As a property owner and legal resident of Vicksburg, although I spend most of my time working out of Jackson, I wish to express my full support for our new Tax Assessor, Angela Brown.

Unfortunately, she is faced with the formidable task of cleaning up a very messy situation. Since she worked in the office before being elected to take full charge and responsibility, I’m sure that she knows what she’s doing in this purported “housecleaning” process.

Just about all my friends and neighbors there in Vicksburg also support her without any hint of doubt or fear for the worst. We strongly suggest that Ms. Brown and her new (hopefully) crew will pay especially close attention to the tax records of the Vicksburg casinos, focusing on DiamondJack’s and Ameristar, in particular. It seems that the more money the casinos rake in, the fewer are the benefits that redound to the people of Vicksburg.

I dealt with this situation in part in a June 2009 article titled “Gamblers Beware: Don’t Take a Chance on Getting Hurt at Your Local Casino.” The article is still on my website, Earnest McBride Index Page.

These casinos promised the people of Vicksburg a vast amount of wealth and a constant stream of revenues to sustain the city budget. Nobody I know is happy with the situation with the casinos today. I emphasize: NO ONE.

As late as Tuesday of this past week, a security manager at one of the local casinos threatened to bar me from his boat if I voiced any more complaints about the terrible customer service that typifies, not only his, but all five of the casinos in and around Vicksburg.

I sincerely hope that the entire citizenry of Vicksburg and Warren County will make it known that they have Ms. Brown’s back covered in her effort to solve the great mystery of why so little city revenue derives from the vast amount of money the local people spend at these places.

One remaining question: Does the security chief of any casino anywhere have the right to tell a paying customer what to think or say?

Yes, folks, that’s happening right here in the River City.

Earnest McBride

Vicksburg