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<h2 class="date-header"><small><small><small><span>Thursday, March
3, 2016</span></small></small></small></h2>
<p><b><small><small><small><small><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://navigatingthestorm.blogspot.com/2016/03/countering-confederate-spring-assault.html">http://navigatingthestorm.blogspot.com/2016/03/countering-confederate-spring-assault.html</a></small></small></small></small></b><br>
</p>
<b><big><big>Countering the Confederate ‘Spring’: the Assault on
Black Political Power in Jackson, MS
</big></big></b>
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The racist and utterly reactionary Republican legislative
majorities that dominate the South are on an aggressive march
this legislative
session. From Texas to Florida, Arkansas to Virginia, and all
the states
in-between, they are employing cut-throat strategies and
tactics to pass a
package of regressive, exploitative and outright anti-human
legislation drawn
up by the likes of ALEC (the American Legislative Exchange
Council)<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftn1"
name="_ftnref1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family:
"cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">[1]</span></span></span></span></a>
and
other right-wing think tanks. They are attacking the right to
vote, Black
voting districts, the right to education, access to housing,
workers rights to
organize themselves, wage protections, alternative energy
plans, marriage
equality, and the list goes on. <o:p></o:p></div>
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While reactionary legislative initiatives are nothing new to
the South, the moves being made in 2016 are rather
exceptional. In many
respects, the Republican initiatives of 2016 are reminiscent
of their “Redeemer”
predecessors from the Democratic Party from the 1890’s, when
they systematically
replaced all of the reconstruction based constitutions of the
Southern states
and formally instituted legally based “Jim Crow” regimes<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftn2"
name="_ftnref2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family:
"cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">[2]</span></span></span></span></a>.<span
style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This reactionary
assault is being driven by
desperation in part. The settlers that form the base of the
Republic Party are
utterly terrified by the demographic trends projected for the
US over the next
50 years<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftn3"
name="_ftnref3" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family:
"cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">[3]</span></span></span></span></a>.
They are scared of the day when the US is no longer a “white
man’s country” that
it will translate into the end of their social dominance and
“way of life.”
These reactionary initiatives are therefore maneuvers of
position in
preparation for long-term trouble, a “battening down the
hatches” as it were,
to secure their social rule and ability to exploit and oppress
non-white people
for as long as possible. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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This assault is also part national election-year theater and
the culmination of the brazenly racist backlash agenda against
the Presidency
of Barack Obama and what it represents in the minds of
millions of settlers,
which is the demise and decay of their “indispensable empire.”<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftn4"
name="_ftnref4" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn4;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family:
"cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">[4]</span></span></span></span></a>
They are determined to rollback and defeat the political and
social gains
attained for and by working people and oppressed communities
during the Obama
administration (most of which it did not author or actually
support), like the
Affordable Health Care Act, the Supreme Courts recognition of
marriage
equality, the repeal of various draconian drug laws, the
challenges to
containment policies like “stop and frisk”, the movement to
remove Confederate
symbols, and the rise of the Movement for Black Lives. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The Republican legislative delegation in Mississippi is
doing everything it can to be the standard bearer of this
reactionary agenda. Despite
that fact that Mississippi continues to have the most Black
elected officials
in any of the settler states, the state legislature is
dominated by a white
Republican supermajority, which unfortunately can and is
legislating what it
wills, however unconscionable, inhumane and undemocratic. Here
is just a taste
of what they have proposed and done since the start of 2016
legislative
session. They have suspended “personal privilege” rules that
allowed
legislators to question legislation (HR39), they have
eliminated the only Black
supreme court district in the state (HB868), they are
proposing to eliminate
dozens of Black schools throughout the state (SB2494), to
further punish
struggling school districts with less funding (HB14), they are
seeking to
expand Charter Schools throughout the state (see SB216 and
HB1044), they are
allowing state workers and religious institutions to
discriminate against
LGBTQI individuals and communities (HB1523), are determining
the gender
identity of individuals based on their phenotypes (HB1523),
are declaring that
sex is only legal in heterosexual marriages (HB1523), and
requiring transgender
people to travel with apartheid-like papers to utilize public
restroom
facilities (HB1258). And this is just a glimpse of the
madness. There are also
bills attacking Planned Parenthood, initiatives that place
more roadblocks in
the path of parolees to reenter society, and efforts to create
harsher prison
sentences for more non-violent criminal offenses. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Some of the most strategic initiatives being pursued by the
Republican legislature this session aim at weakening the Black
political and
economic power vested in Mississippi’s capital and largest
city, Jackson. Jackson
became a majority Black city in the 1980’s. It elected its
first Black mayor,
Harvey Johnson, in 1997. Since the late 80’s and early 90’s
Jackson’s Black
community has been struggling to translate its numeric and
electoral strength
into economic power for the benefit of the vast majority of
city’s working
class people. This struggle took a radical turn in 2013 when
Jackson elected
the “most revolutionary Mayor in the United States”, noted
revolutionary
organizer and human rights attorney, Chokwe Lumumba<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftn5"
name="_ftnref5" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn5;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family:
"cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">[5]</span></span></span></span></a>.
Chokwe was elected in part to institute a program of economic
democracy based
on cooperative economics and participatory governance<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftn6"
name="_ftnref6" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn6;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family:
"cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">[6]</span></span></span></span></a>.
