This election year brings the same politicians, same promises, same outcome which equals the same salary and living paycheck-to-paycheck only one health crisis away from bankruptcy.

Our state is no. 1 in corruption and dead last in quality of education. The FBI is involved in active investigations in all 82 counties. We’ve seen corruption at the Department of Marine Resources where in excess of $10 million was embezzled with only a fraction recovered.

The current administration uses the “no-bid” contract system regularly.  That term is self-explanatory. If you want to know how bidders know when to bid, you only have to look to the corruption scandal at the Department of Correction where the warden lived in a very large home near the prison, drove two luxury cars and owned a luxury condominium on the Coast on a warden’s salary.

The incumbent lieutenant governor and his legislative leaders have deliberately tried to undermine the will of over 200,000 voters who petitioned to have Initiative 42 placed on the ballot. They then spent $60,000 on a private lawyer to defend a suit to remove the deliberately confusing language of their alternative initiative.

Everyone should know by now the insanity of the Base Load Act that created Mississippi Power’s Kemper Company plant and the public service commissioner from our district that allowed them to raise our rates to 18 percent from 2013 to 2015 with permission to go as high as 22 percent as desired.

There are local issues affected by the outcome of the November election as well.  This year sees new faces in the chancery and circuit clerks’ offices. Do we want a practicing attorney in control of our criminal and civil court system? How about a supervisor responsible for closing our libraries on certain days, refusing to match grants to assist working poor families with their living expenses and the elimination of the animal control officer county-wide. In another district, designated as a minority-majority district, the last minute re-districting dilutes the minority voting numbers in violation of a court ordered settlement.

We will also challenge our current tax collector/assessor and coroner with very qualified candidates.

We challenge the citizens of Pearl River County to break through the rhetoric about national moral issues that do not affect our wages or living expenses and approach this election with an open mind.  We invite you to two events planned to address the issues we all face and to meet the candidates who are, like us, working people – not polished politicians who feel entitled to their positions.

On Friday come to “Plain Talk over Pizza” at 6 p.m. at the County Administration Building on Highway 11 in Poplarville.  This event is open to millennial voters age 18 – 35 and will cover topics like student debt, free college tuition, wages and much more.

Then, on Saturday, from 11 p.m. – 3 p.m. at the J.P. Johnson Park on Rosa Street in Picayune, come hear all of our local candidates and many of our statewide candidates. You won’t hear polished politicians but ordinary people like us who are tired of being first on every bad list and fiftieth on every good list.

They want to make a difference in the lives of Mississippians no matter the challenge. Bring your lawn chair, enjoy the music, smoked chicken dinners ($8) and plain talk from our candidates.

As always you can keep up with the issues on our website at www.prcdec.com or on our Facebook pages, Pearl River County Democrats or Picayune Democrats.

If you would like to get information directly from the Party, contact Agnes Dalton at 601-746-6020 or email rockman1935@aol.com.

By Agnes Dalton.