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Hands Off Jackson's ‘Local Control'

Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. wants the city to have more input on a controversial commission that will decide the fate of potential new revenue generated by a 1 percent sales tax increase specific to the city.

How Would the GOP Budget Affect Those in Poverty?

House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., released his budget proposal to fund the government for fiscal year 2012 on April 5. If enacted, how would these cuts impact low-income families? What would the GOP's new budget mean for our safety net? And how many people are hungry in Congressman Ryan's district?

Lawmakers: Stop the Foolishness

The political dramas that are playing out in Washington, D.C., these days are so far removed from reality back here in Mississippi that it's shameful. In particular, the Tea Party's ability to get the Republican Party to (at least pretend to) swing even farther to the right has raised the level of gamesmanship to what is perhaps an all-time high.

[Stiggers] The Mean Machine

"It's time for the people to escape the slave plantation of this capitalistic nation and become self-sufficient. It's time to use our talents, skills and abilities to help ourselves. Hair-Did University is here to create and develop an independent Ghetto Science community."

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Tax Facts Hardly Anyone Knows

For three decades America has conducted a massive economic experiment, testing a theory known as supply-side economics. The theory goes like this: Lower tax rates will encourage more investment, which in turn will mean more jobs and greater prosperity—so much so that tax revenues will go up, despite lower rates.

Changing the Lobbying Game

Cities will have a more difficult time pulling down federal money in Congress' continuing war on earmarks.

[Stiggers] Operation ‘Cover Your Butt'

"Congressman, last week, the government was like a falling cat able to land on its feet in a nick of time. Whew! A lot of folks were glad that the government avoided a shutdown. You and the Ghetto Science Team's Government Task Force had plan weeks before the shutdown. Tell the viewers about it."

[Kamikaze] Political Drama

The federal government was able to avert shutdown. Whether or not you actually believed it would happen, it stands to reason that all of us should take pause at how close a shutdown actually came.

House Polarizing, Report Card Says

The Mississippi House of Representatives is becoming as politically polarized as the Mississippi Senate, says political and community activist Rims Barber. Barber released a 2011 political report card grading legislators based on their votes for up to 10 progressive bills that writhed their way through the 2011 legislative session before it adjourned this month.

Reaching Agreement

The Civil Rights Museum and a Mississippi history museum live on after all. On Monday, legislators approved $20 million for construction of a proposed civil-rights museum and another $18 million for a Mississippi-history museum in Jackson.

State Losing Millions to Tax Dodgers?

Mississippi could be losing incalculable millions in revenue through legal corporate tax-dodging.

[Head] Rebels Without a Cause

It's difficult to effectively address a racism issue by sweeping the subject of race under the rug.

Bryan Opposes Jackson's Sales-Tax Increase

Sen. Hob Bryan, D-Amory, said he could not support a 1-cent sales-tax increase in Jackson to fund infrastructure repairs because the tax is too regressive, costing low-income residents proportionally more than those with higher incomes.

Insurance and Excise Taxes

Avoiding buying car insurance will get a little harder with new legislation passed last week. The Mississippi House of Representatives and the Mississippi Senate agreed on a bill requiring motorists to own some form of vehicle insurance to qualify for a new car tag.

The Home Front

If Morgan Freeman is Clarksdale's most recognizable resident, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Luckett may be its second. An attorney and developer, Luckett runs two of his high-profile business ventures with Freeman, the Ground Zero Blues Club and Madidi's Restaurant.

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