A Dam on the Pascagoula River? What I found out

     A few days ago the Sun Herald published an article about possibly damming the Pascagoula River in reference to what is known as the Lake George project.  As you can guess by the name, George County and its supervisors are at the center of this.  Since the article, I have rightfully been contacted about this and the disastrous effects, if true, it would have on the Pascagoula River.  As we all know, the undammed Pascagoula River is one of OUR and the COUNTRY'S treasures.  Any attempt to alter it, is "fightin' words" as they say.

   A constituent shared with me the application for the project: 

       As Senate Chairman of Ports and Marine Resources I am familiar with the Pat Harrison Waterway District and as a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee we control their budget. This entity is utilized to manage water resources and parks in our area such as Flint Creek Water Park in Stone County. You can go to its website here.  Today I contacted the executive director and expressed the tremendous concerns and specifically asked, "Will this project dam the Pascagoula River?" He stated, "No."  I also specifically asked, "Is there any plan whatsoever to dam the Pascagoula River?" He stated, "No."  I also asked, "Will this plan in any way negatively affect the Pascagoula River?"  He stated, "No."  He explained that the project (and I am no engineer) will have the effect of maintaining the water level in the Pascagoula River.

    He went on to explain that the project is one that the George County Supervisors and delegation has pushed for quite some time and that they see it as economic development to their area.  He also explained that Chevron and the Port of Pascagoula would benefit because of the guaranteed water level. The details, including the environmental impact and wetlands impact, can be found in the full application here.  Per the application, the Jackson County Supervisors are a co-applicant.  I asked whether notice and comment periods were had on the project and he stated a public meeting was held in George County a couple of months ago and that they are ready, willing and able to have one in Jackson County when requested by the Jackson County Board of Supervisors.  Taking that a step further, I did a quick Google search and found the following: 

Dam the Pascagoula? | Jackson County | The Sun Herald

www.sunherald.com/2015/09/14/.../dam-the-pascagoula.html

Sun Herald

4 days ago - He said flow rates for the Pascagoula River are improved by rainfall in ...Supervisor Troy Ross said he believed Lake George would provide  ...

You visited this page on 9/18/15.

Editorial: Some answers needed about twin lakes - Sun ...

www.sunherald.com/.../sun-herald-editorial-some-answers.ht...

Sun Herald

3 days ago - One supervisor said the board supports the concept of a lake but doesn't... We, too, have nothing against a lake or two in George County but we have questions. The biggest question is how will it affect the Pascagoula River if the Big ... been chosen for the dams but the notice clearly has two sites in mind.

Lake George $50,000,000 does this make sense? In ... - Topix

www.topix.com/forum/city/wade-ms/TGK0KE0BLI5H03B7J?print=1

Feb 25, 2012 - They are calling it a reservoir to put water in the Pascagoula Riverwhen a drought comes. The County supervisors said, in case of a drought  ...

A Lake in Disguise for George County? | Gulf Restoration ...

www.healthygulf.org/blog/lake-disguise-george-county

Apr 10, 2013 - One presentation focused on the George County Lake project. ... a 5200 acre water supply lake would dam a yet undisclosed Pascagoula River ...

Missing: supervisors

[PDF]

SAM-2014-00653-MBM Public Notice - Mobile District - U.S. ...

www.sam.usace.army.mil/.../SAM...

United States Army Corps of Engineers

Sep 4, 2015 - MAINTAINING PASCAGOULA RIVER FLOW RESILIENCY DURING PROLONGED. SEVERE ... IN COOPERATION WITH: George County Board ofSupervisors ... It is anticipated that the Lower Lake's dam/spillway footprint  ...

In the highly scientific area of Google searches, it appears that there have been at least some newspaper articles on this.

   As Senator, rest assured that I will continue to stay focused on this issue and make sure that we protect this great resource.  I will also do everything in my legislative and chairman capacity to halt this project should the motives or results change from what was described above.  I would further add that when state entities like the Pat Harrison Waterway Distirct (entities that only exist by virtue of state law) are called upon to assist counties and municipalities, it would be good policy to inform state legislators of the projects and plans.  In this case, no one from the Jackson County Board of Supervisors, Chevron or the Port of Pascagoula informed me of the project; I cannot speak for others. Citizens always have a right to know what their government agencies are planning and doing.

