1 00:00:12,967 --> 00:00:16,879 Welcome to this edition of Mississippi Happenings podcast. 2 00:00:16,879 --> 00:00:22,149 My name is David Olds and here with me is my cohost, Jim Newman. 3 00:00:22,149 --> 00:00:23,290 Hello, Jim. 4 00:00:23,659 --> 00:00:25,088 Hello David. 5 00:00:26,402 --> 00:00:28,403 Good to see you. 6 00:00:28,843 --> 00:00:35,266 This week, uh absolutely. 7 00:00:35,786 --> 00:00:37,047 Seen and viewed. 8 00:00:37,047 --> 00:00:39,828 um Interesting, I like that. 9 00:00:40,108 --> 00:00:48,112 This week, we want to continue our discussion about the issues and concerns facing all Mississippians. 10 00:00:48,112 --> 00:00:52,413 Our guest today is former Democratic Governor Ronnie Musgrove. 11 00:00:52,474 --> 00:00:53,810 Governor Musgrove 12 00:00:53,810 --> 00:00:57,631 grew up in Sardis, Mississippi, the northern part of the state. 13 00:00:57,731 --> 00:01:08,254 He attended Northwest Mississippi Community College in San Antonio, graduated from Ole Miss, and received his law degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law. 14 00:01:08,534 --> 00:01:16,296 He began his political career as a state senator, District 10, representing Tate and Palo Alto counties. 15 00:01:16,436 --> 00:01:24,048 During that time, he was appointed vice chair of the Senate's University and College Committee. 16 00:01:24,268 --> 00:01:28,792 and made a member of the Education Committee. 17 00:01:28,792 --> 00:01:31,684 In 1996, he was elected Lieutenant Governor. 18 00:01:31,684 --> 00:01:46,656 During this time, he named several African-American senators to chair several Senate committees, including Judiciary, Constitution, Elections, and University and College. 19 00:01:46,897 --> 00:01:50,755 As governor, he launched the 20 00:01:50,755 --> 00:02:06,887 excuse me, AMI program, which is the Advantage Mississippi Initiative to create new jobs for the state and brought Nissan to the Jackson area, which is still considered, this 21 00:02:06,887 --> 00:02:14,871 initiative is still considered to be the largest economic development project in Mississippi history. 22 00:02:14,911 --> 00:02:18,871 It also led the way for Toyota 23 00:02:18,871 --> 00:02:21,182 to come to Blue Springs. 24 00:02:21,322 --> 00:02:25,965 Governor Musgrove, it is an honor and a pleasure to have you with us today. 25 00:02:25,965 --> 00:02:32,608 We admire your dedication and commitment to the underserved and to all Mississippians. 26 00:02:32,608 --> 00:02:34,300 Thank you for being with us. 27 00:02:34,300 --> 00:02:36,452 You left out he's also a lieutenant governor. 28 00:02:36,452 --> 00:02:37,702 Well, thank you very much. 29 00:02:37,702 --> 00:02:39,183 I appreciate being with you. 30 00:02:39,183 --> 00:02:47,286 Only one correction that I would point out in your introduction, I was born in Sardis, but was actually raised in Batesville. 31 00:02:47,286 --> 00:02:56,810 So my friends at South Pennola would not be appreciative if I didn't recognize that I am a graduate of the University of South Pennola. 32 00:02:56,974 --> 00:02:58,374 Yes, thank you. 33 00:02:58,374 --> 00:03:00,854 Thank you for that. 34 00:03:01,614 --> 00:03:05,494 In 1996, yes, you were elected Lieutenant Governor. 35 00:03:06,034 --> 00:03:11,099 I want to start a discussion today about with public education. 36 00:03:11,579 --> 00:03:16,019 During your tenure, you were known as an education governor. 37 00:03:16,419 --> 00:03:24,539 In July of 2001, you signed a bill that implemented the largest pay increase for teachers. 38 00:03:24,539 --> 00:03:31,907 and basically elevating it to the the oh salary range of the southeastern advantage. 39 00:03:31,907 --> 00:03:41,494 ah And you also were very implemental and with the Mississippi adequate education program. 40 00:03:41,494 --> 00:03:45,068 So please share your thoughts with us about public education. 41 00:03:45,068 --> 00:03:53,584 Well, to me, the difference maker for any community in any state is their level of public education. 42 00:03:53,845 --> 00:04:03,151 In order to have a workforce that functions, that's attractive, that can get the job done, you have to have very good public schools. 43 00:04:03,152 --> 00:04:11,528 And to me, uh a career starts through the schoolhouse doors and through education. 44 00:04:11,710 --> 00:04:19,415 Unfortunately, Mississippi is the only state in the nation right now that does not have pre-K provided by the state. 45 00:04:19,415 --> 00:04:26,429 And I believe that is a real drawback because so much is dependent on early childhood development. 46 00:04:26,429 --> 00:04:29,501 There have been too many studies that would show that. 47 00:04:29,501 --> 00:04:39,916 So my feeling all along was that the better that our public schools could be, the better that our economic opportunity could be in the state. 48 00:04:40,132 --> 00:04:43,773 So I took it upon myself to do two or three things. 49 00:04:43,773 --> 00:04:49,686 Number one, you want to have the best teachers possible in the classroom. 50 00:04:49,787 --> 00:05:00,131 And there is no secret to the fact that if the better you pay a person in a particular field, the more people you're going to attract at a better level. 51 00:05:00,131 --> 00:05:05,033 So it always made sense to me to make the pay as high as possible. 52 00:05:05,074 --> 00:05:06,294 I'd always... 53 00:05:06,540 --> 00:05:22,376 It's strange to me that people will complain about paying a teacher $50,000 a year, and that they only work nine months, and yet will pay a football player $100 million for 16 54 00:05:22,376 --> 00:05:22,864 games. 55 00:05:22,864 --> 00:05:34,962 It's just amazing to me that we can't make a distinction between what's important in the welfare of our state and our country for that matter. 56 00:05:34,962 --> 00:05:40,582 So to me, teacher pay was important, benefits were important. 57 00:05:40,582 --> 00:05:53,282 When I was elected in 1988 to the Senate, or was sworn in in 88, the starting salary for teachers in Mississippi was $13,500, no healthcare benefits. 58 00:05:53,282 --> 00:05:55,282 Now that's not the dark ages. 59 00:05:55,282 --> 00:06:02,042 I recognize I'm gray headed, I recognize I'm old, but that's just not the dark ages. 60 00:06:02,162 --> 00:06:04,622 And so we've come a long way. 61 00:06:05,188 --> 00:06:11,482 I opted to be able to health insurance, and then that teacher pay raise was important. 62 00:06:11,523 --> 00:06:17,346 Also, I felt like that technology and computers in the classroom were extremely important. 63 00:06:17,346 --> 00:06:23,559 So we were the first state in the nation to put internet accessible computers in every classroom. 64 00:06:23,559 --> 00:06:33,405 A lot of people don't realize that, but when you look back at it, there's a lot that we still need to do because of connectivity and the delta and in other rural parts of our 65 00:06:33,405 --> 00:06:34,255 state. 66 00:06:34,313 --> 00:06:35,964 but I thought that was important. 67 00:06:35,964 --> 00:06:49,776 The last thing that I would say about the MAEP Act, which is the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, is that if you looked at the school districts at the time, and you 68 00:06:49,776 --> 00:07:03,345 looked at the local tax base, the state provides so much funding for essential programs, and then if you've got a tax base that's over and above that, then you can add 69 00:07:03,345 --> 00:07:06,817 additional classes for students. 70 00:07:06,817 --> 00:07:10,258 And I use the example of Noxubee County. 71 00:07:10,258 --> 00:07:14,959 Let's just say that Noxubee County had the best teachers in America. 72 00:07:15,640 --> 00:07:21,401 And you had Tupelo that likewise had the best teachers in America. 