Jackson Free Press

The Hinds County Board of Supervisors let a $1.2 million beautification grant slip through their fingers this week when they voted against meeting $240,000 in federal matching funds. The grant, provided through the Mississippi Department of Transportation, would have paid to landscape six U.S. 80 intersections in Jackson. Supervisors must approve the problem by July 28, though that is now unlikely.

Metrocenter Area Coalition Executive Director Nina Holbrook said the money could have been used for new lighting, signs and a walking path in an area sorely in need of sidewalks.

Supervisors voted 2-2, with Doug Anderson and Charles Barbour against the proposal, and George Smith and Peggy Calhoun in favor. Supervisor Ronnie Chappell abstained, saying he was pinned between the beautification effort and the county's need to build new jail space, renovate current facilities and finance the county's stretched judicial system.

Conflicting priorities was the main sticking point in the debate. Smith and Calhoun lauded aesthetic improvement for the area, while Anderson and Barbour championed saving county money for fighting crime.

Sheriff Malcolm McMillin, the county's top crime fighter, supported getting the grant. McMillin took considerable offense to Anderson referring to the beautification Monday as "putting lipstick on a pig."

"For Anderson to say trying to put an end to some of the blight on Highway 80 would be to put lipstick on a pig is insulting to those who try to preserve Highway 80, and keep the business district viable. It runs counter to all the studies regarding the broken windows (policy)."

Holbrook, who had been working for a year and a half in preparing the grant, said the decision floored her. She added that some of Anderson's crime-fighting priorities, such as the county's desire to build a new jail, were unaffordable ventures that leeched off more economically feasible projects, like beautification.

"Beautification is one of the best ways to fight crime. It's been proven all over the United States," Holbrook said. "I guess the biggest blow to me is that this was a no-brainer. When you apply for a $1.2 million, and all you've got to come up with is 20 percent—they've got the funds, and the fact that Anderson would make the statement that it's like putting lipstick on a pig … I just think the voters need to be a lot more careful about who they put in positions."

Anderson and Barbour could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Previous Comments

ID

66682

Comment

It's amazing what a little bad publicity can do - Anderson seems to have changed his tune: http://wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=5233652&nav=menu119_3 Nothing he says will erase that dumb "lipstick on a pig" comment. Come election time, we'll relive that throughout the whole campaign.

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2006-08-03T21:55:28-06:00

ID

66683

Comment

The story has hit WJTV now. Melanie Christopher: "Looks like Anderson is ready to put lipstick on what he called a pig recently." Guffaw!

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2006-08-03T22:24:13-06:00

ID

66684

Comment

Just noticed something else - he said "scrubberies" instead of "shrubberies".

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2006-08-03T22:33:15-06:00

ID

66685

Comment

From WLBT today... "He said he was not sorry about calling it "putting lipstick on a pig," but that most people he had talked to agreed with him." What a piece of crap. Also, while trying to find this thread using the JFP Google search, I came across this JFP thread from before last year's election. "'We found out about 3:30 this afternoon that Mr. Melton was not going to be able tp participate in the debate, and he was going to send Mr. Doug Anderson, Supervisor Doug Anderson in his place. We felt that was not what our students wanted to hear. They did not want to hear Mr. Anderson; they wanted to hear Mr. Melton and Mayor Johnson. Because of that, the debate was cancelled.'" I thought that was interesting...

Author

millhouse

Date

2006-08-08T12:10:30-06:00

ID

66686

Comment

Oops. Here's the WLBT link.

Author

millhouse

Date

2006-08-08T12:14:13-06:00

ID

66687

Comment

Looks like the only way we'll get any shrubberies for HWY 80 is to enlist the help of the Knights who say "Nee!"

Author

GLB

Date

2006-08-08T12:42:55-06:00