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Mayor's race is all about details
Published Sunday, May 4, 2008
Conventional wisdom says the devil is in the details, and that is certainly true when it comes to leading the City of Natchez.
When we interviewed the Democratic candidates for the position of Natchez mayor, we liked both men on the surface. Incumbent Mayor Phillip West and challenger Jake Middleton are both likable and genuinely want what’s best for Natchez.
However, when we review the actual performance and study the characteristics of each, a difference begins to become apparent.
Incumbent West has been in the right place at the right time on a number of issues. No doubt hurricanes Katrina and Rita reshaped the City of Natchez, and West has taken credit for many of the good things the hurricane winds blew into town.
Looking just at the economic boom recognizes only a small portion of his performance.
West’s administration has been riddled with a series of bad decisions — many of which speak to his inability to judge character in others and work effectively within a team.
Details are lost on West. He’s mostly concerned with having his way on the issues.
From his heavy-handed move to force the police chief to hire back a former officer who had pleaded no contest to serious criminal charges to no fewer than three city planners in as many years, West’s basic management of the city’s department heads has been poor at best.
On West’s watch, the city’s mishandling of a proposed condo development thrust Natchez negatively into the statewide spotlight.
Further, when West announced that a bond refinance deal for the Convention Center would bring the city $400,000, we saw more proof that he doesn’t pay attention to details — the value turned out to be less than half of what West touted.
And, despite throwing money at the City Planning Office, the city’s code enforcement efforts seem to be at an all-time low.
Drive along almost any city street and you’ll discover that the city hasn’t repaved major arteries in years and years.
Natchez has become rough around the edges during West’s term. We need someone who will focus on the details and rebuild some of the credibility we’ve lost.
Middleton, however, isn’t the perfect candidate, either. For someone who has been a member of the Natchez Board of Aldermen for years, we know of few specific projects he has spearheaded.
But as a businessman, who faces the challenges of working with others and providing customer service, we think he’s the best Democratic choice on the ballot.
As mayor, we don’t think Middleton will rule with the “my way or the highway” of West, which is good, but Middleton needs to step up and take a stand on more issues. He needs to outline a vision of what he wants in the city.
Some of his ideas are good; some others — like turning the former Belwood Country Club into a recreation facility — are not. But we’ll take someone who can play well with others and focus on the details any day.
Comments
Posted by rushinghjr (anonymous) on May 4, 2008 at 12:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree with the DEB!
Posted by OldGrandDad (anonymous) on May 4, 2008 at 1:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Wow. What a slapdown. And after all that money Mayor West spent with the Democrat on that online ad?
I too would like to hear more of Middleton's issues. One of his strongest supporters here has expressed a strong opinion against the people of the Garden District. Does Middleton share this opinion/emotion? Also, is he in agreement with the national leaders of his party concerning major issues such as taxation, gun control, abortion, etc.?
Posted by speakeasy (anonymous) on May 4, 2008 at 7:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Please! If you've paid any attention to politics at the local level you will understand that local and national have absolutely no correlation. Go figure. And, besides, what can a Mayor of Natchez, Ms. do about gun control, abortion, etc?
Posted by OldGrandDad (anonymous) on May 4, 2008 at 7:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I think New Orleans provided us with a prime example of why these issues can be important on a local level. Don’t you remember the Katrina gun confiscations? I can easily post some links if you have forgotten. Do we need to be reminded these were done under a Democrat mayor?
Posted by speakeasy (anonymous) on May 4, 2008 at 9:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
You're right. If I'd been living there under those circumstances I believe I'd been relieved to have the guns confiscated. As one who is neither whole-heartedly either a R or D I find good in both.
Posted by sammohon (anonymous) on May 4, 2008 at 10:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Very well done Democrat, although I think that if you couldn't find much to praise Middleton for, you could have gone a little further into Middleton's shortcomings. At least then we would be able to make a comparative analysis.
This op-ed will be very helpful in the general election, hee, hee, hee.
Posted by hitormiss (anonymous) on May 4, 2008 at 11:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The manner in which Mayor West handled the over 59,000 evacuees of Hurricane’s Katrina and Rita that sought refuge in Natchez is one reason they wanted to make Natchez home. Our crime rate when down during the disaster. No other city that responded to the disaster can make such a claim.
