Ford sets race for speaker in motion
By By Terry Cassreino / assistant managing editor
Dec. 22, 2002
Even though Tim Ford made it official last week, many lawmakers have known for months that the four-term House speaker was going to end his legislative career next year.
Ford's announcement was so anti-climactic that it came months after two longtime lawmakers began their own behind-the-scenes campaigns to replace him as the next House speaker.
Reps. Billy McCoy, D-Rienzi, and Bobby Moody, D-Louisville, head the list of the most likely successors in the speaker's office. McCoy says he has the best shot.
A small group of House members spent the summer and fall campaigning behind-the-scenes for McCoy and lining up a list of lawmakers to back him when the speaker is picked in January 2003.
They say McCoy, a sometimes-intense, serious-minded legislator, is perfect for the job.
They point to his reputation as being fair, honest and above-board. And they cite his experience gained during stints as chairman of the House Education and House Ways and Means committees.
McCoy sat quietly in the background much of the time, letting his supporters do the campaign work. He took a more visible role this fall, but still has shied away from discussing the race publicly.
And it's paid off. McCoy says he has enough support to take over in January if Ford chose to relinquish his post for the last year of his final term.
That, however, is a long shot.
Ford may be freely retiring from the most powerful job in Mississippi government, but he won't freely give up an important position he has fought so hard to keep.
As speaker, Ford has the ability to directly influence some of Mississippi's most important issues from state spending to public education and economic development policies.
Ford presides over the 122-member state House. He appoints members to House committees. He names committee chairmen. And he can decide what bills will and won't be debated.
When Ford was elected speaker in 1988, he was limited to two terms in the job. But in 1993, he successfully worked behind-the-scenes to nix the term limit allowing him to serve indefinitely.
That said, look for Ford to finish out his term as speaker.
At the same time, look for McCoy to continue to cement his support in the House as he eyes, first, his re-election campaign in November and, then, the speaker's race for 2003.
The unknown factor: How will the impending election for speaker affect the regular legislative session in January especially if Moody doesn't give up and continues to campaign for the job?
Meridian's bond issue
Does anybody find it strange that Meridian city councilmen formally announced their intent to borrow $5 million to pave and repair roads and didn't know if such a move would raise taxes?
City councilmen say they have a lot of time between now and a Feb. 18 public hearing to determine if the city could pay off the new loan with existing revenues.
But why wait two months? Why not provide the information before the public hearing and before the council gives final approval? Why make people wait until the last minute?
And how difficult is it for Meridian to provide residents with what should be easy-to-find information about city debt and whether borrowing more money would require more taxes?
Besides that, city leaders don't even have a final list of streets they plan to pave and repair in each of the five wards another piece of information that could cement public opinion in favor of the plan.
No, the only thing city leaders know for sure is that they want to borrow $5 million for unspecified, undetermined road paving and repair projects.
With all of that in mind, is it really that surprising few people attend the city council meetings?
