Jackson Jambalaya

For too long, Mississippi has had a history considered biased against anything cultural or intellectual. Remember the legislator in the 1980's who infamously stated, "We don't need no Harvards here."? For a time however, it seemed Mississippi was finally getting it right when it created the schools for the gifted. For too long, Mississippi has been afflicted with brain drain since its best students too often moved to other states.

Unfortunately, some of our legislators are determined to repeat the past and have declared war on our best students. The leader of the latest shenanigans is State Representative Cecil Brown, once the Chief of Staff for Ray Mabus and ironically considered one of the smartest people in state government. Regardless of his credentials, his recent actions show when you scratch the surface, this liberal who is on the right lists and receives accolades from our so called "creative" class, is just as anti-progressive as any tobacco-spittin' share-cropping backwoods redneck Mississippi legislator from the 1800's or 1950's.

In this case, Mr. Brown decided to sneak into a bill a provision to charge parents of said students $500 a semester for room and board. As a bean-counting, out of touch CPA, he naturally defended his attack on the families of these students by claiming, "It's a matter of equity," Brown said. "Why would we pay for room and board for children of parents who can pay for their room and board? This would only apply for parents who can afford it."

Why indeed, Mr. Brown. Since you are obviously caught up in debits and credits, perhaps it's time someone reminded you not all monies spent are expenses but instead are investments. They did teach you about investments when you were majoring in Accounting, didn't they?

For too long, Mississippi suffered from a very poor history of educating its children. Too many people moved away because there was little opportunity to better themselves through education or work. The small amount of money spent on these students' room and board by Mississippi is an investment in their future AND in Mississippi's. If Mississippi is to advance in the 21st century, it needs to invest in its best students and figure out ways to keep them home where they are needed.

Mr. Brown's logic reminds me of a bad manager I had one time who told me the company could make a profit even at the bottom of the market. Needless to say, that company went out of business as even itsdiscovered it couldn't avoid the laws of economics. Mr. Brown did have his chance once in the Mabus administration, which saw state finances in disarray as they were completely mismanaged and plagued by deficits. If anything, Mr. Brown should be kept away from deciding what is best for our state. One hopes Governor Barbour kills this bill, even if it means we have to call a special session and write a new education bill from scratch.

News article: http://search.clarionledger.com/sp?eId=100&gcId=20280924&rNum=2&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.clarionledger.com%2Fapps%2Fpbcs.dll%2Farticle%3FAID%3D2008804170371&siteIdType=2
Editorial: http://search.clarionledger.com/sp?eId=100&gcId=20280924&rNum=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.clarionledger.com%2Fapps%2Fpbcs.dll%2Farticle%3FAID%3D2008804190320&siteIdType=2