    Feel free to comment on this post or contact me via social media, letter or phone on this issue or any other.

SRHS: Transparency Half-Way To Becoming Reality for Community Hospitals

JACKSON, MS- Senator Wiggins’ hospital reform bill, which adds accountability to public hospitals such as SRHS, passed unanimously in the Mississippi Senate Thursday.

The bill, which now goes to the House of Representatives, unequivocally reaffirms community hospitals as public entities and seeks to remove the exemptions that have allowed them to not disclose business, financial and non-strategic operation information to the public. As Senator Wiggins said during today’s presentation of the bill on the Senate floor, “What has happened at Singing River Hospital System has brought home the disastrous effects of non-transparency.” 

Commenting on passage of the legislation, Senator Wiggins said, “I appreciate the support from both Lt. Governor Reeves and my colleagues in the Senate. Today’s unanimous vote was a vote for transparency in all facets of government. 

“What has happened at SRHS is unacceptable and we owe it to the taxpayers of Mississippi to ensure this does not happen to others in the state. Financially strong and accountable public hospitals are something we must guarantee to the citizens of Mississippi. I will continue to work day and night to ensure this bill reaches Governor Bryant for his signature,” Wiggins concluded.  

Why I Voted For The Alternative to the Ballot Initiative

While I know not everyone will be happy with my vote, I believe you have elected me to use my judgement with all things considered and vote accordingly.  Because of that, I believe I have a duty to let you know what went into my decision making.  This is why I have published this blog.  Just know that both initiatives will be on the ballot.  I encourage everyone to research both, judge for yourself and then vote accordingly.  I will continue to fight for all 50,000 of my constituents and will continue to make sure we are good stewards of the taxpayers' money. I have heard all the calls and seen the texts.   Also, I am glad that citizens got involved in this process.  It has forced us legislature to consider this issue more intently.  That is good.  We need this level of engagement on ALL issues that affect the state.  Please feel free to call me at 228-324-3141.

In reading this blog, please keep in mind three overarching factors: education policy in Mississippi is not easy, explained well here by Sid Salter: http://www.clarionledger.com/story/opinion/columnists/2015/01/13/salter-column-education-at-political-crossroads/21713099/; second, most important political issues are not black and white as many would have you believe; third, the legislative session is a process that takes three months with different bills touching on the same issue.  Click here to go to the resolution.

Why I voted for it:

• First, I am always hesitant to amend the Constitution as we all should be; but, if we are then the voters are entitled to have all the facts and options at their disposal.
• Second, under the referendum and initiative law of Mississippi, that has been around for decades, the legislature is allowed to put forth an alternative to a ballot initiative.  Contrary to the media blitz, this is in no way taking away the "people's right" to the initiative process.  In fact, it allows the voters to have an additional option to consider.  My educated guess (and calling on my law school education) as to its purpose is that in addition to presenting an additional option, issues of public policy and particularly procedure can be confusing.  For instance, how does the appropriations process work (in other words, the funding of state government)?  I have only now grasped that after serving for three years, and I sit on the Appropriations Committee!.  My point is, it is there for the legislature to present an option with its knowledge of the process and statewide issues. YOU WILL NOW HAVE THREE OPTIONS ON THE BALLOT: DO NOT AMEND THE CONSTITUTION, IF YOU WANT TO AMEND IT, THEN #42 OR THE ALTERNATIVE.  I believe the voters can read and choose what they want when they are presented with options.
• Third, the alternative uses the word "effective."  For me, we need to be looking at how schools and districts are performing; not just how much money is being thrown into the districts.  Only 4 of the top 30 districts in terms of per pupil spending, are A or B.  In other words, the other 26 are C and below. This also came up in the debate, specifically by the Senate Chairman of Education. "Effective" to me means how districts are performing.  Nothing in the initiative that I saw talked about this.
• Fourth, contrary to much in the media, many, many programs are funded outside of MAEP.  This includes the recently passed pre-k collaborative act, School for Arts and Sciences, teacher supply funds, vo-tech, early childhood education, National Board Certified Teachers, MCOPS (cops in schools), any add ons.  Many of these programs are positive for my district.  Otherwise, the money would and could be directed to other parts of the state.  Since the trough of the recession, the majority of all new revenue growth has gone to public education and Medicaid (60 percent of new growth).If the proposed initiative passed, either taxes would have to be raised or budgets would have to be cut significantly. (IHL, CC, MDOT, Ag Units, Mental Health).  When I have spoken to groups, I have said I am fine with "fully funding;" but I have asked what things do they want cut; I never get a complete answer, I presume because no one wants to cut their favorite programs.  That is why I was elected; to make those decisions.
• Fifth, both in the US and Mississippi Constitutions, the legislative branch (Congress and the legislature, respectively) is given the authority over how to spend money.  I had serious reservations with the language of the initiative that placed decision authority in the Chancery Courts.  This is violating our Founding Fathers' premise of separation of powers by placing spending authority with the judicial branch.    Further, while not written into the initiative, Mississippi law requires Chancery disputes to be filed in Hinds County (Jackson).  I am not comfortable with this.  In effect, this means that a Chancellor in Hinds County could TAKE AWAY the money we already get and send it somewhere else.
• Sixth, During the debate it was discussed that we could increase MAEP funding immediately by $40 million by taking the teacher pay raise we granted last year (which I voted for) and putting it into MAEP.  A Democrat on the floor admitted he does not want to do that.  
• Seventh, Through the Appropriations process, there will be a chance this year to increase funding for MAEP, while also balancing the budget and funding additional needs of the state.

