Morning Mississippi !Are you Voting for your Health & Well-being?

You wake up, brush your teeth with toothpaste and water, grab a cup of water to take your
AM pills or just drink the Ʊrst of your eight glasses of water for the day.
Are you voting for someone who will keep your water supply clean and uncontaminated?
Are you voting for someone who will support and/or restore the aging infrastructure in your
town or city?
Are you voting for someone who will make certain that when new businesses like AI Data
centers come to town that they will pay their fair share, so that you can actually afford to
pay for the water you just used without “robbing Peter to pay Paul”?

It’s Breakfast time.
As you scramble your eggs and prepare the rest of your meal, pouring milk for your children,
have you checked to make certain that none of the items have been recalled?
Are you voting for someone who will support adequately funding inspections of the food
supply, regardless of where it comes from?
Are you voting for someone who supports farmers who were hit heavily by
drought ,tariffs,and high gas prices?
Are you voting for someone who supports adequate SNAP beneƱts for those of us who
need assistance just to have breakfast? Are you voting for someone who supports access
to quality food for WIC participants like Farmer’s Markets?
Are you voting for someone who supports the thousands of children who need breakfast or
lunch at school?

You walk outside, feeling the sunshine on your face, and breathing fresh air.
Are you voting for someone who supports your God-given right to breathe fresh air? Are you
voting for someone who will help regulate industry air pollution, not only to protect those
who are especially vulnerable ____those with chronic lung and heart disease, those who

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are pregnant, those who are still developing, those who live or work near industries who
place their health at risk___ but all of us, who deserve to breathe Fresh air ?
Are you voting for someone who supports clean air on school campuses with electric
school buses?
Are you voting for someone who supports disaster prooƱng schools? Are you voting for
someone who supports maintaining services for children with special (physical and
mental) health care needs? Are you voting for someone who believes that every child
should reach her/his optimal potential. Will they sponsor or support legislation and
funding to undergird that belief starting with appropriate childcare credit support? Are you
voting for someone who supports protecting children against vaccine preventable disease
like Measles __now on the rise?
After dropping the kids off, you rush to make your annual Doctor’s visit before work. Your
work insurance doesn’t cover as much as before, but you have a Health Savings Account to
take up some of the slack. You’re lucky…Dare I say, Blessed because Mississippi has more
uninsured than most states and more than the national average. Nearly I out of every 9
Mississippians have no health insurance. It’s even higher for the 1 in 7 African Americans
and 4 out of 10 Hispanic citizens. 200,000 Mississippians have lost coverage through the
Affordable Care Act over the past year, and even more are slated to join the 700.000
nationwide who will lose benefits by January 2027. According to Insurance Commissioner,
Mike Chaney, the 125,000 still paying premiums can expect a 20 % increase. That means a
$500/month premium will jump to $600/month)
Are you voting for someone who wants to provide equitable healthcare for all who need it?
Are you voting for someone who wants to make certain that rural hospitals can continue to
serve the majority rural population in Mississippi? Are you voting for someone who wants to
link social services so closely that 50 cents increase in income can cause a participant to
lose both Medicaid and SNAP benefits? Are you voting for someone who will require your
aged grandmother to return to work just to survive while decreasing accessibility to Senior
services? Are you voting for someone who will decrease or someone who will increase
your bills for the medication you need to stay healthy?
You arrive at work, a little overwhelmed by the workload since many of your former
colleagues were terminated.
Are you voting for someone who believes in raising the minimum wage so that people can
afford a living without working two and three jobs? Are you voting for someone who will
support wraparound services for those who can’t make a living?

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Just as you get settled in after lunch, there’s a Disaster drill__ Annoying, but necessary. Are
you voting for someone who provides support for disaster preparedness, building resilient
communities, and funding for post-disaster clean up?
The day is over and you head home, walking through a small park on the way to your car in
the parking garage. Being in nature calms you after a stressful day, giving you time to
reflect on ways you can advance your health and well-being. The healthy living tips you
received at your medical checkup today are important, but so is civic engagement. It’s
important to be engaged locally with the School Boards, Councils, Board of Aldermen,
regional Development organizations, civic organizations. And most importantly, it is
essential to VOTE…VOTE for leaders who will serve your best interests. VOTE for healthy
thriving people in healthy thriving communities. VOTE for Your Health !

“When Health is Absent, Wisdom Cannot Reveal Itself, Art Cannot Be
Exerted, Wealth becomes Useless and Reason is powerless”___Heraphilus
Submitted by Gerri A Cannon-Smith MD MPH
MS Health Professionals for Climate and Health Equity
10/29/26