Natchez Democrat > Comments

In response to the September 22, 2007 article titled. "Residents enthusiastic about recreational complex"

Link to article: Once you click on this link, you will leave this site and be directed to the Natchez Democrat site. Scroll down past the article to see the comments highlighted below.

Comments- (comments specifically about Joe Joe are highlighted in red)

Posted by gemccull (anonymous) on September 22, 2007 at 5:31 a.m.
“I think it’s a really great plan,” as quoted in the paper. If some one has seen a plan, please share with the community.

Posted by puccini5 (anonymous) on September 22, 2007 at 8:02 a.m.
Glad someone is getting a rec for the kids we are still waiting on ours in Vidalia! Passed tax and still nothing but we do have medical facility on the riverfront guess we can play ball in their parking lot.

Posted by gemccull (anonymous) on September 22, 2007 at 9:39 a.m.
Hold On! The mayor suggested a sports complex to the tune of $15 million but other than hiring consultants, nothing of substance.

He could have suggested a Summer Olympics Venue for Natchez. Now that would be out of the box idea and he could have suggested that the city would vie for the 2024 Olympic Games.

We would have people saying that was a great idea. Let’s go for it. The reality is that tax payers are not in a mood to fund a sports complex if it comes with additional taxation.

Now, we could fund a very state of the art recreational complex, if the government departments of Adams County were consolidated. You know, get rid of the duplicate services and get rid of the Supervisors, Mayor and Aldermen.

We have a public school system for Adams County. So we could have a consolidated system of government. Set up a County Administrator and five advisors. Each would have a vote and ties are not all that bad. It would mean the 6 individuals had better work with one another to get things done for the electorate. Think about it!

Posted by angiestaylor (anonymous) on September 22, 2007 at 10:40 a.m.
I am just waiting to see where this will be located. I hope it will be somewhere that my children will feel safe so that we can utilize it.

Posted by wonderingirl (anonymous) on September 22, 2007 at 11:19 a.m.
gemccull, I usually think you have some pretty good ideas, but I don't know about this consolidation idea. A lot of the problems we have in local government now come from abuse of power. If there was a county administrator and 5 advisers overseeing all city and county business decisions, there would absolutely be no room for error in who held these positions. I think recent events have reflected how unlikely it would be for all to be trustworthy and without motives of their own. Even though city and county officials don't always work for a common goal as they should, this type of governing still offers more of a check and balance. I guess what I'm thinking is if you elect enough of them, they can't all be crooked, and maybe, just maybe ,the good ones wiil keep an eye on the bad ones!

Posted by destiny (anonymous) on September 22, 2007 at 11:30 a.m.
YO HO, GO WITH JOE. If they turn Joe Eidt loose, he will get it done. I for one will stand behind Joe 100% He knows how to get the job done AND HE IS FOR THE LITTLE VOICES IN NATCHEZ. It makes my day to know they have consulted him and it didn't cost 100k. GO JOE.

Posted by gemccull (anonymous) on September 22, 2007 at 1:50 p.m.
Wonderingirl, my ideas are like ball games, you win a few, you lose a few and some get rained out.

Just think about it, instead of listening to twelve people speechify or pontificate, we would only have to be concerned with six. Besides, we would reduce the number of kingdoms/thiefdoms from 12 to 6.

Yes, we might elect a bad apple every once in a while, but we should have five responsible elected citizens to offset their actions/deeds. I am thinking that instead of the whole group coming up for election every four years, we could stagger the terms. Every two years, three of the elected officials would come up for reelection for a four-year term of office.

This idea of consolidation is not a new idea from me. Like the sports complex, the idea surfaces every once in a while but nobody takes any action to make it happen.

Posted by iomo (anonymous) on September 23, 2007 at 10:22 a.m.
The bean field location was shut down because it has some historical significance as I understand it. Why can't we still build the recreational complex there and have historical markers for everyone to see as they visit the complex? Don't you think those of long ago would want us to give our children something to do instead of looking at a field of weeds?