73 00:07:22,062 --> 00:07:31,444 Noxubee County could offer only 74 types of classes because of their local ad valorem taxes. 74 00:07:31,684 --> 00:07:35,464 Tupelo on the other hand offered 140. 75 00:07:36,726 --> 00:07:50,852 So right off the bat, even with the best teachers in the country, Tupelo would be getting a far superior educated student than Noxubee could provide just by the course offerings. 76 00:07:50,852 --> 00:08:00,234 And so that's why I thought that the property poor districts needed the additional help from the state to be able to provide 77 00:08:00,234 --> 00:08:06,078 at least what we would call the substantial minimum of a quality education. 78 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:09,382 Gotcha. 79 00:08:09,542 --> 00:08:17,409 One of the things that we're hearing a lot about today is the school vouchers, school choice. 80 00:08:17,409 --> 00:08:23,315 ah We had a good conversation with Jack Reed Jr. 81 00:08:23,716 --> 00:08:28,600 about the desegregation process in Mississippi. 82 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:30,934 And it appears the things that... 83 00:08:30,934 --> 00:08:43,430 the same things that was said in the 50s, the 60s, and the 70s about school vouchers, school choice, uh is what we're hearing about today. 84 00:08:43,652 --> 00:08:47,937 What are your thoughts about that with school choice? 85 00:08:48,585 --> 00:09:01,455 Well, one of the things that you wanted to do with schools is to raise the accountability for everyone and then be able to provide the funding necessary to get those done. 86 00:09:01,656 --> 00:09:11,363 Then if a school doesn't do that, then you know it's not money, it is the leadership, it's the teachers, and it's everyone else. 87 00:09:11,424 --> 00:09:18,499 But when you don't have sufficient money, you can always use the excuse or always say, 88 00:09:18,819 --> 00:09:24,511 We can't provide as good an education unless we've got sufficient money. 89 00:09:24,511 --> 00:09:34,893 But when you allow students to take vouchers away from schools and only go to the school of their choice, then you've done two things. 90 00:09:34,893 --> 00:09:45,556 Number one, if you don't provide transportation with that, then you've only allowed the student who can afford transportation to go to another school. 91 00:09:45,577 --> 00:09:47,197 And then when you... 92 00:09:47,417 --> 00:09:59,660 allow that child to leave with that school voucher, you have lost a good student in that district that always can provide some help to the district. 93 00:09:59,660 --> 00:10:13,884 So I believe that it doesn't accomplish what needs to be accomplished because a school can always say, can't take but 10 students and they get to selectively choose which students 94 00:10:13,884 --> 00:10:15,765 and the others can't go. 95 00:10:16,397 --> 00:10:25,683 And I just feel like that the focus needs to be on improving schools, not having children go to different schools all across the state. 96 00:10:25,879 --> 00:10:26,890 Gotcha. 97 00:10:26,890 --> 00:10:39,036 What is your thoughts on Mississippi losing $137 million due to the Department of Education? 98 00:10:39,036 --> 00:10:53,004 And having said that, I do want to oh share that I was very pleased with the letter that I think was Philip Birchfield or maybe Lance 99 00:10:53,004 --> 00:10:56,525 Evans wrote to Linda McMahon. 100 00:10:56,525 --> 00:11:03,405 But what's your thoughts about losing $137 million in funding for schools? 101 00:11:03,497 --> 00:11:08,898 devastating to Mississippi, devastating to our schools and to our students. 102 00:11:08,939 --> 00:11:21,042 You know, there's so many things that our schools provide that our government provides that unless we're a part of it, we don't think about the importance. 103 00:11:21,062 --> 00:11:26,143 For instance, there are so many families with special needs children. 104 00:11:26,583 --> 00:11:32,633 If you don't have a special needs child, you forget how important it is 105 00:11:32,633 --> 00:11:37,736 for the school to be able to provide the special needs things for children. 106 00:11:38,476 --> 00:11:45,040 If a child gets sick at school, 50 of our school nurses were paid for out of that money. 107 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:48,242 Those school nurses are going to be lost. 108 00:11:48,502 --> 00:11:55,946 All of those things make up for a better quality education that we're going to lose and not have. 109 00:11:55,946 --> 00:12:01,299 And that's just not good for our schools and it's not good for our children. 110 00:12:01,441 --> 00:12:13,111 And when you keep taking away dollar after dollar after dollar from our schools, then what you're going to have is you're going to have a shell of a school system that can't provide 111 00:12:13,111 --> 00:12:15,743 the education that our children need. 112 00:12:16,543 --> 00:12:17,692 Yeah, it's it's. 113 00:12:17,692 --> 00:12:19,503 m 114 00:12:21,143 --> 00:12:23,783 Education is so very important. 115 00:12:23,803 --> 00:12:32,163 Governor, back when you were governor, President Bush signed in the No Child Left Behind Act. 116 00:12:34,243 --> 00:12:36,543 And Mississippi was already behind. 117 00:12:38,003 --> 00:12:39,743 Have we caught up, any? 118 00:12:40,763 --> 00:12:43,343 Like you said, we don't have kindergarten. 119 00:12:45,563 --> 00:12:51,263 I know Kathy Grace has worked long and many hours. 120 00:12:51,487 --> 00:12:58,836 as you have trying to get the legislature to come up with the funds for kindergarten. 121 00:12:59,038 --> 00:13:02,602 And the numbers are there that show we need it. 122 00:13:02,943 --> 00:13:08,792 whatever happened to No Child Left Behind, it seems like we're leaving a lot of them behind these days. 123 00:13:08,792 --> 00:13:14,266 Kathy Grace is a great warrior for better schools, for better opportunities for children. 124 00:13:14,266 --> 00:13:22,754 Her and my late wife co-chaired the early childhood school at the University of Mississippi and did a lot of good work together. 125 00:13:22,754 --> 00:13:28,678 That's one of the reasons that I know that early childhood education is so important. 126 00:13:29,319 --> 00:13:33,626 President Bush had the right idea when he focused on education. 127 00:13:33,626 --> 00:13:38,969 However, the implementation was left up to the states in so many areas. 128 00:13:39,990 --> 00:13:54,738 In the time where I was in office, we improved substantially from some of our rankings and ratings that instead of being 48th, 49th, and 50th, we were in the 30s or we were in the 129 00:13:54,738 --> 00:13:55,638 20s and several. 130 00:13:55,638 --> 00:14:03,062 And in fact, in accountability, we were number 11th in the country on improved accountability. 131 00:14:03,218 --> 00:14:11,961 So a lot of good things were happening, but education is not something you can snap your finger with or accomplish overnight. 132 00:14:12,082 --> 00:14:21,926 It is a steady investment of effort and time and dollars into helping your children become what they need to become at the time. 133 00:14:22,066 --> 00:14:32,390 For instance, Jim, I'm saying this because I feel sure you're the oldest one on this podcast, or a podcast, but I'm just missing that. 134 00:14:33,098 --> 00:14:48,166 But I remember when my mom and dad would talk about in 1952 when they were working, 75 % of people who worked in Mississippi did not have to have more than a high school education 135 00:14:48,166 --> 00:14:49,686 to get a good job. 136 00:14:49,686 --> 00:15:00,759 But you all know that times change, things change, technology changes, and therefore our education opportunities have to change as well. 137 00:15:00,921 --> 00:15:15,471 And so instead of changing, improving and making ourselves more adaptable to our work world over the last couple of decades, we probably have stayed more stagnant than 138 00:15:15,471 --> 00:15:18,993 improving in the areas where we needed to improve. 