News

By Paul Sims, Starkville Daily News
September 20th, 2008

Former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove made a stop in Starkville Friday afternoon and took exception to trade agreements which he says cost Mississippians jobs.

Musgrove and U.S. Sen. Wicker, a former First District congressman who was appointed to the Senate with the U.S. Sen. Trent Lott's departure from the seat last year, are locked in a battle to earn the right to finish out Lott's remaining term.

"Across the state there have been concerns that people have had about the loss of jobs, the high unemployment rate as a result of the bad trade agreements," he said, listing NAFTA, CAFTA and others. "Roger Wicker and his special interest allies in Washington have written these trade agreements for the benefit of special interests."

"It's time we started standing up for our people and our workers in Mississippi," Musgrove said. "I believe that we can have fair trade agreements for our farmers, our exporters and our manufacturers."

"You can negotiate these free trade agreements where we get an equal benefit for our country," Musgrove said. "Keep the worker as a priority. Right now our workers are being squeezed at the gas pumps, at the grocery stores and their pay and income remained about the same over the last several years."

Read the rest of the story here.