Raising the bar in Mississippi

Press Release

Last night marked the first of our "Making Mississippi First: A Conversation on Jobs and Education" series. We will be traveling throughout the state of Mississippi to have substantive discussions about making Mississippi's education system excellent and increasing jobs in every corner of the state. Here are some of the concerns that were addressed to citizens from Indianola, Mississippi.

Education:

In the 1950s and 1960s, people across the state marched and organized for equal rights. Our struggle now is for the future of our children, making sure that every student has access to a quality education similiar to the education programs found in other parts of the country.

We cannot continue to fund education in Mississippi at simply an adequate level. Everything must be excellent, including funding, teaching, and our overall expectations.

It takes a community to raise a child. Yes, it is the parents' responsibility to train their children, but are we as a community going to stand with our hands in our pockets as we watch our schools crumble and allow our children to fail? The answer was a resounding "No!"; as governor of Mississippi, I won't allow it and I know that you as concerned Mississippians won't allow it.

Our teachers need to be able to focus on educating our children and not going in their own pockets to buy school supplies. I am elated that our teachers are investing in our children, but our teachers need and deserve the same investment from the state.

Jobs:

We can increase jobs in Mississippi by increasing the number of small businesses in the state.

Current state leadership has given huge tax breaks and other incentives to big business while small businesses are left to fend for themselves. I will change this, knowing that small businesses fuel job growth, build a sense of community, and help provide resources to improve the local infrastructure.

One of my goals is to have a face-to-face with big businesses that have received special incentives from Mississippi taxpayers to determine if they fulfilled their promises to the state. If they have not created the number of jobs they promised or have failed in other responsibilities, I will require them to pay-up because Mississippi taxpayers deserve better.

Please join me in the conversation to discuss ways to improve Mississippi's education system and job market. Mississippi has spent far too many days lagging behind in quality education programs, struggling in economic development, and losing Mississippi residents to other states as a result. You can share your thoughts at future meetings or by contacting me at http://johnnydupree.com/contact.php

Thank you,
- Johnny

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