Mayor debate recap plus Rep. Rob Roberson interview on MSMS

WEBVTT
00:00:00.119 --> 00:00:02.466
From the opinion page of the Commercial Dispatch.
00:00:02.466 --> 00:00:04.812
This is Between the Headlines.
00:00:13.900 --> 00:00:16.667
This is Peter Imes, publisher of the Dispatch.
00:00:16.667 --> 00:00:21.844
One of our hosts of Between the Headlines is the managing editor of our newsroom.
00:00:21.844 --> 00:00:33.863
Typically we try to keep news and opinions separate, but reporters have a unique insight into the workings of local government and their analysis can be helpful for readers and listeners.
00:00:33.863 --> 00:00:40.222
The dispatch remains committed to journalistic integrity and our reporting will always reflect that.
00:00:40.222 --> 00:00:42.606
And now Between the Headlines.
00:00:43.368 --> 00:00:49.865
This week, on Between the Headlines, the defendant takes the stand regarding all this MSMS talk.
00:00:49.865 --> 00:00:52.911
That is the chair of our House Education Committee.
00:00:52.911 --> 00:01:07.353
None other than the gentleman from Octavia himself, mr Rob Robertson, will join in and of course we will break down the Democrat-hosted mayoral debate and tell you who was the big le-who-ze-her.
00:01:07.353 --> 00:01:12.212
But first let's hear from the fine folks who make this show possible.
00:01:12.212 --> 00:01:17.572
Retirement looks different for everyone, so your plan should be built around you.
00:01:17.572 --> 00:01:23.873
For over 40 years, financial Concepts has helped people create retirement strategies that fit their lives.
00:01:23.873 --> 00:01:29.412
Our team in Columbus takes the time to understand your goals and build a plan that works for you.
00:01:29.412 --> 00:01:32.528
Wherever you are in your journey, we're ready to help.
00:01:32.528 --> 00:01:34.245
We plan retirement.
00:01:34.799 --> 00:01:37.590
Financial Concepts is a registered investment advisor.
00:01:37.590 --> 00:01:40.546
Do you need help achieving the right?
00:01:40.546 --> 00:01:41.429
Look in your house.
00:01:41.429 --> 00:01:44.271
At Lighting, unlimited and Uncommon Living.
00:01:44.271 --> 00:01:48.564
You'll find quality, unique pieces that will elevate your home instantly.
00:01:48.564 --> 00:01:54.245
Great furniture and lighting not only reflect a style, they also define a home.
00:01:54.245 --> 00:01:58.198
With Lighting Unlimited and Uncommon Living, you can expect more.
00:01:58.198 --> 00:02:04.709
Visit them at 1116 Gardner Boulevard or online at lighting-columbuscom.
00:02:04.709 --> 00:02:11.974
Benton's Maintenance and Mechanical makes easy work out of plumbing, electrical, heating and air conditioner problems.
00:02:11.974 --> 00:02:18.191
You can book an appointment by phone or online and rest assured they will show up at the appointed time.
00:02:18.191 --> 00:02:26.070
Call Benton's at 662-657-2583 or visit them online at bentonsinccom.
00:02:26.070 --> 00:02:28.955
That is bentonsinccom.
00:02:28.955 --> 00:02:33.129
And now a message from political candidate Bill Strauss.
00:02:34.420 --> 00:02:39.681
I want to thank the Commercial Dispatch for this podcast, bringing different views in an open discussion.
00:02:39.681 --> 00:02:44.108
I'm Bill Strauss, humbly asking for your vote as next mayor of Columbus.
00:02:44.108 --> 00:02:48.294
You deserve transparency and accountability for your tax dollars.
00:02:48.294 --> 00:02:50.647
I'm business friendly and charitable.
00:02:50.647 --> 00:02:53.990
Vote Bill Strauss mayor of Columbus 2025.
00:02:53.990 --> 00:02:56.707
Paid for by campaign to elect Bill Strauss.
00:02:58.241 --> 00:03:01.270
And now a message from political candidate Jason Spears.
00:03:02.241 --> 00:03:05.048
I am Jason Spears, candidate for City Council, ward 6.
00:03:05.048 --> 00:03:10.093
Over the past 20 years I faithfully and effectively served our community in many different ways.
00:03:10.093 --> 00:03:24.831
If elected, I will bring structure and strategy to the city's finances, help develop a blueprint to capitalize on the growing economic activity in our city and work to strengthen relationships with Lowndes County officials, the Golden Triangle Development Link and, most importantly, you, the citizens of Columbus.
00:03:24.831 --> 00:03:33.425
I approve this message and, on April 1st, vote Jason Spears for Ward 6, paid for by the campaign to elect Jason Spears.
00:03:33.445 --> 00:03:34.649
Thank you for joining us today.
00:03:34.649 --> 00:03:46.254
You are listening to Between the Headlines hosted by the master moderator managing editor of the Commercial Dispatch, mr Zach Player, and I am David Chisholm, leroy brooks.
00:03:46.837 --> 00:03:47.681
well I mean david.
00:03:47.681 --> 00:03:49.725
He has a question for all of us.
00:03:49.725 --> 00:03:50.948
Are you tired of?
00:03:51.028 --> 00:03:51.750
all the foolishness.
00:03:51.750 --> 00:03:52.932
He said it a lot.
00:03:52.932 --> 00:03:57.729
I've been tired of the foolishness for quite some time, to put it lightly.
00:03:57.729 --> 00:04:02.362
But I can tell you that I am not the only one tired of foolishness.
00:04:02.362 --> 00:04:09.212
And, and that is to say looking at last night and looking at the crowd interaction in a building.
00:04:09.233 --> 00:04:11.575
Oh man, that crowd was great, they were great.
00:04:11.659 --> 00:04:25.449
Now, the loudest by far applause of the night was after a line by Bill Strauss, when he said let's just throw out all of the city council and I can tell you you they simply erupted.
00:04:25.449 --> 00:04:32.427
And after that it was like being in church, like the fun kind of church, oh yeah absolutely.
00:04:32.781 --> 00:04:35.269
I think that both candidates did what they needed to do.
00:04:35.269 --> 00:04:41.773
Bill Strauss, the independent, taking the invitation to be a part of the Democratic debate.
00:04:41.773 --> 00:04:46.471
Leroy delivered exactly what he was supposed to.
00:04:46.471 --> 00:04:49.529
He performed magnificently, his energy was on point.
00:04:49.529 --> 00:04:51.797
He was on brand, on message.
00:04:51.797 --> 00:04:56.992
You know exactly what you're getting if you vote for Leroy, and nothing changed about that yesterday.
00:04:56.992 --> 00:05:10.331
So whether you vote for him, whether you're booking him as a motivational speaker or whether you're inviting him to your house, you get that Leroy and he didn't leave you wondering who he was when he left there, you know.
