Earlier this week, Congressman Harper and his colleagues Alan Nunnelee and Steven Palazzo authored an opinion piece to the Sun Herald newspaper.  As one would expect, they were patting themselves on the back for what they believe is a job well done over the past two years.

In his piece, Harper once again restates his belief that the Affordable Care Act is bad for patients and seniors – and practically anything else that he can imagine.  What the Congressman refuses to admit is that the ACA reduces seniors’ health care costs.  Preventive services and prescription drug coverage is all addressed in the bill.  So, by Congressman Harper voting to repeal the legislation, he has actually voted to increase seniors’ health care costs by forcing seniors to pay for more their medication.

Not only that, Congressman Harper has voted to take away children’s health care coverage by removing the ability for kids to stay on his or her parents’ plan until the age of 26.  He has voted to eliminate the protection of persons with mental illness by returning mental health conditions as a pre-existing condition.  He has increased taxes on small businesses by removing the tax credits they could receive to offer health insurance to their employees.  He argues that the bill is bad for states, but why would Haley Barbour and Mike Chaney support its implementation if it were such a bad idea?

Harper points out that he and his Republican have prioritized defense spending above all other.  While Mississippi continues to rank at the bottom of most metrics of public health, Harper’s priorities are all out of whack.  Our military leaders have noted that obesity in America is a national security concern.  They are absolutely correct.  What good is there in building the fastest and deadliest tanks and planes if a soldier can’t fit in them?  Military recruitment is suffering because of the childhood obesity epidemic our country is facing.

With so many critical issues before us, Harper and the Republicans’ strategy for America continues to be misguided.

You can read Congressman Harper’s article here: http://www.sunherald.com/2012/10/06/4227676/gregg-harper-alan-nunnelee-and.html

Rankin County Democrats have hit the airwaves in recent days.  Below are links to two articles of Rankin County Democrats leading the charge for Mississippi Democrats.

The first article is from the Jackson Free Press noting Atlee Breland’s hard work against Proposition 26 in last year’s General Election and the importance of women engaging in politics.

http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2012/oct/03/women-hall/

The second story comes from last night’s debate watch party at Hal and Mal’s.  We had a great turnout, and you could feel the energy in the room

http://www2.wjtv.com/news/2012/oct/03/mississippians-react-pres-debate-ar-4680829/

Ryan Brown

Dear Mr. Brown:

Thank you for contacting me regarding assistance the federal government currently provides to the American farmer. It is good to hear from you. 

I first would like to say that I am proud of the long history and tradition of agriculture in Mississippi. It is my hope that farmers in Mississippi and across the U.S. have the opportunity to produce crops that are important to our well being for many years to come. Moving forward, I envision farmers will play a key role in the renewable energy debate to decrease our dependence on foreign oil. I also support the exploration of new markets abroad to ensure the American farmer has access to the world economy.

That said our current fiscal situation is untenable. We must reevaluate numerous programs across the federal government to ensure we leave this great nation in better shape than we found it. The current farm bill we are operating under expires in 2012. Discussion on the framework for the next farm bill has already begun on Capitol Hill. I am appreciative of the opportunity I have to provide input on agricultural issues to ensure we have a workable common sense reauthorization bill.

The United States’ agricultural industry has had an excellent year and is projected to continue to prosper. Unfortunately, this progress can be decimated by just one bad farm year like we had in 2009. It is my hope that we can attack these issues in a way that creates an environment that is favorable to the farmer and also recognizes our current fiscal crisis.

Again, thank you for your input. I appreciate the opportunity to represent you and all the citizens of Mississippi’s Third Congressional District. If I may be of further assistance to you in the future, please do not hesitate to contact my office.

Sincerely,

Gregg Harper

Member of Congress

GH/tm

This message was in response to the letter Rankin County Democrats sent to Congressman Harper asking why the Republican Congress has failed to pass a reauthorization of the Farm Bill.  You can read our letter here: Rankin Democrats’ letter to Congressman Harper

After reading this form letter three times to make sure I didn’t miss anything, here are some thoughts:

First, the question asked in our letter was not addressed in the Congressman’s response.

Second, the Farm Bill has been debated for months and is set to expire at the end of the year.  How does he argue that discussions for a framework have already begun when the Senate and the House Agriculture Committee have passed versions of their bills but no action has taken place on the House floor?  Congress isn’t expected to convene until after the election and will then be faced with a very tight lame duck schedule.  Does the Congressman expect a Farm Bill reauthorization to pass or will the Republican Congress force the can to be kicked down the road?

Third, and most important, how can Congressman Harper argue that American agriculture has had an excellent year?  We have suffered severe droughts this year while livestock and crops have withered away.  At the same time, food prices go up and the middle class keeps getting squeezed.

Fourth, I wonder when Congressman Harper was last on a farm.

Ryan Brown

The Executive Committee of the Rankin County Democrats will meet on Thursday, October 11, at 6 PM. The meeting will be held at the Reservoir Community Center, located next to the fire station on Spillway Road.

We are pleased to have Rankin County Circuit Clerk Becky Boyd as our featured speaker. Ms. Boyd will discuss election rules and poll monitoring with our group.

