Governor Tate Reeves fired back at the Legislature on Facebook Sunday:
You’ve heard my grave concerns about the effort to strip our ability to use the CARES Act emergency funds to help you get through this terrible time. I am very afraid that Mississippians are going to be hurt by it—badly. I want to say something, though, that might surprise you.It appears we have us a good ole food fight. Stay tuned.
The men and women of the Mississippi legislature are not bad people. In fact, I’ve known many of them for many years and they are good people. I’ve known Speaker Gunn for almost 20 years and I truly respect him as just a good, decent human being. The man who handled this bill in the Senate is the current Senate Appropriations chairman, Briggs Hopson. Over eight years ago, I appointed him to serve as Vice-Chair of the Appropriations process and to lead the very powerful Judiciary committee. I could give you example after example of their colleagues that are hard-working public servants. They serve because they love our state. And contrary to the assumption of many, they don’t make much money for serving.
They are sensitive to protecting their turf. They are sensitive to protecting their power. Some of them want to “stick it to” me or settle personal scores. They want revenge for fights in the past. And I understand that. That’s politics. I just don’t think they understand the harm they are doing.
The legislative branch is built upon the notion of a deliberative process of discussion, debate, and caution. The very foundation is the idea that it is better to do nothing and produce no harm than to act quickly and make a mistake. That’s a noble process. It does not work in distributing emergency funds in an ever-changing environment.
I’ll explain how they want to get the CARES Act funds to people in need. Brace yourself: it’s long. They have committee hearings and listen to testimony from other subject matter experts. They then have committee meetings where they debate the merits and make individual amendments. Then they take the committee recommendations to the full floor of each chamber and all members of that chamber have an opportunity to discuss, amend, and debate. Then they vote.
And then the bill goes to the OTHER Chamber and the very same process begins. They have committee hearings and listen to testimony from other subject matter experts. Then they have committee meetings where they debate the merits and make individual amendments. Then they take the committee recommendations to the full floor of each chamber and all members of that chamber have an opportunity to discuss, amend, and debate. Then they vote.
THEN they must get together in a “conference committee” with 3 Senators and 3 Representatives and work out their differences. This is typically where the horse trading begins. I will do this for you if you do this for me. My fellow house member needs this and your fellow Senate member needs that for his/her district. So let’s cut a deal and agree to both! Then they have to take it back to both chambers which debate and vote on it again.
It typically takes a few months. If they get it done lightning fast, they may agree by July and then we can start helping folks.
There’s nothing inherently bad about all of these steps. The process is the process. And typically it produces an end product that is acceptable to the Governor (who has the power of the veto) and to the people we all serve.
But this deliberative process does not work in an emergency. It is the very reason that 40 years ago those who came before us chose to take politics out of emergency response and give the responsibility to the Chief Executive.
I am more than willing to take the blame for all the bad decisions I make and give ALL the credit to the Legislature for the good decisions we make. When the funds get out, thank them! I don’t care. I just don’t want businesses to shutter and more people to catch the virus because some people wanted to make a political point.
There’s a lot we could do with it. My thought process: Let’s get money to our small business owners. Let’s get checks to our barbers. Let’s get checks to our hair salon workers. Let’s give direct grants to our teachers. Let’s take care of our cities and counties. Let’s give emergency supplemental pay for essential workers. Let’s make sure everyone has access to PPE. And let’s do it now.
We don’t have time for committee meetings. We don’t have time for committee hearings. We don’t have time for politicians to cut deals. The virus and unemployment crisis are here now. Mississippians need help now.
38 comments:
This is awesome. Except for the graft, state politics have been so boring since the Dems lost everything.
“The VERY POWERFUL judiciary committee.”
This idiot sounds more like his idiot hero, Trump, every day.
I have to side with the Governor on this. Hoseman and Gunn are trying for a power play and if they were successful with pulling it off the money would go straight into the legislative pork barrel instead of being used for it’s intended purpose.
The legislature gives away more money to friends and family than DHS ever did.
Hosemann runs for Governor in 2023. Just watch.
