Jackson Free Press

SPECIAL AND PRICEY: It seems Gov. Haley Barbour can't call a special session of the Legislature without causing controversy. His latest, which convened Monday, is to authorize $103.7 million in bonds including $40 million (about the amount the Guv underfunded public education last session) for a Northrop Grumman expansion this year and another $16 million the next year, $4.2 million to recruit a NASA Shared Services Center and other economic development projects that his office claims will secure more than 3,500 Mississippi jobs.

Some lawmakers wanted to wait until the Legislature reconvenes in January, but Barbour said he wanted the Northrop Grumman bond bill passed before company officials meet next week to approve its upcoming budget. However, Speaker of the House Billy McCoy and other legislators said the special session is a waste of taxpayer money because it is too close to the regular session in January when the Legislature will take up the full menu of bonds—not cherry-pick certain ones. "The state is in dire financial straits and each time we add a new bond bill, we are going to have to pay it back out of the General Fund," McCoy said in a statement. "We need to be very careful and look at all the requests." He also said the House Chamber "is in shambles," with the new speaking system and voting board not ready. "It just puts the House of Representatives in a bad position to try to do our business." In Pascagoula, Northrop Grumman manufactures its crown jewel "ship," the Aegis guided missile destroyer Halsey (DDG 97)— "the 47TH ship in the DDG 51 Arleigh Burke-class of Aegis guided missile destroyers—the U.S. Navy's most powerful destroyer fleet," according to a company release. It is set to hit the seas in 2005.

ABOUT LAST TIME: Earlier this summer, Barbour called another special session, that one to force caps on general liability and medical malpractice payouts for "pain and suffering" of victims harmed by negligent acts. The evidence then was non-existent that such caps would actually bring down doctors' malpractice insurance rates—they hadn't in other states—although supporters wouldn't entertain any other thought, with those like Sen. Charlie Ross, R-Brandon, pointing to the state of Texas, which had recently capped malpractice payouts. However, last week, the country's largest medical-malpractice insurer, GE Medical Protective, admitted to the Texas Department of Insurance that caps do not lower doctors' premiums and, in fact, it was raising docs' premiums 19 percent just six months after the state capped malpractice "pain and suffering" damages to $250,000. "When the largest malpractice insurer in the nation tells a regulator that caps on damages don't work, every legislator, regulator and voter in the nation should listen," said Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights Executive Director Douglas Heller. "Medical Protective's rate increase and this smoking gun document prove that the insurance industry cannot be trusted on the issue of malpractice caps." The document is linked to jacksonfreepress.com.

WHO YOU CALLIN' DUMB?: The latest Morgan-Quitno findings are in (you know, the rate-cities-and-states-to-sell-books service by former Bob Dole staffers that got The Ledge all bent out of shape over Jackson crime last year), and it seems that Mississippi—based on 21 factors, many involving support for public education—is the 47th most smart, or the third, er, least smart. (Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico are below us.) And to put it in a little red-vs.-blue perspective, eight of the smartest 10 states are blue (Kerry) states; eight of the bottom 10 states are red (Bush) states. (Er, Haley, perhaps not making public education wait longer than a defense contractor for its promised funding would help us inch up a few notches.) We may be dumb, but we can figger dat one out.

GET SMART: After more than two decades, Jackson is building its first new library, which will be located off Old Canton Road. The library, with a total of 12,000 square feet, will double the size of the current Old Canton Library Branch. The land used for the new library was donated from Entergy. Plans are also underway to build a new Westside Library on Wiggins Road and to renovate the Eudora Welty Library.

VENUS, MEET ASHLEY: The Mississippi Tennis Association Multicultural Committee will host a free tennis festival from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13, at Battlefield Park's Dorothy Vest Tennis Center at 771 Porter St. All JPS middle school students and their parents are invited to come and enjoy the games, prizes and food. Students and parents are encouraged to bring tennis rackets, but loaner rackets will be available at the event. Call Art Jones at 594-9187 or Jannelle Griffin at 842-6810 for details.

‘ROO'TING FOR BETSY: The JFP called it last February: Betsy Roo is a Jackson musician worth watching. Now, Betsy Ulmer, performing under the moniker "Betsy Roo," was recently chosen as one of 10 artists from thousands of entries entered in the Jane Magazine/Maybelline Reader CD competition. The song that wooed the judges, including Liz Phair, is "Valentine" from her debut CD "...And Then It's Gone." The winners will be announced in the December issue of Jane Magazine. "…And Then It's Gone" is on sale at BeBop.

SHE'S NO. 1—AND SHE'S OURS: Jill Conner Browne told the JFP this week: "The New York Times Best-Seller list for how-to books is the absolute hardest list of all to be on, way harder than the regular nonfiction list. I'm really thrilled and tickled about ‘Field Guide' being #1." Browne's latest book, "The Sweet Potato Queens' Field Guide to Men: Every Man I Love Is Either Married, Gay, or Dead, " came in at No. 8 on the list when it was published Oct. 5 and one month later has made it to the top. Also, according to Book Scan, which tracks retail sales, Browne is the No. 1 humor writer in America, "all because I sell more books than the rest of ‘em," she said. Browne's out of town on book tour until December.

HAT HEAVEN: The Central Mississippi Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women is hosting its Thirteenth Annual Holiday Top Hat Brunch. The brunch will be held at the Jackson Marriott Hotel at 11 a.m. Nov. 27. This holiday spectacular, which also features a parade of hats competition, musical entertainment, food, champagne, judges/tellers, celebrity toasters, shopping and door prizes, is expected to attract 900 to 1,000 guests. Money raised goes to scholarship funds and other community programs. Commentators are radio and television personalities, Othor Cain and Juanita Doty. Call 982-0154.

JACKTOWN GOOD FOR GEEZERS: The MetLife Mature Market Institute recently named Jackson as the fifth least expensive city in America for long-term care services. Nursing homes here cost, on average, $124.01 per day. The top 10 ratings were reported in the November 2004 edition of Military Officer magazine.

FREE TUNES AT JSU: The music department at Jackson State University is giving free concerts this month. Concerts feature Dr. Russell Thomas, Jr. and the Jazz Ensemble, Dr. Robert Blaine, and the Symphony Orchestra among others. On Nov. 11 the Brass Quintet will perform at 7 p.m. at the Recital Hall, F.D. Hall Music Center. On Nov. 17, at 7:30 p.m. there will be a Jazz Ensemble Concert at the University Park Auditorium. Then, on Nov. 18, the Symphony Orchestra will perform at the Recital Hall, F.D. Hall Music Center. Call 979-2141.

FLYIN' HIGH: In the calm before the inevitable campaign storm, Mayor Harvey Johnson is racking up victories—from the convention center vote to Farish Street announcements to Deuce's bail-out of the King Edward. Johnson has been appointed vice chair of a new communications task force of the U.S. Conference of Mayors to examine the communications policy issues that affect America's cities, and to help in the reauthorization of the Telecommunications Act, which will begin next year.