Peeking In:

The House Apportionment and Elections Committee

                After glancing through the Mississippi House of Representatives committees, I thought I would offer up for your deliberation a few bills currently under consideration in the House Apportionment and Elections Committee.  I have long considered this committee one of the most vital groups in state government given its subject matter.  Elections are the very fabric of our Republic and this committee indeed serves a crucial function. 

The bills below may never come out of committee and see the light of day on the House floor but they are definitely good conversation starters around the water cooler.

State Superintendent of Public Education

                Should we elect the State Superintendent of Public Education?  If Rep. John Moore (R-District 60) has his way, we just may have that opportunity. 

House Bill (HB) 491 provides for the election of the State Superintendent starting with the 2011 elections.  Under the bill, the State Superintendent would serve a four year term and follow the same electoral guidelines as the other eight state wide elected offices.  The compensation for the State Superintendent, as defined by this HB 491, would be equal to 90% of the salary of the Commissioner of Higher Education, which is currently the pay structure for the appointed position.  This equates to over $300,000 annually or $200,000 more than what the Governor is presently paid.  The bill would require the State Superintendent to hold at least a master's degree in any field and a minimum of five years experience in educational administration. 

Click here to read HB 491.

Political Party Switching

                In the past few months, we have seen quite a few Democrats switch parties (i.e. Simpson County, etc.).  It would seem plausible that such activity provoked Rep. Bob Evans (D-District 91) to file House Bill (HB) 1457.  And just for the record, District 91 does include Copiah, Covington, Jefferson Davis, Lawrence, and yes, Simpson counties.

                HB 1457 would prohibit an elected official from changing political party affiliation during their term in office.  Should a party switch be made, the bill states that a change of party affiliation would be considered a resignation from that elected office and the vacancy should be filled in a manner as provided by law for that office. 

Sour grapes?  Click here to read HB 1457. 

Mississippi's Version of the Fairness Doctrine Creeping In

                According to the Heritage Foundation, legislation known as the "fairness doctrine," entitled the "Fairness in Broadcasting Act," required broadcasters to "afford reasonable opportunity for the discussion of conflicting views of public importance."  The fairness doctrine was overturned by the FCC in 1987.  The FCC discarded the rule because, contrary to its purpose, it failed to encourage the discussion of more controversial issues.  There were also concerns that it was in violation of First Amendment free speech principles.  Mississippi House Bill (HB) 144 authored by Rep. John Mayo (D-District 25) comes uncomfortably close to revisiting this failed, flawed federal legislation.

                HB 144 would require certain broadcasting stations (Supertalk MS, have you read this yet?) that receive public funds to afford equal opportunity in use of their stations to all candidates for office and would require stations to allow equal opportunity and time for rebuttals to positions taken by its on-air announcers or commentators during a certain period of time before an election. 

                I guess some people will try and skin a cat more than one way.  Click here to read HB 144. 

Judges and Party Affiliation

                Many around Mississippi, and even more so across the country, are sick and tired of liberal, activist judges.  While justice is supposed to be blind, often judges impose their hidden political ideologies into their rulings.  Wouldn't it be easier if we already knew their political bent before they got in office? 

Rep. John Moore (R-District 60) has filed House Bill (HB) 494 that would repeal the Nonpartisan Judicial Election Act, meaning that judges would be forced to identify their political party affiliation when qualifying to run for office.  Guess that's one way to uncover the truth.

Click here to read HB 494.  Also, click here to read my prior blog post on why "Party Matters." 

                These are just a few of the more interesting and thought provoking bills currently sitting in the House Apportionment and Elections Committee.  James Buchanan, our 15^th President, once said, "I love the noise of democracy."  It's high time we all made some noise to ensure the future of our Republic.  I would encourage you all to take the time to browse through the bills being considered during this legislative session.  Get involved in your local and state government.  Read and study for yourself.  Then, let your voice be heard. 

