Musgrove calls special session to address pay

RALPH D. RUSSO
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

June 28, 2000

JACKSON - Gov. Ronnie Musgrove called Tuesday for a special Legislative session to discuss repealing a provision that effectively doubles the amount of retirement benefits for legislators.

Teachers of Mississippi, this is why you will never see your pay raises.

Musgrove announced his decision a week after state workers, snubbed by a Legislature short of cash for pay raises, denounced legislators who raised their own retirement pay.

Since Gov. Ronnie Musgrove new the state was short of cash, and he also knew that if he did not sign the bill it would become law. How can Gov. Ronnie Musgrove denounce legislators when he knew he would benefit by not signing the bill?

''I said from the beginning, I was opposed to this provision in the bill,'' Musgrove said.

So why didn't  Gov. Ronnie Musgrove veto the bill instead of letting the bill become law? Knowing he would benefit could have something to do with it; what do you think?

Lawmakers approved the benefits package in the waning days of the session, quietly discussing it in conference committee. The provision addressing the amount of retirement benefits for present and future state lawmakers is the only contention Musgrove has with the overall retirement benefits bill.

When a person decides to run for an elected office, that person runs in the belief changes are needed to make Mississippi a better state.  A person runs for office knowing the purpose is to serve the people of Mississippi, not to worry how much there retirement benefits will be.  Don't you think it is time to clean house and start with a uncorrupted congress and senate? Any elected official that will go behind closed doors and secretly vote on any bill in order to only benefit themselves, does not deserve to an elected official.

After the bill passed the Legislature, Musgrove said he would benefit from the legislation and did not feel comfortable signing it. He has the option of letting a bill become law without his endorsement.

How stupid does Gov. Ronnie Musgrove think the people of Mississippi are. He says he does not feel comfortable sign the bill. But he knows that by not signing the bill he will benefit from the bill.
Call me old fashion, but even I can see that Gov. Ronnie Musgrove is only looking after himself.  And just think, the people of Mississippi have four (4) years of this administration.

The provision gave state lawmakers twice the amount given to retiring state workers and teachers.

Lets see, the state is short of cash, our elected officials voted behind closed doors and passed a bill to double there retirement benefit package.  The state workers and teacher need a pay raise and would love to have there retirement benefit package doubled.  
INITIATIVE is the only way out!!!

Beginning July 1, legislators will pay 6 percent of their salary into the retirement system, up from 3 percent. The state's contribution will increase from 6.33 percent to more than 17 percent.

LIKE JOHN STOSSEL SAYS ON ABC - ITS YOUR MONEY

The special session will take place June 29.

Do the people of Mississippi know what it cost the taxpayers to have a special session?  Ask your legislator why the taxpayers must pay for a special session.  Our elected officials knew they were going to go behind the voter backs and pass a bill only to benefit themselves.

''There will be no reason for it to last more than one day,'' Musgrove said.

Our legislators should not be paid for the one day or any day of a special session.  They can repeal the bill, and I am not talking about the money which doubles there retirement. But the whole bill, I am sure their is more to the bill than just the doubling of there money.
Please request a copy of this bill from your legislature.  If you do not know who your legislator is E-mail me and I will provide you with the information.  mccaleb4thdist@aol.com

Rep. Frances Fredericks, R-Gulfport, when told of what will be the first of two special sessions this summer was so surprised she could only laugh.

Could this mean that our legislators no something we the voters and taxpayers don't know?

''I cannot believe we are having a special session just to address this one issue,'' Fredericks said. ''Funnier things have happened, I guess.''

If Rep. Frances Fredericks, R-Gulfport, had not voted to increase the retirement benefit package their would be know need for a Special Session, which the taxpayers of Mississippi must pay for.

Fredericks said lawmakers could have dealt with the issue at the special session on economic development, expected to take place later this summer. The provision could have been repealed retroactively.

Rep. Frances Fredericks, R-Gulfport, may be right about repealing retroactively, but it's political now. Gov. Ronnie Musgrove has to give the impression that he is a strong leader. Gov. Ronnie Musgrove has proven already, that he has so many political favors he must fulfill that he must do whatever our democratic elected officials want him to do.

''If we are going to bring it up, lets look at the whole bill,'' she said. ''To have a special session just to address a very small portion of the bill is amazing.''

She, Rep. Frances Fredericks, R-Gulfport, has a good point, it sounds too me that our legislators are going to only repeal the doubling of money.  What else is in the bill that we the voters and taxpayers do not know about.

Musgrove said he didn't want the provision to get in the way of a special session on economic development.

This is only a political statement, and a lame excuse. Remember, for (4) years of this administration!!

Brenda Scott, president of the Mississippi Alliance of State Employees, a union representing about 3,000 of the state's 32,000 workers, said last week she wanted Musgrove to keep the law from going into effect July 1.

That leaves 29,000 workers not being represented by the Mississippi Alliance of State Employees.  I would like to know if Brenda Scott's Union supported the Democratic Party or the Republican Party during the last election?

She called on the governor to convene a special session to discuss it.

If she called the governor to convene a special session, then let her Union pay for the cost of the special session, not the voters and taxpayers.
It's BS like this which shows our elected officials true representation - "WE THE PEOPLE" are no longer in control of Mississippi, the politicians are very much in control!

''They told us 'we just don't have the money,' then they took it for themselves,'' Scott said during last week's news conference at the state Capitol.

