassing the one Democratic and 19 Republican Senators who decided not to put their names on the resolution as a co-sponsor, including both Senators Trent Lott and Thad Cochran from Mississippi. Bloggers have noted that both Lott and Cochran voted against federal hate crimes legislation in 2002 as well.
LA Times: Cancer Victim Apologizes to Obama
Am I the biggest fan of Health Care Reform? No... I think a number of additional steps, like the public option, could have been taken to make this a more comprehensive solution. And I'm worried that it doesn't yet do enough to curb the costs of medicine in this country while making sure access (and cost sharing of the system) are universal.
Mal's St Paddy's Parade Photo Gallery #2
The second gallery by Kip Caven of the St. Paddy's Parade features nearly 100 photos of fun-loving Jacksonians.
Why We Do It
In just the past week or so, I've become a bit obsessed with the question of "Why?"