Given all the facts, I must say that Chief Greg Martin, E.C. Nobles, David Myers and their “good-ole-boy” partners have stooped to an all-time-low. One must wonder just how low these folks will go. Lieutenant Mark Anderson, a 22 year veteran of the McComb Police Department and former acting police chief, has been portrayed as some mad man running around impersonating a police in a stolen cop car.

Folks, just how much more of this insanity and lies of Nobles, Myers, Martin and Lockley are we to take? How long will community people and so-called community leaders allow this to continue? You may be wondering why I didn’t name any of the white culprits in this matter, and indeed there are some; but if it wasn’t for the fact that we have those members from our own community who are full of jealousy, envy and ego, we would not be dealing with these problems.

At the September 8, 2009 board meeting, Lieutenant Anderson made it known to all present, including Chief Martin, that he had no plans on retiring. Anderson spoke with Mayor Patterson about reporting for work on Wednesday, September 16, 2009 and Patterson reported that to the board members during the meeting.

Seemingly someone in McComb has a strong connection with the folks at WLBT Channel 3 News in Jackson, because they seem to have a strong interest in what’s going on in McComb and appears to be on board in depicting the mayor and Anderson as crazy black men who lack professionalism. Remember the staged Bert Case interview, where he only interviewed the black city officials (as if there were no whites involved in this mess)? The “Good Ole Boy” network operates statewide, oops! I meant nationwide, just ask President Obama.

The Enterprise-Journal reported that David Myers called Public Safety Commissioner Stephen B. Simpson in order to have highway patrolmen join in a “so-called” search for Anderson (when in fact Myers was looking at Anderson on duty at the same funeral he was attending); when have you ever heard of such?

That’s the typical David Myers. First he drags Tasha Dillon’s name through the dirt accusing her of misappropriation of hotel tax money and now he defames Anderson. What could he have possibly known about the situation in order to “go-all-out” and called the COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC SAFTEY!?!?

Once again this guy proves he doesn’t care or doesn’t understand his role as a “legislator” (or both). He continues to violate the separation of power doctrine, he continues to try to manage the city’s affairs, and he continues to use his position as a legislator to fight personal vendettas.

It is sad that you guys have done this to Lieutenant Anderson, but of course I’m not surprised.

I’m glad to see Attorney Dennis Sweet, one of the best lawyers in the country, on the case. “Mississippi is Still Burning”, but Justice is on its way.

And Selectman Robert Smith, its time for you to stand up.

Anthony Witherspoon

Editor’s note: The Jackson MS newspaper, Clarion Ledger ran several news stories about the city government problems in McComb in Thursday’s issue, including the arrest of Anderson and the continued power struggle between the mayor and the “good-ole-boy” establishment. The following are some excepts from one of the articles, “Political infighting lingers in McComb” by Gary Pettus:

The contentious atmosphere in McComb government took a bizarre turn Wednesday when former acting Police Chief Mark Anderson reportedly drove away with a police car and police-issued gun three weeks after he had resigned from the force. Anderson later was arrested on misdemeanor charges of impersonating an officer and unauthorized use of a government vehicle and posted bond from the Lincoln County Jail, according to a local television station. Anderson recently had changed his mind about retiring and had asked to be reinstated. Selectmen were supposed to decide at their next meeting, on Tuesday, whether to allow him back on the force.

The incident is another flare-up in McComb, where a power struggle between Mayor Zach Patterson and the city’s governing board lingers. Selectmen have defied Patterson by filling vacancies in several key positions, including police chief, fire chief, city attorney, city administrator and city clerk. The city of 13,000 had operated for months without anyone in those posts.

 “It was like a five-alarm fire at one time,” said Selectman E.C. Nobles, describing the city’s state of affairs. “Now it’s only a one-alarm.”

Still, the relative calm is, at best, shaky, as the events Wednesday proved. Patterson had appointed Anderson acting police chief twice after suspending Greg Martin, then acting police chief. Pike County Circuit Judge David Strong in July ordered Martin reinstated as acting chief.

The Board of Selectmen appointed him permanent chief July 28. The six-member Board of Selectmen went about filling other vacancies after stripping Patterson of his power to recommend a hire for the city administrator’s position by passing amendments to city ordinances, a move the mayor said violates the city charter...

Patterson, who in 2006 became the city’s first African-American mayor, said the power-stripping action constitutes racism. “We want to pretend these things are not happening in Mississippi in the year 2009. But Mississippi is still burning, and McComb is blazing,” he said.