Frank Corder,

Pascagoula City Councilman

More Trial Lawyer Politics in Mississippi

                The Mississippi Association for Justice, formerly the Mississippi Trial Lawyers Association, has as its motto on its website (www.msaj.org) "Lawyers Representing People Not Corporations."  In theory, such a phrase would seem appropriate and be well received by most.  It suggests that there are trial lawyers who seek to rush to the rescue of the people of Mississippi as they fight for legal justice when facing the well-funded corporate giants who are ever prepared to defend their interests perhaps to the detriment of those citizens who can't.  Sounds plausible enough, even chivalrous.  But the truth is that many trial lawyers, seemingly more often than not, pursue frivolous lawsuits that drive up costs that ultimately are passed on to the average consumer.  They lurk and prey, waiting for just the right moment to strike.  When they pounce, they seek often exorbitant monetary damages where they feel they have the best chance to win and pad their own pocketbooks.  It's not really about the individual client or the cause; it's about their careers.  The same can be said of trial lawyers who get elected to public office.

                Trial lawyers who become elected public officials have a tendency to bring their "Lawyers Representing People Not Corporations" philosophy into the public policy arena.  Just as the story of Robin Hood is a good children's story but makes terrible economic and public policy, so too does this trial lawyer motto.  Here's an example.

                A bill has been filed in the Mississippi House of Representatives (HB 1007) that creates the duty for persons operating trains to keep a lookout for persons and property on railroad tracks.  Sounds innocent enough, right?  Keep reading for an excerpt from the bill below:

(1) (a) It shall be the duty of all persons running trains in this state upon any railroad to keep a constant lookout for all persons, including licensees and trespassers, and property upon the track of any and all railroads.

(b) If any person or property is killed or injured by the neglect of any employee of any railroad to keep a lookout, the company owning or operating any railroad or its agents, servants and employees shall be liable and responsible to the person injured for all damages resulting from neglect to keep a lookout.

(2) (a) In any action brought for failure to keep a lookout, contributory negligence shall not bar recovery of damages for any injury, property damage, or death where the negligence of the person injured or killed is of a lesser degree than the negligence of the employee or employees in charge of the train of the company.

(b) In all such actions accruing for negligence resulting in personal injuries or wrongful death or injury to property, the contributory negligence shall not prevent a recovery where any negligence of the person so injured, damaged or killed is of a lesser degree than any negligence of the person, firm or corporation causing the damage.  However, where contributory negligence is shown on the part of the person injured, damaged or killed, the amount of the recovery shall be diminished in proportion to such contributory negligence.

Did you catch what was written there?  Railroad companies, train operators, and their employees could be held liable if any person is injured or killed or if any property is harmed while on a track under the guise of the railroad employees' not "keeping a lookout."  Does the bill's author not believe that railroad employees who are traveling at such high rates of speed are not "keeping a lookout?"  How would such action even be proven?  Moreover, how realistic is it to believe that a train traveling at such speeds could essentially stop on a dime even if the operator saw a person or an object especially given the many twists and turns in Mississippi's tracks? 

The bill goes on to say that even if the person that is harmed is found to be at fault through "contributory negligence," the rail company could still be held liable.  The bill's author tries to sugarcoat this last part by adding that "the amount of the recovery shall be diminished in proportion to such contributory negligence."  "Diminished?"  Really?  The vagueness of the implication allows trial lawyers the opportunity to at least go after something under the banner of "representing people not corporations."

It shouldn't surprise you that the author of this bill is a trial lawyer himself - Rep. Brandon Jones (D-Pascagoula). 

It is bills and subsequent laws such as these that harm our economy, put companies out of business, cause job loss, increase costs to citizens, and ultimately create an environment that is detrimental to growth and prosperity for local communities.  The frivolous lawsuits that will come as a result of this bill if it passes will only serve to pad the pockets of trial lawyers around the state, giving them yet another avenue to continue the trend of attempting to play Robin Hood.

I wonder: Could this be a precursor to things to come?  Will we see more such attempts to encourage irresponsible litigation?  Could the tort reform progress we have seen in Mississippi be eroded by similar efforts?  Let's all hope for the sake of our state and our collective futures that this bill and others like it meet a quick, fiery death.

