This year, it appears the legislature will finally address the need for charter schools in Mississippi. But I want to warn you: there is a lot of misinformation floating around. (more…)

Would you invest in a company that will be bankrupt by the end of the month? What if the government forced you to invest in that company? (more…)

If there is one thing we learned from this year's campaign, it's that we have a desperate need in our country to return to the vision our Founders had of rights and of the proper role of government. (more…)

One of the most difficult concepts to grasp in tax policy is that taxes on businesses are not taxes on businesses. The reality is that taxes on businesses require higher prices for consumers, since the taxes become another cost of doing business, just like paying rent or insurance or employees. (more…)

There are now two commissions considering reforms to the state tax code. One was appointed by the governor, and the other was created by the House Ways & Means Committee. Whatever plans come out of either of these groups, they should be guided by some key principles. (more…)

Mississippi’s budget woes would not be nearly as severe if marriage still had the prominence it once did in the state, according to Forest Thigpen, president of the Mississippi Center for Public Policy (MCPP). His comments were based on a study released today in Washington, DC, that estimates the cost of divorce and out-of-wedlock childbearing on federal, state, and local budgets. The landmark study, entitled “The Taxpayer Costs of Divorce and Unwed Childbearing,” is the first scholarly, peer-reviewed study to ever estimate the cost of “family fragmentation” to federal, state, and local governments. (more…)

The commission appointed by Governor Barbour to study the state tax code has begun meeting. The governor wants the commission to look at the total tax burden experienced by Mississippians, including federal and local taxes, to determine what changes need to be made in the state tax code so that the overall tax burden is not detrimental to job creation and growth. (more…)

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…)

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…)