Mayor Mack

After a councilwomen suggested they and Mack work for no pay for the next three months Mack said,

"That's a bold move.....But why would anyone come here and work for free?"

Cause: YOU claim to "LOVE Laurel!" all the time.

Guess not. I would completely understand if he said cause some of us need the money for our various personal commitments and expenses. But that's not what he said.

The answer showed He's Greedy and doesn't care for Laurel. He'll do something as long as at the end of the day there's a check. If he quits getting paid for any reason he's not going to do anything for the city he loves.

Typical politician that Laurel could do without. I doubt we'd notice if he never showed up at work.

"But why would anyone come here and work for free?"

Ask that acting fire chief and get back to us Melvin.

Ah give old Melvin a break. He can't help it if he is a racist. He was born that way. Him and that pack of clowns on the council want no white people in any position except on the floor and out the door.
All they wanted was a black fire chief. Wait until the fire ratings go up;

What a joke!

Well I have to give him credit in one area. They let citizens air their concerns in council meetings as they should. That's different from the last 20 years. More often that not anyone proposing a question or wanted to address the council without being a shill was told to SHUT UP!

Let's see! How many white department heads does he have? What is the crime rate in Laurel? What is the tax base loss in Laurel? What experience does the clowns on the council have with a budget? How many of the clowns on the council been in the library lately; since they won't fund it. Can anyone on the council know how to do math much less save money?

Give me a break! Run a city? Melvin Mack and his band of clowns are an absolute joke!

Crime rate has been high for the last decade. Jail and judges keep letting them out.

Council members have never understood a budget. Tax base loss in Laurel is the same as most everywhere that doesn't have a large, stable middle class population. All the renter properties with illegals killed property values makes sure no one will buy a home anywhere besides the historical district. You've heard of bedroom communities. This is a slumlord/illegal alien community.

Cities are dying as are libraries that are going the way of the horse and buggy.

They are a joke but the last mayor was a slightly bigger joke.

Good analysis DB! However, the fact remains that the Mayor and his clowns for the most part have been in control for the last five years or more. They were all elected because of dissatisfaction of the previous incumbents. So I hold these clowns responsible.
It would be interesting to compare the numbers since these clowns have been in office. Who is responsible for the existing conditions? Hell, we can go all the way back to the beginning of Laurel; but that doesn't make sense.
Here's where Laurel is heading unless something changes. The city will be 90/95% minority; the city will be broke; the police department will have the worse crime record in the state and one of the highest fire ratings which will make insurance coverage nearly impossible to attain. The historical district will experience white flight as well.
Not very good to think this way; but the truth hurts!

And I forgot to add that Melvin and his clowns will still be trying to keep their friends on the payroll without saving the city.
Give me a break; Melvin Mack and his clowns (read that the city council) don't have a clue on how to run a city and balance a budget in order for it to survive, and like Obama, they'll blame it on the previous administration and the white people who enslaved them.

The Truth wrote:

However, the fact remains that the Mayor and his clowns for the most part have been in control for the last five years or more. They were all elected because of dissatisfaction of the previous incumbents. So I hold these clowns responsible.

Only thing most blacks were mad about the way LPD always dropped roadblocks in their neighborhoods and wanted to search everything with four wheels. Of course the real story is those exclusive road blocks of the day were in white areas too and Mack continues them.

The Truth wrote:

The city will be 90/95% minority; the city will be broke; the police department will have the worse crime record in the state and one of the highest fire ratings which will make insurance coverage nearly impossible to attain. The historical district will experience white flight as well.
Not very good to think this way; but the truth hurts!

The city is already at lest 80% minority. Jackson Mississippi is and always will have one of the highest crime rate in the nation, perhaps being tied with D.C., Detroit, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Chicago....Oh and Memphis is a hellhole.

Fire rating in Laurel is fine. They are building a new station on Parker Drive. Fire rating will always be fine cause big business will demand it. Mack sucks up to them just like Susan did.

Historical district is going minority anytime soon cause 1. Those houses start at 300000 and top 600k.
2. The bankers live there or have pals at the country club that do. Good luck getting that loan any time soon.