Frank Corder,

Pascagoula City Councilman

The Parents' Campaign Pushing for House Bill 392

                The Mississippi House of Representatives passed House Bill 392 yesterday.  The bill would achieve the House Democrats' plan to limit the amount that can be cut from the budget ($374 million) and force the Governor to raid the rainy day fund of $50 million to shore up state agencies and use $61 million in federal stimulus money, both one-time money sources which Gov. Barbour and many other fiscal conservatives have emphatically opposed.  Such notions play squarely in to Speaker Billy McCoy's theory of spend now, pray later.

                State Democrats and their related special interest groups are now trying to rally support for HB 392.  Just today, The Parents' Campaign sent out emails encouraging its readers to support HB 392 and to contact their Senators to support the bill as well.  They even provided a list of who voted for and against the measure.  Click here to view the vote record.  Here's the email:

The House of Representatives passed today House Bill 392, a good alternative to Governor Barbour's request for additional budget cuts authority.Please thank our legislators who voted in favor of this bill. We will need your help to get this bill through the Senate.

House Bill 392 allows the governor to exempt from cuts the Department of Corrections, the National Board Certified Teacher supplement, the Ayers settlement, the Veteran's Affairs Board (Nursing Homes), the Chickasaw Cession, debt service, and the courts. It also requires that the governor use the $61-million in available ARRA funds and $50-million from the state Rainy Day Fund before making further cuts.

According to House Education Chairman Cecil Brown, the measures in this bill would leave only $13-million in cuts necessary to balance the budget. There is $48-million in cuts that can still be made before all agencies reach the 5% threshold (which education has already reached).Therefore, under this plan, no additional cuts would need to be made to the education budget. 

We need to get this bill passed in the Senate. Please call your senator.Ask your senator to support HB 392 as it passed the House. 

Your phone call will be very important. It could help us save our schools from devastating cuts. Please ask your friends and family to call too. Our kids are counting on us!

                True to form, when the state Democrats struggle to get their way, they turn to beating the education drum and enlist their special interest groups to do their dirty work despite the realities at hand. 

                There continues to be a disconnect between the House leadership and Gov. Barbour as to just how dire the state's financial situation is now and could be in the near future.  Also at issue here is the seven year tug of war: McCoy and his liberal boys versus Gov. Barbour.  

The real question on this issue I believe is who do you trust more with the state budget: the state-wide elected, full-time fiscally conservative Governor who is seeking to uphold his constitutional duties for a balanced budget or district-elected, part-time House Democrat representatives who consistently bring to the table their own wish list of spend now, pray later programs?  Can you guess who I side with?

Frank Corder,
Pascagoula City Councilman

Party Matters

                For some time now, many across Mississippi and around the nation have questioned whether there is a need for political party designations in local municipal and county races.  As a matter of fact, there is a bill in the Mississippi House of Representatives submitted by Rep. Becky Currie (R-District 92) that would create the "Non-partisan County Elections Act."  House Bill 304 would make county offices (such as Supervisor, Sheriff, Chancery Clerk, Tax Assessor, etc.) in Mississippi non-partisan and would prohibit a candidate from campaigning or qualifying for such an office based on part affiliation. 

                Taking party politics out of local decision making would seem to have merit.  In theory and in a utopian society such a notion would be ideal.  Often, it can be argued, local issues can be negatively impacted by the politics of party on both sides of the spectrum and can cloud the better judgment of some in local elected office.  But in the day and time in which we live, the truth is, party does matter, perhaps even more so now locally than ever.   Allow me to explain.       

As a local elected official, I take my position as a City Councilman seriously.  I am on the front lines of the political landscape day in and day out, in the grocery store, the doctor's office, at football games, and walking down the street.  Not a day goes by that no less than a few dozen of my constituents call, email, come by, or stop and talk local, state, or national politics.  I cherish every minute of the interaction with each of them.  I love being able to help resolve issues within the city or just listen to their thoughts on the condition of our city, state, and nation. 

No other political office is quite like a local elected official in that they have the opportunity to live and work with the people they represent every day and then go handle the city's or county's business just down the street amongst friends and family.  State Representatives, Congressmen and Senators, Governors and Presidents are shielded from doing business amidst the masses.  These offices have a cushion of location, if you will.  Yes, such close contacts locally can offer their own challenges but the positives definitely outweigh the negatives because local elected officials get to see how their decisions make a difference each and every day.  Local elected officials aren't allowed to lose their foundation and that's a healthy position for those in governing bodies to be in. 

