Randall Patterson is a Democrat In Name Only

Before Hurricane Katrina hit the economy on the Coast was bustling.

New casinos were being planned and a major issue was whether local governments wanted to limit condo growth or not.

Amidst this House Bill 1634 transferred authority of the Mineral Lease Commission to the MS Development Authority from the MS Department of Environmental Quality. The legislation would make natural gas exploration and drilling in the Mississippi Sound more feasible and likely. Another provision set out that appeals of mining lease decisions would have to be made to the Hinds County Chancery Court, not courts on the Coast.

Coast leaders organized against opening these waters to huge drilling rigs and environmentally destructive processes so close to the mainland in what they called the 12 Mile South Coalition holding a huge rally at the Coast Coliseum only days before Hurricane Katrina hit.

Randall Patterson was outspoken in his oppositon to the bill in his statement on the House Floor. According to the Sun Herald he said "but I'm against it, even with the ammendments. I can't support it. The area is supposed to be a vacation mecca, and I just can't support any drilling."

However Randall Patterson was given the chance to vote against it in committee and he chose to vote for it there. You can make up your own mind as to whether it had something to do with the $1,000 he received from Cheveron Texaco.

He earns the title of (Democrat In Name Only) DINO for standing up for his people in public but voting against them when they aren't looking.

Rep. Randall Patterson is also a member of the extreme right wing ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) which opposes such things as the Clean Air Act and increasing teacher pay. As a point of reference Republican Senator Charlie Ross serves as a committee chair within that organization.

Randall Patterson is a DINO and should not be reselected to represent the Democratic Party. Fortunately there is an alternative. His opponent Wallace "Chip" Barnes is a good man and a good Democrat and he deserves your vote.