Jackson Free Press

The libertarian Reason magazine today published a piece they asked me to write about Frank Melton and his shenanigans to date. Check it out here (note that a couple of factual things happened in editing, like saying that my ride-alongs were this year, instead of 2006. I've asked them to fix those things; let me see if anyone sees anything else.)

Previous Commentsshow

under my story: Donna -- welcome aboard. Loved you in Charlie's Angels. Tee, hee. There are other comments there that will interest y'all as well. You can post comments here, by the way, without registering. Note the part that makes it sound like crime came to Jackson, and businesses and residents fled, under Harvey Johnson. Oh, and that being so-called "left-leaning" would be the reason that we would defend one Democratic black mayor over another–rather than on actual facts. Sounds like one of our local yokels, who can't fathom that a progressive newspaper might just "lean libertarian," which is the way I'd describe my own personal viewpoints. I'm not whole-hog with any political ideology, though–that one, or any other one. The rest of the comments are interesting, though, and some funny. Libertarians tend to be a smart lot.

DonnaLadd

Oct 22 2007

Great article, Donna. If I weren't actually living through Melton's madness, I'd have a hard time believing that what you wrote is exactly what happened. You can't make this stuff up. By the way, near the beginning of the article, they said Melton beat Johnson in 2004 (rather than 2005).

Kacy

Oct 22 2007

wow. that is crazy. i've lived it, but it always amazes me to read everything over again. lc

LawClerk

Oct 22 2007

I hear you lc. Great story Donna! The thing is... even though Donna, Adam and Brian were up close, it's hard for anyone that doesn't live here to understand how bad it is. It doesn't even scratch the surface of this madness. www.nrams.com

Cliff Cargill

Oct 23 2007

Quote of the year, Its a crying shame with all the rope that the State of Mississippi and the powers that be in Hinds County gave Mayor Frank Melton, he still hung himself. Please people dont steal my quote.

NewJackson

Oct 23 2007

Bravo Donna.

Simpleton

Oct 23 2007

Not withstanding a very good column setting forth the uniqueness and off-the-wall ways of the mayor, about half of us still think the mayor is doing an outstanding job, and is on the verse of setting it off like no mayors anywhere have done before. New times call for new ways. David, Moses, General Grant, President Eisenhower or somebody famously said once, "Some people do, and some people don't. Might I add, however, that some people do do." Needless to say, Frank is one of those persons who do-do. Not a joke either.

Ray Carter

Oct 23 2007

Ray! National eyes are upon us. They're going to take your satire seriously. ;-) Someone posted the following today at Reason. Enjoy: From the average observer, this lady Donna Ladd has painted a picture of a corrupt mayor running wild in the city of Jackson. but what she failed to write about was these 2 facts: 1.This man was corrupt way before he was elected mayor of Jackson and the majority of the voters who voted already knew this but voted him in anyway. 2.Her lack of getting vital information to the people pre-Melton's mayorship via her free press rag(yes, she knew he was corrupt beforehand and failed to warn more potential voters in Jackson), has now created this "Melton must go" attitude. When the truth is...Melton should have never been voted mayor in the first place, and she knew this. She only decided to quiz this guy in interviews AFTER the fact on many occassions of his known corruption. Never once probing this guy for information prior to him being elected. Only after he was mayor did she go on her "sweeps & raids" with Melton and his cronies. It's almost like an owner of raging pitbull who knows the dog will bite, but waits until the dog bites somebody before he will warn people walking by. same logic here. Ask Donna who she voted for and I'm willing to bet it was Frank Melton. And although this article was well written, it reeks of liberal spin and irresponsibility in journalism. LOL. Do people just go around making crap up for sport!?!

DonnaLadd

Oct 23 2007

With that said, "national eyes are upon us," let me drop the satire and stretch for a silver lining in this administration. "There ain't no pie in the sky." While the mayor still has some dwindling support I have no idea the basis for it. I imagine he's surprised by it too, at this point. His remaining supporters aren't as vocal as they once were. Hope is fading and no one knows where we're heading. Most citizens have already screamed and threw up both hands.

Ray Carter

Oct 23 2007

I think he connected a few dots that don't add up. Melton ran as a democrat. Donna writes for a 'free press rag' according to the poster, who I'm sure thinks of himself as a conservative libertarian. Therefore, Donna voted for Melton and covered for him during the election. Sport indeed....

pikersam

Oct 23 2007

Right, Pike, more simplistic thinking. It would perhaps surprise him that I'm a libertarian-leaning progressive who supported Clinton's impeachment, am not a Democrat or a Republican, and believes that government should be as small as possible without sacrificing our moral obligation to help those in need. Assuming made an ass out of him and him.

