Mississippi's Democrats
by E. Tzoumaka

Mississippi, one of the East South Central states of the United States, entered the Union on December 10, 1817, as the 20th state. A state with a population in 2,716,115, Mississippi, in presidential contests cast its electoral votes for the Democratic nominee in all elections from 1876 to 1944. Third-party candidates were successful in 1948, 1960, and 1968 in elections in which racial issues were predominant; since then, the state has usually voted for the Republican presidential nominee. The Democratic party virtually dominated state and local politics in Mississippi for more than a century; in 1978, however, Thad Cochran (1937 ) became the first Mississippi Republican since the Reconstruction period to win election to the U.S. Senate.              Mississippi elects five representatives and two senators to the U.S. Congress. The state has seven electoral votes in presidential elections. The chief executive of Mississippi is the governor,  the Mississippi legislature consists of a 52-member senate and a 122-member house of representatives.              Its economy was mainly agricultural until the middle third of the 20th century, when manufacturing became the dominant economic sector; service industries have become increasingly important in recent decades.              The Mississippi Democratic Party championed the cause of education, advocating equitable funding for all schools and increases in teacher pay. Dedicated to reducing crime in Mississippi, it continues to be a strong voice for tougher drug laws, education and rehabilitation, and the creation of the uniform Youth Court System. Also recognizes the importance of creating a strong business climate in the state. Its contributions to the states healthy business climate include the reduction of the tax burden for married residents and the lowering of inheritance taxes.              Promoting good health and the development of health policies for a diverse population is a constant effort. For example, the percentage of Mississippians over 65 years of age is 12% and growing. Democrats believe that they should ensure Mississippi’s elderly residents receive the best health care possible, also they should review and revise the state’s policies for the elderly every five years.             The Democratic Party also believes that in many ways, our safety is linked to our health. No industry, no matter how rich and powerful, should be able to come between a patient and her doctor. “We do not need a government-run health care system, but there is nothing wrong with using the law to protect the right of Mississippi patients to see their own doctors”.  They have made progress toward holding insurance companies accountable starting with the passage of the Patient Protection Act of 1995 and including the passage of legislation requiring Health Maintenance Organizations to consult Mississippi physicians when a determination that is adverse to the patient has been made.              As always, education and work force training remain high on the priority list. They made a commitment to providing quality educational opportunities regardless of where a child lives, and they remain committed to funding the Mississippi Adequate Education Program. Ninety-two percent of  Mississippi’s children are educated in public schools. A multi-year investment in schools and a sincere commitment to improving teacher salaries are guaranteed to pay off in the long run for the state.              It continues to trouble them to read that while crime rates are receding across our country, crime rates, especially for violent crime, continue to rise in Mississippi. They recognize that the deterioration of values in our society is a factor in the rise of crime. Therefore they believe that the teaching of values in our homes, churches, and schools may discourage the commission of crime. They encourage the active participation of all citizens in educating and forming neighborhood watch groups in their communities. They support swift punishment for those who commit crime against Mississippi’s citizenry. They encourage the legislature to pass the abuse of the elderly bill.              During the 1998 session and with the support of Democrats and Republicans alike, the legislature sent the Governor a bold measure designed to shed light on how money is raised and spent for campaigns in Mississippi. This legislation promoted greater disclosure of both ‘hard’ money, or direct contributions to political campaigns, and ‘soft’ money, money that is spent by parties to influence the election to the benefit of one candidate or the other.  The campaign finance reform package approved by the legislature and vetoed by the governor lowers required reporting levels for contributions and expenditures. Under these stronger disclosure laws, people would have more information available about how the campaigns are managing their money and how allied forces might be spending additional, often unreported, money as well.              They recognize that racism is a symptom of ignorance, exploited by the greed of unscrupulous manipulators to keep the common people of all races divided against each other so that they may be more easily fleeced of their earnings. Such is wrong and should be opposed on all legal and moral grounds. They seek vigorous enforcement of federal Civil Rights laws, and applaud the Mississippi legislature for strengthening our hate crime law.  They strongly support the democratization of foreign governments which violate human rights. They are prepared to act by appropriate means when U.S. interests are at stake.              Americans have many values. We are proud for our work ethics and we attribute our accomplishments as a nation and our standard of living to the American desire to be productive. The goal of the American worker is to better himself and to provide a better living standard for his family. The only way this can be ensured to the majority of the working people is the establishment of labor standards and health standards of the working environment. Paramount among these standards is the establishment of a minimum wage that will provide the American people with a decent living standard. They support the raise of the minimum wage to provide for these standards.              They understand that for far too many young Mississippians, welfare has become a way of life. They vigorously endorse the concept of welfare to work, emphasizing preparation for opportunity rather than reliance on the government. The dignity of a living wage must be promoted over the indignity of the dole in not only our economy, but also in our values. Our goal is temporary relief , not permanent dependence.              Finally the Mississippi Democratic Party is pro life in contrast with the National Party. Ronnie Musgrove, who runs for governor, states: “life is a gift that we must protect for me, this is not a political issue, it is a matter of saving lives. We must stand up for those that are not able to stand up for themselves. That is why I have always tried to speak up for those that do not yet have a voice”. Over the past four years the Mississippi abortion laws are among the most stringent in the nation. Partial birth abortions are banned in Mississippi. Parents of minors seeking an abortion must be notified and they require a waiting period before an abortion can be performed.