In an informal survey, about 58 percent of the respondents at a meeting in Greenwood on Monday said most children in Mississippi will have to leave the state to find good jobs.
“That’s a frightening number,” Blake Wilson, president and chief executive officer of the Mississippi Economic Council, said during a stop by the Blueprint Mississippi 2011 Road Show at the Greenwood Rotary Club. “As leaders in this state, we’ve got to change that. We cannot live with losing two-thirds of our population.”
He added that the state average on that question is 62 percent, so “the good news is, even though it is more than half that will have to leave the state, you’re a little more optimistic than the rest of the state.”
The 20-city Road Show, part of a $1.25 million research project, began Feb. 8 in Hattiesburg and ends April 7 in Corinth. Wilson said the crowds have been good in every community. Citizens could give immediate input on Mississippi’s future regarding education, industry and tourism using touchpad voting.
“It gives people the chance, without having to speak out, to quickly express themselves. They can see what other people are thinking, too,” Wilson said.
In a pre-recorded video message, Jack Reed Jr., mayor of Tupelo, asked the participants to offer their “honest assessment of where we are and where you would like us to be.
“Moving forward, we’ll be asking for your continued involvement,” he said.
Wilson said the state is competing directly with Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Texas, Tennessee, South Carolina, Oklahoma, North Carolina and Louisiana for new industry. “If a company is looking to locate in Mississippi, they’re looking in most of these states,” he said.
At Monday’s meeting, more than 67 percent of respondents said the state could improve its competitive position and experience growth similar to what Georgia and North Carolina have had over the past 20 years.
Wilson said North Carolina, in the 1970s, set a standard for industry recruitment. Today, North Carolina has a larger population than New Jersey, he said.
“They had a vision, and they went after it,” he said.
When asked to rank their region of the state, more than 48 percent of respondents said the Delta was not competitive on jobs.
Wilson said that is a normal reaction.
“People tend to be much more critical of their region,” he said.
Regions that are doing well, such as Lee County, Columbus and Starkville, rate themselves highly, while coastal communities tend to rate themselves negatively, Wilson said.
The Road Show focuses on educational achievement, resource management, economic competitiveness and technology commercialization. It also will examine community life, racial reconciliation, health care and infrastructure.
Wilson said cultural tourism is an asset to the state and a major part of the Road Show’s focus.
“We’re focusing on how all roads now lead to Mississippi, not just historic trails, the blues trail, the civil rights trail that will be coming along, the country trail, which has just been announced, and the gospel trail, which is on the boards,” he said.
The Road Show is sponsored by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi. Participating organizations include Delta Council, the Greenwood-Leflore County Chamber of Commerce and the Greenwood-Leflore-Carroll Economic Development Foundation.
• Contact Bob Darden at bdarden@gwcommonwealth.com.