00:05:10.331 --> 00:05:16.531
At the same time, you know Bill did surprisingly well, at least for me, and I want to eat a little bit of crow here.
00:05:16.531 --> 00:05:22.173
If you remember the first podcast episode we did, I said you know Bill's a spoiler candidate.
00:05:22.480 --> 00:05:25.146
Yeah, and the only person he's going to spoil is Darren Leach.
00:05:25.146 --> 00:05:28.394
I don't know After last night, you know.
00:05:28.394 --> 00:05:30.940
First of all, he showed courage by even showing up.
00:05:30.940 --> 00:05:34.814
Second, I think he elevated his message and held his own on the debate stage.
00:05:34.814 --> 00:05:41.329
Leroy was Leroy all night long, but Bill, I think you know, acquitted himself really well.
00:05:42.353 --> 00:05:46.831
Well, what's interesting to me is is anyone new coming in there?
00:05:46.831 --> 00:06:04.942
They would probably say that Leroy absolutely mopped the floor with Bill's nose, okay, but but if you have been around and you've listened to Leroy I mean, he's been in politics what 41 years and you know how polished he is you knew he was going to be ready.
00:06:04.942 --> 00:06:15.990
So if you've been around, then you weren't really surprised, other than, as you say, the Bill Strauss side of this really held their own.
00:06:15.990 --> 00:06:22.754
I mean, he came in, he was courageous, maybe a little nervous at first, but he was there.
00:06:22.875 --> 00:06:35.244
Yeah, he was there and he wasn't just there to be, you know, a foil, he was there to compete and I think he got his message across.
00:06:35.244 --> 00:06:43.723
Now I think that one thing that we can talk about is, you know, the differentiation in their messages, which I think is there were some very clear.
00:06:43.723 --> 00:06:56.735
There were some times they agreed and, as you talked about the audience, I think responded really well to you know, leroy, when he was being funny, when he was you know when, when, when he was pounding home his message, there were times they applauded for him, laughed for him.
00:06:56.735 --> 00:06:57.019
They did?
00:06:57.060 --> 00:06:58.062
He had a lot of singers.
00:06:59.024 --> 00:07:09.625
They did the same for Bill and showed Bill a lot of respect, but I do think that there were some very key differences in their responses thematically.
00:07:09.625 --> 00:07:22.307
And, david, I know we're getting to know each other, but one thing that you're going to get to know about me, the more we we talk, is I talk in sports metaphors almost more than I talk in regular English, and so I'm going to start there now.
00:07:23.307 --> 00:07:35.625
Bill presented the mayorship and how he envisioned the mayorship as more of like that game manager quarterback versus the you know the gunslinger quarterback of Leroy.
00:07:35.625 --> 00:07:40.622
You know Bill talked, repeatedly talked about the role and the power of the mayor's job.
00:07:40.622 --> 00:08:02.211
You know, at one point he literally said that he thought the questions that we were asked I was among one of the, I was among the three moderators in the debate, but at one point he literally said that the questions were veering more toward what the city should do and he thought that the question should be taking, should be talking more about what the mayor should do.
00:08:02.211 --> 00:08:07.124
And Leroy's response to that, I mean he attacked that as a distinction, without a difference.
00:08:07.124 --> 00:08:12.425
He couched the mayor's role as being a city ambassador, out front face and leader.
00:08:12.425 --> 00:08:15.958
He noted he already had seats at all the good tables.
00:08:15.958 --> 00:08:18.324
He mentioned Joe, max, higgins and the Link a lot.
00:08:18.345 --> 00:08:27.980
Oh yeah, he knew everyone in the state of Mississippi Right, and everybody in the state of Mississippi knows him, and he presented very clearly how he could leverage that to the city's advantage.
00:08:27.980 --> 00:08:35.527
So, using that game manager versus gunslinger Bill, we're going to manage clock, we're going to manage down and distance.
00:08:35.527 --> 00:08:44.442
The department heads the line's going to block, the running backs are going to run, the receivers are going to catch the ball, and that's what we expect.
00:08:44.442 --> 00:08:51.332
There's a very, very narrow, specific role for the mayor, and Leroy's was more.
00:08:51.332 --> 00:09:01.811
We're going to pass for 300 yards, we're going to run for 200 yards and we're going to knock the hell out of everybody on defense, and I feel like that resonates with more voters.
00:09:01.811 --> 00:09:04.027
But what do you think there?
00:09:04.027 --> 00:09:05.527
What do you think about their visions?
00:09:06.341 --> 00:09:19.861
Well, to be honest, I think that Bill Strauss fell a little flat in that regard and I think that's unfortunate for Bill Strauss in the sense that really he's looking at this and saying what can I feasibly do?
00:09:19.861 --> 00:09:24.048
What can I do to not rock the boat?
00:09:24.048 --> 00:09:38.133
He mentioned several times where he praised the police chief, he praised the CVB people, among others, and for the people that were there, I'm not sure that he really scored any points.
00:09:38.133 --> 00:09:55.277
I was thinking through this last night and it occurred to me that if he were running for the council person for the downtown ward, it would be 950 votes to 12.
00:09:56.681 --> 00:10:02.528
Well, that is Ward 1, so I don't know if you're right about that, but he definitely would be more in his element there.
00:10:02.528 --> 00:10:08.706
Bill's very pragmatic, he doesn't want to over-promise and under-deliver and he knows what he knows.
00:10:08.706 --> 00:10:31.471
And what Bill knows is downtown, and one challenge that last night's debate really made clear was if Bill's going to while he did acquit himself very well on that debate stage with a more than worthy opponent if he's going to effectively grow his voter base, he's got to get out of downtown, he's got to expand his messaging beyond downtown.
00:10:32.321 --> 00:10:35.610
I had a very interesting epiphany about Leroy last night.
00:10:35.610 --> 00:10:42.288
I listened very carefully to what he said and check this out.
00:10:42.288 --> 00:10:44.000
We've got about five different topics.
00:10:44.000 --> 00:10:46.403
I'll bullet point through them real quick.
00:10:46.403 --> 00:10:52.129
Police, he said we can't always be throwing money at the problem.
00:10:52.129 --> 00:10:59.297
Safety, he said after sports these kids, these kids, they just need to get a job.
00:10:59.297 --> 00:11:10.046
Lobbyist money, he said that City Hall spends money like there is no end and the crowd got into that.
00:11:10.046 --> 00:11:10.125
One.
00:11:10.125 --> 00:11:12.472
Blight, he said where's the six million dollars?
00:11:12.472 --> 00:11:16.562
And then annexation he really got on the offensive there.
00:11:16.562 --> 00:11:19.171
He called out Well, that's one of his talking points?
