Mississippi welfare scandals and infrastructure incompetency

Politics
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This welfare scandal and the endless corruption just brutally points out that Mississippi has become a hopeless mess

To be fair, it was a total mess when Democrats had control of the State and it remains exactly the same now that Republicans have control, though in many cases it was just the same people changing their party affiliation from D to R.

(NOTE: This is not a factor of politics. It is a factor of the State’s long, unfortunate government culture. I am not sure either party (outsiders that is) are capable of fixing this mess that Mississippi has made of itself.)

(NOTE And to further iterate, partisanship is not the issue. Republican and Democratic States can both be corrupt (Mississippi & Illinois) or free from corruption (Oregon & Nebraska). Not a partisan issue at all, but a cultural one.)

But it points out something. While I actually supported and still support the general change to block grants that occurred under President Clinton, at some point we have to acknowledge that the State Government of Mississippi is simply and irretrievable lost and corrupt and the Federal Government needs to bypass the State and take direct control of the administration of TANF and other welfare programs in Mississippi.

Mississippi is hopelessly corrupt, corrupt to its rotten core. It is not going to change.

That in mind, Congress needs to change Federal Statute to permit HHS and other welfare involved agencies to cut out the State and administer the program directly, when it is shown that the State is incapable of administering it. Beyond a doubt, that is the proven case in Mississippi.

There is a good reason why Mississippi is the poorest State. And they are going out of their way to stay that way.

And then we have the infrastructure failures.

Alabama stands as a paragon of efficiency in comparison. :smile: They are lucky to be next door. If anybody complains, they can just point west to Mississippi.

For that matter, Louisiana, which has its own corruption issues, can point east and northeast. :smile:

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It isn’t just Mississippi. This also speaks true of our federal politics in DC and what we heard last night from Biden was this truth lashing out at those that see it.

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Jackson Mx-issippi is not the only city with Camp Lejeune problems.

Its just a question of priorities. Easier to have shiny objects like multi billion dollars sports stadiums with luxury boxes and premium seatings built than to deal with basic deterioration of watermains and other critical basic infrastructures.

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Or, and follow me here, honor the Constitution as amended (especially the 10th) and not have those federal programs to begin with.

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I think it may have been about Mississippi but there used to be a joke about the new retirement plan for State Comptroller: prison.

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Alrighty then my friend. Time to run and go stimulate the American economy.

Here’s to Friday. :beers: :sunglasses: :+1:

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Could have been Louisiana. As I recall at the time a former comptroller was in jail and the guy coming into office was already under investigation for corruption even though not yet in office.

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Yepp it’s a ■■■■■■■ mess down here.

TIM. This is Mississippi. We have the same mindset about our state that Africans often have about Africa.

This place has been a ■■■■ show for a century now. Ain’t never gonna get fixed. I stick around primarily because it’s home and my grandparents. Once the inevitable happens I’m probably gonna bounce to Texas or Florida.

As much as I’m saddened to see what’s happening to Jackson (I grew up there and it’s my home away from home) I’m not surprised how this has turned out. The city has had severe water problems since before Katrina. The council knew they were living on borrowed time in regards to the two water treatment plants. They have always been underfunded and understaffed; they’ve always cut corners where they had to. The main pumps should have been replaced ten years ago but ya know the City executives have to keep enough money in the coffers to skim off the top for new personal Mercedes E classes.

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Oh nice. The city announced a joint press conference and didn’t tell state officials. State response is an angry tweet.

All the wonderful infighting going on between Reeves and Lumunba when Jacksonians are literally living in third world conditions.

Great job guys. Great ■■■■■■■ job. You guys are awesome. Best this country has to offer.

This is beyond politics for me. Both Reeves and Lumunba should resign for all of this stupidity.

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If acting stupid, literally so or just functionally so, meant politicians had to resign who in Congress or any legislature would remain?

From the classic SNL skit…

Lord Doucebag: “My dear Sandwich, Parliament has always had its share of Douchebags, and it always will.”

(Transcript: Lord ■■■■■■■■■ - SNL Transcripts Tonight )

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Not just Mississippi. Dole out billions and people want their cut.

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It is kind of baffling how this whole mess isn’t a bigger story.

When there are texts showing that Brett Favre not only wanted to use Welfare money but also prison labor to build a volleyball stadium at his daughter’s college … that is just too weird to ignore.

https://mississippitoday.org/2022/09/24/phil-bryant-brett-favre-welfare-volleyball/

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There are so many heads that need to roll over this. Including our current Governor Tate Reeves. That pile of garbage was Lieutenant Governor at the time and he had involvement.

I’ve been following this closely (since it is my tax dollars that were stolen) and every day I get more and more disgusted.

I can’t believe I used to admire Brett Farve. If it was my choice I’d have him exiled to some no name island in the Pacific.

Despite my distrust and dislike of the Feds, I’m at the point where I’d say it’s time for the entire state government to be dismantled from the top to the bottom and the Feds oversee new elections for every position.

All of these cretins need to be gone. The corruption is completely out of control.

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Looks like a known football player is one individual named in this scandal:

Lovely person, diverting funds needed for temporary assistance buying basic needs for sports facilities at the USM.

But then it seems lacking boundaries is par for the course for him.

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I don’t want to defend him because I just don’t know. But I believe he paid the money back personally. He said when he found out about it. But I am sure some will say when he got caught.

Don’t know if it was a save his ass move.

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I don’t mean to be disrespectful here, but what would ever possess him to think taking money from those who couldn’t afford to buy food was OK to take to build something like sports facilities? Whether he paid it back or not?

About 15 years ago in Massachusetts—another sewer as far as I’m concerned—there was outrage over SNAP & TANF recipients using EBT cards to buy lingerie at Victoria’s Secret & pay for overseas travel. There have been limits on what those little cards can buy now in the above link.

MA EBT card holders have limits, but MS celebrity is OK if he repays the fund?

Nah.

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He says he didn’t know that is were money was coming from and when he found out he paid the money back.:person_shrugging:

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So now there is a Favre linked drug company. They got part of a $2.1 million transfer of TANF funds to a “non-profit” that doled out money and favors.

Man… people seriously need to go to jail over this.

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I am seriously surprised that this isn’t a bigger story here.

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I am surprised that it isn’t a massive national scandal.