Nancy Anderson, MBJ contributing columnist

I did a double-take when I picked up my morning Clarion-Ledger. The headline read, “Mississippi’s Economic Outlook Ranks in Top 10 Nationally, Annual Report Says.” Seriously? While I love trumpeting good news about my state, I’m no Pollyanna. Was this a Rip Van Winkle thing? Did I go to sleep for 20 years and miss the big transformation?

Then I read the report and found the variables used to come up with this list. Things like low taxes, little regulation, low union participation. Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves was so excited about this list that he said, “The report is more proof that we are on the right track to bringing higher-skilled, higher-paying jobs to the state.” Wonder if he choked on his cornbread when he gave that quote to the reporter?

It seems there is a definite bias to this report and an erroneous connection between cause and effect. When I think of “economic outlook,” I think of jobs, household income, education, home prices and such.

Mississippi’s unemployment rate remains stuck above the national average. Our median household income is the lowest in the country. While we did not take the hit from the housing crisis in 2007-2008, we also have not experienced the gains as seen elsewhere. And our education system? Don’t get me started!

While I would love to see Mississippi making one of the good lists, I call “bunk” on this report. The only thing it measures is the stubbornness of our legislators. It is just reinforcement for bad policy. The list of red states produced by this study is verification of ideological blindness. When it comes to economic development, the only color that matters is green.

Mr. Reeves, Mississippians are begging you! Forget holding the party line. Just show us the money!

And the Clarion-Ledger’s promotion of this junk science report? Lazy.

» Nancy Lottridge Anderson, Ph.D., CFA, is president of New Perspectives Inc. in Ridgeland — (601) 991-3158. She is also an assistant professor of finance at Mississippi College. Her e-mail address is nanderson@newper.com, and her website is www.newper.com.

Nancy Anderson, MBJ contributing columnist

My daughter will be 32 this summer, but she’s still my baby. I’m just so proud of her. Recently, she let me read a proposal she had written for academic research. I was astounded by her command of the English language and her ability to communicate an idea… especially since she had the disadvantage of a working mother most of her growing up years. Poor baby! It’s a wonder she can read at all.

All week long, I’ve listened to all-male panels discussing the latest Pew poll about working women and using it to justify their outdated, simplistic views. They make it sound like women are plotting the downfall of society.

No, bubba. All we’re trying to do is get by. Most women who work have little choice in the matter. That was certainly my case when I was faced with a terminally ill husband. And if women improve their lot and make more money than their husbands, more power to them! Most families must contend with rearing children and working to provide for them at the same time. These days, it’s all hands on deck to get the job done.

Now Gov. Bryant suggests our education problems in Mississippi are because women fled the home in droves for the workforce. Well, I guess that lets him off the hook for underfunding education and for failing to find ways to help children and families succeed. If he’s right, then all we need to do is “git” those women back in the kitchen, barefoot and pregnant, and magically, our children will regain genius status.

Poverty, undereducated parents, poor family structures, addiction, poorly funded schools, poor quality educators… these are just some of the issues that are part of the complex puzzle of why our education system in Mississippi is so bad.

» READ RELATED COLUMN: Note to Gov. Bryant — Aunt Bea and Andy can’t solve our education woes

My daughter is a stable and successful contributing member of society. That is due, in large part, because of the example I set through my own work life. To suggest that working women undermine the education of their children is simple-minded and just plain ignorant. We’ve come a long way, baby! And our baby daughters have come a long way.

Governor, I’d like to propose another reason for the poor education of our children. Old men. Specifically, old men in leadership positions who can’t adjust to a new world. If we could just get more women in office leading the charge for our children, for our families, for our country, what a wonderful world it would be.

Educated children. Stable families. Who knows? Maybe even peace on earth.

Nancy Lottridge Anderson, Ph.D., CFA, is President of New Perspectives, Inc., in Ridgeland, 601-991-3158. She is also an Assistant Professor of Finance at Mississippi College. Her e-mail address is nanderson@newper.com, and her website is www.newper.com.

