Xavier Bishop

Casinos have had an enormous economic impact on the Coast. They’ve spawned considerable growth in all of the cities that have them. The rise of Biloxi as a Coastal superpower is directly linked to having casinos. So imagine what a casino could do for Moss Point.

By some estimates a casino in Moss Point would bring in revenues of around 4 – 6 million dollars per year. That’s because over 70% of the patrons who visit casinos in Biloxi travel through Moss Point and Jackson County to get there.

But current legislation makes it nearly impossible for Moss Point to ever have a casino. And there’s an effort in the general assembly to pass legislation that would limit the placement of casinos in the state to counties where they currently exist, effectively closing the door to the cities in Jackson County ever benefiting from casinos.

All of this goes a long way toward solidifying Biloxi’s status as the casino capital of the Coast, but more importantly it gives that city a virtual monopoly on casino revenues along the Coast.

Had the voters in Jackson County approved casinos we could have tried to place a casino somewhere in the county, but it would have been more practical to broker a partnership with Biloxi.

Consider this: In exchange for not having a casino in Jackson County (and thereby conceding casinos to Biloxi and Harrison County,) we could have sought a partnership agreement with Biloxi whereby we’d share the revenues generated by their exclusive right to casinos. Think about, we could have agreed not to have casinos in Jackson County, allowing hundreds of thousands of people to pass through to the casinos in Biloxi, and in exchange Biloxi would agree to share its revenue. That would have been a true win-win.

 Sound far-fetched? Maybe, maybe not. But by voting “no” to casinos in Jackson County, and with the governor certain to sign into law legislation that would limit casinos to counties where they already exist, all we’re left to ponder is the proverbial question: What if?

Bishop Family Top-Ten Tips for taking your vacation by car.   

1 – 2. TIME OUT. Unless you’re driving to take another form of transportation in order to complete your vacation, the first order of business is to let go of time. That’s right, ditch the clock.  Time is the driving force behind so much of our daily life the last thing you want to do is allow it to control your vacation too. Relax time’s control and mastery of your family.

Make plans to leave for your vacation at a particular time but if you’re “running behind schedule” don’t panic or become frustrated. Relax, you’re on vacation.  Enjoy the time you spend preparing to leave for your trip.  Make it all part of the vacation. It will help set the tone for the remainder of your trip.

3 – 4. ENJOY THE JOURNEY. Say your destination is to the mountains, the valley or maybe to the sea. No doubt you can’t wait to get there. On average, when traveling by car as much time is spent getting to the destination as there is often spent at the destination.  So relax and enjoy the ride. Not just the roadside, but also the places in between. All of the cities, attractions and landmarks that define our beautiful country.  

Try this, take an unexpected detour into a town you know little about and discover why people live there.  Make an unplanned stop by a landmark you come pass along the way. There are many little known landmarks that can leave you with wonderful memories and they also make the perfect backdrop for those must-have family portraits.

5 – 6. RELAX THE RULES. If you’re like me maybe you’re used to a high degree of structure and order in your life. For many of us it’s the secret for getting lots of different things done.  And if you’re like me you probably believe that structure and order can “benefit” nearly all areas of your life just as well. Not necessarily so when you’re on vacation.

Instead of treating vacation as your home away from home, do things differently. Just for the experience of it. If you normally eat pizza with a knife and fork, try eating it with your hands. Bend a little. Don’t be so rigid.

7-8. BE A FAMILY.  The average American family spends less than 2 hours per day interacting together as a family. A family vacation by car is a great way to get to know each other all over again. Don’t loose that opportunity by doing “private” activities like playing personal music devices, videos or even reading while traveling as a family. Set aside some of your drivetime for talking, listening and truly getting to know one another. And once you reach your destination, have as part of your vacation plan, sightseeing and visiting others together as a family. Rediscover the joy of living together.

9-10. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. Yes, getting to your destination is half the fun. But make certain where you’re going to is worth it – for everyone. Choose a destination that others in your family will want to go to.  Make certain there are activities that will satisfy everyone’s needs, even the youngest member of the family. Of course you’ll want to be sure you’re all well rested so no one feels cheated on his or her favorite part of the trip.

