Governor Tate Reeves’s giving back potentially $130 million in rental assistance back to the federal government. Greenville resident and taxpayer Latonya Cork heard Governor Reeves’s reasons for opting out of the rental assistance program, and she's not convinced. To her, the point of the money is to help folks in need during the pandemic, and the pandemic isn't over.

Cork says, "I think it's absurd because we're struggling here in the state of Mississippi, also in Washington County. About them trying to end everything without them knowing the validity of everything going on around us. "

Reeves considers the program one of many “socialist experiments” sent down from Washington D.C with the downsides being the program taking away folks’ motivation to work and a lack of oversight.

Cork reasons, "Well, I think to verify if you need the money is fair. But at the same time, we going through a struggle just like everybody else across the world have."

Cork understands the need for better oversight, but she doesn't think that it's enough reason to be cutting off applications on August 15. When you look at the 80,000+ applications submitted, only about 42% of folks who've applied for assistance were approved. Cork thinks folks hoping to apply or still waiting for approval will be in a bind.

Cork predicts, "Well, I think they gone have to find another alternative. I think there are plenty of resources out there for us. It's on the resources that we can find. I mean are they available to us?"

Cutting assistance isn't fair to those in need according to Cork. Keeping it is unfair to taxpayers according to Reeves. But who was the money supposed to serve in the first place?