DJT Chalks Up Another Win

Chalk up another "W" for the DJT.  We previously posted about the unsightly pile of garbage that Ted Orkin and his buddy Chip Matthews had allowed to be piled at the rear of Orkin's property at 206 West Capitol Street.  Here's what the property looked like back then: 

This eyesore had been in this condition for many months, clearly visible to anyone going to do business at the McCoy Federal Building across the street.  We wrote about this mess and "politely" "requested" that Ted Orkin clean this crap up. 

Less than 48 hours after we posted the story, the mess was gone.  Here's the "after" shot of the property:

Now, if Ted will just clean up the human trash on the inside of the building, we'll be all squared away.

The DJT.  Cleaning up the community one piece of trash at a time.

Dear Occupy Jackson

Clean this shit up.

This is the scene downtown residents were treated to all weekend at the Occupy Jackson commune.  An unsightly pile of crap left unattended on the sidewalk.  This is a far cry from the "clean as a whistle" image presented at the City Council meeting by the Occupy malcontents.

Occupy Jackson evidently thinks that its First Amendment right to complain that the World hasn't given them everything they want (with no effort from them), includes the right to make our community look like a Rankin County yard sale.  So, to Chelsea "Squeaky" McDonald, Professor of Hygeine James Parker and the rest of the shiftless Occupy Jackson crowd, we say clean this shit up.  Or, bettter yet, go pile this crap up on a sidewalk in Brandon (you know, where you live). 

This is our community.  Please stop trashing it. 

Benji Boyd Arrested. Henry Michel Hides Under His Desk

The DJT previously wrote about the Millsaps Building, which in our estimation is an incubator for crime in downtown Jackson.  One of the primary offenders is one Benjamin Boyd, also known as Dirty White Boy.  Among other things, Boyd built the illegal rooftop bar known as the Skybox (or Skyyboxx or Sykyboxx, depending on how many rocks one has smoked).  The property manager, Henry Michel, received numerous complaints about Boyd's illegal construction, yet did nothing.  According to Henry, since Dirty White Boy wasn't doing anything illegal (and paid his rent on time), he could not evict the miscreant from the building. 

City of Jackson Code Enforcement subsequently paid a visit to the illegal rooftop bar.  Rooftop bars are not allowed in the City of Jackson.  Another problem was that Boyd's construction skills aren't exactly a model of industry standards.  While there are several examples, this is the DJT's personal favorite:

The DJT is not an electrician, but this just didn't look too safe.  Halfass wiring aside, this was uncovered and exposed to the elements.  Something about rainwater + electricity just made us nervous.  (Note that Henry Michel had previously looked at this and saw no problem). 

Code enforcement ordered Boyd to dismantle all this crap immediately.  All Boyd had to do was take down this "construction" and there would be no penalty--not even a citation.  So Boyd did what any red-blooded downtown Jackson trash would do:  he refused to take it down.

Two weeks later, Code Enforcement came back to inspect the property again.  Somehow, they found out that Boyd did not take down the bar as ordered.  This time, they brought the JPD Precinct 5 Commander and another police officer with them.  When the officers arrived, Benji was none too happy.  When code enforcement tried to talk to Benji, he put a cussing on them that would have made Bobby Knight blush.  Despite giving him several opportunities to shut up and allow access to the property, Boyd refused.  His final words to the officers were:  "PO-LEESE in Jackson ain't SHIT!"

And you know what happened next:

Benji Boyd Jackson MS Arrest Report

That's right, they arrested his sorry ass.  (NOTE:  This document is not the officer's narrative report.  This document is an MPRA incident report, which is a Clerk's short synopsis of the arresting officer's report).

Even after this incident, Henry Michel refused to regulate Dirty White Boy's conduct.  He continued to proclaim that "he isn't doing anything wrong so I can't evict him."  Well Henry, how about this for a reason to evict the dirtbag?:  (1) As stated in the report, his construction violated City code.  Using the premises to engage in an unlawful activity is always grounds for eviction; (2) Committing a crime and getting arrested on the leased premises also justifies eviction; (3) Disrupting other businesses by committing #1 and 2 is another grounds for eviction.

Despite receiving this and other evidence of DWB's conduct, Henry Michel hid under his desk and did nothing.  As a result, Benji Boyd finished the rooftop construction and the Skybox fire trap was open for business.  Henry Michel is complicit in the activities of Boyd and the Locker Room, just the same as if he was a partner in the venture.  And, in many ways, we suppose he is. 

