Is your Legislator Going to Destin on your Dollar?

FLASHBACK (8/11/2013):


This morning, The Clarion Ledger's Geoff Pender wrote a few (1) damning reports (2) about state legislators using taxpayer dollars for trips with lobbyists.

According to Pender, not only did lobbyists cover the cost of much of a trip to Destin, these legislators were then reimbursed by the state for travel, food, etc, essentially double dipping on the taxpayer dollar.

The trip's purpose was to meet with a group pushing for the ability of loan sharks to charge up to 99% on "small" loans. Obviously driving up heinous debt on sometimes the most desperate people.

Now this, at its face, is appalling. But what really sticks out is how legislators like Bubba Carpenter (R-Burnsville), Tracy Arnold (R-Booneville) and Ray Rogers (R-Pearl) responded when they were asked about the trip.

Pender on Rep. Bubba Carpenter (R-Burnsville):

Rep. Bubba Carpenter (R - Burnsville)

...when first contacted, on his way back from the same MCFA event in Destin this year, said: “No, sir, I did not. I didn’t file anything on my state report. (Lobbyist) Buddy Medlin paid for that. I can’t turn that in — (the House Management Committee) wouldn’t have approved it. You’ve got some wires crossed with whatever you’re looking at. … Something’s not geehawing. I would have to be approved by Management, and this is a private convention.” 

...

But then, after checking his expense records, Carpenter said he had been pre-approved by the Management Committee, and the $652.70 he was reimbursed by taxpayers for the travel was for mileage, meals and other out-of-pocket expenses. He said neither the association nor lobbyists provided for all meals at the convention.

Pender on Ray Rogers (R-Pearl):

Rep. Ray Rogers (R- Pearl)

...at first said he recalled only filing mileage and that “where lobbyists pay for motel and so forth, the thing they don’t pay for is mileage.”

“I certainly did not ask for meals,” Rogers said. “Mine better not show meal expenses.”
Records show Rogers was reimbursed $547.04, including $138 for meals. Later, Rogers said: “Well, I apologize. Records show I asked for mileage and meals that weren’t covered. … We don’t double up. We don’t pay anything that the lobbyists cover. No, they don’t cover all meals.”

Pender on Tracy Arnold (R-Booneville):

Rep. Tracy Arnold (R - Booneville)

...had a similar first response: “You’re saying the state paid? I need to check that out because it was my understanding that the Mississippi Consumer Finance Association paid for everything on that trip … That’s the first one of those that I’ve been on … the first time I’ve went to one where someone was supposed to be totin’ and paying it all.” He also said he’s had problems with an assistant at the Capitol who files his expenses.


Arnold state-expensed $654.54 for the trip, including $170 for meals. After checking records, he, too, noted the travel was pre-approved by House Management and directed further questions to House Management Committee Chairman Greg Snowden.

But a 23% increase in travel over the last year sounds less like a mistake, and more like uninhibited corruption (by the way, Speaker Gunn refused to comment for these stories).

So was it complete incompetence or good ol' corruption?

Why not both?

Rep. Bubba Carpenter (R - Burnsville) Caught on Tape, Blatantly Race Baiting

Oftentimes, we are taught to listen for the subtle undertones of Republican language, dog-whistles that are meant to break through some of the dreariest days of Mississippi's past.

We must do this, because it's no longer usually socially acceptable to outright race-bait in Mississippi politics. But this week, Jack Ivy of WRMG-TV was on location to film the Midway Republican Rally, and what Rep. Bubba Carpenter (R-Burnsville) said may shock you.





In the video Carpenter is repeating the now typical (ridiculous) argument from opponents of Initiative 42, suggesting a Hinds County judge would be able to control funds from all sorts of school districts at his liking.  (You can watch the entire Republican rally here.)

Except Bubba went off script a bit. Instead of using the dog-whistle "liberal," Carpenter said what they always meant.

Bubba told a group of constituents that a black judge would be making the decision. And he meant it as a cuss word.  (This has the extra benefit of not even being true, as the Hinds County Chancery Court bench is evenly split, with two black female judges and two white male judges.)

And not only that, Carpenter assured the room that Governor Bryant, Secretary Hosemann, and fellow Representative Donnie Bell would be visiting later to "tell you the same thing."

This is the breakdown of a talking point in action; Carpenter is simply repeating what he heard from fellow Republicans. They wanted to put a black face on this issue, and this time, he forgot to disguise it.

Will they get away with it?

Two North Mississippi House Candidates Announce Campaigns

Today, two candidates qualified for seats in the northeastern corner of Mississippi.

Retired teacher Lisa Benderman Wigginton of Corinth is challenging Rep. Bubba Carpenter (R-Burnsville) in House District 1. Her father, the late state Rep. Harvey Benderman, held this seat in the early 1990s.

Lauren Childers of Booneville has qualified to challenge Minotaur slayer, Rep. Tracy Arnold (R-Booneville) for House District 3.

Said Childers, "I am excited to announce my candidacy today for the Mississippi House of Representatives District 3.  It is my belief that members of our legislature should be working together instead of fighting against each other. Their disagreements have placed public schools, rural hospitals, access to affordable healthcare and the state retirement system in jeopardy. When the legislature failed to fully fund education, they failed every child in this state. I vow to be a strong voice for every student and every teacher in Prentiss and Alcorn Counties."

These women are strong advocates of public education and rural health care. They will make outstanding public servants in the House of Representatives!

Guns in Schools Bill Passes

Yesterday, HB 958, a bill sponsored by Rep. Bubba Carpenter (R-Burnsville) that would allow schools to arm principals, teachers, janitors, and cafeteria workers in public schools, passed the state House.