139 00:15:18,993 --> 00:15:29,123 Now we've had some improvements in some areas, but some of those improvements were just to catch up where the average state has been in the rest of the country. 140 00:15:29,123 --> 00:15:34,457 So we need to have a constant improvement and investment in our schools. 141 00:15:34,457 --> 00:15:40,202 And unless that happens, we will continue to fall further and further behind. 142 00:15:40,202 --> 00:15:44,025 And let me say this on two particular personal notes. 143 00:15:44,366 --> 00:15:46,470 I mentioned special needs a minute ago. 144 00:15:46,470 --> 00:15:49,270 I have a grandson with special needs. 145 00:15:49,270 --> 00:15:52,011 And that grandson is in North Carolina. 146 00:15:52,812 --> 00:15:58,997 And my children tell me that what is provided in North Carolina is so much more. 147 00:15:59,065 --> 00:16:01,146 than what we provide here. 148 00:16:01,286 --> 00:16:06,408 If you've got a child with special needs, that's something that you consider. 149 00:16:06,408 --> 00:16:08,769 That's something that you think about. 150 00:16:08,769 --> 00:16:13,271 People without special needs may not think about those areas. 151 00:16:13,271 --> 00:16:23,795 But if you don't think that there are a lot of people with children with special needs, just look around and you'll probably find one in your own family somewhere, or if not 152 00:16:23,795 --> 00:16:24,555 multiple. 153 00:16:24,555 --> 00:16:28,774 So that's one thing that's very important to me. 154 00:16:28,774 --> 00:16:39,362 And I think that it's important to note that and the investment just cannot be overstated about what we need to do to help opportunity for our children. 155 00:16:41,552 --> 00:16:42,646 See ya. 156 00:16:46,138 --> 00:16:48,099 I don't quite know how to say it. 157 00:16:49,914 --> 00:17:04,701 It seems to me like Mississippi has, at least Northern Mississippi, I'm not that familiar with the southern portion, but the northern part of Mississippi, Golden Triangle area. 158 00:17:06,821 --> 00:17:11,777 north ah has certainly been a 159 00:17:13,693 --> 00:17:19,131 place for industry to locate and manufacture. 160 00:17:21,371 --> 00:17:28,770 And it seems to me that manufacturing is just not where we want to be. 161 00:17:29,632 --> 00:17:36,822 But I'm not sure what the alternative is that we should be looking at. 162 00:17:36,822 --> 00:17:50,805 To me, one of the things that was important was to attract an automobile company or manufacturing along those lines because I felt like it provided a much better opportunity, 163 00:17:51,186 --> 00:17:55,889 a much better wage, and a much better future. 164 00:17:55,889 --> 00:18:03,055 But our economic development strategy was so far behind, we could not even be competitive. 165 00:18:03,055 --> 00:18:05,593 Jimmy Heidel, who was the former director 166 00:18:05,593 --> 00:18:16,778 of our economic development effort in Mississippi said that for eight years he had been trying to get in the front door to meet with car manufacturers across the world to 167 00:18:16,778 --> 00:18:18,318 consider coming here. 168 00:18:18,318 --> 00:18:22,420 And because of our structure, we never could get in the front door. 169 00:18:22,860 --> 00:18:33,965 So that was the first thing that I did as governor is that we called a special session to revamp our economic development strategy to provide the kinds of incentives that would 170 00:18:33,965 --> 00:18:35,281 bring the kind of 171 00:18:35,281 --> 00:18:37,922 jobs today into the state. 172 00:18:37,922 --> 00:18:48,065 And within 90 days, we located Nissan into our state, which is accounted for over 30,000 jobs in Mississippi. 173 00:18:48,065 --> 00:18:56,568 And I might say in North Mississippi, there were people from all 82 counties working at Nissan in Canton, Mississippi. 174 00:18:56,568 --> 00:19:01,459 So it does say it had an economic impact for everyone. 175 00:19:01,687 --> 00:19:06,118 But Jim, what we have to do is there's always, what are we doing now? 176 00:19:06,118 --> 00:19:08,939 What's the transition area for new jobs? 177 00:19:08,939 --> 00:19:10,719 And what's the future? 178 00:19:10,980 --> 00:19:19,162 The future definitely looks like to me that it's going to involve technology in some shape, form or fashion. 179 00:19:19,162 --> 00:19:25,944 So to me, we need to make sure that we're training and educating people in the world of technology. 180 00:19:25,944 --> 00:19:30,305 That's why I was so big after listening to Bob Pittman, 181 00:19:31,225 --> 00:19:43,955 uh who has done such a great job in terms of business and industry across the country, that he said, this was 30 years ago, he said, there's going to come a time where there 182 00:19:43,955 --> 00:19:51,021 won't be any textbooks, there won't be any workbooks, it'll all be on a computer on a desk. 183 00:19:52,737 --> 00:19:59,219 Well, it was hard for me to even imagine that, but I bought into it. 184 00:19:59,620 --> 00:20:10,975 And now as I'm sitting here and I'm thinking about how much my grandchildren have to school me on technological advances and all, now I don't feel like I'm much different from 185 00:20:10,975 --> 00:20:12,565 a lot of other people. 186 00:20:12,565 --> 00:20:21,751 I realized that technology is something that while it may create some problems, it also creates a world of opportunity. 187 00:20:21,751 --> 00:20:28,673 So we have to be consistent with what the market is going to bear or to bring to us. 188 00:20:28,673 --> 00:20:31,337 And we've got to be competitive in that arena. 189 00:20:32,188 --> 00:20:52,780 I've always wondered right down the road from Tupelo, ah not too many miles, is a school that every year puts out an electric car that goes all over the place, wins national 190 00:20:52,780 --> 00:20:56,972 championships, wins national competitions and everything else. 191 00:20:57,692 --> 00:21:00,974 And yes. 192 00:21:02,200 --> 00:21:04,741 And why is it we cannot? 193 00:21:06,374 --> 00:21:15,642 persuade some companies that Mississippi is ready for their technology. 194 00:21:20,357 --> 00:21:30,840 Well, every company that looks at locating looks at the metrics of the results of the schools in Mississippi. 195 00:21:31,020 --> 00:21:39,683 And here's one of the things that if you just take North Mississippi as an example, and I know where that school is that you're talking about. 196 00:21:40,783 --> 00:21:47,161 But let's say what it appears to be the result right now is 197 00:21:47,469 --> 00:22:03,646 that we have six or eight communities that are great communities, that are funded well, they have good local ad valorem taxes, but you can't just fund those areas for schools and 198 00:22:03,646 --> 00:22:09,458 education and think that you're going to help the economic welfare of the rest of the state. 199 00:22:09,478 --> 00:22:16,531 For instance, when you don't adequately fund education, towns like Amory, 200 00:22:17,187 --> 00:22:26,741 towns like Baldwin, Boonville, Corinth, and the list just goes on and on and on. 201 00:22:26,741 --> 00:22:42,928 They don't get adequately funded because those local areas do not have the tax base that, a Tupelo has, that a Southaven has, that a Madison has. 202 00:22:42,928 --> 00:22:45,197 And so consequently, that's why 203 00:22:45,197 --> 00:22:57,781 The Mississippi adequate education program is so important to make sure that every community can provide quality educated people that companies look to and say, this is what 204 00:22:57,781 --> 00:22:58,901 we need. 205 00:22:59,222 --> 00:23:09,815 And so that's why I think it's so important that we invest across the board for our state so that we have a vibrant state, not just a few vibrant communities. 