Mississippi

MS Auditor: State-level DOGEs could find millions in waste

Published

10 months ago

May 6, 2025

Press Room

MS Auditor: State-level DOGEs could find millions in waste

Shad White
| Special to the Mississippi Clarion Ledger

Mississippi’s State Auditor, Shad White, highlights examples of government waste in Mississippi, echoing the federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)’s mission.
Millions of taxpayer dollars are allegedly wasted on Medicaid coverage for deceased individuals and ineligible recipients, including a wealthy couple living in a million-dollar home.
Additional examples of waste include unused state-issued cell phones, overpriced TV screens, and extravagant spending on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs.

Americans spent four years watching Joe Biden throw billions of dollars down the drain and give out tax dollars like candy to all of his left-wing activist buddies.

Compare that to the historic leadership President Trump has displayed with his creation of the Department of Government Efficiency. We finally have a president who makes an effort to save trillions instead of lighting it on fire.

DOGE is a benefit because it’s not only doing real work to make our federal government more efficient, but it’s also inspiring state government officials around the country to start state-level DOGE efforts.

I have the privilege to serve as Mississippi’s State Auditor, and we have spent the last few years finding similar sorts of examples of waste in state government. We even jokingly started calling ourselves MOGE (the Mississippi Office of Government Efficiency) and have released an 800-page MOGE report with tons of detail on how state taxpayer money is going down the drain.

For example, in Mississippi’s Medicaid program, we found the state paid over $600,000 in a year to cover dead folks who were still on the program rolls.

We also found that in any given year, anywhere from 5-7% of people on Medicaid appear to be making too much money to be eligible for the program. That costs taxpayers anywhere from $60-$144 million in wasted funds, depending on the year. And the specific examples of what we found were insane: one couple was living in a 7,000 square foot home valued at over $1 million, and Mississippians were paying for their healthcare via Medicaid.

The Medicaid number is large, but we find smaller examples of waste that add up over time. Mississippi spends about $340,000 every year on cell phones for state employees that are never turned on. State agencies here entered into IT contracts to pay $5,800 each for TV screens (while the federal government bought the exact same TV screens for $2,200). Politicians use the state plane to fly to out-of-state baseball games.

Another area I’ve been excited to see DOGE look into is the massive amount of tax dollars being spent on DEI across our government. Here in Mississippi, my office found that over a four-year period, Mississippi universities spent over $23 million on DEI programs. One university has 20 DEI staffers.

Their head DEI staffer makes more than the governor and the lieutenant governor of Mississippi combined. And when asked what they did with all this money and manpower, that DEI office produced a document showing one of their accomplishments was handing out a grant to study equity-based social justice yoga for preschoolers (it sounds fake, I know).

We’ve found state taxpayer money going to purchase books for public libraries that teach kids that “whiteness is a bad deal.” We have taxpayer funding for left-wing degree programs in universities that teach classes like “Gender and Zombies.” We see grant money going to non-profits for community gardens that don’t exist or paying the speeding tickets of the non-profit’s managers.

Which leads me to this point: all of these left-wing activist ideologies are being promoted even here in Mississippi, the last state you’d imagine you’d find this garbage. This makes starting a state-level DOGE in every state even more important.

I’ve been Mississippi’s State Auditor for seven years now, and I’ve learned a lot during my tenure. I’ve learned that sometimes government waste happens because a bureaucrat is just lazy and isn’t being efficient with other people’s money. But other times, the waste is deliberate. Other times, the waste is there on purpose because it benefits someone powerful or well-connected.

This explains why Democrats spend all their time attacking DOGE and Elon Musk. I’ve had my fair share of attacks from establishment politicians over my office’s findings, too — some from my own party. Most politicians and government bureaucrats have no interest in weeding out the waste and some of them actually depend on it. They will attack and slander anyone who attempts to put a stop to it.

But I know that President Trump and Elon Musk won’t let that stop them. That’s the attitude you must have to go after the pet projects, and it’s what I’ve had to do here in Mississippi as the state auditor. My prediction is DOGE will inspire a new generation of leaders who know how to stand up to the left-wing bureaucratic ideologues and the establishment politicians to finally get a good deal for taxpayers.

— Shad White is the 42^nd State Auditor of Mississippi.

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Mississippi

Why Rebels are keeping pace for Mississippi State CB commit Brandon Allen Jr

Published

3 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Why Rebels are keeping pace for Mississippi State CB commit Brandon Allen Jr

Ole Miss is working to eventually flip Mississippi State cornerback commit Brandon Allen Jr. (Atlanta, Ga.). Ahead of a packed spring travel schedule, visiting multiple programs, Allen speaks on his current recruitment with Rebels247.com.

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Mississippi

Carpenter Pole and Piling invests $5M in Mississippi, creating 10 jobs

Published

16 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Carpenter Pole and Piling invests M in Mississippi, creating 10 jobs

Staff
| Mississippi Clarion Ledger

A Mississippi wood products manufacturer is investing nearly $5 million in an expansion.
Carpenter Pole and Piling’s project is expected to create 10 new jobs in Wiggins.
The expansion includes a new treatment plant and an additional 20 acres for storage.
Construction is anticipated to be completed by September 2026.

A wood products manufacturer is set to create new jobs as part of a major expansion.

Carpenter Pole and Piling is investing nearly $5 million into its Wiggins, Mississippi, operation.

The expansion will add 10 new positions and support long-term growth in the region.

“Carpenter Pole and Piling is a true Mississippi success story, and we’re proud to see the company continue investing right here at home,” Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said.