The
Jackson Plan that Chokwe struggled to implement challenged
white economic
hegemony in Jackson and temporarily halted initiative on some
of their major
gentrification plans, like Vision 2022, the One Lake proposal,
etc.<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftn7"
name="_ftnref7" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn7;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family:
"cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">[7]</span></span></span></span></a>
Chokwe’s
Mayoralship demonstrated the real potential of Black political
power
translating into economic power. It was this potential that
the reactionary
political and economic forces that dominate the capitol and
the state resolved
themselves to never let occur again. These reactionary forces
are seeking to
destroy the potential of Black socio-economic power in Jackson
by dismantling
the city and seizing control over its strategic assets, assets
that are a
lifeline for the city and the potential basis for its
self-determined
redevelopment and revitalization. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Seizing Jackson’s
Airports <o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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One set of targets is the city’s airports. Senate Bill 2162,
proposed by Republican Senator John Harkin from Flowood, calls
for the elimination
of the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority (JMAA), which is
currently appointed
by the Mayor of Jackson and confirmed by the City Council. The
Bill calls for
the Jackson controlled JMAA to be replaced by a new Jackson <i
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Metropolitan</i>
Airport Authority that
would be primarily controlled by the Governor and
commissioners from Rankin and
Madison counties (Jackson is primarily situated in Hinds
County, but it has
incorporated parts in other counties, i.e. the Evers Airport
which it owns is
in Rankin County and Tougaloo College and adjacent lands which
are situated in
Madison County)<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftn8"
name="_ftnref8" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn8;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family:
"cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">[8]</span></span></span></span></a>.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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This takeover initiative is about weakening Black political
power, ensuring ongoing white control over the city’s
resources, and the
acquisition of strategic property. Jackson has been in
possession of two
airport facilities since the early 1960’s, Hawkins Field and
the Jackson Medgar
Wiley Evers Airports. Jackson’s authority over these
facilities was never
questioned until the Mayoral administration of Chokwe Lumumba.
During Chokwe’s
short tenure as Mayor, from July 1<sup>st</sup>, 2013 through
February 25<sup>th</sup>,
2014, he was able to install an entirely new, all Black, JMAA
Board. In January
2015 the JMAA Board hired the airports first Black Chief
Executive Officer,
Carl Newman. Under the leadership of Mr. Newman and the JMAA
Board, the airport
became a fully solvent , “in the black” entity and redirected
the majority of
its contracts to contractors who live in Jackson, the majority
of whom are
Black<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftn9"
name="_ftnref9" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn9;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family:
"cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">[9]</span></span></span></span></a>.
Prior
to this shift, the airport was often in the red and the vast
majority of the
contracts that were awarded by the airport were awarded to
contractors from
Rankin and Madison counties, the overwhelming majority of whom
were white. It
was this loss of income, and the projected loss of future
profit, that prompted
Senator Harkin and the Republican leadership to advance the
takeover
initiative.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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The original airport facility, Hawkins Field, constitutes
some of the most prime real estate in the city because of its
proximity to and
potential interrelationship with the Medical Corridor
Expansion Project<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftn10"
name="_ftnref10" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn10;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family:
"cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">[10]</span></span></span></span></a>.
The Medical Corridor Expansion Project is an expansive project
that extends the
existing medical corridor from its present boundaries between
the 55 interstate
to the east and State Street to the west, all the way to the
220 metro Freeway
on the western outskirts of the city and an expanse from
Northside Drive to the
north and Fortification Street to the south. The Medical
Corridor Expansion
Project is the adopted child of former Governor Haley Barbour
with the support
of the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) and the Greater
Jackson Chamber of
Commerce. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The Medical Corridor Expansion Project is the driving force
of real estate speculation in Jackson, which is beginning to
fuel the
gentrification and displacement of several Black working class
communities. This
project will basically devour the Black working class
communities of West and
Central Jackson, particularly the Mid-City, Georgetown, and
Virden Addition
communities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Medical Corridor
Expansion Project is modeled in large part on the Medical
Expansion Project in
New Orleans, which is actively in the process of displacing
tens of thousands
of Black working class residents. If the Republicans are able
to seize Hawkins
Field they will be able to control its redevelopment process
in connection with
the Medical Corridor Expansion process. <span
style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
will create an extended zone of redevelopment that will be
dictated and
controlled almost entirely by economic and political forces
outside of Jackson.
They will control the contracts, the procurement processes,
and the hiring
processes. This will ensure that the lion’s share of the
profits and wages
generated from these developments will go to white bankers,
developers,
sub-contractors, and suppliers to the detriment of the City of
Jackson and its
predominantly Black working class residents. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The Jackson Medgar Wiley Evers Airport was built by the City
of Jackson in 1963 - 64<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftn11"
name="_ftnref11" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn11;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family:
"cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">[11]</span></span></span></span></a>.
The airport sits squarely in Rankin County, which is a
predominantly white
working class community that is a direct outgrowth of white
flight from
Jackson. For decades, white contractors from Rankin and
Madison counties have
dominated the airports contract awards. <br>
<br>
The interruption of this gravy train is
what fueled the ire of these forces. But, what has the
Republicans up in arms is
the threat of missing out on the future profits projected to
be generated over
the next several decades from the growth and expansion of
Medgar Wiley Evers Airport.
Over the last two years, several transnational companies have
decided to open
new manufacturing plants in Jackson and Hinds County. The two
largest manufacturers
are Seraphim Solar, a Chinese owned solar company, and
Continental Tire the
Americas, LLC<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftn12"
name="_ftnref12" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn12;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family:
"cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">[12]</span></span></span></span></a>.