“I wanna talk to you about politics,” the man said matter-of-factly.

We’d discussed politics several times before, he and I – though always superficially. So I thought little about him making the request shortly after I’d entered his store.

In the past however we’d always eased our way into the subject by talking about the weather, the local economy, those sorts of things, before delving into politics. Not this time.

“I teach Sunday school,” he began telling me, and right away I’m thinking he wants to talk about religion, not politics. He went on to describe his Sunday school class, how he taught his students the Book of Jeremiah and its story of the destruction of Solomon’s temple and the raiding of the city of Jerusalem. 

Immediately I began thinking about some of the issues we have in Moss Point in an effort to make the connection between present-day Moss Point and 588 B.C. Jerusalem.  Needless to say my mind drew a blank, but maybe that’s because I’m a little biased.

“If you bring casinos in here like you’re talking about,” he said, “it’s going to be our downfall just like in the book of .…” 

Ah-ha I thought, I know what this is all about. 

He was reacting to an article in the local paper wherein I requested the governor veto legislation that would limit casinos to counties in the state where they already exist. For Moss Point and the other cities in Jackson County the legislation would close the door to us ever having a casino.

Considering what a boon casinos have been for several other cities on the Coast I felt the legislation in effect handicapped the city by limiting the number of options we’d have for future economic growth by excluding casinos as an option. 

“Consider my position, ” I said in response.  

I went on to tell him that as mayor my job was to grow and expand the city in ways that were compatible with our goals and objectives.  Economic expansion should include consideration of casinos as an option.

“Besides,” I pointed out, “gaming is legal.  And casinos are an economic development tool in the same way as a home improvement store or a restaurant.”

“But gambling is the work of the devil,” he assured me, “why would you want to bring that into your community?”

I wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that analysis. Part of me wanted to challenge his assumption that the devil was behind the gaming industry. But I though better of it.  

Instead I said, “Ok, but isn’t drinking the work of the devil too? Shouldn’t we prohibit that as well?”

He seemed caught off guard. He thought for a moment then conceded I’d made a good point. But with another quote from the bible he quickly was back on the path of pointing out why casinos are the sin of sins. When he finished he assured me my efforts wouldn’t go unnoticed.

“You’ll have to stand before the Lord someday and account for your actions,” he promised.

“Yeah, but first I’ll probable have to stand before the voters and account for why we don’t have something as basic as a grocery store,” I said smartly. “And from what I know about voters they are a lot less forgiving than the Lord.”

Saving his best argument for last he pressed on.  “Let me show you something,” he said, while scribbling on a scrap of paper. Turning the paper toward me I could see that he’d written the word casino.

“Tell me this,” he said.  “What do you find inside of a casino?” Before I could respond he proceeded to answer his own question.  “Sin,” he said, as he underlined the letters s-i-n in casino.  He stepped back from what he’d written, smiled and then waited for my response.

Now, I could have said something like, Oh, and let me guess, there’s f-u-n in funerals and m-e-n inside women, right? But I didn’t.  Instead I said….

 “That’s pretty clever. I’d never noticed that before.  You know, I’d love to stay and talk with you some more about this, but I’ve got to get going. I’ve got a lot of business waiting for me back at the office. 

Vacation is an activity we’re all familiar with. It’s a time to get things done, visit far away places, or simply relax. For me and my family vacation is also a time for us to grow closer to one another. It all starts with a good old-fashioned trip in the car.

While traveling by car is a sure road to family counseling for some families, for Jaimee, Micah and me taking a vacation by car is a great way for us to get to know one another better.

With Jaimee and I having busy schedules it seems like there’s hardly enough time for us to stay up on all the things taking place in our daily life. The hours we spend together driving to our vacation destination is a wonderful way for us to get caught up.

Add to the drive-time the amount of time we spend together in the hotel, together eating meals, sightseeing and visiting family and friends, before you know it we’ve spent an entire 24 hours … together.  An amazing feat!

Don’t misunderstand. Spending so much time with one another isn’t always fun and games, and it can become a little bit uncomfortable at times. You may find that considerable distance has grown between you and your family and bridging that gap can occasionally mean learning new things that you don’t particularly like. But if you can make it through those uncomfortable or difficult moments you may find an even deeper meaning to why you’re together as a family. We did. 