“This expansion in Stone County is creating new opportunities for hardworking Mississippians while strengthening a company that has long contributed to our state’s economy,” Reeves said. “When Mississippi businesses grow, our communities grow with them, and we remain committed to fostering a business environment where companies can thrive.”

Carpenter Pole and Piling produces utility poles and pilings for marine and foundation use.

The project includes construction of a new treatment plant, investment in a 2,600-cubic-foot autoclave and an alternative treatment option to improve production capacity.

The company is also clearing and preparing an additional 20 acres for a new pole storage yard.

Stone County is also contributing to the project.

The company expects to complete construction by September 2026.

The new roles are expected to be filled by January 2027.

Carpenter Pole and Piling specializes in the production of utility poles. It also manufactures foundation and marine pilings.

The new autoclave will increase production and add an alternative treatment option.

This story was created by business and development writer Ross Reily, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more.

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Mississippi

CBSB: Southern Miss sweeps again, Mississippi State shines in Texas, Ole Miss struggles – SuperTalk Mississippi

Published

1 day ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

CBSB: Southern Miss sweeps again, Mississippi State shines in Texas, Ole Miss struggles – SuperTalk Mississippi

Southern Miss earned its second consecutive sweep, rounding out a mostly successful weekend of college baseball for Mississippi’s major programs.

The No. 12 Golden Eagles (10-1), fresh off a mercy-rule victory over Alabama, exited a hostile Louisiana Tech environment with three straight wins versus a former conference counterpart. Christian Ostrander’s crew won 8-3 on Friday, cruised to an 11-0 run-rule victory through seven innings on Saturday, and was on the good side of a 6-2 scoreboard in Sunday’s finale.

A three-run bomb by Kyle Morrison in the top of the fourth of Friday’s game put the black and gold up 5-3, and solid pitching carried the team the rest of the way. A six-run top of the fourth of Saturday’s game, in part due to a Matthew Russo 2 RBI single, broke a scoring stalemate and fueled Southern Miss to a win in a shortened matchup. A two-run long ball by Joey Urban in the top of the ninth of Sunday’s battle gave the Golden Eagles a buffer that would not be eclipsed.

Kros Sivley (2-0) was Friday’s winning pitcher after logging a pair of strikeouts in 1.2 innings. Grayden Harris (2-0) got the win on Saturday after fanning five batters and surrendering no runs through six complete innings. Camden Sunstrom (1-0) closed out the finale with the win after striking out two batters and not giving up a hit or a run in the final two frames.

Mississippi State wins two in Texas

The No. 4 Bulldogs (11-1) had a solid weekend in the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series. Brian O’Connor’s club handled the weekend test with an 8-4 win over Arizona State, a 15-8 victory over Virginia Tech, and a heartbreaking 8-7 extra-innings loss to No. 1 UCLA.

Mississippi State broke a scoring hiatus on Friday with a strong bottom of the fifth. A Bryce Chance RBI single scored the game’s first run, then a Gehrig Frei homer put the Bulldogs up 4-0. Three insurance runs were added in the next offensive frame, and Mississippi State did not look back. On Saturday, an Ace Reece longball gave the maroon and white a 4-0 lead in the top of the second. Virginia Tech chipped away, cutting the deficit to two runs, until a five-run top of the seventh put things out of reach.

Sunday’s finale was a battle between two teams vying for bragging rights as the nation’s best. The Bruins took an early 3-0 lead, but Mississippi State quickly countered. A two-run bomb by Reed Stallman and an RBI double by Ryder Woodson knotted things up 3-3 in the bottom of the fourth. The Bulldogs added a run in the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings to lead 5-3.

A two-out home run by UCLA’s Roch Cholowsky tied the ballgame in the top of the ninth. Mississippi State, with runners on second and third and no outs in the bottom of the ninth, could not send a runner home. A wild pitch and a 2 RBI triple scored three Bruins in the top of the 10th. Stallman hit his second home run of the day to inch the Bulldogs within one run of their foe, but it was not followed up with more scoring.

Winning pitchers for Mississippi State this weekend were Ryan McPherson (2-0) and Tomas Valincius (3-0), while Ben Davis (0-1) was tabbed with the lone loss.

Ole Miss struggles in neutral-site tournament

In its first set of tests versus power conference opponents, the Rebels (10-2) struggled mightily, dropping two of three outings in the BRUCE BOLT College Classic. Mike Bianco’s club fell to Baylor 6-5 in extra innings on Friday before bouncing back on Saturday in an 8-0 win over Ohio State and suffering a 9-2 loss to Coastal Carolina in Sunday’s finale. Ole Miss was a combined 0-18 at the plate with runners in scoring position in the two losses.

Though the weekend didn’t play to the Rebels’ advantage, a few individual performers stood out. Murray State transfer Dom Decker, who entered his junior campaign without hitting a home run, hit three balls over the outfield wall at the Houston Astros’ Daikin Park. Hunter Elliott had a career-high 11 strikeouts on Friday, while Cade Townsend and Taylor Rabe collectively fanned 16 batters in Saturday’s shutout.

Next up

Southern Miss will play a pair of home midweek games, the first being against Mississippi State on Tuesday at 6 p.m. and the second versus Nicholls on Wednesday at 6 p.m., before hosting North Alabama over the weekend.

Mississippi State will host Lipscomb over the weekend after facing the Golden Eagles.

Ole Miss will host Memphis on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. and North Alabama on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., before welcoming Evansville for a weekend series.

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