The Mississippi Center for Public Policy released its annual Fat Cat Report this week, providing the public with a list of the state's highest-paid officials.
Mississippi’s 50 highest-paid public officials make more money than all 50 of America’s state governors, according to a new report published by the Mississippi Center for Public Policy.
The Mississippi Fat Cat report, an annual overview of the highest-paid public officials in the state, published today, shows that Mississippi’s “Fat Cats” are getting fatter and receiving large pay increases. Top public-sector official pay grows twice as fast as other public-sector workers' pay. For example, the superintendent of the Humphreys County School District saw a 102-percent salary increase from last year, making the payment from a little less than $90,000 to now $182,000.
"The public has a right to know how public money gets spent," explained Douglas Carswell, President and CEO of the MCPP. "Our report shows that salaries for top public officials in our state are rising fast. The Fat Cats are getting fatter."
Mississippi’s 50 highest-paid Fat Cats make more than America’s 50 state governors. More Fat Cats means fewer nurses, teachers and police officers, and these high-paid officials are largely unaccountable, with only four of the 50 being elected. School district superintendents dominate this Fat Cat list.
Of the 50 highest-paid public officials, 26 are school superintendents, many from the worst-rated districts. For example, Claiborne County School District’s superintendent makes a little over $200,000. While some superintendents oversee thousands of students and carry out demanding tasks, Claiborne County has an F rating with only 1,326 students.
Many of our state's Fat Cats are largely unelected. Of the 50 salaried positions, only 4 are elected, with the remaining 46 being appointed. The only directly democratically accountable officials on our list are judges.
To combat the excessive spending, MCPP listed several policy proposals in its report to hold public officials accountable, including legislative-approved salary increases, salary formulas for superintendents, amending the Mississippi code and capping public sector pay to that below the governor's pay.
"In summary, the report shows that government waste does not happen in a vacuum," Carswell said. "An overpaid bureaucrat is ultimately feeding off the pocketbooks of citizens. It’s time to put the Mississippi Fat Cats on a diet of lower salaries so that taxpayer dollars can be protected from waste."
A link to the report can be found here.
Fifty-one years ago this week, Richard Nixon made the most consequential decision of his presidency – and it had nothing to do with Watergate.
On August 15th 1971, Nixon announced that the US dollar could no longer be converted into gold. Up until that moment, the dollar was pegged to gold at $35 per ounce under what was called the Bretton Woods System. This international agreement committed the American government to back every dollar overseas with gold.
“Big deal”, you might say. “What has some distant decision got to do with today?” Quite a lot, actually. It explains why government is big, inflation is high, capitalism is corrupted and why young Americans are voting left.
For as long as dollars could be converted into gold, there was a limit on the number of dollars that the US government could put into circulation. Why? Because someone might come along with dollars and ask to exchange it for gold. Once dollars could no longer be converted into gold, the US government was free to create as many dollars as it liked.
This is pretty much what has happened ever since.
Following Nixon’s announcement, the only thing restricting the amount of dollars that the government creates is the government. And governments, sadly, are not very good at saying "no" to themselves.
This has produced persistent inflation. Even before the latest price increases, there has been more inflation over the past half-century than in all the previous history of the American Republic, including the Civil War and two world wars.
The amount of money in circulation has increased rapidly since Nixon made his announcement. Indeed, the past three years have seen an unprecedented surge in the number of dollars out there.
The United States was founded by rebels demanding “no taxation without representation”.
Thanks to Nixon’s decision, in order to raise revenue today the US government does not need permission from our representatives in Congress to raise taxes. They can simply borrow instead.
The US government has had a budget deficit on 47 of the past 51 years. Now that the dollar is merely a paper promise, issued by the Fed, the federal government is able to borrow almost at will. I imagine George III would have looked at such a scheme with envy. No need to worry about taxing tea when you can borrow and spend billions at will.
Once the government is free to manipulate the currency to spend what it wants, it is also able to use monetary policy as a tool to steer the economy.
At first, the government only manipulated monetary policy to direct the economy in extreme circumstances, such as when the stock market crashed in October 1987. The US Fed used monetary policy to ride to the rescue. They slashed interest rates to boost spending, cut savings and make shareholding more attractive to investors than holding cash.
