Testimonies

The Forum serves as a voice of free-market encouragement in Mississippi with the goal of stimulating private sector growth for a bigger and brighter Mississippi.

Mississippi River Flooding Charts

Mississippi River Testimonies

The Corps mission is to control flooding on the Mississippi River.  Congress gave it the job after the great flood of 1927.  The Mississippi River Commission (MRC) holds two public hearings in Mississippi every year at which anyone can comment or “testify” on how well the Corps is doing its job.

Bigger Pie Forum’s chair Kelley Williams has testified at several hearings.  His testimony notes that Mississippi’s batture and backwaters are flooding more frequently and longer and that major floods are more frequent.  It attributes this to the Corps plan adopted in 1928 and suggests that the plan is outdated and needs to change.

Private landowners, farmers, timber companies, oil operators, mineral owners, other private citizens and representatives of county government have testified as well.  Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann testified on behalf of the state.

Recent Testimonies

Mississippi River Commission Testimony: Jerry Riddle in Natchez August 2016

Testimony of Jerry Riddle For this entire past year, not one day have I been able to drive home on the road, because it’s been under water, because you refuse to open the Morganza Spillway.  Why?  Why would you do it? Is it because you have the big crawfish pond built on the other side…

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Mississippi River Commission Testimony: Conner House in Natchez August 2016

MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION 8/17/16 INTRO CONNER HOUSE FORESTRY/LOGGING/LANDOWNER Over the past century the USACE has been tasked with modifying and manipulating the Mississippi River and its tributaries to minimize the impact of flooding and to navigation and commerce in the River. As in any environment, every action has a reaction. CLICK HERE TO READ the…

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Mississippi River Commission Testimony: Lee Jones in Natchez August 2016

Proposed five minute talk to the Public Meeting held by the Mississippi River Commission in Natchez, Mississippi on board the Motor Vessel Mississippi at 2:00 p.m. 17 August, 2016. My name is Lee Jones.  Our sawmill, J. M. Jones Lumber Company, Inc., is located on the bank of the Mississippi River just below the Natchez-Vidalia…

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Mississippi River Commission Testimony: Troy Orso in Natchez August 2016

Presentation to the Mississippi River Commission August 13, 2016 Damages from increased flooding on the MS River Summary Over the course of time, the Corp has done a great job in reducing the impact of overall flooding along the Mississippi River.  Some have seen great benefit, but there are those of us experiencing a detrimental…

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Mississippi River Commission Testimony: Kelley Williams in Lake Providence Apr 2016

I think floods are acts of God and politicians. God sends the rain. Politicians decide who gets flooded.

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Bigger Pie Forum Projects

The Kemper County Clean Lignite Project

Mississippi River Flooding

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