Posted by EnKiKur (anonymous) on May 16, 2008 at 12:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Amen.

Posted by natchez1 (anonymous) on May 16, 2008 at 12:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)

The money was granted to improve the roads that lead to the casinos. The State gets significant revenue from the Natchez Isle of Capri and it will get even more revenue when the other casinos open.

Phillip saw a way to get State funds for Natchez roads - applied for it and was granted it. What is wrong with that?

Posted by OldGrandDad (anonymous) on May 16, 2008 at 5:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Good editorial, DEB. You said "Natchez’s roads should have never been allowed to get in such awful shape in the first place. Citizens deserve more from their government." Yes and Amen. But in our recent elections we had a revolution. The question now is whether the revolution is finished or are we only halfway through it?

I believe in applying for every grant that is available for any of our projects because that money is usually already alloted and all we are doing is requesting some of it. But the community needs to be self sufficient and not rely on handouts for our basic needs. Roads are basic.

Posted by Oracle (anonymous) on May 16, 2008 at 8:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)

This editorial is right on. Now, if we can keep city officials from hiring a friend or two due to additional money being available.......

It doesn't seem to occur to our elected bodies when the "grant" runs out taxpayers have to fund these friends/employees because no one ever gets removed after being hired.

Their are too many "do nothings" already on both city and county payrolls. As they RETIRE, do not REHIRE and do away with some of those taxpayers funded "company cars/trucks" we support far too many of. Their health benefits alone are an astronomical burden.

Posted by destiny (anonymous) on May 16, 2008 at 8:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Amen, again. Right on Democrat. Natchez is the welfare child of the state or anywhere else it can get money after the city leaders have given themselves a raise in pay. Plenty of money fills their coffers if only it was used correctly. Natchez is too small of a city to be paying the salaries they are paying to part time workers. It's time the 'public servants' realize this.

Posted by gemccull (Gary McCullars) on May 16, 2008 at 8:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)

As long as the political system has "slop troughs", our elected should participate in the root hog scheme. I suppose that is the reason the funds are called "pork"!

To think of ourselves as a pig/hog at the trough is not a very pleasant thought.

Posted by annuity (anonymous) on May 16, 2008 at 8:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Do some research and find out if Biloxi,Tupelo, or any other community ever received any funds to do their streets or other infrastructure. Maybe Natchez found a way to get back some of the money they paid for other communities in the past.

Posted by destiny (anonymous) on May 16, 2008 at 8:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Right on gemccull.....I have stopped using the term 'city leaders'. Look where they lead us to. Beggars. They are PUBLIC SERVANTS and it's time for them to wake up to that fact. I just took a short trip down south Ms., and returning home I knew exactly when we approached Adams County. The difference compared to the rest of the state is inexcusable.

Posted by NatchezEnema (anonymous) on May 16, 2008 at 9:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)

It is obvious that someone at the democrat read my blog about Natchez having the reputation as a begger with a can in its hand across the state and it's true. Let me tell you how this came about. In the 80's and early 90's we had good jobs ie tire plant ,i.p. and many others. Grants then were iceing on the cake. In the 90's when the whole country was in the middle of the internet boom and the economy was real good there was a lot of money to go around. Butch Brown ushered in the age of" hey it's free money why not get it" that was ok for a while. Times were good and he spent and spent and spent, and came to rely on these grants to pull off his brass plaques all over town. What he didn't do is invest in our future, change with the times, or plan ahead for the tough times. When the economy started going south and we lost our jobs what were we left with? An addiction to free money. Even now that is getting harder to come by and it never really was free money. It cost someone somewhere. It makes me sick and it should any decent hard working person to pick up the paper every other day and read, well we need a grant to fix our roads, our visitors center, we have flooding we but we can't do anything till we get a grant, when we get a grant we can do the forks in the road project. We need a grant for metal detectors at the court house, we need a grant for new side walks or light poles, Or someone went to Washington or Jackson looking for a grant for cops pay raises. We need a grant for this or that. Let me tell you what this town needs. We need a mayor that will come in to work in the morning and CRACK A WHIP and say what are you doing? Where are you going, park that city car HERE don't take it home, NO we will not buy this department a new big gas guzzling pickup with shiny letters for you to ride around in, but we will get a used one, you got time to lean you got time to clean, GO TO WORK! GET GOING NOW! AND when you get through with that call me because I have something else for you to do. LEADERSHIP. How do go to Jackson or Washington asking for a cop pay raise here when there aren't enough cop cars on the coast. This town doesn't deserve ANY GRANTS. I wonder what they say after someone from Natchez leaves the asking for a grant. WHAT A JOKE. The lord helps those who help themselves.

