A love letter to Mayor Melton: Please let this city go

September 19, 2006 Special OP/ED Piece to the Clarion Ledger
Resurrected and posted on 1/6/2009....

“Love is patient and is kind; love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud, doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth.”

Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, 13:4 - 6


I remember when I first fell in love with you. You were giving your annual speech at the Southern Christian Youth Services “Bottom Line for Kids” benefit, and you spoke on three character traits which all our children must have in order to succeed as productive citizens of our world: faith in God, dedication to family, and service to the community. I watched in awe as you moved a room of 300 adults to tears with your passion and common sense language.

Then there was the day I was driving downtown one summer day and cut through Farish Street. There you were, all dressed in white with a pith helmet, shorts and a whistle. You were leading a group of 30 kids “pied piper-style” across the street in front of the Farish Street YMCA. You called out to me and I commented how you looked like an angel.

When you decided to run for office, you contacted me and asked if I would consider helping. We met and discussed your platform, and I was particularly taken by your understanding of our need to form cooperative, collaborative relationships with local, county and state officials, as well as the business community. You spoke passionately about the need to bring real economic development into Jackson, to repair streets and infrastructure, and to address housing and urban decay. And, of course, you wanted to address the overwhelming crime problem head on and make a marked difference in your first year in office.

On that day, Frank, I pledged my unwavering commitment to you and the ideals of this platform. You will remember I was a big proponent of the idea to provide work-force training for our inner-city youth via a creative partnership with the AFL-CIO. Our vision was to rebuild the city with youth trained in good-paying jobs as apprentices to the construction trade. The work would be funded by a national retirement trust managed by the unions. It was so simple, so perfect and so right: young men from the inner city getting a opportunity to learn a life long trade, at above average pay. Best of all their work efforts would rebuild the very communities from which they came! This was economic development, social justice and civic pride all wrapped into one!

The campaign was hard, but you won. You won because of the ideals we espoused – the ideals that made me fall in love with you, the ideals which were so right for Jackson. I loved you, Frank… and I loved these ideals.

But true love means letting go, especially when letting go will restore health and well being to the parties in the relationship. Frank, I have to let you go – I just don’t see the ideals we agreed to as being those you have chosen to promote as Mayor. I have to let you go because I love the city more than I love you.

And so, Frank, I ask you that in respect for true love… if you love this city as you say you do… please let us go. Move on with your life and let us move on with ours. It is time, and it is the right thing to do.

Jeff Good

Jeff Good is a Jackson restaurateur and was the Co-Finance Chair of the Frank Melton for Mayor Campaign in 2005.