Friday Ramblings with Robert

A bill that is expected to be signed into law by Governor Haley Barbour now requires consumers to obtain a prescription from a doctor for drugs that include pseudoephedrine.  Lawmakers and the Governor see this as a way to combat the rise in meth labs in the state.  I can’t bring myself to see what exactly they are seeing.  As someone who on many occasions has gone to the store to get some Claritin or Sudafed over the counter I am disappointed in this bill and the ramifications it will have.  I think it is beyond ridiculous for us to now clog up doctors offices for simple cases such as this one that most people could self medicate and have done so for decades.  Also, this will have little impact on meth addicts in this state in my opinion.  If they want to make meth they still will and they will either go to other states to stock up or will find an alternative.  Addicts will do what they have to do to get high and thats a fact that the Governor and the Legislature are overlooking in my opinion.  You can try to regulate it all you want, but the only people that are truly affected by all of this are the good and honest consumers who only want to by this when they are sick and don’t have the time or money to go to the doctor.  This bill clearly does more harm than good in my judgement.  

Who Wants An Airplane?  

I think it is funny that some Democrats in the Legislature are trying to put the state airplane up for sale on eBay.  In something that would only be fitting they should put it up for sale then buy it back at a lower price and mention how much cheaper they got it for this time.  Now that is completely a sarcastic look at, but would anybody really be surprised.  I know it wouldn’t shock me a bit.  The whole idea is just off the wall and a shot in the dark to try and fill a much bigger hole than what the money they could get off the sale could fill.  With that approach lets just sell all the little things the state owns until we have enough to fix the budget for ONE year.  Then when next year roles around we are left with the same hole, but no longer any assets to sell off to fill the hole.  It almost makes too much sense, but I guess you really just never know how some people think.         

Chief Phillip Martin 1926-2010  

The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and the state of Mississippi lost a great and dedicated leader this week with the passing of Chief Phillip Martin.   

Chief Phillip Martin, the former Choctaw Indian Tribal leader who served in public office for 48 years and helped to lead his people from abject poverty to unprecedented growth and prosperity with economic development initiatives that included the construction of two casinos in Neshoba County, died on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010, at a Jackson hospital. He was 83.  

Chief Martin also served this country in the United States Air Force.  The casino projects and the Pearl River Resort project have brought great economic success to the Choctaw people.  Through his leadership Chief Martin and  the MS Band of Choctaw Indians have reached great heights and I am sure he will be remembered very fondly by all.   

Chief Phillip Martin 1926-2010