Debates about environmental stewardship and conservation have been a key fixture of public debate for decades.
With calls to preserve the natural environment, many have advocated for the expansion of government-owned property as the primary way to protect the environment and increase its quality. However, it is worth considering potential conservation alternatives that do not require putting more property in the hands of the state.
The traditional approach for many conservation initiatives has been for the government to purchase property from the private sector and then allocate that land for conservation purposes. This approach has been reasonably effective in many cases. However, it is important to consider the strong potential for conservation on privately held lands.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, approximately 93 percent of Mississippi land is under private jurisdiction. This places Mississippi among the highest in the country for the amount of land that is privately managed. As a state with so many natural resources and natural beauty, the opportunities for conservation and stewardship abound.
With so many private landowners, there is considerable potential behind the concept of incentivizing private land conservation using the state funds that are already allocated for conservation anyway. Such a model not only respects private property, but it also gives money back to taxpayers by supporting conservation efforts on their privately held lands.
There are several opportunities for the state to spend its appropriated conservation funds as effectively as possible. Mississippi could see the realization of private land conservation efforts in different contexts. Drawing largely from the state’s primary land uses found in cropland and forestry, there are a plethora of ways that private landowners can utilize their property in Mississippi for conservation efforts.
In agriculture, the opportunity for farmers to utilize specific sectors of their property for conservation carries enormous potential. For instance, while a lowland sector of a farm could be risky for crops due to flooding concerns, such land could carry great potential for waterfowl conservation.
With the allocation of the state’s conservation funds, farmers could establish a waterfowl habitat. The same goes for good cropland as well. In the advent of new technologies, it has even become possible for farmers to determine which sectors of their cropland have the greatest potential for conservation.
In forestry, conservation efforts on private land have obvious potential to create habitats for wildlife within timberland. In Mississippi, 77 percent of all timberland is privately owned, equating to approximately 15.1 million acres.
Given that many timberlands cover vast areas and are ecosystems in their own right, policies that directed conservation funds to these private lands would greatly expand the potential for conservation funds to be used as effectively as possible.
Mississippi is a beautiful state, and its natural beauty should be preserved for future generations. By allocating conservation funds to private landowners, the state could continue to protect Mississippi’s natural habitats. Ninety-three percent of Mississippi’s land is in the hands of private citizens. The state should ensure that the funds it appropriates for conservation can be directed back to taxpayers’ property worth conserving and not just government property.
As the nation gradually exits COVID and heads back into regular operations, the climate is ripe with opportunity to consider questions regarding the merits of regulatory freedom. Throughout the country, states have taken different stances on how to best approach the pandemic.
Some, such as New York and California, instituted a strong lockdown policy that vastly expanded government control over social and economic activities, while others, such as Florida and South Dakota, took a more hands-off approach, ensuring that the principle of individual autonomy drove good social and economic policy. These differing approaches offer a unique opportunity to evaluate whether the government is necessary to solve all of society's problems. History, free-market principles, and experience would certainly say that it is not.
For example, Brad Polumbo of the Foundation for Economic Education asserts the data is overwhelmingly in favor of free states over those states that locked down completely. For one, studies by The Lancet in July of 2020 and the Frontiers for Health in November of 2020 demonstrated that the stringency of COVID regulations showed no correlation with the numbers of COVID deaths within those states that promoted lockdowns.
Instead, studies indicated that the stringency of COVID regulations led to great economic cost as businesses took significant financial hits. Social consequences have included an increase in suicides, domestic violence, and drug overdoses.
Meanwhile, when comparing lockdown states to those that took a more relaxed approach, the result is quite telling. In terms of unemployment, those states that have prioritized lockdowns have taken longer to return to normal than those that took a more relaxed position. On top of that, most states that took the hands-off approach are much better positioned with unemployment (about 3 percent) than those that took a strict lockdown approach.
On a practical level, the pandemic offered the opportunity to really put various philosophical and economic principles to the test. As the pandemic comes to a close, it is evident that mistakes were made. Not adhering to principles of economic and social freedom may have been one of those mistakes. When making this kind of evaluation, hindsight is, of course, always going to be 20/20. However, the data demonstrates that moving forward, the best policy is that which adheres to limited government and prioritizes individual autonomy.
The Covid experience has only further demonstrated that there is no reason, pandemic or otherwise, that justifies government shutting down people’s lives and taking away their freedoms. As Mississippi and the nation at large return back to normal, it is critical that the protection of individual freedom and establishment of limited government ought to be the priority.
