Sunday, January 30, 2022

Bill Crawford: Is There Room for Everyone on Governor's Love Boat?

 Welcome to the looooove boat, M’issippi style!

“I want to tell all of you – anyone who needs to hear it – that you are loved.”

That came from Gov. Tate Reeves in his 2022 State of the State address. He continued, “You are valued. Your life has purpose and your life has meaning. Your state needs you. Even if you don’t know it, your life is a blessing to others. We are glad that you are here, living and with us.”

Hmmm.

What he particularly loves, though, is data. He said so: “You all know how fond I am of data. I love it. I swim in it. It’s what I do for fun.” 

Hmmm.

So what does his speech tell about this abounding love.

He sees:

o   things from a conservative perspective, “Y’all know that I am a conservative;” 

o   “conservative, common-sense reforms” enacted by the Legislature as key to improvements in school performance along with teachers and parents; 

o   critical race theory as “a looming threat” to our schools;

o   his decisions during the pandemic as responsible for improvements in the state economy and tax collections;

o   elimination of the state income tax as the means to “lift families out of poverty;” 

o   increasing the number of Capitol Police as the solution to ending Jackson’s high crime rate, particularly the murder rate; and

o   great merit deserving rewards for the sacrifices teachers and law enforcement officers made to perform their duties during the pandemic.

No doubt he loves those who agree with this. But what about those who see things differently?

Those who see:

o   local school boards and superintendents, and the many NGOs that actively support our schools equally deserving credit for improved school performance; 

o   no need to be concerned about critical race theory, listening to state education officials, local school boards, and teachers say this is not being taught nor about to be taught in our schools; 

o   the massive infusion of federal money for pandemic relief mostly responsible for improvements in the economy and tax collections; 

o   the income tax cut as a political ploy since the state economist reported his data indicates it would have little real impact; 

o   much more than just additional Capitol Police needed to address Jackson’s crime and murder rate, especially since much of that occurs outside their limited jurisdiction – the Capitol Complex Improvement District; and

o   nurses and other frontline health care workers meriting rewards as much as teachers and law enforcement officers for their sacrifices during the pandemic.

They also wonder if the Governor just doesn’t see the need to address:

o   mental health care and child protection services in accordance with court mandates;

o   fix not rent out our state parks; 

o   emergency room overcrowding; 

o   food deserts; 

o   high infant mortality and teen pregnancy rates; 

o   declining rural population; and

o   low wages.

Hmmm.

Perhaps he’s just myopic, like many politicians seeing only what he wants to see. Or maybe the Governor’s love boat really doesn’t have room for everybody. 

“The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness." – Matthew 6:22-23

Crawford is a syndicated columnist from Jackson.


20 comments:

Sol Juette said...

Ya’ll keep forgetting that he attended Millsaps.

Krusatyr said...

Teachers' unions, teachers, school boards have all been nationally uncovered as using depraved theories to advance marxism, gender confusion and anti-family doctrine to propagandize children, often secretly. MS has a duty to prevent this.

It ain't the Governor's province to give higher wages or special rewards to private business employees nor to force businesses to risk their money and lives in high crime "food deserts". Nor can the Governor use government as a parental substitute for what the government has destroyed: the family.

Anonymous said...

“food deserts”. What a joke of a buzzword.

People want to live in the middle of nowhere and complain why they don’t have access to kiwis and tangerines.

But, they are given SNAP benefits, which they use to purchase Honey Buns, Faygo, and Rap Snacks.

Anonymous said...

It ain't the Governor's province to give higher wages or special rewards to private business employees nor to force businesses to risk their money and lives in high crime "food deserts". Nor can the Governor use government as a parental substitute for what the government has destroyed: the family.

And that is the mentality of the overall majority, that continues electing shitty politicians that keep this state in perpetual futility!?

The kids in this godforsaken place deserve so much better. SMH

Kingfish said...

Food deserts? There is a reason those areas don't have grocery stores. Kroger tried to make it work in two stores in South Jackson. Think they closed because they were profitable? Profit is only a penny on the dollar. The orders were smaller. The costs of theft are higher.

