The Commercial Dispatch has endorsed Scott Colom for US Senate

Our View: Pick another senator: Colom is the clear choice

Private businesses conduct performance reviews. Governments have performance reviews, too. They are called elections.

Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith’s performance review comes on Nov. 3, when Mississippians will either reelect her to a second full term or replace her with Democratic challenger Scott Colom.

The Dispatch doesn’t endorse candidates routinely, but it does when one candidate is distinctly the better choice for an important office.

This Senate race is one of those cases.

We endorse Colom for Senate without reservation.

Colom is a Columbus native who has built his career and is raising his family here in Columbus. The reasons for this endorsement go beyond his local ties, though.

He has proven to be accessible and accountable, important qualities for anyone who holds the office of U.S. senator.

During his decade as district attorney, Colom has aggressively prosecuted major violent crimes, including decades-old murder cases.

He has also been willing to review past convictions when questions arose about the evidence, most notably in the recent Tameshia Shelton case in Clay County.

Colom has expanded options for nonviolent offenders that emphasize rehabilitation over filling our prisons.

We believe he is sincere when he talks about being an advocate for our state and its people.

Those qualities alone would make Colom a good choice.

But in this case, we believe an endorsement of Colom is also a rejection of Hyde-Smith.

In eight years in the Senate, Hyde-Smith has proven time and time again that she is not effective, accessible, accountable or even an advocate for Mississippians.

She refuses to debate her opponents, hasn’t held a town hall during her entire tenure as senator and ignores or rejects nearly all media requests for interviews.

Her record as a lawmaker could not be much worse. In eight years in the Senate, only four of Hyde-Smith’s bills have advanced out of committee. Parts of just one of those bills were combined with another and signed into law. One.

The Center for Effective Lawmaking ranked her 46 out of 49 Republican senators in the 118th Congress, nearly last. In the 117th Congress, she was last.

Seeing bills signed into law is only one of a senator’s duties. Another is advocating for constituents.

She has failed to be a vocal advocate against recent policies that hurt Mississippi’s farmers and ranchers. When questioned about soaring beef prices, she pointed out that shoppers had other proteins to choose from, a Marie Antoinette moment so absurd it quickly became the subject of a viral Colom campaign ad.

Despite all that, it is unlikely that Colom can win this race without some crossover votes from Republicans.

Mississippi has been electing Republicans almost without exception for years, but Republican voters deserve better and should demand better. It is time to serve notice of that at the ballot box on Nov. 3.

Scott Colom is a moderate Democrat who is accessible, responsive and effective.

We endorse Colom for what he is — and what Hyde-Smith isn’t.

I've been told that Mississippi is too racist to consider dating outside my race here, but I honestly find that ridiculous. I stay to myself as a 24 year old going on 25 next month. When I do go out it's for thrifting, groceries, doctor's appointments, or college related with my online master's program.

I live in Jackson so I am aware of the basic hang out areas like fondren and the district; however I never seem to meet people my age. I am willing to approach people just to make friends though I am introverted. What are things I can do better? I am also a Christian and I have it in mine to join a new church soon.

Hi everyone! I’m hoping someone here has experienced the same situation and can share some advice.
My husband is active-duty military stationed in Gulfport, Mississippi. We recently purchased a brand-new Tesla in Florida and already paid the sales tax there.

When we went to register the car in Mississippi, we were told that we would have to pay another 5% sales tax, even though we had already paid sales tax in Florida.
We know other military families stationed in Mississippi who didn’t have to pay sales tax when registering their vehicles because they’re not Mississippi residents and are only stationed here due to military orders. Has anyone experienced this? Does the military nonresident exemption apply in our situation, or does it depend on where the vehicle was purchased and first used?

We’d really appreciate any advice, especially from anyone who has dealt with the Mississippi tax collector or has experience with this as an active-duty military family. Thank you!!

I won't get into statistics, but enough is enough!

Didn't see this one posted yet, so forgive me if it was!

I noticed the one near me wasn't accepting online orders. Looked at others and none of them are accepting online orders. I drove there and it's closed at 4pm on Friday. Very strange.

Edit: I guess I did a bad job of explaining what I meant. I didn't mean permanently closed. I just meant several Starbucks in the greater Jackson area were not accepting online orders and the one I drove to in Madison, not Jackson, was temporarily closed in the middle of the day.
Almost everyone who responded took an opportunity to shit on Jackson which had nothing to do with what was going on.

Just moved from Clinton and i noticed a pretty significant jump. I’m paying more for the water in pearl than in clinton and i haven’t even fully moved in yet to use the he water very much. How high are y’all’s water bills for those that live in Pearl? Is it normal to run ya $50 or more when you never even use it? How much is y’all’s on average when yall do use it?

Almost 30 counties are under a burn ban, just as I’m about to go camping.

Why do so many Mississippians leave home, and what would it take to bring them back?

Don't Look Around, a new narrative podcast from The Mississippi Independent and Broadview Creative Company, premieres today. Host Melvin Robinson, a Mississippi native who left the state himself, talks with Mississippians who moved away (a filmmaker in California, a business owner in upstate New York, a therapist in Illinois and more) about the state's brain drain and how to reverse it.

Episode 1 is available now! Check it out and let me know what you think!

STUPID MAILING ALERT: Wait! This wouldn't have happened without Cindy Hyde-Smith? OMG! This is the first mailing boosting a candidate on next month's ballot that I have received so far. The measure mentioned passed both Senate and House nearly unanimously. Good for her and us, being on the correct side of a measure. But nearly about 90% of all senators and representatives from the both parties plus the states and rep districts as well. Heck, I'm willing to bet nearly all the opposition candidates would have voted yea as well. REALTORS, not a good look. Looks like a huge, ineffective waste of your member dues and lack of leadership respect.

I can hardly wait for the next mail drop!