We live in a day when the logistics supply chain touches almost every aspect of life. From raw materials such as lumber and steel to complex electronics, practically every element of the market is somehow related to the workings of the logistics supply chain.
There have been multiple recent events highlighting the critical significance of a supply chain that can scale and adjust quickly to new scenarios. In the international trade sector, the accidental blocking of the Suez Canal slowed world shipping and completely halted all traffic through a waterway that facilitates 12 percent of all world trade.
On the infrastructure level, devasting cyberattacks targeted critical supply chain infrastructures and led to unforeseen shortages of essential resources. From a productivity standpoint, the logistics sector has had to confront the challenges of the backlog that came from a global pandemic with its labor shortages, lockdowns, and unprecedented demands for certain products.
In the wake of such shortages, it is more important than ever that our supply chain is strengthened and made to work better and faster. For these reasons, it is critical to recognize the role technology contributes to our supply chain’s ability to scale quickly in the event of future challenges.
The technologies that carry promise for supply chain advancements are numerous. Although these technologies cover multiple sectors and accomplish numerous tasks, there is a combined effect that can reduce shortages, increase speed, and facilitate efficiency.
A key technology with the potential to expand supply chain efficiency is the further implementation of automated data analysis. Using a combination of sensors, automated reporting, and location tracking, logistics companies have the ability to capture data trends and increase efficiency.
Furthermore, artificial intelligence (AI) development has created a new frontier as companies can now utilize data through AI. Using AI, logistics companies can predict patterns and respond to supply chain variables as quickly as possible. AI does not just increase efficiency for large logistics companies. AI also opens up new doors for smaller logistics companies that may not have the expertise and workforce for large-scale data analysis.
Building on the power of data collection and analysis, there has also been an uptick in warehouse technologies that use data-driven decision-making to sort inventory, standardize inventory management, and ultimately send off orders for shipping. These technologies also increase the level of production, decrease the incidents of injury, lower labor costs, and improve product traceability.
All of these technologies have a real significance as America continues to face challenges to the supply chain. As many in the nation come to grips with just how far-reaching the inefficiencies in our system are, the solutions that emerging technologies bring to the table are practical tools that could help to meet new challenges.
The free market developed the technologies to push the supply chain into the future, and the free market has the tools to make the supply chain more efficient. Instead of expanding government control of the supply chain and putting more regulations on transportation and logistics, government leaders should pursue policies that will encourage technology innovation and support the free market. As a result, our supply chain just might emerge better than ever before -and even more ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow.
This year marks the 5th anniversary of the Mississippi Justice Institute, a state-based constitutional litigation center and the legal arm of the Mississippi Center for Public Policy. When we started MJI, we wanted to make Mississippi a better place and to defend the ideals that make our country, and our state, so unique.
MCPP had already been engaged in that effort for decades; advocating in the legislature, the executive branch, and the public square. But in order to truly defend the constitutional ideals of liberty and justice for all, we knew we also had to take our fight to the courts.
The Mississippi Justice Institute helps foster freedom and prosperity in Mississippi by standing up for ordinary Mississippians whose rights have been violated by the government. We defend the personal, economic, and religious liberty of Mississippians in court and ensure that all forms of government are limited to their essential responsibilities as provided by the Constitution.
The fight for liberty never ends, and no organization can see it fully achieved. But we have made important progress. So, in honor of MJI’s 5th anniversary, here are five reasons to celebrate!
1. MJI has stood up for the right of regular Mississippians to earn an honest living in occupations as varied as eyebrow threaders, eyelash artists, weight-loss coaches, food truck operators, taxicab drivers, home health agencies, and telemedicine providers.
2. MJI has defended the right to free speech, whether for pro-life counselors to have compassionate conversations with women seeking abortions or for companies to be able to truthfully label their products.
3. MJI has won cases protecting Mississippians’ personal rights to worship and to bear arms. A Mississippi city tried to stop churches from having drive-in church services during the pandemic. After we filed suit, the city officials decided to allow the services after all. Another city banned the open carry of firearms. We filed suit, the city dropped the ban, and a federal court issued an order preventing the city from ever restricting the right to openly carry firearms again.
4. MJI has defended Mississippians’ ability to choose to send their children to charter schools. When the Southern Poverty Law Center challenged Mississippi’s charter school funding law, MJI intervened to represent parents of charter school students, and the courts upheld the funding for charter schools.
