It seems as though MDOT Executive Director Butch Brown has a gambling problem to go along with his drinking problem folks. Michael Newsom and Geoff Pender have the story for the Sun Herald.
Brown, 67, was arrested early Friday morning at Beau Rivage casino. According to Biloxi Municipal Court, a Beau Rivage representative asked the court Monday to drop the disorderly conduct charge. A court date of Sept. 13 has been set for the drunkenness charge.
Biloxi police records say Brown was “intoxicated and unconscious” at a slot machine at 5:43 a.m. on Friday. Casino security woke Brown and “he became extremely belligerent and caused a big disturbance within the casino in view of numerous other people,” police records say, and that he “repeatedly refused to cooperate with officers on the scene.”
Mississippi is the only state that elects its transportation commissioners and I could spend several posts detailing the systemic corruption and lack of oversight at MDOT but the Sun Herald has already done a great job of doing that. Suffice it to say former Natchez mayor Butch Brown is just the type of stuffed shirt drunk for the job of running MDOT day to day. The shame is I could never connect his son’s bond work to TheRiot and Coastal Securities but it isn’t because of a lack of effort here at Slabbed. 😉
Next up is the Sun Herald’s Robin Fitzgerald and Michael Newsom taking a stab at covering Mississippi Public Safety Commish/Attorney General hopeful Stephen Simpson bailing out his buddy John Ruble early from the pokey after Ruble used his wife’s face as a punching bag. No doubt Jerry Mitchell’s story on this topic spurred the Sun Herald reporting, which is a bit more charitable towards both Sheriff Brisolara and Commish Simpson than Mitchell’s story. The public here on the coast still isn’t buying in though because when all the BS is stripped away Simpson used his position to spring a friend from the pokey. Team Sun Herald did get an on the record comment from Mrs Ruble which is worth excerpting here on Slabbed as she took the time to bash Jim Hood:
Ruble could not be reached and his attorney declined to comment. Ruble is represented by former state Rep. Jim Simpson, Stephen Simpson’s brother.
Ruble’s wife told the Sun Herald the incident is “humiliating and embarrassing. The real story is not about me and my husband. It’s about Steve and Jim Hood.”
Simpson said Hood’s handling of the complaints “is shameful.”
Actually, as one of the commenters to the Sun Herald story noted, the real story is that red wine was served with shrimp at the dinner party the Rubles attended with Simpson and his wife. Since the Missus has jumped in on the political side of this I’m certain she won’t mind Mr Hood using this last in a long string of PR gaffes from Simpson in the coming political campaign.
The amazing thing is how the overwhelming majority of South Mississippians manage to stay out of the Harrison County jail but most of us have sense not to slap around our spouses or fall asleep dead drunk at a slot machine. If one behaves civilly using common sense there is no need for highly placed friends to clean up mess after.
Finally we covered the Camp Coastal Outpost scam and now another Katrina related charity bites the dust in the Waveland Citizens Fund. Run by Kathleen Johnson the WCF has done a lot of good work for the less fortunate here after Katrina. Ms Johnson has also engaged in a high-profile, nasty pissing contest with Waveland Mayor Tommy Longo. I was never able to reconcile the various events in my mind thus we never reached out to Ms Johnson, who is internet savvy. The Secretary of State’s office has spoken though and the verdict is cease and desist. The Sun Herald has the story:
The Secretary of State’s Office has cited a Waveland charity for a list of violations of the state’s charitable solicitations laws.
The state also said the charity allowed Kathleen Johnson, who has been convicted of felony financial crimes, to have virtual control over the charity’s financial and day-to-day operations.
Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann said the state this past week issued a cease-and-desist notice against the Waveland Citizens Fund, which no longer operates in Waveland, but rather, in Pearl River County.
The nonprofit status for WCF expired on July 11, but it is entitled to an administrative hearing, Hosemann said.
I wonder what will become of the old Steep Hollow Baptist Church should this decision stick. Up against Camp Coastal Outpost what I see is a lot less money in play at WCF who appear to have accomplished a good bit more than Camp Coastal with a good bit less in the way of monetary resources. The need is still there almost 5 years after Katrina. Hopefully there are organizations standing ready to help fill the void.
sop
This reminds me of the line the Hoffman character delivers at @ 2:55 in this clip in sleepers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flv-4e8AH_U
Oi!! This shaygits Butch is not me. But it does look like the big macher is a schlepper.
let’s see here…BUTCH Brown…Coastal Securities…BUTCH Ward…TheRiot…BUTCH Brown…TheRiot’s daughter…GAMBLING in Gulfport…BUTCH Ward…SISUNG Group…BUTCH Brown’s son…well I can try connecting the dots but I don’t have enough time…
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOwweeeeeeeeeeeeee Sop and Whit, I hope the FBI can connect the dots cause Misissippi could use a more responsible, less arrogant DOT manager and Jefferson Parish some criminal indictments from Mr.Letten BEFORE its October 2nd election and then a subsequent Bell, Ca. style,peaceful revolt in its council chambers ASOP!!!OOOOOOOOOwweeeeeeeeeeee
curious, how I envy you. Swingin around on those vines must clear one’s head..you never cease to amaze me with your accuracy & intention..how refreshing, indeed, it would be to see our US Attorney issue some indictments in Jefferson Parish before our October election..and how much joy I would regale in a peaceful revolt of J.P. Council chambers…sweet…!
