"And the Oscar goes to" … Frank Melton this year for impersonating police, a Democrat, a law-abiding citizen and his golden performance as an award-winning mayor. I applaud you, sir.
He B.S.'ed his way into office with his crime crusade, and not knowing how to handle his duties as mayor at his very own "crime summit." He spoke "from the heart"—please!
Every chance he got to prove himself, he abused the privilege. Hey, Frank, take a bow not only for exploiting the city nationally but also toying with the hearts and minds of those who love this capital city.
— Maria Johnson, Jackson
The Reality of LeFleur Lakes
In his recent letter to the editor (Nov. 30) (link), Con Maloney tries to convince us that the prospects for the LeFleur Lakes project have never been greater. Mr. Maloney is dead wrong. Far from being the "collective property of all of us," the proposed project is, in our opinion, the collective property of a small group of individuals who seem more interested in developing high-end real estate rather than promoting the overall economic, social and environmental well-being of the Jackson area. Leland Speed, outgoing director of the Mississippi Development Authority, revealed this clearly when he said, as reported by The Clarion-Ledger, that he "daydreams of a condominium penthouse on the island with a view of the water."
Will LeFleur Lakes solve Jackson's flooding problems? This seems doubtful given the continued development of homes and businesses in flood-prone areas. The Corps of Engineers has repeatedly shown that the most effective way to reduce flooding in the Jackson area is by using upstream floodwater detention options. As regards LeFleur Lakes, one of the Corps' top Generals stated, as reported by local media just a few years ago, that "the plan does not meet legislative, technical, or policy criteria for involvement of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers."
Will LeFleur Lakes help promote economic development in the downtown area? Perhaps--—if waterfront property is needed to stimulate such development. A similar effect could be achieved, at less cost financially and environmentally, by creating a downtown waterfront zone through impoundment of only that portion of the Pearl River from Interstate 20 up to the Waterworks. Such a venture would avoid flooding Mayes Lakes in LeFleur's Bluff State Park and the wetlands and urban forestlands between the park and the reservoir, areas that will be totally destroyed by the LeFleur Lakes project. These areas could make major contributions to the area economy and could enhance our quality of life when developed in an environmentally and economically sustainable way.
What we really need (and what many progressive cities and towns have done to deal with similar problems) is to develop a comprehensive basin-wide environmental restoration and economic development plan for the river. Such a plan could provide for cessation of further development in flood prone areas and a government program to purchase, from willing sellers, flood prone homes and businesses. It could also provide for implementation of environmentally sustainable upstream engineering works to hold back floodwaters. A comprehensive plan for the Pearl could also provide for needed environmental restoration and recreational developments, and could include establishment of a forested "greenway" corridor from the Reservoir through the Metro area using existing public lands augmented with additional lands purchased from willing sellers along the river. Such corridors are common-place features in many progressive cities, and they contribute to the well-being and quality of life of residents and visitors, while attracting tourists, stimulating new business and improving local economies.
If Mr. Maloney is sincere about developing community consensus, then he and other boosters of the LeFleur Lakes project should stop promoting their backward-looking project and instead work throughout the Pearl Basin to develop forward-looking, comprehensive plans for the Pearl that will benefit all Mississippians.
— Tom and Ruth Pullen, Byram
The Unemployment Line
Your employer calls you into the office for a little chat. He asks you if the company has made any mistakes and what you think they may be. You answer him by saying, sure there were mistakes made and as soon as you leave the job and are secure in a new venture you will let him know about them. How long do you think you would hold that job?
Basically this is what Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice has just told us. "As to whether the U.S. has made mistakes: of course, I'm sure we have," Rice told an interviewer. "You can't be involved in something as big as the liberation of a country like Iraq, and all that has happened since, and I'm sure there are things that we could have done differently. ... When I'm back at Stanford University, I can look back and write books about what we might have done differently."
In other words, she'll tell us when she's good and ready. When she's getting the speaking fees and book deals, she'll clue us in. These "public servants" are our employees. We pay their salaries. "We the people" are their bosses. When a reasonable question is asked about failures in current policy, we deserve an answer, not a coy little "I can't be bothered with that now" dismissal.
The cabal running our country wouldn't last a minute giving answers like this at a stockholders' meeting. They should all be standing in the unemployment line. — Brian Essex, Jackson
Send letters to the editor via e-mail to [e-mail missing], or fax 601-510-9019, or mail to P.O. Box 2047, Jackson, Miss. 39225.
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