Commonsense needed to move Mississippi forward

Shad White argues that Mississippi should tackle challenges like fatherlessness and the specter of DEI packages to maneuver ahead.

Thousands and thousands of taxpayer {dollars} going to unlawful immigrants yearly. Universities extra targeted on range, fairness, and inclusion (DEI) and indoctrinating college students than creating the subsequent era of medical doctors, engineers, and accountants. Entitlement packages losing our cash. Over half of all kids born to unwed moms. 

Sadly, every of those sentences describes Mississippi. I grew up in a small city of 700 individuals in rural South Mississippi, was raised right here, am elevating my household right here, and shall be buried right here. I like my state, and now we have made a lot progress over the course of the previous few years. But when we’re going to beat our subsequent set of challenges, now we have to sort out these huge points.

First, let’s begin with the nice. Mississippi has made nice progress attracting massive financial growth initiatives beneath Gov. Tate Reeves. Over half of our state was in poverty within the Nineteen Fifties however in the present day that quantity has fallen to twenty%. And due to Gov. Reeves, the state earnings tax burden on hard-working individuals has been dramatically lowered.

However we are actually at a essential second. The way forward for the economic system is unclear. Our inhabitants development appears stagnant. We’re nonetheless final in poverty rankings, with a brand new era of children in fatherless houses on the street to being depending on authorities for the remainder of their lives.

To maneuver our state ahead, we should now take a chainsaw to the fats in state authorities. My staff within the State Auditor’s workplace has recognized lots of of thousands and thousands of {dollars}’ price of recurring waste—all the pieces from cash for healthcare for useless individuals and unlawful immigrants to cell telephones for state staff which might be by no means even turned on.

Subsequent we have to get that cash going to the stuff that issues for our economic system. Meaning extra tax cuts that assist working households, extra police on the road, higher roads and bridges, much less cash for training bureaucrats in Jackson and extra for lecturers.

To present a selected instance of reducing waste and getting cash to one thing that issues, let’s take into consideration our universities. We’re nonetheless utilizing taxpayer funding to pay for majors the place youngsters take courses known as “gender and zombies” (severely) and classes the place they study concerning the evils of “whiteness” (which is simply plain racist). All of the whereas, we’re determined for nurses and civil engineers. We should always get rid of taxpayer cash for DEI and put it into increasing diploma fields that can energy our economic system.  

Or take immigration. Our state spends about $1.7 million per 12 months imprisoning unlawful immigrants. Earlier than these of us ever have the prospect to commit against the law in Mississippi they have to be shipped straight to Martha’s Winery or Kamala Harris’s doorstep. We shouldn’t be incurring a value associated to them.

Backside line: we want authorities to start out making widespread sense selections that profit taxpayers. And I can promise you this, nobody shall be extra aggressive than me in working to level out when the cash is wasted and the place it ought to be going. I’ve taken some criticism in my time as Auditor, however I’ve by no means been accused of being a go-along-to-get-along form of man.   

That most likely comes from my dad and grandfather, two oilfield pumpers. Or maybe from my time serving within the navy, the place you can not make excuses and should get the job performed. Or possibly simply my perception that I’ve an obligation, positioned on me by God, to make our stunning state higher for my three youngsters. I don’t have all of the solutions, however I do know we’ll should struggle to get issues performed.

And I do know that if we get this proper, Mississippi has extra potential than some other state within the nation. We’re the state of Elvis and BB King, of Faulkner and Tennessee Williams. We’re probably the most beneficiant, patriotic individuals within the nation. And we deserve a state authorities that works nicely for us.