5. MJI has protected Mississippians’ property rights by leading the charge to eliminate administrative forfeiture, which allowed the government to take and keep private property without requiring involvement by the judiciary, and we forced the government to return over $100,000 worth of improperly forfeited property.
It’s no easy task to take on the government in court and win. But despite those challenges, MJI has been successful in winning over 90 percent of its cases either in court or through legislative reforms adopted in response to its lawsuits. And that’s what makes it all worthwhile – knowing that our clients can safely exercise their rights because we stood up for them when there was nowhere else to turn.
In its first five years, MJI has gained statewide and even national recognition for its work. In 2019, we received a national award for above-and-beyond service to the American conservative movement, and in 2020 we received an award for having one of the top 50 most influential leaders in the state.
We believe that Mississippians have never felt more confident that their constitutional rights will be protected and, if needed, zealously defended. With your help and support, we plan to continue fighting to make that true for many more years to come.
In the wake of Covid-19, the economy reeled from the devastating effects of lockdowns, logistical shortages, layoffs, and business closures. However, as the dust is starting to clear and the economy is getting stronger, it is important to consider how Mississippi can increase its recovery rate for jobs, employment, and economic growth.
Mississippi led the way as one of the first states to begin lifting the economic restrictions brought about by the pandemic. Mississippi was also one of the first states to proactively encourage people to get back to work by rejectingadditional federal unemployment benefits. Despite growth, Mississippi jobs are still recovering. State leaders should implement recovery-minded policies that support economic growth and help the state come back even stronger than before.
The policies that would give Mississippi an economic boost have numerous implications and reach across almost every sector in the state. Yet, these relatively unsophisticated policies could really lead to lasting growth for the state.
On the fundamental level, policymakers should take actions that will stop the state government from taking money right out of the citizens’ wallets through an income tax. The state income tax should be abolished. As so many rebuild what they lost during the economic devastation of Covid, Mississippians need every dollar they can get. While the federal government in Washington is printing more money and inflating the dollar to fund direct payments, state leaders in Mississippi have the opportunity to make a meaningful difference by just leaving Mississippian’s incomes alone.
Further, policymakers in Mississippi can help the citizens of the state by removing burdensome regulations on businesses. This can be done through widespread regulatory rollbacks, as well as through innovative programs like regulatory sandboxes. In 2020, Mississippi had the nation’s highest increase in new business applications as thousands of new entrepreneurs worked to support themselves and their families during Covid. By lowering excessive regulations and pursuing economic freedom, Mississippi will create an environment that helps these entrepreneurs stay in business for the long term as they navigate the challenges that face new businesses.
There is little debate that policies to expand economic growth are more important than ever in the wake of Covid. But Mississippi needs action to get this economic growth moving. By cutting back taxes, lowering regulations, and putting faith in the success of free-market principles, Mississippi just might have a chance to coming back from the pandemic stronger than ever before.
In recent years, the political and economic landscape in the United States has brought about a subtle but significant policy proposal. This proposal involves special jurisdictions in a quest to help struggling businesses that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic or by poor economic infrastructure in their respective communities.
As part of President Trump’s economic plan, states throughout the United States (in addition to the federal level) have instituted a plan to give tax breaks to businesses to try to revitalize the economy. Mississippi is no exception as it has adopted various special economic zones with the express intent of prioritizing the investment and development of state infrastructure. In cities such as Vicksburg, this reform has reportedly saved jobs and helped stabilize the hurting economy.
These Opportunity Zones are designated to “encourage long-term investments in low-income and rural communities through Qualified Opportunity Funds.” Currently, there are about 100 Opportunity Zones in Mississippi. This will last as a program until 2027 per the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.
They operate on the basis that investors can earn tax relief through investments designated by the Opportunity Zone. Such benefits increase as the time the investment is held increases. These zones have been placed in strategic areas throughout Mississippi and particularly target low-income and rural communities.
As a matter of policy, this appears to generally makes sense on paper. It goes without saying that to get more money into struggling areas, it is important to have opportunities for capital investment. This has been done in the past by incentivizing businesses with generous tax breaks rather than just having federal or state grants to keep those areas from downing. In doing so, the principle of choice by the consumer remains intact, by allowing the private sector to direct capital to where it is most needed.
In addition, such a policy has been propounded as a way to help fix economic decisions in the reality of business rather than the theory of bureaucracy. Opportunity zones can help promote economic growth in those hurting communities.