 Our vacation took us to some fascinating places, and we met and visited with some lovely and wonderful people. We returned home with many great memories and many great ideas for making our city a better place to live. But of all the beauty that came of our summer vacation, the greatest beauty of all was in how it brought us closer together as a family.

March 26, 2008

Senator Michael Watson

State Capitol Building

Jackson, Mississippi

Dear Senator:

I wish to express my opposition to Senate Bill 2199 which I understand is aimed at limiting casinos to counties in which they presently exist.  My opposition to thIS measure is for the following reasons:

1. Existing legislation already places restrictions on where casinos can and cannot be located. Senate Bill 2199 “over-legislates.”

2.  Casinos are an economic development option for communities and should be left to the self-determination of the local community in the same manner as the sale of alcohol, cigarettes or the existence of a WalMart.

I strongly urge you to oppose this legislation.

Sincerely,

Xavier Z. Bishop

Mayor

FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 2008

5:35 a.m.: The cell phone alarm chimes quietly. I retrieve it from the nightstand and draw it close to my face.
It’s always my first decision of the day: whether to Dismiss the alarm and get out of bed or take the 10 Minute Snooze. I press the side wheel on the phone dismissing the alarm and slowly make my way out of bed.

Like magic my feet find the slippers by the side of the bed and I shuffle toward the bathroom avoiding an army of toys like they’re landmines on a battlefield.

It takes me 30 minutes to shower, shave and clothe before I’m out the door.

The drive to work takes me over a high rise bridge where I witness the beginning of a crimson sun struggle to get from behind a wall of clouds. I imagine the sun and clouds arguing over who gets to decide what kind of day it’s going to become.

6:45 a.m.: I arrive at my office trailer with coffee and muffin in hand, the grease from the muffin bleeding through the white paper bag. Seated at my desk I eat and drink while browsing the online news. Shortly past seven a worker arrives to empty the waste cans and ready the trailer for another day of business.

I hear a light rap at the door and know it’s the fire chief paying me a visit. He’s visibly worn and I learn he’s distraught over the results of last night’s board meeting, where once again no action was taken on the discipline of two firemen. He expresses his concern for the morale of his men and wonders aloud what can be done to remedy the situation. I remind him of what he already knows: I’ve exhausted all of my authority over the matter, and the Board has made its decision on how it wishes to discipline the firemen. Disappointed he soon leaves.

A short while later the HR Director arrives and she too wants a quick update on the board meeting. Normally she would have attended the meeting, but she chose not to do so for reasons that required no explanation. She listens intently while I speak, then finally expresses her opinion. In the end she leaves knowing she made the right decision not to attend the meeting.
I finish the early morning by firing off some memos, realizing that I’ll be talking about the board meeting throughout the day.

8:00 a.m.: The doors are unlocked and city hall is open for business. The once quiet trailer is soon filled with the sound of office banter. Our first customer is a man wanting to obtain a building permit. He’s told that building permits have moved to a different trailer and he’s directed where to go. Moments later I’m buzzed on the intercom and told there’s a person on hold wishing to talk to me. The caller talks rapidly, and I’m unable to catch his name. He said generally he’s disappointed in the progress the city has made since the storm, but he wanted me to know he agrees with my veto. We chat briefly and after thanking him I turn my attention back to the mass of emails I’d been working on. I’d managed to whittle down the number from 171 to 90 before stopping to confer with my assistant on two meetings she’ll attend that morning. Our conversation lasts all of about 15 minutes before I’m pulled away to take two “important” phone calls that are waiting for my attention.

10:00 a.m.: It’s moments away from my first of two interviews to fill the vacant building inspector’s position. But first my secretary rushes in to inform me there’s a resident waiting to schedule an appointment as soon as possible, but my calendar appears full for the next several days. The resident has an issue with the Inspections Department I’m told. I unholster my Blackberry and type “Mtg w res on Insp prob” into the Monday 10 a.m. slot, creating a conflict with another meeting that’s already scheduled.
I proceed to the waiting area expecting to welcome the interviewee only to find three firemen seated about the room. I assume they’re there to see me but when asked they say it’s the HR Director they came to see. Still I take a moment to greet them with handshakes and we exchange pleasantries, when the resident I’d just scheduled the Monday meeting with approaches me.
“I’ll be here exactly at ten,” she informs me, “so don’t cancel on me.” I’m wondering if I’d cancelled a previous meeting with her but rather than engage her on the subject I simply respond by saying, “don’t worry, I won’t cancel if you won’t,” and I motion for the interviewee to follow me to my office.

