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Be thankful for Butch this Thanksgiving
Published Wednesday, November 25, 2009
I think that Natchez/Adams County owes a great debt of gratitude to Larry “Butch” Brown. I think as mayor and as director of MDOT, he has done much to improve and better our area.
There are those who don’t like Butch and those who do, but I liked him from the time I met him and bought his used riding lawn mower. (It turned out to be a very good mower.)
Butch is aggressive — I like aggressive people because I feel that I too am aggressive. The meek may inherit the earth, but they can’t seem to get much done. They usually end up on a committee waiting to hear something from another committee. It takes a fist-banging, honcho to get people to move, and some people just don’t like that. I liked Butch as guest speaker to several Honor Society and Key Club meetings when my children were in school here.
As mayor of Natchez, I think he did a good job.
As everyone who lives here knows, Natchez is a hard place to manage. It seems that everybody around here has a different opinion and is absolutely convinced that they have found the answer that everyone else is searching for or has overlooked. Consequently, there are few who are willing to push in the same direction.
It seems like most everything that finds funding in Natchez is coming, at least in part, from MDOT.
Case in point is the latest Natchez Trails project. MDOT funded the helicopter landing port behind Natchez Regional Medical Center.
I think Butch was very instrumental in completing the Natchez Trace Parkway and building a monument to it in Natchez, the bridge on Seargent S. Prentiss Drive.
I believe him to be a crucial member of MDOT who saw that the wending “cow path” that once was U.S. 84 was completed as a modern, four-lane thoroughfare.
There are many things that I am not aware of or don’t remember that Butch was involved in that were not mentioned here — sorry Butch.
Whether you like him or dislike him, that is his lot in life, but from all of us I say, “Thanks Butch!”
Ed Field
Natchez resident
Comments
Posted by WhiteOleander (anonymous) on November 25, 2009 at 12:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Ditto.
Posted by Yeahuhuh (anonymous) on November 25, 2009 at 7:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What I want to know is who really wrote this and what have you done with ED FIELD??? This sounds completely sane and reasonable.
Posted by freedom42 (anonymous) on November 25, 2009 at 8:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Have you all seen those ridiculous signs at the stop and go circle? Even an elderly blind tourist could see those! And I guess thats the point.
Posted by Geaux_Tigers (anonymous) on November 25, 2009 at 8:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)
When I drive around town, I still see the projects that Butch brought in. There, there, there. He was a go-getter and made things happen and was the best mayor of Natchez in my lifetime. We need more of his kind. Thanks Butch!
And while I'm here, thanks to Sean Payton. Who dat!
Posted by lsutigerfan (anonymous) on November 25, 2009 at 9:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I'll never be thankful for Butch Brown.. :) No matter what he does for this town..
Posted by mrmojorisin (anonymous) on November 25, 2009 at 11:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
yes, Butch did a lot for Natchez...let's see, we have new lights on the by-pass, a new bridge, a huge visitors center that could house all the visitors we get in 5 years time, but is empty most of the time, we have a new convention center that is empty most of the time, and a new, very confusing interchange in front of a defunct shopping center with some more new lights, and we have Wal-Mart....
Can anyone explain to me what any of this has actually done to make Natchez a better place?
We still can't get along; we still elect people we can't stand; we still turn every debate into one of race; we still have no money; we still have a ghost town downtown.
Butch was the usual bully, Ed. Sure, he bullied his way to getting what he wanted, but for the life of me, I can't see where it did much to benefit anyone more than it did Butch.
And you have to remember, Butch was in there as Mayor during the 1990's when Clinton was President, times were good, everybody was making money, and it was a lot easier to get things done...then along came George Bush and disaster, poverty, unemployment, cutting taxes for the wealthy while doubling the deficit accumulated since the 1700's, the deregulation of banking and finance....times are the worst ever now...I don't even think Butch could get a pothole fixed these days.
--mojo
PS--that last paragraph was for you, rushing
Posted by DeanWormer (anonymous) on November 25, 2009 at 5:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Do you think when grace is being said tomorrow that we should mention Butch Browns name?
Posted by Yeahuhuh (anonymous) on November 26, 2009 at 8:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
OK I will confess that as people go Butch is OK by me. He certainly has left his mark on this place and if we can't figure out how to use the stuff he has laid here then I don't think it's his fault.
And I certainly can already see the improvement in the concrete maize in front of Ruby Tuesday. Maybe having that so close will somehow improve their speed with orders.
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