This morning I start with Jackson County where a grass roots movement of Singing River Health System retirees coupled with disenfranchised Vancleave residents flexing their new found political muscle has resulted in some big changes:
Two longtime Jackson County supervisors defeated ~ Warren Kulo
Two Jackson County supervisors out, two precarious amid hospital debacle ~ Karen Nelson
Last night Trudy Nelson of SRHS Hopes and I traded text messages. The impression I got was the retirees would be spending the evening enjoying the results of their hard work before hitting the grind again today. I took this no nonsense approach to be very bad news for Sups Cumbest and Ross, who find themselves in runoffs that promise to be bruising battles. That same message permeates SRHS Watch’s election post this morning:
You have read, researched, educated yourself and made your voice heard. Congratulations. You have proven that defeat is what faces those who seek to betray the public trust.
Tonight’s victory should be savored, but only ever so shortly.
There lies ahead much work. Three weeks until run off elections. Weeks of depositions and legal wrangling. Five more months with the current Board of Supervisors.
Last month I, along with Slabbed New Media’s Assistant Manager for Community Engagement attended a Saturday evening meeting Trudy and the Gang at the SRHS Hopes Facebook Group organized for the media covering the Jackson County election. From that meeting with what are essentially a group of very dedicated volunteers looking to improve their local communities, a coherent, independent main stream and social media message would emerge. There were no candidates in attendance that night and no one in attendance was pushing any particular candidate beyond change. By that time Slabbed New Media already had both the McKay/Ocean Springs High School post largely composed along with the one about the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office pension disaster. I thought about that meet up yesterday as I read Biloxi Blue’s comment on the election. The paid election coms consultants in Jackson County never saw us coming. Continue reading “Last night’s primary election results exceeded expectations”
