Wall Street Journal Wrecks Mississippi

[615dawg]

Jackson Jambalaya

Mississippi faces a shrinking workforce problem—with people of working age on the sidelines and younger people moving away—as it also struggles to attract new residents. Economic and population growth is transforming other Southern states such as neighboring Tennessee.


State and local leaders worry Mississippi’s civilian labor-force participation rate—the nation’s lowest, at 53.9% in October, compared with 62.7% overall in the U.S.—as well as a substantial brain drain of young people moving away and a shrinking workforce are hurting the state’s chances of joining in the region’s bonanza.

Mississippi's population only added 750 residents during the last year while the South grew by 1.4 million residents.

 

[Mr. Cook]

 

[Lettuce]

17ing pathetic

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

Pretty much what many of us have been saying for years.

We'll have democratic elected governor elected in 20 years or so. When the same type politicians who have ruined Jxn, get in charge of the whole state, it'd go down even faster. Make no mistake, Rs aren't much better, but it will be slightly more of a controlled descent with them in charge. The state is doomed no matter what.

 

[Mr. Cook]

Pretty much what many of us have been saying for years.

We'll have democratic elected governor elected in 20 years or so. When the same type politicians who have ruined Jxn, get in charge of the whole state, it'd go down even faster. Make no mistake, Rs aren't much better, but it will be slightly more of a controlled descent with them in charge. The state is doomed no matter what.

 

[retire the banner]

Pretty much what many of us have been saying for years.

We'll have democratic elected governor elected in 20 years or so. When the same type politicians who have ruined Jxn, get in charge of the whole state, it'd go down even faster. Make no mistake, Rs aren't much better, but it will be slightly more of a controlled descent with them in charge. The state is doomed no matter what.

*Mstateglfr incoming*

 

[L4Dawg]

Ther is literally nothing new there. It's been going on since WWII at least.

 

[Mr. Cook]

Ther is literally nothing new there. It's been going on since WWII at least.

I thought is was since the "War of Northern Aggression"**********

 

[Maroon Eagle]

Preaching to the choir, 615.

Mississippi doesn’t provide a welcoming environment to a lot of working age folks.

Pretty much what many of us have been saying for years.

We'll have democratic elected governor elected in 20 years or so. When the same type politicians who have ruined Jxn, get in charge of the whole state, it'd go down even faster. Make no mistake, Rs aren't much better, but it will be slightly more of a controlled descent with them in charge. The state is doomed no matter what.

I agree with that second paragraph but I’ll add this thought:

The first Democratic Governor will be slightly different so things will work out for a bit (kind of like Chokwe the Elder was initially more pragmatic than a LOT of people thought — we don’t know if he would keep it up but still).

Subsequent governors though…

 

[retire the banner]

In all seriousness, the only desirable places to live/work in MS are Hattiesburg and Madison County. Everything else is dying.

I’m sure someone will pipe up and mention Oxford but I hate those bastards too much.

 

[DogStuckAtUM]

Once I graduated college, I lived in NYC for a bit for an internship. After coming back to Mississippi where I was born and raised, I thought "I gotta get outta here now." Ever since have lived in Charlotte and Nashville.

 

[Mr. Cook]

In all seriousness, the only desirable places to live/work in MS are Hattiesburg and Madison County. Everything else is dying.

I’m sure someone will pipe up and mention Oxford but I hate those bastards too much.

Oxford has jumped the shark*******

 

[OG Goat Holder]

And the only way to change it is a decent urban environment.

And the only chance to have this is Jackson.

And nobody cares about it.

Soooooo.....

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Jackson Jambalaya

Mississippi faces a shrinking workforce problem—with people of working age on the sidelines and younger people moving away—as it also struggles to attract new residents. Economic and population growth is transforming other Southern states such as neighboring Tennessee.


State and local leaders worry Mississippi’s civilian labor-force participation rate—the nation’s lowest, at 53.9% in October, compared with 62.7% overall in the U.S.—as well as a substantial brain drain of young people moving away and a shrinking workforce are hurting the state’s chances of joining in the region’s bonanza.

