Jackson Jambalaya

Looks like extremely poor rankings in these categories:

Quality of Life
Economy
Technology & Innovation Education
Business Friendliness
Access to Capital

Anyone surprised?

You mean all the tort reform hasn't rocketed us to the top of this list?

HMMMM.....http://images.businessweek.com/ss/09/10/1022_40_strongest_us_metro_economies/12.htm

The rest of the state must REALLY suck.

Gonna take a long, long time to reverse all the damage done by decades of tort abuse.

Surveys like this will always disfavor locations in the South. Our positives far outweigh our negatives.

Positives:

Only state without a D.O.L. This is more important than you might think.

Very employer-friendly U.I. regulations and claims process.

Among four lowest in union participation.

Well integrated, fully functioning industrial development network involving state, regional, counties, power companies, etc.

Excellent network of Community Colleges operating superior training programs and offering partnership with existing and new industries. First state in the nation to operate a statewide system of community and junior colleges.

Republican governor and both state houses.

Business looking at a state don't give a hoot about 'access to capital' (at a state level) and (unless high tech) aren't typically interested in technology IF training is available and operated with excellent history, which it is in this state.

What poll are we not last in?

Excellent post, Shadowfax....

9:26 Obesity rankings

8:03 I was told that if you remove the Delta counties from state measurements out educational and income rankings are above the national medians. One small area with horrendous stats
does drag down an entire state dramatically.

Access to capital isn't as important as access to the Capitol...

I'm not sure you're correct (11:03) in your suggestion that the Delta is dragging everybody else down. The Delta no doubt has a bunch of poor and failing schools; however, the infrastructure (ports, roads, railway, airports) in major delta cities are at least, if not better, than a lot of the rest of the state. Workforce might be another question. Your assertion that the Delta is "One small area" is not exactly accurate either as the eighteen delta counties represent roughly 25% of this state. I'm sure we can all hunt for scapegoats though.

It is not just the Delta that is the problem. It is the Second Congressional District.

... including much of Jackson.

Well...let's not try to think why Madison or Rankin county hasn't been swamped with businesses moving in.

Let's not ask ourselves why we lost out to Alabama or Georgia or South Carolina...Southern states that also has black folk.

Let's not look at insurance rates, including malpractice insurance AFTER tort reform.

Let's keep looking to blame others instead.

6:36 Please stop lying. MACM is once again giving a refund on malpractice premiums this December because claims were lower than they budgeted for, and they expect next year's premiums to be lower than this year's. this pattern has gone one almost every year (maybe every year) since tort reform was passed.

You can lie all you want but those of us who pay malpractice premiums know they have gone done dramatically and are continuing to decrease. Go try to fool somebody who didn't get the MACM letter this week.

PS last I heard Nissan was in Madison County.

9:19 pm you do know that doctors aren't the only ones who pay malpractice insurance, right? Are you an internist or general surgeon?
Did you read the entire sentence on insurance? Do you know how our insurance rates generally compare with Alabama, particularly BCBS and what COVERAGE they get for their dollar compared to us?
Do you know tort reform wasn't just about doctors, right? Doctors aren't the only ones that fall under tort law.
Yes, I do know about Nissan. I even know it's retooling which will mean some growth in the jobs there.
In your defensiveness and immediate excuse making ( which is part of the problem) you have missed the point...which is that the Southern states I mentioned also have the areas of poverty and have black people and tort reform and are right to work states.

So, until you ask yourself WHY Mississippi loses out to those states far too often, we will continue to do so.

7:13; this is twice you've mentioned 'black folks'. What's your reason for doing that?

shadow:

have you not looked at stats on blk population's unemployment, single households w kids, crime conviction rate, drop out rate, govt entitlement rate etc??
go ahead and throw out racist card, i had this conversation last weekend w successful black friend. it is undeniable.

I'm well aware of those stats and have been for decades; however neither this thread nor the ratings mentioned have anything to do with race. Of the things you mention in your last post, I don't see any of them as influencing the study the so-called rankings are based on. By the way, I'm not 'throwing any card out'. I merely asked you to explain your comments. And I guess you tried.

7:13 (and probably 8:54).

I am not "defensive" (what am I supposed to be defending?); I just don't suffer fools gladly.

The tort reform effort a few years back in Mississippi was driven 100% (ok, maybe only 99%) by MEDICAL malpractice rates (especially obstetrics, orthopedics and neurosurgeons - I knew several in each of those three specialties who left the state in the early '00s). I never heard any controversy of, say, lawyers' malpractice premiums affecting the availability of ambulance chasers in MS during this time.

Premiums have gone down in tandem for internists and general surgeons. Sorry to not let you change the subject with an irrelevant diversion.

AFAIK BC/BS does not write malpractice insurance in any state. If you have a problem with your personal insurance vis a vis cost versus coverage, take it up with your state's Insurance Commissioner (every state has one, and every state has different regulations).

"Excuse making" - again - what am I making excuses for? Facts are stubborn things, as you will hopefully figure out someday.

Not to worry. As soon as Leland finishes up at The Mayflower he's gonna get this ranking changed.

From 7:13 but I'm not 8:54...love how some assume that anyone who doesn't have a predictable, right wing post must be 1) the same person or 2) a troll.

Shadowfax...surely, surely, you've read enough of the blogging on this site to know exactly ...I just said " black folks" instead of " Second Congressional District" or " the Delta".


11:34 am, I hope you aren't one of my physicians if you STILL don't understand what TORTS are and why ALL insurance rates related to personal injury should be going down including health insurance rates.

Put down the scattergun 2:57. Everybody is really NOT out to get you.