My Record:

• My children go to public school;
• Last year I was one of only 4 or 5 Republican Senators to vote for an amendment to increase MAEP funding by $60 million.  This vote was over the objection of the leadership.  The amendment passed forcing the budget writers to redo the budget;
• I was the lead author on the 2013 Early Learning Collaborative Act, Mississippi's first ever public funds to pre-k and early education.  I have traveled the state from North to South supporting pre-k.  Effectively, this initiative could VERY LIKELY remove that.
• I have voted to increase funding for Board Certified Teachers;
• I have regularly attended school board meetings in Pascagoula and Ocean Springs to provided updates on the legislature and gather information in supporting the districts

Thank you.

SENATOR BRICE WIGGINS QUALIFIES for RE-ELECTION and ANNOUNCES 2015 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

For Immediate Release    

Saturday, January 3rd,, 2015

SENATOR BRICE WIGGINS QUALIFIES for RE-ELECTION and ANNOUNCES 2015 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

Pascagoula, MS.- With the 2015 Mississippi election cycle and Legislative Session beginning on January 6th, State Senator Brice Wiggins (R-District 52) has submitted his qualifying papers to the Mississippi Republican Party to officially kick off his campaign for re-election.  “I would be honored to have the chance to continue serving the honest, hardworking people of this district.  Through the implementation of conservative principles, sweeping reforms to add accountability to state government, and a commitment to improving our education system so that we can be a leader in economic development, I believe our state is moving on the right path with increasing momentum,” Wiggins stated.

In his first term in office, Senator Wiggins has successfully passed legislation to:

• Restore fiscal responsibility and oversight to DMR
• Implement an early education system
• Increase economic development along the ports
• Reduce taxes on families
• Improve the our criminal justice system
• Strengthen the punishment for violent criminals, especially those who commit child and domestic abuse

Through his first term efforts he was recognized with the following awards:

    - Representative Bud Cramer Award, National Children’s Alliance for 2012

    - Champion of Children, Children’s Justice Center of Mississippi for 2013

    - Legislator of the Year, Mississippi Law Enforcement Association for 2013

    - Outstanding Leadership and Contributions as an Advocate for Victims’

       Rights 19th Judicial District D.A. Office for 2014

Heading into the 2015 legislative session, Senator Wiggins is working on legislation that will address the following areas:

• Reform no-bid contract laws  
• Remove the exemption of community hospitals from the Open Meetings Act and Public Records Act
• Improve the rights and protections for witnesses, especially children
• Strengthen sexual battery statutes
• Create education tuition tax credits for parents who are paying to send their children to high quality child care learning centers

“As a husband, father, and prosecutor, I have been and will always be committed to fighting political corruption, protecting the victims of crime, and working on common sense, conservative approaches to improving our economy and way of life,” Wiggins concluded.

