Jackson Free Press

In recent months, as Mississippians have debated the pros and cons of Medicaid expansion, the Jackson Free Press editorial board has repeatedly called on Republican state leaders to permit a full, open debate on the issue on the House and Senate floors. Whether borrowing from taxpayers to grow the health-care program for the poor is a wise investment is an important question, and we have criticized legislative leaders--particularly Speaker Philip Gunn--for barring any discussion on the issue. It's a grotesque display of political bullying, and it's contrary to our form of Democracy.

Republican leaders aren't the only guilty parties. We've seen the same sort of capricious muscle flexing by Hinds County Board of Supervisors President Robert Graham.

This week, when fellow supervisors attempted to provide temporary representation to District 2 citizens who have been without a voice on the board since their supervisor, Doug Anderson, died in April, Graham refused to allow the matter to be discussed.

Graham's rationale for shutting down the debate would be laughable if it were not coming from the mouth of one of the county's most powerful officials. Graham reasoned that moving forward with an interim nomination would be unfair to him because he's been too busy to read potential candidates' applications, and that a regularly scheduled board meeting was not an appropriate public forum to discuss the issue of the District 2 appointment.

Even a fellow public official appealing to Graham on behalf of the citizens of District 2 failed to move Graham to listen to either his co-equal supervisors or audience members who desperately sought recognition to address the meeting.

Graham's motivation for censoring debate is unknown. What we do know is that, as appalling as Graham's behavior was, the hissy fit is the least troubling aspect of the situation. In geographic terms, District 2 is the largest of Hinds County's five districts and, at the moment, the people who live there have few places to turn if they need to help getting services to which they're entitled as citizens and taxpayers.

What's more is that soon a second seat on the board will open up when Phil Fisher leaves at the end of the month to take the mayor's slot in Clinton. When that happens, 40 percent of residents won't have representation on the Hinds County board--about 99,000 people.

Failure to appoint representatives to vacant seats in District 2 and District 4 is a disservice to not only the people who live in those areas, but to everyone in Hinds County. The Board of Supervisors should move quickly to appoint representatives to those board seats as quickly 
as possible. And the board president must resist future urges to delay vital business.