Building on these new developments, most regional business
forecasts anticipate
further business and economic growth in the central
Mississippi region, as each
of these businesses will facilitate the growth of spin off
businesses, like
resource suppliers and service providers. Economic growth
means more business
for the Evers Airport (both airports actually, as Hawkins will
accommodate more
executive and light freight transport for these and other
businesses), which
will facilitate and sustain the growth of more goods and
services that can be
situated at the airport, which has ample room to expand. The
white capital interests
that presently dominate the economy of the region are
determined to retain
their control over all the capital accumulating processes that
define the local
political economy. In order to do so, they have to strip
Jackson of its
political control over the airport and other strategic assets,
as these assets
could be used to facilitate Black economic equity, which would
foster the end
of Black exploitation in the city and region.<span
style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Trojan Horse: the
Capitol Complex Improvement District <span
style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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An initiative just as threatening to Black political power
in Jackson as the seizure of its airports is the <i
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Capitol Complex
Improvement District Bill</i>, docketed as Senate Bill
2525 (and its House companion, House Bill 1564)<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftn13"
name="_ftnref13" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn13;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family:
"cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">[13]</span></span></span></span></a>.
Senator
John Horhn, a Black Democrat who represents a part of Jackson
located in the
26th Senate District, allegedly introduced this bill according
to many local
political lobbyists and insiders as a sacrificial trade to the
Republicans to
save the city’s airports. The logic behind such a tactic is
that because the
Republicans possess a supermajority in both houses, and can
basically legislate
what they want, the Black legislative delegation and the
Democratic party
overall must play ball with them and surrender various
concessions to the
Republicans in order to defend old gains and some fundamental
rights, like the
right to vote. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It must be said that not only is this logic extremely
faulty, it is premised on the internalization of white
supremacy. This logic
accepts the notion that Black people cannot “develop” their
own communities,
that they must rely on white people and resources controlled
by white people to
improve the conditions in their communities and their lives.
Regardless of the
logic, what this initiative will effectively do is surrender
more territory and
control over to the Governor, the Republican party, white
economic forces, and
ultra-conservative social forces who will try to legislatively
enforce their
morals onto the predominantly Black working class residents of
Jackson. If
passed, SB2525 will take a large swath of the most valuable
real estate in the
city of Jackson stretching from Jackson State University
through the Downtown
Area and connecting to the Medical Corridor Expansion Project,
and put it under
the direct authority of the Governor via a newly created
Improvement District
Board that he or she would appoint. This Board, not the Mayor
or the City
Council, will manage and administer this project and control
all of its
finances. <o:p></o:p></div>
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To add insult to injury, this Bill would “<i
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">divert 12-1.5% of the
total sales tax
revenue collected on business activities within the city of
Jackson and to
distribute 15% of the revenue so collected to the city of
Jackson to compensate
the city for general police and fire protection provided by
the city in the
capitol complex improvement district</i>”, and “..<i
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">to provide that the
remainder of such revenue so collected shall be
deposited into the capitol complex improvement district
project fund</i>.” This
is critical because Jackson has been struggling to get the
Governor and State
Legislator to pay for the police and fire services they have
utilized for
decades basically free of charge. This would now create a
special zone of
protection that will be paid by the residents of Jackson, who
will have no
democratic say so over this District! <o:p></o:p></div>
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Because of how stealthily this Bill was introduced, with
little to no fanfare and initial opposition, and how it
innocently appears to
be offering to improve conditions in Jackson, it is a real
Trojan Horse. If it
is not defeated this Bill will basically hand over all the
“keys to the
kingdom”, that are the fundamental drivers of Jackson’s
economy – the medical,
administrative, and educational industries that are situated
in this
improvement district. Further, most of this new “<i
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Republican Zone</i>”
will not be taxable by the City of Jackson, which
will only exasperate the financial crisis of the city, which
has been
struggling with a declining tax base for decades. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Other drastic consequences of the Capitol Complex
Improvement District Bill is that it will assuredly drive
property taxes through
the roof, foster more repressive policing to protect the new
investments,
rapidly gentrify large sections of West and Central Jackson,
and displace tens
of thousands of Black working class residents. This will
reduce the city’s
Black population, which will undermine Black political power,
and ultimately
threaten the economic viability of the municipality. <span
style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Flint”, Mississippi
<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
On Tuesday, February 2<sup>nd</sup>, former Secretary of
State and Democratic Party presidential candidate, Hillary
Clinton put Jackson,
MS in the national spotlight by issuing a statement of concern
about lead
levels detected in the city’s water supply by Mississippi
State health
officials<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftn14"
name="_ftnref14" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn14;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family:
"cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">[14]</span></span></span></span></a>.
Suddenly, Jackson’s water woes were put on par with those of
Flint, Michigan - and
rightfully so. Jackson’s poor water quality is legendary in
the region. Because
of antiquated lead pipes our water is perennially brown, water
main breaks are near
daily occurrences, and the city government is forced to issue
dozens of “boil
water” notices each month<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftn15"
name="_ftnref15" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn15;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family:
"cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">[15]</span></span></span></span></a>.
<o:p></o:p><br>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like Flint, Michigan, Jackson’s water woes stem from
environmental
racism, capital flight, and the ruthless application of
neo-liberal policies.
