Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann to address Stennis-Capitol Press Forum on Monday, March 5, 2012

Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann will address the Stennis-Capitol Press Forum on Monday, March 5, 2012. The event is open to the public, however registration is required by noon on Friday, March 2. Registration details are at http://stenniscapitolpress.wordpress.com.

Elected in November 2007, Delbert Hosemann serves as Mississippi’s eighth Secretary of State since 1900.

Secretary Hosemann has served as Chairman of the Board of Mississippi Blood Services, Treasurer of the Jackson Medical Mall Association and on the Board of Directors of the Jackson State University Development Foundation. He was a Paul Harris Fellow and is a member of the North Jackson Rotary Club. Some of his accolades include the George L. Phillips Community Service Award from the US Department of Justice in appreciation for his distinguished service as Chairman of Project Safe Neighborhoods, and for his efforts in the Hurricane Katrina First Responder Assistance Project. He was also awarded the J. Tate Thigpen Award for exemplary leadership, support, and commitment to the American Red Cross.

In his spare time, Secretary Hosemann is an avid hunter and marathoner. He belongs to the National Rifle Association, Delta Wildlife Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, and the Mississippi Wildlife Federation. He has completed both the New York Marathon and the Boston Marathon and represented Mississippi in the Senior Olympics.

Raised in Warren County, Mississippi, Secretary Hosemann comes to the position with a background in Business and Taxation Law. He has his undergraduate degree in Business from Notre Dame, a law degree from Ole Miss, and a Masters of Laws in Taxation from New York University. He is a former partner of Phelps Dunbar, LLP and was selected to the Best Lawyers in America for 18 consecutive years. Secretary Hosemann also served his country in the United States Army Reserves.

State's inventory tax likely to confront Legislature (Salter column)

STARKVILLE — Look for an old battle to confront the "new" Republican-controlled Legislature during the 2012 regular session as the state's business community continues to push for either a repeal of the state's inventory tax or an exemption from it. Read entire column...

Where Mississippi cities get their money.

The Mississippi Municipal League recently surveyed 50 cities in Mississippi regarding their source of revenue. In an article by Shari Veazey published in the current (Vol.60. No. 4) issue of Mississippi Municipalities magazine, here is a list of sources or revenues and the percentages:

31%….. Sales Tax

24%….. Property Tax

17%….. Miscellaneous

14%….. intergovernmental Revenue

8%…… Franchise fees, license and permits

6%…… Fines and Forfeitures

This particular issue of Mississippi Municipalities Magazine is entitled How Mississippi Cities Work. I recommend it highly for anyone who wants to better understand the subject.

Bridging the Gap: How Tupelo, MS is dealing with changes in its public schools.

December 30, 2011

How a community solves its problems or deals with serious issues says a lot about a place. Tupelo, Mississippi is one of the best at this of any community I have dealt with. No matter the issue, public dialogue is a major part of the process. The key is to get problems out in the open and to provide forums where people can discuss the issues. There is an art to public forums. People must feel that they can speak about their true feelings instead of what they think other people want to hear. Tupelo’s success at this is a result of various local organizations, including local government, providing such opportunities. Another factor is the local newspaper.

Tupelo is now addressing the issue of some changes in the public schools, many of which are rooted in local demographics. For example, when Tupelo’s schools were integrated in 1970, 80 percent of the district’s students were white. Today, 56 percent of those students are minorities.

The local newspaper is providing a perspective that is thought-provoking, informational and non-patronizing. The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal’s “Bridging the Gap” series is well worth reading for anyone involved in education or community and economic development.

This Little Dollar Stayed Home - 2011

NOTE: This is a column that I wrote several years and which was originally published in the Mississippi Business Journal. Permission to reprint with attribution to Mississippi Business Journal and Phil Hardwick.

THIS LITTLE DOLLAR STAYED HOME

This is a tale of two dollars. One stayed at home. One went to another town.

Once upon a time there were two dollars. They each lived with their owners in the small town of Make Believe in rural Mississippi. Make Believe was a nice little town. There was a Main Street that had lots of little shops that sold special items and arts and crafts and catered to people who drove through town. There was also a grocery store. There was even a doctor in Make Believe. It was a nice little town that was enjoyed by all its residents, none of whom wanted it to change.

This story of the first dollar is easy to tell. Its owner placed it snugly in her purse and drove 45 minutes to a nearby, larger town with a shopping mall. The owner stayed all day at the mall and spent the entire dollar on things bought in stores owned by big corporations in faraway states.

Part of the first little dollar stayed in that town and part of it went to the state government, but most of it went by electronic magic to another state. At the end of the day, the owner went back to Make Believe with all her treasures. Not one penny of the first dollar ever saw Make Believe, Miss., again.

The story of the second dollar is much different. The owner of the second dollar went to a little shop in downtown Make Believe. There the owner talked a long time to the shop owner about the beautiful merchandise in the store.

The shopkeeper told all about the things that were made right there in Make Believe. There were birdhouses built by Bob, beveled glass made by Beverly, blouses of silk designed by Betty, mocha chocolates by Missy, and even silverware crafted by Sam.

This owner of the dollar spent the entire dollar right there in the shop. The journey of the second dollar was much different from that of the first dollar. Yes, the first 7 cents arrived at the government in Jackson. One penny was sent back to the local town. So one penny of the sales tax came back to the Make Believe City Hall.

