Jackson Free Press

Again, Governor Barbour gave a great speech concerning the optimistic future of our state's recovery from Hurricane Katrina. As stated before, our finances are in great shape considering and we should be able to meet our $4 billion target, but the March estimates will tell the story. However, there are some points about the governor's speech that I have to raise contention about.

First, I am leaning against the appointment of special judge in Hinds County. During the 2005 Session, the judicial redistricting plan called for an additional judge position to be created in Hinds County. That position would have been up for election this year. More than likely, that judge would have been African-American, which drew the ire of some of my colleagues, thus that additional position was taken out. Now the Governor wants to appoint someone, probably white, to handle the criminal case load, on the urging of Sheriff McMillan and Mayor Melton. Sure would have been nice if those gentlemen had discussed their desires with members of the Hinds County delegation first. It is a little awkward to hear about Hinds County legislation for the first time in the State of the State address. I wonder if DA Peterson is in support of this plan to "help" her reduce the caseload?

Second, the governor stated that he did not support raising or lowering taxes this session. That is a direct attack against the proposal from the Senate to raise the tobacco tax while lowering the grocery tax, a proposal I support. Yet, in the same speech, the governor said that he would like the Legislature to allow the lower six counties and their municipalities to create impact fees on rebuilding to generate revenue for them. In his own words from last year, when the House proposed fee increases, a fee increase is a tax increase. A new fee would hamper development of affordable housing in the Gulf Coast region by one, making it costly, and two, not creating a mechanism whereby funds could be set aside for the development of affordable housing for those individuals that need it. Question: How much affordable housing is available in Madison, a city that has impact fees for housing development? Furthermore, along the lines of a tax cut, I have introduced legislation that will create an income tax exemption on overtime pay. If it passes in the House and the Senate, is the governor impling that he would veto a bill that will have positive impact on some 455,000 workers in this state and generate $9 million in sales tax revenue?

Third, control of the CDBG funds coming from the Feds should not be totally in the hands of MDA and Leland Speed, not without some specific guidelines to make sure that those in need of the funds get them. Also, the point, which was spelled out more so in our briefing than in the State of the State address, that says that grants will only go to folks who rebuild according to international building code specifications will displace a number of elderly citizens from the Gulf Coast region for they will not be able to rebuild on just $150,000. This will make it easy for developers to turn Biloxi into strictly an entertainment destination, while Gulfport will become the hub of commerce on the Coast. Everyone else, get in where you fit in.

Those are just some points of contention. The education reform packages will be debated again in great detail along with the Senate debate on Wellspring, which the governor has done a 180 degree turn on.

Previous Comments

ID

169958

Comment

How much affordable housing is available in Madison, a city that has impact fees for housing development? I believe that Madison's impact fee ordinance was struck down by the MS supreme court. The court ruled that these "fees" were actually a tax and that local governments do not have the authority to impose such a tax. This is why the governor is asking for state legislation, to enable such authority for local governments. I would hope that the legislature would authorize impact fees for all local governments, not just the lower six counties. Impact fees are more than just a revenue tool; they serve to make local taxes more equitable. Low-density housing development typically costs more to service with infrastructure than it generates in property tax revenue. In short, existing tax payers in effect end up subsidizing surburban sprawl, as millage rates are increased to pay for the new development. Affordable housing is an issue. But the legislature could require in the statute that impact fees not be applied for housing projects that are considered affordable by HUD standards. control of the CDBG funds coming from the Feds should not be totally in the hands of MDA and Leland Speed, not without some specific guidelines to make sure that those in need of the funds get them. I agree this statement. Some portion of CDBG funds could be used to help homeowners outside the FEMA-designated flood plain. Control of the remainder of CDBG funds, however, should be in the hands of local governments, which are more aware of particular community development needs.

Author

Justin

Date

2006-01-10T09:56:57-06:00

ID

169959

Comment

Thanks Justin, especially for that reminder about Madison's case.

