Jackson Free Press

I swear: The last decade feels like a blur. It's been such a ride here at the Jackson Free Press. As we've been putting together the birthday issue that hit the streets today, we went through 10 years of issues. I also re-read our old business plan, mission, cause statement: even found rough drafts and old possible names for the paper. (We even considered "Jackson Weekly" early on; thank goodness we didn't go with THAT!? I mean, we're a daily now online and on mobile, so that would have problematic.)

One thing I found was this draft "mission statement" and this list of goals we set up in 2002 for the paper. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy now to know how many of these high-falutin' goal we managed to conquer. See for yourself:

September 2002: The JFP's Mission What: "Our mission is to provide straightforward, in-depth, well-reasoned and insightful reporting about news, politics and cultural events in Jackson."

1. We will entertain and challenge readers with knowledgeable and critical coverage of Jackson’s cultural strengths.

2. We will present a news voice that appeals to the under-served people of the community.

3. We will encourage civic participation and voting.

4. We will promote diversity through hiring, reportage and viewpoints, distribution and active solicitation of non-white businesses in our advertising pages, calendar, classifieds and one-to-one pages.

5. We will recruit and train journalists and other staffers and contributors from under-served communities.

6. We will promote locally owned businesses over corporate and big-box outlets and provide a marketplace for entrepreneurship and enterprise that improves Jackson and its neighborhoods.

7. We will encourage and watchdog intelligent redevelopment of downtown Jackson.

8. We will cheer on an artistic, creative, inclusive approach to quality-of-life improvements.

9. We will work to encourage health and wellness in the community every way possible.

10. We will play an active role in building a diverse and cohesive progressive community that will attract positive economic development and Mississippi’s best, brightest and most creative people."

Lots to do right here in Jackson this weekend.

When the government fears the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. — Thomas Jefferson

This afternoon, Gov. Phil Bryant followed through on his promise to issue an executive order for BlueCross & BlueShield of Mississippi to accept 10 Hospital Management Associates facilities into their provider networks.

The health companies have been beefing over money for a few months now.

Bryant had said that if the parties didn't work something out, he would step in order to ensure continuity in patient access to care.

Obviously aware of that given his chest beating about the government staying out of the affairs of private businesses, meddling with BCBS/HMA might come off as hypocritical (see his opposition to Medicaid expansion and Obamacare in general), Bryant's statement to the press reads:

"The Order issued by Gov. Bryant does not attempt to resolve the parties’ dispute over prior payments under their contracts, and it expresses no opinion and has no effect on that issue or their ongoing lawsuit. Rather, the Order is intended to preserve access to care until a full investigation is complete."

Bryant hoped the sides could come up with a resolution, but when they did not, said "as governor, I cannot sit back and allow Mississippian’s access to care to be threatened in violation of state law."

His order, good for at least 60 days, comes one day after Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney announced a deal whereby four HMA would be considered part of BCBS' network.

If the governor's actions are puzzling in that context, remember that Bryant also fought Chaney, a fellow Republican statewide officeholder, on setting up a state-based health-care exchange for the Affordable Care Act. The tiff caused the federal government to step in and set an exchange on Mississippi's behalf.

So, yeah, our governor has some control issues.

Jonathan Compretta and Michael Rejebian, co-campaign managers for 42 For Better Schools, filed an 11-page lawsuit today asking a judge to order that the Initiative 42 ballot measure's full text be printed on the Nov. 3 ballot. Currently the ballot states the initiative title, the section of the Constitution being amended and the Legislative Budget Office Fiscal Analysis.

After a denied records request and the Legislative Budget Office analysis changing (since the March version) on the sample ballot released last week, 42 For Better Schools is hoping to bring clarity to the November election ballot by putting the full text of their proposed change to Mississippi's Constitution in writing.

The plaintiffs cite Section 273 of the Mississippi Constitution as the basis for their legal action. In this section, the Constitution states that:

"The sponsor of an initiative shall identify in the text of the initiative the amount and source of revenue required to implement the initiative. If the initiative requires a reduction in any source of government revenue, or a reallocation of funding from currently funded programs, the sponsor shall identify in the text of the initiative the program or programs whose funding must be reduced or eliminated to implement the initiative. Compliance with this requirement shall not be a violation of the subject matter requirements of this section of the Constitution. "

42 For Better Schools argue that the approved ballot does not contain the original initiative language proposing a multi-year phase-in to fully fund K-12 schools, which have been fully funded only twice since the 1997 passage of the MAEP, the funding formula. Initiative 42 proponents have previously stated that their intention is not that the Legislature fully fund public education immediately, and they understand that if excess funds are used, it might take almost seven years to fully fund MAEP. The House Appropriations Committee still met to discuss budget cuts, however, and have maintained that if the initiative passes, they will have to cut almost every state agency's budget.