If Reeves wouldn’t have pissed the majority of the legislature off for eight years it might be different. They don’t trust him and certainly don’t like him.
Pay back is a Bitch.
Still nothing on the "Administrative Fee", typically 1% so do the math for Tater's "friends"...
@8:58 because Tate has such a good record of not inserting things at the 11th hour?
@8:46 AM
Yup, and that's good way to get re-elected too. RINO's and milquetoast country club GOP'ers need not apply. Trump has upset the apple cart. Created a new paradigm in politics. The DNC better get on board and stop cheating and suppressing their Tulsi Gabbard's and Andrew Yang's or they will never win the White House again.
172 adults just told Tate that they don’t trust Tate. Not one true dissenting voice. That says so much. They know Tate and they knew better than to let him be in charge of that money. Ask yourself what that says about his ability to form and maintain productive relationships.
Lots of Tater bashers here, but he is the Governor.
Just think we could have ended up Hood.
This is all Egbert. he's a tinpot despot
Glad to see the Tate/Hoseman/Gunn circle jerk has entertained and distracted Mississippians as well as they planned.
wait, why are we giving grants to Teachers? They're essentially guaranteed income, getting paid for a remote learning setup.
Given the history of Governors and legislators seeing federal money as
"political spoils" with which to reward themselves and their supporters, the lack of trust is easy to understand.
They are really fine people. They really want to serve the public good but sometimes people want to do good so bad that they do something that is a no-no. We should be understanding. Just because they made this little white mistake do not lose faith in them. They are still mostly Republicans. Believe
it or not I was once like them. I understand. Be understanding. Forgive them for they know not what they do. The Democrats on the other hand...
What Bullshit. Is this the best we can do?
The Governor is absolutely right, the legislature is a mess of Tico's bargaining and political favors. It is a terrible way to quickly respond to a crisis. In fact, it's a terrible way to do anything.
But Tate was the king of legislative politics for 8 years. Does no one remember that he and a select few wrote the budget behind closed doors for the last 8 years? Does no one remember when Tate and the legislature swept budgets and centralized all authority for agency spending?
Tate spent 8 years building the power of the Lt. Governor's office and the legislature, and now that he's in the Governor's mansion he wants to change all that? Or is the common denominator that Tate just wants to run the State by himself, whether it's from the Lt. Governor's office or the Governor's office.
The only person playing politics here is Tate. The legislature has spending authority, and Tate is using a crisis to re-write the state Constitution.
My solution would be to appoint a group of representative lawmakers, the Governor, and the Lt. Governor to quickly make decisions that benefit all of Mississippi in a timely manner.
“Ain’t no fun when the rabbit got the gun!”
Until Haley Barbour, the MS governor had little power. This is simply a return to MS politics pre-Haley. Hosemann is not doing anything wrong.
If you were a legislator, would you cede power to Tate Reeves?
I didn't think so.
Not a Tater fan here, but he's gonna win this fight hands down. The Leg had multiple chances to sit him down in the race last year. They choose to sit quietly and play "party unity".
They were all at he MAGA rallies cheering each other on. Now they want to usurp his power. It's too late. For better or worse this is what Mississippi chose. deal with it.
As crooked as Tater is, I honestly think he would be better at getting the money out to the people. I like Egbert, I really do but he is a controlling cheap-ass. By the time he's done penny pinching we'll all die from starvation.
Calm down people, we have a bunch of stable geniuses in charge. We’ll be fine.
The letter from Gunn to Reeves should be posted on this site. It is very informative.
I emailed Gunn's people last night, asking for a copy of it. Have called too. No dice so far.
In this instance, where the $1.25B must be totally spent in a way that is concurrent with US Treasury guidelines by 12/31/20, it is pure lunacy to think the MS Legislature is the most efficient vehicle to perform this highly important function. Just like BP funds (but with much higher stakes), the legislature will name parks after each other, funnel money to friends, etc.
If Tate manages and jacks it up, he’s the throat to choke. All blame goes to him,
This is a disappointing power grab by Delbert and Gunn.