Posted by shedevil (anonymous) on May 16, 2008 at 9:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)

i agree 100% with this story.its sad that natchez has to beg for funds for public projects....

Posted by natchezsouthside (anonymous) on May 16, 2008 at 10:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Sorry, but I disagree on this editorial.

Look at the larger picture. Mississippi takes in FAR more Federal money than it pays into Federal coffers.

So are you saying the State of Mississippi suppose to wean itself off the Federal funds gravey train too?

Yeah, that's gonna happen. It's just trickle down economics--HAHA!

Posted by natchezsouthside (anonymous) on May 16, 2008 at 1:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Oh, and let me add, if we are saying Natchez shouldn't get state handouts, are you saying that Natchez residents shouldn't either?

Great, public housing can be shut down. Food stamps, WIC, head start, free school lunches--let's turn off ALL those gravey trains because someone along the way mismanaged their life, their money, their education, their career. No Problem. Let's take away all their state aid too.

What's good for the city of Natchez is go for it's residents.

Posted by rushinghjr (anonymous) on May 16, 2008 at 2:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)

You are on "track" DEB! Good editorial and well-balanced!

Posted by NatchezEnema (anonymous) on May 16, 2008 at 4:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I would much rather have a grant to put food in a persons mouth or house over his head, or for a business to buy some equiptment to put people to work. There are towns in this state that need new books in a library. patrol cars on the coast after the destruction of the hurricane. Towns that need new fire engines, or new red lights to save someones life or prevent wrecks, that's important, there is nothing wrong with that! What do you call a person with their hand out all the time saying what are you going to do for or give me. A BUM! What do you think when you see a bum begging on the street wearing a 120$ pair of Addidas on their feet. Hmmmmm. New high $ shoes and asking me for money? Get a job, go to pay less shoes, or buy some food before you spend that on shoes,that's what Natchez looks like. We can build and be mired in debt for a convention center, loot out casino taxes, buy new cars for heads of departments. But can't pay for street upkeep. People, this town is bleeding cash bad, look for the signs when you see a support hotel tax sign put up, or a city car parked at walmart, RUNNING. If this town goverment would get out of the tourist biz stop subsidizing it and leave that to the home owners this town would be better. This town has spent millions and millions and millions of tax payer money, tax breaks and grants on tourism. Look at it, its on the verge of collapse. Our leaders run in circles, how do we pay for this or that, will we get that grant or not, lets raise the tax. There is no VISION or DESIRE to move ahead in this town. You can't borrow or bum youself out of debt and this town is ROTTING with it. Open the tourism books for everyone to see, call it like it is, cut back, control the cash, invest in industry and good paying jobs then there will be money for the streets, rec park, cops pay hikes and even your little walking trail. I can't stand a BUM, and neither can most hard working people. Drop a dime in the childrens home or salvation army can every time, maybe once in a bums can, but not forever. Sooner or later the bum has to GO and is not respected for not trying to better themselves!

Posted by OldGrandDad (anonymous) on May 16, 2008 at 6:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)

NatchezEnema, I agree with you when you say that Natchez needs to be able to make it on its on and not ask for handouts. But you have two great misconceptions; 1) that "industry" with good paying jobs can come to Natchez and 2) that tourism is your economic enemy.

Posted by southernbelle (anonymous) on May 16, 2008 at 7:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)

In this day and age we had better take anything we can get to improve ourselves . Nothing is free,whether it's getting our streets paved or sending our children to school . We all pay one way or another . Unless being on Welfare has been your family business for a few decades.

Posted by NatchezEnema (anonymous) on May 16, 2008 at 7:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Grand dad that is a defeatist attitude, we got the jobs here, but we lost them because we took the for granted.

Posted by OldGrandDad (anonymous) on May 16, 2008 at 7:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)

NatchezEnema, Yeah? Ok. Sorry I bothered you.

Posted by chazbear28 (anonymous) on May 16, 2008 at 10:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)

One of the first quotes that I ever heard about Natchez when I first moved here: "Too poor to paint, too proud to whitewash.". Just sayin'...

