A prominent Mississippi businessman is asking the taxpayers of Mississippi to give him 17 million dollars to help his company. He told a Senate committee that the reason he was asking for the money was because the legislature had provided millions of dollars to other companies, and since he had been in business 43 years and had never asked the legislature for anything, he wanted them to give him some money, too. (more…)
Charter School FAQ
by Forest M. Thigpen
This Issue Brief describes the general concept of charter schools; specific legislation may differ.
What is a Charter School?
There's a phrase that's often used as a conversation-stopper in public policy debates. Those who use this phrase seemingly seek to intimidate their opponents into defending evil against good. It seems to be used when all rational arguments fail. The phrase? "Anything for the children." (more…)
Health insurance is one of the largest expenses for businesses, government, and families. There are lots of reasons for that, most of which have to do with government actions that inhibit innovation and competition - two of the primary elements that lead to improved quality and lower price in other service sectors. (more…)
The Rationale for a Statewide Health Insurance Exchange
by Robert E. Moffit, Ph.D.
Summary: The Mississippi Legislature has options available under current federal law to improve the affordability and availability of private health insurance coverage, with little to no government funding required.
It is often said in the halls of power that "personnel is policy." Key staff members appointed by our leaders are usually indicative of the philosophy of those leaders.
If that's the case with Governor Barbour and Lt. Governor Phil Bryant, the state is in very good shape. Governor Barbour has named Paul Hurst as his new chief of staff, and Lt. Gov. Bryant has named Joe Nosef as his chief of staff. (more…)
The free market is often touted as the best, most efficient way to allocate resources and is treated as if free markets were "natural." This brief article will discuss and elaborate on the crucial ingredient of "PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY" and its necessity if free markets are to perform their role of efficient resource allocation. The first three "R's" stand for EDUCATION (Reading, Writing, Arithmetic), but the fourth "R" (Personal Responsibility) is even more significant in that it under-girds the application of education. If personal responsibility is not taught and reinforced along with other educational tools, all economic systems, including those that emphasize "free markets" will under-perform and ultimately self-destruct. (more…)
If you've heard many of these commentaries, you know where our organization stands on issues and principles. But there are some things you might not be aware of. (more…)
Would you like to know how your money is spent by your state government? I don=t mean just the broad categories and percentages we hear at the Capitol, but where specifically it is spent? (more…)