Jackson’s water system has been recommended for a thorough
overhaul since the
late 1980’s. The white political leadership that guided the
city in the 1970’s
and 80’s sat on the issue, and sometimes blatantly refused to
address it, as
the forces of white capital made it clear that they would not
pay for the
improvement of a rapidly growing Black polity. Since Jackson
became a majority
Black city in the 1980’s, it has struggled to figure out how
to overhaul the
city’s crumbling infrastructure with the limited revenues it
possessed as a
direct result of a declining tax base, which largely
evaporated as result of
white flight and all of the capital transferred with their
relocation to the
suburbs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Black administrations that have governed Jackson since
1997 stalled on dealing with the water crisis for as long as
they could. That
day came to an end in 2012, when the city of Jackson, under
the Mayoralship of
Harvey Johnson, entered into a consent decree agreement with
the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) to overhaul its water filtration,
processing, and
delivery system, specifically to eliminate waste water
overflows and untreated
raw sewage entering the system<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftn16"
name="_ftnref16" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn16;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family:
"cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">[16]</span></span></span></span></a>.
The
City of Jackson was given 18 years to fully comply, but
mandated that the vast
majority of the work must be completed within 11 years of
signing the
agreement, which in practical terms means that the city has
until 2023 to
reverse the situation or else. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The City of Jackson has been struggling with how to resolve
the consent decree and the water crisis since it signed this
agreement. The
most pressing concern has been how to pay for repairs mandated
by the consent
decree. The solution that was reluctantly adopted by the
Mayoral administration
of Chokwe Lumumba in 2014 was to adopt the 1% Sales Tax
measure originally put
forward by Senator John Horhn. The Lumumba administration was
reluctant to
adopt the 1% sales tax because the resources it generated were
not controlled
by the city of Jackson, but by a specially constructed
oversight board that was
dominated by the Greater Jackson Chamber of Commerce and the
Republican Party
(via seats reserved for the Governor and Lt. Governor). In an
attempt to try
and challenge this imposition, the Lumumba administration held
a public
referendum on the question of its adoption, which passed by
roughly 94% of the
vote<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftn17"
name="_ftnref17" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn17;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family:
"cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">[17]</span></span></span></span></a>.
The purpose of the vote was to “let the people decide”
directly, and to build a
base of public support to eventually revoke the undemocratic
board that was
affixed to the legislation. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The fundamental issue at play with Jackson’s water crisis is
control. Jackson provides water to most of the suburban
municipalities
surrounding the city. The tax revenues generated from its
water delivery
provision account for a staggering 40% of the city’s overall
revenues<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftn18"
name="_ftnref18" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn18;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family:
"cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">[18]</span></span></span></span></a>.
This has made it a primary target of regional capital
interests seeking to
either takeover or siphon off some of these resources. If the
city of Jackson
doesn’t resolve its water woes, the Federal government will be
forced to intervene
in a forceful manner, which is exactly what many of the local
reactionary
forces desire. The Republicans have crafted a slew of
potential answers, and
they are working on all of them simultaneously in the hopes
that one of them
will succeed in extracting this life sustaining resource from
the city. One
strategy is to create a regional water utility. Another is to
replace Jackson’s
water treatment facility with a new water treatment facility
in a white
majority municipality or county, which is exactly what the
West Rankin Utility
Authority received permission to do in 2015<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftn19"
name="_ftnref19" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn19;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family:
"cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">[19]</span></span></span></span></a>.
Privatization is another proposal in the Republican tool kit.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The most insidious proposal put forth by the Republicans to
seize control of Jackson’s water system was advanced in 2014,
called the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Municipal
Government Responsibility Act</i>,
which was designated as House Bill 627<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftn20"
name="_ftnref20" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn20;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family:
"cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;">[20]</span></span></span></span></a>.
The
Municipal Government Responsibility Act was a carbon copy of
Michigan’s
Emergency Manager Law. It was being advanced in particular to
undermine the
administration of Mayor Chokwe Lumumba, as Jackson was and
remains the only
municipality that possesses a utility currently threatened by
the EPA and the
state. HB627 explicitly called for the state government to
protect its credit
and that of its municipal subdivisions, noting that it was “a
valid public
purpose for the state to take action and to assist a
municipality that has failed
to provide services to the citizens of the state.” It further
stated:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“</i><i
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span
style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If
the Governor determines that an
emergency exists, the Governor shall assign the
responsibility for managing the
local government to an emergency manager. The manager
shall be chosen solely on
the basis of his or her competence and shall not have been
either an elected or
appointed official or employee of the municipality. The
emergency financial
manager need not be a resident of the local government for
which he or she is
appointed. The emergency financial manager shall serve at
the pleasure of the
Governor and shall be compensated as determined by the
Governor. The manager
shall issue to the appropriate officials or employees of
the local government
the orders the manager considers necessary to accomplish
the purposes of this
act, including, but not limited to, orders for the timely
and satisfactory
implementation of a financial plan developed by such
manager. An order issued
under this section is binding on the local officials or
employees to whom it is
issued.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Although this Bill died in committee, it revealed some
critical elements of the strategic thinking, planning, and
tactical approach of
the Republican forces relative to the city of Jackson. It was
one of the many
legislative initiatives that laid the groundwork for the all
out assault we are
experiencing this legislative session. And although there are
no legislative
bills directly threatening Jackson’s control over its water
infrastructure, it
is the “key” prize that will ultimately determine if Jackson
will retain its
municipal authority and economic viability, or whether it will
become even more
of an extractive colony of Rankin and Madison counties. In
this context, the
timing of the lead contaminant threat couldn’t have come at a
worse time for
the city, as it bolsters the narrative that Jackson cannot
