Jackson Jambalaya

This is yet another example of poor republican "leadership." Their philosophy-big business tax cuts, these big businesses make political contributions to their campaigns (making the republican "leaders" richer by the minute), all the while our state is broke and making cut after cut. State services-roads, healthcare, etc. that support our state and provide services to our state get the cut. But, let's keep electing these idiots so they can get richer and richer. They'll fill their campaigns with "cutting waste, helping working class, protecting your guns, making abortions illegal, not letting gays marry" rhetoric, because it distracts from the REAL issues in our state. Phil, Tate, Gunn, and the rest of them are terrible leaders. Wake. Up. Mississippi.

10:47...After an entire lifetime as a Republican I have awakened. No longer will I vote for those who use the distraction issues you listed. The Mississippi GOP leaders who supported Trump will never get my vote again. You're right that they get the contributions, enrich themselves and help the fat cats while the rest of us sink. They have rationalized their behavior in the name of religion. Shame on them and shame on us for electing them.

Who is Tater going to blame? For the rest of the country it's a time of economic expansion. I wonder if they cut corporate taxes yet.

Sock puppet alert.

How come the legislators aren't taking cuts in their "part-time" job wages?

This is where the rubber meets the road for those who choose to continue down the same path of trickle down economics or those who want to get off that ride and get back to reality.

Phil Bryant ordered $43 million more cuts from agency budgets yesterday, while Tate Reeves ushered along another Tax Credit for corporations in the Senate with Senate Bill 2939.

The Kansas legislature repealed Sam Brownbacks massive tax cuts last Friday and they made them retro active. Kansas is $1 billion in the red, Louisiana was damn near $2 billion in the red at the end of Bobby Jindal's administration.

Phil Bryant and Tate Reeves are pulling for that same distinct honor; just so they can maintain their A+ conservative ratings from the Heritage Foundation and American Conservative Union for governing with conservative principles.

It was comical seeing Americans for Prosperity standing in the legislature yesterday, asking for more tax cuts and controlled spending. When they have been the biggest benefactors from the Mississippi GOP's control for the last 10 years; even when its at the states own detriment.

Once again, we need to draw the line at Phil Bryant and not let Tate Reeves pick up where Phil leaves off.

De Gobner know his bidness. We already spend way to much on edjucation. I pick 200 pounds of cotton for de massa, what I need wit edjucaion?

Our state is stagnant. We cannot continue to enact the same policies and expect a different outcome. Mississippi needs to get serious about education at the K-12 level and stop blaming everyone and come up with a plan to advance educational opportunities for people who are poor. Having such a high poverty rate really does anchor us to the bottom.

I also do not understand the contempt towards any business that's successful, whether it's Whole Foods or an African Hair Braid shop. If business works, it helps all of us.

But - In his state of the state address the Governor indicated MS was doing quite well and had accomplished so much! Was he using " Alternative Facts"?
How come his nose is still the same size and as far as I can see he has not been struck down by lightning...

I always read on here about MS-GOP tax cuts for "Big-Business" and "Fat-Cats". Not that I do not believe you, but so as to form an opinion based on the actual law, can someone point me to the statute or bill numbers in the last four or five years wherein taxes were cut for businesses but not for John Q. Public?

What is the law and how much was cut from business or corporate tax rates?

Great, keep on cutting. Our state government is way too big and bloated. 4th largest in the country!

I'm no fan of the Governor, but this is necessary. Painful, but necessary nonetheless. It's a rare example of fundamental leadership he's displaying.

@9:24 am - do you have a source for that assertion?

9:24 - Please provide realistic back-up for your claims.

What's the opposite of cutting budgets?

Please provide realistic back-up for your claims.

Realistic? Thanks for tipping your hand.

7:28, what on earth are you talking about? AFP is somehow benefiting from budget cuts? I am a proud supporter of AFP and I don't know a single person - certainly not the organization itself - who has received a cent of government largesse.

We are spending money where we shouldn't, and that's what's keeping us from spending money where we should. As much as I like the arts, it's not government's job to prop them up. As much as I like pretty flowers along the highway, I'd rather use that money to fix a bridge. We don't need new taxes to get back to the core functions of government. We have elections every four years, so in 2019 everyone should try to send people to the legislature who will concentrate on what we need and not on what's popular.

@ 10:14am

So you are saying that the AFP is lobbying out of the kindness of their hearts?