The next time you see Henry Michel or Walter Michel, make sure and tell them both how much you appreciate their efforts to make downtown Jackson all it can be.

NEW RULE (No. 2)

If Occupy Jackson is going to make its point by quoting Jew-hating Russian authors, they must spell all the words correctly.

This sentiment was expressed in a book written by Russian anti-Semitic author Fyodor Dostoyevsky.  The title of the book, you ask?  The Idiot.  We kid you not.

Brian Eason Does a Drive-By on Councilman Quentin Whitwell

City Beat Reporter Brian Eason recently penned a patented Clarion-Ledger drive-by on Ward 1 Councilman Quentin Whitwell.  The blog post, entitled Jokes Reign at latest Occupy Jackson Hearing, attempted to highlight alleged bad behavior by Mr. Whitwell at a recent City Council meeting.  That's an ironic title, considering that the only "joke" arising from this meeting was Eason's post.

During the meeting, the full City Council considered the shower-education awareness group Occupy Jackson's request to set up a commune in Smith Park.  Mr. Whitwell spoke against the request, generally citing "law and order" concerns.  Whitwell made no personal attacks or insults in his pithy comments.

When Whitwell concluded his remarks, Ward 2 City Councilman Edwin Taliaferro Chokwe Lumumba made the obligatory (and completely irrelevant) reference to race.  Sticking to his lifelong race-baiting schtick, Lumumba said of Whitwell's remarks, "Senator Bilbo couldn't have said it better."  The insulting comparison to Bilbo, a vile racist, was a blatant and inflammatory personal attack on Whitwell.  After Lumumba finished his remarks, Whitwell attempted to object to the inappropriate comments.  The chair of the meeting, Council Vice-President Tony Yarber, repeatedly spoke over Whitwell to prevent him from making his objections.  To make matters worse, SoJack's finest made no attempt to reprimand or caution Lumumba not to make such statements.

Despite the deplorable behavior by Lumumba, and gutless behavior by Yarber, Brian Eason made up a story that falsely stated that Whitwell acted inappropriately during the meeting.  Here's what Eason wrote:

He (Whitwell) and Ward 2 Councilman Chokwe Lumumba exchanged heated words at the first meeting, and the Council Vice President, Tony Yarber, got on Whitwell repeatedly for speaking (and occasionally shouting) out of turn.

Any reasonable person who reads this would get the impression that Whitwell acted inappropriately at the meeting, and had to be jerked back into line by the Principal.  There's only one problem with Brian Eason's claim:  It's a complete fabrication. 

Thankfully, we don't have to accept Eason's claim that Whitwell shouted, because it's on video.  Watch the video, and decide for yourself whether Mr. Whitwell was "shouting."  (Note to Brian Eason:  If it's easier to hear Whitwell than it is the others, it's not because he was "shouting."  It's because he was speaking directly into a sound amplification device commonly referred to as a "microphone."  The purpose of this device is to assist members of the audience in hearing the speaker's words.  For more information regarding this cutting-edge technology, click here).

Eason's claim that Whitwell was "speaking out-of-turn," is not exactly accurate either.  In Legislative bodies, it is a common and accepted practice for members to respond to inflammatory statements and personal attacks by other members.  This allows the member to ask the chair to strike the inflammatory comments or admonish the offender.  This practice is sometimes referred to as a "point of order."  Evidently, Tony Yarber and Brian Eason are not familiar with this procedure. 

Eason's blatantly false jab at Whitwell is compounded by the fact that he didn't say one word about Lumumba's inflammatory remark.  He didn't even mention it.  Comparing a fellow councilmember to Bilbo is inappropriate by any standard.  Despite having this clear evidence of inappropriate conduct staring him in the face, Eason ignored it.  Instead, he makes up a story that it was Whitwell who acted badly. 

Why would Eason do this?  Why couldn't Eason bring himself to even mention Lumumba's remarks?  Why go to the trouble of making up a story about Whitwell, when he had clear proof of obvious bad behavior by a notorious race baiter? 

Eason's half-ass attempt at drive-by journalism would be bad enough had his dishonesty-by-omission ended there.  But it didn't.  Later in the post, Eason described the Planning Committee meeting that took place the next day.  During the meeting, Lumumba showed his behind again and walked out of the meeting.  Inexplicably, Mr. Eason did not think that was worthy for inclusion in the post.  Once again, Eason neglected to mention Lumumba's conduct.  And once again, we ask why.

