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.

Nancy Anderson, MBJ contributing columnist

Did you catch Tom Coburn on “Face the Nation” during the holidays? Coburn is a Republican senator from Oklahoma. He also happens to be a medical doctor. This western representative is a straight shooter with sterling conservative credentials. He served on the Simpson-Bowles Commission and is well-versed in the federal budget. Unlike Paul Ryan, he voted FOR the commission’s recommendations.

As we celebrate an agreement in Congress that averted the fiscal cliff, the more serious folks in the room are still wringing their hands over the inability to tackle the tough issues. Coburn offered two statistics that go to the heart of the problem.

He said that Medicare recipients today have paid into the system an average of $120,000. On average, they will collect $350,000. Current Social Security beneficiaries will receive, collectively, $21 trillion more than they paid into the system. This is the heart of the fight over entitlements and the reason it will be so difficult to enact reform.

Social Security and Medicare were born under Democratic presidents. At the time, they were controversial. Today, you can’t touch them without creating a firestorm. No doubt about it. Americans love their Social Security and Medicare.

While fingers point to the Democrats when it comes to the stalemate, the folks with the real problem with these programs are the Republicans. They talk about entitlement reform. They preach about the deficit problem. They point to the expansion of government as an evil. But they stop short of addressing the two Coburn stats that are so troublesome.

In the last two Presidential elections, the only age group the Republican party won was listed as “over 65.” How do you seriously address the two most cherished programs of this age group without losing your main constituency?

Alan Simpson, one of the co-chairs of the Simpson-Bowles Commission, took to You Tube to highlight the problem. Simpson issued a call to action to young people. He said, “These old coots will clean out the Treasury before you get there.” Note that Simpson is himself an “old coot.”

Both parties will have to step over the political cliff in a leap of faith if change is to occur. Coburn appeared on “Face the Nation” with Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin. Republicans and Democrats alike must agree to a path that will protect our cherished programs, and both must be willing to take the slings and arrows of a populace unwilling to sacrifice. Good luck, Cowboy!

>> 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 read Nick Kristof’s column in the New York Times on Sunday. It was entitled, “Do we have the courage to stop this?” Kristof writes about common sense gun regulations in Canada and Australia that we might consider implementing. The first time the column below ran, I received some of the nastiest and scariest e-mails I have EVER received from readers. So, I screwed up my courage and asked that it be run again. …

Here it is …

•••••

I don’t like guns.

My father had an old shotgun he kept in the closet, unloaded of course. He was a country boy who never took to hunting, so I had no experience with firearms and the sport surrounding their use. Two husbands, no hunters. When I married Ken, he had a small handgun. He keeps it somewhere other than our house. I don’t know where, and I don’t really want to know. Guns just make me nervous.

I know the usual defense of guns, “Guns don’t kill people. People kill people.” Yeah. Yeah. But it’s harder to kill someone with a baseball bat than with a gun. A baseball bat doesn’t go off accidentally, and it’s hard to get in multiple rounds on a baseball bat in a few short seconds.

>> Reader comments from the first time this column ran …

>> Video about gun control …

Now, I’m no pacifist. If someone tried to break into my house and do harm to my family, I’d have no problem defending my turf. And I’m not interested in stepping on the happy hunting grounds of all my hunter friends. But I have serious concerns about the gun culture in this country.

When students at MSU and JSU die from gunshot wounds and when of one of my students recounts his experience of being caught in a gun battle, it’s time to do something. In my day, when young, hot-headed men got into a fight, the worst that happened was that someone got a bloody nose. Now, someone loses his life.

>> MBJ poll question … Should guns laws be changed?

Before you fire off an e-mail to me about the second amendment, know that I’ve read the Constitution. The Founding Fathers had ball and musket firearms, not semi-automatic weapons with laser sightings. Do you know how long it took to load one of those old weapons?

Go ahead. Send in your letters, your e-mails. Use everything in your arsenal to defend your “right to bear arms.” Call me a commie or a leftist or just a bleeding heart liberal. How dare I question the culture of this gun toting state? Fire away.

I’ll take a bullet for this one because I’m tired of burying young people before their time.

>> 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

Wonder what happened the first time someone said, “Hey, let’s build an ice skating rink in Madison?”

Dead silence.

Then, “Are you nuts?”

Hasn’t that been tried before? Ice skating, ice hockey … do we think Mississippians will grab onto anything as exotic as ice, as long as it doesn’t show up in our glass of tea?

But build it they did. Baptist Health Systems erected a rink, slide and stage at the corner of Highway 463. It seemed preposterous enough to warrant a look, so we took a drive. The parking lot was full.

Families stood in line to plunk down $15 for a pair of ice skates, just so they could take baby steps while hanging on to the wall. Gold medals were awarded to the folks who could make the circle more than once without falling down on their backsides. And kids flew down the ice slide in inner tubes. The final bounce sent them sailing into the air. The ride always ended with a squeal and a smile.

There’s a stage for every group to display their holiday talents. Tents for private parties dot the landscape. Of course, there are drinks and snacks available. All that frolicking can make a kid hungry! And there’s even a path with placards displaying the Christmas Story bible verses, complete with sponsor names underneath. Wonder which CPA firm got, “So all went to be taxed…”?

Nuts? More like dumb like a fox. All that traffic leads to economic activity. Families will head to a local restaurant at the end of the day. Moms will drop off kids, then do some quick shopping in the area. Dad will gas up the minivan at the convenience store. And about the time everyone gets tired of the holiday skating, poof, it’s all gone, only to return next year at the same time as the Christmas retail season. Now, a tradition is born.

My hat, scarf and coat are off to the brave soul who first suggested such a preposterous venture. It is, indeed, a nutty idea, but it’s backed by a well-organized machine. And it’s fun! Next time out, I’m donning a pair of blades. I’m planning to wear a little extra padding in my seat, though.

That corner will never be the same!

>> 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.