This morning, the Mississippi Hospitality & Restaurant Association announced plans to create the Everyone's Welcome Here Campaign in response to HB 1523.

Here is a press release, verbatim, from the association:

The Mississippi Hospitality & Restaurant Association has announced its plans to create the EVERYONE’S WELCOME HERE campaign.

Mike Cashion, the Executive Director of the MHRA states, “When HB 1523 was signed, Mississippi was thrust into the national spotlight. Regardless of its intent, this legislation has created a level of controversy and public perception that affects the image of our state and the hospitality community. And while we may not be able to manage the image and brand of the entire state, we can affect the image of our restaurants, hotels and other hospitality businesses. When our industry is challenged, we as an organization will take prudent steps to protect and promote the restaurant and hospitality industry"

The "EVERYONE’S WELCOME HERE" Campaign is a voluntary, no cost program for members of the hospitality and tourism industries.

The MHRA will design, print and distribute door decals to restaurant or hospitality related business that would like to convey the message that "EVERYONE’S WELCOME HERE." The MHRA will create a web presence that will list a master directory of participating restaurants and businesses. The Association and its members will use social media to support the campaign and convey a message of inclusivity.

Cashion adds, “Our industry serves a diverse customer base and we want to make sure all customers are appreciated and welcomed. We have a very clear and strong message to convey. Mississippi's restaurant industry is open for everyone's business.”

The official launch date is scheduled for late April.

If you would like to participate in the program or would like more information contact the MHRA office at 601.608.0221 or by email at [email protected].

The Mississippi Hospitality & Restaurant Association is a non-profit association composed of over 1400 food service operators, lodging properties, casinos, suppliers, manufacturers, and other professionals who realize the importance of working together for the good of our industry. Mississippi’s 4300 restaurants contribute significantly to the economy. Over 80,000 people are employed in the industry. Restaurant sales will exceed $3.2 billion this year and contribute over $228 million in State taxes.

A memorial service for Josh Marks is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 17 at 6:30 p.m. at Tougaloo College's Woodworth Chapel.

Marks died on Oct. 11 after battling mental illness. A Chicago native who attended Tougaloo, Marks earned fame from his appearance on TV cooking reality show "MasterChef." A statement from the Tougaloo College Owens Health and Wellness Center reads in part:

"We will honor the memory of Joshua Marks with our efforts to create awareness around mental illness and dispelling the stigma associated with treatment. Stigma still discourages people from getting help, despite advances in education and research. By learning the truth about mental illness and encouraging others to do the same, we can help lessen the stigma."

Marks' funeral will be held on Monday, Oct. 21, at the Apostolic Church of God, located at 6320 S. Dorchester Ave. in Chicago. The wake will be at 10 a.m., with the funeral beginning at 11 a.m.

Soon, Mississippi's worst-in-the-nation status for everything from obesity to gun deaths to 4th graders being able to spell their own names will be wiped away thanks to an effort now underway in the Legislature.

This morning, the state Senate passed a bill to add the words "In God We Trust" to the state seal, which now just says some junk in Latin or Greek or whatever language it is Ivy League eggheads talk.

The proposal, Senate Bill 2681, which is almost sure to turn around the state's mind-boggling child poverty rate by as early as next Monday morning, also ensures that that the government cannot interfere with Mississippians' right to exercise their religion. The U.S. Constitution has protected that right for almost 240 years, but everybody knows it doesn't really count until the Mississippi state Legislature says so.

SB 2681 now heads over to the House for consideration.

We took a spin around social media to see what the candidates did for St. Paddy's Day. Here's what we've found so far. (Candidates -- if we missed anything give us a shout @jxnfreepress on Twitter.)

A wide variety of new releases...

The Jackson City Council is set to consider "removing Constituent Services and associated funding from the Mayor's Office," during a special meeting for Thursday, Sept. 29.

The proposal comes after a week of questions about how the council might maneuver to replenish funds to the Greater Jackson Arts Council, GJAC, after the administration cut about $125,000 from the organization’s allocation, almost a third of their total budget. The GJAC cuts and the closure of Grove Park Golf Course came as a response to the council’s decision on Sept. 13 to take $100,000 from the Mayor’s Office among other amendments to the proposed 2017 budget.

