It is time to take a look at Jasper, Texas.

This is the map of the city of 7000 people. The city is 10.4 square miles, so everyone probably knows everyone else. I am quite confident the police know everyone in town. 

It is northeast of Houston. Houston, by the way, has a high murder rate.

I am not surprised the city doesn't think there is anything "W"rong with their social dynamics. That is basically the way racism works in the south. Hate crimes exist, but, it is eliminated from any lingering social reputation because it is assigned to the individual. In other words, when James Byrd, Jr. was brutally murdered in a hate crime, it was ONLY the problem of the murderers, no underlying social condition.

The city is organized around a town council and city manager. 

Currently, there is a Mayor and Mayor Pro-Tem, the phone numbers are listed on the city website (click here)

Mayor is Mike Lout - 409-384-2626 (That looks like an easy to remember business phone number actually.)

The Mayor Pro Tem is Raymond Hopson of District 4 - 409-384-6211.

The remainder of the council members are:

District 1 - Alton Scott - 409-381-1489

District 2 - Randy M. Sayers - 409-384-7711 (That looks like another easy to remember business phone number, too.)

District 3 - Hazel Johnson - 409-384-4270

District 5 - Mitch McMillion - He is also the councilman at large - 409-384-4334 (How about that at least three of these folks have easy to remember phone numbers that would appear to be business related.)

Interim City Manger - Denise Kelley - dkelley@jaspertx.org

Now, I would not be surprised if the council members that have businesses are elected more than any other member in town. I mean they are probably set up to get things done when the city treasury needs spending.

This is the city front page. Interesting. They tout all kinds of welcoming posture, but look, the population hasn't gone up in twenty years. As a matter of fact it has decreased. Aren't there babies born in that town? Twenty years the numbers of people living in Jasper should have gone up far more than this. This is way below the national average. If one looks at the programs touted by the town there are all kinds of equality opportunities including housing, so what's the problem here?

Jasper, Texas is in Jasper County. Is this the county seat?

Jasper County Courthouse

121 N. Austin

Jasper, TX 75951

409-384-6226

I'll be darn. The police in Jasper are big fish in a little pond.

Steve Hollis - Criminal District Attorney (click here) 
Misti Spacek ACDA - District Attorney
Andrea Clinger - Assistant District Attorney
321 N. Austin, Room 101
Jasper, TX 75951
Phone: 409-384-4362
Fax: 409-384-1309

I do believe they have to enlist the local detective to investigate the latest hate crime by the local Jasper police. It could be called police brutality, but, it seems there are questionable problems in arresting someone in the early morning hours over a traffic ticket. Do you mean to tell me in a city relatively close to Houston there isn't anything else for police to do but harass and brutalize the black population in town?

In 1835, the town was renamed after William Jasper, a war hero from the American Revolution who was killed attempting to plant the American flag at the storming of Savannah in 1779.

Jasper has a proud history, that should be something the city should consider a place to gather to appreciate the idea of being an American citizen regardless of race or ethnicity.


The city of Jasper is split nearly 50:50 in racial numbers (click here). It is a poor community. Those men that were fired from the police department are going to feel their lack of employment. I would think they would appreciate their jobs more. But, sometimes poverty lends itself to loose associations to loyalty to work and more toward social dynamics. The rewards of low income demand looking elsewhere.

Median household income is about half of what the State of Texas it. Texas chimes in about $50,000 per year while Jasper is $25,000 with more than 31 percent below poverty level. The population in Texas below poverty is 17%. Governor Perry needs to look into the lag in these small towns to economic growth. They appear to be hurting. It would be helpful to find reasons for a tour stop or something like that.

I can't get over the lack of population growth. The growth nationally from 1990 through 2010 was about 10.5% according to the US Census Bureau. Jasper has negative growth while having more people per mile than the Texas average. Jasper has 7 and a half times more residents per square mile than Texas does. Jasper has 726.6 residents per square mile while Texas touts 96.3. I realize that would be different if Houston was under a microscope, but, it is still densely packed. A square mile isn't that big.

Jasper has a 75% high school graduation rate, but, there are dearly few college grads still living in their home town. I get the idea this little town is rather stagnant in it's population, economy and city income.

About 60 percent homes are occupied with a value of $81,000. That is not much income to that city if it relies on property taxes. Minorities are about 50% of the population, but, only 22% of business owners.

The economy in Jasper is very bad. It is completely stagnant and self-contained. The only college folks that live in Jasper are those with their own businesses. I guaranteed most of the folks that have lived there for most of their adult lives feel trapped to accept 'things as they are.' There is a city economy, stagnant, without options for their residents except poverty, except for those that go to college and don't come back. 

Jasper has problems. The Governor needs to pay attention to these towns and find a way to move along their economies and improve the lives of their citizens and the quality of life of everyone. There is no opportunity in Jasper and race relations show it.

I am quite sure if Governor Perry is stuck on how to improve the quality of life of the people of Jasper, the Obama Administration has plenty of ideas. These folks don't know how to find their way out of a paper bag, yet alone try something different to improve the lives in Jasper. Those in power are happy with their power. Those in poverty are hopeless in their lives. When the two face off in any social setting there is a lot of hostile feelings and it shows up in violence and victimization of the minorities. Perry needs to do something here.

Oh, by the way, these are the states complaining about food stamps, welfare and the Affordable Care Act, yet they can't improve the quality of life of their citizens. Typical southern economic strategy - starve the beast until those at the bottom of the social ladder die of starvation or end up in prison for stealing the bread off the grocery shelf. Economies like this breed crime and given the high crime and murder rate in Texas, this violence in Jasper is no surprise.

Good night.