This just ain't right...

On the agenda for the Board of Supervisors’ 29 Feb 2012 meeting, item #7 asked the Board to “Consider Homeland Security Cooperative Grant in the amount of $300,000.00 for Force Protection Program.” We were told this was a 100% grant and that a separate accounting number would be given to this Grant so that the funds could be tracked. Well, hallelujah for that.

Upon examination of the claims for the month of Feb 2012 we found disbursements from this grant to be $101,499.45. So, Sheriff Hamp, how can you spend money before the Board of Supervisor has approved the funding?

Ah, so you want to know what was purchased with this huge amount of money? Well, you could go to the Public Records and look it up for yourself or you could wait for the Transparency Committee to do all the work and just tell you. I guess we’ll go with the Transparency Committee. The Sheriff spent $1399.00 on body bags (isn’t this a Coroner’s expense?) continuing: $50.00 on shipping; $90,288.20 for riot equipment; $6,819.20 for telephones and $3,002.45 for rooms and meals.

There are some who would say, so what, it’s a 100% grant and someone is going to get the money from Homeland Security so why not Tunica County? First of all, it’s still our money, meaning the funding for this grant came from the United State Government and that be us. Secondly, just because you can do something doesn’t mean it is the right thing to do.

So, here it is, the Tunica County version of a “Bridge to Nowhere.” Please write to your representatives in Congress and use this as an example of wasteful spending.

Harassment by Spotlight

That's right...spotlight.

Last Friday morning at 12:29a a Sheriff's car stopped in front of our house and shined a spotlight into our glass front door for 16 minutes. Since I was sitting not 6 feet from the front door, I got up and waved to the officer to show him or her that the person they were watching was in fact me. This didn't stop them either. Don't they have anything better to do? Geez.

This incident has been verified by the Sheriff's office as activity from each vehicle is recorded. The Sheriff's office cannot tell me the name of the officer who wasted our money or can they tell me who directed this officer to come by our house and waste our money shining a spotlight in our front door. I have been told the officer is being disiplined.

What a bunch of juvenile delinquents.

Last night...

Last night was National Night Out in Tunica. Candidates were invited to give their last pitch to the attendees...even a candidate for Governor showed up...Bill Luckett of Clarksdale. So, how about that. Go Tunica.

The MC called each candidate to speak using a list of offices and candidates. She didn't leave anyone out. One of the first offices was that of Sheriff.

This is the point: This is the second time Tunica County has had an event to hear from all of the candidates. At each of the events the Sheriff staged his entrance to be heard at the end...I don't know if his buddy, my Supervisor, ever showed up because I left. And when I got outside, I found that other candidates were leaving too. It did not go unnoticed that the audience was again being used as if the Sheriff and maybe my Supervisor too were "rock stars". Silly men.

Board of Supervisors Meeting 5 Jul 2011

Did you see the Thank You to the Supervisors in the last post? Well, I take it back.

This morning this same item was back on the agenda and the Sheriff showed up to again request approval. This item was to "Consider grant application for Tunica County Sheriff's Department - MS Victims of Crime Program - $38,628.00 federal; $12,876.00 local match."

Again it was brought up that the Sheriff intended to pay for the local match from the funds the Fire Department owes him for dispatch services. Apparently, from what was said, the Fire Department hasn't paid the Sheriff's Department for dispatch services in at least 2 years. The Sheriff said he was going to get the Board's Attorney to help him collect the money from the Fire Department.

So, the Board approved the grant. WRONG! Let the Sheriff get the money and then approve the grant. Doesn't that make more sense?