News
State budget cuts hit Vicksburg Drivers License branch – Video
Last year the state of Mississippi Legislature made the decision to cut funding for state drivers license offices all over the state. Now that several of them are actually closed, many affected people are traveling to Vicksburg for their services. The result is extremely long lines and a very angry electorate.
The budget cuts were due to revenue shortfalls after the state cut $150 million a year in revenue from the budget and gave that money to corporations in the form of corporate tax breaks. That money has yet to come back to state revenue coffers as jobs or increased tax revenue. As a result, the state has cut services in everything from child protective services to cutting grass on the highways and now the state drivers license branches.
People are livid. Said one at 1:30 in the afternoon, “I’ve been here since 9 a.m. and was the next in line before they went to lunch. Now I have to wait again.”
The crowd was understanding and cordial to Rhonda Hall Howard as she returned from her lunch break. They understood she was doing all she can. “Our Vicksburg people can’t even get in most days,” Howard said.
Here is a video of the scene and a conversation with one of the people who had been waiting:
The budget cuts were very popular with corporations and were overseen by Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and Speaker of the Mississippi House Phillip Gunn, both Republicans.
Vicksburg Daily News staff has seen numerous complaints from all over the state in recent weeks on social media.
Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves at the Champion Hill dedication July 2.
You may recall the incident we reported on September 26 where a younger lady drove her car into the back of a house on Chambers Street.
It was one of the more bizarre stories we’ve covered. To hit that porch the car had to travel down a dead end street, turn into a private drive and swerve around a parked car to hit that porch. The homeowner, Taylor Ransone summed it up when he said “she appeared to be confused.” The vehicle left the scene and was not found.
A bewildered Taylor Ransone surveys the damage from the car that struck the back porch of his house.
On Friday Mr. Ransone made contact with the Vicksburg Daily News to give us an update on the story. He announced “Sgt. Bobby Jones with the Vicksburg Police Department told him the driver of the vehicle had contacted the police to confess to the accident.” She had a “medical event and had no memory of crashing into the back of his house” reported Ransone. But after being released from the hospital last week she started to piece it together and called Sgt. Jones.
The car came down the side street, where people are standing, swerved left, missed the grey car parked behind the home and impacted the back porch with enough force to dislodge the pillar.
The lady has insurance and is recovering from her medical event.
Homeowner Taylor Ransone was pleased to say “You never know what people are going through. I am glad she got help and, of course, that she wasn’t seriously injured.”
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