State of Mississippi Archives: on Welfare & Poverty

Chris McDaniel: Liberty, not 100 years of begging for federal scraps

McDaniel responded: "I am going to ask them, after 100 years, after 100 years of relying on big government to save you, where are you today? After 100 years of begging for federal government scraps, where are you today?"

After the audience booed the comments, McDaniel quickly said: "I mean the state of Mississippi. I'm talking about the state of Mississippi. To your question, I am candidate that wants to expand your liberty and break out of old ways."

After the show, McDaniel said: " I easily clarified my position--that is, Mississippi being the dead last state of the Union in terms of wealth and economic prosperity, based on outdated economic models."

Jensen Bohren: Paycheck to paycheck is an abominable way to exist

Tate Reeves: Overhaul welfare program; eliminate fraud & abuse

Only 54% of adult Mississippians are in the labor force. This bill will eliminate loopholes in current welfare policy that serve as a disincentive to work. That is not to say that the majority of welfare recipients are lazy, as some have characterized it. It is simply to require those who are able to work to either get a job or be actively looking for one in order to receive benefits.

Special thanks to Lt. Governor Tate Reeves. He and others put in many hours of work to see this bill pass.

Phil Bryant: Create the Mississippi Faith-Based Advisory Council

Similar councils exist in a number of other states. I believe it will be a valuable tool to help serve our families and individuals in need.

Chris McDaniel: No welfare state: "I'm not going to do anything for you"

"I'm not going to do anything for you," McDaniel said. "I'm going to get the government off your back, then I'm gonna let you do it for yourself."

About an hour later and less than a mile away, speaking in the same fluid, confident patter, he hedged that statement. McDaniel said he was not prepared to take a position on either the federal farm bill or the Cochran-backed effort to fight rate hikes in flood insurance--two local issues for which assertive federal action is plainly popular. "You can't very well send 1,000 government promises to people and then pull the rug out from under them the next day," McDaniel said.

Phil Bryant: Focus on jobs for those who need public assistance

Soon, with the assistance of the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, the State Workforce Investment Board, and the state longitudinal data system, we will unveil a state-of-the-art system matching job seekers with employers. The system, along with its app, will be unlike any other in the nation. It will put job seekers and employers a click away from success. Finding a job or a qualified employee in Mississippi will be easier and more effective than ever. The Mississippi Works web site will add this important feature very soon. I will just say, stand by to be amazed. And I assure you, this website works.