###

My Daughter's Diapers Came From a Parking Lot

The Parking Lot

We had lived in our home in the Delmas Estates neighborhood of Pascagoula since 1999, which is when I graduated law school, passed the bar and began working as a bright-eyed, inexperienced lawyer with Colingo, Williams, Heidelberg, Steinberger & McElhaney, P.A.  Heather, after graduating from Millsaps Business School with an M.B.A. had begun that same year with John J. McMullen, now Alion Science, an Ingalls Shipbuilding subcontractor. Delmas Estates was a typical middle class neighborhood with teachers, lawyers, professionals, etc.  It was also a mile from the Gulf of Mexico.  Resurrection Elementary Catholic School sat as the cornerstone of the neighborhood.  Many of the families' children went there and my mother taught there, since then serving as its librarian.  The parking lot sat in front of the school, a statue of Mary, Mother of Jesus, in the center.  This is where I found myself, in 100 degree heat, under a blue sky as far as the eye could see.  A complete contrast from two weeks earlier when Mother Nature littered the sky with rain, wind, debris and, sadly, death, like we had never seen.  Why was I in the parking lot? To search, for my family's sake, and as I came to realize, mine as well.

Landon and Grace after Hurricane Katrina
in our temporary house

The Day

August 29, 2005.  Nine years ago this past week. You may have seen the remembrances.  Before that day, I envisioned my wife Heather and me we would be shopping at Babies R Us, cleaning spittle from our clothes and quintessentially raising our growing family.  Landon, our son, was three and Grace, our daughter, had been born six weeks earlier.  Instead, I found myself in a much different place.  Hurricane Katrina roared ashore, destroying everything in its path.  Pascagoula, seventy miles from the eye's center, was flooded.  No need to rehash the destruction; that has been done.  Suffice it to say my house suffered like everyone else, four feet of water and the downstairs destroyed.  We moved into a temporary house in Gautier with my parents.  Major to a man with two children under four; minor compared to many, including my parents.  So, after many days of no power, hot sun and pulling everything, including the kitchen refrigerator to the curb, I found myself in the parking lot.   Through the generosity of people from far away, an eighteen wheeler full of survival supplies parked near Mary, Mother of Jesus.  I, along with others, rummaged through for what we could find.  I found formula and diapers.  That's what I knew I could use. No stores were in operation.  Gasoline was scarce. Money didn't have its place.

 

The Decision

Me in our temporary house
that we shared with my parents
after Hurricane Katrina

My experience, I am sure, is similar to that of everyone who lived along the Mississippi Gulf Coast nine years ago.  Yet, each "Katrina story" has its personal stamp.  I would be lying if I said I had not entertained the idea of entering politics before Katrina.  Yet, until Katrina, it did not seem that . . . urgent.  Standing in a parking lot pulling diapers from a trailer is not where I ever saw myself.  Realization set in.  No matter how much you plan or how much you work or how much you concoct, reality is something different.  AND, it can change in a second.  AND, family is above all the most important.  Although many people and families understandably moved from Mississippi, I knew then and there that I was going to raise my family in Mississippi.  However, if I was going to raise Landon and Grace as Mississippians, I was not going to allow the status quo to rise in the wake of Katrina.  Being a lifelong Mississippian and someone who defended the state's honor in the face of national criticism, much of it justified, I felt my children, like all of Mississippi's children, deserved better.  At that moment, I didn't know when, but I knew I would enter politics.

The Result

Time has a way of making us forget, or at least lessen the pain.  This is human and God's mechanism for us to survive.  Yet, when you forget you can lose focus.    That is why the remembrances, and particularly the pictures, of the ninth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina struck me.  They brought back the "reason" that I had entered politics.  Not that I had forgotten, it is always there, but they brought it back to the forefront.  As I have found in my three years in the Mississippi Senate, it is easy to get caught up in the legislating, the politicking, the fundraising, . . . the attention.  It's also easy to justify the ends no matter the means, as we recently have seen from the U.S. Senate election.  Putting labels on voters may be preferred by some, but we as public servants represent the people, all the people.  That is why when I return to the Senate in January and stand for re-election next year I will continue to work to improve Mississippi, to work to turn that criticism into praise, just as I have tried to do since being elected three and a half years ago.  I appreciate the chance the voters of District 52 have given me.  I will continue to work to represent every Mississippi with dignity, respect and honor.

Landon and Grace now

Legislation Authored by Brice and Signed into Law since being elected

2012 (SB2376) Created criminal act of felony voyeurism when victim is minor child

2012 (SB2367) Strengthened crime of vulnerable abuse of an adult

2013 (SB2395) Early Learning Collaborative Act. This established Mississippi’s first every early education program.  Praised by corporate leaders, educators, law enforcement and clergy.

