Jackson Free Press

April 27, 2005

Annell Vaugh Smith is the elusive third Democratic contender for mayor—a determined woman who is showing up for candidate forums and just answering questions without a lot of fanfare. Smith has lived in Jackson since she was a teenager and had been a working mother and grandmother for many years before she qualified for disability benefits. It's from this perspective that she feels she can better serve the poor and disabled, as she believes that the city does not effectively execute its services to them.

How and when did you decide to run for mayor?

How I decided to run for mayor was prompted by the death of my son. I was notified February the 8th. He was a paranoid schizophrenic, (and) he was found dead, on 55, that really pushed me to do something. Prior to that I had undergone over six years of stuff with the city and (problems with the chancery court trying to get help for her son) and with the death of my son, it just pushed me out there to say I'm going to do my best, period. So this is why I'm out here running for mayor, basically as an advocate and leader for the poor. There's some of us that need more help than others. So, I'm here for them.

So I understand correctly, what were some of the complications with the chancery court?

It's not complications; it is the lengthy process. You know, a lot of people go down and file, they don't know about the property law, where if you're on a certain income and don't have that $287, that you can waive it, well the court will waive it, so a lot of people don't go and seek help because they think like I don't have $287. The problem is while we're going through all this stuff, trying to go through chancery court, and then chancery court gives us a date, we come back and wait for that date, then we go to the judge and the psychiatrist and all of that, they interviewed the person, then if they don't have available space to treat these people right then, they send them back home with the relatives. I'm just trying to help shorten that lengthy process in order to get these people help.

Do you have an opinion on the recent Medicaid budgeting problems?

Yeah. Of course, I mean I was furious. I never in my wildest dreams thought that Haley Barbour would come in and attack something that the poor people really and truly needed. It was like I can't believe this man. Why is he going to take away from the poor when it's these poor people, whoever can work—and a lot of people do work and they're still getting services—they're paying his salary. And we are among the majority that vote and elect these elected officials.

Are you skeptical or have critiques of the renovation that's going on in downtown Jackson and with Mayor Johnson?

I have some reservations about that. Like I told him at Tougaloo College Saturday, I wouldn't have did a trade-off. To me all this renovation is a trade-off against the citizens. If you're—naturally, if you're in your own personal home or if you are a leader of the city, you want to keep that city built up and make sure everything was functioning, but you don't want to focus all your attention on beautifying the city and then your citizens are dying off and starving and scraping and scuffling. Like I told him, if I did a city project I would also do something to benefit the citizens. It would be something that they could see. You've got to do something for the people.

So you'd like to be able to help people with their government services at a more frequent rate?

Oh yeah, I got a plan for that. ... Like I say, a lot of stuff that's going on, is stuff that I experienced after I got on disability. Prior to that, I was this person that worked all the time. I made enough money, and if I worked some extra hours, I would make even more money. So, I wasn't overly concerned about people not having, but after I got into the predicament, oh, it's a totally different story. . . . You have your choice, you can either vote for me, have a fresh new start, enjoy some good times, or you can do like you want to do and complain like they already doing, for the next four years. It's totally up to them.

Do you have a plan for dilapidated housing?

Oh yeah, I got a plan for that. The owner of these houses are either going to fix them up or tear them down. You know there are some nice houses. These people could fix them up now. I. . . . Why pay taxes every year and then you have a house that's sitting there, in almost perfect condition, but you're not having anybody living in it? My main thing is, to meet with these landlords, to see what the problem is, why aren't they renting these houses all out. And the longer the houses sit, the more damage is going to be done to them, and then it'll get to the point where they don't have enough money to revive the houses. So we're going to have to come up with some kind of idea of how we can get these houses done, so that people can move in.

Of course, crime is a huge issue in Jackson.

Now (criminals) are people that are deliberately doing what they do. Nobody made you do anything. To me, it's like they're letting them out on, what is it, parole. Don't let them out on parole. Because people think like if I do something and I get caught, and I'm going to spend X amount of years, then I'm coming up for parole, and I'm going to tell the parole board I've learned my lesson, and I'm going home. Uh-uh. I think if you have a certain amount of time, you need to sit your butt right there and do it all. Don't compromise. Also, find something for them to do, to make money, to pay for their own space in prison, to buy their own food and clothing. You know I don't care if you have a vegetable garden built or have a place for your hogs, chickens and cows or whatever. Take care of yourself. Why should the citizen pay you and reward you for committing crime? That's not right.

You said you'd support a higher minimum wage?

I think we should at least go up to $6.00 or $6.25, that way you're killing two birds with one stone. The person is having a little bit more money to supply and take care of their needs, and there's a little more money coming out of their check for taxes to help the economy.

Do you support the current police chief?

I'm going to say no, because he hides. You can call that man's office and you will never get close to him, or even a telephone conversation. He hides. You leave messages to tell why you're calling, he don't even be concerned enough to call you back—at least give you a two-minute interview, to ask why you feel this way. I support someone who is a helper wants to lead and take care of the citizens. We see every time something negative happens, he's right there front and center … because there's a news cameraman somewhere catching the action.

Why are you running as a Democrat?

I ran Democrat because I wanted to be right there with Harvey Johnson and Frank Melton. But really, like I told them, I looked up the word Democrat and Republican, and it's not very much difference in them. Either one, you're suppose to do the same thing. You have an obligation to help the people, period. … Plus, I don't look at parties anyway. I look at the fact that you a person. You are running for a position to help other people. So, hey, who cares what party you're on?

You have said, "Second to my serving the people, I would be working on the streets. Everywhere there's a hole, it needs to be filled." Do you mean that literally, you would help the Transportation Department and help fix the roads?

I would make sure that the people over those departments worked for their paycheck. When these people get paid to do a job, they need to be out there doing they job, not sitting up in they truck drinking their sodas and smoking they cigarettes. So that means that I am going to make sure that these people work for their paycheck. From whatever time you go to work, seven to five, seven to four or five or eight to whatever, I'm going to cut, really crack down on them utilizing and misusing the taxpayer's money because they're sitting on their little lazy butts. This is why we don't get a lot work done on these streets, because the city employees have gotten to the point that they feel ain't nobody watching me, and then if someone is watching they ain't going to tell, so, hey, they don't do any work.

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

Yeah. I want to tell all of the people, all of the citizens, that we women are perceived as the weaker sex. But within that same breath they always say, "Behind every successful man there's a strong woman." But we as women know better. We are business-minded, entrepreneurs, mothers, councilors, financial advisors, accounting; in a lot of cases, we are gardeners, contractors and home-improvers. There's a lot that we are associated with to make us as capable and responsible as any man to have to function well in a high-powered position. Don't sell us short, because basically the woman is the person that makes most of the decisions around her household, and makes sure things run smoothly. Now if you put us in a position where we can really make a difference, then hey, you go for it. My ex-mother-in-law, she says, ‘Annell, you still in this?' and I say yes ma'am, I am. I say this is a very important call, and whether I have a political background or not, I'm going all the way. I'm going to give the people a choice. And even if they don't vote for me, they're going to be armed with some information that they can make a few demands. That's it.