206 00:23:10,135 --> 00:23:16,231 Jim and I were looking at the counties that were losing the $137 million. 207 00:23:16,231 --> 00:23:21,575 DeSoto County, where I live, lost zero. 208 00:23:21,756 --> 00:23:26,541 But the counties that you just mentioned, they were hit the hardest. 209 00:23:26,541 --> 00:23:27,381 Jim? 210 00:23:28,210 --> 00:23:30,270 Yes, they were. 211 00:23:30,850 --> 00:23:33,190 I forgot what I was going to. 212 00:23:33,190 --> 00:23:35,930 Oh, you were elected as a senator. 213 00:23:36,230 --> 00:23:37,950 You were a lieutenant governor. 214 00:23:38,130 --> 00:23:39,530 You were a governor. 215 00:23:41,110 --> 00:23:44,110 You ran against Roger Wicker. 216 00:23:44,230 --> 00:23:48,930 I mean, you know how to run campaigns. 217 00:23:50,130 --> 00:23:58,090 How do we elect people that think like you do about education? 218 00:23:59,365 --> 00:24:00,193 It's. 219 00:24:02,096 --> 00:24:05,667 very discouraging to me anyway. 220 00:24:06,068 --> 00:24:24,296 And it's gotta be a joke around the country to hear that the Mississippi legislature has a bill ah creating, ah what was it David, vigilantes? 221 00:24:25,537 --> 00:24:27,578 The vigilante committee or? 222 00:24:28,085 --> 00:24:31,211 for to there was a bounty hunter. 223 00:24:31,211 --> 00:24:34,916 Are you talking about the bounty hunter for for immigrants? 224 00:24:34,916 --> 00:24:46,282 That, mean, what does it take to get people's attention to bring about this change? 225 00:24:48,835 --> 00:24:59,632 think it's at least two things, One, parents have got to demand that their children be educated. 226 00:24:59,962 --> 00:25:03,842 Is it demand their children or everybody's children? 227 00:25:04,109 --> 00:25:09,553 Well, if all parents demanded that their children, then you would catch all of the children. 228 00:25:09,614 --> 00:25:18,661 So I say that in a pluralistic uh kind of way, but demand that our children be educated, all of our children. 229 00:25:18,661 --> 00:25:28,029 Secondly, if you look at the numbers of our people, especially young people who are leaving the state, it is staggering. 230 00:25:28,029 --> 00:25:33,431 We're one of only two states in the country that over the last several years 231 00:25:33,431 --> 00:25:36,162 we've actually lost population. 232 00:25:36,402 --> 00:25:42,725 And it's mainly through young people because they don't see opportunity here. 233 00:25:42,925 --> 00:25:58,992 And until our leadership in the state and in the legislature make the connection that good schools and good education equals good job opportunities and better economic growth, then 234 00:25:58,992 --> 00:26:01,543 it's hard for the state to have that. 235 00:26:02,263 --> 00:26:11,538 And I remember when several parents have looked at me in complete disgust and said, Musgrove, my child is moving to Austin, Texas. 236 00:26:11,738 --> 00:26:14,960 My child is moving to Nashville, Tennessee. 237 00:26:15,260 --> 00:26:18,462 My child is moving to Little Rock. 238 00:26:18,462 --> 00:26:21,003 And the list goes on and on. 239 00:26:21,604 --> 00:26:28,688 And yet we want our young people to stay here in our state, make our state a better place. 240 00:26:28,688 --> 00:26:31,809 But unless we have leadership that actually 241 00:26:32,281 --> 00:26:40,893 puts that position forward and fights for education and making education a priority, it just won't happen. 242 00:26:41,276 --> 00:26:49,630 Well, you mentioned something that caught my attention and I've thought about it over the past several years. 243 00:26:50,631 --> 00:26:56,914 The state puts out incentives for companies to move into the state. 244 00:26:58,115 --> 00:27:10,582 Why do they never require those companies to hire ah the top graduating students in 245 00:27:10,694 --> 00:27:18,800 the particular fields that this company happens to operate to make it a requirement for that money. 246 00:27:20,102 --> 00:27:25,676 I mean, it would be a top salary, it'd be a great job, and we would keep some of this talent. 247 00:27:27,737 --> 00:27:34,342 oh Two things I might add, uh Jim, to your question oh in connection. 248 00:27:34,983 --> 00:27:41,728 One, when we recruited Nissan here, we had never had an automobile manufacturer. 249 00:27:42,369 --> 00:27:55,259 And so I looked at Carlos Ghosn and the leadership of Nissan and said, I know you're going to have to bring people in because we don't have any leadership in automotive technology. 250 00:27:55,700 --> 00:27:57,069 What percentage 251 00:27:57,069 --> 00:28:04,573 percent of the 5,800 direct employees will you need to bring in from outside. 252 00:28:05,234 --> 00:28:09,076 And he said about 3%. 253 00:28:09,076 --> 00:28:19,262 So in our memorandum of agreement, Nissan is required to hire 97 % of its employees from Mississippi. 254 00:28:19,923 --> 00:28:24,595 I'm not sure that has been done in any other scenario. 255 00:28:24,897 --> 00:28:26,015 Congratulations on that. 256 00:28:26,015 --> 00:28:26,898 Thank you. 257 00:28:27,333 --> 00:28:36,137 We were, I know it's not in the oh Toyota facility in Blue Springs. 258 00:28:36,617 --> 00:28:51,023 But secondly, one of the reasons that we won out, particularly over Alabama, is that Mississippi State was producing more and better engineers that were needed by Nissan than 259 00:28:51,023 --> 00:28:55,665 they said that the counterparts in Alabama were providing. 260 00:28:56,331 --> 00:29:03,805 As an Ole Miss graduate, I've never been more proud of Mississippi State than that day when they told me that. 261 00:29:03,805 --> 00:29:06,987 And I felt like that that was really important. 262 00:29:06,987 --> 00:29:17,713 And so it goes to show you, I mean, on a microeconomic level, that those things are important to companies looking at your state. 263 00:29:17,773 --> 00:29:24,887 So if we don't invest in our K through 12 schools and our pre-K through 12 and in our universities, 264 00:29:25,165 --> 00:29:32,789 then we're losing part of the economic incentive and production that companies look at. 265 00:29:32,849 --> 00:29:35,170 And to me, that's really, really important. 266 00:29:35,170 --> 00:29:38,671 And there are things you can require companies to do. 267 00:29:38,671 --> 00:29:46,894 And we were able to accommodate and require certain things that I thought made a difference for Mississippi and for Nissan. 268 00:29:47,228 --> 00:29:55,425 Let's talk about healthcare for just a second and I'm looking at one of your quotes and oh this is the last sentence. 269 00:29:55,425 --> 00:30:09,224 One of the most important, we're talking about things that companies look for when coming to a state and you said one of most important is a strong and sound healthcare system in 270 00:30:09,224 --> 00:30:13,257 the communities where employees will work and live. 271 00:30:15,096 --> 00:30:16,555 talk a little bit about healthcare. 272 00:30:16,555 --> 00:30:23,170 We have an expanded Medicaid and one of the, and I'm quoting you again, hope you don't mind. 273 00:30:23,170 --> 00:30:27,834 The other thing you said, that's okay. 274 00:30:27,834 --> 00:30:30,665 This is, liked, I love this. 275 00:30:31,265 --> 00:30:37,011 And we're talking about expanded Medicaid by accepting federal funds for healthcare. 276 00:30:37,011 --> 00:30:43,375 And you said Mississippi participates in federal matching programs. 277 00:30:43,683 --> 00:30:52,018 for everything from preserving the post-Civil War home of Jefferson Davis to beaver control. 278 00:30:53,763 --> 00:30:56,117 But we won't do it for healthcare? 