During a recent meeting with city and county officials, entrepreneurs and others, the 100 Concerned Clergy for a Better Jackson released their City Agenda.
The agenda is “a plan to better the quality of life in the City of Jackson,” explained Reverend Hosea Hines, the organization’s president. Hines is also the pastor of College Hill Baptist Church in West Jackson.
According to Hines, 100 Concerned Clergy is committed to working to bring about a more just, safe, clean, prosperous and positive environment for the City of Jackson.
“We today put forth our agenda for the City of Jackson and call upon businesses, civic, political and religious groups to work with us to put forth the strong efforts it will take for Jackson to become what we all desire it to be,” the agenda document stated. “We call upon the Mayor, City Council, and City Staff to accept and prioritize our agenda items and work with us in bringing this agenda to fruition as proclaimed in the City’s Operational Priorities and Plan of the Fiscal Year 2006-2007.” The agenda included the following:
I. Appearance: We desire for our City to look like the vital, progressive and positive place to live that a Capital City should be. The organization is declaring a war on blight in the City of Jackson.
II. Children and Youth: We desire that the care, safety and dreams of the children and youth of the city of Jackson be a top priority.
III. Crime: We call upon our citizens and city authorities to send a message that we do not tolerate crime, through innovative and aggressive programs of crime prevention, law enforcement, and reclaiming of lives which have become casualties of criminal activity.
IV. Economic Development: We call upon the city, business community and church community to work together to bring prosperity to our city to raise the economic quality of life of all our citizens.
V. Education: We desire new ways of thinking and different approaches to educating all children which will produce the best public education system and the best prepared graduates anywhere in the nation.
VI. At Risk Males: We desire to create an environment in Jackson which is friendlier to at risk males by helping to prevent at risk males from falling into destructive lifestyles, intervene in the lives of those engaging in high risk behaviors, and reclaim those who have already fallen.
VII. Municipal Services: We desire that Jackson create the best system in the country for delivering services to the community.
VIII. Senior Citizens: We desire that the city create an environment wherein senior citizens feel comfortable and safe in their surroundings and receive services which liberate and add fullness to their lives.
IX. Work Ethic: We desire that a campaign be developed which seeks to strengthen the work ethic as a way to economic and community success.
X. Neighborhood Revitalizat-ion: We call upon the city to work with churches, businesses and community based groups to rebuild Jackson’s inner city neighborhoods by insuring the stabilization and growth of existing neighborhoods.
XI. People with Special Needs: We desire that the city of Jackson work to create an environment that compassionately addresses the special needs of some of our neediest community residents.
XII. Media: We desire that the City of Jackson work with local media to change the negative image of our community by providing opportunities to report and celebrate the many positive things taking place in our City.
Regarding the media, Hines stressed, “We will be encouraging churches to establish public relations ministries or at least have a church reporter, so that they can channel positive news to the media.”
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