00:11:19.211 --> 00:11:20.533
Yes, but he did.
00:11:20.533 --> 00:11:26.542
He called him out on the carpet for quote, wasting thousands of dollars on obvious political gain.
00:11:26.542 --> 00:11:50.913
And so I'm looking at this and I'm thinking that after the show, I'm going to open a box, I'm going to put a red hat in it, I'm going to put an application for the Republican Party of Lowndes County and I'm going to send it to Mr Leroy Brooks, because it sounds to me like this guy was running as a Republican.
00:11:52.880 --> 00:11:58.123
Well, leroy, if you're listening, I want to make note that David Chisholm said that and Zach Player did not.
00:11:58.123 --> 00:11:59.184
That's right.
00:11:59.205 --> 00:12:01.068
Opinions are those of the speakers.
00:12:01.068 --> 00:12:03.802
But, to be fair, let me temper this.
00:12:03.802 --> 00:12:10.607
I did not say he was running as a conservative because, to be fair, he mentioned a lot of programs.
00:12:10.607 --> 00:12:15.847
He mentioned programs for a repeat offenders, a study to that regard.
00:12:15.847 --> 00:12:18.235
He mentioned a youth summit.
00:12:18.235 --> 00:12:25.739
He mentioned a program for cultural activities, programs, programs, programs, and those do cost money.
00:12:25.798 --> 00:12:25.980
They do.
00:12:27.001 --> 00:12:30.312
And that is an expansion of government.
00:12:31.442 --> 00:12:50.291
So one thing that would have been easy for Leroy to do and a point that he made last night one thing that would be easy for him to do is to come in, assume all of the department heads are trash, all of the departments are being run terribly, and just rebuild everything from scratch, or try to.
00:12:50.291 --> 00:12:57.727
Of course, he has to go through the council to do that and that would be an uphill climb in a lot of cases, but that's not even what he's suggesting.
00:12:57.727 --> 00:13:26.981
I think one of the smarter things that—and he put out a lot of smart ideas last night and understand me well— but I think one of the more important ones that got lost in the shuffle and Bill actually criticized it, and I think he's wrong about it Leroy sitting down for 60 days going through each department with the department heads and looking at what needs to be done and who needs to do it, instead of deciding that before he gets there.
00:13:26.981 --> 00:13:44.565
I think that's a good idea and I think that's something that, if it were done, could make a lot of difference in the city, potentially Now one place where Leroy stumbled and most of the questions he was ready for he had his answers ready and even if he was ad libbing.
00:13:44.605 --> 00:13:45.869
He was doing it effectively.
00:13:45.869 --> 00:13:51.924
The very last question before closing statements was about the $5 million capital fund.
00:13:51.924 --> 00:13:59.736
It either caught him by surprise or he wasn't as well versed in his answer there, because he was kind of awash, he was swimming.
00:13:59.736 --> 00:14:01.750
In that answer he mentioned Burns.
00:14:01.850 --> 00:14:03.220
Bottom on that, did he not?
00:14:03.220 --> 00:14:03.634
Yeah, he did.
00:14:03.590 --> 00:14:04.522
Bill had a very good answer to that question.
00:14:04.522 --> 00:14:05.150
He mentioned Burns bottom on that, did he not?
00:14:05.150 --> 00:14:05.379
Yeah, he did.
00:14:05.379 --> 00:14:07.827
Bill knew the answer, had a very good answer to that question.
00:14:07.827 --> 00:14:18.221
He knew that issue and that was where he really, I think, from a question answering standpoint, maybe scored his most points, because he made mention.
00:14:18.221 --> 00:14:30.208
I've been to see Jim Brigham, I've seen those financials, I know what's in that fund and I know what it's supposed to be for and this is what my vision for leveraging that money is.
00:14:30.668 --> 00:14:33.695
Well, he exhibited fiscal responsibility.
00:14:33.695 --> 00:14:44.171
He said let's put in a rainy day fund, that way, when these problems come up which they will we're not in a twist and we're not sitting there having to borrow more money.
00:14:44.600 --> 00:15:14.374
I was that was the only answer that I was disappointed with Leroy that he didn't have a better formed response for something that I think is going to be pretty critical to the future of the city's finances, especially considering where they've been was paradoxical about Leroy is that, you know he, he had all these bombastic statements and and with the same mustache, he was talking about how he was not going to be a heavy handed mayor.
00:15:14.820 --> 00:15:17.009
Ok, his hand is made of lead.
00:15:17.009 --> 00:15:19.047
I just simply can't believe that.
00:15:19.047 --> 00:15:20.625
You know, look at his history.
00:15:20.625 --> 00:15:22.149
At the Board of Supervisors.
00:15:22.149 --> 00:15:28.692
He said last night that he's going to bring a sense of decorum into city hall.
00:15:28.692 --> 00:15:34.312
I think that's fantastic, but really decorum.
00:15:34.312 --> 00:15:42.332
Now I want to give him the benefit of a doubt here, but, um, I mean he's a passionate guy.
00:15:42.519 --> 00:15:53.089
I don't think he's going to be quiet all the time, but he's going to want to have his hand on the steering wheel and his foot on the gas throughout his administration if he wins.
00:15:53.089 --> 00:15:58.854
But I do not see Leroy leading emotionally from a personal level.
00:15:58.854 --> 00:16:04.038
I don't see him making decisions based on whether he likes or dislikes people.
00:16:04.038 --> 00:16:10.734
I don't see him making policy decisions based on you know, what have you done for me lately.
00:16:10.734 --> 00:16:18.480
I see him being a lot more pragmatic than that and I think especially his last you know, 10 years on the board of supervisors bears that out.
00:16:18.922 --> 00:16:28.115
So moving on your winners and losers from the debate, All right, the big loser was none other than Stephen Jones.
00:16:28.115 --> 00:16:41.951
Because he was not there, oh, yes, and I really wish quite honestly that he would have been there to kick back and give a rebuttal of the annexation barb that got thrown his way.
00:16:41.951 --> 00:16:51.528
And now, to be fair, uh, we also had, uh, the other candidate not to make it the the apostle darren leach, right, you know?
00:16:51.528 --> 00:16:53.974
Yeah, that's on the website, by the way.
00:16:53.974 --> 00:16:57.587
So if you thought that there were 12 apostles, you were mistaken.
00:16:58.450 --> 00:17:05.185
I digress well, stephen jones definitely the biggest loser, and not only did he fail appear.
00:17:05.185 --> 00:17:08.913
Did you see the video of his prior engagement that he's been talking about?
00:17:08.913 --> 00:17:09.574
For two weeks.
00:17:09.574 --> 00:17:17.114
It ended up being a conversation with approximately eight kids in some basement somewhere that was live streamed on Facebook.
