But last week, U.S. District Judge Neal Biggers apparently decided he'd had enough of that particular status quo. Biggers rejected a plea bargain proposed by prosecutors for a construction company owner who paid kickbacks to the operator of the defunct plant.
Biggers said the plea bargain for Sean Carothers was "overly lenient" and that it "would not serve the interests of justice and would be a radical departure from sentencing guidelines for this case, and it is therefore rejected."
...
Biggers' decision should be a clear signal to federal and state investigators to get moving and provide the public some answers. If the investigation is over, then it's time for some cell doors to clang and fine checks to be written. It's time for some politicians to be held accountable.
In short, the bill for this big all-beef burger has come due and it's time for the baloney to end.
The two politicians primarily responsible for this mess were Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Lester Spell and Lt. Governor Amy Tuck. If Tuck were running for anything else you bet this would be an issue in that race, but she stepped out. Lester Spell has instead decided that his potted meat/old goat vision for the state needs another 4 years. It does not. He has solid, respectable opponents and they deserve the opportunity to serve.
ok now, throw in McCoy and Holland. Their contributions have been widely reported by the Clarion-Ledger.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, what really burns me up is that there has been NO accountability to this day on this for ANYONE in state government (when will Bill Minor write about this one?)
Someone needs to be in jail for this one that was elected to office. I don't know who all should be but someone needs to be.
yes, a lot of folks involved in this economic dev. fiasco! top state elected officials, state legislators, state dev. authority folks, etc. What was probably viewed as a potential big "feather in the cap" for the politicians has now turned into a "quill in the a**" when they go to sit down! Any REAL investigative journalists left in the 'ol Magnolia state?
ReplyDeleteCL did some good reporting on it. However, there still has been no accountability over it. Hood and Bryant have failed us miserably on this issue.
ReplyDeleteand yeah, I'm calling out Bill Minor on it. This screams for his caustic pen.
All right, you want proof about what is wrong with this state, this thread is it.
ReplyDeleteWe have a long discussion about Scooter Libby. Now really, how does that affect our daily lives here in Jackson or Mississippi?
Yet we have this fiasco and the attitude is ho hum except for WLB and Mr. Leek. This is the topic that should be firing up people around this state and bears out one of my theories on why Ms has a problem which is the culture of low expectations from its politicians and leaders.
Having said that, that is why I like blogs like this and MP as these are people who are not in the business of media per se but care enough to try to do something about improving this state.
Now that I have kicked ass and kissed ass, carry on.
hear hear, everyone just seems to assume that the elected people, regardless of which side, just do what they want and look after themselves and enrich themselves and each other. It is SAD! Where is our AG and Auditor on this episode? Oh, I found them, busy running for office again!
ReplyDeleteFinally, someone in a position of authority has stood up for the taxpayers of Mississippi regarding the inexcusable waste of $55 million (and counting) of hard earned tax dollars in the failed “BEEF PLANT”.
ReplyDeleteKudos to Judge Biggers for rejecting the “too lenient” sentence agreed upon in the Carouthers’ case. For too long it seemed that no one would be held seriously accountable for the crimes committed in this fraud and that those who were guilty would never have to answer for their roles in this terrible scheme.
Mississippians are asking “What is being done to bring those guilty of these crimes to justice? Why hasn’t someone been arrested and why is no one in jail?”
Since the inception of this project I have voiced concern and opposition, The initial feasibility study by MSU should have been heeded. In addition, the procedure used to provide funding for the project was blatantly inconsistent with other requests for grants. Many valid and potentially profitable family-farm type projects were denied funding by the Land, Water and Timber Board in order to use those funds for a grant of $5million to Richard Hall for the Beef Plant. That alone should provide enough evidence to question the motives of those in leadership positions and their rational for funding approvals.
My position as it relates to the failed beef plant remains constant.
1. This was a project that was doomed to failure from its inception and never should have been funded.
2. Pay the unpaid vendors and contractors who delivered their goods and services to complete the Beef Plant. These contractors operated with the understanding that the State of Mississippi had guaranteed funding for this project and that they would receive payment for their services.
3. Revise the procedures and process for application and approval for funding through the Land Water and Timber Board. This would provide accountability and eliminate the possibility of fraud in the future.
Agriculture and Commerce is vitally important to the economy of Mississippi. The glaring failures of this Beef Plant Project has caused great harm to the public perception of our most basic industry, both at home and abroad. It will take a while to recover from this breach of confidence, so we must all work together to “Right the Ship”.
We cannot afford to do away with the Department of Agriculture and Commerce, but we must change the direction of leadership. We must elect a new Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce. On August 7th, "Break the spell and make an X for Max."
Max Phillips
Taylorsville, Mississippi
ALL McCoy & Holland... Dont ever forget... this was THEIR sham from the beginning...
ReplyDeleteJ Everett Dutschke
mississippivoters.com