Our statewide pastime, after college football, could be lamenting Mississippi’s problems and positing solutions. I’ve certainly done that many times in print and conversation.
But, to borrow a phrase from Solomon, for all things under the sun there is a time and a season: A time to figure out how to fix things going wrong and a time to promote what’s going right. Perhaps we’ve neglected at times to spend enough time on that second one.
But we must as a state. We all know that to grow our population and economy we’ve got to come out from under the negative image, partially deserved and partially unfair, of racial backwardness that the rest of the country holds.
What are the positive things Mississippi is doing that we can use to promote our state as a good place to live and work, which I believe it to be?
I asked our readers in our weekly web poll to answer the question, “What’s the top thing Mississippi should promote as it works to attract new residents?”
There were five options:
• Low cost of living
• Favorable climate
• Hospitality and family values
• Business friendly policies
• Recreational activities such as hunting and fishing
Admittedly, this is a non-scientific survey and the list of options was something I came up with based on my own gut. But I’ve found that the weekly poll results generally match up with my impression of public sentiment on most issues.
In this case, two results each got more than 40% of the vote: “hospitality and family values” and “low cost of living.”
Anyone who has moved to Mississippi knows these are legitimate benefits. I’ve often noted that in my first week in this state, not knowing anyone here before moving from my native Tennessee, that two different people invited me into their homes and another took me out for dinner. These were all people I met on my first Sunday at church. I’m sure many of you could share similar stories. That’s unique and special.
There’s a link between hospitality and faith in Mississippi. That ties in with family values. As the father of two young daughters, do I want them growing up surrounded by a big-city culture, with those social mores? Getting sucked into that world is a sure way to quickly destroy your life. Mississippi, with its conservative culture, is a welcome respite for families looking for the type of place where it’s safe and welcoming to raise successful children. We can sell that.
As for cost of living, anyone who has paid rent or a mortgage in a metropolitan area will instantly see their spendable income jump if they move here. We can sell that. Problem is the money we make is like the rent — low.
Favorable climate: Forget summer. Let’s accentuate a mild rest of the year that allows you to be outside and active, playing golf, jogging, whatever, even in January. We can sell that.
Business friendly policies: Look at the recent union vote at the Canton Nissan plant, where workers 2:1 rejected unionizing, to see that Mississippians understand the value of a good job, rather than viewing corporations as evil overlords. We can sell that.
Recreational activities: When you live in a place surrounded by lakes and woods, you might take them for granted. But as space in the Eastern U.S. continues to get gobbled up with development, it’s something outsiders will notice and value. We can sell that. Will you?