The meeting is set for 9:00 a.m. tomorrow in Council Chambers in City Hall.

Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), released a statement in support of Daniela Vargas today. Thompson is a ranking member on the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee, and represents parts of the city of Jackson in the U.S. House. His statement is below:

"Our country must have immigration policies that are constitutional and remain true to our values. Ms. Vargas appears to have committed no crime and was only speaking out on behalf of her family, who is threatened by this President's misguided immigration agenda. ICE's assertion that her detention is "routine" is absurd and seems anything but. Clearly, ICE resources used in this case would have been better utilized to find and detain dangerous criminals and get them off our streets. As a DACA recipient she should be allowed to stay here. Those like Ms. Vargas just want a better life for themselves and their families and are true believers in the American dream - they should not be pushed further into the shadows."

The Mississippi Supreme Court has denied a stay of execution to a man set to become the third man in as many weeks the state puts to death. Gary Carl Simmons had asked the court for an additional 14 days to have a mental exam conducted, but justices rejected his request this morning. If his scheduled June 20 death by lethal injection is carried out, Simmons will be the third man Mississippi executes in June.

Dear Captain Joseph Daughtry, I have attempted to call you multiple to no avail, so I'm hoping you will read this.

Last I checked, you are the spokesman for the Hinds County Sheriff's Department and go-to media contact. Over the last couple of months, I have attempted to contact you to set up an interview with Sheriff Tyrone Lewis. In late July and early August, around the time of the disturbance at the Hinds County Detention Facility, which devastated Pod C at the jail, we spoke a few times about what was happening there. We also spoke about setting up the interview with Sheriff Lewis, which you assured me you could do.

Every call I've made to your office and cell phone since that conversation has gone unanswered and without response. I left multiple messages, requesting the interview, but never heard back from you.

Of course, I have other responsibilities, so I moved on and let the lack of a response go.

Recently, though, a deputy from your department, Zack Robinson, was arrested by the FBI on conspiracy charges. So today I called your office and your cell twice, each. On dialing one of the numbers, the phone rang several times before the line went silent with no message. The other rang before a voice mail service answered, with a recording of your voice. Unfortunately for me, or anyone else trying to reach you, the voice mail storage is full and cannot receive anymore messages.

Maybe I am being unfair, but it seems like the official spokesman for the Sheriff's Department in the largest county in the state should have open space on his/her messaging system so that media, citizens and other departments can notify you that we are attempting to reach you, when you do not answer your phones.

I would attempt to call someone else in your department, but every time I have, they have redirected me to you, which I know will be unsuccessful.

If you read this, feel free to call me at 601-362-6121 ext. 22 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Any other time, you can reach me on my cell at 601-529-7671. Both numbers have working voice mail answering services and plenty of empty space on them for you to leave a message.

Thanks, Jacob D. Fuller

Jackson Public Schools will see a $3.63 million increase in funding from the city in the upcoming school year.

The deeply "red" state of Kentucky -- the folks who put both Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul as in Senate (and, excruciatingly, on our TVs) -- is also the only Southern state that has expanded Medicaid in accordance with the Affordable Care Act.

They also implemented their own ACA online exchange, instead of relying on the Feds.

The result?

Kentucky’s experience has been exemplary: In its first day, 10,766 applications for health coverage were initiated, 6,909 completed and 2,989 families were enrolled. Obama himself bragged that Kentucky led the nation with its glitch-minimized performance.

Kentucky's opt-in attitude is the result of their Democratic governor, Steve Beshear, who has done end-arounds on his GOP-lead state Senate and poked his finger in the eye of the Tea Party. Focusing on the moral implications of improving healthcare access for the citizens in his state, Beshear is perfectly willing to tell the national media why he's willing to make ACA compliance a signature accomplishment of his tenure.

“[T]o those more worried about political power than Kentucky’s families, I say, ‘Get over it’…and get out of the way so I can help my people. Here in Kentucky, we cannot afford to waste another day or another life.”

And why is ACA popular in-of-all-places Kentucky? Is it because it gives people an opportunity to buy into their own health security and that of their families? Is it because it's an actual market-based solution -- a Republican idea from a few decades back, polished up and implemented first by Mitt Romney in Connecticut -- that might help lessen the burden on families, small businesses and, ultimately, on state coffers?

Time will tell, but it should be a cautionary tale for "red" state politicians -- such as, oh, Governor Phil Bryant -- who have taken the path of least resistance within their own party and buckled to their Tea Party and Talk Radio constituencies.

