NEWS

Butler slings mud on Neshoba stump

Geoff Pender, and Jimmie E. Gates
Mississippi

NESHOBA COUNTY – Madison Mayor Mary Hawkins Butler slung the first mud at the Neshoba County fair stump speaking Wednesday, questioning incumbent State Auditor Stacey Pickering’s campaign spending, reportedly the subject of a federal investigation.

But Pickering, who spoke immediately following, acknowledged neither his opponent Butler nor her questions, except to say the crowd had probably heard “ranting and raving, fussing and fighting” about the race. He said he’s proud of his record as auditor, which includes recovering $24 million in misspent or stolen tax dollars.

The two-term auditor and 34-year mayor of Madison face off in the Republican primary for state auditor on Tuesday. Theirs was the most anticipated stumping of the 126th Neshoba County Fair’s traditional political speaking on Wednesday. The politics continue on Thursday with gubernatorial candidates.

Butler criticized Pickering’s record, saying he’s gone after only the “low-hanging fruit” – minor cases – while major corruption – “the big fish” -- flourished in the Mississippi Department of Corrections, Department of Marine Resources and elsewhere under his watch.

Butler reiterated questions about Pickering’s campaign spending, calling for him to provide records to show whether he spent campaign funds on personal expenses, and whether he paid income taxes on the money if so.

Multiple sources have confirmed to The Clarion-Ledger that federal investigators are looking into the Pickering campaign's purchase of a BMW, a recreational vehicle and a garage door, and into reimbursements for more than $135,000 of dollars in non-itemized travel to himself and others during off-years for campaigns and whether he reported or paid taxes on personal spending from campaign funds. They are also reportedly looking into no-bid contracts his office has given to consultants.

Butler has repeatedly questioned Pickering’s campaign finances and other issues on the campaign trail in recent weeks.

Pickering said his office has received national accolades and awards for its work preventing and uncovering fraud and corruption in government. He said federal officials had estimated that for billions of dollars in Hurricane Katrina relief, Mississippi would see about 10 percent fraud, waste and abuse. But Pickering said a Katrina fraud task force on which his office was “the tip of the spear” kept that level down to .5 percent. He said a similar record was true for federal stimulus spending by Mississippi.

“Mississippians know how to do it right,” Pickering said. “We’re the role model.”

“As your state auditor, I have fought corruption,” Pickering said. “… We’ve returned $24 million to taxpayers in eight years. That’s more than my three predecessors in this office combined.”

Butler said that the auditor’s office under Pickering has been lax in auditing many agencies, and slow to tumble to problems when it does. She said the Katrina money auditing was done by a private firm that got a questionable “$300 million sole source, no-bid contract” for the work.

“We have a problem in Mississippi,” Butler said. “We have to clean up corruption … I promise I will be your watchdog and not back down, not forget who I serve.”

Contact Geoff Pender at (601) 961-7266 or gpender@jackson.gannett.com. Follow @GeoffPender on Twitter.

Lieutenant governor

Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Tim Johnson blasted state leaders for not expanding the state’s Medicaid program and accept federal dollars as part of the federal Affordable Care Act.

“Whether you like it or not, it’s the law of the land,” Johnson said. “It just doesn’t make sense to me for our state leaders to turn their backs on this money.”

It would create 20,000 jobs, more than the Nissan and Toyota plants combined, Johnson said.

Johnson also threw his support behind Initiative 42, a ballot initiative to force the Legislature to fully fund the state’s adequate education funding formula. The measure will be on the November ballot along with an alternative initiative passed by state GOP leaders in opposition to the citizen-led initiative.

Johnson, who recently switched from the Republican to Democratic Party said he has valuable experience as a city alderman, county supervisor and state senator.

“I want to bring decency and courage back,” said Johnson to an enthusiastic crowd of his supporters in the first few rows of the fair’s Founders Square Pavilion. Johnson, an Elvis impersonator, then closed with a song, “How Great Thou Art.”

The man, who Johnson would like to replace, incumbent Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves told an enthusiastic crowd that he had a surprise for them. That surprise, he said: “You are looking at a lieutenant governor who has kept his promises.”

“Liberal Democrats can’t stand Republican progress,” Reeves said. “They see lower taxes and they can’t stand it. They see a full rainy day fund and they can’t stand it.”

Reeves said Democrats can’t stand fiscal responsibility. He continued: “That is the reason voters in Mississippi have told you they can’t stand you in higher office.”

Reeves said House Democrats blocked tax cuts he pushed this year, but he vowed to continue to push “giving Mississippi taxpayers a raise.”

Central District Transportation Commissioner

Incumbent Central District Highway Commissioner Dick Hall spoke Wednesday, citing the need for more improvements to state bridges and the highway system.

“Most will try to preach to you sermons over the next two days on economic development,” Hall said. “Roads and bridges are economic development.”

Hall advocated that it’s time for the state to once again do a major expansion of four-lane roads and highways in the state. He said the last time a major expansion was approved was in 1987.

“An efficient highway system is one of our first needs,” Hall said.

Hall said there are several four-lane projects on hold because the state doesn’t have money to complete them.

Democratic Central District Highway Commission candidate Mary Coleman was on the program to speak Wednesday, but officials read a letter from her thanking them for the invitation, but said she was unable to make.

Coleman, a state legislator, didn’t seek re-election to that post.