The Truth wrote:

like Obama, they'll blame it on the previous administration and the white people who enslaved them.

That's politics. Bush blamed Clinton for 7 and a 1/4 years. Only reason he quit is he finally shut up that last year. Susan blamed Those that were before her.

One only need to look to the soon to be gone bridge to nowhere or former S-Curve or Chicken Processors stinking up the town to realize stupid has had a home in the Laurel Mayor's office for a long time.

Mack has a good point saying the water and sewage pipes are due neglect of previous administrations. That is 100% True. There are 90 year old water pipes that are just re-patched over and over again. Where he fails is he's office will never replace a pipe that can just be patched over. Just like the rest he is leaving a problem for the next mayor and they will do the exact same, white or black. People can't see a new water pipe or get excited about it. So build some BALL FIELDS!!!

For a look into the crystal ball of what Laurel of what is in store for the future; no one has to look any further than Jackson.
Crime is rampant; white flight from previously exclusive neighborhoods similar to the historical district in Laurel. When this happened the tax base left as well.
Don't hold your breath on the fire rating not going up; or the new fire station being built. I hope the ratings don't go up and the station will be built; but I have my doubts.
I didn't say that things like the s curve; chicken processing plants etc; in the city was right. It wasn't. However, who's the blame for voting folks like this into office?
Maybe, you are correct; they'll build more ball fields. They need to do something to offset the tax loss.

The Truth wrote:

Don't hold your breath on the fire rating not going up; or the new fire station being built. I hope the ratings don't go up and the station will be built; but I have my doubts.
I didn't say that things like the s curve; chicken processing plants etc; in the city was right. It wasn't. However, who's the blame for voting folks like this into office?
Maybe, you are correct; they'll build more ball fields. They need to do something to offset the tax loss.

Ah come on, This is the Fifth term of Susan Vincent. I see no difference except in the push for wasteful sports-plexs and parks services and Susan quit that herself when the bills piled up for the elephant of the sports-plex and Magnolia Center.

Susan Vincent-Melvin Mack= Same thing. Worried about those with money.

Fire rating will not go down. Crazy info, Mr. Howard and Sanderson Farms don't like spending more money and can get a politician on the phone so quick your head would spin.

Who is.........

The Truth wrote:

folks like

It's the same idiots.

I agree with you; it's the same idiots!

DB you are correct in the fact that the fire rating will not go down, it will go up. They were told in 94 to build a new station but that hasn't happened. Sure they say they are going to build one but when? Waiting for the stimulus to fall out of the sky, guess what, they didn't make the first cut. Now, they are going to wait a while longer just in case it does happen.
The truth is they may have to get a loan for a building they can't pay for. Also, what about the two new trucks they will have to buy to replace the ones that are out of date. Is there a money tree out there? They were told about this but once again, no one listened.
The only reason they are scrambling now is because of the flag pole to the new west Laurel, that has some of the property is outside the rated area. The rating bureau came in and told them they would build the new station. The city had been told since 94 but they would not listen to the fire chiefs. In fact, a former chief had found a building that would have cost the city much less to buy and furnish, less than a third maybe a fourth, with several acres of land, owner financing with no interest, but it feel on death ears.
Guess what, the rating bureau doesn't know about the flag pole to Hawks. I am sure when they find out about it the city will be scrambling again. The insurance rates will go up.
They were told how to save about $200,000.00 but their answer to that, after the heat was put on them' was to get rid of the chief. It got so hot at cityhall by some firemen not wanting change and residents wanting to save tax dollars that a deal was struck. Get rid of the problem. If you can't stand the heat, get out of office!! But no, that did not happen the chief was forced to retire.
What about the $300,000.00 that could have been saved on the insurance cost to the city.
I can go on and on about how money is being wasted by the city and at some time, I most likely will.
In closing, I would like to leave this forum with a letter that was in today's Review:

To The Editor:
No doubt, some will want to claim that, since I do not reside within the City of Laurel, I should refrain from commenting on City Affairs. However, I would assert that, as soon as the City "Leadership" applied for and accepted its first dollar of Federal Grant (tax-payer provided) Money, they made City Affairs the business of every taxpaying American, to a degree.
I will be the first to admit that I know little or nothing about running a city government; something that recent events seem to indicate that I may have in common with a number of Laurel's City Council Members. While I will refrain from commenting on any of the several issues which currently should have the vast majority of voters in Laurel questioning their collective judgment in the last city election, I would like to make a few observations on something about which I do believe I am qualified to comment.
I have known recently "retired" Fire Chief David Chance for roughly thirty years. Our acquaintance could well be a perfect example of the definition of friendship that includes the line about a friend being someone who knows everything about you but still likes you anyway. I mean that in the best possible way. I was around when he first went to work with the Laurel Fire Department.
I recall that he, like most new recruits, placed a lot of emphasis on the abundant amount of "time off" as one of the perks of the job. However, as time went by, I saw him throw himself wholeheartedly into learning every possible detail about the honorable occupation of fire-fighting as he grew to love the job and embrace the opportunity to serve the citizens of his hometown. Through the years, we did not see each other as much as I believe we both would have liked. His dedication to becoming the best he could be seemed to take up a lot of the "time off" that once had been his primary motivation for seeking the job of fireman. On the occasions when we did get together, the subject of whatever his latest quest for more training, education and additional expertise was always a prominent part of the conversation; that and whatever relatively meaningless (by comparison) endeavor I might have been engaged in recently.
After watching his career take him from New Recruit to former Chief Steve Russell's Right-Hand Man, I felt what I can only imagine would be the same pride as that of a proud parent (even though he is considerably older than I am) the day that my old friend was promoted to Chief of the Laurel Fire Department; not only from having been around since his first day on the job, but in having personally watched the steady progression of his career and the passion he developed really early in that career.
I can't say that there is no one who possesses the credentials to succeed Chief Chance. Considering my lack of insight into the finer points of the fire-fighting profession, I am in no position to pass judgment on anyone's qualifications. There may be other dedicated professionals, somewhere, with expertise that equals or even exceeds that of Chief Chance. However, I feel totally safe in stating that it will be virtually impossible to find someone more dedicated and passionate about serving the City of Laurel as Fire Chief.

My wife and I had dinner last evening with Dr. and Mrs. Chance. It was the first time since he relinquished the reins of the Laurel Fire Department that I had seen or talked with them. While I am sure this must be an emotional time and a period of adjustment, I was happy to note that I did not detect even a hint of negativity in his outlook. It was probably the most relaxed I have seen either of them in several years. I couldn't help thinking how much like Old Times it felt.

There continues to be a number of issues with the Laurel City Council's recent performance that I, like so many others in our community, find really comical (if only it weren't so serious) in their circus-like approach. Some of these issues, I have been told (not by Chief Chance or any of his family) contributed directly to Chief Chance's decision to "retire" from his admirable career. No doubt some people (of lesser character) would harbor certain ill-will toward members of the City Council for the way I understand (from reliable sources) they "encouraged" the Chief to "retire." Reflecting upon our most recent social experience and the marked improvement in both David and Martha's spirit, I have to say to the Laurel City Council, "Thanks for giving me back the old friend I remember and good luck finding somebody else as truly dedicated to the service of the citizens of Laurel."



Fred Pittman

Ellisville

That was a very insightful letter by Mr. Pittman. I figured thaat the whole truth wasn't being told about the retirement of Chief Chance.

The truth is, and it is very evident is that unless a person is black, and not willing to step and fetch it; then your honor the Mayor(Head Clown) and his clownees don't want a lily white face around. One doesn't have to wonder why Laurel has high crime; White Flight; poor roads,etc;.

A fish rots from the head down, and Mack and his Clowns on the council only enforce it.

I thought Mack the Clown was above all the racist crap of the past, but apparently he isn't.

Mr. Pittman; this is America; you have the right to say what you want.

Mr Truth, once again you are right in your assumptions!!!

BTW the term "flag pole" is a term used to describe annexation process used to connect a city to property by means of a strip of land not connected to the city. Hawks flag pole is in a ditch running beside the road.

Times running out