279 00:30:57,145 --> 00:31:03,417 Well, we do it for health care, just not to the greatest extent that you could do so. 280 00:31:03,417 --> 00:31:13,399 Mississippi, in the regular delivery of Medicaid, gets a three-to-one match, and I think we're the only state in the nation that gets that match. 281 00:31:13,520 --> 00:31:25,792 But also, the highest percentage of our National Guard budget is from the federal side, while the highest percent of our transportation and highway dollars from the federal side. 282 00:31:25,792 --> 00:31:31,432 And you can go on and on and on about every area that we have. 283 00:31:31,772 --> 00:31:40,252 So all of a sudden to take the position that one part of healthcare is not good enough, doesn't make any sense. 284 00:31:40,632 --> 00:31:52,472 Right now, unfortunately, Congress is considering a bill that could reduce Medicaid dollars by $880 billion. 285 00:31:53,192 --> 00:31:55,410 And a lot of people 286 00:31:55,410 --> 00:32:03,202 I think lose sight of what the expansion of healthcare via Medicaid would actually do. 287 00:32:03,582 --> 00:32:14,266 People who don't have employment, who cannot do anything else, who are extremely poor, are already on Medicaid. 288 00:32:14,826 --> 00:32:24,989 What the expansion of Medicaid would have done is it would have allowed people that worked at the auto zone, at the Kroger, at the cleaner, 289 00:32:25,189 --> 00:32:37,354 and you just keep going on and on about all of your businesses where they don't provide health care and the people working there can't afford the premiums for health care. 290 00:32:37,575 --> 00:32:51,821 And so what is happening now is that the hospitals and the clinics through the emergency rooms are having to eat that cost because they can't pay and there is no payer via 291 00:32:51,821 --> 00:32:52,981 Medicaid. 292 00:32:53,323 --> 00:32:55,854 to help the hospitals sustain. 293 00:32:55,854 --> 00:33:04,637 That's why Mississippi has the highest percentage of hospitals that are almost at closure than any other state in the nation. 294 00:33:04,677 --> 00:33:13,180 And so that's why it doesn't make any sense to me for us not to expand healthcare via Medicaid. 295 00:33:13,180 --> 00:33:22,792 It's the lowest cost, produced the highest number of jobs, and would provide healthcare to people all across our state. 296 00:33:22,991 --> 00:33:30,114 I would really, really like to see our leadership in our state to provide Medicaid expansion. 297 00:33:30,114 --> 00:33:46,541 But I will tell you this much, if Congress is successful at reducing Medicaid by 800 plus billion dollars, the states that will be most affected negatively will be southern states. 298 00:33:46,781 --> 00:33:51,263 It will be states that have higher percentage of 299 00:33:51,477 --> 00:33:55,328 social economic disadvantaged people. 300 00:33:55,329 --> 00:34:06,793 And in Mississippi, a lot of people do not realize that the greatest single share of Medicaid dollars are spent on nursing home people. 301 00:34:07,473 --> 00:34:20,079 you're talking, and then if you want to look even further at our racial makeup in our state, the highest percentage of people in our nursing home happen to be white people. 302 00:34:20,927 --> 00:34:29,109 And so you start looking at all of the things why you ought to be supportive of helping everyone. 303 00:34:29,169 --> 00:34:36,020 Our minority, our white, all citizens of Mississippi need healthcare. 304 00:34:36,440 --> 00:34:43,403 And if we're going to cut back on healthcare and cut back on the reimbursement, you're going to reduce the number of hospitals you have. 305 00:34:43,403 --> 00:34:48,014 You're going to reduce the number of providers, the doctors and nurses. 306 00:34:48,014 --> 00:34:52,451 And then you're going to reduce the number of nursing homes that you have as well. 307 00:34:52,813 --> 00:34:56,810 None of those bode well for the future of the state. 308 00:34:57,853 --> 00:35:07,566 Well, we have a 600 bed hospital here in Tupelo, but only 300, roughly 300 beds are in use. 309 00:35:07,907 --> 00:35:09,869 So there you go. 310 00:35:09,869 --> 00:35:15,719 uh One of the things that, go ahead. 311 00:35:15,719 --> 00:35:27,809 I was gonna say one of the things we could do to help with our healthcare delivery is to really upgrade our entire system of healthcare delivery. 312 00:35:27,809 --> 00:35:33,695 One of my good friends just had hip replacement surgery yesterday morning. 313 00:35:34,716 --> 00:35:39,800 Now, 30 or 40 years ago, when that happened, 314 00:35:39,964 --> 00:35:43,568 a person spent three to five days in a hospital. 315 00:35:44,130 --> 00:35:49,197 Yesterday morning though, he did like almost every other person who has had surgery. 316 00:35:49,197 --> 00:35:54,884 He went in at five o'clock, had the surgery at six o'clock, was on his way home by 10 o'clock. 317 00:35:55,057 --> 00:35:57,469 a grand total of about four hours. 318 00:35:57,610 --> 00:36:03,375 So the hospital beds are not needed anymore like they used to be needed. 319 00:36:03,475 --> 00:36:15,328 So we need to develop with the COE and law a different way to use the license for other purposes of healthcare delivery, not just overnight hospital stays. 320 00:36:15,328 --> 00:36:19,110 Very true, we've tried to eh get Mr. 321 00:36:19,110 --> 00:36:28,416 Robert Robertson with the hospital association and so far we haven't been successful, but we're gonna continue to try. 322 00:36:28,416 --> 00:36:30,621 I'll encourage Richard to join you. 323 00:36:30,703 --> 00:36:33,565 We'd love to talk to him. 324 00:36:33,606 --> 00:36:48,579 One of the things I, and I don't know whether you heard this this morning or not, but Ted Cruz and another Senator were on, they were talking about a new program that Senator Cruz 325 00:36:48,579 --> 00:36:53,904 ah says is going well in the house. 326 00:36:54,285 --> 00:36:56,807 And to me, it kind of sounds like, 327 00:36:57,599 --> 00:37:00,179 a good plan on the front end. 328 00:37:00,539 --> 00:37:15,039 And I've only had a few hours to think about it, but roughly the program is every child born in America will receive a $1,000 in an account. 329 00:37:17,259 --> 00:37:26,279 And businesses and parents, grandparents can contribute to that up through the age of 18. 330 00:37:28,079 --> 00:37:31,492 At an age 18, they have two choices. 331 00:37:31,492 --> 00:37:39,448 They can take half of it to start a business or they can take all of it to go to college. 332 00:37:40,570 --> 00:37:55,584 But what Cruz says it does is it creates capitalists, not socialists, because they are invested in the economy. 333 00:37:55,584 --> 00:37:58,867 It sounds good on the front end, but. 334 00:38:01,078 --> 00:38:03,459 I'm just really suspicious of anything. 335 00:38:03,459 --> 00:38:08,221 And he was asked if it would have any effect on social security. 336 00:38:08,221 --> 00:38:11,942 And he said, no, that's entirely separate. 337 00:38:12,223 --> 00:38:20,846 That by the age of 35, ah you would have a child that was born pretty close to being a millionaire. 338 00:38:20,846 --> 00:38:28,949 ah And then when he got to be 65, he would, because of the compounding interest, et cetera. 339 00:38:28,990 --> 00:38:30,700 Does that sound like? 340 00:38:31,681 --> 00:38:33,042 Any kind of a 341 00:38:35,010 --> 00:38:37,477 plan to get kids involved? 342 00:38:39,409 --> 00:38:47,532 Yes, the numbers are a little inflated, but if Senator Cruz could get that passed, I would be celebrating with him. 343 00:38:47,853 --> 00:38:55,176 I just wish I could have gotten my Republican colleagues to support that idea when I was in office. 344 00:38:55,176 --> 00:39:03,299 The foremost person in the country that advocated that program was a professor at Washington in St. 345 00:39:03,299 --> 00:39:04,019 Louis. 