Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Meet the Zach Scruggs Employment Act

Is HB# 1615 an attempt by Dickie Scruggs to stick Mississippi taxpayers with the bill for his "good works"? The bill states:


AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE AN INCOME TAX CREDIT FOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO CERTAIN NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE MADE TO SUPPORT THE MISSISSIPPI INTEGRATED BASIC EDUCATION AND SKILLS TRAINING MODEL PROGRAM; TO LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF THE CREDIT THAT MAY BE CLAIMED IN ANY TAXABLE YEAR; TO LIMIT THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT OF CREDITS THAT MAY BE AWARDED UNDER THIS ACT IN ANY ONE CALENDAR YEAR; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. (1) There shall be a credit against the taxes imposed by this chapter in the amount of contributions made by a taxpayer to a qualified Mississippi nonprofit organization created to serve the state community and junior college system in nonprofit endeavors that are made to support the Mississippi Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (MI-BEST) model program. The amount of the credit claimed by a taxpayer shall not exceed One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) in any taxable year. In order to qualify for the tax credit authorized by this section, the contributions shall be made to a nonprofit organization approved by the Mississippi Community College Board to match state-appropriated funds. Any unused portion of the credit may be carried forward for the three (3) succeeding tax years.

(2) The aggregate amount of credits that may be awarded in the 2017 calendar year shall not exceed Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000.00). The aggregate amount of credits that may be awarded in the 2018 calendar year shall not exceed Twelve Million Dollars ($12,000,000.00). The aggregate amount of credits that may be awarded in the 2019 calendar year and in each calendar year thereafter shall not exceed Fifteen Million Dollars ($15,000,000.00)....

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after January 1, 2017. Copy of bill.

The bill passed the House on a unanimous vote and currently resides the Senate awaiting action. The sponsors of the bill are  Trey Lamar,  Cedric Burnett, Orlando Paden, John, Hines and Kathy Sykes.  All but Mr. Lamar are Democrats.  However, Republican Lamar just happens to represent none other than Lafayette County - the home turf of Dickie Scruggs.


Hmmm..... now who just happens to be promoting this goal? Why none other than Dickie Scruggs.  The Clarion-Ledger reported two years ago:

Former hotshot attorney Dickie Scruggs, having served his time for judicial bribery and barred from ever again practicing law, has made this issue his new life passion. With the blessing of all 15 community college presidents and a cadre of adult-education experts, Scruggs launched a nonprofit called SecondChanceMS.

The organization hopes to raise $1 million this year alone to supplement the $3 million in state dollars community colleges must share for their dropout recovery efforts. The current allocation, although double what the Legislature provided just two years ago, falls short of the colleges' needs.

Some half-million high-school dropouts reside in Mississippi. An additional 14,000 join their ranks each year. If the community college system can recover just one quarter of them, it would go a long way toward raising the academic attainment level of the entire state, said Eloise Richardson, state director of adult education and GED testing..... Rest of article
 Make no mistake, helping these dropouts become more productive members of society is indeed a worthy cause. Mr. Scruggs even formed a non-profit organization, Second Chance Mississippi, that obtained 501(c)(3) status to accomplish this goal.  Hottytoddy.com reported last summer:

Second Chance Mississippi is pleased to announce that Zach Scruggs will assume the role as Executive Director.

Mr. Scruggs has been an advisor to Second Chance MS since the beginning and his passion and leadership in a formal role will take the foundation to the next level. His enthusiasm, energy and passion are an unbeatable combination. His focus for 2016 is to establish Second Chance MS as its own 501c3, ensure that it becomes self sustaining and implement a pilot program that recruits and retains adult students in Mississippi’s 15 community colleges.

“Zach is a quick learner and a hard worker. He will be an excellent Executive Director and I am glad he decided to return to Mississippi. Second Chance will grow rapidly with Zach’s energy and enthusiasm,” said Dr. Andrew Mullins, Jr., director of Mississippi Teacher Corps and serves as an advisor to Second Chance Mississippi.... Rest of press release, um, article.

Second Chance's website states:

 Mississippi ranks second to last in the Nation in workforce participation, meaning that only 55% of adult Mississippians are either employed or are looking for work.  Mississippi also ranks last in high school dropouts, with over 400,000 adults (20% of the adult population) lacking a high school diploma.  This is unacceptable to us and the overwhelming majority of Mississippians. We believe that the lack of an educated and skilled workforce in Mississippi is the root cause of every other crisis we Mississippians face, whether it be poverty, racism, childhood education and literacy, dependence...

  Our mission at 2nd Chance MS is to raise awareness and funds for adult education and works skills training.  We are actively developing programs and initiatives that will significantly increase the number of Mississippi adults that have both the education and training to obtain and keep a good paying job.

As stated earlier, these are indeed worthy goals and JJ supports the efforts of 2nd Chance Ms to help drop-outs improve their lot in life. However, the bill just happens to give a million dollar tax credit to a non-profit organization that just happens to fit the description of Mr. Scrugg's 2nd Chance MS organization.

Mr. Scruggs is obviously a man of wealth and means.  He can pay his son's salary and do his good works without having the rest of us pay for it.   Make no mistake, the legislature should increase funding for the actual programs that will help these dropouts.  However, it should not foot the bill for the Scruggs family to do the same.  The Senate should kill this bill.