govern itself, and
therefore should be put under receivership. We can rest
assured that on the
basis of this news, the Republicans are going to sharpen their
knives and make
the final push to seize Jackson’s water in 2017. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Where do we go from
here? The BDS and Buy Jackson Campaigns <o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Desperate times call for desperate measures, and these are
definitely desperate times for Black, Indigenous, working, and
immigrant
communities in Mississippi, particularly in Jackson. In the
effort to try and
meet the challenge posed by the aforementioned assaults, at
least on the
municipal level, the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement (MXGM),
Cooperation Jackson,
and the Jackson Human Rights Initiative (JHRI) took the
initiative to form a broad
coalition in January, called the <i
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Coalition
for Economic Justice</i>. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Coalition for Economic Justice is committed to doing
everything within its power to galvanize the Black legislative
caucus, and the
greater Democratic Party delegation on a whole to defeat the
aforementioned
legislative assaults. However, given the fact that the
Republicans currently possess
a supermajority in the legislature we are clear that this
initiative is largely
for educational purposes, as the Republicans can pass what
they will. We are
not going to defeat these reactionary legislative maneuvers on
the floor of the
Mississippi legislature. We have to pursue another route to
victory. The route
we believe will be the most effective is a mass,
multi-faceted, non-compliant civil
disobedient movement determined to engage in a sustained
campaign of economic warfare.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Boycott, Divestment
and Sanctions<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We believe that the only way that we are going to be able to
push back, defeat, and eventually reverse these seizures is to
punish the moneyed
interests situated in Rankin and Madison counties that seek to
seize Jackson’s
infrastructure and control its political future. Both of these
counties are
extremely vulnerable to campaigns of economic reprisal because
their economies
are essentially dependent upon Jackson’s. Virtually none of
the commercial
enterprises in either of these counties can survive without
patronage from the
residents of Jackson. Neither county possesses the population
density necessary
to sustain their commercial and industrial enterprises on
their own. They are
fully dependent upon patronage from Jackson. This fact can and
must be used in
Jackson’s favor in this fight. To this end, the Coalition for
Economic Justice is
calling for a massive <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Boycott,
Divestment,
and Sanctions</i> (BDS) strategy to be employed against
Rankin and
Madison counties, and if need be, the state itself. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The aim of the BDS campaign is to financially cripple
Senator Harkin, the Republican legislative delegation, and the
regional capital
forces (financers, developers, etc.) that support them, with
the objective of
having them return the assets that they are poised to seize
back to the
municipality and people of Jackson. We pursue this in the
following manner:<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0
level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria;
mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:
Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span
style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt
"Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:
normal;">Boycott</i>.
We call on all of the residents of Jackson and our allies
throughout
Mississippi, the United States and the World to cease and
desist from any and
all economic activities in Rankin or Madison counties. When
our airports are
seized, we implore all Jacksonians and any and everyone
venturing to our city
to bypass the Evers airport and instead fly into Memphis or
New Orleans and
utilize one of the cooperative transport services that we are
going to
construct to come to Jackson.<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0
level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria;
mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:
Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span
style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt
"Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:
normal;">Divestment</i>.
We call on all of the residents of Jackson and our allies
everywhere to remove any
and all capital you have invested in banks, businesses, real
estate, or other economic
endeavors, such as municipal or county bonds, from Rankin and
Madison counties.
We need everyone to encourage your civic, spiritual, and
economic associates
and organizations to do the same.<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1
lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria;
mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:
Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span
style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt
"Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:
normal;">Sanctions</i>.
We call on all of the civic and spiritual institutions based
in Jackson and
throughout the country and the world to censure Rankin and
Madison counties for
their support of the undemocratic seizure of Jackson’s
resources. We also call
on municipalities, counties (parishes), state and national
governments to
censure and sanction these counties for their egregious
violations of the
fundamental human rights of the residents of Jackson. All of
these institutions
should cease all trade and civic engagement with Rankin and
Madison counties
until Jackson’s resources are returned back to their rightful
owners. <o:p></o:p><br>
<br>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We encourage everyone to join the Coalition for Economic
Justice in making a public pledge to support our Boycott,
Divestment and
Sanctions campaign. Although, we are encouraging everyone to
start engaging in
this campaign of economic warfare immediately, we are going to
officially
launch the campaign on Friday, April 1<sup>st</sup>, 2016 to
counter and
contrast with Confederate History Month, which was proclaimed
by Governor Phil
Bryant to let the people of the world know what’s truly “going
down” in
Mississippi from the perspective of his party and supporters.
We aim to SHUT THIS
MADNESS DOWN! But, we need you to join us to make it happen.
Send your pledges
to<span style="color: #3366ff;"> </span><a
href="mailto:info@coalitionjustice.org"><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:info@coalitionjustice.org">info@coalitionjustice.org</a></a><span
style="color: #3366ff;">. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>You
can
also pledge on Facebook and Twitter by making a public
announcement that is
linked to the Coalition for Economic Justice via the Jackson
People’s Assembly at<span style="color: #3366ff;"> </span><a
href="https://www.facebook.com/JxnPeoplesAssembly/"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.facebook.com/JxnPeoplesAssembly/">https://www.facebook.com/JxnPeoplesAssembly/</a></a><span
style="color: #3366ff;"> </span>or<span style="color:
#3366ff;"> @JXNPeoples</span>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Buy Jackson!<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Coalition for Economic Justice does not believe in
creating
a vacuum and leaving it unfilled to be further exploited by
our enemies. As we
are imploring people to stop shopping and engaging in any type
of economic
activity in Rankin and Madison counties, we must provide the
people of Jackson
with new means, methods and opportunities to address their
consumer and leisure
needs. To this end, we are encouraging the people of Jackson
to make the upmost
effort to secure all of their consumption needs in Jackson. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We have to be on the offensive as much as we are on the
defensive.