All of this and more is why political party affiliation matters at the local level of government.  Who a candidate or local official aligns him or herself with is telling of how they will handle the business of the people in local government from taxation to land use to economic development to fiscal budgeting to law enforcement to a host of other locally sensitive issues.  Party affiliation can also point to one's character and patterns of beliefs in terms of humanity, freedom, liberty, and spirituality.

A local elected official's party of choice speaks volumes.  The voting public is, for the most part, cognizant of what Democrats and Republicans stand for (not so much for Independents or even third party candidates).  The voting public generally knows the difference between liberal and conservative policies.  They know what party's ideals of government best align with their own and they want to be able to trust that those ideals are carried out.  I would argue that such is true even more so in the local communities where they have chosen to live, work, worship, and play.  

It was Thomas Jefferson that said, "That government is best which is closest to the people."  Local elected officials should continue to declare their party affiliation so the public knows by what standard they live their lives and to what ideals they will lead their communities.  Party matters.

Frank Corder,

Pascagoula City Councilman

Support the Need for Voter ID

Everyone wants fair, honest elections.  When you go to the polls and cast that ballot, you want your vote to count.  You vote to make a difference and to be heard.  You vote because it's a right of our Republic.  You vote so that the will of the people can be accomplished.  So why not help protect this most sacred of all Republic rights and support the need for Voter ID.

Surely by now you've heard of the state-wide ballot initiative to require a photo ID when voting.  Voter ID is an important issue.  Showing an ID in order to prevent voter fraud just makes sense in the world in which we live.  We need to unite to demand accurate and honest elections by ensuring that each and every vote is cast in the proper manner.  No more of the ploys and countless excuses to prevent Voter ID.  No more of the good ole boy politics.  No more of the "vote early and vote often" mentality that abounds throughout our state.  Your help is needed to ensure fair elections in Mississippi and all it takes is a signature.  So have you signed the Voter ID petition?

If you have not signed a Voter ID petition or would like to help collect signatures, please visit one of the locations below in Jackson and Harrison Counties.  Or you can visit www.msgop.org and click on the "Support Voter ID" link to request a petition via mail.

Jackson County Pickup/Dropoff Locations:

• Ocean Springs:  Miner's Toy Store, Washington Avenue
• Gautier:  Coldwell-Banker Realty, Hwy 90
• Gautier:  Sleep King, Hwy 90
• Gautier:  David Thompson (at bank between McDonald's & Wendys on Highway 90 - ask for David)
• Pascagoula:  Anderson's Bakery, Market Street
• Pascagoula:  Sleep King, Denny Avenue
• Vancleave: Coles Service Center, Poticaw Bayou Road
• Wade/Hurley/Big Point area: Farm Bureau Insurance, 16913 Highway 63 (10 miles north of I-10, 1 mile north of the power plant, 4 miles south of Wade-Vancleave Rd.)

Harrison County Pickup/Dropoff Locations:

• Sweet Pepper's Deli on the west side of Hwy. 49 in Saucier.  Ask for David or Joyce.
• Comvest Properties on Beauvoir Rd. in Biloxi.  Across from Autozone. 
• Vintage Station on Courthouse Rd. in Gulfport.  After 5pm.  Just north of the railroad.
• Bernie's restaurant in Biloxi.
• Hallmark Mortgage on Cowan Rd. in Gulfport.  Just north of Hwy. 90.
• Palazzo CPA's.  1/2 mile north of I-10 at exit 41/Woolmarket.
• Any Sleep King location.  Denny Ave. in Pascagoula.  Eisenhower Dr. in Biloxi.  Hwy. 49 in Gulfport next to Best Buy.  Dedeaux Rd. in Gulfport, 1 mile east of Hwy. 49.  Hwy. 90 in Gautier.  Pass Rd. in Gulfport, next to Center Point Energy.  Sangani Blvd. in D'Iberville next to Lowe's.