Candidate A is a local contractor who has decided he’d like to become the City’s building inspector. He settles his slight frame into the chair opposite my desk and the interview begins. He starts with a summation of his background and his many years of experience. His brown eyes come alive when he describes the improvements he’d like to make in the department if he’s chosen for the position. “Things will be a lot different,” he assures me.

The interview lasts about 30 minutes leaving me roughly 15 minutes before the next interview begins. I fill the time making notes and reviewing the application of the next candidate, and in no time it seems my secretary alerts me that Candidate B has arrived.

A robust man, Candidate B hails from northern Mississippi where he’d once served as a building inspector and code enforcer. He drove 6 hours for the interview. He said he wanted to return to inspections work but only in a city where codes and ordinances were applied equally to all businesses and residents.

I stressed to both candidates my intention to fill the position with someone who possessed field experience AND the ability to lead and manage people; someone capable of learning AND teaching others. Confidently they each assured me they were the right person for the job.

12:15 p.m.: I arrive at the gym and quickly change into my workout clothes. It’s day three of my weekly workout and I’m eager to get started and get it over with. At 51 I find nothing sexy or romantic about working out. I’ve abandoned any hope of ever having a sculptured physique and so I go to the gym for one reason and one reason only: to promote good health. That said my routine is simple: a 20-minute resistance workout (legs, arms and abs) followed by 40 minutes of cardio (bike, stairs and treadmill.)

1:45 p.m.: After a much-needed shower I’m back in the office reviewing the mockup of a newly designed form we’ll soon put into use. There’s a meeting with an event organizer in 15 minutes and we’d like to use the form for his upcoming event.
While reviewing the mockup I’m interrupted by a call from the city engineer. He wants to discuss projects the Board has asked him to work on. For the next 15 minutes we discuss the projects within the scope of the city’s finances and pending FEMA projects, then conclude additional information is needed in order to reach a final decision on how to proceed. So a meeting is scheduled in the coming week to gather that information.

With that out of the way I spend the next 20 minutes discussing the board meeting with two more staff members. I find it repetitious but the discussion gives me valuable insight into their feelings about the situation.

3:15 p.m.: Even though the meeting with the event planner ended without him viewing the mockup, I still want to complete my review of the form. But there’s another phone call, this one from someone with Habitat for Humanity. The soft spoken woman on the other end of the line says that Habitat wants to build a home that requires a variance on the minimum square footage required by the city.

Her call reminds me of how frequently people turn to me for help in solving their everyday problems. Whether it’s to explain the cause of an “excessive” water bill, or to get a pothole fixed - out of respect or out of desperation they see me as the person capable of making things right.
While it’s flattering to be viewed with such dominion, making phone calls to get peoples’ problems solved is not the most effective use of my time. In the best of times someone has to care for the daily problems while someone else markets and promotes the city.

Still, following a five-minute conversation with the Inspections Department, Habitat is placed on the agenda for an upcoming Board of Adjustment meeting.
3:45 p.m.: I settle in to spend the next thirty minutes privately discussing several issues in the police department but the meeting is interrupted by news that a member of the civil service board is there to hand in his resignation. The resignation creates a two-person vacancy that could affect our ability to fill vacancies in a timely manner.

4:15 p.m.: I’m at my desk munching on raw almonds, completing my review of the mockup. After making notations I return the form for what will hopefully be a final edit. Next I turn my attention to the stack of mail that has accumulated for several days. Announcements, invitations, policy changes, and memos make up the bulk of the roughly 6-inch stack of papers. When I’m done each piece of paper will fall into 1 of 4 categories: papers to be trashed, something to be cared for by someone else, something that requires a response, or papers to be filed.
Meanwhile as it nears the end of the workday my secretary comes in and hands me a small stack of phone messages that she’s recorded while I’ve been holed up in my office.

