Daily Journal
The usefulness of political persuasion and influence never reveals itself more than in investment by industries in states whose congressional delegation holds purse strings.
It is more than a happy coincidence and a completely fair one in the context of the workings of Congress – that significant new defense and high-technology development is making its way to Mississippi, which has two appropriators in its congressional delegation.
Thursday's announcement that AED Battery Systems had chosen the Mississippi State University/Starkville research axis for its newest facility included a statement by and the presence of U.S. Rep. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., of Tupelo. Wicker, an ascendant member of House Appropriations, has a part in the say-so about money for AED through the U.S. defense budget. It also helps immensely that Mississippi State is a Top 25 research university.
When AED and several other recent additions to Northeast Mississippi's economy move across the U.S. Capitol to promote themselves, they must encounter Sen. Thad Cochran, the Mississippi Republican who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Mississippi has a remarkable record in Appropriations influence. The late, great Sen. John Stennis was chairman of Appropriations as he closed out his career and Democrats controlled the chamber. The late 1st District Rep. Jamie Whitten of Charleston inherited the reins of House Appropriations. Then, Whitten retired, and Wicker was awarded a much-coveted seat on the committee Whitten had chaired.
Cochran succeeded to the Senate Appropriations chairmanship this year under internal term-limit rules. He can serve two terms (12 years) as chairman. Unless he chooses to retire – or in the seemingly unlikely event the Democrats get control of the Senate – there's currently no reason to think he won't be there.
Then, outside the Appropriations sphere but very much in the influence picture, Republican Sen. Trent Lott chairs the Rules Committee and watches over a significant portion of the national warship-building interest at Northrop Grumman in Pascagoula.
"Pork," some would cry.
No, it's smart politics, subtly executed and manifested in good jobs for Mississippians.
In addition to AED, count Friday's announcement of Circadence in Tupelo, connected to MSU; American Eurocopter in Columbus; General Atomics in Tupelo; Aurora Fight Sciences at MSU; II-VI and SemiSouth, both in Starkville.
Can it last past the peaks of congressional influence?
If what these new-to-us industries make and formulate sells, they can thrive in Northeast Mississippi and remain here.
A lot of the permanence has to do with the kind of workforce they need and the qualifications found in the men and women of our region. That puts the spotlight on the state and its support of education adequate to produce employees for these industries.
Our region knows all too well what happens if commitments of federal money aren't written in indelible ink for the long term: Remember the high hopes at the Yellow Creek site in Tishomingo County and a new Advanced Solid Rocket Motor for NASA. The late Chairman Whitten's infirmities robbed him of his controlling influence, and Congress killed the project before full development.
The delegation is doing what's right and expected within the system. But the rest of us should remember that politics periodically changes, and those changes can shift less-than-steady development from the private sector elsewhere.
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Appeared originally in the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, 7/10/2005 8:00:00 AM, section B , page 4