As for the rest of Jackson, well, Jackson is suffering the effects of the Jitney sellout. Jitney Jungle had stores on Capital Street, Delta, and Medgar Evers (Sack and Save. When Winn Dixie shut it all down, nothing replaced those stores. As the black middle class continues to move out of Jackson, there is less demand by consumers who can support those stores. Suppose someone stuck a nice Kroger at Capitol and Ellis. How many people in the area would drive right past it to go save money at Walmart?

Anonymous said...

The governor has learned how to parrot the party line of the Southern GOP governor without concern for the unique problems that plague Mississippi. We are not Texas or Florida yet this idiot wants to get in lockstep with their most conservative policies. Much of it Mississippi cannot afford, but he does not care because his voters will still vote for him anyway. It's idiotic.

Anonymous said...

12:08, the only things “unique” to Mississippi is a dumb and uneducated workforce that has bastard kids and live like savages.

Anonymous said...

So much bullshit. Anyone who knows a damn thing about Critical Race Theory knows it is no more being taught in an elementary or high school than advanced quantum physics. It's just now become a buzzword to excite the uninformed and rally those who always wanted to revise history to suit their own purposes. A REAL governor should be above such things. But Tater ain't.

Anonymous said...

How would we ever get by wurhout Bill Crawford and Sid Salters? They know EVERYTHING.

Krusatyr said...

@10:51 am
How do children get hungry eating two free school meals 5 days a week plus SNAP groceries? If kids in Jxn "deserve better", open up education to vouchers and school choice, teach teens to avoid baby mama syndrome.

Should the Governor put all youth in West Jxn on forced IV nutrition?

Government just can't be too much of an overlording tyrant for leftists, for whom "Freedom" means "Freeshit".

Anonymous said...

"...no need to be concerned about critical race theory, listening to state education officials, local school boards, and teachers say this is not being taught nor about to be taught in our schools."

If you believe that, nothing else you say in this article or future articles will grant you any credibility at all.

CRT is dead in this state. Get the F over it!

Anonymous said...

The Kingfish asked: Suppose someone stuck a nice Kroger at Capitol and Ellis. How many people in the area would drive right past it to go save money at Walmart?

What escapes him, in this equation, is, it's easier to shop lift at Wal-Mart than Kroger.

Anonymous said...

Data

MS has been last in every metric except obesity levels for 25 plus years.

Tate has sucked the govt tit and handed out plum jobs and raked in 10 mm in cash (which he can keep….but next guy can’t).

Tate is a product of our system and hes degraded like a pile of shit in a Walmart parking lot in august.

All talk and zero action for actual Mississippians.

His lies will crash hard one day….hang out.

Kingfish said...

Wanna bet? Kroger doesn't prosecute shoplifters. The deputies catch them all the time but Kroger tells the. To turn the shoplifters loose.

Anonymous said...

1:48- If CRT isn’t being taught in schools then what are you complaining about? Sorry, but there is no room for error in dealing with BLM and their communistic agenda.

Anonymous said...

@1:44 What created the "unique" thing you noted? When you've got a dumb and uneducated work force, a lot of other "unique" things are going to follow. Should he ignore them? Thanks for your unique observation.

Anonymous said...

@ Krusatyr

You made the comment, "Should the Governor put all youth in West Jxn on forced IV nutrition?

Government just can't be too much of an overlording tyrant for leftists, for whom "Freedom" means "Freeshit".


once again, it's with that same mentality on why this place is a complete shitshow because too many people think just like you!?

You are more caught up on giving away free shit, I'm more concerned about how the fuck we damper down the crime and at minimum slow up this vicious cycle of criminals raising more criminals and the growing amount of poverty in this state.

Something has got to give and your way is clearly not working i.e. electing Tate Reeves and his ignorance of the actual issues in Mississippi

Anonymous said...

12:08 Sez: "The governor has learned how to parrot the party line of the Southern GOP governor without concern for the unique problems that plague Mississippi."

I have some ideas of my own but would like to know what you mean by Mississippi's 'unique problems'. Please list them so we can discuss their causes and resolutions. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

"Mom and Pop" grocery stores charge 6 dollars for a regular sized name brand Ranch dressing. 2.60 cents for avacado ........3 dollars for a head of lettuce.....this is half a salad ! The world is so screwed when it cost a single person 20 dollars for a home made salad !!!!

Public Parker said...

State parks belong to the people, not the One Lakers and others who want to privatize them. Fix them for the people instead of selling them and selling out the voters.



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