Today In Mississippi

Elected officials deserve thanks for their service

By Michael Callahan
Electric Power Associations of Mississippi Executive Vice President/CEO

Successful candidates in last fall’s general elections will take office this month as we flip our calendars to the New Year.

Mississippians will see new faces at the state Capitol and welcome back familiar ones when the 179th session of the Mississippi Legislature begins Jan. 8.

The majority of elected offices in Mississippi were included on the 2007 ballot. Voters faced decisions in all three branches of state government and in many district and county offices.

Whether your candidates won their races or not, all candidates deserve our gratitude. Serving in any elected office can be a thankless job with difficult challenges. Elected officials are required to make tough decisions with the potential to affect others’ lives, for better or worse, and to live with the consequences of those decisions.

Holding a political office demands far more personal sacrifices than most people realize. One of them is a toll on family life that can be a challenge to overcome, especially for state legislators. Few households would not suffer a major disruption when Mom or Dad leaves for the state Capitol for months at a time each year.

The larger the constituency, the more demands on the politician’s time and the less time he or she has to spend with family. To complicate matters, people serving in state or federal posts may spend countless hours traveling back and forth to home and office.

As a past Southern District public service commissioner, I understand well the sacrifices and dedication demanded of all our public servants. Not only must they take care of daily business relating to their office, but the after-hours demands on their time can be unrelenting. They field never-ending requests for appearances at special events and meetings. And they are likely to receive phone calls from constituents at any time of day or night.

Yet, political service can be a fulfilling, rewarding career. There are good and bad members of any profession, but I strongly believe most of Mississippi’s elected officials serve with integrity and a sincere desire to help constituents. They love Mississippi and want to make it a safer and more prosperous place to live and raise families.

Electric power associations work tirelessly to help them do just that. We work closely with elected officials to ensure they understand our mission of affordable, safe and reliable electric service to every rural Mississippian who wants it.

State and federal legislation affect our ability to fulfill our mission, so we appreciate elected officials’ consideration of our members and their electrical needs. Their familiarity with our rural electrification program helps keep legislation from causing unintended difficulties for our members. We look forward to partnering with them once again as the New Year unfolds.

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Electric Power Associations of Mississippi
P.O. Box 3300 Ridgeland, Mississippi 39158-3300 phone 601.605.8600 fax 601.605.8601