00:17:17.114 --> 00:17:19.607
Now don't get me wrong.
00:17:19.607 --> 00:17:21.928
I think it's important to talk to the youth.
00:17:21.928 --> 00:17:25.750
I think it's very important for city leaders to make time to sit down with you.
00:17:25.770 --> 00:17:25.971
Yeah.
00:17:25.971 --> 00:17:38.614
I'm not impugning Stephen Jones for having a conversation with the youth Because, look, it's no different than Trump doesn't want to do the CNN debate or whichever one, it was Well sure.
00:17:38.614 --> 00:17:41.446
So I'm going to go raise some money for some vets.
00:17:41.847 --> 00:17:42.189
Okay.
00:17:42.769 --> 00:17:45.921
Well, good, but you should have been at the debate, should have been there, no question.
00:17:46.021 --> 00:17:50.982
And I mean okay, so you look at that video on Facebook, his live stream with this conversation with the youth.
00:17:50.982 --> 00:17:56.903
Anyone with good judgment who saw that knows that event was rustled up in an afternoon.
00:17:56.903 --> 00:18:00.151
That wasn't something that was planned two weeks ago.
00:18:00.151 --> 00:18:12.715
But even if it was, it was either rustled up in an afternoon or you had an event planned weeks in advance where very few youth actually showed up and the microphone didn't even work.
00:18:12.715 --> 00:18:15.808
So I don't even know what they were talking about because you couldn't hear them.
00:18:15.808 --> 00:18:22.222
Either way, it looks terrible for Stephen and I think that this is the big takeaway there.
00:18:22.284 --> 00:18:34.977
The big winner from Stephen's video was Bill Strauss, because that just made Bill Strauss look like an honorary, valiant figure who's just full of courage.
00:18:34.977 --> 00:18:36.846
And you've got to have courage to run a city.
00:18:37.601 --> 00:18:44.733
And elevating his message to where I think that he does better in the general election now than he would have if he didn't show up last night.
00:18:44.980 --> 00:18:47.210
I've got a couple more points about Stephen.
00:18:47.210 --> 00:18:50.702
I think that the biggest thing is that Stephen got punked out last night.
00:18:50.702 --> 00:18:58.208
That puts him in a really dangerous position because he seems to be staking out the role of a victim.
00:18:58.208 --> 00:19:12.027
Now, obviously, I think that the Democratic Party should have with two candidates you confirm with the candidates and you get a date before you start planning something and putting faces on a flyer and he has a point about that.
00:19:12.027 --> 00:19:19.590
But I mean, he knew in enough advance to where he could have at least planned as good of a debate response as he planned a youth event on Facebook.
00:19:19.590 --> 00:19:20.080
But.
00:19:20.080 --> 00:19:22.449
But instead he argues with Kabir.
00:19:22.449 --> 00:19:28.226
Instead he pulls out, sends emails, says I'm not coming, y'all didn't respect me, take my face off the flyer.
00:19:28.701 --> 00:19:36.575
He seems to be staking out the role of a victim when he's running against somebody who openly compares political campaigns to warfare.
00:19:36.575 --> 00:19:38.607
We're talking about Leroy Brooks.
00:19:38.607 --> 00:19:47.826
Leroy Brooks is happy to let Stephen play the victim and put him in that spot, and he's going to as much rope as Stephen will take there.
00:19:47.826 --> 00:19:49.027
He's going to let him.
00:19:49.027 --> 00:19:53.589
And it also gets to the question of what kind of mayor Stephen will be if he wins.
00:19:53.589 --> 00:19:58.292
You know, if he feels slighted, will he not show up to city council meetings?
00:19:58.292 --> 00:20:10.051
If somebody wants a city service or an audience with him, is he going to weigh whether this person said something bad about him on social media or maybe voted for another candidate before he shows up for him?
00:20:11.423 --> 00:20:22.732
I mean, I hope not Gotta have thick skin and somebody who's been in city politics for 10 years and has done a much better job pre-campaign Stephen, than during campaign Stephen.
00:20:22.732 --> 00:20:24.284
I mean he should know that?
00:20:25.640 --> 00:20:48.825
Yeah for sure, and interestingly, I think the Add a Way to Go Award actually goes to Mr Kabir Kareem and the team that put this together, because, quite honestly, nobody was expecting them to open up that forum to independent candidates, and so I think good came out of this independent candidates, and so I think good came out of this.
00:20:48.825 --> 00:20:52.257
And I think that the voices that needed to be heard were heard, and the voices that were afraid to be heard were in the basement.
00:20:53.160 --> 00:20:55.548
Now does Darren become the forgotten man.
00:20:55.548 --> 00:20:55.769
Now.
00:20:58.320 --> 00:21:00.403
No, he's got a chance to redeem himself.
00:21:00.403 --> 00:21:10.355
I'm not giving him a free pass on missing this, but he had slightly more of an excuse to miss this than his Democrat challenger.
00:21:10.355 --> 00:21:13.910
So Stephen Jones certainly should have been there.
00:21:13.910 --> 00:21:16.602
Darren Leach probably should have been there.
00:21:16.602 --> 00:21:18.844
Yep, I agree.
00:21:18.844 --> 00:21:20.166
Okay.
00:21:20.166 --> 00:21:23.394
Next we have Mr Rob Roberson standing by on the phone.
00:21:23.394 --> 00:21:28.194
But before we get to that, do you have knee pain, muscle weakness, swelling or cold feet?
00:21:28.194 --> 00:21:35.239
Call King Associates Cardiology for an appointment today at 662-368-1169.
00:21:35.239 --> 00:21:39.536
King Associates Cardiology we care and it shows.
00:21:40.266 --> 00:21:47.010
District 43 State Representative and House Education committee chair, rob robertson, joined the podcast today via zoom from jackson.
00:21:47.010 --> 00:22:00.174
Due to a technical difficulty, we are picking up the conversation in the middle of his response to my first question, which was asking him why he thinks it's in the state's best interest for msms to be relocated to mississippi state.
00:22:00.174 --> 00:22:04.180
We apologize to mr robertson and to the listeners for the error.
00:22:04.943 --> 00:22:12.998
I would certainly say that we would be happy to have MSMS.
00:22:12.998 --> 00:22:17.425
Msms is such a valuable component to Mississippi in general.
00:22:17.425 --> 00:22:29.872
I have been over to look at the facilities over at MUW several times to say that they are not up to the standard that any of us would want.
00:22:29.872 --> 00:22:34.720
I think it's a pretty bad shortcoming of the state.
00:22:34.720 --> 00:22:38.295
It's a shortcoming of all involved, frankly.
00:22:38.295 --> 00:22:46.278
But as we're moving forward, we've got to look at this from the standpoint of what is in the best interest of these kids.