A decade later, in the wake of the Asian financial crisis, the Fed did something similar. And then again with the collapse of LTMC, the world’s largest hedge fund. By the time the Fed used monetary stimulus in response to the dot com bubble bursting, or the collapse of Lehman bank, it was almost expected.
When Covid came, monetary stimulus in the form of low rates and QE was not a temporary measure. It had become a constant – but one that has begun to corrupt capitalism.
Years of low-interest rates and artificially easy money has caused all sorts of problems.
Easy money means that asset prices have been inflated. The explosion of asset values benefits those with assets (often older) over those without (the young). (Ever wondered why so many young Americans vote left and say they are skeptical about free-market capitalism?)
Real wages have stagnated. (Ever wondered why blue-collar America often seems so angry?)
You might not be able to see it right now, but an awful lot of bad investments have been made, with many ‘zombie’ companies – firms that are able to service their debts but not pay off the principle.
The ‘Nixon shock’ caught America by surprise in August 1971, but was soon overshadowed by Watergate. Half a century on, it seems that sanctioning a burglary was not the worst decision Nixon made in the Oval Office.
Where does all this leave conservatives today?
If we are serious about reducing the size and reach of government, we cannot remain part of the Greenspan-to-Powell consensus. A future conservative President and Congress are going to have to, at the very least, redefine the Fed’s terms of reference.
Nothing lasts forever, and certainly not paper promises.
(Jackson, MS): The Mississippi Justice Institute's Director, Aaron Rice, receives an award from the Foundation for Holistic Health Education.
Mississippi Justice Institute Director Aaron Rice received an award from the Foundation for Holistic Health Education for his support and dedication to holistic health and its practitioners.
Rice received the award in recognition of his role in bringing a lawsuit that successfully ended Mississippi's practice of requiring weight-loss coaches to have a dietician's license or face jail and fines - even if they did not treat medical conditions or claim to be a licensed dieticians.
"I am honored to receive this recognition on behalf of the Mississippi Center for Public Policy and its legal arm, the Mississippi Justice Institute," Rice said. "We will continue standing up for the right of all Mississippians to earn an honest living in our state."
After Rice won the case against the bureaucratic law, the state amended its regulations to allow unlicensed people to offer non-medical weight-loss advice as long as they do not claim to be a dietitian, allowing more Mississippians the opportunity to make a living and provide for their families.
"Aaron is a tireless advocate for working Mississippians, and we are proud to see him receive this award," said Douglas Carswell, the CEO & President of MCPP. "Because of Aaron's efforts, regular Mississippians have never felt more confident that their constitutional rights will be protected and, if needed, zealously defended."
The Mississippi Justice Institute is a non-profit, constitutional litigation center and the legal arm of the Mississippi Center for Public Policy. It defends the personal, economic and religious liberty of Mississippians in court to ensure that all forms of government are limited to their essential responsibilities as provided by the Constitution and to foster freedom and prosperity in the state.
The Inflation Reduction Act does nothing to reduce inflation. Seldom in America’s history has there been a piece of legislation put before Congress so inappropriately named.
If the Inflation Reduction Act was really about tackling inflation, you might expect it would say something about monetary policy. Nope. Or maybe it would change the Federal Reserve’s terms of reference. None of that.
What the Act does do is spend $739 billion. Add that to the $1.9 trillion that this administration has already spent in the name of COVID recovery, and we’re talking some serious money.
Over half ($369 billion) of the Inflation Reduction Act’s $739 billion spending will go to “fighting climate change”. The Act seeks to reduce CO2 emissions by roughly 40 percent by 2030.
According to an analysis by Princeton university’s Zero Lab, the bill would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 6.3 billion metric tons over the next 10 years. It would do this by subsidizing a massive increase in solar and wind power production. The amount of energy that the US produces using wind and solar power is set to increase from 15 GW of wind and 10 GW of solar in 2020 to almost 40 GW of wind and 50 GW of solar by 2025 – 26.
“Great!”, I hear you thinking. “America would, at last, be producing lots of cheap, renewable energy”.