The offensive initiative entails seizing the moment to rebuild
Jackson’s
commercial and retail economy, and to do it in a manner that
will benefit the
greatest number of people economically. To this end, we need
to push for the
revitalized commercial and retail base to be orientated
towards community
wealth building initiatives that are cooperatively developed
and owned. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here are some means to pursue:<br>
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l2
level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria;
mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:
Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span
style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt
"Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:
normal;">Increase
Support for Existing Businesses</i>.<span
style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This should be based on a criterion wherein we ask all
businesses to
officially endorse the BDS campaign and to prominently display
our literature
and educational materials in their businesses.<span
style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We will support these businesses by publicly listing
them as supporters
of the campaign and strongly encouraging the movement’s
adherents to make a
special effort to support these businesses as part of the
resistance.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l2
level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria;
mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:
Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span
style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt
"Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:
normal;">Launch new
Cooperative enterprises</i>. Our objective is to rebuild the
city’s retail,
entertainment, and hospitality industries along cooperative
lines to ensure
that they anchor themselves in the community and that they
serve to create
equity for the maximum number of people. This will help
facilitate the rebuilding
of our city’s tax base that will help revitalize our city’s
essential services.<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l2 level1
lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria;
mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:
Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span
style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt
"Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Initiate <i
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Community
Wealth Building Initiatives</i> in partnership with the
City. In order for the
proposed cooperative enterprises to work they will need
support from the city.
In the effort to help itself and its constituents the city
should be encouraged
to utilize its existing resources and assets to support
cooperative enterprises
by providing free or discounted office space, pooling
financial resources, and
facilitating collective purchasing policies of essential
goods, etc., that
would support the development of a genuine social and
solidarity economy in
Jackson. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Buy Jackson and BDS campaigns must be viewed as two
sides of the same coin. The people of Jackson must equally
support both in
order to overcome and defeat the Republican seizure
initiatives. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Solidarity <o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As an old African saying goes, “rice is best cooked in the
pot!” The application of this saying in the Jackson context
means that if this resistance
initiative is going to work, it must be carried by a mass
movement drawing its
strength directly from the working people of Jackson. However,
the people of
Jackson should not and cannot wage this fight alone. If
anything, Jackson
should be viewed as an example of how reactionary forces in
this society
respond to radical upsurges as occurred here in 2013 when
Chokwe Lumumba was
elected Mayor. Investing time, energy and resources in the
fight to save
Jackson, must be viewed investment in your own future, because
if we can stop
this reactionary, racist, neo-liberal land grabbing assault
here, we will build
the collective movement muscle to defeat it elsewhere. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We are asking all those interested in standing in solidarity
with the people of Jackson and the Coalition for Economic
Justice to support us
in the following ways:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1
level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria;
mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:
Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span
style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt
"Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:
normal;">Resource
Support</i>. This fight is going to take some considerable
resources to win. We
need resources to support the organizing work necessary to
wage the BDS and Buy
Jackson Campaigns. And we need resources to build the
Cooperatives and
Solidarity Economy initiatives mentioned. If you would like to
support the
organizing initiatives please send a donation to <b
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br>
<br>
Community Aid and Development,
Inc</i>. Mail to P.O. Box 68426, Jackson, MS 39286</b><br>
<br>
or pay online at
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=8PEBSvx4MZG5SEiqAjRg2yqcNbNVGQ2VzLWiJO8vnHWW0vH08iGSWCMlJse&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8defcd6970d4fd9d661117ac2649af92bb">https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=8PEBSvx4MZG5SEiqAjRg2yqcNbNVGQ2VzLWiJO8vnHWW0vH08iGSWCMlJse&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8defcd6970d4fd9d661117ac2649af92bb</a><br>
<br>
If you would like to support the cooperative development
initiatives please
send a donation to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cooperation Jackson</i>.
