by Contributing Columnist Published: March 14,2010
Tags: Charter schools, column, Forest Thigpen, Mississippi Center for Public Policy
What if your city officials said to you, “As long as you live here, you will only shop at one grocery store — the one we choose for you.” If you could get past the arrogance and the restriction on your freedom, you might be able to live with that dictate as long as your assigned [...] [...]
by Marty Wiseman Published: March 14,2010
Tags: John C. Stennis Institute of Government, Marty Wiseman
There is nothing like back-to-back weeks in Washington in the midst of nationwide partisan political combat to whet the appetite of even the most cynical political junkie. Over the course of rambling over and through Capital Hill and beyond during these two weeks, I became aware of a recurring observation. The nation’s capital is very [...] [...]
by Ross Reily Published: March 7,2010
Tags: editor, Ross Reily, Twitter
The addition of Twitter to our collection of ways to reach readers has been a great success. Despite only having an account for just a few months, we have garnered more than 1,200 followers. It has allowed us to branch out in ways that we might not have been able to do. Twitter, combined with our [...] [...]
by Phil Hardwick Published: March 7,2010
Tags: community, Phil Hardwick
Real estate gets appraised, diamonds get appraised and businesses get appraised. Have you ever thought about appraising your community? Nowadays, there is a lot of attention paid to economic development and community revitalization. The current trend is something called asset-based economic development, which refers to the process of identifying assets contained in a community that might [...] [...]
by Martin Willoughby Published: March 7,2010
Tags: column, entrepreneurship, Lemeuria Bookstore, Martin Willoughby
Entrepreneurship is a way of life. It is a way of viewing the world. Jim Collins, best-selling author and business guru, summed it up well in an interview in Inc.: “We all make choices about how we live our lives. You can take a paint-by-numbers approach, or you can start with a blank canvas. When [...] [...]
by Scott Reed Published: March 7,2010
Tags: column, Olympics, Scott Reed
I heard someone say recently that we had just too much Olympics. Every two years is just too much. I couldn’t disagree more. I love watching those that are the best in sports, but are not usually covered by the sports media, compete for something other than a paycheck or endorsement money. I was disappointed [...] [...]
by Marty Wiseman Published: February 28,2010
Tags: budget-cutting, education
Should Mississippi make an exception to education when it comes to budget-cutting? Even asking the question invites controversy. Yet, now is the time that the question must be asked because the stakes are so high when it comes to the future of the state. And, now is the time that something exceptional must be considered by [...] [...]
by Martin Willoughby Published: February 21,2010
Tags: Billy Mounge, builders, Business, Entrepreneurs
Great entrepreneurs are usually great builders. Like a real estate developer who turns an open lot into a beautiful building, an entrepreneur takes an idea and turns it into reality. In this sense, entrepreneurs are truly creative people. The business world is where they do their art. In this process, entrepreneurs create value. They create value [...] [...]
by Alan Turner Published: February 21,2010
Tags: column, Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurs come in all varieties: young, old, male, female, those with advanced degrees as well as those who never completed high school. Entrepreneurs represent all races, all creeds, all perspectives. They include those with access to serious capital and many who succeed with no capital at all. Entrepreneurs are the people who are driven to start [...] [...]
by Alan Turner Published: February 14,2010
Tags: banking industry, deficits, housing market, unemployment
A famous quote that is often attributed to the late Congressional Rep. Everett Dirksen goes like this: “A billion here, a billion there. Pretty soon it runs into real money.” Appearing on a recent edition of “Meet the Press,” financial mavens Alan Greenspan and Hank Paulson discussed the economic health and well-being of the nation, and [...] [...]