00:22:46.278 --> 00:22:58.056
And right now, what is in the best interest of the kids that go to MSMS is going to be one of two things, and there's been no complete decision made on this yet.
00:22:58.056 --> 00:23:00.012
We're still trying to work out some things.
00:23:00.012 --> 00:23:06.185
I think there's an RFP process that's going out some things.
00:23:06.185 --> 00:23:11.835
I think there's an RFP process that's going, but Mississippi State University has been very willing to accept these kids onto the campus.
00:23:11.855 --> 00:23:27.972
Muw has obviously don't want to lose MSMS, but there's a bottom line of who can support these children in the best way possible and my feelings are that MSU would be a better location because of the support that they could receive.
00:23:27.972 --> 00:23:32.055
I've heard multiple conversations of whether it be.
00:23:32.055 --> 00:23:34.773
Oh, the MUW is a safer campus.
00:23:34.773 --> 00:23:39.978
I think that's a straw man's argument.
00:23:39.978 --> 00:23:44.772
Mississippi State University is just as safe.
00:23:44.772 --> 00:23:50.450
I'm certainly not going to begrudge or suggest that Lowndes County is not safe too.
00:23:50.450 --> 00:23:58.612
Muw is a safe campus, but the bottom line is is these kids are going to be safe in either of these locations?
00:23:59.093 --> 00:24:08.594
The reality of what is in the best interest of these kids and getting them the support they need is is, to me, the first thing that should be discussed and talked about.
00:24:08.594 --> 00:24:21.055
The kids that are there are already partnering with uh Mississippi state university and being driven over uh every day dealing with uh complex issues, that they're involved with research.
00:24:21.055 --> 00:24:22.586
They're involved with Um.
00:24:22.586 --> 00:24:28.719
That is a partnership that's already occurring, and I'm certain that MUW's got similar dynamics at play as well.
00:24:28.719 --> 00:25:08.153
But moving forward and having a conversation in terms of what is in the best interest of the and for the future of these kids, it just seems to me that there is going to be a heck of a lot more support and backup for MSMS through MSU Now, that being said, there may be things that we can do that make MUW more solid, but right now it certainly doesn't appear that, since they've had them over there, that there's been as much of an interest to support them, until there was a discussion about maybe moving them, and I would just say I want to jump in there.
00:25:08.226 --> 00:25:23.275
I want to jump in there for a second One what has been your impression specifically of the leadership of MUW in advocating for MSMS over the years and specifically lately?
00:25:23.275 --> 00:25:26.444
For MSMS over the years and specifically lately?
00:25:26.444 --> 00:25:35.424
And for you, what do you need to see from MUW to, I guess, sway your opinion in the direction of maybe this is a better permanent home for MSMS?
00:25:36.665 --> 00:25:40.115
The RFP process will probably tell us an awful lot.
00:25:40.115 --> 00:25:42.593
Mde is gathering that information.
00:25:42.593 --> 00:25:44.833
I'd love to see what this is going to look like.
00:25:44.833 --> 00:25:56.151
I'd like to know what kind of cost estimates that we're looking at to keep them there or to move them into Starkville on the MSU campus.
00:25:56.151 --> 00:26:09.459
Comparing those two things, as far as I guess, determining whether or not that is a good idea, we're just going to have to look at the facts, figures and figure that out.
00:26:09.459 --> 00:26:16.777
Now I would have the same question to those that would want to suggest we don't leave it or we do want to leave it.
00:26:16.777 --> 00:26:18.038
At MUW.
00:26:18.038 --> 00:26:24.337
There is a huge pushback suggesting that it needs to be left there because that's just where it's been.
00:26:24.337 --> 00:26:27.664
Huge pushback is suggesting that it needs to be left there because that's just where it's been.
00:26:27.664 --> 00:26:39.130
I've been talking about consolidation across the state and the whole issue has been what is in the best interest of the kids, not what's in best interest of the adults or the superintendents or, for that matter, whether it be universities.
00:26:39.811 --> 00:26:42.897
I've heard you mention that proposal a couple of times.
00:26:42.897 --> 00:27:04.732
I've heard you mention that proposal a couple of times and the people of Lowndes County in particular, especially those who have a vested interest with MUW and MSMS, feel very.
00:27:04.732 --> 00:27:34.178
She said that she had asked your department for a rubric for which this proposal would be evaluated, and her response was given by email that the rubric for evaluation would be created after these proposals were submitted, after which we had an audible gasp in the room and I'm wondering where's the rubric, because to me, an outsider, it seems like the fix is already in.
00:27:34.178 --> 00:27:35.266
Tell me how I'm wrong.
00:27:36.308 --> 00:27:40.326
Well, you're wrong from the simple fact that this has been talked about for two years in a row.
00:27:40.326 --> 00:27:48.669
My question would be why did this not be a stronger push to support MSMS before today?
00:27:48.669 --> 00:27:54.484
I mean, the reality that we face today is that nothing was happening.
00:27:54.484 --> 00:27:59.946
Nothing would have happened had we not continued to have this conversation about possibly moving it.
00:27:59.946 --> 00:28:02.411
This is not a conversation that happened in the last month.
00:28:02.411 --> 00:28:06.679
This has been a conversation that, at minimum, has been happening for the last two years.
00:28:06.679 --> 00:28:11.096
So the rubric on this is who is going to be in the best interest of these children?
00:28:11.545 --> 00:28:21.835
Well, talking about those proposals and I know that the State Board of Education is the one who approved that, mde is the one that's executing that but I think it would be fair to say that you know about it.
00:28:21.835 --> 00:28:26.676
You know about that process in your position as the House Education Secretary.
00:28:26.984 --> 00:28:28.330
The process for what I'm sorry.
00:28:28.684 --> 00:28:31.954
For these proposals and the fact that they're being asked and so on.
00:28:31.954 --> 00:28:34.032
Why just those two schools?
00:28:34.032 --> 00:28:41.378
If you're looking for the best home for MSMS, why not open it up to all eight IHL universities?
00:28:41.845 --> 00:28:48.808
Well, we've got three other schools that are being discussed in Valley, alcorn and Delta State right now as well.
00:28:48.808 --> 00:28:52.174
Other schools have been discussed.
00:28:52.174 --> 00:28:59.633
I think that MSU was very interested in this whenever the conversation came up.
00:28:59.633 --> 00:29:07.708
I don't think that there's anybody in the equation here that would suggest MSU would not be a good spot.
00:29:07.708 --> 00:29:11.878
I mean, msu is one of the three largest universities in the state.
00:29:11.878 --> 00:29:20.538
I can't imagine that there would be any less pushback had it been Oxford or had it been Southern.
00:29:21.244 --> 00:29:22.830
But it wasn't Oxford or Southern.