Mail to P.O. Box 1932, Jackson, MS 39215</b>
<br>
<br>
or pay online at
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://secure.squarespace.com/commerce/donate?donatePageId=547e1f1fe4b0142cf2a50b5e">https://secure.squarespace.com/commerce/donate?donatePageId=547e1f1fe4b0142cf2a50b5e</a><br>
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1
level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria;
mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:
Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span
style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt
"Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:
normal;">Mobilizing
Support</i>. The Coalition for Economic Justice will be
calling for national
days of action and action caravans to come to Jackson to
support our mass
mobilizations and direct actions as the campaign develops and
progresses. We
want to encourage all those interested in supporting our
efforts to be alert
for these action calls and to move in formation when they are
issued. To stay
abreast of the mobilization efforts follow these Facebook
pages <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.facebook.com/JxnPeoplesAssembly/">https://www.facebook.com/JxnPeoplesAssembly/</a>,<span
style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a
href="https://www.facebook.com/MXGMnational/"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.facebook.com/MXGMnational/">https://www.facebook.com/MXGMnational/</a></a>,
or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CooperationJackson/">https://www.facebook.com/CooperationJackson/</a>.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l1 level1
lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria;
mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:
Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span
style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt
"Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:
normal;">Media
Support</i>. We need this story told to the world. We
encourage progressive
journalists, documentarians, and academics to use all the
communicative mediums
at your disposal to share our story and help us build a
resistance movement
capable of defeating this reactionary onslaught. For narrative
support and
local guidance contact the Media and Communications Committee
of the Coalition
for Economic Justice at<span style="color: #3366ff;"> </span><a
href="mailto:info@coalitionjustice.org"><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:info@coalitionjustice.org">info@coalitionjustice.org</a></a><span
style="color: #3366ff;">. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none;
mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-element:
para-border-div; padding: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none;
mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt;
mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
<br>
</div>
</div>
<div style="mso-element: footnote-list;">
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%">
<br>
<div id="ftn1" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftnref1"
name="_ftn1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;"><span style="mso-special-character:
footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="font-family: "cambria";
font-size: 10.0pt;">[1]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;"> See </span><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.alec.org/">https://www.alec.org/</a></span><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn2" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftnref2"
name="_ftn2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;"><span style="mso-special-character:
footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="font-family: "cambria";
font-size: 10.0pt;">[2]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;"> See “The called themselves
Redeemers – the Rise of
White Supremacy” </span><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.americanhistoryusa.com/redeemers-rise-of-white-supremacy/">https://www.americanhistoryusa.com/redeemers-rise-of-white-supremacy/</a></span><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn3" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftnref3"
name="_ftn3" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;"><span style="mso-special-character:
footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="font-family: "cambria";
font-size: 10.0pt;">[3]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;"> See “US Demographic Shift
will have Huge Political
Impact” </span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.voanews.com/content/us-demographic-shift-will-have-huge-political-impact/2708774.html">http://www.voanews.com/content/us-demographic-shift-will-have-huge-political-impact/2708774.html</a></span><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn4" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftnref4"
name="_ftn4" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn4;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;"><span style="mso-special-character:
footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="font-family: "cambria";
font-size: 10.0pt;">[4]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;"> See “The Myth of the
Indispensable Nation” by </span><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://foreignpolicy.com/2014/11/06/the-myth-of-the-indispensable-nation/">http://foreignpolicy.com/2014/11/06/the-myth-of-the-indispensable-nation/</a></span><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;">.</span> <o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn5" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftnref5"
name="_ftn5" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn5;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;"><span style="mso-special-character:
footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="font-family: "cambria";
font-size: 10.0pt;">[5]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;"> See “Chokwe Lumuba:
Remembering ‘America’s Most
Revolutionary Mayor” </span><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.democracynow.org/2014/2/26/chokwe_lumumba_remembering_americas_most_revolutionary">http://www.democracynow.org/2014/2/26/chokwe_lumumba_remembering_americas_most_revolutionary</a></span><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn6" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftnref6"
name="_ftn6" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn6;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;"><span style="mso-special-character:
footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="font-family: "cambria";
font-size: 10.0pt;">[6]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;"> See “The Jackson Plan: A
Struggle for
Self-Determination, Participatory Democracy and Economic
Justice </span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://mxgm.org/the-jackson-plan-a-struggle-for-self-determination-participatory-democracy-and-economic-justice/">https://mxgm.org/the-jackson-plan-a-struggle-for-self-determination-participatory-democracy-and-economic-justice/</a></span><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn7" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftnref7"
name="_ftn7" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn7;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;"><span style="mso-special-character:
footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="font-family: "cambria";
font-size: 10.0pt;">[7]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;"> See “Vision 2022: A Regional
Vision </span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2013/sep/18/regional-vision/">http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2013/sep/18/regional-vision/</a></span><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;">. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn8" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftnref8"
name="_ftn8" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn8;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;"><span style="mso-special-character:
footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="font-family: "cambria";
font-size: 10.0pt;">[8]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;"> See </span><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><a
href="https://legiscan.com/MS/bill/SB2162/2016"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://legiscan.com/MS/bill/SB2162/2016">https://legiscan.com/MS/bill/SB2162/2016</a></a></span><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><a
href="https://legiscan.com/MS/bill/SB2162/2016."
target="_blank">. </a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn9" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftnref9"
name="_ftn9" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn9;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;"><span style="mso-special-character:
footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="font-family: "cambria";
font-size: 10.0pt;">[9]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;"> See “Unfriendly Skies: Can
Jackson Save its Airport?”