Also, to assist you in completing the Voter ID petition, here are a few guidelines:

• Official petition forms are 2-sided legal size. Sheet must have printing on back to be valid. Use official forms.
• Print name and address as listed on voter rolls (Clerk compares name and address to voter rolls to certify each signature)
• No P.O. Boxes.
• Black or blue ink is OK.
• Don't worry about precinct or congressional district (not necessary)
• Keep different counties on separate sheets.
• Sign at the bottom of the sheet as the circulator.
• Deliver completed sheets to drop-off points AS THEY ARE COMPLETED (we want to avoid a bottleneck at the Clerks's office). Our deadline for turning in sheets to the drop-off points is January 31^st.

Join in the fight to protect our most sacred of all Republic rights.  Support the need for voter ID.  Enough is enough - no more voter fraud or the potential for such practices in our great state.  Sign a petition today and get in the fight.

Frank Corder,

Pascagoula City Councilman

Analysis of Taylor's Town Hall

Mississippi's 4^th Congressional District

                In Mississippi's 4^th Congressional District, Rep. Gene Taylor (D-Bay St. Louis) held a town hall meeting in Ocean Springs January 11, 2010.  Taylor, currently running for reelection, represents the most conservative district in Mississippi, yet has held the Congressional seat as a Democrat for 20 years. 

                After opening the meeting with a prayer and the pledge of allegiance, Taylor praised Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding for their agreement to build the new DDG-51 while Bath Iron Works will build the 1000s.  The Congressman then highlighted his support for increasing the depth of the shipping channels and for restoring the barrier islands.  After making these two points, Taylor took questions from the audience.

                Looking around the room, it was obvious that campaign season was in full swing.  "Joe Tegerdine for Congress" t-shirts were sprinkled in the crowd and various media outlets hung on Taylor's every word.  Citizens were looking for answers, asking direct, often poignant questions, and at times even expressed their reluctance for Taylor's recent actions and continued liberal party support.

                Taylor is no stranger to walking the line between party loyalist and populist pleasing conservative.  It would seem, however, that those in attendance and even more throughout the 4^th District, are not as willfully drinking the Taylor Kool-Aid this go around as in years past.  I could sense an undercurrent starting to swell seeking to right the 4^th District's left leaning ship.  Taylor seems to sense it too, given his temperament with some members of the audience.

                Having held town hall meetings of my own and now hold public hearings on a regular basis as a Councilman, I expect to be cut off, interrupted, and even challenged at times.  And when those times come, as a public servant hired by the people, it is imperative those situations be handled with care.  There is a right and a wrong way to ask someone to not interrupt or blurt out a comment, to wait their turn.  After all, as a public servant you are there for the people you represent; they're not there for you.  The people are your bosses.  They put you in office.  Perhaps spending 20 years in D.C. and not directly involved in the day-to-day lives of those he serves has allowed Taylor to forget these truths and exactly for whom he works. 

                Taylor repeatedly commented that it was his town hall meeting, not those in attendance.  Of course, that didn't go over too well with more than a few, with some shouting out that he worked for them, it was their meeting.  Taylor commented that his name was on the invitation and announcement; it was his meeting.  He even addressed one gentleman by saying if you interrupt again, you'll be asked to leave and that you can hold your own town hall meeting when you wish.  One lady, a local access television host, who had had her hand raised since the beginning of the question and answer period, finally got tired of waiting and addressed the Congressman by name asking to be heard, but Taylor cut her off, saying not to interrupt and that by interrupting your question would not be taken.  Hers never was, yet her hand remained raised throughout the remainder of the meeting.

                Questions ranged from insurance concerns to health care to the overreaching of the federal government.  Here are a few interesting comments from Taylor as he answered the crowd.  I have paraphrased the comments while attempting to quote them as close as possible:

·         In response to his voting for Nancy Pelosi for Speaker:  I voted for me.  I voted for the Democrat slate (in essence saying his vote for Pelosi gave him the best chance to be in the leadership).

·         Concerning the comments made by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano in the wake of the failed Christmas terror attack:  I'm no fan of hers, and she's no fan of mine.I would hope she would be replaced.

·         On his opinion of President Obama's appointments thus far:  I can count on one hand the appointments this President has made that I like (Secretary of Defense Gates, Secretary of the Navy Mabus, and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Shinseki were a few).

