Reason #2: Healthcare
We all thought Barbour was pretty rough on Mississippians when it comes to providing healthcare to the poor, elderly, disabled and the children of Mississippi, but Jeff Smith might just beat him. In 2007, for instance, he voted against funding the state's seven mental health crisis facilities (HB 245) and against the Burn Center at UMC (SB 2004).
In 2006, he voted against the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi smoking prevention program, and then in 2005 voted against reinstating PLAD Medicaid coverage and for providing medicine for the working poor and their families through Medicaid.
Mississippi is dead last in the United States in healthcare this year. Jeff Smith does not want to change that.
Just another reason we need Billy McCoy as Speaker.
Be careful what you ask for young one. I believe that one more term of Billy McCoy in the Speaker's chair will end Democrat power in the House.
ReplyDeleteIt should be fun to watch that bumbling buffoon drive the Mississippi Democrat Party into the ground.
Four More Years....
122 members of the Mississippi House of Representatives, and it's two middle-aged white male conservative Democrats? Again?
ReplyDeleteMcCoy seems to be by far the less dangerous of the two, but personally I'd rather see someone like Frances Fredericks get the gig than either of them. Watching the Old Guard go at it like this makes me feel like a Kremlin-watcher.
Here is an interesting email I received from a colleague. Definitely worth reading!
ReplyDeleteWe desperately need your help to ensure that hard fought gains made in Education, Medicaid, Public Health and Welfare are not lost!
On Tuesday January 8th when Mississippi Legislative session convenes, House members will be responsible for choosing a Speaker that will lead them this session. Here are the facts:
Representative Jeff Smith is seeking votes from democrat and republican House members to become the next House Speaker.
Rep. Smith was the only conservative democrat that did not back the landmark Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP) in 1997. Neither, according to web sources, has he voted in support of MAEP funding on any year since 1997.
Representative Billy McCoy's re-election as Speaker would ensure we maintain existing Committee Chairs in Education, Public Health and Welfare, and Medicaid.
Rep. McCoy's loss as Speaker would mean a great loss for children and families in Mississippi.
Rep. McCoy’s loss as Speaker could also eliminate gains made in resolving Mississippi’s Juvenile Justice System reform and how the legislature should respond to the state’s Foster Care lawsuit.
What can you do?
Please contact Representative Chuck Espy and Representative Robert Johnson. Tell them we know speaker McCoy’s track record and we want them not to support Rep. Jeff Smith for Speaker of the Mississippi House. We want Representative Mc Coy to remain a champion for children and families. With Cecil Brown as Chair of Education, we got more funding for schools; with Steve Holland as Chair of Public Health and Welfare, we were listened to about our child care concerns; with the late Leonard Morris and Dirk Dedeaux, as Chair of Medicaid, we had an audience about the loss of children; with George Flaggs as Chair of Juvenile Justice, we took the first steps to reforming the juvenile justice system.
However, if Jeff Smith becomes Speaker, we have no idea who will be the chairs of these key committees. We are fairly sure that they will be less likely to listen to our concerns, and therefore, children will be worse off than they would be under the leadership of Billy McCoy.
Representative Chuck Espy -
Home
Room 400F - NC
P. O. Box 1508
Jackson, MS 39215
(662) 627-4182
(W) (601) 359-3338
P. O. Box 1018
Clarksdale, MS 38614
E-mail address: cespy@mail.house.state.ms.us
Representative Robert Johnson -
Addresses:
Capitol
P. O. Box 1678
Room: 405B-NC
Natchez, MS 39121
(601)359-3770
(601) 445-5690 (H)
(601) 442-9371 (W)
E-mail address: rjohnson@mail.house.state.ms.us