Mayor Yarber, Please Lead on Transparency
We are pleased to report that we are seeing some, at least marginal, improvements in the way the City of Jackson is handling access to information.
EDITORIAL: The Hoods Are Gravely Wrong About Execution Secrecy, Firing Squads
Both Jim Hood and Joey Hood are wrong on the execution bill that is moving forward in the Mississippi Legislature.
Collaborating for a Safer Mississippi
In our polarized state and nation, it is mighty refreshing to hear a conservative of faith stand up against truly odious criminal-justice policies that trap men of color, particularly, into cycles of generational poverty and mass incarceration.
SUNSHINE WEEK: Public Needs Year-Round Access to Documents, Meetings, Donation Information
The JFP has long focused on the serious problem of campaign donation transparency in the state, especially that shielded by political action committees, and more recently the problem with city contractor transparency
Fed Up with Underfunding Education
This week it appears that "level" funding for MAEP is here again for 2016, meaning an overall underfunding of the now essentially toothless formula somewhere on the order of $172 million.
Mississippi’s ‘Frivolous’ Lawsuit Conundrum
In one of the poorest states in the nation, litigating cases in the name of religious freedom or conservative idealism is costly.
Stop Pushing ‘Anti-Human Being’ Laws
Religious moral conviction is a powerful tool in politics. Last week, the Mississippi House of Representatives proved this by passing the "Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act."
Lawmakers: Sound Smarter About Education
It is a leap in logic to say that districts in more affluent areas perform better with less public dollars; thus, that's all the funds poorer districts need.
Legislature, If You Care About Kids, Prove It
With the large corporate incentive package behind us that will, hopefully, create jobs down the road, it's time for legislators to start working on more pressing issues, including how the state will spend its limited budget for the coming year.
Lead Contamination Debacle Gives Little Faith in State-Managed Airport
Like many people who live in Jackson, we were taken aback when we heard that state Sen. Josh Harkins planned to submit legislation to change the composition of what is now the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority.
Give Jackson Your Best to Solve Its Problems
It's our view that Jackson's troubles bring out the best in its people. We've seen it firsthand in the 13.5 of this paper.
Invest in Meaningful Workforce Training
Mississippi House Seaker Phillip Gunn, an attorney at one of the Jackson's largest law firms, quipped this week that he recently had to call a plumber to his Clinton home. When Gunn received his bill, he noticed that the plumber's hourly rate was the same rate Gunn charges to give legal advice.
MAEP Reform: Avoid Fuzzy-Math Logic
Changes to the Mississippi Adequate Education Program are likely to be on the legislative agenda and horizon, but lawmakers must proceed with caution when tampering with certain components of the formula.
Need ‘Good Faith’ Before Regionalization
We are not against smart "regionalization." If done correctly, it would mean more transparency, collaboration and growth for the entire region—whether between businesses or governments in Hinds, Rankin and Madison counties—cooperating.
Show Leadership, Not ‘Randomness’
Every session, it seems, something President Barack Obama has said or didn't say whips Republicans under our dome into a froth.
Why Our Bond Rating Is Important
While crime, potholes and boiled-water notices get all the headlines and make for easy punchlines, one of the biggest problems facing the capital city is rarely discussed outside of City Hall—Jackson's bond rating.
Refugees, School Kids Deserve Human Rights
There's a fine line between Gov. Phil Bryant's tacit assent of Donald Trump's anti-Muslim rhetoric and Mississippi's complete abdication of its responsibility to educate its children.
Let’s Get Some Things Done
For Mayor Tony Yarber and the city council, we suggest having a pen and notebook handy to jot some things on their to-do lists and get important deadlines up on the calendar for 2016.
End Dangerous Rhetoric That Threatens Lives
The Nov. 27 shooting at a Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood is a case study in the anatomy of political rhetoric and the real-life danger of spreading inciteful rhetoric.
City Must Increase Subcontracting Transparency
Under the City of Jackson's $91-million contract with Siemens for a water-system overhaul and sewer repairs, at least six firms hold subcontracts with Siemens.
Women Must Have Health, Reproductive Choices
Perhaps Roe v. Wade was ahead of its time, or late in coming. Regardless, abortion has been legal in the U.S. for decades and to reverse it would mean reversing women's rights.
State Should End Costly, Embarrassing Legal Challenges
Last week, the state—via the Democratic-led Mississippi attorney general's office—again stood on the wrong side of a federal judge in an individual-rights case.
The Next 12 Months Are Critical for Jackson
One election is behind us, but several others are on the horizon.
Find an Issue Worth Your Vote
Being registered to vote is meaningless unless you wield your power as a citizen and actually head to a polling place.
Jails and Prisons Also Need Adequate Funding
Although the state of Mississippi's criminal-justice system always seems to be in the news, lately there's been a flurry of bad press for the state's jails and prison system.
Backroom Anti-42 Politics Counterproductive for Employers
Improving education in Mississippi should be the priority of manufacturers and bankers and insurance agents and realtors and restaurateurs.
Remembering the Ladies, Black and White
"Wherever there is a racial issue, there's a gender issue," said Anita Hill, keynote speaker at the Mississippi Women's Economic Security Policy Summit, held Oct. 10.
The State Had Better Recognize Jackson’s Might
After months of brinksmanship, the City of Jackson and Mississippi State Fair Commission finally came to an agreement this week over security at the state fair, which begins today, Oct. 7.
State’s GOP Lawmakers Must Stop Pitting Poor Kids Against Sick People
Mississippi Republican leadership will stop at very little to try to scare voters into allowing them to continue violating state law and underfunding the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, even if it means using the sick poor of the state as a pawn in the game.
We Need to Learn From Charter Schools Before Expanding Them
It is too early to deem charter schools a success or failure in Mississippi. We are witnessing the beginning of a limited experiment in privatized "public" education starting this year in Jackson.