2013 (SB2377) Created second degree murder statute.  Hailed by victims, prosecutors and attorneys for its necessity

2013 (HB1259) Lonnie Smith Act. Authored Senate version which strengthened the criminal laws prohibiting child abuse.

2013 (SB2781) Created section to limit liability of pilots of offshore vessels.

2014 (HB585) Criminal Justice Reform Act. This clarified and strengthened laws against violent offenders while at the same time modernizing Mississippi Criminal Justice laws. It is projected to save Mississippians $210 million in correction costs.

2014 (SB2430) Katie’s Law.  Requires collection of DNA from defendants upon arrest on violent offense(s).  Partnered with the national organization DNA Saves.  Praised by prosecutors and victims’ advocates. 

            2014 (SB2579) Department of Marine Resources Accountability and Transparency Act.  

            Passed in the wake of indictments of the agency’s top officials creating annual audits of the

            agency among other reforms. 

Awards since being elected

Representative Bud Cramer Award. The National Children’s Alliance. Washington, DC 2012

Champion of Children Award. Children’s Justice Centers of Mississippi. 2013

Legislator of the Year from the Senate. Mississippi Law Enforcement Association 2013

Outstanding Leadership and Contributions as an Advocate for Victims’ Rights. 

19^th Judicial District D.A. Office. 2014

Defender of Liberty Award. Mississippi Public Defenders Association. 2014

Fortitude: Secret Sauce of Mississippi's Past and MSGOP's Future

*Note: The highlighted portions of the text are links to resources.  Click on them to take you to the link explaining my position.

Fortitude Personified:

William Edward Wiggins, eighteen years old and the son of a sawmill owner in Monroeville, AL, boarded the train to Pensacola, FL to seek his fortune.  Between boarding the train and joining a pile driving crew, he met a Moss Point, Mississippi drugstore owner named Mr. Rape.  The year was 1917 and drugstores were much more than pharmacies; they were places for community gatherings.  Mr. Rape on the train ride took a liking to Ed and told him that if things did not work out in Pensacola, come back to Moss Point and he would give him a job.  After two months in Pensacola driving piles, Ed resolved his future lay in business, like his father.  He moved to Moss Point and Mr. Rape, true to his word, gave Ed a job--sweeping floors. Through diligence, hard work and applying his business acumen Ed, who would come to be known as "Poppy," became owner of his drugstore within a few years of that first night sweeping floors.  With no college education, but using fortitude and applying his skills, he grew this drugstore into a chain of approximately six throughout Jackson County, Mississippi.  Ed went on to become a leading businessman, a Rotarian, a developer and the mayor of Pascagoula.   Ed "Poppy" Wiggins was my great-grandfather. 

Fortitude Continued:

Poppy went on to have four children, the eldest, Julius, was my grandfather.  Julius became a welder, worked for International Paper and retired a foreman for Papco Industries.  Julius' passion, like Poppy's, was fishing the Gulf Waters.  Julius married Gertrude "Trudy" Pilstrom from Moss Point.  Her parents, my great-grandparents, were first generation immigrants from Sweden.  My great-grandfather Pilstrom was a laborer, skilled in everything from painting to wallpapering to construction.  He, too, had no college education. Julius and Trudy's son, Chris Wiggins, my father, went on to become the first in our family to attend college then went on to medical school becoming an orthopedic surgeon.  (Not to leave out the other side of my family: my grandmother Jean Meredith was raised in the hills of Tennessee and my grandfather Dr. Bill Meredith was born in rural Paris, Arkansas going on to become a surgeon as well. They went on to have twelve grandchildren and umpteen great-grandchildren).