Nancy Anderson, MBJ contributing columnist

I don’t live in Jackson, but neither do most of the folks on my Facebook feed. That didn’t stop them from ranting about the outcome of the Jackson mayoral primary. The Facebook equivalent of “run for your lives” filled my screen. Shocked posters declared the election had been rigged.

With only about 37,000 votes cast in a city with its set of demographics, I didn’t find the outcome hard to believe.

I don’t live in Jackson, so I hadn’t been paying much attention to the election and to the candidates, but now I was curious about this would-be mayor, Chokwe Lumumba. Living in the Jackson Metro area means I have a vested interest in the capital city. I want it to thrive. Its health affects each of the outlying communities.

Two items grabbed my attention. They were not rumors or innuendo. They were straight from Mr. Lumumba’s lips to my ears, via the internet.

Bert Case of WLBT-TV asked Lumumba how he would pay for the transformation of Jackson. His response was that he would receive loans from companies in the range of $300 to $400 million. I’ve never heard of a company loaning money to a city. Public companies, surely, would not do such a thing under the watchful eye of their shareholders. Private companies, surely, would have more sense.

Cities get funding from tax revenue, i.e. sales tax, property tax, license fees. They can also secure funding from higher-up government sources, i.e. the State of Mississippi, the federal government. Private grants may be awarded to cities for particular projects but not on the order of $300 to $400 million. What COULD he be talking about?

The second item to cross my screen came from a Jackson Free Press interview. The question was about his views on capitalism. His short reply was scathing. I know the system has its faults, but there was not ONE kind word for the economic system in which the City of Jackson must operate. And he wants to attract business back to Jackson?

As I read more about Mr. Lumumba, I learned about the Republic of New Africa and his plans to rewrite history, all the things that were lighting up my Facebook feed, exhorting us all to be afraid, be very afraid. Those things seem like side issues when I contemplate my two items, because it appears that the citizens of Jackson have just elected a mayor who hasn’t a clue how to run any city, much less one that is the capitol of this state.

I hope I’m wrong. Because I don’t live in Jackson, it’s not up to me. My only option is to stand and wait and wish Mr. Lumumba well. But I’m afraid.

» Nancy Lottridge Anderson, Ph.D., CFA, is president of New Perspectives Inc. in Ridgeland — (601) 991-3158. She is also an assistant professor of finance at Mississippi College. Her e-mail address is nanderson@newper.com, and her website is www.newper.com.

Nancy Anderson, MBJ contributing columnist

I know Mississippi Rep. Andy Gipson. He’s a really nice guy, has a nice family, very sweet people. You’ve heard the phrase, “He’s a renaissance man?” Doesn’t apply to Andy. Instead, I’d call him a solid nineteenth century man, as in “His feet are solidly planted in the 1800s.”

When I knew Andy, he lived on family land in rural Mississippi. He built a cabin on the property. It had no electricity or running water, just a good pioneer abode for a pioneer kind of guy. Andy needed a wife to make his life complete. While Andy is a fine-looking specimen of a man, you could imagine the response of prospective brides upon seeing the cabin. They ran as fast as they could!

So it’s no big surprise that Andy supports a gun law that allows folks to carry weapons in public without so much as a permit, because in Andy’s nineteenth century world, there are still Indians and bandits and wild game to be encountered with every trip into town.

Now I have no problem with anyone who wants to stay stuck in the nineteenth century. After all, this is America! We can each choose to live exactly as we please—as long as it doesn’t encroach upon our neighbors. And that’s where I part ways with Andy.

Allowing anyone and everyone to walk around with guns exposes ME to risk. If you want to walk around your house and your property with your gun on your hip, have at it! But when you enter the public square, you enter the twenty-first century. We have police and highway patrol and a solid set of laws for protection. We also have unstable people who can get their hands on weapons that could clear the OK Corral in a matter of seconds. Fast Draw McGraw would be no match.

So, Mr. Gipson, with all due respect, check your calendar. And stop trying to impose your way of life and viewpoint on the modern citizens of Mississippi. Oh, and say “hello” to the Missus.