Tom Bell of the Foundation for Economic Education describes this principle perfectly and rightly suggests that, “it also bears noting that [these special jurisdictions] escape the charge that they can thrive only thanks to top-down subsidies. These days, special jurisdictions happen only if and when private investors fund them. That sort of objective oversight helps to ensure that special jurisdictions, far from floating on clouds of theory, have a solid grounding in the real world.”
In recognition of this fact that these geographic zones are entirely dependent on private investment, it is important that they do not offer only fiscal incentives. Otherwise, some have rightly pointed out that Opportunity Zones could potentially lead to crony capitalism. It is important that Opportunity Zones be coupled with tangible evaluations for success by local community members in order to avoid this.
As Lotta Moberg points out, the focus of the zones must encompass whole regions and offer not just tax breaks but thorough deregulation as well that will assist in directing those investments. This was done in Hong Kong, and it not only liberalized the economy, but incentivized state officials to provide further reform. Ultimately, it confirmed one of Friedman’s primary predictions: “Privately created and managed special jurisdictions tend to outperform public ones.”
As a general principle, the people of Mississippi and businesses ought to welcome the concept of free-market zones as opportunities to fix their own communities that are struggling economically. However, rather than simply placing a tax break incentive to fix the problem, the mindset behind Opportunity Zones needs to have a broader application as state governments seek direct investments from the private sector.
Ultimately, government incentives are not the answer to expanding investment. Rather than focus on specific regions, policies should lower taxes and regulation across the board. Free market investments that are not restrained by government action are much better solutions to building communities. Opportunity Zones may carry potential in some contexts, but ultimately it is broader freedoms for the free market that have the best chance at growing communities.
In a day when high-tech farming and agriculture are growing in importance, high-speed internet technology is becoming an important tool for farmers across the country. Emerging mobile internet could play a key part in getting farms connected and expanding their capacity.
In order for agricultural implements to be connected to the internet, mobile connectivity is a critical component. Wired broadband infrastructure (such as fiber) is not always available in rural areas. But mobile internet connectivity is essential for elements such as tractors, drones, and other tools that may be outside the reach of a wired connection.
A relatively high amount of bandwidth is required for mobile internet connections to achieve their highest potential for agricultural use. While the widely available 4G mobile internet technology common in cell phones allows for some applications, 4G was originally designed for private consumer use in cell phones. Thus, it is not as ideal for commercial applications, such as agriculture.
With speeds that are usually slower than a wired internet connection but relatively responsive, 4G is ideal for personal use such as checking social media, watching a quick video, or sending an email. But the technology doesn’t always carry the bandwidth that is needed in a commercial context.
But the exponential growth of 5G is expanding mobile connectivity capabilities, which carries some exciting possibilities for agricultural technology. What is 5G? 5G stands for “5th Generation” since it is the fifth generation of mobile internet technology. Unlike 4G technology, 5G technology provides the opportunity for mobile connectivity that meets or exceeds most wired internet speeds.
For agricultural use, 5G has numerous applications that are continually expanding. For instance, 5G can power automated sensors that determine soil and crop status. The correct application of fertilizer can then be applied to specific areas of the fields.
Tractors, powered by 5G, can utilize artificial intelligence to assess crop health and detect weeds to apply precision herbicide. Drones, powered by 5G, can assess pests and specifically target areas that need pesticides. For livestock, 5G-powered tracking devices can track herd movements. The speed of 5G can be used to upload photos of dairy stock to analyze their health by artificial intelligence systems. When it comes to agriculture and 5G, quite literally, the sky is the limit.
As farmers utilize the enterprise-level speeds of 5G, they will be able to monitor the ever-changing variables of agriculture more effectively. These emerging capabilities could have a tangible impact on greater efficiency, higher yields, and increasing profit margins for agriculture.
America’s 5G internet infrastructure is building up at a rapid rate. Farmers, investors, and policy makers would do well to be prepared so that the industry can hit the ground running as 5G technology becomes increasingly available.
Protesters around the world seem to know what too many Americans have forgotten: that the American flag is the greatest symbol of independence and liberty that has ever been known.
That is exactly why a number of Cubans continue to wave and march with American flags in their hands as they protest the failing communist regime on the island.
Thousands of protesters in over 40 cities have now taken to the streets in Cuba to declare their desire for freedom and voice their frustrations with their communist authoritarian government. This is no small thing. Never before have we seen in Cuba protests of this scale.
