MS Politics at its best

Our legislators are at it again.

Two years ago, the State of MS committed to Northrup Grumman that it would provide ~$40 million in incentives in 2004. This would obstensibly help create 2,000 jobs in Mississippi and help NG get more contracts for ships. NG in turn would spend nearly twice that amount of their own money to expand their MS operations.

So, Barbour proposed a ~$108 million bond package that included money to meet this commitment as well as dollars for other MS industry (Baxter Healthcare in Cleveland and Viking Range in Greenwood). The Senate approved this action 42-0.

Then the House got involved and turned $108M pkg into a nearly $400M boondoggle, replete with racial quotas, university and junior college dollars, bridge repairs and lots of other pork. The Guv has promised to exercise his veto. All this in light of the usual MS budget shortfalls.

In response, NG has decided not to commit their $80 million to expand MS operations as was previously planned.

Links to most of the articles about this fiasco are posted on the Mangolia Report.