Gov. Ronnie Musgrove wants to listen to the little people, at least that’s the message behind his new commitment to clear one afternoon each month to meet face-to-face with the everyday residents of Mississippi.

Face-to-face for five minutes, that is.

And, only at the Capitol in Jackson.

It’s a noble goal … and if the face-to-face meetings can yield any real action on the part of the governor of others in state government, it will prove a worthwhile program.

But we, like many others, are skeptical.

Five minutes is precious little time to make any case … or explain any cause. Why not give residents who make the effort to travel all the way to Jackson (from Southwest Mississippi, the Gulf Coast or even DeSoto County) up to 15 minutes? And why not clear an entire day, not just four hours in the afternoon?

Moreover, why not take the meetings on the road? If Gov. Musgrove truly wants to be accessible to the people of Mississippi, he needs to travel to them … and not just during campaign times.

Gov. Musgrove sat in The Democrat’s conference room while campaigning and promised to &uot;be a governor for Batesville, for Tupelo, for Natchez, for Biloxi&uot; … essentially, for all parts of Mississippi. And residents in each of those parts deserve a chance to see, to meet with, the governor of their state.

Certainly, not all the meetings will yield productive ideas or talks. But in this case, it’s the effort that truly counts.

And while we admire Gov. Musgrove’s attempt to be more responsive to the voters in our state, we challenge him to truly commit to the concept … not just give it five minutes worth of lip service.