Tag: Former Congressman Gene Taylor

Election Day Facebook cross post | Vote for Gene, Its Important

Tomorrow, we get to go to the voting polls to decide between Gene Taylor and Steven Palazzo for Republican Congressional candidate. I know everyone is tired of the robo calls, but this one is not some silly “like”. This is one of several direct contacts I’ve had with Gene Taylor while he was in Congress.

Like many Katrina survivors, I applied for, and was approved for a loan to replace my destroyed house. This was not a handout, it was a loan to be repaid with interest. I was approved for $200k. About six months later, I found a house for sale for $120K. The realtor suggested we schedule closing for much later than would be necessary for a commercial mortgage company because “SBA was running slow”. I filled out and filed all the paperwork stack the SBA needed for the home (including appraisal, etc.). Keep in mind, I had been pre-approved for $200K, and only wanted to borrow $120K. Even though we were living in a tiny 900 square foot place, we scheduled closing for twice the normal, commercial mortgage processing time.

We arrived at the scheduled closing only to find that the SBA had not sent the paperwork or the check. After a call to them reassured me that they just needed a few more signatures, and all the paperwork was in order, we reschedule closing a month later. However, the people we were buying from had already closed on their new house and had moved out of what was supposed to be ours. We arranged to pay their mortgage and insurance payments while we were waiting, and began to move in. After all, it would only be one month of this. You guessed it, we got a call the day before the second scheduled date that the paperwork still lacked a few signatures, and we should reschedule for a few weeks later. We rescheduled for a month later, and I started calling each week to check progress. Continue reading “Election Day Facebook cross post | Vote for Gene, Its Important”

And here they come down the stretch!

Seems that everyone is laying down their chips. First up is the Senate race, which is attracting considerable amounts of national attention:

The Mississippi District 4 House race is between two coast guys so the hometown newspaper’s endorsement is huge. In this instance the challenger wins:

Let’s send Gene Taylor back to Congress ~ Sun Herald Editorial Board

The reasons they cite that make Gene the better Congressman are clear cut to all but the dumbest of the Fox News Kool Aid drinkers:

Accessibility – Gene was not an ivory tower guy, when he was at home he traveled the district to hear his people’s concerns first hand in town hall meetings.  He conducted those meeting even when those meetings were disrupted and turned natsy in 2009 and 2010, the “disrupted and nasty” part supported behind the scenes by GOPers like Phil Bryant. Steven Palazzo’s solution to the problem his political party created was to not have any town hall meetings in favor of more scripted events that mostly excludes the general public.

Staff Quality – Gene’s staff was and will again be a seasoned bunch that know how to navigate the byzantine maze that is our Federal Government to directly help the people in Mississippi 4.  Palazzo’s staff over these past 4 years?  Let’s review:

The Military – Gene won’t cut vital national defense programs out of his own home district just to make Speaker Boehner happy no siree.  Gene is his own man that has looking out for his people as his prime directive as a congressman. Continue reading “And here they come down the stretch!”

Weekend Update

First up is the update on Friday’s hearing in the criminal case State of Louisiana v Thomas “Haller” Jackson where the phrase “hurry up and wait” comes to mind.  The procedural/evidentiary hearings were continued until July.

Moving right along:

LaPolitics Publisher John Maginnis Dies at 66 ~ Jeremy Alford

Reed’s antics keep newspapers busy ~ James Gill

Up to our necks in mud – and sinking in the Mississippi Senate race ~ Paul Hampton

And finally we end with the Fluffer Congressman Steven Palazzo, a lightweight that refuses to hold town hall meetings with his own people and his primary challenger, the guy that used to make the rounds with all his people in Mississippi 4 regularly, Gene Taylor: Continue reading “Weekend Update”

Back home in the mountains……

They call politicians that do not hold town hall meetings because they are too scared to meet with their constituents or debate their opponents Kentucky Warblers because it has “olive-green upperparts and yellow underparts.” aka a Yella Belly.

Taylor challenges Palazzo to debate ~ Paul Hampton

No debate, Palazzo says to Taylor’s hand-delivered challenge ~ Anita Lee

U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo declines Gene Taylor’s debate challenge ~ Gareth Clary

A reader comment to Clary’s article illustrates a potential reason why Palazzo prefers to remain in hiding:

I want somebody, Gene Taylor will do, to ask Steven Palazzo what he knows about the sale/ purchase of a piece of property at 323 Front Beach, Ocean Springs owned in part by his father,Frank Palazzo, using CIAP funds at the direction of convicted felon Dr.William Walker. The inflated price of almost one million per acre was paid for a low lying drainage basin in a V zone and is equal to the robbery of a bank.This was a robbery of the taxpayers he wants to continue to represent. Did he help in any way access the federal funds used to purchase his dad’s property? Then we need to ask him what he knows about the indictment of his former chief of staff, Michael Janus. Has he been involved in any way with the D’Iberville-IMMS aquarium scandal or has he helped get federal dollars for this scam? This is the real reason he will not debate in my opinion.

Taxpayer funded Palazzo family land deals has been an occasional topic here on Slabbed.