·         Relating to big government spending:  I'm a co-author of Rep. Ron Paul's audit the fed bill.

·         In response to Congress getting pay raises:  There will be no raise for Congress this year.

·         Regarding the recent comments by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada):  I did not call for Trent Lott's head.I'm not the thought police.

·         Concerning what's been said by media pundits:  The guys on talk radio don't really have a lot to do all day.

·         On what good he believed President Obama's election will bring:  A good thing about Obama being elected was that the barrier was broke (meaning that a black man reached the highest office).

While I was unfortunately unable to quote the Congressman word for word, there were at least three video cameras in the audience that I'm sure would confirm my assessment of these answers as well as point to Taylor's aforementioned lack of patience with the audience.

On a personal note, it seems that Taylor or at least his staffers have read my previous writings concerning the Congressman and the 4^th Congressional District.  Now fully aware of this fact, allow me to reiterate what I have said previously, which can be read in full by clicking here and here:  

"A few years ago this 4th District seat didn't seem all that important.  Having one or two Democrat Congressmen wasn't a big deal most thought.  They have tenure, clout among their peers.  But now, with the make up of Congress, the Speaker of the House, the Senate in full control and the White House locked up, this Southeast Mississippi seat needs to symbolize and portray how we in this area truly believe to our core.Shakespeare once said, "We know what we are, but know not what we may be."  We've seen what 20 years has given us in the 4th District.  I truly desire our nation to be more than it is today; America desperately needs the next generation of leaders to begin to take hold now, not tomorrow.  I encourage you all to consider the 2010 Congressional race and help America be more."

Frank Corder,
Pascagoula City Councilman

Double Standard and One Citizenship

                Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) made news this weekend over comments from a yet-to-be-released book, "Game Change."  The book revealed that Reid described in private then-Sen. Barack Obama as "light skinned" and "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one."  Reid has since apologized to Obama and the President has accepted the apology. 

                While the acknowledgement of the remarks is a start, I do find it interesting that such double standard lies within the D.C. Beltway.  In 2002, Obama wasn't so quick to forgive now former Senator Trent Lott, our Mississippi Senator.  Obama is quoted as saying, "It seems to be that we can forgive a 100-year-old senator for some of the indiscretion of his youth, but, what is more difficult to forgive is the current president of the U.S. Senate (Lott) suggesting we had been better off if we had followed a segregationist path in this country after all of the battles and fights for civil rights and all the work that we still have to do."  Obama went on to say, "The Republican Party itself has to drive out Trent Lott.  If they have to stand for something, they have to stand up and say this is not the person we want representing our party."

Liberals are content to accept an apology from their own but not from their opponents.  Lott apologized, more than once, but no forgiveness came and it ultimately cost him his position.  While I holdfast that Republicans should continue to take the high road, some consistency in thought and reaction would be nice from the left and the media. 

I believe this incident points to a much larger, ongoing problem.  I wrote of it in a recent blog entitled "One Citizenship."  For those who have not read it, I invite you to read on. 

"One Citizenship"