It won’t be cheap. Unless the Act is able to change the laws of physics, the cheapest way to generate electricity will remain through burning oil, natural gas or coal. If wind and solar were cheaper, the federal government would not be having to spend billions subsidizing the switch.
Here in Mississippi, energy companies are able to charge consumers what it costs them to produce electricity, plus a profit margin (of about 10 percent). In other words, producers do not really have much incentive to produce electricity as cheaply as possible when they know they can pass the cost on to their captive consumers.
Having the local Public Service Commissioners rubber stamp the price fixing process is no guarantee that it is done in the interests of consumers.
What Biden’s latest boondoggle will do is offer local Mississippi energy companies even more incentive to open solar and wind production plants, safe in the knowledge that they can benefit from the federal subsidies and that they can continue to pass on additional costs to ordinary Mississippi households. Various vested interests must be salivating at the prospects.
“But what about the new jobs the bill will create?” some will ask. Lobbyists for various vested interests in our state will be quick to point out that the Inflation Reduction Act will create thousands of clean energy jobs.
The idea that this Act will ‘create jobs’ is a fallacy. As Daniel Hannan recently pointed out in the Telegraph, back in the mid-nineteenth century Frédéric Bastiat used the ‘broken window’ argument to show that you do not make a town rich by smashing up its shop windows. Breaking all the windows might generate lots of economic activity as the shopkeepers rush to employ every available glazier. But what that would do is merely divert labor and capital from other more productive activity. So, too, with Biden’s new Act, which will divert labor and capital from more productive activity and engage them in activity that is inherently expensive and wasteful.
The Inflation Reduction Act represents another step toward the steady socialization of America.
For the past 20 years, Europe has subsidized a switch away from oil, gas and coal toward solar and wind. Renewables have been subsidized and oil, coal and natural gas production are often outright banned.
Today it is becoming increasingly clear that this has been a disaster. Not only are solar and wind simply unable to generate enough energy to keep Europe warm, what they do produce is hideously expensive. So expensive that much of Europe’s manufacturing plant is likely to have to shut down for periods of the coming months.
At the precise moment Europe’s energy disaster starts to unfold, the Biden administration seems determined to emulate it. America deserves better.
Getting the chance to work at Mississippi Center for Public Policy has been a summer well-spent, to say the least.
My knowledge of the intricacies of the policies that have created our great state has grown tremendously. I have not only learned where our state could improve, but also how these policies need to be implemented, and the exact measures to take.
My knowledge of communications has had a huge learning curve as I was exposed to areas of content creation in the media, political technicalities, and advertising which were entirely new and valuable assets to carry on into my future career, whatever it entails.
I hope that more young Mississippians can get involved with the Mississippi Center for Public Policy, whether it be through the internship program or the new leadership academy which I had the privilege to get to work on these past couple of months. MCPP is well-led, well-researched, and well on track to providing our state with the right policy-based solutions. It was an incredible learning experience for me, and I know that others would be lucky to receive the same tutelage as I did through such efficient mentors.
The Mississippi Center for Public Policy staff attended the Neshoba County fair this week.
While there, MCPP networked with several elected officials and other policy groups, as well as celebrated some of our state's wins throughout this year, such as the historic income tax cut.
Mississippi has had a conservative super-majority for about a decade. What do we have to show for it?
To be fair, income taxes have been cut. Last year saw a universal occupational licensing law, making it easier for people to move to our state. Mississippi passed a law to combat Critical Race theory. Nor should we forget that our state managed to avoid the sort of draconian lockdowns we saw elsewhere.
These are important accomplishments, but like many in Mississippi, I can’t help thinking that conservatives in our state ought to be able to do so much more.
Our state still ranks 50th out of 50 by many measures. We do not just need bold ideas to change this. Conservatives need to do a much better job of working together to achieve common goals. This is why we have started the Mississippi Leadership Academy.
The Leadership Academy aims to encourage the next generation of leaders in our state. We will introduce them to some of the significant public policy challenges our state faces, as well as to some key institutions and individuals that impact public policy in our state.
Our carefully designed six-step program will give young leaders the skills and knowledge they will need to be agents of change.
