Jackson Jambalaya

Good for him. I respect him for this decision. Hard to move aside and not pursue higher office just because you can.

Michael Watson? Ha. What's he going to audit? Too much cussing and dancing by the Mormons? That will make his appointment of Hyde-Smith look like a home run.

Stacey Pickering's video on his resignation was very well done. Seems like a good guy. He actually got some stuff done in this position as opposed to so many of the former state auditors who used it as a stepping stone.

Seems like a guy you would want to work with. Lord knows our veterans need somebody to whip these agencies into shape.

Kingfish. You made that up. Bubba Watson is more qualified to be state auditor than Senator Watson.

Who was next on the list behind Cindy Hyde Smith? McDanial? That was a typo, but dang I just discovered a great way to type his name. But seriously, was McDanial considered? He would make a great auditor.

Somebody from Rankin County or close proximity is about to get the anointing.

I wonder who all was rumored to be running for this next year if Stacey ran for something else? You have to assume many aspiring political types were thinking about it. This might be the position with the most action next election. I guess SOS may have a few candidates also if Delbert runs for Gov or Lt Gov.

Watson is a good guy. Not sure he can win in 2019 unless other coast candidates emerge in other races. 2019 appears to be another good year for Rankin County.

Can he do the job out of the RV from Disneyworld?

Congrats To Pickering “ A Good Man “
Hope he can clean up the V.A. And Re-Honor Those Vets “
———————-
Please Make A New Header for This
“Maroon and White Courage and Spunk “,,,,
Congrats To The MSU Dawgs !!!
Cudoes To Coach Gary Henderson For An
Outstanding Job of Bringing These Young
Warriors so Far to ( The College World Series )
I have Played , Coached , Officiated in
And Around Baseball My Whole Life To
The Highest Levels.
MSU Atheletic Director John Cohen
is A Supreme Idiot For Letting
Coach Henderson go. What an Insult to
A Man of Character. I Hope The MSU
Alumni voice their true Dissapointment
In This DumbAss Decision. Let’s Nominate
Jake Mangum to be the first Player / Coach
To Lead The Dogs in their New Stadium.
Mr. A.D. I hope they kick you A —so hard you can
Taste shoe polish on your gutless lips.

Mary Hawkins is on the phone now with Pheel begging for the appointment so she can wage war against her enemies at the cost of the tax payers. Please pheel put me in....... I’ll do anything if you just appoint me. I’ll hire your daughter as the lawyer. Please pheel.

Phil has a chance to redeem his legacy since the Hyde-Smith debacle or make it worse. I can't imagine Mayor Mary getting appointed, but there aren't exactly a lot of good options.

Stacy Pickering did a fine job! He Will be hard to replace. He not only audited, he and his staff worked with officials to help educate and train how to do things the correct way. But everyone knew that if they didn't do things correctly, you would pay the price. Again thank you Stacy for putting together a great staff and serving our state.

Promoted???? You know better King Fish!! Buy an ad and you get good headlines!! Dare you to post this!!

The appointment will be Phil’s pick for next tea party darling. Will have nothing to do with the ability to audit anything or run a large state department. Experience not required! Just wear a trucker hat.

Saaaaalute!

Any enemy of Mayor Hawkins is a friend of mine. Congrats Mr Pickering.

Josh Harkins for Auditor! That would be the best choice, but we all know Phil does the things wrong!

Dogcatchers up and down the state are breathing a sigh of relief.

Who is the best Rankin co resident and deputy sheriff who went to USM?

We're about to see just how connected Madame Hawkins really is. She's thought for years that her deep connections (imaginary) to the Barbour and Cochran Klans would reward her one day. It ain't gonna happen. Rudy Warnock has a better shot at becoming State Auditor than Queen Mary does.

Stacey's gonna have to come to work now - no more three day workweeks! He has to answer to a Board now!

Phil should obviously appoint the gentleman from Rankin who uses his elected position to help his commercial real estate company. But the airport seizure had nothing to do with that. We know, because he said so.

Several thoughts-
What the heck does Pickering know about running a nursing home? Nothing. Is he licensed as a nursing home administrator? Nope! This is dumb move on behalf of the Veteran’s Board (Almost as dumb as people speculating on Gunn being the next Pres of MC...at least MC Board of Trustees knew better),
This will open up another opportunity for Philbilly to make another mistake...I mean appointment. The world is watching, Philbilly. Let’s keep MS in last place!

Cory Wilson would make a great state auditor.

Never was a fan of Pickering. He lied to me one time, then cussed me like a dog when I called him out on it. When I told him I would be happy to come visit him and we could discuss it face to face, he hung up on me. I'm a conservative, but would vote for a democrat before I would vote for Pickering.

Why not Elvis?

Remind me why this is an elected position? Other than as a booster seat for higher office?

