The Worst Mayor in America

[Puppycow]

This is surreal (http://www.reason.com/news/show/123117.html)
A mayor who apparantly thinks he is some combination of Ceaser and The Messiah. And gets away with it.
It's hard to understand how this can happen in America.

[quixotecoyote]

Well on the plus side, I feel a little better about Guilianni

[shuize]

I don't know. I think The Great Sasuke has still got him beat. (The Great Sasuke is a pro-wrestler/prefectural legislator in Japan who never took his mask off throughout his campaign or even when he took his seat in the legislature.)

Here he is:

http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=1371

Sadly, he lost his bid for governor.

[The Painter]

Let's not forget Marion Barry

[quixotecoyote]

I don't know. I think The Great Sasuke has still got him beat. (The Great Sasuke is a pro-wrestler/prefectural legislator in Japan who never took his mask off throughout his campaign or even when he took his seat in the legislature.)

Here he is:

http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=1371

Sadly, he lost his bid for governor.

What did Sasuke do that was on par with destroying peoples' homes and tasering people to death?

[shuize]

I misread the focus. I was thinking about politicians that stand out for odd reasons.

[Puppycow]

I don't think Sasuke even comes close. Sasuke is merely silly and never actually wielded much power (IIRC he was a prefectural assembly member, one weird member of a legislative body, not an executive with major authority to abuse).

Marion Barry, what I remember is that he was arrested for smoking crack, but not much else. I don't recall him being a vigilate. In my mind that doesn't even begin to approach this. Not to suggest that Barry was good mayor, but this is even worse.

Melton stopping the school bus was downright bizarre. He "once stopped a school bus on a busy interstate because he “needed a hug” from the kids inside." WTF? The guy needs to be in a padded room.

[Zep]

What's the phrase? Someone needs to pop a cap in his ass?*

I suspect much of this may be hyped up. But if there is an element of truth in it, the man has clearly broken many laws and needs to be arrested and prosecuted immediately. So is there NO mechanism to arrest, charge, prosecute and convict a mayor in Mississippi?




*Why anyone thinks people are scared by the idea of putting a hat inside a donkey is beyond me.

[Puppycow]

What's the phrase? Someone needs to pop a cap in his ass?*

I suspect much of this may be hyped up. But if there is an element of truth in it, the man has clearly broken many laws and needs to be arrested and prosecuted immediately. So is there NO mechanism to arrest, charge, prosecute and convict a mayor in Mississippi?Actually I think it's "bust a cap." Yes. There is a mechanism, but it requires a jury to carry out the law.
The district attorney charged—and a grand jury indicted—Melton and his two police bodyguards of multiple felonies, ranging from burglary to directing a minor to commit a felony. At the same time, the state attorney general charged Melton with violations of various gun safety laws as well , including wearing a weapon in church and carrying a concealed weapon on a university campus; Melton pled down to misdemeanors on those charges. Still, a notable achievement for one of the founders of "Mayors Against Illegal Guns."

Melton and his defense team—led by a conservative former mayor of Jackson who is also suing the city in an annexation battle, and the attorney who defended Byron de la Beckwith (the man who murdered civil rights leader Medgar Evers)—ratcheted up the mayor’s paternalistic populist appeal by pushing the meme that the duplex destruction was part of the mayor's passionate war on crime. Despite all evidence to the contrary, Melton's people painted the place as a “crackhouse,” and his antics little more than a creative effort at getting another drug dealer off the street.

The lawyers convinced a mostly African American jury that this black mayor was doing what nobody else had done in Jackson: He was cleaning up crime in the inner city. They instructed the jury that Melton had no “evil intent,” which they insisted had to be shown in order to convict Melton or his bodyguards, despite objections from prosecutors.

Melton the folk hero might have gone a bit too far, they argued, but he was just being “Frank.” He meant well. All were acquitted, inspiring outrage at the NAACP, the ACLU and even the NRA. To Melton’s supporters, it didn’t matter. The mayor had targeted a small-time drug user (not a dealer). That he didn’t find any drugs, that he’d thumbed his nose at the rights of citizens and property owners—these were beside the point. Mayor Melton was leading a war against the drug scourge in Jackson, they'd say. That was what mattered.



*Why anyone thinks people are scared by the idea of putting a hat inside a donkey is beyond me.Clearly you've never seen what an enraged burro is capable of.

[Zep]

Well then, looks like Jackson has the mayor they voted for, and whom the local law has allowed to continue to operate despite patently obvious criminal activity. I don't know if that says more about the local law than him, frankly. But if that's the way they want to run their community, so be it!

I'd suggest AN answer may lie in going the opposite direction. I would make a campaign to publicise his antics as far and wide in the world as possible. "Hey look folks! We got the world's worst mayor! And the world's even worser law enforcement! Ain't we a global joke!" Once his antics and the lack of action get enough coverage and makes all of Jackson look like morons, the silent majority just might come to their senses and run these guy straight out of office and into jail on a rail. One can but hope...

[Zep]

Clearly you've never seen what an enraged burro is capable of.I've always wondered: Is a small burro a burrito? If so, what's in the food?!