The owner of the shop took the next 50 cents and sent it to the manufacturers of the items that were bought. Because all of them lived right there in Make Believe, the 50 cents stayed there.

The next 16 cents went to the employee of the shop owner. Yes, you guessed it; the employee lived in Make Believe.

There was rent to pay on the shopkeeper’s retail space. It was paid to the owner of the building, who had lived in Make Believe all his life. The rent was 10 cents of the dollar.

There were operating expenses that the shopkeeper had to pay. Things such as utilities and maintenance and insurance. Sixteen cents of the dollar went to pay those expenses and some of the people that got paid lived in another town far away. Still, eight of those 16 cents was paid to people in Make Believe.

That left 8 cents. What would happen to it?

That’s right. Eight cents was the shopkeeper’s profit she got to keep. Of course, the shopkeeper lived in an apartment upstairs above the shop.

If we total where the second dollar went, we learn about 86 cents stayed in Make Believe.

I wonder what will happen to the 86 cents. Will the manufacturer, the employee, the real estate owner, the shopkeeper and the others spend the 86 cents in Make Believe? Or will they go somewhere else?

I wonder how much of the 86 cents will be spent in Make Believe. Because every time another penny is spent in Make Believe, the little town is better off because someone in Make Believe received it instead of another town.

Each person has a right to spend his or her money wherever and whenever he or she wishes. But when people spend their dollars in other towns, it does not help the economy of their hometowns.

The Tale of Two Dollars is told at this time every year because many people don’t know when they spend their money in their own hometown it helps their hometown.

Traits of a good mayor.

Being a mayor is one of the toughest jobs going. A mayor does not have the influence and authority of a business CEO. Many new mayors are shocked to find that it oftentimes takes more persuasion skills than decision skills to run a city.

Sometimes, mayors are merely caretakers. They live in communities that are on a track upward or downward. They might live in communities where not much changes and not much is really expected of mayors. Sometimes, mayors sort of grow into the job. Sometimes, mayors cross the line and become leaders. They change their cities for the better. How do they do it? Most will tell you that they did it by involving people and that they had a lot of help. That is no doubt true. But it starts from within.

My list should be considered as a discussion starter. Please feel free to add and subtract from the list, or better yet name a mayor who exemplifies one of the traits.

* The ability to envision the future. It is said that management is the ability to move others from Point A to Point B, and that leadership is the ability to discern where Point B should be. The mayor should be the one who provides direction. Good mayors exhibit a vision for the future. But having a vision is no good if it cannot be sold to the public. That is why a good mayor must have …

* Good communication skills, especially the ability to listen. If one of the more effective leadership styles is the ability to envision the future, then convincing others to join in that vision is critical. That’s a difficult thing because the message that is sent is never the message that is received. If you don’t believe that, just ask any mayor if he or she has ever been misquoted or taken out of context. A good mayor must be able to sell his or her program. Unfortunately, sometimes mayors get too far ahead of their communities and attempt to sell a vision that the community simply does not feel can be reached. A mayor must listen to his or her constituents and make them feel that they have been heard. People want their mayor to care about their problems and their vision as well.

* The ability to inspire others. A good mayor inspires others. People want to get involved and be a part of the effort. One thing that good mayors do is start with a successful project and then build on it. One mayor I know even says that mayors should not make their big goals public because it gives their opponents ammunition if they fail. Keep it quiet and just do it, he says.

* The ability to delegate. Good mayors provide direction and hire capable managers to implement the plan. In the business world, a good executive hires good people and lets them make the decisions that they would make instead of what they think the chief executive would make. Not so in the political world. Politically-appointed managers must constantly consider the effect of their decisions on the public image of the mayor. Watch out when you hear a mayor being criticized for micromanaging. It might mean a lack of delegation skills and a lack of trust of those who report to the mayor.

* A bias for action. Planning without implementing is not leading. Too many mayors spend so much time on the visioning part that they do not accomplish anything. Visioning provides hope, planning provides involvement, but in the final analysis it is action that produces results. A mayor should be judged on results.

* Integrity. A mayor without integrity is not deserving of the public trust.

Finally, one mayor recently said, “A good leader needs to know when it is time to move on.”

Perhaps we should add that trait to the list.

Ten things I learned from visiting small town libraries.

Recently I had the opportunity to visit eight libraries in rural towns in Mississippi during the course of one week. These libraries ranged from a two-room facility smaller than some master bedrooms to a full-service, modern library that offered a full range of activities for the community. Here are 10 things that I learned about rural libraries:

1. Each small town library is unique.

2. Patrons are flocking to their local libraries to use the Internet.

3. Job seekers are using the library to find employment, build resumes and even learn job skills.

4. There are after-school issues and opportunities. 5. Libraries are becoming more involved in their communities.

6. Community rooms are being used by the community.

7. The personality of the librarian is important.

8. Elected officials and other funders do not have library cards.

9. Technology will have dramatic change on libraries.

10. Libraries are safe places.

Gone are the days when a person went to the local library to do nothing more than check out a book and return it or renew it two later. Small town libraries have become a provider of numerous services to their communities. Their future will be one of expanding those services even more. The communities that support those services will be more vibrant, educated and engaged.