While you were sleeping the governor and Legislature gave PERS authority to make higher risk investments with retirement funds. House Bill 990, introduced by the vice chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Mac Huddleston of Pontotoc, and co-sponsored by committee chairman Herb Frierson of Poplarville, passed the House 82 to 3 and the Senate 52 [...] [...]
by MBJ Staff Published: July 17,2011
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Economic development recruiters don’t use brass knuckles when they fight to get a big employer to come to their state. But they probably would if they could. That is the kind of pier six brawl recruiters walk into at the start of every economic development competition. The last one standing walks away with the deal [...] [...]
We’re not sure who has the edge in the balance of trade between Mississippi and Arizona. But one Arizona export to the Magnolia State — the “show us your papers” immigration legislation — should be packed up and sent back. Yesterday. We can give you all sorts of reasons why. But here are a few: [...] [...]
by MBJ Staff Published: December 19,2010
Tags: editorial
Mississippi’s federal lawmakers who see obstruction as the path to economic prosperity might as well be down in a Biloxi casino playing the longest odds the house has to offer. The oddity is that they think this is the ticket they’ve been handed. Where and how did the tables get turned? Used to be we [...] [...]
If they gave a national Internet user party and invited only 10 people per state who were a representative sample of each state, only six people from Mississippi could attend. That is because Mississippi has a 59.3 percent Internet penetration rate, the lowest in the United States. It also has the lowest broadband, or high-speed, [...] [...]
Ben Allen ventured onto friendly turf a few Tuesdays ago to try to re-energize a campaign for a multi-use arena in downtown Jackson. Supporters made up most of the crowd of 200 or so people who turned out for the “Arena Extravaganza” sponsored by the organization Allen heads, Downtown Jackson Partners, and the Jackson Chamber [...] [...]
by MBJ Staff Published: November 14,2010
Tags: editorial
Last month, the City of New York and New York state asked the federal government for permission to bar food stamp recipients from buying sodas with program dollars for two years. Should Mississippi, the fattest state in the Union, follow suit? The decision in New York was inspired by research showing that obesity-related illnesses cost [...] [...]
U.S. catfish farmers are begging for relief to enforce a law approved by Congress more than two years ago. What gives? Why are our farmers having to get on their knees to ask for enforcement of USDA inspections and regulation of all catfish sold in America? Recently, aquaculture experts from around the country highlighted food [...] [...]
Ridgeland may have struck a blow against the predatory payday lending business, but be sure the practice will not go away quietly, in Mississippi or anywhere else. The City of Ridgeland’s stricter requirements for new payday lenders, pawnshops and other businesses went into effect last week. The restrictions, among other things, prevents such businesses from [...] [...]
by MBJ Staff Published: September 26,2010
Tags: editorial
After reflecting more about the story reported by our Amy McCullough a couple of weeks ago on the plight of Mississippi Valley State, we really shouldn’t be satisfied with what we know. Look back as far as 30 years ago, and Mississippi has been dealing with budget cuts and deficits at our institutions of higher [...] [...]