Some of these posts are funny. You guys act like the Governor is appointing somebody to Congress. Harkins and Watson may be fine legislators but what has that got to do with being a State Auditor? Harkins is a real estate guy.

The State Auditor has to over see a large staff of professionals. And be a politician. Stacey was perfect for it. Managing is different that politicking. I bet Phil promotes somebody on the inside for 18 months that at least knows how to audit and how the department works.

Why not McDaniel? He finally gets a stepping stone. Gets him off the US Senator bandwagon for a few years.

And the wheels on the bus go round and round......Pickering is a coward. He never even tried to uncover the deep fraud rife throughout Mississippi government that everyone knows exists. Someone likely pressured his lazy ass (Dept of Justice?) to start doing something or else.....that's why he's stepping aside, and just pursuing that pension. Just another ancestor of the good ole' boys of old that don't have the backbone to represent Mississippians with conviction. All of them - Bryant on down - just a bunch of hicks and hacks getting rich off the field hands.

Watson is an opportunist joke. Like McDaniel a trial lawyer in tea party clothes.
Someone needs to review his lackluster track record in the State Senate...

What has Cory Wilson ever done? What have any of these names actually done?

I am for Michael Watson. If not, Harkins.

@ 8:12 AM

Being a veteran is a requirement. Despite McDaniel's professed love for America, United States of, I don't think he ever served anyone but himself, much less his country.

I do not think "promoted" is the right word. Transferred to obscurity?

I think it's a thirty to forty thousand dollar a year raise for him so one can't blame him for taking the job. Greer is a CPA and kicked some serious butt on the Hinds County Board of Supervisors as Airwave and Malachi can attest. Did a decent job as Madison County Admin until Bishop and Steen ran him off. Of course we know what those two think of good government.

Harkins also ticked off some people with the airport fight and let's face it, if you are going to be a state auditor, then you need to have a thick skin. Hasn't been known as a Tate or Phil person in the legislature. Stuck with it on a boring topic, muni appointments, and didn't quit when Jim Hood tried to block the law. Starts out with a strong base. Phil's going to appoint someone who has a good chance of winning next year.

Sounds like someone important wanted to quietly get Pickering out of the spotlight and into a cushy job.

Watson can win in 2019 and will give the hard right a flag bearer. This, and a strong south Mississipi vote in McDaniel's base area could be enough. He should lead the primary with enough momentum to beat any likely democrat contenders, unless he stumbles badly.

Kingfish, Greer already ran for state office and didn't show too well. But he would be a good auditor.

Harkins is not all that popular outside of Rankin.

Kingfish, what will Pickering's new salary be?

Again, why Harkins or Watson but not McDaniel? McDaniel is the only one to show interest beyond the legislature.

McDaniel's not getting appointed to anything. Governor made that split pretty clear several months ago.

Billy Hughes. Henry Barbour. Gregg Harper

I'm shocked! Is gambling going on in the next room also?

Pickering has been trying to get an appointment to damn near anything for the past several years - ED of DOR; ED of Community College Board; anything - as long as it gave him a higher salary. Claims he couldn't afford to keep the Auditor job and its $90k/year (plus of course, doing like Jim Hood and Lynn Fitch, living out of their "campaign" accounts).

To those that are commenting on what a great job he did as auditor - name three cases of significance that he went after. Not a Deputy Clerk in the Chancery office, or a retired Justice Court Judge, but rather some significant corruption. Refused to touch a county supervisor anywhere in the state - acting on the theory that they are politically powerful and he needed their support (probably something he learned from his predecessor). Always quick to give a reason why he couldn't look into corruption reports, and reluctant to take on cases with officials who's name would mean something in a news article.

Of course, since his recent "mobilazations" (actually deployments seeing as how he volunteered for them) he has been able to supplement his state salary by collecting it AND his military salary on top - instead of offsetting it as most military/elected officials do. Legal, I'm sure, but appropriate is questionable.

Wish him well in his new position - another entitlement handed to the Pickering clan.

Is Steve Patterson still available?

Phil limits his appointments to USM alums. I wonder if Brett Favre might be interested. He is as qualified as Harkins and Watson, if not more so.

Michael Watson is a done deal. Pickering taking over at Veteran's Affairs and Watson being appointed auditor have been in the works for several months. Anyone know what the veteran's position pays? My guess is that Pickering is receiving a substantial raise. The auditor's job doesn't pay very well. It is really time for the salaries of statewide officials to be increased. As it is, very few qualified people can live off those salaries unless they are independently wealthy.

Thanks Mr. Watson.

Sorry Kingfish, Greer was not on the State CPA list last time I looked.

Kingfish said: "Greer...did a decent job as Madison County Admin until Bishop and Steen ran him off. Of course we know what those two think of good government."

AMEN! Greer is a credible and honest man who knows the value of hard work and dedication. Arguably the best hire made in Madison County in the past twenty years until two goober-hicks who think they run the county reminded him that his employment was contingent upon pleasing them and ran him off.