In Mississippi tax breaks and the gang at Port and Harbor in the news

First we have a reader question:

In the Sun Herald this morning on page 3A under “D’Iberville approves tax break to attract business” Joe Cloyd’s CDBG Long Term Work Force housing Riverside senior apartments is asking the city to abate ad valorem taxes for three years. This is not a business that produces or pays any sales taxes and was built with taxpayer money in most part already. Where does it end?

Such things usually end in bankruptcy because the piggies that are hooked into the taxpayer trough rarely stop feeding on their own.

Next up since the Bay St Louis social media policy was topical at last night’s City Council meeting I have this from Eric Goldman.org:

Police Officer’s Facebook Post Criticizing Her Boss Isn’t Protected Speech–Graziosi v. Greenville ~ Venkat Balasubramani

The bottom line is the law in this area is not settled by any stretch of the imagination for public sector employees. Continue reading “In Mississippi tax breaks and the gang at Port and Harbor in the news”

Run Gene Run!!!!

Gene had a sit down discussion with the Sun Herald Editorial Board:

Former Mississippi Congressman Taylor considers a rematch against Palazzo ~ Paul Hampton

If he comes back it will be as a Republican, a scenario that must frighten the heck outta Team Palazzo. To the extent conservative Blue Dog Democrats were sacrificed at the alter of Obama Care back in 2010 by the left wing of their own political party Gene owes them nothing at this point. And to the extent the man was a true deficit hawk years before such became fashionable in mainstream GOP circles up D.C. way he should hold great appeal to the Tea Party.

Qualifying is months away so this story will be with us for a while.

Boss Hogg crony Ashley Edwards named executive director of the Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission

Welp folks, hell must be freezing over as Hancock County has evidently run out of home grown political hacks and cronies to staff one of the local troughs.

Hancock port board endorses governor’s staffer as new director ~ Anita Lee

Hiring unqualified good ol boys to government jobs in Mississippi is nothing new as we’ve been reminded of late of that fact with DMR among other agencies but for a local plum appointment to go to an outsider in Hancock County is unheard of, especially when the board doing the appointing answers to the County Board of Supervisors.  Yes, of late local politics has made for strange bedfellows with Supervisor Steve Seymour crossing party lines to cuddle up with Lynn Fitch over at Scott Walker’s house last year but plucking a Phil Bryant staffer for a $150,000 job that could (some would say should) go to someone with the Ladner surname? OMG!!!

I did not jump right on the emerging story linked in comments by Mad as Hell on Sunday because I knew two things:

Other Voices | Erin of Hattiesburg: The people of south Mississippi need Gene Taylor

I am a Democrat in this sea of red in southeast Mississippi. I am probably the only Democrat in District 4 who didn’t know Steven Palazzo is a member of the Tea Party, and I think this can be used to defeat him. I was ready to see Palazzo gone when he voted against federal assistance for Hurricane Sandy victims. I am watching Palazzo to see how he plays in the upcoming debates to stop the sequester and pass a budget. There are many people in District 4 who receive social security benefits and military pay on active duty or reserve/guard who will suffer if the sequester doesn’t stop. If Palazzo sticks with his Tea Party cohorts he will bring District 4 voters to their knees financially. I don’t know how to personally contact Mr. Taylor so I request that you inform him that District 4 needs for him to get back in the fight in the House of Representatives. Mr. Taylor needs to go public big time if he will try to get this congressional seat back.

Erin in Hattiesburg

Dominicales Omnibus: Altis tenuibusque conciliat!

Indeed it does does folks because the news gods favor Slabbed New Media this morning.  First up because you heard it here first:

Catching up with South Mississippi’s Gene Taylor and Trent Lott ~ Da Noose and Nelson

(Gene) saved the county up to $45,000 in labor.

Does he consider getting back into politics?

“Sometimes I do,” he said. “Like when I see this mess with the National Flood Insurance (Program) — Congress holding a gun to people’s heads and the best they’re offering is a year extension.”

It’s frustrating, he said, the inflated premiums, “which will adversely effect so many people down here and knowing that I know there’s a better solution.”

Indeed there is a better way. Michael and Karen’s piece also solved a mystery as the Dunbar Pier is close by. Altis Tenuibusque comes at a price thus my surprise at seeing the public pier fixed a few weeks back and not knowing it was a community production. And yeah Gene, please run because this area needs you in Washington!

That said the advantages of Altis Tenuibusque are also very clear as today’s missive will illustrate but first we have major news from the New Orleans Media Congroovancy as Ace Investigative Reporter Nell Nolan leaves the House of News to join the Lucky Coin Today. A fair read of these pages well illustrates why Slabbed New Media has come to conclude that Nolan was Ashton Phelps best hire bar none during his tenure as publisher of the T-P and Nell goes back farther than that to the old States Item, which I well remember because we used to get it in Waveland back in the olden days. Plus if Nell ever decides to leave the news biz a very lucrative career pumping the pinks awaits. Either way I’m a fan for life.

Now for the best political gossip from Jefferson Parish bar none because I have it.  I’m hearing from multiple sources it is likely that Parish Prez John Young will not seek re election. In the event that prediction comes to fruition here are the scenarios: Continue reading “Dominicales Omnibus: Altis tenuibusque conciliat!”