Todd Brand's Attack Ad on Mike Sumrall

I disagree with the ad, but feel folks should be able to see it. You can see why I support Mike Sumrall in the post directly below.

Vote for Mike Sumrall

There are many reasons why you should vote for Mike Sumrall including but not limited to his long and deep experience doing the kind of work that is necessary for the job of State Auditor.

Dr. Todd Brand is a very intelligent man and I'm sure that a doctorate in Community College Leadership will help him get about any job he'd like to have, but I really think now is the time to choose Mike Sumrall. Allow me to spell out some reasons.

1. He is very, very qualified. The web page details his pertinent work experience He is the most qualified out of the 3 remaining candidates (Sumrall, Brand, Pickering).

2. He not only has experience, but has shown competence and vision. Years before computers became the norm he saw where technology was going so he went back to school to study computer science so he would be prepared to meet that challenge. Between his knowledge of audits at various levels and his knowledge of automating processes using technology he would be an excellent fit for State Auditor today.

3. He didn't say the following:

"(Bryant) has done an outstanding job leading the audit department, but he has faced a shrinking budget for the last three fiscal years."

Defending the current Republican candidate for Lt. Governor's failed tenure as Auditor is not a quality I want in a Democratic nominee. The Auditor's office was given money to investigate the beef plant fiasco and he gave most of it back. With people (finally) going to jail, shouldn't they have been a little more thorough?

4. He's from South Mississippi. This may count against him elsewhere, but I'd like you to think about how few of our statewide candidates are from the Coast. I think he is one of two running statewide from the Southern region. We deserve representation too.

Mike Sumrall is a man of good character and a friend to the people of Mississippi and seeks the office so that he may serve the people just as he has done for the last 20 years. He deserves your vote and support. Vote for him tomorrow, Tuesday the 27th.

Republican Dirty Tricks In State Auditor Race

Todd Brand of Meridian, who is vying for the Democratic nomination for auditor, said Monday he believes automated phone calls from an unknown source might have influenced his election and others in the Democratic primary….He said some of his supporters had affidavits from African-American voters saying they received automated phone calls near the election with the message that Sumrall was the black candidate in the race.
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The "black" candidate in the race.
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Brand said the company doing the calls was "Grassroots Out of Virginia." On Republican Gov. Haley Barbour's campaign finance report is a $50,000 expenditure to Grassroots Targeting/Microtargeting of Alexandria, Va.

Ryan Annison, a spokesman for the Barbour campaign, said automated phone calls "is not what that company does. Like all campaigns, we did some polling with them."

The Daily Journal Article

Leader Call Covers Democratic Forum

From the Leader Call:

He also took aim at the present administrations claims for the Toyota Plant announced.

“It happened 20 years ago,” Smith said. “Democrats stood up and Democrats passed the bills. There are three level five schools in that area. There is a four lane highway system. It didn’t happen four years ago when the present administration took office.”
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Dr. Brand said he has years of experience in education at Brandon High School and Meridian Community College. Brand also pointed out the state legislature balanced the budget, but claims that’s only part of the issue because the state is cutting budgets while local governments raise taxes.

“The money comes through the courthouse instead of the state house,” Brand said.

Brand said the office is currently 30 auditors short. More auditors is a priority, he said, because many offices go unchecked each year. He said with so many new people taking office this year, the auditor’s office must have a strong person in position to help make sure public money is spent wisely.

I agree with Smith on the issue of economic development. Companies go where the infrastructure is sound and there is an educated workforce.

Brand makes a good point; the office of the Auditor should be equipped to audit.

The Mississippi Municipal League Event

Some Observations:

- Barbour scheduled his appearance so that it would come during the luncheon event Wednesday. This way he guaranteed a crowd. All the other candidates had to speak at a seperate "stump speaking" event after the luncheon.

- Barbour went further into the story of Marsha Barbour and her heading down with the State Troopers after Hurricane Katrina. In his story he told of poor folks with twisted trailers and caved in roofs. He said he was touched by how selfless they were. (These are the same folks the Barbour tried to kick off Medicaid so he obviously doesn't care about them that much. They do make a good story though.)

- Other than the story he just said the same things he has been saying including, but not limited to, how absolutely wonderful everything is for everyone in Mississippi. (I think a sizable number of Mississippians would disagree.)

- I watched the state office candidates watch as all the folks left who they had been hoping to speak to either heading back to hotels or the casinos. (the folks are city officials from every community in the state)

- At the "stump speaking" event almost everyone there was a candidate or was specifically there with a candidate.

- Marty Wiseman is a great host and moderator and Todd Brand acknowledged him as one of the folks he had learned under. Wiseman was actually on Brand's doctoral committee.

- The candidates made mention of how they were only speaking to themselves several times and overall the speeches were good.

- In the props department Max Phillips featured a rubber chicken, Mike Chaney had a toy monkey, and one of the transportation commissioner candidates held up a newspaper to highlight some point.

- One candidate each from the Northern and Southern Transportation Districts played off their weight in promising the most transportation commissioner for the votes.

- Feel free to include your observations in the comments section.