00:29:22.830 --> 00:29:28.368
It was asked specifically of the W for home field advantage purposes and MSU.
00:29:28.368 --> 00:29:29.892
That was it.
00:29:31.034 --> 00:29:34.425
And those are the two that were interested in it at the time.
00:29:34.425 --> 00:29:36.391
I don't know that Oxford ever had an interest in it.
00:29:36.391 --> 00:29:37.073
They may.
00:29:37.493 --> 00:29:41.891
And how proactive has that interest been, maybe over the last year, year and a half?
00:29:41.891 --> 00:29:45.499
What conversations has MSU had with you about this?
00:29:45.499 --> 00:29:52.173
And, yeah, how proactive has MSU's interest been in getting MSMS in Starville?
00:29:54.126 --> 00:29:55.231
They've been very interested.
00:29:55.231 --> 00:30:10.993
Some of this kind of flows from the fact that we were discussing a high school being put out there on MSU campus anyway, so there's already a bond issue that's set up for a 10th, 11th and 12th grade.
00:30:10.993 --> 00:30:22.186
So this seemed to kind of be a, I guess, an opportune time to have a discussion about whether or not we were going to look at MSMS as well.
00:30:22.186 --> 00:30:26.196
And here again, I don't know that MSMS is going to move anywhere at this point.
00:30:26.196 --> 00:30:30.847
It's just a matter of continuing the conversation and see what happens.
00:30:31.651 --> 00:30:36.405
Mr Robertson, speaking as someone who is a fiscal conservative, I'm looking at this.
00:30:36.405 --> 00:30:43.098
There are approximately 10 acres plus or minus right behind where they're currently located.
00:30:43.098 --> 00:31:12.942
I know they would have to move a railroad track, which is a headache, but there are things that can be done and, you know, in speaking with our local delegation, including your colleague, mr Andy Boyd, there seems to be this consensus that why should we be focused on building a brand new shiny toy when, at the same time, we could polish and repair the existing toy, even if we do a really, really good job of it?
00:31:12.942 --> 00:31:19.897
I'm talking build a state-of-the-art dorm and fix more than just the air conditioner.
00:31:19.897 --> 00:31:26.446
Okay, take those 10 acres and really build it up right there in geographical vicinity to where it is.
00:31:26.446 --> 00:31:44.672
Because, let's be honest, if you look at the number of national merit finalists, if you look at the numbers and if you look at the lack of brain drain, you look at how the kids are actually staying in Mississippi, why should there be an effort to fix something that ain't really broke?
00:31:46.086 --> 00:31:49.175
And I would say I would suggest to you that it is broke.
00:31:49.175 --> 00:31:54.375
I've gone through the facilities over there it something has to be done.
00:31:54.375 --> 00:32:01.333
Whether it's not, it's the solution that you're suggesting, or whether it's the solution of moving it to to the MSU campus.
00:32:01.333 --> 00:32:17.334
Now, the other side of the coin here is is that that if you combine the, the, the rebuild that we're talking about for the high school here in Starkville, and this and put these together, it could be a lot less expensive doing it that way.
00:32:17.334 --> 00:32:22.380
Now, I don't know that for sure and I'm not certainly trying to report that that's the case at this point.
00:32:22.380 --> 00:32:26.934
I think that we'll find out a little bit of that from the RFP process.
00:32:27.365 --> 00:32:29.133
Here's the flip side of the argument.
00:32:29.133 --> 00:32:37.317
I completely understand why Lowndes County, Columbus MUW doesn't want to lose MSMS.
00:32:37.317 --> 00:32:38.180
I get that.
00:32:38.180 --> 00:32:43.512
I completely understand that and I certainly am not trying to harm them, understand that and I certainly am not trying to harm them.
00:32:43.512 --> 00:33:00.614
But the flip side of this argument is is why in the world would anybody think that if those merit scholarships and all of the things that were happening over there wouldn't continue to happen in a larger school setting under Mississippi State University's control as well?
00:33:00.614 --> 00:33:02.857
I mean, I think that this is a no-brainer.
00:33:02.857 --> 00:33:05.730
I think we're going to have some good things happen, regardless of where it lands.
00:33:05.730 --> 00:33:23.119
Now, that being said, something needs to change Now, whether that is, it's changed in the location of where it's sitting or whether that's changing completely where we come in and make it nice and new and do a setup here in Octobahaw County.
00:33:23.119 --> 00:33:27.255
That's the, I guess, where the rubber meets the road.
00:33:28.125 --> 00:33:32.116
Okay, so I understand your argument for economies of scale.
00:33:32.116 --> 00:34:13.215
One thing that I want to discuss here a little bit is if MSMS is built with Starkville High School on the MSU campus, how does that school and we've discussed this before for a story that went in print, but I want to talk to you about how maybe that's evolved since then, because that conversation was almost a year ago, right how does MSMS interact with Starkville High School and how does the identity of MSMS evolve or change as a result of that relationship, from what it is?
00:34:14.456 --> 00:34:17.891
Well, first of all, I think we need to make certain that MSMS retains its identity.
00:34:17.891 --> 00:34:46.746
I don't think there's a question of making certain that they're able to be able to be who they are, but I do think the economy of scales and the ability for this school to be set with a partnering school will give the kids the opportunity to have a little bit different relationship with their high school and potentially be involved in sports and things like that.
00:34:46.746 --> 00:34:50.335
That could give a more rounded educational system.
00:34:50.335 --> 00:35:01.880
At least, that would be my perception of how it would move forward Now, how the school board and the local school board would interact.
00:35:02.244 --> 00:35:09.798
I think these are things that we're going to have to flush out, more so than just a 15-second conversation whenever we're moving forward.
00:35:09.798 --> 00:35:11.512
This has got to be something that works.
00:35:11.512 --> 00:35:19.458
Now, here again, we're well, I guess, don't want to put the cart before the horse.
00:35:19.458 --> 00:35:25.978
We're well not to the point of having that discussion as to where it's going to go.
00:35:25.978 --> 00:35:36.818
Those discussions have to be had after that decision's been made, and I certainly I mean I don't want to go out here and suggest that that's a decision made because it hasn't been.
00:35:37.485 --> 00:35:46.838
Well, what your impressions, any conversations that have you spoken with MS administration, ginger Tedder, for example, about this?
00:35:46.920 --> 00:35:47.440
issue at all.
00:35:47.440 --> 00:35:56.096
And I add to that question, mr Robertson, do you think that the staff will be able to be retained?
00:35:56.096 --> 00:36:05.028
Because you're asking a lot of folks to dig up and move to a place where, quite frankly, real estate is quite a bit more expensive, a place where, quite frankly, real estate is quite a bit more expensive.