Posted by rushinghjr (anonymous) on May 16, 2008 at 10:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)

(NatchezEnema) Gramps is just wearing the wrong set of glasses! He's doing okay! We're only worried about NRMC!

Posted by OldGrandDad (anonymous) on May 17, 2008 at 6:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)

rushinghjr, Actually I see quite well when folks talk as if someone could wave a magic wand and bring industries into Natchez that would provide good wages. If that could happen (and I only mean IF) I know nobody that would be against that. Everyone I know would support that. I just don't see that magic wand being handed to us.

And also, the folks that seem to think a magic wand is actually out there always seem to be the same people who are anti-tourism and anti-preservation. Somehow along the way, these folks have decided that the local tourism industry is their enemy. Having a number of different economic "legs" for the community is an excellent idea and is easy to understand through very basic economics. But the magic wand group keeps wanting to cut off the tourism leg. And that is simply stupid.

Posted by 3on23 (anonymous) on May 17, 2008 at 9:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)

"Great, public housing can be shut down. Food stamps, WIC, head start, free school lunches--let's turn off ALL those gravey trains because someone along the way mismanaged their life, their money, their education, their career. No Problem. Let's take away all their state aid too."

No, let's just keep giving handout after handout to those who do not truly need this but are too complacent to make changes in their lives. Why shouldn't I have a problem going to work everyday and being taxed in order to support someone who desires nothing more than to sit at home waiting for a check to arrive. It seems the only thing some people "work" at is training generation after generation to "expect" someone else to take care of them.

Yes I have been on assistance at a time when I quit one of three jobs in order to go back to school to better myself. I have taken jobs that weren't what I wanted to be doing but at least I was working, instead of staying at home and letting the government supply me and my children with a home, food, medical aid etc...

People have to take personal responsibility for themselves and quit relying on government to do it.

Posted by rushinghjr (anonymous) on May 17, 2008 at 12:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)

(OldGrandDad) You are 100% right I feel also! Tourism is a "backbone" Commodity of Natchez and Adams County just like Agriculture is the "backbone" of the economy of the United States! That is very understandable and I don't see how "people" can not see that?

Posted by ProNatchez (anonymous) on May 17, 2008 at 1:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)

This is your own tax dollars and you all want to turn it down? You would rather see your taxes spent in other parts of the state? Wake up people.

Posted by Fonzarosa (anonymous) on May 17, 2008 at 1:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)

This is such a Bull $hit article in every state in the fifty states cities
get highway and road funds thats why you pay gas taxes and such you people need to get a Clue get out side Natchez and see how the real world lives it is not a gift it's your Taxes Stupid

Posted by Expatdude (anonymous) on May 18, 2008 at 5:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)

This is the type of hard-hitting journalism I expect from the Natchez Democrat. It starts with:

"we need to examine why the addiction exists."

We can expect an analysis of why Natchez needs grant money to fix its roads, right? Of course, not. The writer complains on and on about how bad the roads are in Natchez and in one sentence states that the Natchez city government needs to get "lean and mean." There is no serious analysis of why Natchez needs outside money to pay for road upkeep.

What the writer fails to mention is that in the late '70s the population of Natchez was approaching 25,000 people. There were three large industries in town that provided excellent wages and benefits for their employees. The road infrastructure was expanded at that time to support the local economy. This was good as the population and tax base could support this infrastructure. Unfortunately, these industries no longer exist in Natchez and were not replaced with comparably-sized industries. In addition, the population has shrunk by several thousand people since that peak. And the old road infrastructure still exists.

Reducing the local government expenditures may help a little, but will not provide enough savings to refurbish the roads. This old road infrastructure is expensive to maintain -- get used to it. The push for grant money is merely a way to fix the roads and spare the residents of Natchez this expense. Of course, a significant tax hike could also pay to repair and maintain the roads. Is this what everyone wants?

Posted by GEORGE (anonymous) on May 19, 2008 at 3:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)

yes we are getting jobs so lets see if welfare will go down support your elected officals guys it s is all we have

Posted by rushinghjr (anonymous) on May 21, 2008 at 12:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)

What is the current State tax on a gallon of Petrol today?

Posted by triscuit (anonymous) on May 21, 2008 at 2:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)

18.8 cents per gallon goes to the state, 18.4 cents per gallon goes to the Feds.

Posted by rushinghjr (anonymous) on May 21, 2008 at 10:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Thanks Tris!