Mississippi's population only added 750 residents during the last year while the South grew by 1.4 million residents.

Cross out Tennessee and just put Nashville metro.

These population booms in southern states are based around a popular metropolitan area. Mississippi has Jackson…….yeah.

You have the coast/Hattiesburg and then Desoto County is next to Memphis…..yay.

The majority of Mississippi is very rural and last I checked rural America in general is shrinking at an alarming rate so it makes sense.

 

[BirdPuppy]

In all seriousness, the only desirable places to live/work in MS are Hattiesburg and Madison County. Everything else is dying.

I’m sure someone will pipe up and mention Oxford but I hate those bastards too much.

Tupelo and some spots on the coast are fine as well.

On the flip side you can move to Nashville, make six figures, and live like a peasant unable to afford children.

Bottoming is a process and I hope to God we are in the middle of that process.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

The first Democratic Governor will be slightly different so things will work out for a bit (kind of like Chokwe the Elder was initially more pragmatic than a LOT of people thought — we don’t know if he would keep it up but still).

Chokwe comes in and gives Jackson a chance - sudden death.
Leach comes in and gives MSU a chance - sudden death.

Seeing a trend here.

 

[AFDawg]

In all seriousness, the only desirable places to live/work in MS are Hattiesburg and Madison County. Everything else is dying.

I’m sure someone will pipe up and mention Oxford but I hate those bastards too much.

Eh, that's not quite true. Tupelo is very strong. There are good spots on the coast. And Hattiesburg has its own issues besides.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

On the flip side you can move to Nashville, make six figures, and live like a peasant unable to afford children.

In actuality, those major metros are just going to spread and spread. They are still employment centers, and with so many people now working a hybrid schedule in and out of an office, it will enable the far reaching suburbs even more.

 

[retire the banner]

Cross out Tennessee and just put Nashville metro.

These population booms in southern states are based around a popular metropolitan area. Mississippi has Jackson…….yeah.

You have the coast/Hattiesburg and then Desoto County is next to Memphis…..yay.

The majority of Mississippi is very rural and last I checked rural America in general is shrinking at an alarming rate so it makes sense.

Not sure if you agree with this, but after living in desoto county for 30+ years it’s safe to say the best days are behind it. I don’t like how it’s grown. Crime has infiltrated everything north of church rd and if you go south the infrastructure hasn’t caught up with the population.

 

[retire the banner]

Eh, that's not quite true. Tupelo is very strong. There are good spots on the coast. And Hattiesburg has its own issues besides.

That’s fair

 

[OG Goat Holder]

Eh, that's not quite true. Tupelo is very strong. There are good spots on the coast. And Hattiesburg has its own issues besides.

This is true, but those areas are far from the urban areas that are needed. Entire Tupelo Metro is like 150K. And the coast will always have hurricanes, which, like or not, will limit it.

It's really Jackson or bust.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Not sure if you agree with this, but after living in desoto county for 30+ years it’s safe to say the best days are behind it. I don’t like how it’s grown. Crime has infiltrated everything north of church rd and if you go south the infrastructure hasn’t caught up with the population.

I’m not sure I’d say the crime is as rampant as you’re making it out to be. There’s issues here and there for sure but it’s not like it’s the ghetto.

Do agree with infrastructure. Hernando is a mess.

 

[ckDOG]

Pretty much what many of us have been saying for years.

We'll have democratic elected governor elected in 20 years or so. When the same type politicians who have ruined Jxn, get in charge of the whole state, it'd go down even faster. Make no mistake, Rs aren't much better, but it will be slightly more of a controlled descent with them in charge. The state is doomed no matter what.

Yeah, let's focus on the ****** leadership that might be elected in 2 decades than point the finger at the morons that other morons have kept comfortable in office over the last several decades while the gap between MS and the rest of the south continues to get wider.