If Obamacare works -- especially since it now looks like the GOP is pretty much out of tricks to block it from getting started -- then folks like Phil are going to be on the losing end not just of a moment in political history, but of actually doing the right thing for the citizens of their state.

From the you can't make this ish up file, the Mississippi American Civil Liberties Union filed a complaint this afternoon alleging the Mississippi Highway Patrol engaged in racial profiling and violated the First, Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights of Raymond Montgomery and Cathryn Stout, who are African American.

The stop happened Aug. 8 just north of Jackson on I-55 South, the ACLU said. A doctoral student at Saint Louis University, Stout "was traveling to Jackson to conduct interviews for a paper on Mississippians’ efforts to combat negative stereotypes of their state," the ACLU said.

According to the ACLU's press release, troopers pulled the couple over for Stout's Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. — a historically African American sorority — license plate holder. The release goes on to say:

"When (the couple) exercised their constitutional right to refuse to consent to a search, the trooper called his supervisor, Staff Sergeant Brad Vincent. The plaintiffs watched helplessly as troopers riffled through their suitcase and invaded their privacy. The troopers even dismantled the panels of their interior doors and looked under the hood of their car. In an effort to document the troopers’ actions, Stout tried to record the events on her phone camera. She was told to stop, and fearing arrest, she did. Their hour-long humiliation finally ended when the troopers could not find any contraband. They were sent on their way without any ticket, or an apology."

Stout noted the irony that the whole purpose of her trip was to show how far Mississippi has come in combating the image that the state is racially hostile.

"Unfortunately, my experience with the Highway Patrol revealed a much different picture,” Stout said.

Interestingly, at an Aug. 2012 legislative hearing on immigration reform, Vincent testified that Mexico-based cartels frequently transport narcotics through Mississippi and that the telltale signs of foreign drug mules, include old vehicles with new registrations filled with personal belongings. So it's possible that MHP thought Stout and Raymond (pictured below) were drug runners from south of the border.

The lawsuit, in which Department of Public Safety Commissioner Albert Santa Cruz is named as the main defendant, was filed in federal court in Jackson.

http://jacksonfreepress.com/users/photos/2013/dec/13/14981/

Rukia Lumumba, daughter of late Mayor Chokwe Lumumba and sister of mayoral candidate Chokwe A. Lumumba, wrote the following letter about the removal of a mural honoring her father. It is published here verbatim:

Open Letter to Jackson, Mississippi on the Painting Over of the Mural in Tribute to My Father, Mayor Chokwe Lumumba

I am both saddened and disappointed to hear of the decision to paint over the mural that was created in tribute to my father, Mayor Chokwe Lumumba. The mural was created by Derrick Perkins & several young artists to honor my father by displaying his mantra " One City, One Aim, One Destiny" on a city park's wall. The mural was painted prior to my brother’s decision to run for Mayor and absent my family’s request or knowledge. That is why it was especially hurtful and came as a shock to learn that the mural was painted over due to complaints, by a few, that the message of the mural was too close to my brother, Chokwe Antar Lumumba’s platform. When my father passed away on February 25th, the number of people who said publicly that he had done more for the city of Jackson in eight months than many had done in years, was innumerable. My father’s mission and vision was to ensure a city that was made ever stronger, economically, spiritually and ethically. That my brother, Chokwe Antar, has, after deep consultation, chosen to carry forward that mission, should not be disparaged.

For me and many residents of Jackson, MS that mural served as memorial and a reminder of the love my father had for the City of Jackson. It served as a constant call to Jacksonians, near and far, that we must work together to help Jackson RISE! The mural embodied my father's vision - a vision rooted in growth, unity, democracy and cultural diversity. I am sincerely grateful to Derrick Perkins & the many young artists who took the initiative to put their creative genius to work, and created such a beautiful and fitting tribute to the man I knew as Daddy and whom many others knew as friend and Mayor Lumumba. Although this is disappointing, my family and I remain encouraged and steadfast in our commitment to walk in his memory. As my father often said, "God, plus love, plus people's power equals progress."

Thank you all for your prayers and continued support.

One City, One Aim, One Destiny!

Rukia Lumumba

In response to the Supreme Court's ruling today on same-sex marriage, the National Association of Evangelicals sent a statement to media, that begins:

God designed marriage for humanity. As first described in Genesis and later affirmed by Jesus, marriage is a God-ordained, covenant relationship between a man and a woman. This lifelong, sexually exclusive relationship brings children into the world and thus sustains the stewardship of the earth. Biblical marriage —­­ marked by faithfulness, sacrificial love and joy — displays the relationship between God and his people. [1] While commentators, politicians and judges may revise their understanding of marriage in response to shifting societal trends, followers of Jesus should embrace his clear vision of marriage found in Matthew 19:4-6...