It is my understanding that the US Treasury intends on Governors managing these relief funds. There is a great chance that this tactic by Delbert/Gunn costs the state hundreds of millions when their appropriations are later deemed erroneous by the OIG.
Gunn is not bright and very greedy. Delbert is very smart, power-hungry and old enough not to care about the fallout.
At any time past, present, and future the governor of this state only has the power ALLOWED to him/her by the legislature. Some governors are much better at PERSUASION than others and therefore seem to have more power.
It was pointed out in an earlier comment somewhere that the UNITY shown in that vote in house and senate was actually quite impressive. It is clear there is no fondness left for Tate after years of his manipulations, control, and general rudeness.
And to the constant "Delbert is going to run for governor" - first SO WHAT? Why does that matter at all? Delbert is in the power chair RIGHT NOW. (Just ask Tate)
Delbert thinks he's in the power chair.....not over til the fat lady sings, which should likely be a judge.
All I see here is the legislature and i'm sure the majority of the people of this state don't want a dicTATEor. No knock on Reeves or the legislature. The majority should decide where the majority of funds should go.
Tate lacerated nobody. All he did was use his pandemic free air time to whine about being cut out of the process. He does not and will not have the authority to appropriate state funds.
Oh...this: "It is my understanding that the US Treasury intends on Governors managing these relief funds."
First, your understanding is both baseless and worthless.
Second, the US Treasury cuts checks. That department does not 'INTEND' anything. It's not their role.
Tate wants to give the barbers and beauty shop stylists "something" for their troubles. And the same for teachers, who are guaranteed pay.
Whatever happened to the anti-socialist party? Bernie Sanders and Eugene Debs are smiling.
Gov. Reeves could turn that $1.2 billion into a Mississippi Stimulus and have DOR replicate what the IRS did and give every taxpayer a refund.
He could do it in one pen-stroke right now and end this entire thing. Every tax paying voter would support him.
Team Tate lost a member when I read the teacher part.
They’re getting paid. They’ve been getting paid. They’re going to continue to get paid. And based on what I’m seeing in Rankin County, many are getting paid to do practically nothing.
Most teachers have a school provided laptop. Distance learning is not an added expense for them.
This is pandering with government money. The very thing Gunn/Delbert would do.
Delbert: Why you got to be a Tater Hater?
No matter who gets to decide what they do with the money the majority of it will not go to the people who need it. The majority of the money will end up in the pockets of friends and families of those who do get to decide.
That is the way politics work.
@12:18 “Gunn is not bright...” Not bright? OMG he’s a dumb@$$!
C'mon man, if the Feds gave the Governor a few million to spread amongst the needy the Legislature wouldn't had'nt even noticed - but $1.2B???!!! Nobody ain't goin to let nobody play with $1.2b by themselves, I don't care who you are.
9:30am...SPOT ON!! Tater wants to pay some group a 1% commission to oversee the distribution of the funds.
TOTALLY a LARGE waste of the $ we’ll be getting!
9:47am....your comments are 100% “gold Jerry”! When all 172 elected officials say “hell no” to allow Tater
to oversee the $ outflows...that’s ALL ANYONE needs to see. If that doesn’t flip the light on for all voters to
see NOTHING WILL. Tater was a royal very vindictive a-hole as Lt Gov for 8 yrs and it’s biting him in the buttocks now.
And, unless Tater pulls something out of his A$$...that’s not on the books...he can’t veto anything as he’ll get over ridden.
I know the letter is on other websites. However, Mr. Gunn made a big deal about transparency Friday. I have the right to get it from his office. If Mr. Gunn wants to withhold the letter, that is worth reporting as well.
The legislature is exempt from public records laws but the Governor must abide by them. A big deal was made about transparency last week. This is part of it.
I had rather the membership of the legislature, rather than having one man alone deciding how the money is to be spent. Does anyone doubt that if Tate made the decisions alone, his cronies would be rewarded handsomely. I also agree with what others have said about grants to the teachers. What the hell have they done to justify grants being given to them? They have been on a paid vacation since the first week in March.
Post a Comment