8:25 Here are some examples:

Senate Bill 2934 from 2012 (first year of Reeves and Gunn): Increased income tax credit for ad valorem tax paid on inventory. Loss of $126 million annually per Legislative Budget Office (LBO)

House Bill 799 from 2014: Made it more difficult for the Dept. of Revenue to challenge how much a multi-state corporation assigns as Mississippi income. Also reduced the penalty interest from 12% to 6% when tax evasion is proved. $73 million annually per LBO.

Senate Bill 2933 from 2014: Changed how pharmaceutical companies allocate income to Mississippi. Loss of $15 million annually per LBO.

From fiscal year 2013 to 2017 this is $894 million in cumulative tax breaks to corporations.

Senate Bill 2858 from 2016: Starting July 2017 eliminate corporate franchise tax over ten years. Cost of $26 million per year for a total of $260 million per year after ten years. Same bill eliminated 3% personal bracket over ten years at $14.5 million per year for a total of $145 million after ten years. So, the state loses another $40 million a year in revenue starting in July.

Total for corporations: $240 million annually starting July to about $475 million annually in 10 years.

Total for taxpayers: $14.5 million annually starting in July to about $145 million annually in 10 years.

I just hope you come back and read this.

One day Phil is out raisin' taxes and the next day he's out cutting' guvmint. He's conflicted.

Links @11:36 AM?

Thank you, 11:36. That is exactly what I was looking for when I asked the question. Great information.

11:36 here with links

http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/politics/2016/07/02/tax-cuts-list/86606928/


http://www.msnewsnow.com/story/25218995/mississippi-tax-collection-changes

http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/sessions.htm

10:41, not to put too fine of a point on it, but yes. The state director for AFP is paid, as is his staff, mostly from donations received by people who care about what kind of government we have. He lobbies and organizes volunteers, like the 80+ who showed up at the Capitol yesterday, who are only too happy to lobby for the kinds of changes we want. I don't know a single one of us who make anything out of it. In fact, some of these volunteers took vacation time from work that they might have been able to cash in at some point, so you could say they paid for the privilege to lobby for better government. You should learn more about this organization before you make assumptions like that.

@ Bill 2:37pm

Sorry if I am not a champion of corporate welfare - especially when its been handed out like food stamps and that money is not reinvested back into Mississippi by creating new jobs.

Instead that money is spent on executive salaries and lobbyist for may tax credits.

So you can move along with that snake oil you are selling, I don't want any.

Looks like Josh Harkins' airport development bill has been killed by the House.

I'm confused at the surprise and outrage.

Governor Phil is a darling of the Tea Party, and campaigned on making government smaller. So don't you guys want him to cut the budget? Shouldn't he keep cutting and cutting? Isn't that why you elected him?

4:27, what on earth are you talking about? AFP hasn't asked for nor have they received any corporate welfare. I think maybe you're getting us mixed up with someone else. We don't like corporate welfare any more than you do.

The surprise and outrage is coming from Donkeycrats and maybe some stray RINOs.

11:36/1:39...Your links don't really back up anything at all that was said earlier in the discussion. What was requested was a link for the outlandish claim that "Our state government is way too big and bloated. 4th largest in the country!"

It's that sort of bullshit claim that proves most of you to be sophomores at Millsaps.

Hey 5:21 PM

A poster at 12:42 PM specifically asked for links related to 11:36 AM. The "4th largest in the country" requests for links were at 9:55 AM and 9:57 AM and an entirely different topic.

Perhaps you should try a remedial reading retention course at Hinds. You would never get in at Millsaps.

Gallo says if we eliminated income taxes corporations would flock to Mississippi. It all they need to get them to Mississippi.

Here's your data to show that we have the fourth largest government in the country. Would have gotten it to you sooner but I was busy working this afternoon to earn more tax dollars that you liberals can spend on another government program. http://www.governing.com/gov-data/public-workforce-salaries/states-most-government-workers-public-employees-by-job-type.html

Did you guys know that the earth was flat?

Thanks 8:31

Yeah those pesky government programs for K-12, higher education, corrections, mental health, and debt service sure are a pain. Which one should we cut?

By the way, that study you reference is from 2014 and your assertion of Mississippi having the 4th largest state government in the nation is WRONG. That 4th place is based on state AND local. Might want to pay closer attention. If you sort based on state government, the three year old data puts Mississippi at 10th.

