With the significant priority we should be giving to rebuilding the areas affected by the hurricane, our state leaders should evaluate the inventory of assets owned by the state and sell those assets that are not producing the results they were intended to produce.
Governor Barbour and our congressional delegation in Washington are asking the federal government to give south Mississippi priority in the federal budget. Conservative organizations around the country have agreed with that plea and have put pressure on Congress to do just that - but only that.
As the Coast rebuilds, there is an excellent opportunity for new schools to be created with special emphases.
Congress is working on legislation to create a Gulf Opportunity Zone, or GO Zone, and our state legislature should create one as well.
This year, many people in our state have fewer tangible things to be thankful for, but countless people have said they have a new appreciation for the things they do still have, especially those intangible things that are truly most important.
Have you ever heard of a public school being built at no cost to the taxpayers? That�s exactly what happened in our nation�s capital, in a deal that may have some merit in Mississippi school districts affected by Hurricane Katrina.
As the Governor�s Commission prepares its recommendations for rebuilding south Mississippi, the quickest and easiest approach would be to come up with a laundry list of programs and projects the government could create or expand to meet all the needs in the region. After all, it�s easier for people to grasp that concept than it is to comprehend how the private sector could piece together a cohesive economy.
Since the tax base of many communities along the Coast has been severely impacted or even decimated, it�s an opportune time for public officials to re-evaluate the purpose and priorities of local government. Here are some questions to consider.
Governor Barbour and Jim Barksdale, who is the chairman of the governor's commission on rebuilding the coast, have been encouraging "big ideas" for the rebuilding effort.