</span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2016/feb/03/unfriendly-skies-can-jackson-save-its-airport/">http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2016/feb/03/unfriendly-skies-can-jackson-save-its-airport/</a></span><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;"> and “The Battle for the
Jackson Airport: Can the
State Take it Away?” </span><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2016/jan/06/battle-jackson-airport-can-state-take-it-away/">http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2016/jan/06/battle-jackson-airport-can-state-take-it-away/</a></span><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn10" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftnref10"
name="_ftn10" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn10;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;"><span style="mso-special-character:
footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="font-family: "cambria";
font-size: 10.0pt;">[10]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;"> See Greater Jackson Chamber
of Commerce Healthcare
Initiatives </span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.greaterjacksonpartnership.com/pages/HealthcareInitiatives/">http://www.greaterjacksonpartnership.com/pages/HealthcareInitiatives/</a></span><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn11" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftnref11"
name="_ftn11" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn11;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;"><span style="mso-special-character:
footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="font-family: "cambria";
font-size: 10.0pt;">[11]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;"> See JMAA History </span><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://jmaa.com/jmaa-history/">http://jmaa.com/jmaa-history/</a></span><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn12" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftnref12"
name="_ftn12" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn12;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;"><span style="mso-special-character:
footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="font-family: "cambria";
font-size: 10.0pt;">[12]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;"> See “Seraphim Solar to build
manufacturing facility
in Jackson” </span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><a
href="http://msbusiness.com/2015/07/seraphim-solar-to-build-manufacturing-facility-in-jackson-says-will-create-up-to-250-jobs/"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://msbusiness.com/2015/07/seraphim-solar-to-build-manufacturing-facility-in-jackson-says-will-create-up-to-250-jobs/">http://msbusiness.com/2015/07/seraphim-solar-to-build-manufacturing-facility-in-jackson-says-will-create-up-to-250-jobs/</a></a></span><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><a
href="http://msbusiness.com/2015/07/seraphim-solar-to-build-manufacturing-facility-in-jackson-says-will-create-up-to-250-jobs/"
target="_blank"> </a>and “Continental Tire to create
2,500 new jobs in
Hinds County” </span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.msnewsnow.com/story/31169417/continental-tire-to-create-2500-new-jobs-in-hinds-county">http://www.msnewsnow.com/story/31169417/continental-tire-to-create-2500-new-jobs-in-hinds-county</a></span><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn13" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftnref13"
name="_ftn13" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn13;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;"><span style="mso-special-character:
footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="font-family: "cambria";
font-size: 10.0pt;">[13]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;"> See </span><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://legiscan.com/MS/bill/SB2525/2016">https://legiscan.com/MS/bill/SB2525/2016</a></span><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn14" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftnref14"
name="_ftn14" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn14;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;"><span style="mso-special-character:
footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="font-family: "cambria";
font-size: 10.0pt;">[14]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;"> See “Hillary Clinton pushes
for Jackson water issues
action” </span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/local/2016/02/02/hillary-clinton-pushes-action-jackson-water-issues/79689966/">http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/local/2016/02/02/hillary-clinton-pushes-action-jackson-water-issues/79689966/</a></span><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn15" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftnref15"
name="_ftn15" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn15;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;"><span style="mso-special-character:
footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="font-family: "cambria";
font-size: 10.0pt;">[15]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;"> See “Residents complain of
water woes throughout
Jackson; city responds” </span><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://wjtv.com/2015/09/12/residents-complain-of-water-woes-throughout-jackson-city-responds/">http://wjtv.com/2015/09/12/residents-complain-of-water-woes-throughout-jackson-city-responds/</a></span><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn16" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftnref16"
name="_ftn16" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn16;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;"><span style="mso-special-character:
footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="font-family: "cambria";
font-size: 10.0pt;">[16]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;"> See </span><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.epa.gov/enforcement/city-jackson-mississippi-clean-water-act-settlement">http://www.epa.gov/enforcement/city-jackson-mississippi-clean-water-act-settlement</a></span><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn17" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftnref17"
name="_ftn17" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn17;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;"><span style="mso-special-character:
footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="font-family: "cambria";
font-size: 10.0pt;">[17]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;"> See “9 in 10 Jackson, MS
voters approve 1% Sales Tax”
</span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2014/01/15/jackson-ms-sales-tax-vote/4489851/">http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2014/01/15/jackson-ms-sales-tax-vote/4489851/</a></span><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn18" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftnref18"
name="_ftn18" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn18;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;"><span style="mso-special-character:
footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="font-family: "cambria";
font-size: 10.0pt;">[18]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;"> See “Troubled Water, Part 1:
Explaining Jackson’s $91
Million Siemens Contract” </span><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2015/mar/11/troubled-water-part-i-explaining-jacksons-91-milli/">http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2015/mar/11/troubled-water-part-i-explaining-jacksons-91-milli/</a></span><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn19" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftnref19"
name="_ftn19" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn19;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;"><span style="mso-special-character:
footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="font-family: "cambria";
font-size: 10.0pt;">[19]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;"> See “Jackson: New Rankin
County Wastewater Plant is
Unlawful” </span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2015/feb/11/jackson-new-rankin-county-wastewater-plant-unlawfu/">http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2015/feb/11/jackson-new-rankin-county-wastewater-plant-unlawfu/</a></span><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn20" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6437626410397493374#_ftnref20"
name="_ftn20" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn20;" title=""><span
class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;"><span style="mso-special-character:
footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span
style="font-family: "cambria";
font-size: 10.0pt;">[20]</span></span></span></span></span></a><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;"> See<a
href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_522623646"> </a></span><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;"><a
href="http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2014/pdf/history/HB/HB0627.xml"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2014/pdf/history/HB/HB0627.xml">http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2014/pdf/history/HB/HB0627.xml</a></a></span><span
style="font-size: 10.0pt;">.</span> <o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
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itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"><a class="g-profile"
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rel="author" title="author profile"><span itemprop="name"></span></a></span></span><span
class="post-timestamp"><a class="timestamp-link"
href="http://navigatingthestorm.blogspot.com/2016/03/countering-confederate-spring-assault.html"
rel="bookmark" title="permanent link"><abbr class="published"
itemprop="datePublished" title="2016-03-03T07:56:00-08:00"></abbr></a>
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