These are people who know the potential cost of their actions. Their public opposition to the regime could mean their death. Already, over 100 people have gone missing. Dozens have been arrested. Protesters have been beaten by security forces. Cuba’s president has labeled protesters “counter-revolutionaries” and has called for force against them.
For over 60 years, dictators have run Cuba, oppressing the people and stifling growth and prosperity. While the people starve, party elites have sucked up power and wealth. While housing crumbles, new hotels and resorts are built to bring money to the government. While the communists declare liberation, they silence and crush the freedoms of the people.
In order to stifle the protests and the transmission of videos highlighting government violence, the Cuban government shut down internet on the island. This was a blatant attempt to block communications amongst the grassroots organizers of this tremendous display of opposition.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis even called on Florida-based companies to attempt to provide internet access to the people of Cuba during this time. He noted in a press conference that communist regime leaders “don’t want the truth to be out, they don’t want people to be able to communicate.”
Just 90 miles away from American shores, many of the Cuban people look to our nation for hope. Thousands of Americans themselves have experienced the horrors of the Cuban regime or have relatives that are still there, which makes this moment all the more important.
Every American should seek to support the Cuban people and denounce the communist government. After 60 years, a nation stands stuck in the past, clinging to a broken economic and political system that has left far too many in poverty. Our political leaders should be held to account and we ought to demand the utmost clarity in their condemnations of the Cuban regime.
The failures of the Cuban government are a stark reminder to those who call for socialism and communism to be implemented in the United States. Those political ideologies have failed in both a spectacular and consistent manner. They have failed systematically across cultures and continents. The loud cries of the Cuban people should be a chilling wake-up call to all those who advocate for or tolerate these vicious ideologies in Mississippi and the rest of the United States.
In the wake of bad government policies, it can be fairly easy to focus on the “big picture” effects of arbitrary regulations, high taxes, reckless spending, and runaway inflation. When the cost of such proposals is billions and even trillions of dollars, the impact on the individual common man can get lost in the noise.
It is critical to recognize the macro-effects of these bad policies, but just how much is being taken from Americans’ wallets and shopping carts?
Perhaps there is nothing more economically significant to working Americans than the cost of the goods they need to purchase for themselves and their families. The rising cost of consumer goods is a direct result of shortsighted government policies with effects that are ultimately felt by Americans at the grocery store, in the hardware store, and on the internet. While the issues are complex and impact a variety of sectors, some basic building blocks contribute to the rising cost of consumer goods that hurts hard-working Americans.
Rising taxes are one of the key elements that cut into the affordability of consumer goods. While income taxes are a direct form of taxation that the government uses as a means to take from Americans’ incomes, other rising taxes ultimately increase the cost of what Americans are able to buy at the grocery store.
One of the key taxes that raises the cost of consumer goods is the increase in corporate tax rates. As President Biden has introduced tax reforms to raise taxes, he has insisted that the tax increases would only affect those who make over $400,000 a year. But the tax reforms also include measures to raise the corporate tax rate from 21 percent to 28 percent.
According to a study conducted by the Cato Institute, increases in the corporate tax rate directly lead to an increase in retail prices as businesses attempt to offset their losses by passing it on to consumers.
As if higher taxes are not enough, runaway government spending ultimately leads to inflation. Inflation causes the value of the dollar to go down and causes the price of consumer goods to go up. Thus, as the dollar has less purchasing power, the buying power of an individual is compromised. In fact, in the wake of unprecedented government spending, inflation has directly contributed to an increase in the consumer price index of more than 5 percent.
Finally, expanded government regulations contribute to an increased cost in the price of consumer goods. As regulations increase, so too does the cost of production for businesses.
In turn, the cost of goods goes up as businesses pass on the cost of these regulatory burdens to consumers. The cost of regulations on consumer goods disproportionately impacts lower-income families. This occurs because many of the consumer goods that have the highest price increases from regulations (such as electricity and health care) make up a higher percentage of lower-income family incomes than other goods that are not burdened as much by excessive regulation.
Rising corporate taxes, inflation, and increased regulation; all of these elements increase the cost of consumer goods for Americans. The nation is already reeling from the effects of a global pandemic, expanded income taxes, and a government in Washington that is all but disconnected from the interests of its people.
While the politicians and bureaucrats of big government pour billions and trillions into the government machine, the citizens who make up this great nation's very fiber are working to provide for themselves and their families. A return to sound public policies of fiscal responsibility, limited government, and the success of the free market is critical for the cost of consumer goods to not be manipulated by further blunders.