 

[LOTRGOTDAWGFAN]

Once I graduated college, I lived in NYC for a bit for an internship. After coming back to Mississippi where I was born and raised, I thought "I gotta get outta here now." Ever since have lived in Charlotte and Nashville.

i did just about the same thing. Joined the army for 4 years active, moved back for a little while and couldn't take it anymore. Lived and worked in awesome places: Austin, Tampa Bay, NYC, Hampton Roads, Virginia, now DC. There's so much opportunity in all those areas with a great day/night life.

 

[AFDawg]

This is true, but those areas are far from the urban areas that are needed. Entire Tupelo Metro is like 150K. And the coast will always have hurricanes, which, like or not, will limit it.

It's really Jackson or bust.

No disagreement there--fixing Jackson is essential, and the prospects of that happening are pitiful.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

Oxford has jumped the shark*******

Dare I say that Oxford is the shark.

Mississippi is, of course, Gilda Radner.

 

[Drebin]

Jackson Jambalaya

Mississippi faces a shrinking workforce problem—with people of working age on the sidelines and younger people moving away—as it also struggles to attract new residents. Economic and population growth is transforming other Southern states such as neighboring Tennessee.


State and local leaders worry Mississippi’s civilian labor-force participation rate—the nation’s lowest, at 53.9% in October, compared with 62.7% overall in the U.S.—as well as a substantial brain drain of young people moving away and a shrinking workforce are hurting the state’s chances of joining in the region’s bonanza.

Mississippi's population only added 750 residents during the last year while the South grew by 1.4 million residents.

The state of MS can turn this around but it really needs a targeted strategy and everyone pulling in the same direction, which can never happen in this state given the politics in Jackson. But this is what I think could turn it around:

1. Get aggressive with cleaning up Jackson. Empower the police and start locking people up. Yeah, I know.
2. Eliminate the state income tax. This should have been done a long time ago, and it certainly contributes to people getting the hell out of dodge after college.
3. Start getting aggressive with attracting big business to the state. I mean, get radical. Sweetheart deals on land. Tax breaks. Incentivize companies to do business here. If we can't get Jackson to clean up its act, start investing in population centers in the NE (Tupelo), the NW (Desoto county) and around Hattiesburg. Give companies a reason to do business in MS, which gives people a reason to stay in MS, and ultimately to move to MS.

 

[retire the banner]

I’m not sure I’d say the crime is as rampant as you’re making it out to be. There’s issues here and there for sure but it’s not like it’s the ghetto.

Do agree with infrastructure. Hernando is a mess.

Im not suggesting it’s the ghetto. But it’s certainly much worse now than it was from the mid 90s-2010s. My suggestion to anyone moving there would be to buy south of i69. There’s been a recent movement of people moving to Senatobia, which is interesting.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

Yeah, let's focus on the ****** leadership that might be elected in 2 decades than point the finger at the morons that other morons have kept comfortable in office over the last several decades while the gap between MS and the rest of the south continues to get wider.

Is this an issue that can be fixed by state government? I hear this repeatedly but I fail to see where the state has actually failed. Seems to me the issue is the lack of a viable urban area to attract population. Many areas of the state are doing well, but they simply can't move the needle.

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

Yeah, let's focus on the ****** leadership that might be elected in 2 decades than point the finger at the morons that other morons have kept comfortable in office over the last several decades while the gap between MS and the rest of the south continues to get wider.

I'm certainly not a republican or a fan of them, but I believe they are the lesser of two evils. The state is doomed either way. I don't see much of a way out, unless we go hog wild producing some new highly profitable crop in the delta (and I understand that MJ does better in other climates, not that our state leaders would go for that anyway).

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Im not suggesting it’s the ghetto. But it’s certainly much worse now than it was from the mid 90s-2010s. My suggestion to anyone moving there would be to buy south of i69. There’s been a recent movement of people moving to Senatobia, which is interesting.

Senatobia the “5 Star City”.