The Mississippi Metaphor :

This is not a blog about the life history of Brice Wiggins.  It is, however, a metaphor for Mississippi, Mississippians AND the Mississippi GOP. Regrettably, the nastiness that was and continues to be the Mississippi U.S. Senate Republican primary between Senator Thad Cochran and State Senator Chris McDaniel has put Mississippi in a negative light nationally, reinforcing the historical negative stereotypes that outsiders have of us;  the same stereotypes that I got into politics to have a hand in eradicating.  The story of Ed "Poppy" Wiggins rings true, I am sure, for many Mississippians, certainly for many Jackson Countians many of whom are descendants of fishermen, shrimpers, shipbuilders, welders, sawmill workers, electricians, and the like.  It ought to ring true for all Republicans: perseverance, fortitude, and hard work of immigrants and working class folks all of whom are striving to create a good and better life for their children and grandchildren in the land of opportunity without looking for a handout but willing to offer a hand up. Is this not the American dream?  Is this not what Thomas Jefferson lived and envisioned when he went from being a planter to the founder of the University of Virginia?  Is this right to improve your lot in life not what we as Americans stand for?

The Danger of Euphemisms

During the U.S. Senate primary, to my dismay, I have seen euphemisms like "elitist," "establishment" "RINO," "conservative," "Democrat," etc. thrown around.  Now, one of the campaigns has descended into making claims of race baiting and purging people if and when they don't associate like they want them to. In my own chamber of the Mississippi Senate a minority of senators has chosen to adopt the name the Conservative Coalition, as if to imply other Republicans are not conservative.   When I hear these terms, I get heated.  I get heated because the values I describe above ARE CONSERVATIVE, MISSISSIPPI VALUES.  The people that deliberately (as opposed to unintentionally) use these euphemisms effectively drive a wedge for their own personal gain or to not say what they truly want to say for fear of being seen in the public eye as extreme.  The effect? An eradication of support for the Republican Party and a loss of the understanding of true Republican principles. Speaking with the rank and file voters and looking at the numbers, the discussion has not been TEA Party vs. Establishment (though certain individuals would have you believe that), rather it has been about voters' worry Republicans have catered to the "business, moneyed class" to the exclusion of "the working class" and its value system described above.

Can't Ignore the Sound of the Ballot Box:

That being said, the Mississippi Republican Party cannot ignore the tide that is out there.  For the majority of voters, the closeness of the race did not reflect anti-Cochran mood; rather, it reflected anti-Washington, anti-ignoring of the working middle class values.  To put a term on it, the passion out there is a rising tide of populism; and, there is nothing wrong with that; in fact it is good.  It makes us elected Republicans responsive to the people. The country, and the South in particular, has been defined by populism throughout U.S. history.  This populism is personified in the form of the TEA Party movement. ( A form of populism from the left side recently aggregated in the Occupy Wall Street movement.)  Yet, there has to be caution, as populism can turn into fascism, socialism or other such forms of extremism.  And those who self-identify with this populist passion must hold those speaking for them accountable.  Otherwise, they run the risk of extremism or worse, non-existence.  (e.g., Occupy Movement).  Our founders selected a republican form of government rather than a pure democratic form of government, reasons for which can be found in The Federalist Papers.  Pure democracy is untenable and fails under its own weight. Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, James Madison, all scholars of political thought, knew this which is why they selected representative democracy for our country.  In this form of government, the duty of a representative is not simply to communicate the wishes of the electorate but also to use his or her own judgement in the exercise of his or her powers. In other words, govern. 

Jackson County the Model GOP?

 In my previous blog I discussed the importance of Jackson County to the Republican Party statewide.  Led by Former U.S. Majority Leader Trent Lott, whose parents worked at Ingalls Shipbuilding, Jackson County became Republican long before the rest of the state when he ran for Congress as a Republican in 1972 after working for Democratic Congressman William Colmer. In other words, as a whole, Jackson County was voting Republican while the rest of Mississippi was Democratic.   Similarly, Gov. Haley Barbour, hailing from Yazoo City, rose to prominence to usher in the Republican Party nationally.  Mississippi politics has changed over the last generation from being Solid South Democratic state to a Republican led state with a 5 vote majority in the MS House of Representatives. Why did Senator Cochran seek and receive the endorsement of the Metal Trades Council during the runoff?  I submit not because he was pandering for Democratic votes.  Rather, he was seeking and needed the Ingalls workers,---welders, shipfitters, electricians, pipefitters and the like--those classified as working class with working class values and who vote their working class values, which most of the time is Republican both locally and nationally.  

