SERVING SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI SINCE 1927 • WWW.SM2MEDIA.COM •OCTOBER 5, 2022 | VOLUME 108 | ISSUE 6
WELFARE SCANDAL PG 4
SHATTER PROOF PG 6
VOLLEYBALL PG 7
Editorial: It’s Time To Pay the Money Back
W
BY SM2 STAFF
this scandal. Five million dollars of welfare-intended funds elfare funds were created for was allegedly taken from the Mississippi Communication families and/ Education Center to build a or people who well-equipped volleyball facility cannot completely provide for themselves. For some, they may on USM’s Hattiesburg campus. be the difference between being Other notable faces involved able to keep lights on or food in were Nancy New, a member of the USM athletic foundation their kitchens. and John Davis, the director of In Mississippi, other than the Mississippi Department of food stamps, one of the most Human Services. New and Davis significant welfare programs is Temporary Assistance for Needy helped Favre acquire the funds. The scandal is killing FaFamilies (TANF). This program vre’s reputation and it’s taking was created to provide benefits for families with needy children USM down with it. It’s hard to understand why Favre completthat are under the age of 18. According to Mississippi Today, ed these actions, however the solution seems simple enough: approximately 3,000 families in Mississippi are receiving this Someone needs to give back the money. aid. So far, Favre has paid back However, in 2017, this as$1.1 million of the misused sistance was taken advantage funds, but he did so without of and misused by people who make more than enough money including the incurred interest of $228,000. Favre was paid to support efforts themselves. $137 million dollars in his Brett Favre, notable USM foot20-year football career. Why ball alum and professional football legend, is one the most famousindividuals involved with
couldn’t he have funded this project out of his pocket? In the media, Favre’s brand is prided on being “for the people” but how can one be pro-people but misuse funds that could have helped so many? Favre’s charity, Favre 4 Hope, whose mission is to support “disadvantaged and disabled children and breast cancer patients,” donated more than $130,000 to USM’s athletic foundation and in 2019 and 2020, the foundation became the single biggest beneficiary from the charity. Text messages from 2019 also reveal that Favre seemed to know what he had done was wrong, but otherwise, did not seem to care about the consequences of his actions. The messages were between Favre and ex-governor of Mississippi, Phil Bryant, one stating “We are going to get there. This was a great meeting. But we have to follow the law. I am too old for Federal Prison,” with an added
smiley face emoji following the message. Favre’s daughter also played for the USM volleyball team for four years, so it makes sense that he would have a new facility built for the sport that she played. However, what kind of example is that setting for his daughter? Not only were his actions selfish, but they were unethical. As a student at USM, after the revelations of this scandal, it makes me wonder what other corruption has been swept under the rug by those who are supposed to have good intentions for the university. What other secrets lie below the surface? His actions are appalling and shouldn’t be tolerated. Either Favre or the university should pay back the money to the state in full, plus interest, and an apology should be issued. Somebody has to pay it back and the university needs to talk about the matter.