Another GOOD Idea: Improving Pregnancy CareIn 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 stellar.
Real Transparency, Please, Not Smoke and MirrorsOne 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 are only ostensibly transparent.
Barbour’s True Place in Katrina HistoryThe 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 we all pulled together.
Budget Spitting Matches Must EndThe 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 have to stop.
JATRAN Overhaul Past DueIt'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, and for our city, it's as important as food, water …
Stop the Budget Cut Shell GameIf 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 its axis and shredding the time-space continuum.
50th, Yet AgainThe 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 to sound hollow.
GOP, Stop the Games Over Education FundingFunding adequate education in the state of Mississippi has morphed into a political battle with consequences beyond school walls.
Learn from History: Change the State FlagNow, 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 CrimesWhen 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 ProgressWhile 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 StrategiesThe 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 RealityAs 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 excuse for absentee voting.
City Should be More Proactive on Siemens OversightNearly 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 had the potential to cost water customers thousands of dollars …
Better Education, Less CrimeA 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 those illiterate third graders go off track and run afoul …
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 look a little closer, and you can see that it's …
Time to Rethink Third-Grade TestsAs 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 CouncilAfter 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 always reluctant to move forward, fearing that a 10-member oversight …
School Funding Trickery Hurts Future GenerationsBelieve 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 about how to fix the state's educational system.
Jackson, Suburbs Must Bridge Mistrust, Reach Smart CompromiseNot even officials with the West Rankin Utility Authority, which is made up of cities along the eastern side of Pearl River, disagree that building a new wastewater treatment plant will lead to higher sewer bills for their customers.
Stop Taxing Schools With UnderfundingBecause JPS's budget comes from City of Jackson millage rates, local property taxpayers are ultimately on the hook if the district needs to increase its budget request due to insufficient funding.
City Needs to Be Proactive, Not DramaticIf there's anything Jackson doesn't need to continue, it's needing to panic at the 11th hour before the city administration and others weren't more proactive in fixing and planning for problems before they became a crisis.
Stop Ignoring Health Needs of WomenIt is time to stop pandering to voters who don't care about the people in our state. Let's change the narrative to one that makes a lick of sense.
City Must Make Public Info AvailableThe city must treat access to public records with the same seriousness as its compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act and the United States Environmental Protection Agency Consent Decree, or paying its debt service.
Stop Meting Out Harmful School DisciplineEducation advocates, especially those focused on getting rid of disparities in public education for African American students, recognize the detrimental effects of suspension and expulsion.
MDOC Transparency and Execution Secrecy Don’t MixMississippi can't have it both ways. We cannot stamp out corruption at the state and local levels and, at the same time, hide behind a veil of secrecy when it comes to carrying out executions.
How to Lower Teen PregnancyWomen in Mississippi live in a state with some of the most oppressive laws in regards to reproductive health in the nation.
Mississippi can't have it both ways. We cannot stamp out corruption at the state and local levels and, at the same time, hide behind a veil of secrecy when it comes to carrying out executions.