00:36:05.048 --> 00:36:09.237
Well, I mean, people drive to Columbus, starkville and West Point, the Golden Triangle, to go to work every day.
00:36:09.237 --> 00:36:13.335
I wouldn't suggest to you that anyone would have to move unless they wanted to.
00:36:13.335 --> 00:36:20.157
There are people that are working at MSNS right now that live in Octobahaw County.
00:36:20.157 --> 00:36:21.612
There are people that live in Clay County.
00:36:21.612 --> 00:36:24.266
There are people that live there in Lowndes County as well.
00:36:24.266 --> 00:36:30.931
I don't want to suggest that they're not, so their teachers are living already in different locations.
00:36:30.931 --> 00:36:36.635
As far as speaking to Ginger Tedder, we've talked multiple times.
00:36:36.635 --> 00:36:41.559
We haven't talked about specifically moving something somewhere.
00:36:41.559 --> 00:36:44.021
We've talked about you know what the needs are there.
00:36:44.021 --> 00:36:52.391
You know what do we need to be looking at in terms of making sure that MSMS is supported in the best way we can.
00:36:52.411 --> 00:36:54.396
What are your impressions of those conversations Like?
00:36:54.396 --> 00:37:06.940
What do you feel like you've learned for those conversations and where do you think MSMS administration is as far as their posture toward moving or not, or what they need from the state?
00:37:08.326 --> 00:37:12.793
I think if listen, if I were administration over there, I would keep.
00:37:12.793 --> 00:37:16.036
I would keep out of the politics of this.
00:37:16.036 --> 00:37:23.101
Frankly, I think a lot of the administration is frustrated that work for MSMS.
00:37:23.101 --> 00:37:42.545
I think they've been really begging for some support over the years and I think at this point they just want, whatever happens, to be something positive for MSMS, and that includes staying in Lowndes County and that includes, if they are moved, moving somewhere else.
00:37:42.545 --> 00:37:53.081
I think that their interests remain what is going to be in the best interest of the students as a whole and making certain that the school is supported the way it should be.
00:37:53.081 --> 00:37:57.503
So I don't really want to pull them into the political argument here.
00:37:57.503 --> 00:38:10.885
These are good people just trying to do a job and I realize that they're kind of being put in between a rock and a hard place here and I certainly don't want to suggest that they're promoting either direction.
00:38:11.527 --> 00:38:20.547
Okay, well, one more question that I have for you is the W in the large.
00:38:20.547 --> 00:38:40.170
What, first of all, are your impressions as a legislator and what you understand to be other legislators' general impression of the W at large, w leadership, and what has kind of led y'all to that impression, what shaped that impression?
00:38:41.614 --> 00:38:45.847
MUW is, and I don't think anybody would suggest this is a secret.
00:38:45.847 --> 00:38:49.786
Muw is having a bit of an identity crisis.
00:38:49.786 --> 00:38:54.766
I think that that showed itself over the last couple of years with the name changes and things like that.
00:38:54.766 --> 00:38:58.746
I think you have some solid, good administration over there.
00:38:58.746 --> 00:39:32.585
You have a good, good people trying to run it, my, but it's awfully hard not to look at the, the IHL system as it stands today and look at how many colleges that we have, how many community colleges that we have, how many private colleges that we have, how many junior colleges that we have, and not to come to the conclusion that we, frankly, have too many of these out there for a population of under 3 million people.
00:39:32.585 --> 00:39:39.628
How do we make certain that these locations are supported as well?
00:39:39.628 --> 00:40:07.065
Muw has had a tough time getting allocations for money as well, so I don't want to put any pressure in the sense that they haven't tried, but when you're losing student population to the rate that a lot of these schools are doing, sometimes you have to come up with ulterior things for them to do to build their population, build their student base and keep them supported.
00:40:07.347 --> 00:40:14.905
I do not have any want or anything to do with wanting to shut down MUW.
00:40:14.905 --> 00:40:20.496
However, we've got to come up with ways that they can grow, and I think they're trying.
00:40:20.496 --> 00:40:32.829
I think that they are kind of in a unique position here, whenever they were considered a Mississippi University for Women and they're trying to change that.
00:40:32.829 --> 00:40:37.581
Look in terms of bringing in more male population into the school.
00:40:37.581 --> 00:40:40.748
They do an excellent job with the nursing program.
00:40:40.748 --> 00:40:44.184
They've got a heck of a culinary arts system.
00:40:45.538 --> 00:40:56.842
I love MUW and I love the people there and I want to be able to support them, but sometimes we have to look at what is in the best interest of supporting them moving forward, and I don't have that answer yet either.
00:40:56.842 --> 00:41:16.650
I really would love to do anything and everything I can to protect them, but there is a bottom line that we have to reach, and sometimes that may include working a deal out with another university to help them support themselves.
00:41:16.650 --> 00:41:25.083
This help them support themselves, and it may not be that, but I think the administration and the president over there.
00:41:25.083 --> 00:41:34.789
They've done a good job of trying to figure out some things, but they're in a precarious situation in terms of, you know, making certain that their budget is strong.
00:41:34.789 --> 00:41:40.086
They have buildings that aren't being used or utilized the way that they would like to.
00:41:40.086 --> 00:41:49.248
So we need to figure out ways and we may have to get creative in how we approach this, but I certainly don't want to hurt anybody in the Golden Triangle.
00:41:50.411 --> 00:41:56.023
I realize that sometimes I end up being the face of this change, but that's not intentional.
00:41:56.023 --> 00:41:59.458
It's just the reality that I am the chairman of education.
00:41:59.458 --> 00:42:07.079
I have to look at this stuff and it would be the same thing if this were in a different part of the state that I wasn't from.
00:42:07.079 --> 00:42:19.536
I truly have heard from quite a few people in Lowndes County that I'm very close to and think of dearly, but I've got to look at this from the aspect of what's going to be good for those kids in 10 years.
00:42:20.077 --> 00:42:40.726
Mr Robertson, we thank you for not only coming on the program today, but also for your service to the state and for your emphasis on education and putting children and young adults first as we look to improve the situation, lessen the brain drain and all the many faces that we do challenge.
00:42:40.726 --> 00:42:42.088
So thanks again.
00:42:43.210 --> 00:42:43.791
Thank you both.
00:42:43.791 --> 00:42:45.318
I appreciate y'all All right.
00:42:45.318 --> 00:42:46.440
All right man.
00:42:46.681 --> 00:42:48.065
Have a good one you too.
00:42:48.065 --> 00:42:50.498
Well, david, what do we think about Rob?
00:42:50.498 --> 00:42:51.744
Oh, boy.
00:42:52.197 --> 00:42:59.105
Let me just let out a big, massive groan because our fears have been confirmed.
