JACKSON (Feb. 5, 2009) — Jamie Franks speaks out against Governor Haley Barbour’s position on Stimulus Package.

“The state of Mississippi is on the bottom of every positive indicator that measures quality of life issues. Mississippi is also at the top of every negative quality of life indicator and our state needs any and all monies that the federal government has to offer to enhance the lives of our citizens.

“It is appalling to me,” said Jamie Franks, Chairman of the Mississippi Democratic Party, “Governor Haley Barbour would be ambivalent to receiving funds from the stimulus package being debated before Congress now. The Mississippi Legislature is in session right now trying to address a budget shortfall of over 300 million dollars. The deficit is rising each month because of drops in tax collections and Governor Barbour is neither joining Democratic nor Republican Governors in their support of passage of the stimulus package.” “Governor Barbour, Mississippi can ill afford to sit on the sideline while Medicaid has a deficit of 250 million dollars, our infrastructure is crumbling, our children are learning in dilapidated buildings and our citizens are losing their jobs and homes,” said Franks.

The Mississippi Democratic Party joins Governors, Democrats and Republicans alike, across this nation in supporting the stimulus package. We stand hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder with Democrats, Republicans and Independents who recognize that we are in one of the worst recessions this country has ever experienced. We implore Congress to get our economy going again through support of the stimulus package.

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