» Nancy Lottridge Anderson, Ph.D., CFA, is President of New Perspectives, Inc., in Ridgeland, 601-991-3158. She is also an Assistant Professor of Finance at Mississippi College. Her e-mail address is nanderson@newper.com, and her website is www.newper.com.

Nancy Anderson, MBJ contributing columnist

Communication with clients has drastically changed over the last decade. While we still send out quarterly reports in the old U.S. mail packet with a formal letter, other mailings are rare. E-mail is the favored method these days, and it surprises me that my older clients are well-versed in this area.

We even text clients now. Need a reminder on an appointment? We’ll send out a text message. Clients text us when their deposits show up in their accounts. And that paper check? Forget about it. Money gets moved with the click of a mouse.

So it’s no surprise that the U.S. Postal Service is struggling. While other businesses have struggled through a difficult and long recession, this is different. This is a business going through a structural change. Mail, as we have known it, is becoming obsolete.

Along the way, we have lost the fine art of letter writing. Messages are autocompleted or are abbreviated in strange shorthand with emoticons attached. This less formal way of communicating has become accepted practice.

Now social media is stepping into the spotlight. We “Facebook” clients and “tweet” information to them. Public companies are even using social sites to release important information about their business. It’s a new age.

And delivery to my door has taken on a new meaning. While bills and notices show up in my inbox, clothing and household goods show up on my doorstep. Online retailing is growing by leaps and bounds, so the transportation business for those packages has grown, as well. The problem is that the U.S. Postal Service has been slow to see and respond to the transition. FedEx and UPS are far ahead in this game.

With deep enough pockets, any business can survive a recession, but no business can survive a structural change. Facing the inevitable is never pleasant.

Nancy Lottridge Anderson, Ph.D., CFA, is president of New Perspectives Inc. in Ridgeland — (601) 991-3158. She is also an assistant professor of finance at Mississippi College. Her e-mail address is nanderson@newper.com, and her website is www.newper.com.

Nancy Anderson, MBJ contributing columnist

Ask any accountant, “How do you increase the bottom line?” The answer will always be one of two things. You either increase revenue or you decrease expenses. To increase your bottom line without one of those options is to defy the laws of bookkeeping. It can’t be done.

As legislators pore over the State budget, they have opted for the latter option — decrease expenses — so much so that there are cries from agencies far and wide about their tightening belts and the loss of services to citizens and loss of competitiveness to outside entities.

So, it was a surprise to see that the legislature is now attacking the budget from the other side, through revenue. No, they don’t plan to increase revenue by raising taxes or levying fees. Instead, they plan to CUT revenue by reducing taxes on a multitude of businesses.

Gov. Bryant says, “I think when you cut taxes, you actually make money.” He THINKS!

There are plenty of examples out there of states and municipalities offering business all kinds of tax breaks and subsidies to attract economic activity. The results are mixed. As more and more states rush to portray themselves as “pro-business” by cutting the bill to conduct operations, businesses find themselves in the happy spot of a rush to the bottom line — theirs that is.

If Mississippi cuts business tax, then won’t Alabama and Louisiana follow suit? And if business can easily move across state borders to the lowest point, won’t they? And what happens when breaks disappear through a sunset clause? Won’t they just shut their doors and move to the next location? And aren’t we just shooting ourselves in the foot with all this “business friendly” tax policy?

Louisiana created a tax break to encourage gas production. In 2007, that cost to the state was $285,000. In 2010, that cost ballooned to $239 million. Did the accompanying economic boost offset these costs? No one seems to know.

With states around us jumping on the tax break wagon for business, shouldn’t we be studying the effects of such activity? Before we rush to enact policy, shouldn’t we have our facts straight about what really works and what we just THINK might work?

Lt. Gov. Reeves supports breaks “when long-term benefits outweigh costs.” So how about being smart about our business friendly policies? We have plenty of examples from which we can learn. Let’s be business friendly without giving away the farm.

