Thanks for the information regarding this school.

This school is historical - and should be preserved

It is not 'just another private school'.

Since it's a private school that primarily benefits blacks, that makes it A-OK to receive largess from the federal government. We're not even talking the local or state govt, but the FEDERAL govt. Suddenly, all the Repub proposals on education that the public school system, the NEA, and almost every Dem hates to hell and back work, but only for this one particular school. BS!

If this was a bunch of impoverished white redneck Mississipi kids, no one would even consider about throwing big chunks of money at the private school, and would be laughed at. Since the student population is poor blacks, it's all fine and dandy. Getting a white Repub to be the flag-bearer is even better. It's almost like the typical guilty white male liberal who wants everyone to know how ashamed he feels about having some money and wants to use everyone else's money to show how charitable and open-hearted he is.

I also had a friend who's kid was on drugs. She is white, but he went there n they got him off of them. There are very few places like this where your kid can still get an education n stay off drugs.

White kids from Mississippi welcome! When a community makes an effort to 'help' all kids and succeeds - I prefer the taxpayer dollar to go towards helping them with fund raising rather than chunking money down the 'black hole' of a public school where the graduation rate is less than 30%. The hypocrisy is seen in getting angry because it's predominantly 'black' and private - yet Piney Woods is accomplishing all those things that some demand of a meaningful education for all young people. Successful sustaining effort should be recognized and rewarded. Hopefully the federal funds will be monitored - and the money will actually be used to benefit the kids and not end up in the hands of state bureaucrats.

If I read their website right and understand what I read, they have at least a $14M Endowment. I see nothing about State support. They seem to be quite successful in attracting support from private resources, as it should be for a private institution. I salute what they do for Missippi's youth, but pls, Federal dollars (yours and mine) should not be part of their financial support.

I am totally opposed to a private school of any kind that charges 31K in tuition getting a dime from the federal govt. This is coming from someone who went to private schools my entire life and they were self-supporting and for a reason. I have no doubt they do great work at Piney Woods, but it sounds like a problem with fund-raising on all levels when you have to hold your hand out to public govt for money. When you do that, you should be expected to be accountable to the federal and local govt's on everything, which sort of defeats the purpose of being a private school. This isn't even an example of why a charter school or vouchers would work as we are talking about federal monies going to a local private school.

The rest of Cochran's earmarks are very dubious, but that doesn't make Piney Woods OK. Every bozo in Congress can justify his/her earmarks as being "good things" when the reality is that they are a constant drain on the budget. One thing that alleged conservatives and independents agreed with Obama on during the campaign is that earmarks basically suck and need to end. Most earmarks should be handled by states in any event, not the federal government. Congress thinks that the federal govt is a bottomless pit of money, ready to dole-out to whoever asks/demands/whines the most and that's why the country is in enormous debt and partially owned by China.

I don't give a damn about what is best for the residents of here or there, I care about what is best for the country overall. Earmarks are a total failure and bad for the country, not a benefit.

I read up on earmarks. They are questionable. It seems the reason given for them is that they feel by the time the money passes through a few bureocrats hands, it will be eaten up, or used for something else. If they continue with earmarks, maybe the taxpayers should put limits themselves on what it should be used for.

Again, coming from there, Cochran is only trying to help his own people any way he can. That is what they elected him todo.

I completly agree with the rebuilding of the reefs. When I was a girl, there were 200 old mansions right up against the shore there. They had lasted all those years because of the reefs. With off shore drilling etc, so much is gone. That is why Florida, MS, and La are having all the problems they do. New Orleans had all kinds of marshes that broke up the storms, those are long gone.

As for Piney Woods, I'm white, but want all the kids to get all the help they can. They try very hard down there to give the kids the best chance they can.

They are trying something new that I wish had been around when I was a kid. If you excell in the arts, they are breaking you out of the the regular schools state wide and sending you to an art school in Brookhaven. They used a beautiful campus of an old pre 1840 womans college. They have wonderful teachers and it is putting these kids light years ahead. It is also free and paid for by the state. This is a wonderful opportunity for these kids to make something of themselves.
http://www.msa.k12.ms.us/htm/Welcome.htm

The reef issue is one that I do believe exceeds just being a "state matter" a lot of the time and one that deserves a serious look, as does any issues relating to the coastlines anywhere. They've been recklessly abused for a long time in the name of "progress" and some states have pretty much given up on any control in that area. Losers. They loved the money that came in and when nothing else could be developed, quickly ignored the results.

Piney Woods? I wouldn't have a problem with the school receiving funds as long as you throw all the other private schools out there into the mix too. Otherwise, that's really a state issue and not one that should involve federal bucks, even if they are doing great work. I'm not against what Piney Woods is doing and I think it is admirable, but the state needs to come across the dough for several reasons, one of which is that they get the biggest benefit for Piney Woods doing the work they do.

Yes, I know Cochran is just trying to bring home the bacon to his constituents, but you can't scream bloody murder about fiscal responsibility, impoverishing our kids and grandchildren to pay off the debt we ran up, and mortgaging ourselves to countries that may one day not really care about our well-being whatsoever and may in fact be hostile to our interests. I think people are finally starting to expect better than the "politics as usual."

Obama hit all the right chords campaigning on the above, so there is some popular sentiment amongst independents for no longer thinking it's fine for only THEIR elected official to bring home the bacon and all the others not be able to, but it has to start somewhere and someone needs the political guts to not be a Thad Cochran.

along with States Rights come States Responsibilities.

http://www.stanford.edu/group/biotech/index_files/Page1607.htm

Hell no! If they know there's no hope for re-election they'll just lie, steal, and cheat that much faster. I say elect them for LIFE and then hold them constitutionally liable for every vote they cast.

AUDENTES FORTUNA JUVAT

In fact he slams the repubs harder then he does Dems..and thats pretty hard.

Being a Libertarian has it's perks.

and the TeaPartyers.. well they are going after BOTH parties.. The days of "Holding" the party line are over..

The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism.
But, under the name of “Liberalism” “they will adopt every fragment of the Socialist program, until one day America will be a Socialist nation, without knowing how it happened” Norman Thomas US Candidate for President