[Beerina]

You're all amateurs compared to Detroit's Kwame Kilpatrick (former pro football player who's mom is in the US Congress. You may have heard on the radio a comedy clip of a woman screaming, "Turn off that TV, y'all!" That's her, bitching at the Detroit population for listening to derogatory news reports about Kwame.)

Had a party at the mayor's mansion involving strippers, one of whom later was murdered.

Two officers investigating this were fired.

The officers sued and won millions of dollars for wrongful termination.

Went to Washington, DC, on a junket, and the Washington police gave up trying to protect him, so wild were his partying ways.

By the way, he has a number of highly-paid personal bodyguards who, purely coincidently, happen to be former friends from childhood and elsewhere.

On their trips to Washington, DC, his personal bodyguards charged rediculous hours of overtime.

Used city money to buy lease something'd only a fourth year accounting student would understand a huge SUV for his wife. Since the most he can approve without council approval is $25,000, they paid for it over two years for $24,999 a year.

When caught, they denied it. When exposed as lying, they claimed it was actually for the police department as an unmarked vehicle, even though she was seen driving around in it. It sits, unused, in a lot.

Roughed up local feature reporter Steve Wilson when he tried to do the jam-a-camera thing on him at the airport. Actually, his thug-buddies did it.

Daughter was placed on the city's employee list with a high salary, even though she did nothing and was caught at it.

Family run a "charity" that's big on donations and a little light on benefits.

His chief of staff, a good-looking female he's suspected of doinking, once got pulled over and cowed the police officer by screaming "Do you know who I am?!?!?"


That's just off the top of my head. The suburbs, where7 of 8 people in Greater Metro Detroit live, just sit in wonder as he gets re-elected.

[Wowbagger]

These yokels make Mayor Quimby look like a quaint cartoon character!

[Lisa Simpson]

I've always wondered: Is a small burro a burrito? If so, what's in the food?!

No, the 'ito' suffix means 'small' - i.e., gatito is a small cat. Gato + ito = gatito. So a burro would be the larger version of a burrito.

[Lisa Simpson]

This all makes the 'scandal' of L.A.'s Mayor Villaraigosa schtupping a reporter seem silly. However, it was top news in L.A. for some time.

[Oliver]

No, the 'ito' suffix means 'small' - i.e., gatito is a small cat. Gato + ito = gatito. So a burro would be the larger version of a burrito.


:confused: That's what Zed meant: "small burro = burrito".

I blame Lisa anyway... :boxedin:

[sackett]

Somebody mention Kilpatrick? Pfeh! My man Kwame is still in grade-school compared to Chicago.

[Ziggurat]

*Why anyone thinks people are scared by the idea of putting a hat inside a donkey is beyond me.

It's not putting the hat inside the donkey which causes problems. It's what happens when the hat bursts (remember, you "pop" the cap in the ass). At that point, as puppycow points out, the donkey gets quite upset, and goes on a rampage. And it's also quite distressing to the owner (it's his ass you pop the cap in, not your own) to see his livestock so tormented.

[The Central Scrutinizer]

What did Sasuke do that was on par with destroying peoples' homes and tasering people to death?

He cheated in the ring. Sometimes he would choke his opponent when the referee wasn't looking. Is that good enough for you?

[marksman]

I've always wondered: Is a small burro a burrito? If so, what's in the food?!

"burrito" was developed in the turn of the century in Mexico as a sandwich in which you carried your entire meal in a pouch. Just as a burro carries all your stuff, the "burrito" carries your entire meal.

[dogjones]

Go Jerry! Go Jerry! Hail Jerry! Hail Jerry!

[corplinx]

Even a crazy delusional can't be worse than Willie Herenton of Memphis. The sad thing is, after 16 years of becoming the most dangerous and littered city in America, Memphis re-elected the guy.

[Darth Rotor]

This is surreal (http://www.reason.com/news/show/123117.html)
A mayor who apparantly thinks he is some combination of Ceaser and The Messiah. And gets away with it.
It's hard to understand how this can happen in America.
From the article.
Melton won the Democratic primary with 63 percent of the vote.
Two years into his tenure, and amid what appears to be a wide-ranging FBI investigation—including civil rights violations, bribery and other forms of corruption—support for Melton within the city limits is finally waning. But that may have more to do with mismanagement of the city budget than his disregard of the rights of young black people. Two years after unseating a mayor who balanced the budget every year and managed to keep the lights on, Melton and his staff has given the city a shortfall somewhere in the neighborhood of $10 million.

The city council managed to whittle the deficit down to about $3 million, including cutting line items like the $70,000 part-time salary paid to Melton’s sister-in-law. Last month, the city had to tap its $7 million reserve fund for the last $3 million of Melton’s 2006-07 overspending, which has threatened the city’s credit rating.

Meanwhile, the mayor who was going to erradicate criminality in 90 days has presided over dramatic increases in crime, a shrinking police roster, increasing contempt for public records, and reports of disturbing gaffes by officers—two of which may have led to the domestic violence deaths of two women.
Glad to see the Feds are onto this guy. Looks like he's trying to run Jackson into the ground, from the fiscal deterioration reported in the linked article.

