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Ag commissioner hopefuls square off |
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Wednesday, 24 October 2007 |
 Shoshana Brackett/SDN By KELLY DANIELS
Starkville Daily News
Both opponents of incumbent Agriculture Commissioner Lester Spell said during a debate Tuesday night that he was obligated to take at least some of the blame for the failure of Mississippi Beef Processors plant and the loss of $55 million in taxpayer dollars.
With the position of agricultural commissioner up for grabs on Nov. 6, Spell, a Republican, and challengers Rickey Cole, a Democrat, and Constitution Party candidate Leslie Riley, disagreements and answers to touchy issues during a debate on the Mississippi State University campus last night - one being the beef plant.
WTVA-TV news anchor Craig Ford, one of two media panelists, asked Spell, "Looking back what else could you have done to better scrutinize the project during the development process and not at the very least share some of the blame for what happened?"
Without taking at least some of the blame, Spell, who has been agriculture commissioner since 1996, said that he was not the only member of the board that oversaw the project.
"A lot of criticism has been made at the level of committees, but I ask you to remember that the (Mississippi) Land, Water and Timber (Resources) Board has 14 members," said Spell.
Riley offered an answer of what he would do in a similar situation.
"I will not run out and take credit for every good thing that happens in the state," said Riley. "I don't think Dr. Spell is the sole problem for what's going on, but I think we're in a big mess right now."
Riley added that he would take the blame for any future messes.
Cole said that Spell should shoulder some of the blame.
"But he hasn't even taken one-fourteenth of the blame," said Cole, referring to the 14-member Land, Water and Timber Resources Board that initially pushed the project.
"The beef plant was never a good idea that failed in its execution," said Cole.
"The beef plant was a fundamentally flawed idea. It was doomed to failure from day one."
Cole sited an unspecified 2001 MSU study on the beef plant, in which the "perfect scenario" for the plant’s success showed only a 2.5 percent profit at best.
Riley added to Cole's comments drawing from his experience in the private sector.
"If you lose $55 million, it's the CEO who takes the blame," said Riley.
Spell's rebuttal was a redefinition of the problem, which he said was the oversight and management of the project.
Food safety and illegal immigrants
One question to Riley addressed a statement on his campaign Web site regarding removal of illegal aliens from food processing plants where potential contamination situations exist.
“As Dr. Spell mentioned in his opening statement, food safety is the key component of this business. In Alabama they have a they had an outbreak of tuberculosis," said Riley. "We had tuberculosis wiped out."
Riley attributed the outbreak to 152 unaccounted for food workers of a poultry plant.
Cole's answer was for stronger enforcement of illegal immigration laws from the federal government.
Spell had the same answer, yet disagreed aloud with a statement Cole made to the Hattiesburg American concerning illegal workers.
The Oct. 11 edition of the Hattiesburg American quotes Cole saying, "I don't believe any right-thinking government official in this country would tell employers we're coming to fine you today for hiring illegal aliens and we're going to shut your operation down. ... The economy would grind to a halt."
Spell said he disagreed with that philosophy.
"It is a problem when you talk about health issues, particularly those people that sneak across the borders," said Spell. "I think what we really ought to do is insist that Congress enforce the laws that we have on the books."
Spell continued his argument remembering the terrorist attacks of 9/11.
"We are very susceptible not only these acts, but acts of germ warfare and chemical warfare and I think we'd do a better job if we already enforce the laws that we have," said Spell.
Eliminating the
commissioner’s job
Starkville Daily News Editor Brian Hawkins, the other panelist, asked Spell what his thoughts were on the elimination of the commissioner’s position and shifting the Agriculture Department’s duties to the state’s two and-grant universities — MSU and Alcorn State — or to the Mississippi Development Authority.
Spell said the agriculture business draws in more than $6 billion each year and needs support from a full-time state department.
"We have one out of four jobs directly related to agriculture," said Spell. "Nobody else provides the support for our small farmers and our young farmers."
Spell added that agriculture was far too large of an industry to be divided among other state agencies.
"We build grocery stores," said Spell.
"By the way, I led the fight to ban Chinese catfish that was contaminated."
Riley also said that the position shouldn't be eliminated. However, he added that editorialists who would like to get rid of the department would really like to have the money spent by the department be distributed elsewhere, instead of having taxes lowered.
"They don't want to get rid of $19 million that the agriculture department is spending every year and put it back in their pocket," said Riley. "If that was something they were talking about doing, my more Libertarian leanings might be swayed to go in that direction.
"What they want is to send it over to the wise folks over in the legislature and spend it on something else."
"Well, it's not going to happen," Cole answered. "I've met a lot of people in these campaign trails who really don't know what this job does."
Cole said that when he is elected that people will not only know "what the job does," but they will wonder what they will do without it.
Tuesday’s debate at MSU was sponsored by the Stennis-Montgomery Association.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 25 October 2007 )
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easily lead to a new set of abs from all the laughter. Up is the Disney
movie to see. It's a great movie for the family as well as for the child like adult
to see with friends. The 3D is lovely as well. - Danyelle Garner
Snow Biz on Hwy 12. A delicious way to cool off. Multiple visits are
a must! - Tammie Gathings
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