Dear Editor:
We Mississippians are currently being shafted by our own governor and legislature. These recently re-elected officials are spending the one billion dollars that was in the state coffers last year, like drunken sailors, on three localized economic developments, (i.e. corporate welfare). Follow along and see if you don't agree, that every one of these developments is a monstrous loss for the state but a tremendous windfall for the corporations.
Let's say you're an investor and your broker says, "(Fill in your name), you have 750 million that I can invest for you. Option A is an investment that will create 5,000 jobs at a cost of $150,000 per job. You will never get your principle back and you won't even begin to get a return for approximately four years. And it's possible that you may never get any return, (if the state income tax is eliminated). Option B is an investment that will require only $350 million of your money and you will immediately get a 35% return (a billion dollars) in addition to creating 16,000 jobs at a cost of $21,875 per job. And, (fill in your name), you'll still have 400 million left over to invest!"
Now, assuming you're a sane individual, which investment would you pick? The answer would be Option B, of course. Option A represents the three economic developments the governor and legislature have thrown your tax dollars into. Option B represents the expansion of Medicaid which would result in the creation of many more jobs at a much lower cost and produce an immediate 35% return on our tax dollars because of a billion federal dollars that would flow into our state every year. And we would still have 400 million left over!
Furthermore, these 3 economic development projects are very localized and do not benefit the entire state. While the expansion of Medicaid would benefit every county and community in the state of Mississippi and in multiple ways. And to add insult to injury, there are no requirements to employ Mississippians for jobs that will eventually be created by these developments.
If Mississippians began to recognize how they're being taken advantage of, they'd be mad as hell. As a taxpayer, I know I am. I used to say "Bless your heart, Mississippi" out of pity. That has now become, "God help you, Mississippi.”
Camille Wright
Northside Sun Subscriber
