Medicaid: Mississippi gives, then takes away benefits

Sun Herald.com ^ | Sun, Jun. 13, 2004 | EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS -Associated Press

[WKB]

Trial lawyers have run Miss for forty years--even more than most states.



Would consider trial lawyers to be Democrats or Republicans?

[Mamzelle]

Trial Lawyers own the Democrat Party. However, the Democrats do not own the Trial Lawyers. Miss is a disaster most and first because of the lawyers.

[WKB]

I am not saying you are wrong but where do you get your information?

[Mamzelle]

Miss has had laws that make it the nation's jury. Class action lawyers love to get Mississippi for their forum.

It has had a ruinous effect on the state's economy. The jury box in Miss is a Spite Venue--they are chosen to Sticking It To The Man. The Man being whoever has enough money to take away.

One small example of how it works--suppose you are a class-action lawyer and want to sue a drug mfger. You drag your local pharmacy into court (to establish how this drug relates to Miss) so that you can also drag the drug company to Mississippi. What do you think this does to your pharmacy, especially when it happens time and time again?

[WKB]

Did you know Gov Haley Barbour is signing major tort reform bill?

[Mamzelle]

I had read the same. It is hope for Mississippi.

Who runs the Miss Supreme Court--? The law will be challenged, certainly, by the hugely powerful trial lawyers.

To get an idea of how powerful they are, consider that the Fla tobacco settlement was 11B dollars. Billion, as in Bonanza and Bodacious. Two Billion of that went to a single law firm, of which Hillary's brother is a partner.

Tithes of this money go right back into campaigns for those who serve the lawyers.

If Miss is successful in challenging the power of these mobsters, they'll be on the path out of the swamp.

[WKB]

I wish you wouldn't be so harsh about our state.
I see from you page you must be a little ashamed of your state you won't even fly your state flag.

[wardaddy]

Actually Mississippi really took off as a Plantiff's Law state during and after the tobacco lawsuits although indeed there had been exploitations in medical and vehicular liablity prior.

Mississippi also had the misfortune to be the residence of Dick Scruggs (Lott's BIL) who made his first fortune over asbestos at the Ingalls (Litton) Shipyards in Pascagoula against Johns Mansfield and used that war chest to take a starring role in the tobacco extortions. He was able to hook the AG Moore into helping with legislative changes to grease the path after initial failures.

My homestate's susceptibility to this chicanery has been due to an unholy alliance between amenable mostly poor black (and a few white trash)juries and lawyers with no morals at all. Before you accuse me of racism, please note that the acknowledged best counties for these shakedowns like Jefferson and Humphreys or Issaquena are heavily poor black. They want to get paid and think they are owed and the lawyers ...mostly white are more than happy to help out. The eager juries have been the prime feeding ground and the abuses are well known....I know of several cases where the jurors fully expect to share in the award...and do.

However, the gluttony at the trough is not going on forever. Haley has really pushed legislation to curtail the practice and a number of the most crude lawyers are feeling the heat or indictments for jury meddling etc. and some high ranking lawyers in state position are in trouble as well. Still a long way to go but progress is happening.

Sad to say, I know a number of the charlatans myself. I hope Haley can wound them, most decent folks down there are disgusted and embarrassed by it all.

Just my 2 cents.

[from occupied ga]

It was, lawmakers said, the right thing to do in one of the poorest and unhealthiest states in the nation.

Here you have government "thought" in action. The state is poor, so spend more of the money from the taxpayers on perks to reward the poor - subsidize the indolent lifestyle rather than give them incentives to work. I begin to see why MS is poor.

Well know fact is that the poor aren't hard working. Those families with the lowest incomes usually work in aggregate less than 20 hours a week. Those families with the highest incomes usually work 100 hours or more a week.

[wardaddy]

I believe Mamzelle is originally a Carolinian and yes she does have issues with "us"..lol...on occasion.

[wardaddy]

Well know fact is that the poor aren't hard working

That is mostly true no doubt.

[from occupied ga]

The non-hard working poor

Thomas Sowell has something to say on that subject also - The link is his column from a couple of weeks ago on that very subject

[oldcomputerguy]

"Why is Mississippi such an armpit"

From your comments, it is obvious you don't know a damn thing about the state.

[oldcomputerguy]

"highest percentage of black people."

Highest percenatage maybe but far from the highest number.

[oldcomputerguy]

"Miss is a disaster most and first because of the lawyers."

You must have missed the part about torte reform being passed that is being hailed by the insurance industry as a model.

[Mamzelle]

LIke I asked in a previous post--who controls the Miss Supreme Court?

The damage done will take years to overcome even under ideal circumstances. Miss still has to compete with other states.

[Mamzelle]

I'm originally a Texan and even a Balmermerlin--figure that one out!

[Mamzelle]

I tend to avoid anything online that would identify me or my family, I've been burned by a stalker before

--and I happen to love Mississippi. I just really hate lawyers in general, though there are a couple of individuals I'm fond of....

If you can slap down your lawyers, just about anyone can! Slap 'em down. I'm rooting for you. But it's not over yet. What kind of Supreme Court does Miss have?

[TankerKC]

Instead of allowing coverage only for people with incomes up to 100 percent of the poverty level, legislators stretched the upper limit to include people with incomes up to 135 percent.

Now we're running a $200 million per year deficit.

Does anyone wonder why? You do the math.

[onyx]

Thank you for your 2 Cents of GOLD.