Posted by destiny (anonymous) on September 23, 2007 at 10:53 a.m.
T'is my thoughts exactly, iomo.

Posted by gemccull (anonymous) on September 23, 2007 at 3:37 p.m.
The area of the historical location was only 20 acres of the total site. Besides, there is other property that could be purchased that is adjacent to the bean field.

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In response to the September 22, 2007 article titled,
"County should call city's bluff on recreation"
By Ben Hillyer (Friday, September 21, 2007)

Link to article: Once you click on this link, you will leave this site and be directed to the Natchez Democrat site. Scroll down past the article to see the comments highlighted below.

Comments- (comments specifically about Joe Joe are highlighted in red)

Posted by natchez1 (anonymous) on September 21, 2007 at 1:12 a.m.

Ben, good article.

Recreation is only rolled out during election time, every four years they either hire a consultant or dust off the "plans" developed before the previous election. A $100,000 is a great number - It's big enough to say "we are serious about this" but does not bankrupt the city, also does anyone ever check to see what was really spent on the consultant?

Yes a wonderful complex would be nice but without a major change in the Natchez/Adams county's revenues, even if someone was to give us a $15,000,000 complex we would struggle to maintain it. Without the gift we would sink under the debt load.

The politicians know they can't afford it - it is time they thought of a new re-election ploy - we might be smart enough to remember the last 3 or 4 times they have played this hand.

Posted by gemccull (anonymous) on September 21, 2007 at 1:45 a.m.

Good article, Ben.

Looks like the supervisors have been reading the comment section for newspaper articles on the proposed recreation plan by the city. Other than spending $100,000 on a consultant, the city has no plan. The city want even dust off the old plan and the city’s funding is suspect at best. If city has to go it alone, then the “grandiose idea” is dead.

The best strategy for the Supervisors is to tell the city to proceed with their recreational plan. The Supervisors will be passed the election cycle, while the mayor and aldermen will be facing election. My, my, I would not want to go into an election cycle with that kind of snafu hanging over my head.

However, that might just be the ticket we need to clean house. Vote the Ins, Out!

Posted by pimpmyride (anonymous) on September 21, 2007 at 3:05 a.m.

YES, ANYONE CAN SEE THAT THE MAYOR IS TRYING TO PIMP THE CITIZENS OF NATCHEZ INTO VOTING FOR HIM AGAIN BY HIS BIG PUSH FOR A 15 MILLION DOLLAR RECREATION COMPLEX.---- ELECTION TIME JUST AROUND THE CORNER... TAXES WILL INCREASE, MAYBE NOT THIS YEAR, BUT IF AND WHEN THIS PROJECT GETS STARTED, "WE ALL WILL PAY FOR IT"..they spent one hundred thousand dollars like it was growing on trees. this money comes from my and your property taxes, car tags, etc. we spent several years ago, $100,000 on this idea. that is a lot of money, lot of money for a "consultant".. makes me sick... consult with the citizens of natchez and adams county and see what we need for our kids and families for recreation. mayor, wait till the chicken lays the eggs before you try to sell them at the farmers market..

Posted by roberth33 (anonymous) on September 21, 2007 at 8:56 a.m.

Excellent point Natchez1. Maintenence. What is THAT going to cost ANNUALLY on a project like this? Phillip? Aldermen? Supervisors?

$15 mil will fix a lot of streets and sidewalks.

Where are your priorities, elected people???

Posted by destiny (anonymous) on September 21, 2007 at 11:34 a.m.

reat article Ben. Very informative and much welcomed. "Me thinks" our forum is being read. But is it doing what we want it to do? That yet remains to be seen. Good point, and I quote,"The county wants specifics and the city does not have them." My mind is still boggled with the notion that the city expects such a large amount of money from the county, knowing full well the county has no way of raising it and then has the audacity to admit they have no ground work plans to go by. As I've said before Sammy has fought a tough battle for a long time, but thank the good Lord he has someone with good ole horse sense now to back him up in Henry, who also has done a very outstanding job in protecting his people. The two wards are very fortunate to have these two fine men to watch out for them. It's heart warming to know there are those that are not in it just for the money. Keep it up guys. Please DO NOT LET THEM SUCKER PUNCH YOU FROM BEHIND. Stand your ground because as I've said before the county is part of the whole, meaning they are very much a big part of Natchez.