00:42:59.105 --> 00:43:02.217
You've heard it from the mouth of the horse himself.
00:43:02.217 --> 00:43:21.329
I think with definitive certainty we can now say that there is an undercurrent in Jackson to get MSMS moved out of here and, quite honestly, after speaking with Mr Roberson, I know why.
00:43:21.329 --> 00:43:31.777
Dr Miller had that big smile on her face and let me tell you that was the smile on her face at the press conference yesterday.
00:43:31.777 --> 00:43:44.780
There was a big degree of artificiality to that smile and and that's not a crack on her, that's just to say she's putting on a good face.
00:43:45.623 --> 00:44:06.489
She's presenting positivity in the face of something that may not go down, well, seems inevitable at this point it's it's going to be a problem, and for those of us who want to fight for msms to stay here and for the w, I would just remind you that this is definitely a marathon, not a sprint.
00:44:06.489 --> 00:44:23.530
We've got to play offense and we've got to think very hard about this, because you and I both know it, zach, the thing just needs to stay here, and there's in my no altruistic reason that it should not.
00:44:24.215 --> 00:44:32.775
Other thing that he said that I thought was interesting was he did take responsibility for the state's role in not funding those facilities properly.
00:44:32.775 --> 00:44:40.496
He said, and everyone involved, but the people with the checkbook was the legislature and they weren't writing the checks.
00:44:40.496 --> 00:44:53.202
I'm interested to see if the proposals skew so much cheaper for MUW to put something together that is more than adequate.
00:44:53.202 --> 00:45:02.114
Are those going to just get thrown in the trash, or is this quote rubric that's going to be created after the fact only going to cater to MSU's proposal?
00:45:02.155 --> 00:45:05.545
Well, is the Mississippi State proposal going to be made public?
00:45:05.545 --> 00:45:12.469
I know Nora said that ours will be, but are we going to get to see MSU's proposal?
00:45:12.675 --> 00:45:15.155
Well, the dispatch is going to do everything in its power to make it public.
00:45:15.195 --> 00:45:17.222
Yeah well, that definitely needs to be public.
00:45:17.222 --> 00:45:18.543
I think, hands down, it's going to be cheaper to make it public.
00:45:18.543 --> 00:45:19.465
Yeah well, that definitely needs to be public.
00:45:19.465 --> 00:45:21.846
I think, hands down, it's going to be cheaper to keep it here.
00:45:21.846 --> 00:45:23.447
No question about it.
00:45:23.447 --> 00:45:30.572
And at the end of the day, I think our local delegation really needs to be on the offensive here.
00:45:30.572 --> 00:45:43.643
I would like to see a bill with three authors at the top of it being Kabir Kareem, dana McLean and Andy Boyd, that says let's fund the school.
00:45:43.643 --> 00:45:47.266
Okay, just a standalone bill file.
00:45:47.266 --> 00:45:57.335
It try to push it through and if it dies in committee, that lets you know everything you need to know about what's going on in the undercurrent down in Jackson.
00:45:58.018 --> 00:45:59.041
That's a really good point.
00:45:59.041 --> 00:46:06.362
One thing, too, that I want to revisit that Rob talked about, and I've been thinking about this since he said it.
00:46:06.362 --> 00:46:16.130
We were talking about if MSMS was built in conjunction with Startwell High School on the MSU campus.
00:46:16.130 --> 00:46:17.639
Now I've disclaimed before.
00:46:17.739 --> 00:46:17.900
I'm a.
00:46:18.041 --> 00:46:18.844
Starkville resident.
00:46:18.844 --> 00:46:30.721
My wife teaches at Starkville High School, my kids go to SOCSD and my wife would love to teach MSMS kids you know, adjunct in her English class.
00:46:30.721 --> 00:46:52.277
But I don't see how you're going to maintain, how you're going to maintain MSMS's identity as it is, throwing it into that noise, throwing it into that pool with those two much larger organizations, because we're not just talking about MSU as a host.
00:46:52.277 --> 00:47:01.771
How does MSMS's identity not become basically a vassal to SOCSD if this is a build that's done together?
00:47:04.396 --> 00:47:19.889
Well, again, getting back to what we've talked about before, I do not want to see one big fat bill come across the table that's going to just fund all of this, and then Starkville not have to put up a bond, like we've had to do on numerous occasions.
00:47:19.889 --> 00:48:14.304
Okay, I just think it needs to be done openly, fairly and look, I've been combative about this and maybe there's something to be said about just saying, look, let's get all of the stakeholders at the table, let's discuss everything openly, let's not let anything be off the table, but just make sure it's done out there where we can really see what's going on, where you guys can report on what's going on, and then I think people will feel better about it because I think the case that Nora Miller can make for keeping it here for the sake of not just maintaining identity but saving money, will triumph.
00:48:14.483 --> 00:48:16.405
She was very clear about the rubric.
00:48:16.405 --> 00:48:34.793
There was a lot of good stuff that came out of that press conference, but days before that press conference there was that letter that she sent to the MUW community where part of that letter said if MSMS is ultimately taken away, the W will be fine, We'll repurpose the facility.
00:48:34.833 --> 00:48:38.039
Yes, sir, Was that a white flag?
00:48:38.039 --> 00:48:39.824
I was very disappointed in the letter.
00:48:39.824 --> 00:48:42.418
I did not see any fight in the letter.
00:48:42.418 --> 00:48:54.869
I think our hope again lies in the fact that a bill will have to pass to get that place moved and second to that, our alum at MUW is a force to be reckoned with.
00:48:55.135 --> 00:49:10.608
Okay, we saw that in the name change yes, and I think as soon as a bill is introduced, there will be zombies to rise up from Friendship Cemetery and it will be a fight that's bigger than Rob Robertson wants to have.
00:49:11.376 --> 00:49:13.523
Well, I'm looking forward to seeing that, David.
00:49:14.594 --> 00:49:17.465
OK, I want to thank our listeners for joining in today.
00:49:17.465 --> 00:49:23.739
Please help us talk it up subscribe, rate and share, and I hope you'll also join in the conversation.
00:49:23.739 --> 00:49:25.782
Tips at cdispatchcom.
00:49:25.782 --> 00:49:28.965
Again, that is, tips at cdispatchcom.
00:49:28.965 --> 00:49:43.414
We want to know what you thought of Rob Facebook or X at the Chisholm double zero You've been listening to between the headlines, signing off from catfish alley studio and historic downtown Columbus.
00:49:43.414 --> 00:49:46.724
Your host has been Zach player and I am David Chisholm.
00:49:46.724 --> 00:49:50.603
Until next time, keep it friendly and keep it real.
00:49:57.635 --> 00:50:04.175
Opinions expressed on this show are those of the speakers and not necessarily those of the commercial dispatch.