5:15 p.m.: Everyone has left the building and the phones are no longer ringing. Silence envelops the office the way it did nearly 11 hours before. I continue to work through the stack of mail, though my pace has slowed considerably.

6:00 p.m.: Making certain the trailer doors are locked I change into my yoga pants and unfurl the sticky mat I keep tucked away in my office. I dim the office lights and for the next forty minutes remember to breathe as I engage in postures with names like downward facing dog, cobra, bow and tree. At journey’s end I relax into corpse pose and the process of realignment is completed.

7:00 p.m.: There’s no place like home. With a large vegetarian pizza I arrive home to waiting smiles, hearty appetites and the comfort of a loving family. 

Escatawpa Family Clinic

Post Office Box 1358

8006 Highway 613

Escatawpa, Mississippi 39552

(228) 475-1166

Calvin S. Ennis, M.D.

                                                                                         December 11, 2007

Dear Mr. Bishop,

            In 2005, the City of Moss Point was in big trouble. Two industries closed, tax revenues were terrible and city employees were stealing money. I had been a small business owner for 24 years, employed at least six local people, paid about 100,000.00 in property taxes and 3 million dollars in payroll over the years.

            I was tired of nepotism and thugs. You came to me for support in your candidacy for mayor. I asked some of the city leaders for advice. Many advised me not to support you. One in particular described you as an empty vessel.

            But I did support you. Not only with a financial donation but also with votes. I see about 7000 patients a year. I convinced dozens of people to vote for you - perhaps hundreds since many people respect my opinion. I told them that you had a plan for the city and I believed you. The vote was close and I am convinced that my loyalty and support swung the election for you. Since your election, many leaders, and the city employees were disgusted with your leadership. Nonetheless I continued to support you and praised you. I was loyal to you.

            I sought no thanks for this support, only that the city prosper. Yes I did some medical work for the city as I have for 26 years but the income from that was less than 1% of my total income.

            And then, to my astonishment I found out indirectly that after 26 years and 5 mayors that you decided I was not good enough to be city doctor. I cancelled my office to come talk to you personally about it. You have not talked to me since.

You did not have the courtesy, common sense or conviction to talk to me before our meeting, nor after the meeting.  I am smart enough to be a company doctor to about 10 businesses in the area but not smart enough for you. You are more of a medical expert than I am.  So you are not only disloyal you also have bad manners - you are disrespectful.

            At last, I now know your plan for the city - outsource goods and services from local business. You did it with city insurance, now you do it to me.  Fifty % of the patients who visit me come from inside the city. After visits they spend money at local drug stores and across from my office at the only shopping center in the city. What part of sales tax do you not understand? Do you or can you not understand that local business is a lifeblood of any community? Your new doctor practices outside the city and generates no local sales tax and pays no local property tax. So you are not only disloyal and disrespectful you are dim.

            So now you have forced me to develop my own plan for the city, and that plan is to outsource you as mayor. I will do whatever I can, with great energy, to make sure you are not mayor again. I encourage you to seek other employment, where loyalty, respect and business acumen is not needed.

            There is no character flaw more repugnant than disloyalty. It destroys marriages, family, friendships, and even nations. It is repulsive. You have not only badly hurt my feelings you have fatally hurt your reputation - all because you do not know the meaning of loyalty. As I was told 3 years ago, you are indeed an empty vessel.

                                                         Calvin S. Ennis, M.D., FAAFP, CMRO

You know, 8 hours is a significant amount of time. It’s one-third of an entire day.  As a workday 8 hours appears to be ample time to get things done. But I figured out that on any given workday roughly 70 percent of my time is spent meeting with someone in one of two ways: either face-to-face or over the phone. Factor in text messages and emails and that number increases by another 10 percent.  Include memos, letters and faxes, and you add another 10 percent to the total.

So 95 percent of my day is spent communicating with people in one way or another.  How’s the other 5 percent of my day spent? Well 4 percent is spent traveling to/from meetings, reading correspondence (oftentimes about meetings) and deciding whether I should schedule and/or attend a particular meeting. 

