Pro Bono Publico: Jackson County Sup District Four GOP Runoff on my mind

Folks the runoff between former Jackson County Sup Tommy Brodnax and current District Four Sup. Troy Ross is coming down to the wire and the race looks like it will be close based on my anecdotal observations visiting with folks in Jackson County.

I’ve heard the reasons why each man should be elected. Despite the fact most folks view this race as a stinker featuring two stinkers, the folks in District Four understand the importance that now attaches to this seat when the new Board is sworn in come January in light of the issues Jackson County faces.

I’m not going to list the downsides extensively on each candidate but Brodnax people correctly point out Ross is getting has received financial support from Harrison County’s Morris Strickland and that he was a patsy in the jail fleecing, a topic that Slabbed is now rolling out. There is merit to those points as well as the one Team Brodnax makes that he fought McKay on the jail and once he lost the fix was effectively in.

Ross supporters point to the fact he is a less divisive personality than Brodnax and that Ross will be able to more capably work with the new board to fix the myriad of problems the county faces. They also point out that Brodnax has his own past in Jackson County politics, some of it as unseemly as the jail.

Slabbed New Media will not be endorsing any candidates in the runoff election though we highly encourage everyone to go vote a week from tomorrow. Meantime I’m more than happy to let the Ross and Brodnax partisans have their say in comments.

Guest Post: Maxine Ramsay | The citizens of Jackson County own the Singing River Hospital System.

To say I am thoroughly disgusted with the inactions and actions of the entire group of Jackson County Board of Supervisors is stating it mildly. Are they hoping that by kicking the can down the road, election time will arrive and people will forget about their inept disservice to Jackson County?

They have not performed the duties they were elected to uphold. It appears they are dragging their feet by not revealing what accountant Billy Guice has uncovered in reference to the Singing River Hospital pension rout. Supervisors and Guice are being paid by the taxpayers of Jackson County! Do they really think voters of their county believe their double-talk?

Is Board Attorney Paula Yancey advising supervisors NOT to report findings Guice has uncovered? If so, they need to fire her and listen to the public voice in order than an open, accountable, honest, transparent government work in Jackson County.

Supervisors Cumbest, Harris, Mangum, Ross and McKay, former Supervisors Barton and Brodnax, trustees and others all share part of the blame for this pension fiasco. Supervisors may not allow retirees ample time to speak or ask questions at board meetings but they cannot stop them from speaking out publicly, protesting and writing.

Jackson County voters are smarter than their supervisors give them credit. The supervisor’s Number 1 responsibility is honest representation to the citizens of Jackson County. But have they?

Maxine Ramsay