Beam me up - no sign of intelligent life

How do you just say, "No" to $50 Million? That's exactly what our legislature and Guv'ner have done to Jim Barksdale's offer. Can you imagine what $50 Million would have done to provide scholarships to Mississippi's students, not to mention their parents? A great investment in higher education for our kids right where it needs to be, with the kids. We don't need any more "facilities." This was a free gift, no taxpayer money involved. Our "dunderheads" in Jackson just said "No."

Of course, Mr. Barksdale offered the $50 Million as an incentive to fully fund the K-12 or MAEP program. Not even the offer of free money could deter our "no new taxes" Guv'ner and our sorry lot of legislators from coming up short on the education funding by $88 Million. In the most ballsy statement I have seen from Guv'ner (quoting the article). "Gov. Haley Barbour said it was a generous offer but public policy should be made without considering such outside plans." This, mind you, is from a guy who made his living as a Lobbyist for the Tobacco Companies! Okay, $50 Million is chump change for the tobacco industry and he didn't recognize it because there were no strings attached, but for the "poor damn people" of Mississippi who are likely seeing a tuition increase for their students, this would have been a great boost.

The Guv'ner thinks nothing of throwing $25 Million for his cronies in Momentum Mississippi and the Legislature thinks nothing of adding $98 Million of "pork", but they won't fund an additional $88 Million to get a free $50 Million for the people of Mississippi to invest in the future.

Red Dog ain't scratching here, he's hiking his leg. Fire the whole damn lot!!