Letter to the editor

This letter is to commend Sen. Nolan Mettetal for his courageous vote on March 16, 2010, when he voted in favor of the Hob Bryan amendment to House Bill 1622 to restore full funding to the public school districts  of the state against the strong objections of Sen. Alan Nunnelee, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant.

By casting this vote, Sen. Mettetal assured the taxpayers of Panola County that a total of $992,230 would stay in the public school coffers.

By not allowing the lieutenant governor and Sen. Nunnelee to institute more than $77 million in cuts to public school funding, Sen. Mettetal saved many jobs of those associated with the schools. Additionally, he helped local officials avoid raising local taxes to make up the difference. Sen. Bryan’s forward-thinking amendment even provides for full-funding for Board Certified teachers.

Please take the time to thank Sen. Mettetal for this very important and brave vote. It is hard to buck leadership in the legislative arena, yet he cast his votes in favor of the Panola County taxpayers, teachers and our future. Too often our elected leaders hear only criticism, and now is our chance to give Sen. Mettetal a well-deserved pat on the back.

Terry R. Cassereino

Madison

(Editor’s note: Cassereino is former communications director for the Mississippi Democratic Party and is now a private political consultant.)