Executive Committee meetings are open to the public, and we encourage you all to attend and hear Ms. Boyd.

The Drug Enforcement Administration has scheduled a National Drug Take-Back Day which will take place on Saturday, September 29, from 10:00am until 2:00pm.  This is a great opportunity for anyone who has accumulated unwanted, unused prescription medication to safely dispose of those medications.

Drop off locations in Rankin County are the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department at 221 North Timber Street in Brandon and at NewSouth NeuroSpine, in conjunction with the Flowood Police Department, at 2470 Flowood Drive.

Please call 1-800-882-9539 with any questions.

Last week, Rankin County Democrats sent a letter to our Congressman, Gregg Harper.  In our letter, I asked why the Republican leadership in the United States House of Representatives is refusing to pass a reauthorization of the Farm Bill.  Is it because they don’t have the votes?  Is it because they don’t want to give the President another issue to discuss before November?  Even in the snail-paced Senate, it still passed its version of the bill back in June.  Note: Senators Cochran and Wicker voted against the bill.

The Farm Bill has been reauthorized for decades without this sort of neglect.  It’s the support that our farmers need during these tough economic times — not to mention all the severe weather crises.  Sadly, election year politics has popped up, and Mississippians are left out to dry.

It should be noted that while the Farm Bill languishes in the House of Representatives, Gregg Harper is boosting his political resume by running for Republican Conference Secretary in the House.  He will call all of his Republican colleagues to ask for their votes.  My hope is that while Gregg is campaigning for himself, he can simultaneously campaign for Mississippi farmers, Mississippi commerce, and Mississippi jobs by campaigning for passage of the Farm Bill.

You can read a copy of our letter here: Rankin Democrats’ letter to Congressman Harper

Ryan Brown

Yesterday, State Treasurer Lynn Fitch announced she has halted new applicants into the state’s MPACT program.  Thousands of young people, myself included, have benefitted from the MPACT program.  It’s an avenue through which middle class families can afford to send their children to college.  My parents set up MPACT funds for my brother and me when the program was established, and we were all the better for it.

We now hear that due to financial strains, MPACT is under an audit and may need reform – and possibly termination of the program.  How did we get into this dire situation in the first place?

The problem did not start yesterday.  This problem started years ago while now-Lt. Governor Tate Reeves served as State Treasurer.  Why is Reeves the one who’s shocked at what has transpired?  He was the officer in charge of the program for eight years!  Why did we not see this coming?  Why was the legislature and the public not informed of this years ago?

With respect to Lynn Fitch, how she can argue that investments are not reaching expectations when the stock market is at its highest point in five years?  Her argument doesn’t pass muster.

The Republican mismanagement of MPACT notwithstanding, this is yet another huge hit to Mississippi’s middle class families.  The future of higher education for thousands of families across the state is now at risk, and all we’re getting is finger pointing.

We’ll see how the state’s fiscally conservative Republican leadership explains where they are going to find $94 million to keep MPACT solvent.

Ryan Brown

The Rankin County Federation of Democratic Women will be sponsoring a tea on Sunday afternoon, September 30th from 2:00pm to 4:00pm at the Municipal Art Gallery in downtown Jackson.

We are delighted to have as our speaker, Atlee Breland, credited with starting the “Parents Against Personhood” political action committee, which raises awareness about the consequences of personhood and Initiative 26 for women’s reproductive care. Atlee is an informative and dynamic speaker. If you have or haven’t met Atlee, we would love for you all to come and spend a few hours with us on the 30th.

This event is open to all. Refreshments will be served and the cost is $15.00. Deadline for ticket sales is Friday, September 21st. For more details please call: 601-212-8286.

On September 8, the Rankin County Democrats hosted a booth at Pelahatchie’s Muscadine Festival. This is the third year the Rankin Dems have participated in the Muscadine Festival, and we had a great time! We registered voters and helped spread the word about our Monthly Breakfasts. Strengthening our party from the roots up means getting out into our communities and interacting with voters, and we had a very successful day.

Here are a few photos of the event:

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Continuing the the opposition to the proposed Mississippi House redistricting plan, the Mississippi Democratic Party 3rd District Executive Committee has spoken out against the plan.

3rd District Executive Committee Letter

Committee chair Dorsey Carson authored the letter on behalf of the committee. Carson, a former candidate for the Mississippi House, discussed not only the gerrymandering and statistical dilution of minority voting strength, but also shares comments made by Redistricting Committee Chair Rep. Bill Denny.

During that campaign, I had many constituents within our House District report to me that Rep. Denny was touting that, through his seniority on the House Redistricting Committee, he would decrease the number of minority voters within our House District… My wife was a witness to this at a garden club meeting where Rep. Denny announced to the group that, if I were elected, “Watkins Drive” (a majority African American area) would become part of our district.

Rep. Denny’s comments make it clear that the dilution of minority voting strength is not merely a coincidental side effect, but a deliberate goal of his proposed map. We agree with Dorsey Carson that “These proposed maps would set Mississippi on a dangerous course of returning to racial polarization”, and encourage all Mississippi voters to stand with us in opposition to these maps.