DR

[corplinx]

The sad part is, these corrupt or highly incompetent high profile black mayors give so much ammo to the bigots. DC, Memphis, Jackson, New Orleans, Detroit, and I'm sure the list goes on.

[dudalb]

Surely Mayor Negrin of New Orleans deserves a mention in the worst mayor department.

[Ziggurat]

Surely Mayor Negrin of New Orleans deserves a mention in the worst mayor department.

You mean Nagin (http://www.cityofno.com/portal.aspx?portal=1&tabid=79)? What a strange misspelling. Was it intentional? And if so, what's it supposed to mean?

[LawnOven]

Surely Mayor Negrin of New Orleans deserves a mention in the worst mayor department.

"Mayor Negrin", really? Come on. Are you the new JREF resident racist?

[Darth Rotor]

"Mayor Negrin", really? Come on. Are you the new JREF resident racist?

That would be a nice balancing out, given Mayor Nagin's public statements that New Orleans is a chocolate city. :p There's room on that racist boat for a lot of people. Might even be gambling on it, and shows, and whiskey. :cool:

DR

[LawnOven]

That would be a nice balancing out, given Mayor Nagin's public statements that New Orleans is a chocolate city. :p There's room on that racist boat for a lot of people. Might even be gambling on it, and shows, and whiskey. :cool:

DR

So Nagin's a racist a**hole too, I'm aware of that.

I just would hope that your average JREF'er would at least strive for better cultural understanding than Nagin.

But then again; I do like to gamble.

[steverino]

Jackson Mayor Frank Melton said he plans to continue stopping school buses to interact with kids, including today as high school students are being taken home. "This is really important to me. ... If shaking their hands and hugging their necks is inappropriate, then do what you have to do," Melton said. "My love for them is unconditional." Melton said he didn't know which high school he would target after 3:30 p.m., but it would be "wherever I find a school bus."

I think hugging students is sweet. I don't see this as negative.

On the other hand, stay away from my strip joints. :mad:

[Policenaut]

And I thought Sharpe James was bad.

[dudalb]

My mistake on the spelling. It is probably because I know a person named Negrin (no relation to the mayor). No racism intended.
And I love the way some people will find racism in ANYTHING.

[LawnOven]

My mistake on the spelling. It is probably because I know a person named Negrin (no relation to the mayor). No racism intended.
And I love the way some people will find racism in ANYTHING.

Nice cover.

[steverino]

Well, back in Illinois some of us (not me of course;) ) called our Senator Carol Moseley-Braun "Carol Mostly-Brown." I don't think such jokes are a big deal. And how about the Gubinator. In German, "Schwarz" means "black" and neg...Oh, never mind. This audience is too P.C.:boxedin:

[LawnOven]

I guess I just find it a very boorish type of humor that attacks individuals based on their skin color. Like their defining characteristic is that they are of this race or another... why can't they just be a**holes without disparaging a huge portion of the population?

[corplinx]

I guess I just find it a very boorish type of humor that attacks individuals based on their skin color. Like their defining characteristic is that they are of this race or another... why can't they just be a**holes without disparaging a huge portion of the population?

Its very boorish, but the albino guy on our basketball team will still be nicknamed Whitey.

[LawnOven]

:)

[Puppycow]

I think hugging students is sweet. I don't see this as negative.You're joking, right? A winking emoticon or something would help.

On the other hand, stay away from my strip joints. :mad:Agreed.

[Zep]

I'd like to see the students on the bus film this guy in action with a camera-phone a few times and post it on the web an an official name-and-shame "child-molester" website.

I'd also like to see them film him when some kid gives him a 70-yard punt-kick in the nuts instead of a hug, and post that on the internet too. I think that will end that little practice...

[Beerina]

It's no use.
He sees her.
He starts to shake and cough.
Just like the
Old man in
That book by Nabokov.

[Ladewig]

My mistake on the spelling. It is probably because I know a person named Negrin (no relation to the mayor). No racism intended.
And I love the way some people will find racism in ANYTHING.

Well, to be fair, there were more than a couple of right-wing radio hosts who intentially misprounced his name the make it closer to negro or to the n-word.

[Sir Robin Goodfellow]

I thought our former mayor was bad after he went to prison for molesting his step-daughter. Actually, in terms of mayoral duties, he was really a pretty good mayor.

[SpaceMonkeyZero]

This guy is like Kim Jong Il if he were from Louisiana.

I'd say he's worse than Marion Barry as well.

[Kopji]

Worst city electorate in America.
Arizona does this once in a while with governors, and naively wonders what happened.

We elect these guys who match our own narrow mindsets and then act all confused when things are all screwed up.

On the bright and cheery side, with Arizona's new self defense law, I could shoot them dead in the streets and their lawyers would need to prove that I was not acting in self defense.

[Kopji]

I'll save everyone a google on that last one. :|

http://www.azcentral.com/specials/special12/articles/0425self-defense0425.html