Jackson Free Press

Social media is buzzing today about a New York Times article that features a lot of amazing personalities and locally owned businesses that make our city great—many of which started in the city's last decade of progress. This is the kind of media we need to see more of about the city—not the whole metro, but the city itself—and it's up to all of us to create the kind of place that national media want to cover. Cheers to all of you, especially the folks we love who ended up in the article. Nice going, Jackson!

My only regret about it is that the reporter didn't look around more parts of our city for cultural points and businesses to include. One that I believe should be in any article about Jackson's progress is Koinonia Coffee House, which is not only an excellent restaurant, but has become a gathering place for diverse Jacksonians. I like to think of it as our own tiny Busboys & Poets. And now that city election season is nearly over and emotions running less high, it's going to be even more fun to hang out in again. In fact, I just got off the phone with a St. Louis organization that brings a diverse group of black and Jewish students to Mississippi every summer, and they just assume that is where they will gather at least one time during the trip. Go there if you haven't!

Any other spots y'all think they missed? Feel free to add them below.

Religious organizations are generally not allowed to donate to politicians, but often find clever ways to skirt the Internal Revenue Service prohibitions.

One way is just for the pastor and key church officials to personally make big contributions, and encourage their flock to do the same, to support candidates who share their values. Another is to allow candidates to speak to congregants directly, which lets the politician associate himself or herself with that particular house of worship.

Both are gray areas.

It's quite another thing, though, for a church to give directly to a political candidate. That's what appears to be happening in the case of Hinds County Democratic hopeful Willie Earl Robinson. Campaign finance reports show that Hill of Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Bolton made a donation of $500 to Robinson's campaign.

Robinson's challenger in the Hinds County District 2 race, Darrel McQuirter, is a pastor. The name of his church -- Pleasant Green Baptist Church -- does not appear on his finance reports, but McQuirter and his wife personally contributed more than $7,000 to the campaign coffers.

Under the Federal Election Campaign Act, charitable organizations (in fact, all corporations) are prohibited from making contributions in connection with federal elections. This is not a federal election. However, the IRS code, which applies to all organizations that have tax-exempt status, states: "(A)ll section 501(c)(3) organizations are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office."

A Guidestar.com search of 501c3 nonprofits as well as a search of charities through the Mississippi Secretary of State yielded no results for a Hill of Zion M.B. Church in Bolton.

An attempt to reach the church by phone this morning was not successful.

http://jacksonfreepress.com/users/photos/2013/oct/08/14003/