My Two Cents welcomes anonymous commentary from readers. Mean-spirited observations rarely make it into print or onto the website. Constructive criticism with ideas for improvement is greatly preferred. Contributions are reviewed before publication.
WHY WAS ELLIS FIRED?
What is the McComb school board thinking? They had a superintendent under whose leadership the district went from a D rating to a B rating and now he’s fired? As far as I know the board has offered the district employees and the community no reason for his firing. Do they not have a valid reason or are they ashamed to speak about what they did? The employees and community deserve an explanation why a successful superintendent was fired.
MORE CRIME REPORTING NEEDED
What happened to crime reporting? I don’t understand why the E-J is now shying away from reporting McComb crimes. There have been several drive-by shootings with no word of it in the newspaper. Educate the citizens on what is going on before we have another park situation. These teenagers are riding through neighborhoods shooting. Report it, at least warn our elderly citizens.
WITNESS VS. HEARSAY
In reference to the My Two Cents about more crime reporting, I have a couple of questions to the author. You mentioned several drive-by shootings. Did you witness these personally? Or are you going by hearsay? That person or the people that you’re hearing this from could be trying to stir up trouble, just like you’re trying to do now. If you didn’t personally see it, you shouldn’t be speaking on it.
RESPONSE TO WITNESS VS. HEARSAY
Please allow me to respond to the prior two cents. My initial comment requested that the E-J inform citizens of crimes occurring in this area. My hope is always to provide factual information to our citizens. Just FYI, three individuals were arrested on one of the drive-bys I was speaking of. Trying to inform and help; never hurt or inflame.
KEEP THE POLICE VISIBLE
As the weather turns cold, criminals depend on people spending more time indoors. Police patrols need to resume through all neighborhoods. McComb citizens deserve officers patrolling all areas of the city. I would like to see our chief riding through the neighborhoods too.
HOMECOMING CREDIT
When the McComb police chief stated that the police were taunted after the recent McComb homecoming, we need to give credit to those who have put us here. BLM, NAACP and ACLU have taught some that all cops are bad. Instead of obeying an order, take out your phone and record. Or the mayor’s two cents, blame business owners even though 2,500 people were outside.
ANOTHER HOMECOMING COMMENT
I raised 3 children with respect for rules as well as law enforcement. I would be very disheartened to know of any disrespect or breaking of those principles. In saying that, there are indeed instances of police brutality that have led to the erosion of police trust and respect. We should not pretend that those issues did not occur because ignoring a problem does not make it go away.
SINCE YOU WERE DRIVING THROUGH
Maybe the governor saw the need to four-lane Highway 24 on his ride from Southwest hospital to EverGreen Industries in Liberty.
A GOOD INVESTMENT FOR McCOMB
It was a good thing that Republicans were in charge of McComb City Hall when the vote was taken for improvements to Anna Drive. Democrats voted against it. Without this vote, the tax dollars those businesses generate would not exist.
THE WORST POTHOLES
Over the last 30 years, Cameron Street has had the worst potholes in McComb. The worst ones are in a 100-yard area between Maryland Avenue and New York Avenue. It’s a well-traveled street. Fix the potholes!
POTHOLES VS. SPEED BUMPS
Potholes on Cameron and other streets are more concerning than speeding on one block of Main Street. A speed limit of 10 is impossible. Most cars idle faster.
DOWNTOWN STREET PLANNING
Those flower beds at downtown intersections make it difficult to negotiate turns. If we can get some speed bumps and some round-rounds downtown, maybe we can make it so difficult, undesirable and irritating that nobody will want to go downtown. Then there won’t be anyone to speed on Main Street.
JUVENILE CRIME
When is the juvenile crime going to go down? The Martin Luther King gym was the only thing needed to stop crimes, according to the previous McComb city board.
GYM FINANCIALS
Mark my words, McComb will not be able financially to keep the Martin Luther King gym open. The city closed the previous one four times before.
BRICKED MAILBOXES ARE ILLEGAL
While the supervisors are updating the noise ordinance it would be great if they would also review the “No Bricked-In Mailboxes Ordinance” and direct the sheriff or constables to start enforcing it. If a driver drifts over slightly and strikes a five-foot-tall brick column, real damage is going to occur both to the car and driver. It’s a legitimate safety concern. People are building them not knowing they are illegal in Pike County.
MORE ABOUT BRICK MAILBOXES
When traveling rural county roads at high speeds using a cell phone, a driver shouldn’t have to look out for brick mailboxes that are the proper distance off the roads.
MAGNOLIA STREET LIGHTS
I live in a Magnolia subdivision that needs street lights. This has been an ongoing problem. No one in the Magnolia city offices will help us. Our streets need more lights. Some of us have no street lights. We pay our taxes and we serve our community. We should be heard and helped.
TRAFFIC IN SUMMIT
The so-called four-way traffic stop in Summit is a 12-way stop. A four-way stop only has one lane coming up to a stop sign. This one has three. If you stop, you have nine more lanes of traffic to watch for before moving. We need a traffic signal here. Forget about the roundabout at I-55.
SUMMIT ROUNDABOUT QUESTION
What happened to the proposed roundabout on I-55 at the Summit exit? Maybe they came to their senses and cancelled this project. Money would be better spent on a red light at the four-way stop north of Robb Street. No one knows the correct use at the current four-way stop. Imagine trying to learn the right of way on a roundabout.
WILL THANKSGIVING BE AFFORDABLE?
Americans will wonder how they will be able to afford Thanksgiving dinner this year. The reason: Be prepared for another threat of a government shutdown in November. All legislators need to be taken out behind the barn and reminded that America’s future is not a game.
IT WAS LA NIÑA
Record heat and drought this summer is the direct effect of La Niña, not climate change. But who has missed hurricanes, flooding, mosquitoes, red wasps and the cute little lawn-destroying moles?
THANKS, BIDEN
Regarding your editorial on prices and inflation, let’s all send a thank you note to Mr. Biden! After being handed the lowest inflation and best economy in 40 years from President Trump, Biden slashed oil production, causing an immediate spike in gas prices and inflation, resulting in the Fed raising interest rates to new 30-year highs to wring out Biden’s new inflation. Not to mention Biden’s intentional violations of federal law at the border! Worst president ever!
SO WHAT’S HIS MAJOR?
After reading Shad White’s idea to eliminate some of the “garbage” and “useless” majors in our state universities and some of the arts and humanities, I suggest we eliminate his major, political science. Maybe if we did that, we could get some politicians who care about the people and not about re-election. The reason the young people are leaving Mississippi is partly lack of jobs and also because of the political climate brought on by our present state government.