Author

Rep. Erik Fleming

Date

2006-01-10T17:30:22-06:00

ID

169960

Comment

I wonder if DA Peterson is in support of this plan to "help" her reduce the caseload? I think she'll support it if the idea is fully thought out and everything is set up correctly. As she and Sheriff McMillan explained, you need more than a judge - you need a prosecutor, a public defender, a courthouse, a staff... Where's Ray Carter?

Author

L.W.

Date

2006-01-10T22:45:40-06:00

ID

169961

Comment

"Yet, in the same speech, the governor said that he would like the Legislature to allow the lower six counties and their municipalities to create impact fees on rebuilding to generate revenue for them." The impact fees could help build back needed infrastructure. And the International Building Code does not impose any higher standards than most cities are now imposing, including cities such as Jackson. The incorporated cities on the Gulf Coast are probably using this code now. You would not want an impossible standard; but a reasonable building code standard would protect low income people assuring their new house would be build properly. Why should poor people have less safeguards than rich people?

Author

realtime

Date

2006-01-10T22:46:55-06:00

ID

169962

Comment

Realtime: The issue is not so much the standard itself but what it will mean to folks trying to rebuild. It would cost more to attain that standard, definitely more than the $150,000 that will allocated. If you were an elderly lifelong resident of the Coastal counties that did not have homeowner's insurance, for whatever reason, the allocation alone will not build a house that will meet those building codes. L.W.: I thought it was interesting that the sheriff and the mayor met with the governor and the DA was not in that meeting. The governor tried to villify the DA by saying the public defender could get any plea bargain deal he wanted. She has advocated for more assistant DA's to help reduce the case load, but it is obvious by the way this thing went down, she was not in on the discussion.

Author

Rep. Erik Fleming

Date

2006-01-10T23:37:34-06:00

ID

169963

Comment

It doesn't surprise me that the governor tried to vilify the D.A.; she fits the three demographics he has made a career out of vilifying. What does surprise me is that any of these jokers think it's constitutional to push out a duly elected D.A. with an appointed official. Also significant is that Melton is now one degree of separation away from the far right's "subhumans" rhetoric with regards to the inner city. I wonder how Bluntson and Tillman's constituents would feel about the fact that they're most likely about to become willing participants in the Southern Strategy. Cheers, TH

Author

Tom Head

Date

2006-01-10T23:57:12-06:00

ID

169964

Comment

The only thing that makes me feel good about this, BTW, is McMillan's participation. That man I like. But it disgusts me that Peterson was excluded from these discussions. There has been entirely too much of that sort of thing in Mississippi's history. I wonder if there was cigar smoke in the room, because it sounds like that's all that would have been needed to complete the effect. Cheers, TH

Author

Tom Head

Date

2006-01-10T23:58:50-06:00

ID

169965

Comment

I don't get why she wasn't included, either. Unless she couldn't make it (which I could understand considering the caseload), I don't get it. Three demographics - black, female, and...what's the other one? :-)

Author

L.W.

Date

2006-01-11T00:05:52-06:00

ID

169966

Comment

Yeah, it smells real funny to me, too. I badly want to hear her take on this. As far as Barbour goes: I was probably being a little hard on the Beav, but the third demographic was Democrats. (And that was supposed to be McMillin, not McMillan. Ack. Must. Have. Sleep.) Cheers, TH

Author

Tom Head

Date

2006-01-11T01:29:04-06:00

ID

169967

Comment

Ms. Peterson is a sharp lady. And I don't know if I know anyone who has been lied about more in recent years in the city than her. OK, maybe Mayor Johnson and Chief Moore, but she's up there. But the funny thing is it doesn't seem to bother her. She is extremely focused on her job, and seemingly not particularly interested in playing politics. I suppose that's a necessary characteristic in a district attorney. That must be one of the hardest jobs on the planet, especially in a place like Jackson. ;-) It was remarkable to me that her last opponent did not seem to think that criminal experience mattered. That was just bizarre.

Author

ladd

Date

2006-01-11T01:38:04-06:00