Participants in the program will meet many of our state leaders. They will spend time learning about the legislative process in Jackson and look at how laws are made. We want those that take part in the program to appreciate how a lack of economic liberty has been holding back our state.
I am delighted that we have a great lineup of participants, who will contribute to the program. These include State Auditor, Shad White, Chip Pickering, several nationally recognized thought leaders and leading academics.
The program will be run out of our offices in Jackson and begin in October, and the application process had just opened via our website. Those that are accepted will be expected to commit to spending one day per month on the course.
The liberty movement in Mississippi could be a far more effective force for change. We could try cutting the tax burden to make us competitive compared to Tennessee and Texas. Instead of expanding the size of the state bureaucracy, we could cut it by shutting down many of those boards and commissions that clutter up Downtown Jackson.
If federal handouts made a state wealthy, ours would be the richest state in the Union. Rather than looking for more federal funding, we could have lighter regulations to stimulate growth.
If West Virginia and Arizona can introduce school choice, why can’t we?
The rising generation of leaders in our state needs to mobilize and push for real change.
I am confident that those that graduate from the program will have had a first-class introduction to the public policy process in our state. They will also have the opportunity to build a network of contacts among current and future leaders within our state.
If you are interested in applying – or if you know of any young Mississippians that have an interest in public policy and the future of our state - please do apply right away.
Applications for the Mississippi Leadership Academy 2022-23 program can be found on our website at mspolicy.org/leadership-academy
Since moving across the Atlantic to run the Mississippi Center for Public Policy, I have led successful campaigns to:
• Cut the state income tax, resulting in both the largest tax cut in Mississippi history and a flat tax.
• Enact a law to combat Critical Race theory consistent with liberty.
• Reform occupational licensing, making it easier for skilled people to work here.
Low tax, liberty max – this is what real conservatism looks like. If only folk back in Britain were offered real conservatism!
In recognition of our success in building a mass movement that made these wins possible, the Mississippi Center for Public Policy has been nominated for an award – but we need your support to win.
Please vote to make sure Mississippi wins!
Thank you!
(Jackson, MS): The Mississippi Center for Public Policy’s success in helping push through the largest tax cut in Mississippi history has been recognized nationally.
The State Policy Network today shortlisted the Mississippi Center for Public Policy, together with Empower Mississippi, for an Outstanding Policy Achievement Award for their work in securing the passage of the Mississippi Tax Freedom Act 2022.
Thanks to the Tax Freedom Act:
- $525 million was returned to Mississippi taxpayers.
- Over a million income taxpayers in our state are better off.
- Mississippi will have the fifth lowest marginal income tax rate among states that have an income tax, and one of the lowest top marginal income tax rates in the southeast.
The Mississippi Center for Public Policy was additionally shortlisted for a national Communications Excellence award for building a mass movement that made change possible. Almost 90,000 individual Mississippians read our weekly newsletter each month and thousands watch and listen to our audio-visual output.
The public will now vote to decide if Mississippi will win the Communications Award.
"We face strong competition from some of the larger states” explained Douglas Carswell, MCPP CEO & President. “We really need Mississippians to vote online to make sure that Mississippi wins!"
Please vote to make sure Mississippi wins!
Here is the URL to vote: https://spn.org/2022-communications-award-vote/
"I am over the moon that we have been recognized nationally for both our policy work and for creating a mass movement for change!" said Carswell.
"Mississippi has historically had a high tax burden, and as recently as 2021 not even a majority of Republican lawmakers in the Senate favored the change,” he explained.
"We saw an opportunity in bringing many of the key policymakers in our state together and creating a coalition for change," Carswell said. "We published rigorous research and launched a campaign to popularize the case for change. As a consequence, the Mississippi Tax Freedom Act did not just pass in the legislature where it had previously died. It passed with bipartisan support."Further details about both award nominations can be found here:
- Policy Award: https://spn.org/blog/2022-bob-williams-award-finalists/
- Communications Award: https://spn.org/blog/2022-communications-award-finalists/
Douglas Carswell joins the Governor, Speaker Gunn and others at the signing into law of the Mississippi Tax Freedom Act.