And the article has this caveat: Data are not intended to measure government efficiency or quality of public services. But since you have your mind already made up, there is no sense in letting facts interfere with your alternative facts.

I'm ok with tax cuts as long as you have enough revenue to cut. We need to quit building museums and stupid stuff. And start putting our money into roads, infrastructure for economic development and community development. Folks that is what brings jobs and increases quality of life. Giving Walmart a tax cut and building a museum doesn't. Got to be smarter!!!! We have enough money to make things better!!!

Was there ever any doubt that @11:02 PM would shoot down the report and foist themselves upon JJ readers as the ultimate arbiter of fact(s)?

@ 6:43am

I agree with you to a point.

Actually museums are a tourism attraction where you can bring in some out of state dollars. However, the damn flag is a major detraction. Outsiders believe everything down here resembles every scene from "Mississippi Burning"

Florida, Louisiana, Tennessee, even Alabama are now realizing how important tourism is. Florida knew about it eons ago. Louisiana, every time you turn around there's a damn festival going on there. Tennessee with Nashville, took off like a rocket. Alabama with Birmingham and Mobile, is light years more advanced than any city in Mississippi. You see where this is going?

Our legislators want to pretend we are headed in that direction and we are not.

We are giving out international type incentive packages to corporations that are not calling Mississippi home. It's delusional and short sighted.

While the revenues that are coming in, may look like a lot of money, but in all essence, its not enough to accomplish what we need to accomplish with our infrastructure.

Logistically, this state is routed all kinds of crazy. We should have focused on the southern end of the state and then focused on the northwest section. The ports on the gulf coast can be a major player when it comes to importing goods into America. In turn we need faster transportation to disburse those goods. Highway 49 South is antiquated and a logistical nightmare.

Even in times of detrimental weather to the gulf coast, a true interstate should have been installed years ago, to increase travel times from central Mississippi to the Gulf Coast.

Not only would that give more access to the GC, but it would help with the disbursement of goods across the south and midwest.

You can't expect businesses to come into a state with poor logistics, poor infrastructure, and an under-educated workforce. The Republican super-majority keep passing legislation that puts Mississippi in a terrible predicament.

Guv Phil Bryant is riding the lead horse as Mississippi heads into the worst government fiscal crisis in its history. But, "the state of our state is better than ever."

9:08; not one soul in two million have an opinion one way or another about Confederate emblems, including the one on our state flag. It's dunces such as yourself you think that's important to a nation struggling to get past the move toward socialism that was advanced by the past president.

Nobody, in fact, is now or has ever been offended by a Confederate emblem or symbol until they were told they SHOULD BE by mush-headed liberals like you and those behind college podia. Find something productive to which you can devote time.

@ 5:29pm

Oh you just got finished watching The Andy Griffith Show, or was it Leave it to Beaver? Perhaps Fathers Knows Best?

Well let me help you out, see this is 2017 and black people no longer sit in the back of the bus. They even actually live past Lynch Street. Heck there's even been 3 black Mayors of Jackson.

Here's another funny tidbit, there even was a colored fella that served as President of these United States! Yessir!

You see in the 21st century, the rest of the country has moved on from the war of Northern Aggression! Even Louisiana, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, and even the state we followed when we seceded from the Union - South Carolina! Yep, sho'nuff! South Kakalaki lowered the Confederate flag!

You should see all the nice shiny big buildings, paved roads, and the NCAA tournaments in all the major sports hosted in those states, bowl games too! OOOOOOO-weeeee they doing some mighty fine things! Big, big, big things!

Yep, sho'nuff! But you know what we have in Mississippi? Well? I guess we just got Mississippi.

Let's hold on to that confederate emblem! It will keep us warm and fuzzy, and po! I guess we all gonna stay po, but long as we po' together - thats all that really matters!

But hey, we got that confederate emblem on our state flag!

Meanwhile the #1 products purchased with food stamps are soft drinks.

6:57 - you left out some stuff. Like "Every city that refuses to fly the state flag is inundated with crime and an escalating murder number". Show us one problem that's been solved by moaning about a flag or emblems or statues. Zero. That shit only gives you douche-bags something to chatter about when you sit cross-legged in Fondren smoking weed.

@ 7:17am

You are thinking small! Well that's obvious when you are a troglodyte

But we are thinking big - we want to host major events in Mississippi and attract some real companies that want to take advantage of our cost efficient labor.

With the current stupid flag, that will not happen!