Ben and Jay: Thick As Thieves

The City of Lumberton is still abuzz about Jay McGraw's shoplifting confession and the fact that he got away with committing a crime without any real consequences. He wasn't arrested, he didn't get finger printed, he don't have a mugshot on file, he didn't aplear before a judge and by his own admission, he's not going to resign as alderman of Ward 2. It's clear that he's receiving preferential treatment because of his position and his close relationship with Ben Winston which guarantee him a majority favorable vote on any agenda item. If you don't think Jay McGraw has benefitted from his political position then try to steal something from a store, on camera, then go back and confess and set your own punishment and restitution. Jay McGraw has not paid his debt for shoplifting based on any laws; man's law or God's law. Based on Proverbs 6:31..."when a [thief] is found he must pay back seven times what he stole..." -New Living Translation. According to McGraw, he paid $55 in restitution for the $26 lighter he stole. Hummmmmm, that's not sevenfold.

Just the other week, I was doing some research on Yemen for my personal edification and I stumbled across a word I never heard of before. Kleptocracy

It is a form of political and government corruption where the government exists to increase the personal wealth and political power of its officials and the ruling class at the expense of the wider population, often with pretense of honest service.

Sounds like Lumberton to me. Let me break it down for you. Mayor Ben Winston, who's seeking election for a higher position, has secured a block vote on the board to advance his agenda. He has Jay McGraw, Cora Rogers and Tommy Dukes under his complete control. Regardless of complaints from citizens, the Lumberton Illuminati vote to spot zone land under the guise that an industry is looking to move here but months later there's no new jobs and the land that was spot zoned can now be sold at a higher price. The Lumberton Illuminati claims the city is broke month after month but hundreds of thousands are spent every month while essential services like police protection is slashed to the bare minimum. But we've learned that police are not wanted when board members are the ones breaking the law. Now Jay McGraw has the teremiity to tell the citizens of Lumberton that he's not going to resign. The thief is now going to be trusted to handle the financial decisions of the city. That's like putting a fat kid in a candy store and asking him not to touch anything. That's a setup for failure.

Every month Ben gives a sermon, I mean monthly report about the need for prayer in the city. It seems that he need to get some oil and start casting down those spirits serving along side him and take a dip or two himself. There's the old say, birds of a feather flock together. In almost every story published in the Hattiesburg American about Lumberton, there's a photo of Ben Winston and his trusty side kick Jay McGraw is right there with him. After his shoplifting confession, I began to wonder why a self-demoted minister and a thieving alderman have in common. As you know, darkness and light cannot dwell together. So, I'm guessing they're more alike than different.

If Mayor Ben Winston does not ask his right hand man to resign to help restore integrity to the elected positions in Lumberton then that would serve as a reflection of his character or lack thereof. How can a man embrace a dishonest collegue and expect to be trusted in a position with more power, authority, finances and opportunities for corruption? Like many others in Lumberton, I am bothered that two sets of laws exist for citizens and elected officials. I am currently in contact with the Mississippi Ethics Commission and their attorney, Chris Graham, will email me the information citizens need to get their office involved in an investigation of this matter. I'm going to share the details once I receive the information because we need an overwhelming number of citizens writing in for this investigation. It's time to take our city back...one position at a time.