When you are dead set on unscrupulous shenanigans, the last thing you want around is an honest employee. That defines Gerald Steen and David Bishop who ran Greer off. Greer would be an excellent candidate for the job of Auditor. If anybody has any dirt on him or bad things to say about him, POST IT! You can't.

Thanks again Mr. Watson. You obviously are working the blogs hard!

Go to CPAverify.org and yes, there is a Tony Monette Greer in Clinton, MS that was certified in 1991. License expires 12/31/18 and he was licensed in 1991 so I betcha that's him. Great middle name! I doubt he wants the job, but no need to post stuff untrue about him.

By the way, the recaptcha thing at cpaverify.org is way worse than the one on JJ!

Was Mabus a CPA? Was Tommy (the joke) Dyson?

Wouldn't we rather have an honest man (albeit a non CPA) in the job that some guy who can't keep his car tags on the right vehicle (Patterson) or another one who had repetitive zipper issues (Dyson)? Or one who works three days a week and purchases a Winnebago with campaign contributions (Pickering).

We have had enough of that around here. Time for honesty and effectiveness built on energy and ethics.

5:05 just got check mated

Congrats to Mr. Pickering. I hate all of this politics, I think the department did a good job under his watch and I hope the next person is qualified. Steve Patterson, good gosh.

8:20 - Please accept the same challenge issued by the poster at June 26, 2018 at 11:41 AM.

You'll probably have trouble scrolling, so let me paste it here for you: "To those that are commenting on what a great job he did as auditor - name three cases of significance that he went after. Not a Deputy Clerk in the Chancery office, or a retired Justice Court Judge, but rather some significant corruption."

Take your time now.

Stacey Pickering was very successful at rounding up low hanging fruit like school clerks.Have most already forgotten all of his double dealing in the Ms.DMR scandal? How much money has been collected from those found guilty in that criminal scheme? What have Scott and Bill Walker repaid to the taxpayers of this state? He is famous for publishing large dollar amounts in his annual report that never get collected. Also what happened to the investigation of Pickering for the misuse of money? Swept under the rug?

Jimmy Morton

Phil appoints people who stand a good chance of being elected next time? How soon you forget Cindy Bryant-Hyde. She may have a 2% better chance since Wicker is running her ads now and Bryant continues to push her name in front of us. Otherwise, she has maybe a 30% chance of election.

Now she's posing with a Patriot Guard member. Next she'll be in 'jeans and high boots' on the back of Phil's borrowed motor scooter (state flag curiously hoisted in the background just for the sake of subliminal messaging).

Who in the world is up at 2:00 am ripping Stacey Pickering? Probably somebody he fired and is now working as a security guard at Walmart at 2:00am

And keep coming up with names because all I’ve heard so far are political cronies who have never run anything.

Was quoting a rule of thumb. I know what you are saying though.

There’s a difference in running for something and being able to run something. State Auditor is not like showing up for work as a legislator. You have to manage a department of professionals on top of all of the politicking.

$122,000.00 a year

Regardless of what time of day a challenge is issued or re-issued, name three things Pickering has ever done to curtail, address or lessen corruption in elected office in Mississippi.

If three is too high a number for you, go for two.

June 27, 2018 at 6:56 AM....THIS IS FOR YOU.

Boom. Checking 1, 2, 3...

From what I have read here, if it is factual, it sounds like the Legislators need to change some laws. If an elected official in any capacity in this state can double dip while on Military Leave, not show up for work, not have to take vacation and or sick leave while absent, something is terribly wrong.
I would think any public employee in any capacity whether it be city, county, or state would be charged criminally for doing any of these things,and terminated.

IS THEIR ANY WAY TO CATCH THE BRIBERY AND UNDER THE TABLE DOLLARS GOING ON TO THE CITY COUNCIL MEMEBERS BEING PAID.
OTHERWISE WHY WOULD THEY BE THERE.???? KELP PIC B 4 U LEAVE "
ANOTHER CONSULTANT ADVISORY FIRM HAS BEEN APPROVED TO STUDY DOWNTOWN JACKSON - $ 500,000 SPLITT HOW MANY WAYS ?? DAMN LETS RUN FOR CITY COU
WHAT FOOL WOULD WANT TO BUILD ANOTHER OBUTROSS BLDG NEXT TO
THE CONVENTION CENTER ?
QUESTION -HAS ANYONE ASKED FOR A FULL AUDITED REPORT ON THE CONVENTION
CENTER , STANDARD LIFE . THAILIA MARA HALL . THE SPACE DOME, WESTIN HOTEL ,,,, ON AND ON OF COURSE NOT
NOW WE KNOW WHY FOLKS MIGRATE HERE TO INVEST / BRIBE / GET PAID / ETC.