Apparently the grocery industry in Mississippi can't survive without government help. The legislature passed the "Grocer Investment Act" this week. Representative Jeff Smith's bill purports to increase "access to retail food outlets that sell fresh fruits, vegetables, and other healthy food." Some highlights of HB #1132 are:
* The Mississippi Development Authority will help develop "quality food outlets" that will expand markets for farmers and create jobs. Gee, where have we heard that one before?
* The program will "provide a dedicated source of financing for healthy food retailers operating in underserved communities in both urban and rural areas...". Yes, the state is going to finance grocery stores that will compete with Froogells, Kroger, Walmart, and other privately funded grocery stores.
* MDA will be able to provide grants and loans to establish such programs. It can contract with non-profit organizations. Here come the sticky fingers.
* Program can provide funding for new construction, store renovations that improve availability or quality of fresh produce, farmers markets, and other projects. Working capital for "initial inventory" is included.
* Don't worry, the applicant for our money "shall not locate the project in an area where it would be directly competing against an existing food retailer." So the applicant gets a state-sanctioned monopoly in an area? Is the state going to fund a second start-up in the same food desert?
The bill has an extended repealer that does not expire until July 1, 2022. Click here for more information on bill.
Only Senators Hill, Watson, McDaniel and Seymour voted against the bill while Representatives Bomgar and Criswell did as well.
27 comments:
Looks like Socrates is getting into the grocery business with MAC Construction in charge of site development and, of course, Derick Johnson will become a "product Management" consultant. The Blackmon's will get the legal work and Lee Vance will be in charge of store security.
Can't wait to see the P/L's from this F__K up.
Free the land-
and this is a Conservative state? this sounds like socialism to me..republican socialists. who knew?
anyway- i’m sure, like all of you, i’ve been to a grocery store. it seems that people with less money load up on frozen food, even when there’s fresh options readily available.
what a waste!
We have plenty of money for this ephemeral scheme, but we don't have enough to get a decent teacher pay raise through. When I say teacher pay raise, I don't mean pay raises for "Hinds county school administrators" et al.
KF, why would you think this is not merely a corporate welfare subsidy to the already existing "Froogells, Kroger, Walmart, and other privately funded grocery stores" that are already in place? Kroger and WalMart are active political contributors to this bill's author.
Next thing you know they'll get involved with the liqueur business. Oh wait... forgot.
Will the state provide funding for medical pot dispensaries? Every community must have one and no one should have to drive outside of their extended neighborhood to get some bud from the magical plant. We can't create medical pot deserts. Absolutely not.
Wait just a damned second, here: the state is going to finance or co-sign loans for grocery stores that will take "food stamps" [or whatever food stamps and other similar entitlements are called this week]? If they are allowed to sell beer, tobacco and lottery tickets (I mean, let's not go completely nuts with this health shit, OK?), this has all the makings of a world-class trough-assemblage on an epic scale. Basically, the state is going to use taxpayer funds to put up the capital for, ahem, suitable candidates, to open numerous businesses in areas where entitlements are a huge part of the area's expenditures, and then, the state will use taxpayer funds to support the very enterprise that these, ahem, suitable candidates, got the taxpayer dollars to open in the first place. Damn, credit where it is due, it would be a brilliant scheme, except for...well, let's not go there quite yet.
Around the bowl and down the hole,,,,,
Bill never said anything about where monies for the program are coming from??? No authorization for appropriations...???
1:52 PM,
When I go to a grocery store, it appears that people with less money/gov't-issued EBT cards load up on garbage, even when there are more healthy options readily available.
I didn't read the article, didn't have to. I could smell the BS from the title. Big chains would find a way to encroach and monopolize, with their low wage bullshit employees. Why would a uneducated or inexperienced politician from Podunk, Ms think they are going to pull something on the big boys?
Will the contractor have to be certified?
Maybe I just having been paying enough attention, but it seems to me that this is a big deal and I haven't heard any public debate about this initiative. Have I just missed it?
My understanding is it is an extension of something already in place.
AOC is gonna love this. You know, she’s the China collusionist that can eat an apple through a chain link fence. Y’all better get it done quickly or you will be a racist
So who thinks the Gov will sign the bill?
Grocers are people too! (Just like lobbyists.)
From a hard-headed investor in Kroger, wonder how will this affect the stock?
Vote out all swamp dwellers and fake conservatives. Keep government out of business!!!!
Politicians picking winners and losers - Mississippi style.
This has been in statute since 2014 and this year's bill was simply to extend the repealer. The purpose of the bill is to incentivise small, independent grocers to move into areas of the state where citizens do not have access to healthy food. Unfortunately, the lack of access to healthy foods is a reality in this state.
"M" "D" "A" grants incentives to a company one day and the company closes operations the next? WHF?
The following article was authored by The Associated Press.
Posted: Mar. 7, 2019 10:12 AM
Posted By: The Associated Press
SOUTHAVEN, Miss. (AP) — An electronics manufacturer is cutting jobs at a north Mississippi factory.
WREG-TV reports Swiss company ABB will cut 120 jobs at its Southaven facility, consolidating work at other plants in Mexico and the United States.
The news comes a day after ABB announced it would create 50 new jobs and fill 150 previously announced jobs at its factory in Senatobia. The company says the two moves are unrelated.
ABB says it plans to cut jobs in Southaven in phases through July. The company will offer severance pay and possible transfers to facilities in Athens, Tennessee, and Jonesboro, Arkansas.
The company acquired the Southaven facility when it bought Thomas & Betts in 2012 for $3.9 billion.
ABB employs 1,400 in Mississippi, including at facilities in Byhalia, Columbus, Crystal Springs and Senatobia.
How long are taxpayers expected to support these people? We already pay for their homes, their food, and even their dang cell phones. Now we are going to pay for the stores where they use our money to buy their junk food?
"...to move into areas of the state where citizens do not have access to healthy food. Unfortunately, the lack of access to healthy foods is a reality in this state."
And what areas of Mississippi are such a barren wasteland that "healthy foods," both animal and vegetable, and sufficient to feed a family, cannot be produced? Hell, some of the newest and most expensive "seen and be seen" restaurants in the state are "farm to table" and brag all over the menu about where in the state the ingredients came from. I realize that Doritos, Pepsi and Moon Pies are among the more difficult crops to grow, but surprisingly, many vegetables readily lend themselves to cultivation.
@12:43 that would require work, the people on the govt tit are scared of work. Hence why we have to support every aspect of their lives.
Mississippi is a socialist state, plain and simple. Feel, Feel and Tater approve this message.
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