Since the beginning of our great nation, one singular issue has remained at the center of every political, social, and religious debate.  One issue has divided this land of opportunity into brother against brother, father against son, denomination against denomination, poor against rich.  It has started riots, fires, funerals, and wars.  Jobs have been lost and industries have been built; buses have been made into memorials and crosses into ash all because of one issue. 
          Racial or ethnic equality is the driving force behind so many of our ills today, and yet the debate still rages because we as citizens allow it to persist and linger.  Some even propagate its existence to stir animosity and resentment, to garner political favor, and to justify and satisfy their own personal prejudices.  These vultures strive to divide; they fight against unity.
          I ask you - what good is going undone while we allow such prideful foolery to inhabit our own minds and the minds of those around us?  What could our country be if this issue wasn't diluting our communities and ruining relationships?
          We must move past labels and reclaim our national identity, not as individuals, but as one citizenship in this Republic.  Such unity can only begin in the depths of each soul, which will require exploration into ones deepest sense of self.  Allow me to elaborate.
          My ancestry nor my ethnic background makes me who I am.  I live in this present condition, at this time in history, and am tasked with serving my fellow man and my God right here, right now.  My eye is fixed on the future, not the past, for I cannot change those who came before me; I may only learn and gain wisdom from studying where they erred, determining to not falter where they faltered, and at times celebrating their achievements.
          Running through my veins is blood that was created by the Almighty right here in America, not Europe or Asia or Africa.  In ages past, whoever courted my kin to these shores of freedom and by whatever trials befell them on their journey is of no true consequence to me now.  While it is indeed enlightening to learn those lessons, dwelling on such things would only serve to divide me from my neighbor.  I live today and strive to live on for tomorrow, not for myself, but for my Lord, my family and my community.
          I cannot thank my Creator enough for placing me in such a liberating place.  Thanks be to God that I was born an American.  I am not white or black, Anglo-Saxon or African-American, Hispanic or Vietnamese, Baptist or Catholic, Jew or Hindu.  I am simply an American, and that is enough.  Such is the essence of our hope and existence as one citizenship in this Republic.
          Those who seek to label and wander in the midst of confusion and lore seek only to stir emotions for their own causes.  We are people, not pawns.  I do not condone nor do I support many past actions in my own beloved country, actions that at times have divided families, neighbors, and countrymen.  But my hope is not in the past; my hope is not in the present; my hope is in the future and in the Republic I strive for each day in my own minute way and would die to protect should that be required of me.
          When we as Americans begin to see this common thread weaving each of us together and we lay down our pride and our labels of prejudice and division, this country will flourish beyond any of our imaginations.  If America is ever going to overcome and reach its destined potential, we must openly and without shame or malice address this wound and nurture it to health.  The scars may linger, but it is our choice not to prick those sensitive areas as it mends.
          I ask you today to join me in promoting one citizenship in this Republic.  Our preferences, philosophies, and ideologies may differ in the church house, school house, or White House, but our one citizenship should always guide us in overcoming any self serving motives, striving together as fellow Americans within a spirit of unity, humility, and respect for our countrymen.
          Join with me; be one citizenship in this Republic.  Discard the labels and antiquated mentality. Proclaim yourself as an American, no more, no less, and be proud of it.

Frank Corder,

Pascagoula City Councilman

The Race is On

Taylor, Tegerdine, and the 4^th Congressional District

                2010 is here and with it comes Congressional elections.  Much has been made of the potential for Republicans to make in-roads around the country in Democrat held seats given the partisan, liberal tenor currently in Washington D.C.  Here in Southeast Mississippi, Gene Taylor (D-Bay St. Louis) has held the 4th District Congressional seat since 1989.  Taylor, a former City Councilman and Mississippi State Senator, is well versed in what it takes to win in this district, which by the way is one of, if not the most conservative Republican districts in the nation (no Democrat Presidential candidate has carried the 4th since 1956). Political newcomer Joe Tegerdine hopes to unseat the incumbent Taylor and change that (D) to a (R) for South Mississippi.

For those who have yet to hear of Joe Tegerdine, you will soon as he has now filed his paperwork to run for the 4^th District seat.  He is an energetic man, someone I have come to enjoy speaking with on my radio show.  He is grounded in the Constitution and has cast a broad vision of fiscal responsibility, new House leadership, strong national defense, and limited government.  Here is a quick biography of the 4^th Congressional District Republican candidate adapted from his website (www.joetegerdine.com).

Tegerdine was born in Portland, Oregon and grew up in the Northwest.  He was raised by a single mother for most of his childhood and learned early on to work hard and hold true to the things he was taught.  Shortly after graduating from high school, Tegerdine served as a missionary in Taiwan.  After spending almost two years overseas, he headed home to the United States and attended college at Brigham Young University, earning a B.A. in Communications.  While in college he met and married his wife and in 2002, they moved to Tallahassee, Florida where he earned a Juris Doctorate degree from the Florida State University College of Law.  Tegerdine is currently employed as Senior Director of Business Development for WNC Satcom Group.  He relocated to Hattiesburg, Mississippi in the spring of 2007 and settled in Petal where he currently lives with his wife and four children. 

