Folks, we’ve consistently heard the racketeers behind the River Birch landfill owned both land and politicians here in Mississippi and as proof I offer today’s update by the Sun Herald’s Anita Lee on the lawsuit filed by Jerald Ward, mini me to Jim and Butch Ward against MDOT and the Army Corp of Engineers. The irony of people known inside Mississippi environmental regulatory circles as “wetland pirates” casting themselves as environmental saviors is rich but unluckily for the taxpayers in Gulfport, myself included, the fleecing continues as Mayor George Schloegel and the City have joined the Ward’s lawsuit over the Turkey Creek wetlands, which the Wards wants to fill in to build retail. The ultimate irony however, is that this land could well be subject to forfeiture when the coming RICO indictments against certain members of Team River Birch are handed down in New Orleans.
To catch our newer readers up, Gulfport Mayor Schloegel is former CEO of Hancock Bank and IMHO it is a reasonable guess that Team Ward had considerable money (from which they may have also paid considerable bribes) with Schloegel and Hancock Bank. That said and regardless of any prior connections between Schloegel and the Wards, when MDOT announced they wanted no part of the Ward family in Mississippi both the Wards and Mayor Schloegel took umbrage and ol’ George marched mini me Ward down to the Sun Herald so they could get the word out. The fly in the ointment is we also got the word out that Schloegel needed a long shower after the association but it appears George prefers the company of racketeers or more specifically racketeers with money.
This brings us to today and Anita’s latest story, which also contains Judge Ozerden’s ruling on Team Corp of Engineers motion to dismiss as she updates the behind the scenes events that have taken place over the past year. My own experience is that criminal prosecutions have a way of making civil litigation from Team Defense evaporate so there is lots of uncertainty inherent to this litigation but we’ll be keeping this case on our radar screens regardless. Mississippi does not need these flies buzzing around period as we have enough of our own.
sop
God these people (Wards) are insufferable…I find it both depressing and disconcerting that they have offspring…
Some things just never change. Good to see that you have returned to MS issues.
We fit Mississippi in as we can. 🙂 This story has lots of potential IMHO as involves a historically black area of Gulfport that has experienced lots of flooding problems, in part because of the way the entire watershed has been managed through time. Throw in folks like the Ward’s and City officials that would cut a deal with the devil and the party is complete. I suspect we’ll hear more on this from Anita as the story unfolds.
sop
Keep an eye on the land deals — the rezonings, the variances, the property swops, etc.