MISSISSIPPI
MISSISSIPPI
SECRETARY OF STATE
ERIC CLARK
STEVEN A. McCALEB
103 ALVERADO DRIVE
LONG BEACH, MISSISSIPPI 39560
PHONE & FAX: (228)-868-8428
Eric Clark
Other than political reasons, why would the SUPREME COURT give such power as, Tidelands Trust Funds, to one person.
I no the Secretary of State has given grants to WRANPS Ins., and they do not qualify for Tidelands Trust Funds Grants.
So, is that political, of course it is, WRANPS Inc., is located in the woods not near the water where the tide ebbs and flows.
WRANPS Ins., is located on property owned by the University of Southern Mississippi (USM), and that makes it political.
Our local Television Station (WLOX - 13/ABC) and our local Newspaper (The Sun Herald Newspaper) supports WRANPS Inc, and that also makes WRANPS Inc. political.
So, that my friends is why WRANPS Inc., has received close to $95,000.00 in grants from the Tidelands Trust Funds, and the money was given by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources.
This is why the Supreme Court made the decision to uphold Clark's position of power.
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Posted on Fri, Mar. 26, 2004 |
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TIDELANDS Court upholds Clark's tidelands powerSecretary of State Eric Clark has the discretion to approve or deny public tidelands leases, even if other government agencies give their approval, the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday. The high court upheld a Harrison County Chancery Court decision that found Clark's actions were "not arbitrary or capricious" when he denied a tidelands lease in 1996 to Columbia Land Development LLC for a proposed casino resort and golf course at Bayou Portage, an inlet of the Bay of St. Louis. "The Supreme Court's decision is a victory for the people of Mississippi, who directly elect a statewide official to manage the public trust tidelands they own," Clark said Thursday. "The tidelands are held in trust for all the people of Mississippi, and we work very hard to see they are managed wisely." Columbia, which already had received approval from the Mississippi Gaming Commission, challenged Clark's authority as the trustee of tidelands and sued him after he denied the lease. According to court documents, Columbia contended that Clark was required to grant a lease of the tidelands once the gaming commission approved the 400-acre site. "The Tidelands Act does not guarantee a lease for gaming," the high court said in its ruling. In a letter to Columbia, Clark said he denied the lease because the site did not satisfy the geographical requirements of the Mississippi Gaming Control Act of 1990. Clark testified at a chancery court hearing that he denied the lease application partly because of the rural nature of the area, negative environmental effects and expected costs to the community for infrastructure construction. "It's essential that we strike a balance between economic development and preservation of our natural resources on the Coast," Clark said. The court also said, "The secretary of state, subject to approval by the governor, has been granted via legislative enactment the discretion to enter into leases involving the public tideland property." The Legislature earlier this month killed two bills that would have stripped Clark of some of his authority to exercise discretion in leasing tidelands. Treasure Bay Casino and Imperial Palace Casino each have lawsuits pending against the state and have filed briefs supporting Columbia's suit. |
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