Mr. Eason, why did you fail to mention Lumumba's deplorable comments in this post?  Why did you fail to mention that Lumumba injected the irrelevant race issue into the discussion?  Why did you fail to report that Lumumba disrespectfully walked out of the Planning Committee meeting when he didn't get his way?  Why did you overlook all this actual misconduct, and instead fabricate a story about Whitwell acting inappropriately?

In other words, Mr. Eason, why are you covering for Chokwe Lumumba?

New Rule, Part II

The DJT previously reported that the Jackson Downtown Neighborhood Association (JDNA) did not appear at the City Council meeting on November 21 to address Occupy Jackson's demand to camp out in Smith Park.  At that meeting, only former Jackson Mayor Kane Ditto appeared in opposition to the request.  The Council ultimately referred the matter to the Council's Planning Committee for further consideration.  The Committee was scheduled to meet the following day.

After the meeting, we contacted JDNA to determine the reason for JDNA's silence.  Specifically, we asked the following questions: (1) What is JDNA's position as to the occupiers' demands to camp out overnight in Smith Park, and (2) Whether JDNA had communicated its position to the City Council.

We got a response shortly after 9 a.m. on November 22.  The response was that the JDNA had not taken a position one way or the other.  Sometime between 9 a.m. and the time of the Planning Committee meeting, the JDNA evidently adopted a position in opposition to the occupiers' request.  Members of the organization appeared before the Committee and voiced opposition to overnight camping.  The Committee ultimately decided to recommend a compromise measure that would allow Occupy Jackson to stay in Smith Park until 11 p.m.

The DJT previously criticized JDNA for not appearing at the City Council meeting on November 21 to oppose Occupy Jackson, and for failing to adopt a position on the issue at all.  That criticism was both accurate and fair.  However, it would be patently unfair if we did not commend (and thank) JDNA for quickly adopting a position and appearing at the Planning Committee meeting the following day. 

Occupy Jackson Update: Councilman Edwin Taliaferro Takes His Toys and Goes Home

Yesterday, the Jackson City Council Planning Committee took up the issue of Occupy Jackson's demand to camp out and teach bathing lessons in Smith Park.  And once again, Councilman Chokwe Lumumba Edwin Taliaferro used the opportunity to act like a preschooler.

The Clarion-Ledger reported that Councilman Taliaferro made a motion to allow the protesters to camp in Smith Park overnight as they demanded.  When the motion died without a second, Edwin walked out of the meeting.  Edwin said he did not want to participate in the meeting if the Committee was not going to capitulate to the occupiers' demands.  Ever the clown, Edwin stated "It would be just like our predecessors telling Martin Luther King Jr. or Medgar Evers how to march...."

Yeah, Edwin.  Just like that.

Ultimately, the Committee adopted a compromise to waive the dusk closing time and allow the occupiers to stay in the park until 11:00 p.m., but not overnight.

Like clockwork, the Occupy Jackson Whining Machine went into full effect after the meeting.  Chelsea "Cricket" MacDonald, Occupy Jackson's spoiled, overindulged spokeswhiner, immediately started complaining because they didn't get exactly what they demanded.

The issue will ultimately be resolved when the full City Council meeting next week.

NEW RULE

You don't get to call yourself a neighborhood association, if all you do is call yourself a neighborhood association.  Yes, I'm talking to you Jackson Downtown Neighborhood Association.

As reported by Jackson Jambalaya, the Occupy Jackson crowd continued their fight to turn Smith Park into their own degenerate 24/7 two-and-a-half month dirty campground.  The anti-money protesters appeared before the City Council at the full council meeting on November 21, to appeal the daylight-to-dusk permit granted by the administration.  Incredibly, only former Jackson Mayor Kane Ditto spoke against allowing the protesters to turn the park into a campground.  After Mr. Ditto spoke, the Council was treated to a veritable loser parade of occupiers, some of whom claimed that the community actually wanted them there on a 24/7 basis.

The troubling part is that no one appeared to speak on behalf of the residents of downtown Jackson.  Not a single representative from JDNA appeared to give the residents' perspective of this grime pile.  In fact, JDNA hasn't even taken a position at all on the issue.  JDNA has been completely AWOL on this issue. 

This is no small matter.  We have a bunch of Rankin-Madison-Scott County trash trying to set up a camp, complete with porta-jons, fifty (50) feet from where residents live.  Yet, JDNA cannot be bothered to think about it.  They are far too busy planning the next feel-good mixer to be bothered with such frivolous matters as quality of life.

