Audience members at the Mississippi Economic Council’s Pacesetter Tour stop in Greenwood on Tuesday said in a survey that they were optimistic about Mississippi’s economy but less enthusiastic about the Delta’s prospects.
However, Blake Wilson, president and chief executive officer of the MEC, said that the Delta can be regionally competitive by focusing on the right industries.
About 50 people gathered at the Historic Elks Building for the event, which featured a luncheon and a presentation on transportation infrastructure, economic competitiveness and workforce health.
Attendees used a remote voting system to answer questions about their perceptions of the economic situation of the Delta and Mississippi.
More than half responded that they didn’t think their children would have to leave Mississippi to have successful and fulfilling careers, and 68 percent said they felt the economy had improved over the last five years.
However, 77 percent responded that they thought the Delta was only “somewhat competitive” or “not so competitive” economically.
Wilson said that although attracting a major automotive manufacturing plant is perhaps an unrealistic goal, the Delta would be well served by focusing on creating a positive business environment for companies such as Milwaukee Electric Tool and Viking Range.
The survey portion of the presentation was interspersed with video segments featuring Mississippi businessmen and politicians, including Gov. Phil Bryant, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann.
Those featured in the video segments for the most part were positive about the state’s business and education climate.
Bryant touted the implementation of educational assessments and a statewide unemployment rate of 5.9 percent as major achievements.
Reeves pointed to a balanced state budget, low taxes and an increase in the number of charter schools as signs of a healthy business environment.
Less reassuring was the picture painted by Joe Sanderson Jr., CEO of Sanderson Farms, in a video segment. “Roads across are state are beginning to crumble,” said Sanderson. “Bridges are not stable.”
According to Wilson, wear and tear and detours caused by poor road and bridge infrastructure cost Mississippians $640 per year on average.
Much of Mississippi’s infrastructure is maintained through a gas tax, which has not increased since 1987. According to the MEC, the number of miles driven on Mississippi’s roads has increased 90 percent since then, but gas consumption has remained relatively level due to improvements in fuel efficiency.
Compounding the issue is the fact that the cost of construction has increased by over 200 percent since 1987.
Wilson said the MEC has a plan to address the state’s infrastructure woes. He declined to go into more detail, saying only that the council will reveal its plan Friday.
Throughout the presentation, multiple lawmakers and politicians identified education as a prerequisite for an attractive workforce.
In one video segment, Speaker Philip Gunn boasted that the state has put $9.5 billion over the last four years, the highest amount over any four-year period in the state’s history.
Though Wilson hinted that it might be time for the state Legislature to revisit and possibly change the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, he said that some kind of education equalization program is absolutely essential for Mississippi.
“Every rural state in America has what’s called an equalization formula,” said Wilson, adding that rural districts are seldom if ever able to function as their urban counterparts on local tax revenue alone.
• Contact Nick Rogers at 581-7235 or nrogers@gwcommonwealth.com.
