Jackson Free Press

Belhaven Democrat David Blount threw his hat into the race for the Hinds County District 29 Senate seat last Wednesday. Blount told the JFP that he wants to present a more middle-class-friendly attitude to residents in Terry, Byram and South Jackson.

"There are a couple of key issues where I have a different set of opinions than (incumbent) Sen. Richard White," Blount said. "The first is cutting the sales tax on groceries. Mr. White voted against cutting the grocery tax five times last year, but I strongly believe we need to cut the sales tax on groceries. It's the highest in the country, and it's a basic tax fairness issue for Mississippians."

Records show White voted against two conference reports, two general passage votes and two veto overrides on two bills supporting the grocery tax during the last session.

The 39-year-old Blount said he also parts company with White regarding school funding.

"Mr. White has voted consistently against (the Mississippi Adequate Education Program) and local school funding, which has cost school districts millions of dollars," Blount says, referring to a chart showing the more than $20 million Hinds County lost due to Senate-supported MAEP shortfalls since 2004. Blount says White regularly shirked fully funding the program, and even voted against the bill forming the program in 1997.

White, 58, a Terry resident, says he will support MAEP this election year.

"I do plan to vote for adequate education, but I'm not the one who can force the issue. I don't even serve on the Education or Appropriation Committees. … But I do have some people in my district who would like to see (MAEP fully funded)."

White said that schools and colleges in the state "have done very well by the people in leadership right now," and added that he would "stick with the leadership" on what they want to do. White said he voted conservatively to short MAEP outside of election years to protect the state's delicate budget.

White did not deny his opposition to the minimum-wage increase. He frequently votes in line with lobbyists like the Business and Industry Political Action Committee, which vigorously opposes the wage hike.

"I'm not so sure that the government should be in the business of setting minimum wage. … I have a BIPAC vote (record) that I would hold to anybody," White said, explaining that the issue of raising the minimum above poverty-level wages ($5.15 an hour) should be left to the federal government. "I'm a businessman. I have employees. David is not. Frankly, I think the feds are over that (issue) no matter what we do."

The issue may fall to state legislators, however, since Republicans in the U.S. Senate delayed a minimum wage vote last month.

White disputes Blount's argument that he is a lackey of Gov. Haley Barbour, explaining that he solidly votes in accord with the governor on most issues because of similar ideologies, not political cronyism.

"I have a great respect for Haley Barbour. I've known him for many years and me and him do have a lot of the same ideas … and I think he's just like me. Usually, the Senate votes before Barbour casts his vote on most issues anyway, so I vote ahead of him. But no, I don't think I've ever voted against the governor in the past. I don't think I've ever done that."

District 29 is in transition, with urbanization creating a swell of voters more skeptical toward Barbour, particularly on issues like the cigarette tax and MAEP. The race for White's seat will likely be as competitive as it was during the last election. White initially lost the election to Dewayne Thomas, but a Senate committee ruled to hold a re-vote when tallies revealed several hundred un-initialed paper ballots in Hinds County. The Senate passed the panel's decision on a 35-to-13 vote. White carried the district after the re-vote.

"Re-elections give strength to the incumbent," said Sen. Hob Bryan, D-Amory, who unsuccessfully pushed an amendment to limit the re-vote to precinct 94, where the paper ballots were not initialed. Thomas' votes in that urban precinct topped White by more than 400 ballots. "I didn't see the point in holding a re-election when it was just one district really having problems."

The panel that initially passed the decision to hold a re-election consisted of two Democrats and two Republicans, but one of the Democrats, Sen. H. Nolan Mettetal of Sardis, regularly votes Republican. The second Democrat on the Senate panel, James "Shannon" Walley, of Leakesville, recently switched to the Republican Party.

White says District 29 is "largely conservative," and predicted an easy win in November, while Blount described the district as "highly competitive," and predicted a searing battle.

