Where are the O’Haras and Wilkes?

[brickpatio2018]

Two possible reasons I can think of for not expanding Medicaid:

- Once the federal match dries up, the state will have to cover all the costs. Mississippi tax rates are already middle of the road compared to other states, and additional tax hikes would make competing with other states for new investors virtually impossible. Instead they need to be lowering tax rates in order to be more competitive for new investors.

- Extreme-rural areas with no jobs (because low-skill farm jobs and factory jobs have been replaced through technology) are rapidly losing unskilled people to places like Atlanta, Nashville, and Dallas where low-skill service jobs are located in spades. Higher welfare payments (such as Medicaid) would incentivize those unskilled people to remain stuck in the rural areas with no jobs, which would be bad for them and a strain on state taxpayers.

There are upsides to expanding Medicaid also (the hospitals want the extra money), but these are two important reasons for not expanding. It's basically choice between raising tax rates and exacerbating the economic problems or lowering tax rates and attracting new investors into the state, especially in places with growth potential (due to concentrations of skilled workers) like DeSoto County, Tupelo, Oxford, Columbus/Starkville, Metro Jackson, Hattiesburg/Laurel, and the Coast.

[Mississippi Alabama Line]

Originally Posted by brickpatio2018

Two possible reasons I can think of for not expanding Medicaid:

- Once the federal match dries up, the state will have to cover all the costs. Mississippi tax rates are already middle of the road compared to other states, and additional tax hikes would make competing with other states for new investors virtually impossible. Instead they need to be lowering tax rates in order to be more competitive for new investors.

- Extreme-rural areas with no jobs (because low-skill farm jobs and factory jobs have been replaced through technology) are rapidly losing unskilled people to places like Atlanta, Nashville, and Dallas where low-skill service jobs are located in spades. Higher welfare payments (such as Medicaid) would incentivize those unskilled people to remain stuck in the rural areas with no jobs, which would be bad for them and a strain on state taxpayers.

There are upsides to expanding Medicaid also (the hospitals want the extra money), but these are two important reasons for not expanding. It's basically choice between raising tax rates and exacerbating the economic problems or lowering tax rates and attracting new investors into the state, especially in places with growth potential (due to concentrations of skilled workers) like DeSoto County, Tupelo, Oxford, Columbus/Starkville, Metro Jackson, Hattiesburg/Laurel, and the Coast.

Yeah, the short-term money grab is hard to pass up, so kudos to MS for not doing it.

[Mississippi Alabama Line]

Originally Posted by Dingo Gibby

Victoria Principal never acted in any move called "Lifetime". From 1978 through 1987, Principal was one of the main cast members on the prime time TV soap opera Dallas. Richard Crenna never co-starred in a movie with Principal.

Good Lord, son. At least TRY to pick up on the humor.