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOwweeeeeeeeeeee Bunhare, I’m glad you are on my banana wagon to see a Bell,Ca. revolt with people filling every chair and standing room only in the JP Council Chambers peacefully reading a Bill of offenses committed by JP political leaders then demanding resignations and a more transparent government. A government responsive to the JP citizens and not to the campaign contributors and their piggy slop contracts. I believe the early colonists read a Bill of Offenses of the English King before the Boston Tea Party. If there are any interested local tea party members who can help arrange a JP Council Bill of Offenses reading and revolt please check in here we need your support and numbers. History reflects selfcentered, self preserving governments only respond to citizens’ complaints in mass numbers. Hard working and honest citizen’s rights groups such as the Citizens for Good Government constantly recommend at JP Council meetings transparent solutions,such as a simple Whistleblower hotline, but only get a very disrespectful non-answer and the standard, even more disrespectful,Rodney Dangerfield type response, “Your 5 minutes is up”. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOwweeeeeeeeee
DAD?
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An observation : Why is the Times Picayune taking one-line comments from readers & creating a article from them?
Doesn’t Henny Youngman have a copyright on that sort of thing?
Speaking of Jefferson Parish, I heard a rumor today that the engineering firm that was hired as a subcontractor to do work on behalf of that accounting firm that the Council selected to do the landfill study has resigned from the job. Any insights??????????
Rumor ? Insight ? River Birch is soon to be River Bitch !
Speaking of Jefferson Parish…John Roberts (I suspected he was “one of them” by the size of that misshapen head) endorses John Young for Parish President & ! ugh…Add one more to that group of blowbuddies! SICKENING!
From that RAG the TP:
“I reached this conclusion after discussions with Mr. Young and I feel comfortable in my decision to withdraw and endorse him,” Roberts said. “I look forward to working with John in his campaign.”
WHAT DID HE SAY!?
WHY DID HE EVEN ENTER THE CAMPAIGN AT ALL?
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOwweeeeeeeeeee Folks lets not be shocked or dismayed about John Roberts withdrawing and endorsing John Young because this has happened before. But lets now ask the hard question. John Roberts’ 10 point campaign platform called for whistleblower protection and monetary reward for exposure of JP corruption ( see http://www.taxpayersunionoflouisiana.com – campaign platform). If John Roberts is “comfortable” and endorses Young doesn’t that mean that John Young will also create “real” whistleblower protection and monetary reward? I’ll vote for John Young if he would incorporate John Roberts’ 10 point campaign platform advocating real political reforms. If John Roberts was blackmailed or muscled out then sorry, sorry sorry for Jefferson Parish. So hopefully the upcoming forums will focus on this issue of will Mr.Young pledge to incorporate the 10 point platform of John Roberts and if not why not? Thanks to Patricia for breaking the story cause it was not up on nola a few minutes ago and you had to go looking for it under search.OOOOOOOwweeeeeeeee
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOwweeeeeeeeee I’m monitoring the comments on http://www.nola.com on the John Roberts withdrawal from JP President’s Race and as always on hot JP political issues they are cutting off/limiting comments. Would someone like to offer up the reason why the TP and nola protects JP politics? Is it friendships, blackmail, or what? Since the JP Council voted for City Business’ contract to publish JP’s written notices and legal proceedings, it can’t be business interests. If we only knew the reason it could end the existence of TP as we know it today. OOOOOOOOOOwweeeeeeeeeeeeee
I suppose if justice is to be served, taxpayers will have to make citizen’s arrests!
I call dibs on Debbie Villio!
http://www.eroticazelda.com/_PIGGIES/_JOHN_YOUNG_ROBERTS_WED.html
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOwweeeeeeeeeee Patricia, that’s truly a picture worth a thousand words and if it was not so politically pitiful and deserving of the FBI investigation and Mr.Letten it would be really be erotic. I’ve never seen so many candidates be so gun-ho for reform but then drop out in JP as we have seen recently. The FBI looked into Congemi’s deal for dropping out of Kenner’s mayor race now we’ll see if they look at this deal. If Mr.Young adopts all of John Roberts’ 10 reform measures than Haas will also probably drop . Let’s pin the reform tail( i.e. whistleblowers hotline, whistleblower protection and whistleblower monetery reward to expose JP corruption)on Young at the forums before Haas is offered another deal.OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOwweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Good idea George… it is time to ring this Clown Council’s “Bell”…drafting a Bill of Offenses against this group of miscreants will take some time though…stop hanging around and come over to my place…Pelican, Malthilde and Placide are here…yes, we have no bananas but we have plenty of Rebel Yell !
As to Young’s probable free ride, quelle deception putain !
ssshhhhh…..I am caring for my friend Lanny…he is very precious & very fragile…& this reminds me of things haven’t recollected in years…but are still RELEVANT….When I was incarcerated…no human contact…later
I think this an important perspective….no human touch…think about the effect this has on a human animal…i doubt that is is exclusive to prisoners of the legal system….but it certainly is part of it…do we realize the tremendously detrimental effect that no human interaction has upon one’s psyche? well…off topic again…but, I’m just saying?
I must wonder if there is a collective goal? I expect that it is to improve the quality of the human condition?
??????????????