» Nancy Lottridge Anderson, Ph.D., CFA, is president of New Perspectives Inc. in Ridgeland — (601) 991-3158. She is also an assistant professor of finance at Mississippi College. Her e-mail address is nanderson@newper.com, and her website is www.newper.com.

Nancy Anderson, MBJ contributing columnist

Show me somebody with money trouble, and I’ll show you a crook in the making!

While not everyone who finds themselves in a financial bind ends up breaking the law, many are tempted to cross the line when their wallets get squeezed. People with money troubles are desperate. They take chances. They make questionable choices. They rationalize. And many end up behind bars.

And so goes the tale of another Mississippi politician caught with his hand in the till. Paul Winfield, Mayor of Vicksburg, is yet another in a long line of local public servants who has ended up on the wrong side of the law. Was Winfield a born thief or did circumstance turn his integrity to jello?

Maybe he just had everyone fooled into thinking he was one of the good guys, the savior Vicksburg had been looking for. Or maybe he just got in over his head financially. Faced with the slippery slope, Winfield dove headlong down the hill to ruin.

But he’s not alone. From the hills of Northeast Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico, Mississippi has more than its share of politicians who have ended up as convicted felons. Sad to say, it’s not just a Mississippi problem. Politicians at all levels have been showing up on the front pages for their dastardly deeds. I’m beginning to feel like Diogenes, searching for that one honest man (or woman) out there who is willing to serve.

The standard requirement has been for politicians to release their tax returns. I think a better choice would be to require them to release their credit reports. Politicians who scream about deficits lose their credibility when I see them with a truckload of credit card bills. Politicians with a stream of creditors behind them can forget about my vote. And the politician who is behind on child support? I’m thinking tar and feathers.

Forget winning smiles and snappy slogans. Forget glossy pictures of your perfect family with the label “Deacon of the Church” below your name. Forget press conferences in front of a bunch of flags.

Just show me a candidate with a 750 credit score!

» Nancy Lottridge Anderson, Ph.D., CFA, is president of New Perspectives Inc. in Ridgeland — (601) 991-3158. She is also an assistant professor of finance at Mississippi College. Her e-mail address is nanderson@newper.com, and her website is www.newper.com.

Nancy Anderson, MBJ contributing columnist

Bubba strikes again!

Our House of Representatives here in Mississippi recently passed a bill allowing ANY school employee to carry a gun on school grounds. From the Lunch Lady to Joe the Janitor, they’ll all be armed. This could be the break the homeschoolers were looking for.

Junior didn’t do his homework? Forget detention. Now the teacher could just shoot him. Some third grader turns his nose up at the cafeteria meat loaf? Bam, take him out. And those kids smoking in the boys’ room? It’ll be showdown at the OK Corral with the janitor. Being sent to the Principal’s office could take on new meaning.

Sound absurd to you? Well, it is. And so is the notion of allowing concealed weapons on school grounds. Representative Bubba (yeah, really, that’s his name) Carpenter is the author of this insanity, but he somehow mustered enough votes among the other Bubbas to get it through. There are no requirements for gun safety training, no limit on who can carry the weapon. They even took out the clause about psychological evaluations. Any crazy Bubba walking the halls with a school ID can pack a weapon.

Do parents really want all those guns floating around their children’s schools? Do principals really want the responsibility of supervising employees loaded for bear? Did any of the Bubbas at the state Capitol ask educators and parents about the wisdom of such a move? Or did they just do what all Bubbas do? Shoot from the hip first. Ask questions later.

Bubba dun done it agin’! Just made us all look like fools in Mississippi.

>> Nancy Lottridge Anderson, Ph.D., CFA, is president of New Perspectives Inc. in Ridgeland — (601) 991-3158. She is also an assistant professor of finance at Mississippi College. Her e-mail address is nanderson@newper.com, and her website is www.newper.com.

Each day class is in session, 5000 students appear in town. They eat. They fill their gas tanks. They drink coffee. They eat some more. They shop, and they add to the economic activity of the town. With over 450 employees, MC is the third largest employer in Clinton. They shop and eat, too.

