Thieves in the Temple??? : The Tainting Continues

One week ago, a little over 300 residents of Lumberton went to the polls to participate in the special election to select the next mayor. Sadly, since the election, there are more questions than answers. Every time I go to city hall to get answers, I get a different clerk and different answers. Yesterday, I talked to the head clerk, Merlene Wall, and she told me that the election would not be certified until Wednesday, December 23, 2015. Meanwhile, Kent Crider is going around, defying the guidelines from the Mississippi Secretary of State’s office and carrying on the Winston Agenda. From what I was told, he attended the Monday meeting with the department heads and was acting like he was the mayor. For those of you that don’t know, the Monday meetings was something started by Winston and as I stated before, Crider is following the Winston Blueprint letter for letter.

it’s clear that the December 15, 2015 election was tainted but we don’t know to what extent. First there was the matter of the affidavit ballot that was found torn and discarded in the trash can in the women’s restroom at the voting precinct. Later, a firestorm brewed because I posted a photo of the women working the polls as they stood around the table where city clerk, Merlene Wall, sat and captioned the photo, “Thieves in the Temple?” Later that day, there were angry posts all over social media. One person took offense and ignited a firestorm. From her reaction, one would have thought I accused her mother of being a recruiter for ISIS but it was just a weapon of mass distraction. As the day continued, the person responsible for putting the ballot in the trash admitted her error but she didn’t see the error of her ways. It was stated that the ballot was improperly disposed because it was illegible but after I posted the photo of the ballot, the wife and sister of the person voting were upset that the voter’s telephone number and driver’s license number was posted on social media; a clear indication that the ballot was legible. It was strange that this one post, garnered so much attention but it allowed people to say things they always wanted to say, despite their claims of being supportive. Based on their tirade, their support was equivalent to putting a training bra on Dolly Parton.

The days following, people were crying how dare he question the integrity of those women who put in long hours to help in election while overlooking the fact that at least one poll worker was obviously comfortable with putting ballots in the trash can. One of the biggest things that stood out during the process was the conversation about Stephanie Mullings, former city clerk. People were upset that she dared to have an opinion and in a city with a church on every corner, they couldn’t understand how she could demonstrate the true traits of Christianity and forgive someone that apologized to her and her family for saying some horrible things about her. Does she not know from whence she comes? This is Lumberton; she’s supposed to dwell in unforgiveness. As the day drew on, people continued to go back and forth, trying to explain to the obtuse how the election was tainted. Stephanie and I apologized to the person that was offended by the post and our responses but the apologies seemed to fall on deaf ears but after the smoke cleared, there was another questionable act that took place on election day and it was captured in a photograph by the Hattiesburg American.

When the Hattiesburg American posted a story about the election and the need for a run-off; they had a photo of Glen Lazenby casting a ballot while in the City of Lumberton election. Now, I didn’t think anything of the photo until I received several texts informing me that Glen Lazenby didn’t live within the city limits of Lumberton and he shouldn’t be voting in a City of Lumberton election. There were some that said Glen Lazenby lived in Hattiesburg (that’s what it says on his Facebook page) and there were some that said he lived on Four Mile Road, but the conclusion of each person that texted me was the fact that he shouldn’t be voting in the Lumberton election. It was also noted that the person that is pictured with her hands on the ballot box (the same one that admitted to improperly discarding the affidavit ballot) knew Glen Lazenby lived outside the city limits for over 20 years. Now we have another questionable act that took place during the watch of this group of dedicated women that worked the polls for decades. Now, I can’t help but wonder how many other guidelines were pushed aside because there wasn’t anyone there to challenge their actions? No matter the outcome, this election will always have an asterisk because it’s showing the entire State of Mississippi that the corruption I’ve mentioned for years in my blog is not a figment of my imagination. This election has become a spectacle, especially since Crider has gone on record as knowing more about the electoral process than an employee of the Mississippi Secretary of State’s office. Anna Moak said there will be a runoff election but Crider said that there’s not. Here’s my question, if Crider is so confident that he’s won the election, why haven’t he submitted his letter of resignation, taken his oath of office and moved into his office? When I asked Merlene Wall for a copy of Crider’s resignation letter, the one he claimed he was going to turn on the day of election, she said she has not received a copy.

there were those that asked if I had any regrets about posting the photo with the caption “Thieves in the Temple?” and my response is NO! I always believe that people will eventually show their true colors. Those looking for a reason to blame me for seeking answers were giving an opportunity to say what they’ve always felt. Days after the election, based on the screenshots I received, I was the talk of the town or at least part of it, but I didn’t throw ballot in the trash and I definitely didn’t allow people that didn’t live in the City of Lumberton to vote but they questioned my integrity. This election is being watched all over the state and news outlets are picking up this story and it’s giving my blog a bigger audience because now they see I knew what I was talking about and they see what the elected and appointed officials of Lumberton are willing to do to keep the citizens in the dark. People were so garrulous when they thought I couldn’t see what they had to say but this is the age of technology and screenshots are easily shared. One person asked the following but there were only three responses: “I’m sorry am I missing something. I don’t understand the negative feedback on Jay Griff. He’s the only candidate that spends time looking for answers. Why isn’t there any new business in Lumberton? What’s really going on in city hall? Where’s the money? There are just a few questions, and at least he’s trying if not found out the answers. Isn’t this what you want in a candidate! To challenge, to dig and find. He’s doing all the ground work. And letting the people know or at the very least something isn’t right!! It makes no sense we want answers but don’t appreciate the source. #bitethehandthatfeed “