J. Kane Ditto

John Kane Ditto (born May 18, 1944) is a former mayor of Jackson, Mississippi. He was born in Bowling Green, Kentucky.^[1]

Ditto, a Democrat, served as Mayor of the City of Jackson from July 1989 until July 1997. Ditto was previously elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives from District 66, where he served from 1987 to 1989. Before entering the political arena, Ditto practiced law for 18 years with Watkins Ludlam Winter & Stennis in Jackson. For five years he was managing partner of the firm. As a practicing attorney, his practice developed a heavy emphasis in municipal finance.

Ditto is a graduate of Duke University and has a law degree from Vanderbilt University. He and his son John manage the StateStreet Group , a local real estate investment and development firm in Jackson.

Ditto unseated the twelve year Danks administration with a fortuitous endorsement from black mayoral candidate Credell Calhoun after losing in the primary. Former state Senator Henry Kirksey and the police association put their weight behind Ditto in the last couple of weeks of the Democratic runoff. Ditto is credited with the creation of many initiatives during his 8-year tenure including revitalization of the Farish Street Neighborhood Historic District, revitalization of the train station, and active support of private business improvement districts. In his first year as mayor he proposed that the city government work closely with Jackson State University on long range planning. In particular, he proposed a new African studies institute that would foster trade and academic exchange with the continent.^[2] Ditto pushed minority-owned and small business venture financing investigations and efforts to expand medical and data-processing facilities near downtown. He wanted a spacious convention center downtown and the re-opening of Lake Hico to citizens for recreation.^[3] He has been a strong supporter of downtown Jackson and critical of businesses leaving the area for the suburbs.

After leaving office Ditto has remained active in the community through his a number of public and private initiatives. The activity that is perhaps most telling of Ditto's interests is his participation in the creation of a master plan for Clinton, Mississippi and Mississippi College. The city and the college had previously not coordinated their planning effort. He is the chairman of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History Board of Trustees and also the chairman of the Baptist Health Systems Board. On May 25, 2012, he participated in a Focus group as part of the Needs assessment process of the Restorative Care Hospital and the Mississippi Baptist Medical Center by meeting with other community leaders who had direct knowledge of the health service needs of disadvantaged populations in the Jackson metropolitan area.^[4]

Ditto was succeeded as mayor in 1997 by Harvey Johnson, Jr., in what some considered a racially charged campaign by Johnson. His critics argue that his thinly veiled racial political analogy was the overarching political strategy of Johnson's campaign against Ditto.

References

2. Aden, Marky. (6 February 1989) "Ditto Proposes African-style Bazaar, River Resort". Clarion Ledger. (Jackson)
3. Rejebian, Michael (4 October 1989) "Jackson Mayor outlines Development Plan" Clarion Ledger. (Jackson)
4. Mississippi Baptist Health Systems. (2012) Community Needs Assessment: Hinds, Rankin, and Madison Counties Mississippi. p.32. Retrieved 14 March 2014. https://www.mbhs.org/media/264970/baptist-community-health-needs-assessment-report.pdf