Like I said, I would like to know which party her union supported on the last election.

Scott said her union has received hundreds of calls opposing the measure and asked why state workers couldn't get the same benefits.

The answer to this is easy, the people of Mississippi keep voting the same people in office, why? Politics is not a career position, that's why their are elections. How long does a politician have to stay in office to become eligible for retirement benefits?  The Constitution does not say you MUST vote for the person the parties tell you too vote for. The two party system is not working, I believe every voter in Mississippi knows that already.  Yet, you tell yourself, I must vote for either a democrat or a republican, why? You can vote for yourself if you want to - take a piece of paper, and write down who you want the person to be voted into what office - its your vote, not the parties.

I am going to vote for Senator John McCain, he is not on the ballot, but I know he is the best person for President of the United States.  I will write his name on a piece of paper and drop it in the ballot box, my vote must be counted!

Lawmakers gave teachers a 30-percent pay raise, but those are tied to the strength of state finances. Gov. Ronnie Musgrove called Tuesday for a special Legislative session to discuss repealing a provision that effectively doubles the amount of retirement benefits for legislators.

What about the whole bill, not just the part about doubling the money for there retirement benefits. I smell a rat, why is it we the voters and taxpayers do not know what is in the whole bill?

Musgrove announced his decision a week after state workers, snubbed by a Legislature short of cash for pay raises, denounced legislators who raised their own retirement pay.

Let me think here, Gov. Ronnie Musgrove denounced legislators who raised their own retirement benefit package. But yet, by not signing the bill, he will let the bill become law knowing he would benefit by the passage of the bill.  Does the Governor of Mississippi have VETO power?

Why don't, "WE THE PEOPLE," of Mississippi sign "INITIATIVE" petitions requesting another election and remove every elected official that would benefit from the passage of the Retirement Benefit Package.  These politicians have committed Fraud, Waste, & Abuse towards the voters and taxpayers of Mississippi. Fraud, when they went behind closed door and secretly voted themselves a healthy Retirement Benefit Package. Waste, is knowing the State of Mississippi is short of money but yet vote themselves a healthy Retirement Benefit Package. Abuse of power, is being an elected official, their to serve the people of Mississippi, does not mean that because they are elected they can abuse there powers by raising there Retirement Benefit Package.

''I said from the beginning, I was opposed to this provision in the bill,'' Musgrove said.

I would like to see something in writing where Musgrove stated he opposed the bill prior to the legislature passing the bill.

Lawmakers approved the benefits package in the waning days of the session, quietly discussing it in conference committee. The provision addressing the amount of retirement benefits for present and future state lawmakers is the only contention Musgrove has with the overall retirement benefits bill.

The word, "LAWMAKERS" scares me, there are two things I do not do. One is that I will never vote of an ATTORNEY running for office, (ANY POLITICAL OFFICE). Two, I do not vote for anyone which has been in a political office two terms.  The longer a politician stays in office, the more they quit working for the voters and taxpayers of Mississippi. This Retirement Benefit Package in only one example of what our LAWMAKERS have done to Mississippi. 

The bill would have become law without Musgrove's signature.

But instead of vetoing the bill, we the taxpayers of Mississippi will pay for a special session.

Stupid, stupid, stupid!! Please look this word up on your thesaurus.

The provision gave state lawmakers twice the amount given to retiring state workers and teachers.

Corruption,  Corruption, Corruption, Corruption, Corruption, their is that word again, "LAWMAKERS."

The special session will take place June 29.

Lets see if the WHOLE RETIREMENT BENEFIT PACKAGE IS REPEALED!

''There will be no reason for it to last more than one day,'' Musgrove said.

This is because, our elected officials, already know  what the outcome of the special session will be.

Brenda Scott, president of the Mississippi Alliance of State Employees, a union representing about 3,000 of the state's 32,000 workers, said last week she wanted Musgrove to keep the law from going into effect July 1.

Brenda Scott, do you know what the whole retirement package consist of?

She called on the governor to convene a special session to discuss it.

EXPENSIVE for the taxpayers!

''They told us 'we just don't have the money,' then they took it for themselves,'' Scott said during last week's news conference at the state Capitol.

It is a proven fact that when you keep  people illiterate, which Mississippi has for many, many, years. You can control these people to do what you want them to do.  Mississippi ranked 49th out of 50 states this past year 1999, on children's education and health care. I believe Mississippi is usually 50 out of 50 states in this category. 

Scott said her union has received hundreds of calls opposing the measure and asked why state workers couldn't get the same benefits.

Brenda, you have got to be kidding, do you and the 32,000 workers of Mississippi really believe that your "Mississippi elected officials" care about anything except staying elected.

Lawmakers gave teachers a 30 percent pay raise, but those are tied to the strength of state finances.

Their is that word again, "LAWMAKERS", if the teachers want a 30 percent pay raise, all of the teacher in Mississippi and Brenda Scott's union needs to get together and begin a petition drive or initiative to have the voters ensure they receive a 30 percent pay raise.  The legislator has given you there answer!

Musgrove said he didn't want the provision on retirement benefits to get in the way of a special session on economic development. 

I would take bets on whether the voters and taxpayers of Mississippi get screwed on the so called special session for ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT!!
Please excuse my language, I could not think of a better word to describe what our LAWMAKERS have been doing for years.

Steven A. McCaleb

June 28, 2000