346 00:39:04,019 --> 00:39:08,063 I went up and visited with him and spent a day with him. 347 00:39:08,063 --> 00:39:22,262 to try to develop that program because there are so many children that are in poverty or that are close to poverty that it would be uh savings account that their parents never 348 00:39:22,262 --> 00:39:23,963 could give them. 349 00:39:24,103 --> 00:39:35,549 Out of all the monies we spend as a government on children and or people who do need help, this is the one of the best investments that you could have. 350 00:39:35,789 --> 00:39:37,416 And we developed 351 00:39:37,416 --> 00:39:51,528 white papers on this subject so that I won't claim to be an extensive expert at it, but I can assure you I knew a good bit about it at the time we were oh working with it that I 352 00:39:51,528 --> 00:39:57,272 believe it would be an excellent opportunity for children all across the country. 353 00:39:57,421 --> 00:40:03,600 Senator Cruz talks like it has a good chance ah of passing in the House. 354 00:40:04,182 --> 00:40:05,824 He said he didn't know. 355 00:40:05,945 --> 00:40:07,486 He hadn't done his numbers. 356 00:40:07,486 --> 00:40:16,580 though, I get cautious because then I don't think the percentages are as high as I would like them to be, but maybe he can be the exception. 357 00:40:16,737 --> 00:40:18,488 You mentioned Washington University. 358 00:40:18,488 --> 00:40:26,595 ah I just might mention, ah you probably don't know her, but her name is Virginia Tolliver. 359 00:40:26,655 --> 00:40:30,198 She used to be the librarian at Washington University. 360 00:40:30,258 --> 00:40:36,823 And we are having a podcast with her ah on Thursday afternoon. 361 00:40:37,144 --> 00:40:41,888 And I was talking to her and she said, well, what are we going to talk about? 362 00:40:41,888 --> 00:40:44,690 And I said, well, we're going to talk about your upbringing. 363 00:40:44,690 --> 00:40:46,187 And she said, well, you know, 364 00:40:46,187 --> 00:40:49,292 I never went to a school that wasn't all black. 365 00:40:50,295 --> 00:40:53,401 And I said, well, that's what we're going to talk about. 366 00:40:53,401 --> 00:40:55,054 Did you have as good a teachers? 367 00:40:55,054 --> 00:40:56,346 Did you have? 368 00:40:57,109 --> 00:40:58,281 new school books. 369 00:40:58,281 --> 00:41:00,944 Did you, what was it like? 370 00:41:01,165 --> 00:41:07,735 Because you have the stories that are going to be forgotten unless we can record them. 371 00:41:07,735 --> 00:41:13,122 ah So it was interesting that you mentioned Washington University. 372 00:41:13,302 --> 00:41:19,944 Well, Washington University is an outstanding university with a great academic background. 373 00:41:19,944 --> 00:41:33,507 But one of the things I was trying to say a minute ago is that today we have allowed race to get so polarizing that it's not just under the table, it's above the table. 374 00:41:33,588 --> 00:41:37,389 It is brazen in the way that things happen. 375 00:41:37,389 --> 00:41:42,050 This assault on DEI has been... 376 00:41:43,090 --> 00:41:52,653 one of the most dumbfounding things that I've seen oh pushed and to a successful level, unfortunately, that I've seen. 377 00:41:52,653 --> 00:42:06,987 But when you've got a state that is not a homogeneous state, and Mississippi is one in most all of our states are that way, then the policies and programs and things you do, you 378 00:42:06,987 --> 00:42:10,568 need them to be beneficial to everyone, not 379 00:42:10,568 --> 00:42:13,402 just a certain segment of society. 380 00:42:13,402 --> 00:42:23,056 And a lot of people, times people, don't even realize who are the real recipients and beneficiaries of a lot of the programs that we have. 381 00:42:23,056 --> 00:42:24,728 That's what I was trying to say. 382 00:42:25,030 --> 00:42:33,653 And one of the things about diversity, equity, and inclusion, it also affects people with disabilities. 383 00:42:33,653 --> 00:42:40,675 It affects, negatively affects children and adults with disabilities. 384 00:42:40,736 --> 00:42:47,279 But that's something you don't hear about, you know, in the news, in the media. 385 00:42:47,279 --> 00:42:49,886 I've, go ahead, Governor. 386 00:42:50,569 --> 00:43:04,617 No, I was just going to say that when we can put, or if we could ever get to the point that we could put aside what a person looks like or who they are and recognize that all 387 00:43:04,617 --> 00:43:17,943 people have significant quality contributions and everybody is entitled to the benefits that are offered by our federal constitution and our state constitution. 388 00:43:17,943 --> 00:43:27,411 And if we could look at programs that way, then we would remove a lot of the headaches that all of us have to deal with so much of the time. 389 00:43:27,708 --> 00:43:31,171 think that's that's all David and I can do. 390 00:43:31,171 --> 00:43:44,671 We're so incapacitated that we have this program in an attempt to get people like you out there to help educate people on what's going on and what happened and why it happened and 391 00:43:44,772 --> 00:43:46,553 what needs to happen. 392 00:43:46,974 --> 00:43:51,217 So really appreciate all the work that you've done. 393 00:43:51,524 --> 00:43:55,177 you care to make any comment or not about it. 394 00:43:55,319 --> 00:44:01,178 But, and if you don't, that's fine. 395 00:44:01,178 --> 00:44:10,529 Whatever happened to that beef program, that beef plant that failed or what was that? 396 00:44:10,667 --> 00:44:24,795 what it was, think two of our representatives, one was Billy McCoy, who at that time he was not a speaker of the House, but he was chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, I 397 00:44:24,795 --> 00:44:35,742 believe, and Representative Tommy Reynolds from Charleston, who had Oakland in his district, had gotten together with our commissioner of agriculture and it seemed like that 398 00:44:36,326 --> 00:44:46,011 They were all Mississippi State connected and had an agricultural background and that the cull cows were a big proposition at the time. 399 00:44:46,011 --> 00:44:53,593 So that was a bill that they put together that they passed, that it passed 174 to nothing. 400 00:44:53,593 --> 00:44:56,994 I signed it, was a good economic opportunity. 401 00:44:56,994 --> 00:45:05,044 Well, as it turned out, it went belly up and I think the state at the time had lost 35 402 00:45:05,044 --> 00:45:10,204 million dollars as a result of that happening. 403 00:45:10,704 --> 00:45:18,544 But I might tell you that the state retained the ownership of the facilities. 404 00:45:19,004 --> 00:45:24,024 The state repurposed it and recruited another industry in. 405 00:45:24,024 --> 00:45:30,324 And I might tell you that every penny of the debt that was owed has been paid off. 406 00:45:30,324 --> 00:45:33,900 Well, the state has been made 100 % whole. 407 00:45:34,366 --> 00:45:49,381 versus solar projects and all that are in Horn Lake, that are in Columbus, that are in other areas, that I think that I am not exaggerating when I say that there's at least 150 408 00:45:49,381 --> 00:46:00,784 to $200 million that the state has written off, that we don't own the facilities anymore and there's no way to recoup oh the money that was lost on those subsequent projects after 409 00:46:00,784 --> 00:46:01,604 I left. 410 00:46:01,849 --> 00:46:02,317 Jeez. 411 00:46:02,317 --> 00:46:03,209 just, didn't know. 412 00:46:03,209 --> 00:46:07,869 I'm still trying to figure out. 413 00:46:07,869 --> 00:46:10,473 was cull, cattle. 414 00:46:11,006 --> 00:46:16,786 Cull cattle is a term that I didn't grow up with and I didn't know anything about. 