Bryant delivers fiscal conservative message
Whether Democrat or Republican, Mississippi politicians are all cut from similar molds, so Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant is dropping the words “liberal” and “conservative” and redefining the combatants who butt heads annually in the statehouse.
On Bryant’s side are those who favor cost cutting and lower taxes and wish to place power in the hands of the citizens, and opposing him are the “statists,” who seek to concentrate more power and money in the hands of government.
“The greatest struggle in the Mississippi Legislature to me, being a fiscal conservative, is the argument between how much we should spend and for what purpose,” Bryant said Monday night to a group of students and teachers at Copiah-Lincoln Community College. “The statists always say, ‘We need more money!’ And we always say, ‘No, no, no – it is the individual who is important.'”
“I know this might shock you, but we make a lot of political decisions,” Bryant said to laughter from the crowd. “If you’re in the House of Representatives, one of your greatest desires is to make the Senate look bad.”
“Those superintendents come up there and they’re told, ‘Absolutely! You need $40 million, let’s make it $50 million!'” Bryant said. “Then, when it doesn’t happen, they’re told, ‘I want to give it to you, but that mean ole’ lieutenant governor won’t let me.’ Those superintendents say (their representatives) are the only ones that love ’em. Welll, we love you, too – we love you so much we’re going to tell you the truth.”
Mississippi’s economy will improve, Bryant said, because of fiscal restraint and incentives to the people, like lowered regulations and targeted tax cuts. He praised this summer’s sales tax holiday as a good incentive to spur the economy.
If the state can stay financially secure and not bust like California, he said more nations would join Mississippi in economic development.
“They’ll look at Mississippi and say, ‘They’re not broke, they didn’t spend all their money and their bond rating is still pretty high,'” Bryant said. “We’ve got money in the bank and we’re getting ready for that line to open up – when those blocking backs open up those holes and we run through and score. That’s what we’re building toward.”
Adam Northam
The Daily Leader
9/15/9