Unlike a manufacturer, MC is an employer that adds to the quality of life within the city. On a regular basis, there are sporting and cultural events on campus. Local residents find opportunities for continuing education through various programs. The campus adds aesthetic value to our Olde Towne area with beautiful and historic buildings. The only complaint about this employer seems to be the lack of parking spaces in our downtown area because of the influx of students.

Ask any small town. Having a four year college within your borders is a big economic boost. Madison certainly understood this when they welcomed Tulane to town. This satellite campus of an out-of-state school is better than nothing, but it’s not a full campus. As I understand it, the courses offered there are limited, and there are questions about the transferability of said courses.

So I was quite surprised when Jackson State announced they would also open a satellite campus in Madison. I thought, “Wow!” An in-state public school with accredited, well-recognized courses, what’s not to like about that deal?

The news was not welcomed by city officials. Mayor Hawkins has carefully managed the image of her fair city. From the fancy Wal-Mart to the Disney World Kroger, Hawkins and her followers have sculpted an image of Madison that has created great growth. No doubt about it.

The attraction of Tulane was a star in their crown. No longer could Clinton claim they were the only suburban town with a college. There was Madison, shining city on a hill with the proud banner of a Louisiana school flying high.

So why wouldn’t you want another school? The Mayor claims to be protecting the interest of an existing business, but Tulane’s Dean says the services could be complementary. When asked to address charges of racism, Mayor Hawkins says, “It’s just business.”

Could the carefully managed image of “Madison The City” be at stake? And if a business wants to come to town that would mar that image, shouldn’t city officials do all in their power to block it? While that move could hurt current tax revenues, the preservation of Madison’s image could be worth the struggle in the long term.

Or maybe the Mayor and the Madison crew just prefer the green and blue motif of Tulane to the blue and white of JSU. Because image is everything.

Nancy Lottridge Anderson, Ph.D., CFA, is President of New Perspectives, Inc., in Ridgeland, 601-991-3158. She is also an Assistant Professor of Finance at Mississippi College. Her e-mail address is nanderson@newper.com, and her website is www.newper.com.

Nancy Anderson, MBJ contributing columnist

Steve Palazzo is the Republican Congressman from the 4th district, aka The Coast. He followed Democrat Gene Taylor who served during Hurricane Katrina and spent much time and effort to get relief for his constituents after the massive storm.

People who live on the Coast of Mississippi understand the grief of a storm. They’ve lived it. From Camille to Katrina, residents of the Coast of Mississippi have suffered and stood strong. They know the terror of a monster storm, and they know the additional insult to injury that comes with the cleanup. They have fought with insurance companies and government bureaucracies to get the assistance they need, and they expect their politicians to stand strong with them.

Steve Palazzo serves this district where I grew up, where I hunkered down in a hallway while the eye of Hurricane Camille blew over. After Katrina, it was Palazzo, serving with the City of Biloxi, who demanded funding from Washington. But when it came time to show support to other hurricane victims, Pilazzo said, “No.” He voted against Sandy relief.

Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he thought Sandy relief was money for dune construction or money for special beach vacuum cleaners or money for that guy who played on Flipper — the cute one with the “sandy” colored hair.

Because surely, surely, a representative from the Coast of Mississippi would stand strong with Hurricane Sandy victims, not only because it is the right thing to do but because he knows his time will come again. Another monster storm will blow through his beloved Coast of Mississippi, and he will need every vote he can muster to help his constituents.

Because when the water recedes, and you’re left standing in a pile of rubble, it doesn’t matter if you have an “R” or a “D” behind your name. It only matters that you have a representative willing to stand with you. I just hope Peter King forgets this slight by next summer!

>> Nancy Lottridge Anderson, Ph.D., CFA, is President of New Perspectives, Inc., in Ridgeland, 601-991-3158. She is also an Assistant Professor of Finance at Mississippi College. Her e-mail address is nanderson@newper.com, and her website is www.newper.com.