Reports of race used in Mississippi contest

It's sad to note that in 2008, some congressional battles seem to have racial components still in them, as outlined in this Tuesday story in The New York Times.

Seems as if a Democratic candidate was thought to have enough of an appeal in a conservative district that he might take over a GOP seat. Then things got ugly when a runoff was in the, umm, offing:

"Republicans say Mr. Obama’s liberal values are out of place in the district. But for many Democratic veterans here, the tactic is a throwback to the old and unwelcome politics of race, a standby in Mississippi campaigning.

"Former Gov. William Winter, a Democrat, expressed shock at the current campaign.
"'I am appalled that this blatant appeal to racial prejudice is still being employed,' said Mr. Winter, who lost the 1967 governor’s race after his segregationist opponent circulated handbills showing blacks listening to one of his speeches. Mr. Winter went on to win the governor’s office 12 years later.

"'I had thought we had gotten past that,' Mr. Winter said. 'That was a tactic that was used against me in the 1960s.'"

Winter is an adviser to the Center for a Better South.

NOTE: Democrat Travis Childers beat GOP Mayor Greg Davis by almost 8,000 votes of 107,000 cast, according to the Jackson Clarion-Ledger. Read more.

We thought all baptisms were free

Taken today in McClellanville, SC:

Tax Commission to hear from Mississippi public

JACKSON — Mississippi citizens and interest groups will have the opportunity to speak to members of the Governor's Tax Study Commission. The event will take place May 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Mississippi Telcom Center in downtown Jackson.

"The Commission's first two meetings, including the second meeting held (April 29) at Jackson State University, have served as general overview meetings of Mississippi's tax structure and general tax policy," said Commission chairman Leland Speed. "As the Commission begins to sharpen its pencil, we'd like to begin that process by hearing from the public."

Both individuals and interest groups will have an opportunity to speak publicly to the Commission May 19. Interested speakers or groups may e-mail to taxstudy@governor.state.ms.us, or call (601) 359-3150 by May 16 to reserve time. People who do not reserve time before May 16 but come to the meeting May 19 will be placed at the end of the list. Space will be allocated on a first-come-first-serve basis, and written statements will also be accepted.

In January, Gov. Haley Barbour announced the creation of a public-private commission developed to study Mississippi's tax code and recommend reforms. During his re-election campaign, Barbour promised to appoint this commission so the state would no longer take a piecemeal approach but a comprehensive approach to tax reform.

The Commission is required to present its findings and recommendations to the governor, Legislature and public August 31, 2008.

From The Mississippi Business Journal April 30, 2008

Economic Trends in NC

An op-ed piece in yesterday's issue of The News & Observer dissected the economic trends buffeting working families in North Carolina. Written by the NC Justice Center and the Center for Economic and Policy Research, the piece focuses on one of the South's persistent problems, low-wage work.

Regardless of whether the nation technically is in a recession, working families most definitely are. Since the 2001 recession, North Carolina has lost, on balance, more than 200,000 manufacturing jobs, a traditional source of living-wage employment for individuals without post-secondary degrees.

This has occurred alongside rapid growth in the low-wage labor market. Less than one out of every four jobs in North Carolina pays more than $17 an hour and offers both employer-provided health and retirement benefits, according to an analysis by the Center for Economic and Policy Research.

....

Our next president will have to address both the immediate problems stemming from the recession and the longer-term problems associated with the loss of good jobs. Ideally, the policies that combat the recession in the short term could also help counteract the larger problem of low-wage work.

Pushing for education reform in SC

Two new and separate efforts in South Carolina are seeking to improve public education.

Long-time education activist Bud Ferillo, who produced a shocking 2005 film on the poor educational offerings in poor South Carolina counties (see Corridor of Shame), is trying to get 1,000,000 signatures in an online petition supporting a pro-public education constitutional amendment. Hence: GoodbyeMinimallyAdequate.com.

In 2005, a state court ruled that the state of South Carolina had a responsibility to provide only a "minimally adequate" public education. The ruling, which will be heard on appeal in June by the state Supreme Court, has spawned the amendment effort to add a constitutional requirement for the state to "provide a high quality education, allowing each student to reach his highest potential."

Another new public education effort is by former state Superintendent of Education Inez Tenenbaum, who wants state lawmakers to provide better funding for schools, particularly those in poverty areas. Hence: RISE SC, which "represents a network of individuals, businesses and advocacy organizations committed to improving the lives of South Carolinians through comprehensive and sustained reform of our public education system."

"We hope it will become a 'league of education voters,' in much the same way as the League of Conservation Voters is," Tenenbaum told S.C. Statehouse Report in a new story on both organizations.

• Read more of the article.