The most interesting thing about the NAE's statement is that it gives Jesus' answer to a question (Matthew 19:4-6) while omitting the question itself (Matthew 19:3). The passage in question has to do with divorce, not with same-sex marriage. Here's the NIV translation of the full exchange:

(19:3) Some Pharisees came to him to test [Jesus]. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”

(19:4-6) “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’[a] and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’[b]? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

While the NAE takes this statement to prohibit homosexuality (a topic Jesus never addresses), the National Association of Evangelicals does not take it to completely prohibit divorce. There are compelling pastoral reasons why it would be a bad idea to interpret it in that way.

The possibility that there may be similarly compelling pastoral reasons not to read the passage out of context as a condemnation of homosexuality does not seem to occur to our friends in the NAE at this time.

That said, it is worth mentioning that support for same-sex marriage among white evangelical Protestants has nearly doubled—from 14% to 27%—in the past ten years.

If this trend continues, the NAE is likely to follow Jesus' example and stop condemning homosexuality sometime around 2025.

After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage in the historic Obergefell v. Hodges case, several media outlets reverted and retreated to their ideological lines.

The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, has garnered national attention in an article by Robbie Ward, former DJ reporter, on the Huffington Post about their now-public stance on same-sex marriage. The third-largest newspaper in the state will not be publishing same-sex wedding or engagement announcements. In a Bible-based op-ed piece, publisher and CEO of Journal, Inc., Clay Foster wrote that "while this decision will require states to issue 'marriage' licenses to same-sex couples, this does not make it acceptable to God." It does not make it acceptable to Foster, either, who advised employees not to post their opinions on same-sex marriage on social media. Employees were also told that if they disagreed with or "didn't like" Foster's op-ed, they could leave.

The Huffington Post printed parts of an internal email sent to leaders at weekly publications from associate publisher, Charlotte Wolfe, that said, "Our job is to report the news objectively and we can't do this if we're also on social media sharing our opinions. We have a right to our opinions, but because we are so tightly connected to our newspaper products, we don't need to vocalize this on social media."

It appears that the Daily Journal is the only news outlet, thus far, in Mississippi that has taken such a hard political (or biblical) line against the Supreme Court's ruling, asking employees to stay silent on the issue even in their personal, public personas.

Other Mississippi newspapers are not following the Daily Journal's lead. The Huffington Post article reported the Clarion-Ledger, The Commercial Dispatch and Starkville Daily News will all (continue to) accept same-sex marriage and engagement announcements.

Out on the campaign trail, former Secretary of State and current presidential candidate Hillary Clinton mentioned Jackson in comments that included a discussion of the lead-contaminated water problems that Flint, Michigan is facing.

According to a piece today in Salon.com, Clinton jumped out in front of her rival Bernie Sanders in embracing Jackson's lead-contamination issues as campaign fodder.

"I was concerned to hear that tests of drinking water in Jackson, Mississippi, revealed elevated levels of lead in some homes," Clinton said.

Reflecting a subtext that Michigan GOP-led state government had taken over Flint's water system, creating the lead-contamination problem and responding slowly to calls to act, Clinton continued: "I’m heartened that Jackson city officials are taking the right steps to fix the problem, including repeated testing and openness with the results, so families can stay informed."

"As the emergency in Flint, Michigan, has made clear, cities and states must treat these situations with the utmost seriousness, and do everything in their power to ensure that families – especially children – have access to safe, clean drinking water. And we as a nation must make urgent investments to modernize our utilities and infrastructure, to keep families and communities safe and healthy," Salon quoted Clinton as saying.

Mayor Tony Yarber, in a statement quoted by WJTV, responded: "We appreciate the acknowledgment of the City’s proactive response and transparency in dealing with our water concerns. Secretary Clinton notes that this appears to be a home-dependent issue. The results are pending on the second round of testing, but we must reiterate that our City’s water system is in compliance and our drinking water is safe. We will continue to keep the public informed."

Yarber went on, perhaps in an effort to make sure a potential future president of the United States heard about Jackson's infrastructure funding woes: "Serious concern has been expressed about the $540 billion funding gap that exists for water infrastructure in this country. That concern needs to be followed with a serious federal funding plan that invests more money in grant programs, particularly for disadvantaged communities.”