Caravan of economic progress is on the move

Editorial
The Sun Herald
August 11, 2004

Without some perspective, Mississippians would have good reason to howl amid the magnolias in the moonlight.

For instance, over the last decade or so, Mississippi's per capita income has risen from slightly more than two-thirds of the U.S. average to almost three-quarters of the U.S. average.

While that improvement leaves Mississippi well below most other states, it places Mississippians roughly even with wage earners in Australia, France and Germany.

But most of that improvement came during the last decade, and the blush is off the boom of the '90s. To prosper well into the 21st century, Mississippi needs a plan.

That is why, beginning today, proponents of just such a plan - Blueprint Mississippi - will travel the length and breadth of the Magnolia State to accelerate economic opportunity for every citizen in every community in every region of the state.

After months of preparation, the sponsors of Blueprint Mississippi unveiled "A Business Approach to Mississippi's Future" on Monday in Jackson. Its vision, mission, goals and recommendations are outlined in the space below.

Today, those goals and recommendations will be the focus of discussion in Greenville. In the coming days and months, similar sessions will be held in Clarksdale, Starkville, Columbus, Corinth, Ripley, Olive Branch, Oxford, Tupelo, Pontotoc, Vicksburg, Grenada, Greenwood, Meridian, Philadelphia, Natchez, McComb and Jackson. The cavalcade wraps up in Pascagoula on Dec. 8, Biloxi on Dec. 9 and Hattiesburg on Dec. 10.

Blueprint Mississippi is sponsored by BancorpSouth, BellSouth, DuPont, Entergy Mississippi, the Mississippi Economic Council, the Mississippi Partnership for Economic Development, Mississippi Power Co., the Public Education Forum of Mississippi, the Robert M. Hearin Foundation and Trustmark Corp.

It is an effort to bring together private, public and nonprofit partners to develop a clear and focused statewide plan for economic progress. To better ensure success, the plan features measurable performance objectives and is designed to be subject to continuous monitoring and an improvement process.

Even though the Blueprint Mississippi caravan is months away from South Mississippi, those interested in its progress can go to www.mec.ms for regular updates.

Blueprint Mississippi's vision, mission, goals and recommendations

VISION: A prosperous, vibrant and resilient Mississippi, built upon a foundation of economic opportunity for all its citizens.

MISSION: To create a strategic business plan, a blueprint, that provides opportunity for continuous and significant improvements in the standard of living across all regions of Mississippi. This sustainable, trackable program of work will serve as a road map to success by nurturing the business climate, improving education and advancing economic development through a partnership among business, education and government.

GOAL: Establish and sustain an economic development vision and strategic plan for Mississippi.

RECOMMENDATION: Activate and strengthen the Statewide Economic Development Planning Act of 1987.

GOAL: Strengthen Mississippi's business image.

RECOMMENDATION: Initiate an image study to identify internal and external perceptions of Mississippi. Develop and implement a coordinated, sustained internal and external marketing plan; monitor progress on a recurring basis. Promote urban revitalization programs to improve the quality of life in cities.

GOAL: Enhance competitiveness of legal environment.

RECOMMENDATION: Promote recent enhancements to Mississippi's legal and liability system. Maintain ongoing efforts to ensure recently enacted legislative reforms are properly implemented and maintained.

GOAL: Better prepare children for school.

RECOMMENDATION: Expand and improve pre-kindergarten programs in all areas of the state.

GOAL: Maximize the number of people graduating from high school.

RECOMMENDATION: Underscore the linkage between education and employment, targeting middle school students.

GOAL: Diversify and improve Mississippi's economic base.

RECOMMENDATION: Identify and pursue high value, high growth industry targets in both manufacturing and services; align incentives and resources around these targets. Increase public and private research and development funding and improve the effectiveness of technology transfer and capital accessibility programs to help commercialize innovations.

GOAL: Train, mentor, and retain more and better teachers.

RECOMMENDATION: Establish a system to retain the best teachers and increase the supply of teachers in high-demand subject areas.

GOAL: Increase support for existing firms.

RECOMMENDATION: Improve the productivity and profitability of existing businesses through programs that support innovation, technology, and process improvement.

GOAL: Increase participation in adult lifelong learning, worker training and professional development activities.

RECOMMENDATION: Reorganize and consolidate lifelong learning programs around relevant and projected workforce needs; increase number and use of computers in Mississippi homes, businesses, schools and libraries.

GOAL: Strengthen physical infrastructure

RECOMMENDATION: Expand and/or improve Mississippi's highway, rail, air and seaport capabilities in support of the state's economic development objectives.