DonnaLadd

Oct 23 2007

Some of what the poster said is now verified as the truth, in terms of the mayor likely being inadequate for the job in the first place, but my memory reflects a different course of events by the JFP. I don't recall any articles or columns extolling the virtues or benefits of Frank by Donna. Perhaps that poster can set forth some proof that she knew, ignored and is now trying to capitalize on it. Now, calling someone corrupt beforehand and without facts to support the claim is irresponsible and possible legally actionable. No responsible journalist or individual would do that even if holding a good suspicion that that turns out to be largely true later on. Frankly, so to speak, I'm still not convinced Frank is corrupt. Maybe inadequate for the job, or over his head, or too stubborn and hard-headed to adopt or adjust. Again, most citizens have already thrown up both hands and given up by this point.

Ray Carter

Oct 23 2007

I don't recall any articles or columns extolling the virtues or benefits of Frank by Donna. Yes, that's a new one to be accused of. ;-) I swear, people make stuff up at will. Amazing.

DonnaLadd

Oct 23 2007

Whatever Melton may have been, I honestly don't think he was a complete bug-eyed lunatic until after he got elected as mayor. I think it upped his delusions of grandeur to one too many.

Michele

Oct 23 2007

I forgot to tell everyone who I am. I'm a little bit liberal and tab bit conservative but I'm mostly in between. They tell me the nuts are at both ends of the spectrum. I don't let labels define or guide me. I'm country boy, Christian-Baptist who is bored by too much country and urbanism, with no real hatred toward any religion, and I think Clinton should still be the preisident. Lovers make better presidents than warmongers and phonies. Need I say more? With respect to political parties, I had to choose one. But I don't want anyone to know which party. It's still a secret.

Ray Carter

Oct 23 2007

(Ray Carter, you looked fine last night, by the way. And tell the missus that that is merely a statement of fact!)

DonnaLadd

Oct 23 2007

WHOA!!!!!! Donna........ "ATTAGIRL" Absolutley loved the piece.

JMK

Oct 23 2007

Thanks, Chickie. ;-) It was kinda hard to pack it all in, so I didn't. But I got enough out there to whet their appetite. I've been getting e-mails from libertarians from around the country all day! It's hot in the blogosphere, it seems. BTW, all, my editor there is Radley Balko who just did the in-depth piece on medical examiner Steven Hayne (touted in the Wall Street Journal), and wrote pieces on Tyler Edmonds and Cory Mayes. Radley was in town last night for the Innocence Project benefit. It's amazing that someone posted in the Reason comments that we ought to just keep the Melton problems to ourselves here in the state, that writing about it embarrasses us. That reminds me of the bullsh!t rhetoric of the 1960s when we didn't want to be bothered by "outside agitators." You don't make the state better by pretending that everything's hunky-ideal. You air it out, you fix it, you learn from it. I am SO tired of some Mississippians trying to tell other Mississippians how to believe, act, talk, write that I can't stand it. The reason we're stuck with this problem is that too many people were scared to talk back all these years. This. Is. My. State. Too. And your, and his, and hers, and ours. Those who don't like it can, well, you know.

DonnaLadd

Oct 23 2007

Donna "we ought to just keep the Melton problems to ourselves here in the state, that writing about it embarrasses us." I beg to differ on that comment. I think the world needs to know about melton, in case they ever run into the lil guy. Any information is a plus in my opinion. ICK!!! lil melton gives me the creeps. In light of the fires in CA, I wonder how the lil guy would react if something similar happend in Jackson. LOL he'd probably jump in his pool and stay there until all is clear. Hey!!!!! Anybody got some good vice gripes? I have a few thoughts about the lil guy's ears.

JMK

Oct 23 2007

Good summary of the recent events. Maybe the Feds will take a look also. Nice reporting.

madisonresident

Oct 23 2007

Is there anywhere we could cut and paste this article and email? Senators, DOJ, etc? Any suggestions?

madisonresident

Oct 23 2007

madisonresident Legislators can be found here http://www.ms.gov/frameset.jsp?URL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ls.state.ms.us%2Fhr_membs.htm Senators can be found here http://www.ms.gov/frameset.jsp?URL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ls.state.ms.us%2Fss_membs.htm

JMK

Oct 23 2007

So did you Donna, Todd and many more. That was a very nice event and I actually touched seeing so many people dressed up, giving and concerned about a good cause - keeping innocent people out of jail.

Ray Carter

Oct 24 2007

Another great article, Donna, and the comments - wow. I think I'll add this to the Wake Up Jackson blog.

LatashaWillis

Oct 24 2007