Look back 4 years ago when there were actually bumper stickers that stated “Last one to leave Natchez, please turn the lights out?” Remember those? Things here were bad.
What has happened, the unemployment rate is cut in half, 4 new hotels, 2 new entertainment projects, almost 200 new businesses and on and on.
Please do not give Mayor West all the credit for bad things and no credit for the good things. Give the Mayor the credit he is due.
Vote your conscious!
Posted by redusmfan (anonymous) on May 4, 2008 at 3:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Please vote !!! It does not matter which candidate you vote for, just make sure you do your civic duty and get off your lazy _ _ _ and VOTE!!!!
I get tired of hearing people complain about the state of affairs with government and when you ask them who they voted for, they say "I did not vote because I did not like any of them" If you do not vote, SHUT UP!!!!
To all who do vote regularly, thanks for helping to make our country stronger with every vote. It is one of the very things that many people in this world would die for every day. The would love to vote to decide who controls their country, but , alas, they have a dictator or king that just tells them what their country will be doing.....
Posted by Negotiator (anonymous) on May 4, 2008 at 3:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)
P West has got to go. If he is re-elected, things will go from bad to worse.
Posted by rushinghjr (anonymous) on May 4, 2008 at 3:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Amend!
Posted by oldsaw (anonymous) on May 4, 2008 at 4:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
No surprise, we all know how Cooper feels about West. The only thing I find strange is that on the bond deal. If you go with Cooper's numbers, West still saved the city almost a half a million dollars. What's wrong with that?
I understand Middleton voted against refinacing. What's wrong with that picture? I understand Cooper's soft endorsement of Middleton.
Posted by sammohon (anonymous) on May 4, 2008 at 5:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
hitormiss...again with the bogus numbers touting PW...again I have to state that most of the development was in the works before PW took office.
"Vote your conscious!"...does that mean we have to be awake to vote?...LOL
redusmfan...well stated.
Posted by callinitlikeitis (anonymous) on May 4, 2008 at 5:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
the new businesses that contribute to more hired employees were started by Butch Brown and others before pw became mayor.
here's a very simple example........i prepare a delicious cake mix to bake. when the cake is baked and you eat a slice of the cake tasting it's wonderful flavor; are you going to take the credit for the delicious cake?
just callin' it like it is.
Posted by sammohon (anonymous) on May 4, 2008 at 5:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
callinitlikeitis, now I'm really conflicted...I can't give PW credit where it isn't due, but at the same time we're still paying for the Butch Brown era of big egotistical spending...wasn't there another administration in between?
Posted by callinitlikeitis (anonymous) on May 4, 2008 at 6:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
also in reference to pw's actions during katrina and rita: just what exactly did he do??
it was the churches, volunteers, gracious homeowners, our law enforcement, highway patrol, EMT's/Paramedics, firemen, first responders, kind individuals that worked so compassionately hard during such a hard time with the influx of people escaping a natural disaster.
i'm serious, i really don't know what pw did. i would like to know because if he did help during this he deserves credit.
but please, just the facts. thanks.
Posted by callinitlikeitis (anonymous) on May 4, 2008 at 6:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
yes, if you can call it that..........there was mayor hank smith.
Posted by sammohon (anonymous) on May 4, 2008 at 6:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
At the very least, with a mountain of debt left by Butch Brown, a terrible economy and a polarized electorate, Hank managed to balance the City budget, reform the EDA, improve most departments, and be an effective ambassador for Natchez.
He was hamstrung by the Board of Aldermen, the economy and the immense debt rolled up by Butch...let's be fair...he was a caretaker mayor forced by circumstance to be so, not by choice...if we're not careful PW will be another Butch...he has a similar high opinion of himself.
Posted by hitormiss (anonymous) on May 4, 2008 at 10:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
No, the 4 hotels, 2 major entertainment projects and the other new business’s Phillip West started and finished.
During Hurricane Katrina, THE MAYOR put together the crisis team that ran the city. He organized the non profits, called ministers to open churches that were not Red Cross shelters, raised money, called for donated goods and ran the city. He worked hands on. Our city was recognized nationally for our work, not only in dealing with evacuees but for our work in having our streets cleared in only a day or two. Public Works also helped unloaded the truck loads (over 1 million dollars) of donated goods.
By the way Middleton was no were in sight. If you don’t believe me ask Bob Pollard and Ricky Gray, the only alderman that helped. So please give him credit because it is due.