How hard would it have been to appear at the meeting and speak for two minutes on behalf of downtown residents?  Or if you did not want to appear at the meeting, why not write a letter to the Council in opposition of the occupiers?  It's not like it would have required that much effort.  We've already done the work for you, just print it off and send it to the Council. 

By your silence and failure to act, you tacitly approved of the occupiers' appeal.  The Council knows that we have a neighborhood association for downtown residents.  When JDNA stands mute, it sends a message to the Coouncil that downtown residents don't care how many Occupy fools occupy the park, or for how long.

There is more to being a neighborhood association than planning cocktail parties.  It takes more than putting up little flyers telling people where to go hang out and drink.  Besides, we already have a little flyer that does that--the Jackson Free Press.

A neighborhood association takes action to protect and advocate on behalf of the residents.  The DJT sees no evidence that the JDNA has any interest whatsoever in protecting and advocating on behalf of the residents of downtown Jackson.

Occupy Jackson Update: Councilman Edwin Taliaferro a/k/a Chokwe Lumumba Shows His Butt

Former New Afrika Republic Minister of Justice, and current Ward 2 City Councilman, Edwin Taliaferro Chokwe Lumumba did what he does best during the Occupy Jackson appeal hearing today:  He showed his butt.

As reported by Kingfish, Councilman Quentin Whitwell moved that Occupy Jackson be allowed to protest in accordance with the original permit issued by the permit department.  Whitwell stated that requiring the protesters to follow the original permit was consistent with good "law and order."  That evidently set off General Taliaferro Lumumba as he compared Whitwell to former racist Mississippi Gov. Theodore Bilbo.  Kingfish has the video here.

It's no great shock to the DJT that Taliaferro Lumumba showed his butt tonight.  After all, he's made a life of acting like a clown.  In fact, we could probably devote an entire blog to Taliaferro Lumumba acting like a fool.  It's also no great surprise that Taliaferro Lumumba would sympathize with the occupiers, as his own seditious proclivities support a complete occupation of the entire southeastern United States.

What we do find shocking is that gutless SoJack Councilman Tony Yarber, who was chairing the meeting, did not smack Taliaferro Lumumba down when he made the remark.  In most Legislative bodies, comparing a colleague to the likes of Bilbo would result in a rebuke from the chair.  But Tony Yarber is apparently too much of a coward to stand up to Taliaferro Lumumba.  Rather than rule Taliaferro Lumumba out of order, he shouted down Whitwell when he tried to object to the remarks.  Disgraceful.

Some free advice to Tony Yarber:  This is the City Council, not a faculty meeting at Marshall Elementary.  If you aren't man enough to stand up to Taliaferro Lumumba when he makes these outrageous statements, you need to hand the gavel back to Mr. Bluntson and go review some lesson plans or something.

The Devil Went Down To....Alabama??

We all know that Chip Matthews likes to have his tentacles in many different scum bars in downtown Jackson, even though he continuously tries to hide his involvement in those clubs.  What many do not know is that Chip is an "interstate" purveyor of trash.

Back in 2009, the Chipster decided to try his hand at the trash bar bidness in Birmingham.  His target was the Five Points Music Hall in Birmingham, Alabama.  The DJT doesn't know anything about Birmingham night life, but Five Points was apparently a big deal a few years ago.  Despite being a popular venue, an underage patron had a little too much to drink one night and decided to hone his marksmanship skills in the parking lot, resulting in the deaths of 2 people.  The bar closed shortly thereafter.  Like a vulture on a dead possum, here comes Chip Matthews.

In July of 2009, Chip Matthews and 2 guys from Birmingham re-opened Five Points to much fanfare.  And then, a short 8 months later, it abruptly closed without explanation.  An "owner or manager" appeared in the middle of the night and cleaned the place out, even packing up the tables.

It appears Chip made some new friends in Birmingham.  A few of them stopped by the above post to wish him Godspeed, farewell, and following seas:

We have repeatedly said that Chip Matthews does not intend to contribute anything positive to downtown Jackson.  He has opened (and closed) every type of trash bar imaginable in Jackson, never once leaving the community better, or at least no worse, than he found it.  Many people in Jackson know that Chip Matthews opens and quickly closes so-called clubs and bars.  We doubt many people knew that he does this on an interstate scale as well. 

This is how Chip rolls.  It's a pattern and practice.  A modus operandi.  Chip Matthews' latest trash dive is not going to benefit our community.  It will hurt our neighborhood, and in a few months Chip will cut-and-run like he always does.  And a few months after that, we'll find him slipping around in the shadows looking to do it all over again.