Melton’s summer jobs program

The Clarion-Ledger, 7/25/8

The battle royale between Jackson Mayor Frank Melton and the City Council over his plans to spend $1 million to hire hundreds of young people for the summer has developed into a minor skirmish.

Last month, in a hastily constructed plan, Melton proposed to spend taxpayer money to fund a dramatically expanded youth jobs program with up to 900 young people. The result has been part-time city jobs for 56 kids at a cost of roughly 1 percent of the mayor’s initial request and 23 others employed in the private sector.

Instead of a 10-week program, as the mayor proposed, almost all of the youths will lose their jobs after five weeks when school resumes Aug. 7.