Really Delbert? You went there?

VICKSBURG, Miss., (VDN) — So I’ve met Mississippi Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann quite a few times. He’s tall, polite and seems like the quintessential southern politician. He never struck me as just plain stupid until his interview with SuperTalk Mississippi Monday, Dec. 15.

During the interview the Lt. Governor made the statement “They (first responders) live longer than most people do because they stay healthy…”

Really, Delbert? You went there? I feel like there should be a metaphorical queue the crickets moment of shock.

Did one of the most powerful men in the Magnolia State really say that first responders live longer than most other people do?

Now keep in mind the man said this statement in defense of tier five. Tier five would bring adjustments to the public retirement plan in Mississippi. Under tier five, public employees- including first responders- would need to work 35 years to be eligible for full retirement benefits. This is five years longer than the standard.

So you see, Hosemann is trying to justify reasoning for a faulty policy by dusting make-believe magical fairy facts to keep the public from growing outraged.

Here is the plain and simple truth: first responders are statically proven to have elevated cancer risk, cardiovascular disease, and suicide rates directly tied to their jobs. Ever heard of hazard pay? These men and women pay for their jobs and the safety of the public with their health.

Research from the Centers for Disease Control, National Institutes of Health, and other occupational health journals confirm that first responders have worse health than their non-emergency working peers.

Either Delbert is just living under a rock, out-of-touch with the brave men and women who keep him safe, or he just really desperately wants his made-up facts to be true. In my opinion? He should have kept his thoughts on the subject to himself.

He could have said, “This is a good plan.”

Or “I like my plan.”

But to just lie and insult the men and women who lost their lives too soon because of the risks of their job, is too much. I call foul. I call insensitive. I call more political crap that we simply shouldn’t have to put up with.

The Mississippi Association of Chiefs of Police said it best in a social media post, “Mississippi can’t fix what it refuses to acknowledge. Tier 5 fails first responders. You don’t extend retirement ages in professions proven to shorten lives.”

Time to wake up to the real world, Delbert. Facing the truth is the first step to recovery.