415 00:46:16,786 --> 00:46:21,884 So I left it up to the Commissioner of Agriculture, Billy McCoy and them to try to figure it out. 416 00:46:21,884 --> 00:46:26,020 And obviously it was not as good a deal as it should have been. 417 00:46:27,183 --> 00:46:30,131 Well, you know, if you don't try, you never know. 418 00:46:31,100 --> 00:46:32,471 the state got its money back. 419 00:46:32,471 --> 00:46:34,753 That's it. 420 00:46:34,753 --> 00:46:42,978 ah With a few minutes left, do we want to talk about the ah state income tax elimination? 421 00:46:42,978 --> 00:46:46,500 You got, what's your thoughts on that, Governor? 422 00:46:48,286 --> 00:47:00,810 What you always want to do is you want to try to get the right balance or mix between income for the state and what the state does. 423 00:47:01,231 --> 00:47:11,535 A lot of times people just forget about the fact that we all need government at some point in time. 424 00:47:12,195 --> 00:47:16,527 What is scary to me is now you have 425 00:47:16,847 --> 00:47:22,301 the administration in Washington talking about doing away with FEMA. 426 00:47:23,342 --> 00:47:39,055 Now, if you are a Mississippian and you have any age on you at all, all you have to do is go back a few years and think about all of the hurricanes that we've had. 427 00:47:39,856 --> 00:47:46,271 Katrina being possibly the worst, Campbell being the worst in terms of death. 428 00:47:47,557 --> 00:47:55,113 And if we had not had federal help with those, I wonder what our state would look like. 429 00:47:57,009 --> 00:48:04,189 And that is a part of government that we need. 430 00:48:04,509 --> 00:48:11,389 I don't know how the state would be able to make up the difference between what FEMA would do. 431 00:48:11,569 --> 00:48:24,669 All right, so if you want to have a goal for the state to have a certain education quality, a certain healthcare quality, a certain job opportunity quality, quality of life 432 00:48:24,669 --> 00:48:25,629 living, 433 00:48:25,669 --> 00:48:29,971 then there's a certain amount of dollars it is going to take to do that. 434 00:48:30,811 --> 00:48:41,195 You can get that money from taxes or you can get it from economic opportunity or activity that is a result of tax benefits. 435 00:48:41,736 --> 00:48:52,140 The smart people that I have seen cut taxes always did so in an effort to improve economic opportunity. 436 00:48:52,280 --> 00:48:55,281 President Clinton is one of the people that I might 437 00:48:55,281 --> 00:49:12,401 point to that when they passed the significant bill, I think it was in 2004, maybe, yes, or 2006, with some welfare reform opportunities, some tax cuts, some very targeted tax 438 00:49:12,401 --> 00:49:25,041 cuts, and you look at what it produced, President Clinton is the only one in modern times that actually reduced our national debt from about $6.5 trillion 439 00:49:25,137 --> 00:49:28,437 to 4.9 trillion, or we'll say five. 440 00:49:28,577 --> 00:49:38,577 Just think about what $5 trillion would look like today instead of $36 trillion that we held as national debt. 441 00:49:39,117 --> 00:49:42,477 But the tax cuts were targeted. 442 00:49:42,917 --> 00:49:54,417 I am hard pressed to think that just the clear and sheer elimination of the income tax, which for most people, the highest is 4 % in Mississippi, 443 00:49:54,735 --> 00:49:58,627 would offset or produce enough economic opportunity. 444 00:49:58,627 --> 00:50:12,455 I've not seen anybody, including our state economist, our state fiscal officer, or any other economist that can show where that cut would in fact produce that kind of economic 445 00:50:12,455 --> 00:50:24,010 oh activity that would refill our state coffers, so to speak, so that it would be an even swap, so to speak, in terms of dollars and cents. 446 00:50:24,010 --> 00:50:37,250 Well, at one point in your tenure as governor, I believe you said, or it was reported that 62 % of the state budget went to education. 447 00:50:38,470 --> 00:50:44,730 Well, if we eliminate the income tax, that 62 % is gone. 448 00:50:46,005 --> 00:50:46,986 It is not 62%. 449 00:50:46,986 --> 00:50:58,983 Today, I can tell you with Ole Miss as a resident of Oxford, and I think this is also true for Mississippi State and the rest of the universities, when I was in the state 450 00:50:58,983 --> 00:51:06,317 legislature, we funded universities, and know at Ole Miss particularly, at over 60%. 451 00:51:06,317 --> 00:51:10,239 Now, the exact percent, I don't remember. 452 00:51:10,539 --> 00:51:14,001 But today, Ole Miss receives about 453 00:51:14,001 --> 00:51:19,345 12 to 15 % of its funding from the state and not 60%. 454 00:51:19,345 --> 00:51:30,555 And people wonder why the tuition has gone up so much because that's one of the major ways they have of offsetting the loss of state dollars. 455 00:51:30,555 --> 00:51:39,781 So there is always a cost if you're cutting the dollars that are going to the state with what you can do with them. 456 00:51:40,423 --> 00:51:44,075 And the programs like education and others will see it. 457 00:51:44,365 --> 00:51:49,861 if you don't offset that with economic activity to bring in additional dollars. 458 00:51:49,861 --> 00:51:53,429 And I just haven't seen that up until this point. 459 00:51:54,905 --> 00:52:02,182 Well, we're getting a little late into the show, but let me just ask you, in your spare time, 460 00:52:04,264 --> 00:52:06,401 What projects are you working on now? 461 00:52:06,401 --> 00:52:08,226 ah 462 00:52:09,810 --> 00:52:15,504 What are you thinking about needs to be done and what are you working on? 463 00:52:16,661 --> 00:52:22,304 We're working to try to keep some rural hospitals open, which is a tough, tough job. 464 00:52:22,304 --> 00:52:23,645 can tell you that right now. 465 00:52:23,645 --> 00:52:34,271 oh Also, I'm working on giving all of my papers from all of my time in office to the University of Mississippi archive. 466 00:52:34,851 --> 00:52:45,241 And so I'm in the process of going through all of those papers and looking at so many of the things that we did that reminds me of, I think, some 467 00:52:45,241 --> 00:52:51,603 really, really good projects and programs oh that I think that we need to reconsider. 468 00:52:51,603 --> 00:53:08,007 uh Also, I'm working on a couple of books that I believe would help oh us to reconsider the things that I think are important uh for us to have as a state. 469 00:53:08,208 --> 00:53:12,489 I'm kind of like the librarian at Washington University, oh you know. 470 00:53:12,489 --> 00:53:13,295 uh 471 00:53:13,295 --> 00:53:19,767 My mother went to the 10th grade in school and my dad, I think, made it to the eighth grade in school. 472 00:53:19,767 --> 00:53:26,009 uh No reflection on their intellectual ability because they were very smart people. 473 00:53:26,009 --> 00:53:35,991 And when my mother's favorite author was William Faulkner and she had read every book that William Faulkner had ever written, I realized how much smarter she was than I was because 474 00:53:35,991 --> 00:53:42,117 I struggled to understand William Faulkner and I'm right here in the seat of William Faulkner's 475 00:53:42,117 --> 00:53:45,579 hometown and I understand that. 476 00:53:45,579 --> 00:54:00,327 But what it does say is it says for me that I recognized early on at their encouragement that getting a good education was so important to what I wanted to do in life. 477 00:54:00,687 --> 00:54:11,563 And had I not listened to them and had I not bought into the idea that school was my best opportunity, I can assure you, you would not be talking to me today. 