Governor's Race - Musgrove vs Barbour

[JT]

Meeka,

I don't have to be in the shoes of a displaced factory worker. I've lost my job through layoffs before. I know what it feels like. My point is not that NAFTA didn't move some jobs. It did. (Mississippi isn't alone in that regard by the way.) Before NAFTA many factory jobs were lost to automation as well. My point is that it is disingenuous of Governor Musgrove to try to use that as the prime reason for all of Mississippi's economic woes. Whining about NAFTA and blaming Barbour for it won't fix the problems.

In reality, neither candidate can actually fix the problems despite their claims. All they can do is promote ideas and legislation they believe will fix the problems. I've looked at both candidates claims and Governor Musgrove impresses me less than Barbour. Also, both candidates are ardent supporters of their national party leaders. Barbour is the lesser of evils on that score also.

[crow]

All my family will vote for Haley, and they are Democrats! If anything has been achieved for education in MS, it has been in spite of Ronnie Musgrove! I have a niece who teaches in MS and relatives in the legislature, so I keep up with the facts...not what someone thinks. As well, I grew up with Haley in Yazoo City. Yes, his family had money; mine didn't. Haley was my friend as well as my brother's. Money never made any difference as to who he hung out with or who he was loyal to. Yes, he has been to Washington. And, yes, he has served the national party. But, I talked with him just a couple of months ago, and his heart is right there in MS and he desperately wants to serve the state that has given him so much. He has the connections that will serve the state well, and I, for one, don't think he will serve those connections at the expense of the state. Wish I could vote for him! The NRA has missed it on this one in my opinion. As I always tell folks, I may live in GA, but my heart is in Mississippi and I think Haley is the best

[Meeka]

Educate me, JT. What makes you remark that Ronnie "ardently" supports the national (democratic) party leaders?

It seems we can agree that NAFTA hurt Mississippi, as well as other states. By my way of thinking, if somebody pushed or helped push NAFTA, then they hurt Mississippi by doing so. They knew at the time that we would lose jobs. They felt, I suppose, that the loss of jobs was worth whatever overall benefit to the economy or trade relations would be.

I don't hold it against Haley because he attained the feat of running the whole republican party. That was a great accomplishment for him. It shows what he can do. But his efforts on behalf of NAFTA raise the question, at least in my mind, whether his loyalty is to Mississippi or national politics? Back then, his loyalty was to his party, not Mississippi, IMO. Crow thinks his heart is in Mississippi now.

By my way of thinking, there are other issues that are just as important, including:

1. Being able to work WITH the legislature. The Legislautive process in Miss has many problems, but the Gov. has very little actual power and can not "bully the legislature.

2. We have insufficient money to meet our budget. It is inherent in the legislature to spend money; each legislautor wants to appropriate for his constituents. In the recent past hard economic times, the legislature has "boggued up" the revenue projections so they would have more money to appropriate. Musgrove fought to use more conservative revenue projections, which is an admirable move for a politician. Point is, the gov. will have to make hard choices. Sometimes the wise choice is not popular.

3. Specific plans. Every election, every candidate is for education, against crime, for things the votors will like, but usually for cutting the taxes that will pay for those things. An example of what I would like to hear but what costs money is that I would like to hear a promise to purchase more land for public hunting.

[DRUM07]

There's only one problem with the NAFTA disagreement. I am 137% sure that the honorable Bill Clinton not only signed the thing but also played a major role in the push for it. Now last time I checked Muskrat was a big supporter of the famous Clinton/Gore duo, but I guess that is just a coincidence.

[JT]

Educate me, JT. What makes you remark that Ronnie "ardently" supports the national (democratic) party leaders?

Well let's see. My understanding is that, as Lt. Governor and Governor, he supported and endorsed both the Clinton/Gore and Gore/Leiberman presidential campaigns. Prior to that my understanding is that he has consistently voted and endorsed Democrat party candidates at the national level. I have little doubt that he will support whoever else the Democrat party nominates in the upcoming presidential campaign despite his supposed "independence," "conservativism," and other differences with them. That is pretty ardent and as I said Barbour is just as ardent on his side.

If anyone has any evidence to the contrary I'll gladly be corrected but it doesn't seem he was very vocal about his "opposition" to NAFTA until he thought it useful as a campaign issue. I don't recall him ever publicly calling national Democrat party leaders on the carpet for it or for any other issue. If it is that harmful to Mississippi it's surprising to me that his concern wasn't very evident before this year.

