Conservatism in Mississippi has become more and more about protecting big business and the affluent at the expense of the marginalized and the poor.
We turn our backs on the poor and working poor as we seek to cut taxes on the wealthy and more affluent. Not only do we turn our backs, but we shift a greater share of the cost of government to the working poor by maintaining high sales taxes on groceries, clothes, gas, and other necessities. We turn our backs when we refuse federal funds for summer lunch programs for low income school children. We turn our backs when we fail to expand Medicaid for the working poor.
We turn our backs when under the guise of school choice we advocate tax credits that will be of no use to the working poor and will primarily benefit the wealthy. We turn our backs when we divert money meant for needy families and instead build volleyball courts for children of the wealthy.
Conservatism in Mississippi seems increasingly about helping the rich get richer, taking funds from the poor and working poor, and forcing those in the middle to run faster to stay in place.
Our schools remain underfunded, our highways deteriorate, and law enforcement struggles to find resources to protect us while our conservative politicians cater to out of state think tanks and campaign contributors. Our state deserves better leadership.
George Schimmel is a Northsider.