There are a number of troubling factors in this bill, despite my personal disposition towards gun rights.  For instance, a Michigan security guard left his gun in the school bathroom last month. Luckily, no one was hurt.

But what bothers me most about this bill is that not only was it rushed through, or that it has already proven to be a somewhat ineffective way to prevent mass school shootings. According to AP:

The House rejected an amendment to require psychological evaluations of those carrying the weapons.

The Mississippi State House voted down the idea of making sure someone was mentally sound before handing them a gun and sending them into a school.

That frightens me.

 

Rep. "Coat Hanger" Carpenter strikes again

Rep. Bubba "Coat Hanger" Carpenter (R - Burnsville) is all interested in lady parts again this year.  Last year Carpenter became nationally known for his comments evincing his disregard for Mississippi women forced to choose coat hanger abortions over the safe and legal kind. His comments were initially posted proudly by the Alcorn County Republican Party, but since have been taken down.

Well, he's back.

Say what you will, Mississippi's making headlines because its Republicans are crazy

"[The Left's] one mission in life is to abort children, is to kill children in the womb."

"And of course, there you have the other side, they're like 'Well, the poor pitiful women that can't afford to go out of state are just going to start doing their own [abortions] with coat hangers.'  That's what we heard over and over and over but hey, you have to have more babies and you have to start somewhere."

"Been a lot of press on Obama's opinion on 'homosexual marriage.'  The only opinion that counts is God's: see Romans 1:26-28 and Leviticus 20:13.  Anyway you slice it, it is sin.  Not to mention horrific social policy."

Leviticus 20:13 reads: "If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable.  they are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads."

These are the not the musings of normal, everyday Americans.  They are, however, the widely published statements of Mississippi's Governor, its House Vice-Chairman of Banking and Financial Services, and House Chairman of the Judiciary B Committee, respectively.

Despite what the Republican Party would have you believe, the national attention being given to these remarks is not due to some vast left-wing conspiracy and it's not because anyone put words into someone's mouth.  It's because these words, as they came out of the mouths and computers of the men who spoke and wrote them, are objectively offensive and more than a little looney.

What should give any reasonable Mississippi Republican pause is that three different party leaders on three separate occassions said three different maniacal things within one month.  That's no coincidence.

Expect more "We look like Mississippi" statements anytime anyone anywhere does something nutty until Mississippi's new Republican leadership decides that there are some brands of crazy that even it won't tolerate.

Rep. Lester "Bubba" Carpenter on superhero abortion doctors and the need for more babies

I'm trying to focus on an oral argument tomorrow, but this was too good to keep to myself.

Rep. Lester "Bubba" Carpenter (R - Burnsville) recently opined about the new restrictions on abortion created by HB 1390, which was designed to close Mississippi's only abortion clinic.  There's some real gems in the video posted below (thanks, Alcorn County GOP, for composing this video and posting it to YouTube).

First, this, beginning at the 41 second mark:

These doctors, y'all, I learned alot about this this session. Three doctors perform abortions in the State of Mississippi. They fly in from Birmingham, they wear a mask to the clinic in their cars so nobody can see 'em, they go in the back door of the parking garage.... (The Alcorn County GOP edited something out here)

Apparently, what Rep. Carpenter learned is that Batman is performing the abortions in Mississippi.  Actually, Rep. Carpenter, if they wear masks, it's because folks like the ones you're speaking to in that room have been known to loose their minds and kill doctors who provide abortions.

And then this, at the 1:27 mark:

And of course, there you have the other side, they're like, "Well, the poor pitiful women that can't afford to go out of state are just going to start doing their own with coat hangers." That's what we heard over, and over, and over, but hey, you have to have more babies and you have to start somewhere and that's what we decided to do when this bill came along.

Yeah, screw those poor women.  Who cares about them anyway?  And we "have to have more babies"?!? Why? So you can continue to ignore the poor ones?

Here's the illustrious video:

Did Rep. Lester "Bubba" Carpenter teach this at the training?

In an effort to become more familiar with legislative races around the state, I decided to look at candidates I had yet to hear a lot about. When I came to Republican candidate Jerrerico Chambers I found that he has been a guest on SuperTalk's Paul Gallo Show and that he says he is a conservative Republican by choice, albeit one who doesn't always toe the party line.

I also learned that Mr. Chambers was an attendee at a recent Tea Party training event, at which Rep. Bubba Carpenter (R - Burnsville), among others, taught candidates like Chambers, Charles Busby, Jay Mathis, and Dorothy Wilcox.

But that wasn't all I learned.

To begin with, Chambers has quite a presence on both MySpace and Facebook. It's not your typical campaign stuff, however. Chambers decides to let us really see who he is. Literally.

I can't find a way to adequately describe what I found in words, so I'll just use screen shots:

To begin with, here's the front of his MySpace page.

Now, on to the pictures.  First, his "Republican Presidential Attire."  Next, Mr. Chambers shares with us his thoughts on the hot topic of "sagging."  (I agree with his sentiment, if not his delivery.)  Next, he decides to let us see a bit more of himself.  And then a bit more.  And finally, an invitation.  (And if you doubt that this Jerrerico Chambers and the candidate are one in the same, I refer you to this comment on his MySpace page.)

So how about Facebook?  Well, he has a campaign page up.  Nothing out of the ordinary there.  So what about his pictures on Facebook?  A click on the "campaign button" picture reveals a blue and white logo that's fairly nondescript.  But that's photo number 9 out of 26, so there's more to see here.  I'm a read-things-backwards type of guy sometimes, so let's click back....WHAT THE HOLY HELL?!? (I edited this heavily in order to keep you, dear reader, from seeing what I saw on Mr. Chambers' publicly available Facebook page.)