Bill Crawford: Is Amazon becoming the new local job killer?
Rural communities just thought Walmart was the great job killer. Now comes Amazon.
Bill Crawford: A peek behind Reeves and Gunn’s spending rhetoric
Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and House Speaker Philip Gunn are touting their great success this year in holding down the cost of government.
Bill Crawford: Legislators’ inaction adds to plight of local retailers
JCPenney announced it will close five stores in Mississippi communities — Columbus, Corinth, Greenville, Meridian, and Oxford.
Bill Crawford: 2016 puts Tate Reeves’ fiscal credibility at risk
Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves has put his fiscal credibility on the line.
Bill Crawford: Responsible governance has had its day in Mississippi
Bless their hearts. They did the best they could.
After taking care of themselves, political promises, and lobbyists, there just wasn’t much Republican legislators, with their new super-majority in the House and Senate, could do to take care of Mississippi’s real needs.
Bill Crawford: Ferreting out the truth
With insidious truth managers dominating social media, the Internet, the blogosphere, talk radio, and cable news, how can the average citizen uncover reality?
Bill Crawford: College scorecard stirs interest and concern
Misleading or useful?
That’s the question surrounding the updated College Scorecard website published by the U.S. Department of Education. (See collegescorecard.ed.gov)
Bill Crawford: Initiative 42 will put other programs at risk
The November vote on Initiative 42 is days away.
Bill Crawford: Sequester fight may lead to next BRAC round
The sequester – you do remember the controversial budget sequester – has Republican deficit hawks and military hawks squabbling.
Bill Crawford: Boyce takes hot seat at IHL
Ready or not, Dr. Glenn Boyce has been named IHL Commissioner. He steps into the hot spot abandoned by MUW president Dr. Jim Borsig and recently vacated by now University of Nebraska system president Dr. Hank Bounds.
Bill Crawford: Behavior part of IHL board/Jones discord
“It was pride that changed angels into devils,” taught Saint Augustine.
Bill Crawford: Wicker watching Tea Party blitz
Senator Roger Wicker must be anxiously watching the Tea Party blitz against fellow Senator Thad Cochran. The two senators have much in common.
Mississippi Voices: Kemper plant a prudent investment
Rating agencies and regulators expect utility companies to maintain sound risk management and long-term planning strategies. For this reason, electric utilities value diversity in power generation options.
Bill Crawford: Newspapers vital to communities
“Have you lost your mind?” a friend responded to one of my recent columns. That got me thinking. Not about the column in question, but
Bill Crawford: Regionalism good for Golden Triangle
Just 15 months after they affiliated with his highly successful development team, Joe Max Higgins landed major Japanese tire manufacturer, Yokohama, and hundreds of high paying jobs for unemployment ravaged West Point and Clay County.
Bill Crawford: Too many pleaders and plodders, too few leaders
In tough times we expect strong leadership from public officials. These days our officials come from one of three types: leaders, pleaders, and plodders.
Bill Crawford: WSJ report card dings Mississippi
Mississippi ranked 40th in the Wall Street Journal’s “The Best and Worst Run States in America.”
Among neighboring states only Louisiana ranked lower at 41st. Alabama ranked 28th, Arkansas 32nd, and Tennessee 12th. Nationwide, North Dakota ranked first while California ranked last.
Bill Crawford: Dances of the sugar plum politicians
Ho, ho, ho. No, no, that’s not Santa Claus. Those are chuckles at the spectacle of sugar plum politicians as they dance around potent issues.