"Regardless, the impact is the same. Mississippi's future smoking cessation education effort is out of the hands of the Partnership and in the hands of the Legislature." - July 1, 2007 Clarion Ledger
"...unconstitutional and illegal diversion of $20 million a year to the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi." - June 20, 2007 Hattiesburg American
"The late Gov. Kirk Fordice started the battle against the dubious funding mechanism for the Partnership and Gov. Haley Barbour and State Treasurer Tate Reeves finished the fight." - June 18, 2007 Sid Salter's blog
He constantly leaves the impression that Reeves and Barbour were only concerned about how The Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi was getting its money.
That was clearly not the case.
The legislature voted to provide funding and oversight to the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi and with all concerns over proper spending authority and oversight out of the way Barbour vetoed the funding.
Barbour didn't care about spending authority of oversight or he would have pushed for the same oversight into contracts his Republican buddies in industry and the legislature got after Hurricane Katrina.
He opposed spending for the Partnership due to a petty dislike for Mike Moore and his ideology on government that says there is no place for public spending to deter harmful behavior, even when it comes to our state's children.
Haley Barbour is dangerously out of step with the people of this state and to write this story as an issue of legality of funding without proper context to the broader reasons is irresponsible.
"He opposed spending for the Partnership due to a petty dislike for Mike Moore and his ideology on government that says there is no place for public spending to deter harmful behavior, even when it comes to our state's children."
ReplyDeletePerhaps he opposed Mississippi's Attorney General mandating money that belonged to the state of Mississippi to a program that was a product of an intense brainstorm session between Moore and his trial lawyers. It's funny because what incentive do they have to help people? They make zillions off of people being harmed. It seems to me you don't even question the legality of the appropriation so how can anyone sit there and let a private program illegally use state money? If a program that promotes a "healthy Mississippi" (like that's even possible) is needed then let the state run it because we have no idea how the Partnership is using the 20 million dollars a year it receives. Moore refuses to let the state run an audit on his "non-profit" group? Sounds shady to me honestly. Maybe it's going into some people's pockets or perhaps even used to further someone's political gains......
Good job drinking the Kool Aid.
ReplyDelete"It seems to me you don't even question the legality of the appropriation so how can anyone sit there and let a private program illegally use state money?"
It's legal if the legislature votes to allow it like they did before Barbour vetoed it. State government farms out all kinds of services.
"a "healthy Mississippi" (like that's even possible)"
Just a little cynical aren't you?
"Moore refuses to let the state run an audit on his "non-profit" group?"
Oversight was tied to the funding the legislature approved before Barbour vetoed it.
As usual Barbour apologists don't let the facts get in the way.
The problem is that the the Partnership gives money to anybody and everybody for anything under the sun....as long as Mike Moore likes them. Barbour said he wanted the $20 million to go to other healthcare issues, including smoking cessation.
ReplyDeleteThe Partnership was identified as an innovator and a leader in the field.
ReplyDeleteThey were a program that others studied to learn from.
Obviously it wasn't just throwing money around.
If it had not been for Mike Moore and those hated trial lawyers, the state would never have gotten a settlement and had the money to argue over to begin with. And what is this stuff about it being possible to have healthy citizens? gatepost, please quit showing off your ignorance and stop making MORONIC statements! I have a whole lot of friends here on the coast that would not have received a darn cent after the storm to rebuild if it had not been for a trial lawyer helping them. Funny how you Repubs hate trial lawyers till you really need one when the BIG BOY corporations screw you, kind of like Lott hiring Dickie Scruggs to get his money from State Farm!
ReplyDelete"a "healthy Mississippi" (like that's even possible)"
ReplyDelete"Just a little cynical aren't you?"
Am I being cynical or realistic? Ideally we would like to believe that everyone who is obese, currently smoking a pack of cigarettes a day or doing other harmful behavior to their bodies is completely ignorant of the fact that it will most likely cause their death. Maybe by educating them of that fact (they don't have a clue, remember?)we will save all of their lives. I am not trying to be antagonistic, just trying to use some common sense.
The reason I made a criticism of the tobacco lawsuits is because those suits made a select group of people unimaginably wealthy and furthered the idea of "jackpot" justice for those select trial lawyers. wlb you act like Scruggs did such a great service for the state when he stood to make over 1 BILLION dollars. Have any idea how much the state received? 4.1 billion.....So Scruggs received almost a quarter of the amount of money the state received? Of course, that's what was sad about the tobacco suits.
As for the Lott deal, Scruggs is Trent Lott's brother in law so it doesn't surprise me that he hired him. I don't know the specifics but Lott most likely did not have flood insurance on his house and is suing State Farm to cover damage done to his Pascagoula by water.
Haley went after the Partnership for the same reason he vetoed the tobacco tax/food tax swap. He's in bed with the tobacco companies.
ReplyDeleteI agree that in some instances trial lawyers make obscene amounts of money out of litigation. So what? Ceo's, investment bankers, some doctors, Donald Trump, etc. make HUGE sums of money. Maybe if most corporate interests, almost always endorsed and worshiped by the Republican Party, would treat everyone fairly and be REAL American Patriots, not just "profit whores", we wouldn't need trial lawyers and their services so much.
ReplyDelete