23 comments:

Scruggs U said...

Won't hold my breath waiting for all the Donkeycrat sock puppets spamming your other posts Kingfish to emerge from their holes to condemn this move to line Scruggs' pockets.

Anonymous said...

I assume this is a dollar for dollar credit. Therefore, if he gives $1 million, it essentially amounts to a state appropriation of $1 million. The man just never quits ripping of the citizens of this state. Based on my reading of the court transcript, that was not his first rodeo. He was way too confident and cocky.

Anonymous said...

Pales in comparison to the explosion of outrage that is about to happen over Kemper thanks to Haley Barbour.

Anonymous said...

Hell, Mississippi citizens (taxpayers) supported his lavish lifestyle for decades before someone finally exposed his fraud and deceit and got his ass sent to jail, although not his money. Guess he figures that Mississippians should help pay for his personal PR campaign trying to rehabilitate his image, and support his poor starving child's lifestyle now.

He should be made to pay all the people who's lives he destroyed, people he screwed, with his millions, not get paid from the state treasury for any damned thing he does.

Anonymous said...

Scruggs using the law to plunder others? This is my surprised face.

Anonymous said...

Anything is possible in great state of Mississippi where coaches make $4 million per year to go 5-7 and the fans are all for giving them extensions or letting them slide when their program lacks institutional control.

Anonymous said...

Wonder what Mike Moore thinks of this law change? Oh, that's right....he's on a beach somewhere looking at his online Cayman Banking Accounts.

Anonymous said...

The Network has no shame, its not enough that they have ruined an atlhletic
program, now they wish to harm the entire state.

Anonymous said...

No surprise that Yellow Dogs
are trying to finagle taxpayer
funding for another front
organization they'll use to
campaign in 2019.

Anonymous said...

I'm not a Democrat nor a Dickie fan but I don't see a big problem with the credit. I know he is well heeled but in order to take advantage of the full $1,000,000 credit his taxable income for state income tav wold have to be in the $20,000,000 range. The program gets the money he gets the credit the state doesn't have to fund the program. How is it costing the taxpayer?

Anonymous said...

this is no different that mark baker's "self employment act" when he wanted all loan closings to be conducted "only by lawyers" so as to avoid another financial crisis......

put greedy people in charge.....guess what....they take shit

Anonymous said...

Hey 11:57, you must not clearly understand that a tax credit is a dollar for dollar offset. In effect, the state will be paying for the program via taxes that are not being collected (due to the credit) but rather diverted to the program.

Anonymous said...

So the state gives a "tax credit"....Dickie takes a "charitable tax deduction" and he controls the charity. They can pay emeployees whatever they want....I like it!!! Now, how much money did Tricky Dicky raise for the Clintons over the years? Looks like he learned a lot about how to manipulate charities from the pro's!

Hey now said...

Dickie Scruggs is a DINO. Democrat In Name Only. He donated to John McCain; second only to Lindsey Graham in War Mongering before he got popped.

The whole lot of the old guard in Mississippi can kiss my liberal ass.

Is that good enough?

Anonymous said...

11:57; a tax credit is different from a tax deduction. And the non-profit that he contributes to funds his son's (undisclosed) salary and who knows what 'expenses'. Looks like a way for the state to subsidize his family's lifestyle to me - guess he got accustomed to the feds paying for his meals and lodging over the past few years and now wants the state to do it.

Anonymous said...

I am friends on social media with folks in the extended Scruggs family. Zack and his group are doing quite well and are featured regularly vacationing, splashing in the water and enjoying the good life.

Dickie is a genius. At figuring out ways to self-enrich and bump the family coffers.

Anonymous said...

3:30 guess you don't know about ole Dickie doing fundraisers at his house for Hillary and that McCain is RHINO. Don't worry. Dickie is still a card carrying libnut.

Anonymous said...

4:44 that wouldn't be at the mansion paid for with juries and judges bought and paid for before the trials ever began, would it? The mansion that those massive judgments paid for but his conviction didn't take away? Yes, I remember reading about that fundraiser - anybody that believes Dickie is anything but an opportunist Democrat in the classic Clinton (both Billy Jeff and Hillray) style is fooling themselves.

From Rock Bottom To Redemption... said...

The latest from Dickie.....

http://oxfordmag.com/voices/dickie-scruggs-journey-from-rock-bottom-to-redemption/

Anonymous said...

#DickieScruggsDidNothingWrong

Anonymous said...

Well ain't that special. Dicky giving his testimony of "Well look at me. I'm known as Zeus. King of the really cool kids". BS topic. BS writer.

Anonymous said...

One might think that two guilties and some jail time would sort of temper the arrogance of this family. But, one would be wrong.

They're like the deacon who got caught stealing while counting the church money down in the kitchen. No longer allowed to pass the plate but he's right back the next Sunday glad-handing and grinning. People like Dickie have no soul an no moral compass.

He's a lot like Bill Clinton.

Anonymous said...

I saw he named his dog Zeus in some oxford in article. Naming your dog your nickname? That's freakin weird.


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