Friday, March 23, 2018

House rebuffs Senate on road bill

Mississippi Speaker of the House Phillip Gunn issued the following statement. 


Today, House leadership stood firm during negotiations with Senate leadership over an infrastructure bill.


Over the last few years, the House has consistently sought ways to effectively address Mississippi’s infrastructure needs. One of the primary goals of the House has been to assist local cities and counties by providing them real money for road and bridge repair and maintenance.

“We did not believe the proposal presented by the Senate resulted in real dollars to the cities and counties,” said Speaker of the House Philip Gunn. “City and county leaders supported the House’s efforts and were encouraged with the direction the House was moving. We believe our proposal actually met the needs put forth by the cities and counties, along with the State as a whole.

“The House refuses to adopt a bill that does nothing to fully address the needs of cities and counties,” he continued “I am proud of the House for being serious in its quest of finding a solution to the funding needs of our roads and bridges in Mississippi. We will continue to work toward a solution we feel is both useful and real.”

The House was able to secure $50 million in bonds for the Local System Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation Program.

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

Take that Tater Tot.

Anonymous said...

Hmm. I wonder if this intra-party fighting bears any relation to the MSGOP's decision to buy propaganda spots on this site and disable comments. Sensing weakness, perhaps?

It's just kind of funny that they would (1) see a site where so many conservative and moderate commenters are clearly tired of how they govern; but (2) think the right response is --not to change, or even to engage the arguments-- but rather, to post hastily-written, facile press releases here.

Just has a sort of "Hello, Fellow Kids!" vibe to it.

Anonymous said...

Fake fight from the start. The only way Tate would float such an asinine bill is if he knew somebody would kill it for him. Political stunt. Tate can say he tried to all of the county supervisors. Clearly Gunn isn’t running for higher office. Well played guys.

Anonymous said...

You must be new here 5:45 PM. The key words are "paid advertisement". Observe more and comment less till you figure it out.

Anonymous said...

Right. “Take that Tater Tot.” [sic] We need road and bridge improvements, but not if it means we get the Senate’s plan. There’s something about a nose, spite, and a face that fits here.

Anonymous said...

This was a shell game from the beginning. Neither side wants to do anything or spend money on roads and bridges. They would rather supervisors raise property taxes to fund repairs. They can say they just couldn't agree, but they sure can agree on weight limit increase on bridges! I call total BS!!!

Anonymous said...

The MSGOP is too scared, even with a supermajority, to do what they have to in order to make MS better. We have to improve our infrastructure, and that means tax hikes. They've cut state government to the bone, but didn't have the balls to suspend job protections to really trim the government.

It's sad that they'd rather protect their cushy gigs and political aspirations instead of doing the right thing.

Anonymous said...

8:19 You are perhaps the most insightful person that has ever posted on this blog. These politicians (both parties) only care about winning elections and keeping their blind followers in line behind them.

Anonymous said...

So Speaker Gunn and the House of Representatives shutdown the B.S. from the Tate club? Good for the House! Is everything Tate does some sort of game?
Is this any way to govern?
Is this what we can expect should he advance to the governors chair?

Anonymous said...

Tate can do much less harm as gov than as asst gov. It can’t come too soon

Anonymous said...

Why did the House shutdown negotiation with 24 hours plus before any deadline?

Anonymous said...

6:58 pm is 100% correct. We’re all being played.

Tote That Bale - Slice Them Jobs.. said...

"They've cut state government to the bone, but didn't have the balls to suspend job protections to really trim the government."

It's top-water thinkers like 8:37 (in the above quote) from whom we need to keep our distance. He actually believes the way to budget is to continually, year after year, suspend the meager job protections had by state employees so their positions can be sliced away like trimming up a roast that's already showing the bone.

I suggest we suspend HIS job protections. And before he whines about not having any, he does in fact if: He is over 39, has any religious affiliation, is a man or a woman, has any sort of disability, has taken an approved medical leave of absence or is suspected of living with anyone who has a disability.

And it's the 'management experts', like him, who circle the bowl, and vote.


Anonymous said...

Kingfish at 7:03 - The poster at 5:45 was right.

Anonymous said...

at 10:33am Because very likely the conflict of interest was uncovered with the all the college/university projects embedded in it. Lamar who appears to be leading this bill, has a mother and father both employed by the university systems. The bill doesn't pass the basic smell test, and of course is in fact fishy.

Anonymous said...

County supervisors are a curse on MS.

I had never even heard of a county supervisor before moving here as they had so little power.

Infrastructure in a state should be a unified state priority.

Instead, the most travelled roadways and bridges in Mississippi get neglected or underbuilt so these county "princes" can pave their driveways and sell culverts.


Will we ever make decisions based on professional expertise rather than having the politicians fight for political spoils? No, because Bubba Supervisor will muddy the water with misinformation and attacks so that he is feared in the legislature and seen in control of " his" voters.


otisfyfe said...

10:34 - That's nonsense. I don't want some statewide entity deciding how to spend the tax money collected by my county. This is not a commune composed of 82 food plots.

If my county collects 200 times as much in taxes as some other county, I'll be damned if I would favor redistribution of wealth so that the poorer county can have the same infrastructure as the county where other high earners and I live.

Who the hell wants their county tax dollars thrown into a pool and divided up so they're sent to Issaquena and Coahoma and Bumfiddle County? Major highways, sure. Roundabouts, turn lanes, six-lane roadways, new thoroughfares, curbs?...each county is on its on.

You need to move to Cuba where the entire planet has equality in infrastructure.

Anonymous said...

Hinds County general millage is 27.23. Rankin is 21ish and Madison is 16ish.

Anonymous said...

General obligation bonds for Madison County are rated Aa3. $40M of Hinds County debt was downgraded this summer to the same rating by the same credit rater, Moody. Madison owes about $90M in long term and Hinds owes $50M. Rankin County financials are hard to locate.

Anonymous said...

Not a fan of Phillip or the House, but glad to see that they stopped this political hoax that did nothing to solve the problem of our pathetic road and bridge situation. Smoke and mirrors is not a solution. This was nothing more than a mirage to help Tater with his run for Governor.

Anonymous said...

And just like that...Reunion Parkway is out the window!

Anonymous said...

And just like that...Reunion Parkway is out the window!

And just like that you remain completely clueless because the legislation which is the subject of this JJ story had NOTHING to do with the delayed (temporarily) funding of the Reunion Parkway.

Anonymous said...

Make all state roads toll. Federal highways too.

Anonymous said...

They already are!

Anonymous said...

9:29 - Watch for it. You'll eat crow.

Anonymous said...

Boy! This thread died an early death!

Anonymous said...

Everyone's attention went to what the idiots in the Legislature are going to present as their final product, and to speculate on how much skullduggery took place that screws Mississippians the most.



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