Mike Sumrall for State Auditor

There is one statewide race that directly affects all the CPAs in the state and that is the race for State Auditor. I have carefully examined all of the candidates running and I have come to the conclusion only Mike Sumrall is qualified to fill that all-important position.

There has not been a State Auditor since W. Hamp King (1956-1984) with a degree in accounting (He also was a CPA.). Mike Sumrall is the only candidate running that has a degree in accounting (However, he is not a CPA.).

Sumrall worked in the State Auditor's office for 23 years, so he understand what goes on in an audit. He served as a senior auditor and headed the computer and information technology divisions. Until recently, he served as the Forrest County administrator and chief financial officer. He is not a lightweight when it comes to knowledge of government accounting rules and regulations. He also knows what it takes to do a thorough financial audit and come up with clean, accurate financial reports for the state, its agencies and the counties. Because he worked for a couple of CPA firms, he knows what CPAs are looking for in an audit and can "speak their language."

Because I'm a CPA, I did some investigating as to what kind of person he would be as State Auditor. The people who work in the State Auditor's office have a high regard for him. Terms they used were "knowledgable," "knows his stuff," "very friendly," "easy to work for," and "very hard-working." Right now, turnover in the State Auditor's office is an eye-popping 82%! It is hard to run an effective office when you have such high turnover. Since 1984, all the State Auditors have been politicians using the position as a step for higher office. Folks, that is twenty-four years of using an office for political agendas. It's not a partisan issue, since the State Auditors have been Democratic or Republican. The present State Auditor knows absolutely nothing about government accounting and auditing. Isn't it time there was someone who knew what he was doing?

For twenty-four years I have seen the State Auditor's office being used to launch the officeholder's political career. The office could go down the drain but what was important is building up that officeholder's political ambitions. Mike Sumrall is going to be a State Auditor and not a self-seeking politician. He will run the office in the tradition of Hamp King, whom most people consider to be the most qualified individual to serve as State Auditor. Sumrall will NOT be running for office other than re-election as State Auditor.

I know his running as a Democrat turn a lot of people off. Many Republicans think he is probably some liberal. Actually, he is very conservative. He is strongly pro-life. I have talked with him on the telephone and found him to be very friendly. He is staunchly conservative on the social and fiscal issues. Before you wonder why he didn't run as a Republican, it's because many of us believe we need staunch conservatives in the Democratic Party as well.

There have been a lot of scandals in private industry such as Enron and WorldCom because of lax accounting standards. Those two scandals alone cost shareholders billions of dollars. We need a watchdog when it comes to spending state, county and local monies. Mike Sumrall is the only candidate who can effectively run the State Auditor's office.

Races I Will Follow

This was a very busy tax season so I did not do much blogging. During the next three months of the primary season, I will cover the following races:

1. Lt. Governor. I'll make no bones about it: I am supporting State Senator Charlie Ross for the post. I think Phil Bryant is dumber than my box turtle Pokey Jo. I also think Ross is a lot more conservative than Bryant. At least Ross stands by his principles. If this were Nazi Germany, Bryant would be singing the "Horst Wessel". Ross would be fighting the Nazis.

2. Chancery Clerk. This race is mainly between Mitch Childre and Larry Swales. I will be doing all I can for Mitch. (There is a third candidate, Kirk McDaniel, but I don't think he'll be a major player.) I have known Mitch for twenty years and I can tell you he will do a good job and serve the people. Swales will serve his ego and his Reservoir buddies.

3. State Auditor. Because I'm a CPA, this is one race I'm interested in. I am hoping Mike Sumrall will be the Democratic nominee. He has the experience and will do a good job running the agency. He will have a tough race. If he should win the primary, he'll have a very tough race in the general election.

Obviously, there are other races and I will comment on them. I'm hoping Cliff Brown will be elected State Senator, but I'm not all that familiar with his race. I don't live in that district. (I do find it strange that no Democrat qualified for the race.). My commentary will be limited on that race. I would like to see Lee Yancey get elected as State Senator in District 20 (Again, no Democrat qualified for that race.). Lee is an individual of impeccable integrity and has been a lobbyist for the Christian Action Commission of the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board. He would be ideal as a State Senator for people who want a fighter and is one of the "little guys." And in the PSC--Central race, I hope Pearl Mayor Jimmy Foster is the GOP nominee and is elected in November. He's done a good job as mayor. His opponent, Charles Barbour, has been a county supervisor in Hinds County and has done a poor job. Talk radio has had fun blasting four of the five supervisors, Barbour being one of them.

May is just a day away. I better get out my old diaries and inform you what a louse Phil Bryant really is. It'll be a fun three months.

Still Busy, Busy, Busy

I'm sorry I haven't written a thing in the past month. I've been extremely busy. After April 17th, I plan to write a lot more than once a month.

In due time, we will have party registration. This has been caused by the Mississippi Democratic Party's refusal to certify Insurance Commissioner George Dale and State Rep. Mary Ann Stevens as candidates. Dale is being punished for supporting President Bush in 2004 and Stevens votes "contrary to Democratic positions (whatever that means)".

I was on the Rankin County Republican Executive Committee for twelve years (1980-1992), eleven of them as treasurer (1981-1992). We certified a lot of candidates who were once Democrats. In fact, we certified Larry Swales in 1988 for the special elections for county supervisor despite his support for Ray Mabus just the prior year. We had no litmus test. We just went by the legal requirements. If they met them, we certified them.

If the state Democratic Party can give a litmus test, then what about the county Democratic Party committees? If I ran as a Democrat, would I be certified in Rankin County by the Democrats despite my prior GOP activities? It makes you wonder. And what about rural whites who vote Republican but wish to run as Democrats for office? Would they be denied certification by their Democratic Party county committees?

Gov. Haley Barbour has always had an "open tent" for those who wish to run as Republicans. It is only a matter of time before the county governments which are primarily governed by whites become GOP bastions (It is unfortunate there is such a polarization of race and political party affiliation.). You will be able to thank the Mississippi Democratic Party for that.

Honestly, sometimes I think the state Democratic Party is made up of kamikaze pilots.

Busy, Busy, Busy, Busy

I've been busier than a one-armed paperhanger at the Sistine Chapel. Therefore, there is nothing to post this month.

After tax season, I plan to write about Phil Bryant. From January 1, 1981 to the present, I keep a detailed diary. I served with Bryant for seventeen months on the Rankin County Republican Executive Committee (from Dec. 1988 to April 1990). One reader of my blog wondered why I passionately dislike him so much. You will soon know why.

I'll blog one more time in March. But after tax season, be prepared for some juicy stuff.