Posted by sammohon (anonymous) on May 4, 2008 at 10:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
If this is true...I'll be glad to...I'll trust, but verify. I must say from personal knowledge though, that the two casinos had been planned for and negotiated with various entities well before PW took office. He may have been a part of the present incarnations, but he can't really take credit for them until they actually exist and are successful.
The hotels...the current hotel, across from the convention center, is the second incarnation...again, the first was well before PW became mayor. Which leads me to another question, what is the fourth hotel? There's the one at the convention center, the one next to Isle of Capri, the one at the base of the bluff below the old Ramada...what's the fourth?
Posted by hitormiss (anonymous) on May 4, 2008 at 11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Lane and Grand Soleil were negotiated and planned with Phillip West.
The hotel across from the convention center negotiated and planned under West.
Hampton Inn negotiated and planned under West.
Best Western and Grand Soleil negotiated and planned under West.
Posted by callinitlikeitis (anonymous) on May 4, 2008 at 11:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
here's one of my comments i'll repeat:
could this be the reason some corporations chose not to settle in natchez............???? PHILIP WEST before he was mayor was present in a meeting with execs of an industry/corp. exploring natchez.
PHILIP WEST asked of the execs if they would be fair and hire blacks to work for them.
what do you think that question instantly made the execs think???? tell me.
Posted by hitormiss (anonymous) on May 4, 2008 at 11:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)
callinitlikeitis,
What corportaion? Isn't discrimination against the law anyway? Fair hiring practices SHOULD be expected.
Posted by ntz143 (anonymous) on May 4, 2008 at 11:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
hitormiss.....there is a BIG difference between fair hiring practices and hiring people just because of their skin color. Incompetency is color-blind. And in the last 4 years, there have been PLENTY of incompetent people hired at City Hall. One of the individuals hired under this administration was fired from his previous job for attempting to embezzle money. You wouldn't believe what he is responsible for now.
Posted by hitormiss (anonymous) on May 5, 2008 at 12:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Who is he and what is he responsible for now?
Posted by callinitlikeitis (anonymous) on May 5, 2008 at 12:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
to hitormiss:
you 'hit' the nail on the head. yes, DISCRIMINATION is against the law.
i think you are 'miss'ing the point. yes, fair hiring practice was exactly the what the industry valued.
why in the world would philip west ask such a question???? it was absurdly unnecessary and totally uncalled for.
here's the mark to 'hit', not 'miss': when philip west inquired about hiring blacks the first and lasting impression of the execs was.......'uh oh, his question implies presumptuous racism. we want to operate an industry, not have to fight rhetoric.'.
like someone else commented earlier reference philip west: it's his way or the highway.
well........the industry chose the highway, out of here!
the industry then moved on to another town.
Posted by hitormiss (anonymous) on May 5, 2008 at 12:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What company and When?
Posted by hitormiss (anonymous) on May 5, 2008 at 1:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
ntz143,
When the city does background checks the checks reveal convictions NOT ACCUSATIONS.
Posted by Yeahuhuh (anonymous) on May 5, 2008 at 12:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Just a heads up on details.
I as well as a bunch of other people don't let the Democrat quote us on anything (any more), because of the frequency with which the Democrat misemphasizes or misquotes.
It is priceless that they would say anything about others -- who actually manage and don't simply report -- not getting details right.
Posted by rushinghjr (anonymous) on May 5, 2008 at 1:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The "Heat" is on! Vote Middleton! And You guessed it! Then, in the general vote INDEPENDENT!
Posted by natchez500 (anonymous) on May 5, 2008 at 1:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
lets elect a new mayor and get a new police chief one who acts and cares about natchez people how can mayor west win with his enemies on the police payroll danny barber and mike mullins both pushing for middleton every day to keep their jobs
Posted by Yeahuhuh (anonymous) on May 6, 2008 at 9:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Police matters should not define our city.
Get a good set of politicans in office and be more vocal day to day if you don't get what you want.
I think this term of office has seen more improvement, more new hotels and more progress than any other time I have seen during 35 years in this town. If West doesn't win this one his will be the record to beat.
Posted by Negotiator (anonymous) on May 7, 2008 at 8:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Natchez took a giant step forward Tuesday.
The Superintendent of Education and the School Board need to be guarding their desks.
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