Pete Johnson- Guest Commentary
THE DESK How often have we heard the phrase “If only these walls could talk…”? Well, if only this desk could talk… This beautiful partners desk is solid oak and is four and one-half feet deep and five and one-half feet wide. It has 18 drawers and four pullout writing boards. It is massive and […]
No “free ride” when considering road and bridge improvements
By Walton Gresham Thirteen States, including our neighbors to the west (Arkansas), and the north (Tennessee), have embraced the reality that they will not repair and maintain a 2017 road and bridge system in their respective States with a revenue stream instituted in the 1980’s. 11 of these 13 States that have passed road and […]
Much Needed Repairs
By Dick Hall By the time this information is read, the Mississippi Legislature may have returned to attempt to complete their 2017 annual session—hopefully so. As you know, when they last left town, neither the Mississippi Department of Transportation nor the Office of Attorney General were funded for fiscal year 2018, which begins July 1, […]
Automotive industry is driving job creation in Mississippi
By Glenn McCullough Jr. A little more than a decade ago, Mississippi had never produced a commercial vehicle. Today, about 4 million vehicles assembled in the state are on the road around the world, and production is showing no signs of slowing down. For Mississippians, more significant than production milestones are the contributions Toyota […]
Changes in Healthcare
By Wyatt Emmerich It’s been seven years since Obamacare passed. My how time flies. Time to dust off my thoughts on the American health care system. First, let’s assess Obamacare. It was supposed to save money. It didn’t. It was supposed to lower premiums. They went up. It was supposed to extend coverage to 20 […]
Tourism Economy
In past 20 years the Mississippi Delta has become one of the premier cultural heritage destinations in the country. For decades U.S. Highway 61 was a major tributary for poor Southerners, both black and white, migrating to the promise of better lives in the industrial north. Today visitors from around the world travel this iconic […]
Milestone Election Year
By Delbert Hosemann 2016 was a milestone election year for Mississippi. In 2011, 62 percent of Mississippians approved a citizen-initiated State Constitutional Amendment requiring voters to show photo ID at the polls. This year, 99.9 percent of voters came to the polls on Election Day with acceptable ID. While many other states re-main embroiled in […]
Thinking About Health
By Trudy Lieberman The fight in California over a ballot initiative that would begin to control the price of pharmaceuticals paid by state programs shows how difficult it is to “do something” about the high price of prescription drugs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. drug spending rose 7 percent this year—the biggest […]
Protecting Land
By Delbert Hosemann Our public and private lands are one of our most valuable assets. They provide revenue for our public schools, income for Mississippi families and businesses, and a place for our wildlife to thrive. However, much of those lands have been damaged over the years by artificial flooding of the Mississippi River. My […]
Educational Options
By Mike Barkett Graduation season is a time to celebrate one of life’s most important milestones. The choices that students are making now will determine the course of their future lives and livelihoods. Naturally, we want them to pursue rewarding careers that provide long-term financial stability along with opportunities for advancement. Many of Mississippi’s best […]