Another GOOD Idea: Improving Pregnancy Care
In a state with so many restrictions on sexual education and abortion, ostensibly to protect the health of women, the conventional wisdom should hold that Mississippi's pregnancy statistics should be …
Real Transparency, Please, Not Smoke and Mirrors
One online dictionary defines transparency as "free from pretense or deceit," "easily detected or seen through" and "readily understood." However, too many government agencies at the local and state levels …
Do the Right Thing in Disasters
There's an expression that says if the nation sneezes, Mississippi catches the flu.
Barbour’s True Place in Katrina History
The 10-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's devastation has understandably come with a deluge of retrospectives and remembrances—what went right and wrong, what lessons were learned, what work remains and how …
Budget Spitting Matches Must End
The budget cannot be held hostage or become the casualty of a childish, pointless spitting match between politicians. These are serious times for the City of Jackson, and those games …
JATRAN Overhaul Past Due
It's not that having a reliable public-transportation is just a nice thing to have, but as Dr. Scott Crawford rightly told the Jackson City Council this week, for many people, …
Stop the Budget Cut Shell Game
If the mandatory education-funding referendum known as Initiative 42 passes, Republicans say schools would have to receive full funding immediately, throwing the budget into chaos, practically knocking the Earth off …
50th, Yet Again
The annual Casey Foundation Kids Count Data Book came out this week, and for Mississippi, the same drum that politicians, advocates and locals have been beating for years will continue …
GOP, Stop the Games Over Education Funding
Funding adequate education in the state of Mississippi has morphed into a political battle with consequences beyond school walls.
Learn from History: Change the State Flag
Now, our elected leaders should get on the right side of history, listen to the will of the people and embrace progress. Change the flag.
Cities, Legislature Should Follow Jackson’s Lead on Hate Crimes
When the Legislature reconvenes in January, lawmakers should strengthen the state's hate-crime law by extending protections to LGBT people and developing uniform reporting standards for all law enforcement agencies.
Changing Flag Is Just a Step Toward Progress
While we applaud House Speaker Phillip Gunn's statement this week that the Confederate emblem should be removed from Mississippi's state flag, we would sound a note of (optimistic) caution.
Time to Rethink Local Policing Strategies
The B.R.A.V.E. program, adopted from Baton Rouge, started in a section of west Jackson from West Capitol Street to Interstate 20.
2016 Is the Year To Make Early Voting a Reality
As we enter the 2015 election cycle, it's worth noting that Mississippi is down to one of only 14 states that has no provision for early voting and requires an …
City Should be More Proactive on Siemens Oversight
Nearly four months ago, Jackson's Director of Public Works Kishia Powell brought the Siemens water-meter project to a screeching halt when one of her deputies discovered a major mistake that …
Better Education, Less Crime
A popularly cited statistic involves private corrections companies pouring over third-grade reading scores in a given jurisdiction to project how many prison beds will be needed in a decade, when …
Have a Little Fun, Why Don’t You?
It's easy to fall into the trap of viewing Jackson, the metro area and Mississippi as a place where nothing will ever change, where there's nothing to do. But just …
Time to Rethink Third-Grade Tests
As predicted, a sizable chunk of Mississippi's third-grade students failed the so-called third-grade reading gate test and may have to repeat the whole school year.
Tax Commish Owes City Deference, Mayor Owes it to Council
After the Legislature passed a bill in 2009 empowering Jackson to hold a referendum on whether to impose a 1-percent sales tax on certain goods, then-Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. was …
School Funding Trickery Hurts Future Generations
Believe it or not, the Mississippi Legislature's refusal to adequately fund public schools and its attempt to derail a proposed constitutional amendment to require such funding isn't about differing philosophies …