As for the jobs lost as a result of companies taking advantage of NAFTA, let me say this. I believe most of those jobs would have been lost eventually even if NAFTA had not been passed. NAFTA just made it possible for the companies to accelerate their plans so we are feeling the effects much faster than we would have had NAFTA not been passed.

NAFTA is done and both parties are culpable. Now we have to find a way to invigorate our economy within it's provisions. I think Barbour is better suited for that task than Governor Musgrove.

[SoftCall]

I am not voting for either one....

because I am now a non resident....BUT

1. Hard working middle class "hill" people embraced the Klan back in the day so you can't stereotype them as being the best for the state. Go read your history books. Origin has no influence on leadership ability.
2. Soft talking delta folks (Leroy Percy for one) did more for minorities than anyone in terms of health, education and well being.
3. Musgrove hasn't done sh_t to move education forward...he plugged budget cuts and that's about it. He has been around for some time and MS 4th graders STILL rank among the last in the nation.
4. You can't base commitment to education on a party. Fordice was a flaming idiot about education and treated our teachers like sh_t. My wife was one...one reason we moved...they don't get paid enough in MS. I think that Haley is different.
5. They ALL will try to claim Nissan and they ALL probably had some influence.

[Narwhal]

We need tort reform in this state and the only chance of having it is to vote for Haley

Yeah, right. We sure didn't get it rammed down our throats last year with Musgrove and his special sessions....I'll post links to both egregious bills in case you missed them.

[Delta Duck]

I'm hear to tell you that money can not make kids get an education! The Tunica county school system has the best eguipment, heck the best of everything. It still ranks the lowest in the state. I think we are just ahead of the Mound! If money can buy it than Tunica county schools have it. It really just chaps me that I've got to pay for small school private, that cost as much as major university!

[Caller1]

Hey mississippi,
Haley came to the big NRA banquet in Grenada two weeks ago. No Pussgrove, though. FYI. Haley all but called Ronnie out at the Cleveland Debate the other night, " I'm here. Say it to my face, Guv'nor."
BWAAaaaahahahha.whew

[GulfCoast]

You need VENUE reform much worse than TORT reform. If Musgrove has done one single solitary cotton picking thing to make my life, or anyone else's life, in this State better, it sure eludes me what it it might have been. After Musgrove, I owe Ray Mabus an apology.

[BAY KINGFISHER]

Narwal, Special sessions are all for nothing if the legislatures cant agree. Please help me out if I'm wrong. What did these special sessions accomplish besides spending taxpayers money. Please dont say the special pool for malpractice for doctors, because one law suit in our system is going to bankrupt the malpractice fund. What a joke. The only answer is true tort reform. A 250,000 punitive damage max. reward like California, and a looser pays system. The state needs to get rid of frivouluos law suits and payed off juries . Period end of discussion.

Then maybe we could keep our doctors, recruit industry, and step into a new Mississippi without lawyers running the show. If anyone of you dont agree with these statements you must be a tort lawyer or lining your pockets with our beutiful states future.

As of right know because of our malpractice insurance problems, due to our legal system, if you get a severe head trauma on the Ms coast and require a trauma surgeon, I hope your in good with the big man up stairs, cause no trauma doctors are left down here. Sure hope nothing happens to my family cause greed for money has outwayed human lives.

[RebelYelp]

What happened to our rather large surplus before Musgrove took office and how long did we still have a surplus after he took office....... ???? As for education, speaking from a students standpoint, i dont' care how much $$$ somebody can pump into education, if the teachers don't know what they're doing then $$ cant' help, and trust me, there's plenty that don't need to be doing the job they are. i do like how musgrove says he's a Conservative Independent candidate, even though he's with teh democratic party, not saying hes' not conservative but hes' def. not independent. I can also name 3 very good doctors who have left our area, one or two others who are about to leave, and several others who have seriously thought about it. I'm not putting that on anybody's shoulders, but i think that everybody who uses this board can look at some lawsuits taht take place such as the woman sueing Mcdonalds for the coffee incident and no matter what your occupation is, say taht they are pretty ridiculous.

Haley has my vote.

[peewee]

If a man cant manage his family, I dont want him trying to manage my state.

[timber-hunter]

peewee, that is the shortest and the most enlightening reply on this whole post.

[gadwall2]

GC, I think I understand your comment about "Venue Reform" and I whole heartedly agree.

Mabus!!!!!