"Because this district is so competitive, what will determine the outcome is where the candidates stand on the issues," Blount said.

Other candidates hoping to enter the race must qualify by March 1.

Previous Comments

ID

67393

Comment

Bump. District 29 is racially gerrymandered, but I think Blount still has an excellent chance against White, who (we need to remember) was neck and neck with Dewayne Thomas last time around--and that was before the Katrina influx. Richard White is one of my least favorite Mississippi senators. He is completely subservient to Nunnelee, whose hatred for black, female, and low-income Mississippians shines through in every vote. Cheers, TH

Author

Tom Head

Date

2007-02-04T17:13:57-06:00

ID

67394

Comment

Oh, duh, "neck and neck" is an understatement. Note to self: Read first, comment second. And I do find the potential Jim Crow dynamic of the White-Thomas revote interesting--low-income residents are much less likely to be able to take time off to vote twice. Cheers, TH

Author

Tom Head

Date

2007-02-04T17:17:37-06:00

ID

67395

Comment

I'd chalk it up to his buddies kept him in office the last time. I'd agree he needs to go as well. I just wish the Dems and Repubs would hurry up and do another ideological switch again so the Republicans would sound reasonable for once. :D

Author

Ironghost

Date

2007-02-04T18:56:25-06:00

ID

67396

Comment

I wave no fustian flag of mockery here sir, but if you dare not debate me than I shall not bother you. Religion and politics are too embarrassing for the school marm and tea time ladies. I did not know you were so delicate.

Author

Abram Weaver

Date

2007-02-04T20:47:01-06:00

ID

67397

Comment

Sorry but that last commentary was meant for Mr. Head. I meant to post to his article about the Dummycrat Congress. Please disregard.

Author

Abram Weaver

Date

2007-02-04T20:54:49-06:00

ID

67398

Comment

Abram: Rousseau likes a good debate. Just try to do something besides name calling or just saying "cuz the Bible says so".

Author

Kingfish

Date

2007-02-04T21:21:29-06:00

ID

67399

Comment

Abram: We honestly don't need another covert troll. If you come armed for debate, fine.

Author

Ironghost

Date

2007-02-04T21:39:11-06:00

ID

67400

Comment

If he read the Bible, he'd be well aware of the usual "grinding the face of the poor" passages in Isaiah, not to mention the words of Jesus himself with respect to "the least of these," the parable of the Good Samaritan, and so forth. No need to cite chapter and verse because everyone who believes in the authority of the Bible knows where these passages are and where to find them. No self-respecting evangelical would admit to not caring whether children die of malaria, even if he didn't. He's also trying to bait me on the "school marm" and "tea time ladies" comments because he knows I'm a NOW officer. I call BS. I debate evangelicals all the time, and this is no evangelical. This is a seasoned troll who's obviously bored out of his wits and presumably has a new IP address to play with, and that's fine, but I'll save my arguments for people who are actually putting forth arguments they agree with. Cheers, TH

Author

Tom Head

Date

2007-02-04T22:57:50-06:00

ID

67401

Comment

Amos has a few things to say about how the poor should be treated as well.

Author

Kingfish

Date

2007-02-04T23:06:32-06:00

ID

67402

Comment

Agreed, Fish--Amos is actually stronger than Isaiah in this respect, and is the Prophet I should have cited. Thank you! Cheers, TH

Author

Tom Head

Date

2007-02-04T23:14:09-06:00

ID

67403

Comment

No self-respecting evangelical would admit to not caring whether children die of malaria, even if he didn't. Amen, brother. Otherwise, Abram, please read the User Agreement. You are atrociously in violation. This is your last call, or the last time I will say anything to you before suspension. Buck up.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2007-02-04T23:43:54-06:00

ID

67404

Comment

I'm tellin ya, they have a plan. and its hard to keep track of all the copies. Now if we could just find out who the final five trolls are.

Author

Kingfish

Date

2007-02-05T00:28:47-06:00