Posted by NtzMom55 (anonymous) on September 22, 2007 at 6:34 a.m.

This is the kind of reporting from the Democrat that needs to continue. So many things that the "elected crooks of Natchez" are misleading to the voters. Thank you Democrat for doing what is right for our citizens by exposing the truth. The Mayor and his cronies need to move on (move out). Natchez city voters need to wake up and smell the coffee for a change, unless they want to continue to be lead on by Satan himself. The Supervisors need to find some common sense also and realize that they are just a "pawn in the plan". Thanks Ben Hillyer for your bravery and honesty!!!!!!

Posted by guy2co (anonymous) on September 22, 2007 at 12:38 p.m.

I think that this is the same ole election tricks that have been played on Natchez time after time. This group of aldermen and the mayor were not even conserned about this until it got close to election time. Why don't we offer tax incentives for recreational businesses. It would be great to atract private recreation that tax payers did not have to pay for.Look at Gulf shores with the go-cart tracts,rides and putt putt golf. Do we not have enough kids (local and tourist) to support a facility like this.Maybe if we do need to raise extra money for consultants we can have a fund raising dunking-booth with a few choice politicians, I'm sure the voters in this area would raise well above the $100,000 we need.

Posted by gemccull (anonymous) on September 22, 2007 at 12:53 p.m.

Or we could raise funds with a catapult! Each launch would be funded by donations to get rid of the good old boy, do nothing, whining politicans.

Posted by MScomments (anonymous) on October 7, 2007 at 10:40 p.m.

I look at these comments and wonder... what are you waiting for? Look at Natchez! Once, the most beautiful, thriving, city on the river, and now, most industries have closed up and left town.

The few businesses who did survive the oil bust are riding the current wave, but no one knows how long it will last. Tourism is about the only thing Natchez has to bet on right now. So, what are you expecting out of the government representatives you so easily condemn?

If you aren't willing to raise taxes to support a recreation facility for your children, then do you expect them to just wave their magic wands and ... wha..la!! The million-dollar project is funded?

If the people of Adams County and the City of Natchez would say..."WE ALL AGREE that we need a first class recreational facility, and I am willing to give my fair share to do this," the plan would drawn up and put into place immediately, especially if Joe Eidt is a part of the team. He has been working on this possibility for many, many years, not just in an election year!!

What is needed is a unified effort. Fresh leadership. Not the same ole, same ole!

If someone asked you to join an exclusive, first class recreational facility for only $75 a year, including your whole family, would you do so? Of course! But, you say "no" to $75 a year in 'TAXES'... So should we call it a "Membership" instead of TAXES?

This Membership payment would not only provide a first class recreational facility, but also bring in additional tax revenue from the hundreds of thousands of visitors who will come to our city for baseball tournaments, tennis tournaments, soccer tournaments, swim meets, and other sporting events. This, in turn, will help fund the city and county budgets to maintain the rec facility.

Guess what?... It is being done in other cities, even much smaller than Natchez, and is very successful!! Of course, if you don't THINK it can be done, then it most certainly will NOT be done!!

Look at it this way...
What do you have to loose by supporting efforts to move forward in Natchez? Peter Rinaldi seems to think that some of the current politicians are "protecting" the citizens of Adams County by not raising taxes. Tell me this... where has it taken Natchez in the past five or ten years? NO WHERE!!! Where will it take Natchez if this same attitude is continued... NO WHERE!

We will all look back, again, and complain about how the county and city continuously fought over money, power, and how to fund the rec facility. So, why not give them something to work with? They can't make mountains out of mole hills! They can't make a castle out of two sticks! ...And they can't improve the city/county without the funds to do it. This is for YOU! This is for YOUR CHILDREN!! Quit blaming it on the government officials and give them something to work with so THEY CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN FOR YOU!