 

[Drebin]

Not sure if you agree with this, but after living in desoto county for 30+ years it’s safe to say the best days are behind it. I don’t like how it’s grown. Crime has infiltrated everything north of church rd and if you go south the infrastructure hasn’t caught up with the population.

I think there's definitely a crime problem in the northern sliver of desoto county. That's riff raff coming down from Memphis. It's been happening for a while. Not sure if it's a bigger problem now than it's been in the past few years. I'm not sure I agree with the rest of it. If you want to say Commerce St in Hernando isn't big enough to support the infrastructure, that's fine. But as a guy who travels a lot and has to maneuver in population centers, navigating desoto county is a dream by comparison.

 

[BirdPuppy]

3. Start getting aggressive with attracting big business to the state. I mean, get radical. Sweetheart deals on land. Tax breaks. Incentivize companies to do business here. If we can't get Jackson to clean up its act, start investing in population centers in the NE (Tupelo), the NW (Desoto county) and around Hattiesburg. Give companies a reason to do business in MS, which gives people a reason to stay in MS, and ultimately to move to MS.

Tupelo’s proximity to State and Ole Miss should make it an ideal candidate for investment. Seems like a huge missed opportunity historically.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

Cross out Tennessee and just put Nashville metro.

These population booms in southern states are based around a popular metropolitan area. Mississippi has Jackson…….yeah.

You have the coast/Hattiesburg and then Desoto County is next to Memphis…..yay.

The majority of Mississippi is very rural and last I checked rural America in general is shrinking at an alarming rate so it makes sense.

I wonder if internet being pervasive and work from anywhere might somehow help some small towns survive. It seems like some % of the population might like to get paid big city money to live in relatively low cost, low population areas, IF healthcare and education were acceptable. IMO, if you had good healthcare and good educational opportunities, it could be attractive. MS can't get out of it's own way on either front, so I suspect it is not a possibility. Would require actual leadership.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

I think there's definitely a crime problem in the northern sliver of desoto county. That's riff raff coming down from Memphis. It's been happening for a while. Not sure if it's a bigger problem now than it's been in the past few years. I'm not sure I agree with the rest of it. If you want to say Commerce St in Hernando isn't big enough to support the infrastructure, that's fine. But as a guy who travels a lot and has to maneuver in population centers, navigating desoto county is a dream by comparison.

Hernando problem is the bottle necks. You have half of town on each side of 55 and only two ways to get to either side and one of those is a two lane road.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

Tupelo’s proximity to State and Ole Miss should make it an ideal candidate for investment. Seems like a huge missed opportunity historically.

Its location is the reason it's doing so well, as you say, close to the universities plus the interstate. I wish Tupelo and the Golden Triangle were closer, but as it is, those areas sort of split resources. So what I'm saying is, Tupelo is already over-performing.

There's always something when it comes to MS. Always some stumbling block. It's gets very frustrating.

 

[the dog is on the loose]

*Mstateglfr incoming*

yeah and with a two page summary.

 

[Drebin]

Senatobia the “5 Star City”.

Yeah, Senatobia sucks. And Coldwater is practically dead. There's movement for people with means to buy on the south side of Senatobia because land in Tate county is dirt cheap, but the town proper is in rough shape and has lost tons of businesses. Tons of squalor.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

I wonder if internet being pervasive and work from anywhere might somehow help some small towns survive. It seems like some % of the population might like to get paid big city money to live in relatively low cost, low population areas, IF healthcare and education were acceptable. IMO, if you had good healthcare and good educational opportunities, it could be attractive. MS can't get out of its own way on either front, so I suspect it is not a possibility. Would require actual leadership.

Rural broadband has been expanding and many of the towns have it now and that helps some but healthcare is a big big issue in the rural parts of the state. They can’t keep these hospitals going in rural areas. Education is big too.

I still think it falls back on Jackson. You’ve got to have an attractive metropolitan area that draws industry and people in and Jackson is not it right now.

 

[ckDOG]

Is there not untapped industrial potential on the coast or is it the only thing really keeping MS from looking worse than it really is?