478 00:54:12,017 --> 00:54:16,020 oh And I feel so fortunate that I did. 479 00:54:16,020 --> 00:54:30,773 And I think that what has happened now that we've gotten third and fourth and fifth generation college graduates that are now in office, you forget about what's important and 480 00:54:30,773 --> 00:54:36,117 how you got there because you think to yourself, my children will be perfectly fine. 481 00:54:36,618 --> 00:54:41,301 Well, they don't need any extra help, oh but we all need help. 482 00:54:41,411 --> 00:54:42,583 at some point in time. 483 00:54:42,583 --> 00:54:49,310 Like I said, we all need government at some point in time in order to get by. 484 00:54:49,991 --> 00:55:01,835 And to me, I mean, it's just like right now, if you don't think you need government, then don't get on an airplane today. 485 00:55:03,693 --> 00:55:07,894 If you don't think you need government, don't get on a highway today. 486 00:55:09,075 --> 00:55:18,697 And part of what we're doing, Jim, is that we're so short-sighted on the big things that our country needs. 487 00:55:18,718 --> 00:55:31,051 Like the Secretary of the FAA is saying that all of our radar equipment is so old that we can't use it. 488 00:55:31,547 --> 00:55:38,422 Where are we in a bipartisan way, everyone saying we need to fix this. 489 00:55:38,463 --> 00:55:51,484 We need to invest the amount of money that it takes to make sure that we make the sky safe and the airport safe and that the people flying, which are millions of Americans from all 490 00:55:51,484 --> 00:55:52,935 walks of life. 491 00:55:53,156 --> 00:55:55,858 Those are the things that we need to focus on. 492 00:55:55,858 --> 00:56:00,001 And I think that we're being short-sighted and not focusing on. 493 00:56:00,813 --> 00:56:01,664 Right. 494 00:56:02,610 --> 00:56:07,386 The FAA has never been. 495 00:56:09,147 --> 00:56:17,478 really overseen and funded as well as it should have been. 496 00:56:18,167 --> 00:56:20,773 My background's in aviation. 497 00:56:23,195 --> 00:56:25,236 And it's long overdue. 498 00:56:25,236 --> 00:56:28,138 It's not Trump. 499 00:56:28,138 --> 00:56:33,820 It's not our previous president. 500 00:56:33,820 --> 00:56:35,261 It goes back for years. 501 00:56:35,261 --> 00:56:39,663 ah We've just been living with what we've got. 502 00:56:40,834 --> 00:56:46,628 It's a bipartisan issue to invest in the country and those things that really do matter. 503 00:56:46,628 --> 00:56:47,739 And that's one of them that do. 504 00:56:47,739 --> 00:56:49,820 Cybersecurity is another. 505 00:56:49,900 --> 00:56:56,985 Like I said, you just go on and on at the things that are really not controversial in terms of what we need. 506 00:56:56,985 --> 00:56:59,346 It's just having the will to do it. 507 00:56:59,591 --> 00:57:07,816 How do we manage to potholes and aviation and hospitals and all these? 508 00:57:07,816 --> 00:57:10,697 How do we manage to make those political? 509 00:57:12,078 --> 00:57:14,449 It has always puzzled me. 510 00:57:15,446 --> 00:57:18,927 They have to work hard at making it political, but they do. 511 00:57:21,129 --> 00:57:24,810 No, you know, it's just like everything else. 512 00:57:25,971 --> 00:57:39,346 If you're not trying to work together, and I'm still the optimistic person who believes we can work together, and it's so bothersome to watch in Washington now, nobody's reaching 513 00:57:39,346 --> 00:57:41,057 out to the other side. 514 00:57:43,162 --> 00:57:47,322 Going this alone, and that's just not the way to govern. 515 00:57:48,002 --> 00:57:55,242 We need the benefit of different thinkers and people who believe in our country and can move our country forward. 516 00:57:55,242 --> 00:58:07,682 And I guess that if it's politically advantageous for one party over another to make a hospital the enemy, or to make a school the enemy, or to make an aviation tower at a 517 00:58:07,682 --> 00:58:11,022 certain city the enemy, I guess they do. 518 00:58:15,508 --> 00:58:18,494 It's sad that they have such small brains. 519 00:58:20,175 --> 00:58:20,546 It is. 520 00:58:20,546 --> 00:58:24,197 It's been wonderful talking to you, Governor. 521 00:58:25,519 --> 00:58:27,646 It's been a pleasure to talk with you all. 522 00:58:27,852 --> 00:58:29,105 Good, good. 523 00:58:29,105 --> 00:58:31,871 do appreciate your... 524 00:58:31,871 --> 00:58:33,745 Governor, any last thoughts for us? 525 00:58:33,745 --> 00:58:39,476 Anything that you want our subscribers to hear or any last words from you? 526 00:58:40,930 --> 00:58:52,316 just simply say that that you all are in North Mississippi, but you could just as easily be in South Mississippi in two locations that are very similar to where you are right now. 527 00:58:52,316 --> 00:58:58,190 Uh, and our state is not made up of six or eight communities. 528 00:58:58,190 --> 00:59:09,376 It's made up of 82 counties of a lot of good towns and cities across the state that I believe when we work together and try to make the entire state 529 00:59:09,548 --> 00:59:15,437 a better community and better place to live, then the whole state sees those results. 530 00:59:15,884 --> 00:59:16,980 Thank you. 531 00:59:16,980 --> 00:59:22,288 and I hope you spread the word that we're not bad guys. 532 00:59:22,449 --> 00:59:24,953 We're not out to do hatchet jobs on anybody. 533 00:59:24,953 --> 00:59:26,635 ah 534 00:59:27,138 --> 00:59:28,331 What did you call us? 535 00:59:28,331 --> 00:59:31,833 do hope that you get people from across the board. 536 00:59:31,894 --> 00:59:39,499 You know, I have such good friends across the board that we still work together and I'm so grateful that we can work together. 537 00:59:39,659 --> 00:59:43,722 And I just wish that we would do it on a larger macroscape. 538 00:59:44,197 --> 00:59:45,773 If you have any suggestions. 539 00:59:45,773 --> 00:59:46,013 us? 540 00:59:46,013 --> 00:59:47,868 Incapacitated or something? 541 00:59:47,868 --> 00:59:50,004 What was that earlier? 542 00:59:50,004 --> 00:59:51,246 Incapacitated. 543 00:59:51,246 --> 00:59:52,308 Jeez. 544 00:59:52,468 --> 00:59:57,325 didn't buy that word when he said it, but I thought I knew what he meant. 545 00:59:59,895 --> 01:00:02,243 Well Jim, what about you? 546 01:00:02,243 --> 01:00:03,327 What you got? 547 01:00:03,327 --> 01:00:04,629 Last words. 548 01:00:05,556 --> 01:00:13,162 Gosh, Governor, if you've got some friends across the aisle, we'd love to talk with them. 549 01:00:14,303 --> 01:00:20,427 If you could, if you felt free enough to ah put in a word for us, we'd appreciate it. 550 01:00:20,580 --> 01:00:22,898 Sure, I'll be glad to do something. 551 01:00:23,054 --> 01:00:23,954 Thank you. 552 01:00:23,954 --> 01:00:26,705 We do want to thank our sponsors. 553 01:00:26,705 --> 01:00:28,706 We do want to thank our subscribers. 554 01:00:28,706 --> 01:00:33,398 We do appreciate your continued support. 555 01:00:33,398 --> 01:00:42,702 Please share this ah link to all of your friends and all on your social media. 556 01:00:42,742 --> 01:00:49,585 And ah I have one last quote, ah Governor. 557 01:00:49,605 --> 01:00:52,916 I've got one last quote, and this is part 558 01:00:53,335 --> 01:00:54,810 I can tell. 559 01:00:54,810 --> 01:00:56,111 I have, I have. 560 01:00:56,111 --> 01:01:01,332 I've moved it around in the script, but this is perfect to end in this. 561 01:01:01,332 --> 01:01:11,915 And you said, if you are fortunate in life, age and knowledge, breed compassion. 562 01:01:12,355 --> 01:01:19,867 And that's the thing that we are missing now in Mississippi and we're missing it across the nation. 563 01:01:19,867 --> 01:01:21,737 So thank you for that. 564 01:01:22,738 --> 01:01:23,828 Enjoy it. 565 01:01:24,459 --> 01:01:25,018 Thank you. 566 01:01:25,018 --> 01:01:25,571 thank you. 567 01:01:25,571 --> 01:01:26,088 much. 568 01:01:26,088 --> 01:01:27,758 Have a good week, Governor. 569 01:01:27,972 --> 01:01:29,417 Thank you, same to you. 570 01:01:30,144 --> 01:01:31,077 Okay.