That leaves one percent - one hour out of every one hundred, 15 minutes out of every 25 hours, or roughly 5 minutes of an 8-hour workday – as the amount of time I have left to actually get work done, to accomplish some of the things that get discussed at all of those meetings.

Two long breaths. Then 30 rapid compressions.

Two long breaths. Then 30 rapid compressions.

Anyone past the age of thirty knows that most phone calls you receive at two o’clock in the morning aren’t likely to bear good news.

And so it was for me when my phone rang bedside and I reached over to see who the caller was. It was a miracle that I even heard it ring since I hold the world’s record as the most sound sleeper.

Drakeford the name on Caller-ID flashed, letting me know the person on the other end was my chief of police.  

Two long breaths. Then 30 rapid compressions.

Two long breaths. Then 30 rapid compressions.

“Hello,” I answered, clearing my throat in an effort to sound more awake than asleep.

“Mayor, this is chief. I’m afraid I have some pretty bad news.

“What is it,” I asked, only half wanting to know.

“I hate to tell you this Mayor but Thomas Franklin passed away about an hour ago.”

Thomas Franklin had been the city’s building inspector for more than 15 years. He’d been an employee of the city for more than 20.

Two long breaths. Then 30 rapid compressions.

I paused to gather my thoughts but emotions surfaced instead.

‘Thomas Franklin passed away.’  The words spoke of such finality they left no room for compromise. No room for interpretation. No misunderstanding.  There was but one conclusion to be drawn. 

Say something, I commanded myself. Knowing it was the only way to hold back the emotions.

 “Ah-hum, what happened?” I muttered.

 ”We got a 911 call around midnight from his house. When we arrived at the scene it was obvious he had suffered cardiac arrest. The paramedics were there and they worked on him pretty good I’m told.  For a long time, they said, but they couldn’t bring him back.”

From out of nowhere a flood of emotions gathered in my head.  I took deep breaths in an effort to fill the space where those emotions once dwelled.

 “Ok,” I sputtered, “I’ll see you later this morning.” And ended the call.

“What happened?” my wife inquired from her side of the bed.“Thomas Franklin suffered a heart attack,” I responded. Unable to tell her the complete truth for fear of letting go of all the emotion held inside.

General Drug Testing Procedures:

 All City employees are required to complete and pass a Drug Screening for the City of Moss Point during pre-employment screening.  Additionally, the City has the right to require testing to employees for the following: 

1. Pre-employment
2. Reasonable cause
3. Post accident

Post Accident Testing:

 An employee will be tested for drugs if his performance contributed to or may have contributed to an accident, which causes or may have caused any one of the following: 

1. Damage to City property contributing to the injury of another employee,
2. Damage to Citizens property or bodily injury to a citizen, or
3. On the job injury requiring medical attention.

Reasonable Cause Testing

When there is reasonable cause to believe an employee is using a prohibited drug, the employee will be required to take a drug test.  Reasonable cause must be based on observable actions that can be specifically described. For example, repeated errors on the job, violations of regulatory or City rules or unsatisfactory time and attendance patterns in combinations with other specific contemporaneous events that indicate probable drug use.  A supervisor of the employee must make the decision to test.  Observable actions must be well documented in advance and any employee warnings, counseling or any other form of discipline should be well documented.  Also, the supervisor or the HR Director, must transport the employee to the testing site, remain with the employee and return him/her to the worksite after the drug test is completed.  The employee will be suspended without pay until the City receives the results of the drug test.  If the test results are negative, the employee will be reinstated with pay for time off.  However, if the drug test is positive the employee will be terminated.  

Employee Drug or Alcohol Assistance Program:

 If an employee admits he or she has a drug or alcohol problem to the Mayor prior to an incident or occurrence being reported, the employee may not be terminated.  The Mayor may then make arrangements for the HR Director to arrange assistance for the employee with the drug or alcohol problem. The HR Director may take the employee to his or her first appointment, and then it is the responsibility of the employee to continue to receive assistance.  The employee shall be observed for the next six weeks.  During this time, the employee’s job duties may be changed because of a liability standpoint.  After the six-week period, the employee can be randomly tested.  If the test comes up positive, the employee will be subject to termination.