So, in the end, we cannot ignore the sound emanating from the ballot box.  We need to recognize what this voice is about.  The Republican Party in Mississippi can, should and will continue to foster a pro-business environment.  Likewise, though, it needs to know that it must represent the working class citizens and their/our values--white, black, African American, Latino-- and do a better job of listening, and representing, those constituents. These constituents, though, don't always have the resources to speak through campaign contributions, which we must keep in mind. All of us Mississippians, from the Delta, to the Coast to the Appalachian hills, do have that special sauce--fortitude.  Because we all share this special sauce this means reaching out to and working with members of the Democratic party, just as I have done and will continue to do, to make Mississippi better for our children and grandchildren.  Just like Mississippians in Jackson County have been doing for decades.

The recount of Ed "Poppy" Wiggins is taken from the historical research coallted in Ancestry of William Edward Wiggins by Dr. Chris E. Wiggins, Past-President of the Jackson County Historical Society.  Further, I serve with Senator McDaniel in the Mississippi Senate and have worked with the Office of Senator Thad Cochran for the betterment of the State of Mississippi in my position as Mississippi State Senator.

The Metrics of Republican Party politics: Jackson County is relevant!

This morning I read about jobs in Jackson County and the U.S. Senate race, which crystallized for me the frustration I have been feeling since the vote totals came in on the U.S. Senate race between U.S. Sen. Cochran and state Sen. Chris McDaniel.  From sports to politics, everything nowadays is about metrics (think Moneyball of the Oakland A's or checkout fivethirtyeight.com).  The turnout in Jackson County was an abysmal 18%.  In Harrison County it was 26%.  Total turnout in Mississippi was about 300,000 people, in a state of 3 million.  This is not good, and I would argue, sad.  Some will say it was the negative campaigns.  Some will say "I wish we had online voting because I am busy."   Some will always say "my vote doesn't count."  No matter what the reasons, this is the system we have.  More importantly, no one, especially in Jackson County, can say their vote (or non-vote) did not or will not count.  The returns in primary showed about 49.7% to 47.6% statewide. The difference?  The 5,000 votes that the third place finisher who no one knew (a Google search will reveal this fact) received.  In Jackson County, Mr. Causey got about 600 votes, enough to swing the result as Sen. Cochran and Sen. McDaniel were separated by about 200-300 votes.  Whether we like the current system or not, this is what we operate under.  I for one support a hard look at changing our election laws.  That being said, we have to operate in the now.  

The metrics of Republican party politics in Mississippi says about 8 counties statewide "determine" the Republican nominee (Jackson, Harrison, Hancock, DeSoto, Madison, Rankin, Pearl River, Hinds, and a couple of others.) This is why your statewide officials have spent more time on the Coast and in these areas then you can ever remember.  This is why you saw so many political commercials during this race on WLOX.  I say this happily, because elected officials go where the most votes are; that is the name of the game.  This also means that the Coast as a whole is RELEVANT!   Since when Trent Lott was first elected to Congress as the first Republican Congressman (Remember: he worked for Congressman Colmer who was a Democrat), Jackson County has been Republican.  I would argue that the rest of the state has finally caught up to Jackson County.  This is a good thing.  Jackson County on a statewide and national level is RELEVANT!  As State Senator for District 52 I represent 50,000 Jackson Countians.  That means District 52 citizens are RELEVANT!  Officials both Republican and Democrat know that Jackson County with Ingalls, the largest private employer in the state employing around 10,000 people depends on the defense industry.  They also know that the Coast with Keesler, the Seabee base, Northrup Grumman Aerospace, VA Home, has a great connection to the defense industry.  We can debate the metrics of limited government all day long, but reading the Federalist Papers and other historical texts everyone must agree that one of the primary, if not THE primary reason, Jefferson, Washington, Franklin, and the rest of our Founding Fathers re-did the Articles of Confederation into the Constitution was for protection of USA's citizens through a strong national defense.  ("provide for the common defence"--Preamble to the US Constution).  Mississippi has proudly been on the forefront of this defense as Mr. Crawford's column points out.  This does not even include the many, many sons and daughters Missisippi has sent to Afghanistan, Iraq, the Middle East, in recent terms.  We support our military.  I would point out also one of the best moments shared by the state was the commissioning of the USS Mississippi nuclear submarine in Pascagoula, named so by the Navy because of Mississippi's long history of dedication to the military.  

So, Jackson County, the rest of the state, and the nation, is looking at us. Please turn out and vote on June 24th.  If you will be absent, please vote absentee.  YOU ARE RELEVANT!