Jackson Free Press

The Clarion-Ledger is upset at Mayor Frank Melton's latest controversial move. In an editorial today, they take him to task for trying to give former City Councilman, and convicted felon, Robert Williams a job in his administration:

It's true that he served his time in prison and should be allowed to go on with his life. But that does not mean handing him a position of public trust again. The city of Jackson is not a charity. Let him earn his rehabilitation on his own time. He's not "owed" anything, especially by the public.

It's an insult to the taxpayers to reward this convicted felon with a position in city government.
The Council should condemn the action and cut Melton's personnel budget commensurately if the mayor doesn't get the message. Melton should know better.

Previous Comments

ID

120574

Comment

Talk about hypocrisy. Melton refuses to be seated next to felons, but has no qualms with hiring one. I thought I recalled Williams’s presents acknowledged at a recent council meeting and thought it to be odd given his history. If Melton insists on rehabbing fallen city officials or any convicted felons he should do so on his dime alone! This move by the Melton should surely rub Stokes’s fur the wrong way.

Author

K RHODES

Date

2005-12-23T12:54:44-06:00

ID

120575

Comment

I would never have complained about Melton hiring a convicted felon had Melton not complained about being seated next to a convicted felon. Likewise, I never would have complained about Melton arguing "perception" had he not criticized Johnson/Moore for doing exactly the same thing. "And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us." It looks to me like Melton may finally be getting an education in why the Johnson administration did what it did. I hope he's a good student. Cheers, TH

Author

Tom Head

Date

2005-12-23T14:59:24-06:00

ID

120576

Comment

” It looks to me like Melton may finally be getting an education in why the Johnson administration did what it did. I hope he's a good student.” Tom, please enlighten me as to what you meant. Also I wonder whats with the “press conference” WJTV reports that Melton held (this was during the noon broadcast) regarding the truancy sweeps. Also the family of the seven year-old caught up in the sweeps was set to attend.

Author

K RHODES

Date

2005-12-23T16:18:40-06:00

ID

120577

Comment

K RHODES writes: Tom, please enlighten me as to what you meant. Just that now he's finding himself doing exactly what he used to criticize Johnson for doing. I hope this means he's getting a good dose of reality. Cheers, TH

Author

Tom Head

Date

2005-12-23T16:27:44-06:00

ID

120578

Comment

WLBT has a poll going regarding this topic. 56% disagree with the choice... 30% agree.... 14% not sure.

Author

kaust

Date

2005-12-23T17:06:14-06:00

ID

120579

Comment

I would have defended the decision if Harvey Johnson had made it, but Melton's treatment of another ex-con was so deplorable that I find it hard to believe that he can offer any reasonable justification for this. Cheers, TH

Author

Tom Head

Date

2005-12-23T18:29:05-06:00

ID

120580

Comment

"Talk about hypocrisy. Melton refuses to be seated next to felons, but has no qualms with hiring one. I thought I recalled Williams’s presents acknowledged at a recent council meeting and thought it to be odd given his history. If Melton insists on rehabbing fallen city officials or any convicted felons he should do so on his dime alone! This move by the Melton should surely rub Stokes’s fur the wrong way. " Actually Stokes' has come out in support of the hiring of Williams, as he believes felons deserve a chance to gain employment once they have served their time. In addition, he appears to believe Williams was wrongfully accused and convicted, so he doesn't have a problem with him serving in this administration.

Author

Jeff Lucas

Date

2005-12-27T16:38:11-06:00

ID

120581

Comment

Good point, ejeff. Personally, I certainly don't have a problem hiring or, uh, sitting next to felons who have done their time and so on; however, I'm not sure that the city administration makes the most sense for Mr. Williams, considering that was where he committed his felonius actions. Bizarre. The most shocking thing here, of course, is the hypocrisy of a man who proclaimed to loudly that he would not sit next to a "convicted felon" at a mayoral forum ... probably because he didn't want to answer questions that couldn't be answered with sound bites, and the questions those neighborhood leaders presented could not be, unlike the questions presented by the lamestream journalists at the WJTV debate, for instance. I remember thinking at the time how ridiculous an excuse it was considering that his notoriety was built on his taking in young men who were getting in trouble with the law -- and he was publicly lambasting a Jackson businessman who had been mixed up with drugs as a young man! It was certainly one of the moves that made me question Mr. Melton's character and fitness for leadership during the campaign. I simply would not, and could not, vote for someone who acts that way.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2005-12-27T16:49:30-06:00

ID

120582

Comment

” Actually Stokes' has come out in support of the hiring of Williams, as he believes felons deserve a chance to gain employment once they have served their time. In addition, he appears to believe Williams was wrongfully accused and convicted, so he doesn't have a problem with him serving in this administration.” Well, this is interesting to say the least. After all in 2003 Stokes accused a fellow council member of committing one of the very offenses of which Williams was convicted. Had this accusation been proven, and it wasn’t, I wonder if Stokes would have been as forgiving.

Author

K RHODES

Date

2005-12-27T17:49:42-06:00

ID

120583

Comment

Hmmm, good point, K.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2005-12-27T18:11:13-06:00

ID

120584

Comment

I think its nice and all that Stoke's believe Williams was "wrongfully accused and convicted", but the court obviously didn't. Well, in this Adminstration of Unaccountability, it seems par for the course. Hate something today? Don't worry...it'll change by next week. Its like Sybil got elected.

Author

Lori G

Date

2005-12-27T18:22:52-06:00

ID

120585

Comment

She may have.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2005-12-27T18:23:27-06:00