Given the previous elections in the 4^th Congressional District since Taylor has held the seat, Tegerdine has an uphill challenge indeed.  Taylor has won the last four elections by taking between 64-75% of the vote.  His voting record in the House of Representatives is a mixed bag, however; he has walked the tight rope between party and populist for many years and thus far has mastered it with only the occasional wobble which he quickly balances.  He is seemingly pro-life and pro-gun (anything else in this part of Mississippi and he would have been out a long time ago), yet he has supported his party and its leaders inconspicuously (voting for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker) knowing that if he carried too much of the party's water he would be on the proverbial hot seat come election time at home.  He knows how to appear as if he is fighting for his constituents while not making too many waves in Washington D.C.  His tenure and party connections landed him an important seat on the Armed Services Committee and the Shipbuilding Caucus, making him increasingly valuable to his 4th District constituents.  Taylor's good ole boy persona coupled with his staff's superb PR work in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina make him a force that only the perfect storm or perhaps some truly informed, inspired, involved, and fed up voters could take down.

I believe that we in the 4th District can and should do better than Gene Taylor (hey, that almost rhymed...perhaps there's a campaign slogan in there for Tegerdine).  Taylor is deeply entrenched and knows how to work the system, both locally, through ensuring that the proper spin is applied when needed, and nationally, by being content to sit on the sidelines and following the party line as necessary.  Gene Taylor is not a bad guy; heck, he's not all that bad of a Congressman if you judge his body of work through a narrow lens and confine it to babies, bullets, and budgets.  America and the future of our great nation are about something bigger than such narrow, spin driven, seat ensuring issues.  Yes, those things do matter greatly to me as a conservative and should matter to us all but when our nation's debt is increasing at such a rapid pace, private business is being taken over by government, our Constitution is threatened daily, healthcare is on its way to being rationed in every sense of the word, and on and on I could go we don't need a pacifist Congressman representing our area here in Southeast Mississippi.  We need a Congressman that will stand up and fight for the Constitution, for the freedoms we hold dear, to speak against the ills of the day and actively support a different direction than what is being proposed by those now in leadership - a leadership supported and encouraged by Taylor himself.  We need a change in the 4th District and soon.

The real question, and the most disturbing part of this discussion to me, is this:  How does Gene Taylor, a Democrat, keep getting elected in one of the most conservative Republican district in the nation?  For the sake of time and space, I'll cut to the chase - Republicans put him there.  There's no other answer.  If you live in the 4th District I challenge you to ask your Republican friends that actually vote who they voted for in the last Congressional election.  Check the campaign finance reports for Taylor, as well, and you'll find normally Republican donors sprinkled in among the typical Democrat patrons.
          So how does Tegerdine reverse this trend in 2010?  How can he topple this Goliath?  The only way is for conservative Republicans to break out of their self-induced habit and vote Republican.  Tegerdine must appeal to the true conservatives, creating a sense of urgency that now is the time for a change.  He must work to unite a strong conservative base and educate them on the realities at hand.  Twenty years is long enough for Mr. Taylor's trip to Washington.  

A few years ago this 4th District seat didn't seem all that important.  Having one or two Democrat Congressmen wasn't a big deal most thought.  They have tenure, clout among their peers.  But now, with the make up of Congress, the Speaker of the House, the Senate in full control and the White House locked up, this Southeast Mississippi seat needs to symbolize and portray how we in this area truly believe to our core.  Tegerdine must portray that in all he does over the coming months if he is to get within a stone's throw of Taylor. 

As a side note, another Republican challenger, John McCay (which ran against Taylor in 2008 and lost by a margin of 75%-25%), told me recently he was planning to make another run for the seat as well.  I'm not aware at this time if he has filed to run.  McCay will have the same challenges as Tegerdine should he run and win the party nomination. 

Truth is both Tegerdine and McCay are relative unknowns in the Mississippi political scene meaning that they must brand their name, ideals, and message in voters' minds quickly to have any chance at Taylor.  Republicans will have to get on board with their party's candidate, not only here in the 4^th District, but in the State Republican Party as well.  Southeast Mississippi and the nation deserve better than Gene Taylor and his Democrat friends.  I believe we can do better...but unless people wake up, get in the fight, and get engaged in the 4^th Congressional District, history tells us we won't. 

Frank Corder

Pascagoula City Councilman