Jackson Jambalaya

KF, I have a question. Apologies if it is a dumb one. I just dont understand something so maybe you can help.

When working with budgets, you have several entries that have a dollar figure next to them. For example, any business would have overhead costs broken down by category. Normally the categories would be listed down such as utility bills, insurance, office supplies, phones, rent, salaries, taxes, etc.

If an entity is requesting funds, such as the Education group, why doesn't anyone see that detailed budget? How come we don't see that X% of their budget goes to xyz cost. The idea of screaming--this is for the kids--seems very silly to me because 100% of the money budgeted to education can't possibly do this. Education is a business, they want public funding, let's see that budget.

What's the percentage that is set aside for upper employees? What's the percentage that is set aside for teachers? What's the percentage set aside for stuff that we didn't even know they were doing? To me, its not about rhetoric (sp?), its a business wanting more funds. My first question will always be--lets see where the millions are going now before we go any further. Maybe there is a solution here that you just don't want to take.

Is that just an assinine way of looking at it?

There is a legislative budget request made by each agency that is VERY detailed. Also not cheap. I have medicaid's and it was $50 just for copying charges for one department. Something that should be online.

Thanks, I just didn't know. I agree, it should be available to the public but the public should not be penalized for seeing it.

I wonder why these budget requests aren't part of Ms Policy something (I can't remember their name) website? Some time last year I believe, they had introduced a website that showed all of this information from the government agencies, etc. I remember they were on radio commercials talking about it. Maybe I'm just too simple about this, but it seems if there is a legislative budget request for public funds, that request should be available on that website. I appreciate that it costs money for paper copies of something (paper, toner, etc), but it should be a choice: scanned document available to the public without penalty/cost or printed paper copy with reasonable copy-costs (5 cents a page or something like that).

Electronic copies ensure there is no cost to the public (paying for it) and no cost to the agency (for copy supplies). So much is done electronically now and at such a lower cost, seems wasteful to not utilize it.

The Democratic "Trust"??? Wasn't this foundation created just so contributors could donate to an entity they can "trust" unlike, say, the Mississippi Democratic "Party"? Which means that libs who don't trust the Democratic Party with their own money are more than happy to insist that taxpayers should dump more of their money into public education. Screw 'em.

10:41; you seemed set on circular reasoning but somehow fell short.

MS Democratic Trust - nothing but Matt Eichelberger (Cottenchicken) and his running buddy, Brandon Jones - recently relieved of his post as a Dem legislator from Jackson County. Brandon created this so that he could try to remain relevant. (He was relavant earlier because he was the vote that put Billy McCoy into his second term as Speaker!)

The MS Democratic Trust is just as much a paper tiger as is the MS Democratic Party. Only difference is the players that think someone cares about what they think.

Despite having contributed to Matt's blog from time to time and conversing via Facebook with former Rep. Jones, I have never met the men who are behind this entity so I'm not really qualified to talk about them. Like many of you, I don't think they'll be able to pull the Democrat Party out of the ditch, but I give them credit for believing in something enough to give it a try. Anyone worth his salt has thought that at some point in his life he can make a difference, and Lord knows the time is certainly ripe for someone in the Democrat Party in Mississippi to try and make a difference. They were able to raise enough money to get them going, which probably got under the skin of Rickey Cole and the state party, and I applaud them for making the commitment even if I don't agree with their cause. Bill Billingsley

Isn't that what JH is for?

Maybe Fill Bryant can plan a 5k for education since that is how he is going to solve the obesity problem. Or he could ask the same old bureaucrats that have been around for years to find a solution like he is doing with teen pregnancy.

I saw Steve Holland on the news last night pumping away on a Schwinn Airdyne. He claimed he'd lost something like a hundred and twenty pounds. A face lift is in order to complete the job. He's the new poster-boy for Bryant's 'Git Fit' campaign. No matter what he manages to lose or how buff he gets (snort), he's still Steve Holland.


"Fill Bryant"....love that!