Wednesday, June 23, 2021

Sid Salter: McCoy's Commitment to Improving Highways & Education Celebrated

In the pristine sanctuary of the lovely Gaston Baptist Church – a rural church in northwest Prentiss County roughly triangulated between Booneville, Rienzi, Thrasher and Jumpertown – family, friends, and political associates of the late Mississippi House Speaker William J. “Billy” McCoy gathered on June 14 to remember one of the architects of modern highways and modern public schools in this state.

The occasion was the official dedication of the “Speaker William J. ‘Billy’ McCoy Memorial Highway” by Mississippi Department of Transportation officials led by Republican Northern District Transportation Commissioner John Caldwell and Republican House Speaker Philip Gunn of Clinton. McCoy died in 2019 at the age of 77.

Gunn authored the legislation necessary to honor his Democratic predecessor with the naming of the highway in cooperation with the McCoy family. The memorial highway begins one mile north of the Highway 45 and State Route 356 intersection and ends two miles south of the intersection.

Although perhaps fewer in number today, there are still “yellow dog” Democrats like McCoy in his old House District 3. McCoy, a Christian educator and farmer who served his constituents for 32 years as their voice in the state government. Here in the foothills of the Appalachians, McCoy was known less as “Mr. Speaker” and more as just plain Bill.

McCoy’s former House colleagues in attendance included Gunn, former Reps. George Flaggs, Steve Holland, and Bo Eaton. Other former House members attending who went on to judicial careers included U.S. District Judge Mike Mills and former state Supreme Court Judge Randy “Bubba” Pierce. Former Attorney General Mike Moore and former Northern District Transportation Commissioner Zack Stewart were also present, along with current Democratic Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley.

Stewart, the aging but still tough-as-nails Marine who worked closely with McCoy and John David Pennebaker to achieve much of the statewide transportation expansion that McCoy envisioned, was there under his own steam.

The event had the feel of a funeral, but that was dispelled quickly by the smiles and laughter in the church sanctuary as speakers recounted McCoy’s accomplishments and his legacy in the Mississippi Legislature – where his passion for helping rural Mississippians, his reliable personal financial frugality, and his fiery temper fueled a lot of familiar stories.

McCoy was a second-generation state lawmaker, a college-educated vocational agriculture teacher, a Farmers Home Administration loan officer and briefly an auditor for the state – and yes, he was a farmer and one of his family’s successful cash crops was red wiggler worms.

McCoy’s detractors and critics played “the worm farmer” card often in talk radio rants and speeches designed to reduce a great man to a caricature of a hillbilly rube. To my great chagrin, I felt some inadvertent responsibility for that.

In 2004, McCoy invited me to his home in Rienzi along the Prentiss-Alcorn county border. During that two-day visit, I met his wife, Edith, daughter, Kim, son, Sam, some of his grandchildren and he took me to the home of his mother, “Miss Susie” McCoy, the widow of his legislator father, Elmer E. McCoy. She died at age 100 in 2009.

McCoy fought to better the lives of the state’s common people through bolstering public education at all levels, providing a true statewide corridor road program to provide farm-to-market access, and championing economic development projects that provided higher pay and better working conditions.

My lasting memory of Speaker McCoy is of riding the roads through his district with him – and he knew everyone, everyone he represented. That’s rare – and telling of his character. During his tenure as House speaker, McCoy was the target of irrational criticism as some sort of uber-liberal Democrat - a charge that cannot be justified based on his record.

Honoring McCoy with a memorial highway sures felt right. Stay on that road long enough and you will pass an improved public school. On the whole, that’s an appropriate monument to the life and work of Billy McCoy, a good and decent man who voted his conscience and let the chips fall.

 Sid Salter is a syndicated columnist. Contact him at sidsalter@sidsalter.com.

 

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Fact- McCoy was FRONT AND CENTER of the "Missip" Beef Plant Debacle, Him along with the fool from Taylorsville MS Beau Eaton and Tommy Reynolds. Three assholes of the first order.

Anonymous said...

More absolute shit from Sid.

Anonymous said...

A DEMOCRAT

Anonymous said...

My favorite worm farmer.

Anonymous said...

May McCoy rest in peace, and I'm glad Sid has survived cancer, and I hope he remains healthy and happy, but damn...
McCoy and Holland were bullies at best. They were out of touch with the world around them, and it's by the Grace of God McCoy didn't get smoked for his worm farm "investment" and the beef plant.

Anonymous said...

Sid is a closet liberal and Billy McCoys's days as speaker of the house were some of the darkest days in Mississippi history. Just another classic example of democrats trying to preach someone into heaven!!

Anonymous said...

Billy McCoy's days as speaker of house were some of the darkest days in our history. Liberal Sid just showing his true colors.

Anonymous said...

I didn't even knew there were "worm farms" until I read McCoy's obit.

I always thought worms were raised in the back of Mom & Pop redneck
boat launch/convenience stores at lakes and rivers.

Anonymous said...

How can you be triangulated amoung 4 (quadulated) towns?,
Well that’s Ole Miss degree is not worth a whole lot. BTW, remember Ms. State is in OMAHA world series

Worms Aside.. said...

I've always wondered what it is about that part of Mississippi that puts people like Holland, McCoy and Hob in office. I reckon if they had the chance, those people would vote for Bennie, or even Espy. Can somebody 'splain?

Tategaveusanewflag said...

Ok 6:47, I’ll bite. Where do I start? Can you explain what the hell you mean - “triangulated amoung 4 (quadulated towns)”? What does triangulated and quadulated even mean??? Not to be a grammar Nazi but, it’s among, not amoung. And what does the Omaha World Series have to do with the quality of one’s education at any school?

Anonymous said...

"roughly triangulated between Booneville, Rienzi, Thrasher and Jumpertown"

Hmm - a triangle with four sides. If only we had a word for that......

Anonymous said...

The quality of one's education can be evidenced by the fact that he has no clue what triangulated means. The roads up in that area don't lead to Omaha.


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In the spirit of helping those who are less fortunate, Trollfest '09 adopts a cause for which a portion of the proceeds and donations will be donated: Keeping Frank Melton in his home. The “Keep Frank Melton From Being Homeless” booth will sell chances for five dollars to pin the tail on the jackass. John Reeves has graciously volunteered to be the jackass for this honorable excursion into saving Frank's ass. What's an ass between two friends after all? If Mr. Reeves is unable to um, perform, Speaker Billy McCoy has also volunteered as when the word “jackass” was mentioned he immediately ran as fast as he could to sign up.


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If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

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