By Keith Plunkett | January 30th, 2019 at 2:28 pm
Filed Under: Civil Rights, Commentary, Contributor, Culture, Ethics, Feature Stories, Inspirational, Keith Plunkett, Liberty, Mississippi PEP, Opinion, Principles of Freedom
Politicians and public policy analysts aren’t the only place, or even the best place, to get a little sorely-needed perspective.
By MississippI PEP Staff | January 23rd, 2019 at 5:39 am
Filed Under: Civil Rights, Education, Influencing Institutions, Justice, Liberty, MDE, Opinion, Religion, School Choice
Government-run schools are academically inferior to homeschooling, riddled with crime and abuse, and producing graduates less tolerant than their counterparts who were educated at home. But rather than fix their pet institutions, politicians prefer to grab for power.
By Peter Calcagno | January 21st, 2019 at 4:16 pm
Filed Under: Business, Commentary, Contributor, Economic Development, Economy, Ethics, Feature Stories, Governor, Job Growth, MDA, Mississippi, Mississippi Municipalities, MS State Government, Opinion, Phil Bryant, Politics, Principles of Freedom, Property rights, Spending, Taxes
State governments need to reform their economic development policies to be market-friendly and attempt to attract all firms by offering greater overall economic freedom. By eliminating targeted tax incentives, states can reduce rent-seeking opportunities and potential political corruption while competing based on real market conditions that firms actually use to make their decisions. A state with a competitive tax system that attracts businesses and protects property across the board as opposed to being targeted or discriminatory will do more to reduce unemployment and generate economic growth than any targeted incentive.
By Brian Barth | January 19th, 2019 at 11:56 am
Filed Under: Agriculture, Contributor, Culture, Ethics, Federal Government, US Congress
Subsidy payments are so baked into the system that farmers concoct business plans based entirely around maximizing their potential subsidy payments.
By Steve Wilson | January 17th, 2019 at 9:14 pm
Filed Under: Civil Rights, Contributor, Ethics, Justice, Law Enforcement, Legislature, Liberty, Mississippi, Mississippi PEP, MS Bureau of Narcotics, MS State Government, News, Principles of Freedom, Property rights, Public Safety
There are no requirements that law enforcement agencies list the type of drug that was involved with the seizure, the circumstances of the seizure or whether charges were filed in connection with the seizure.
Of the 315 forfeitures listed in the database up to December 31, only 137 listed the drug that led to the forfeiture. On the boilerplate notice of intent for forfeit used by many agencies such as the MBN, there is a blank line for listing what drug was involved. Most of the time, it was left blank.
Also, only 91 out of the 315 listed the circumstances that led to the forfeiture, such as a traffic stop or an outstanding felony warrant.
By Leslie Southwick | January 17th, 2019 at 8:17 pm
Filed Under: Books, Commentary, Events, History, Inspirational, Mississippi, Mississippi PEP, Mississippi Supreme Court, MS State Government, Opinion, Politics
Robertson’s view of right and wrong in his chronicles is whether Mississippi’s constitution was allowed to be muscular or whether the dead hand of legal tradition restrained it. The author’s preferences are explicit, but he fairly discusses different perspectives.
By James Capretta | January 16th, 2019 at 11:46 pm
Filed Under: Commentary, Contributor, Federal Government, health, Insurance, Medicaid, Mississippi PEP, MS State Government, National, Obamacare, Opinion, Politics, Spending, US Congress
It would be better if partial Medicaid expansion were pursued as a legislative change rather than an allowable state waiver because, in legislation, Congress could offset the added federal expense with cost-reducing reforms. Among other things, Congress could cut costs by limiting the use of tax schemes intended to circumvent the states’ matching payment requirements.
The Supreme Court’s decision in 2012 disrupted the plan to establish a national standard of Medicaid eligibility. The result is vastly different Medicaid eligibility rules across the country, which probably isn’t sustainable over the long term.
By Jeffrey Tucker | January 15th, 2019 at 9:04 pm
Filed Under: Commentary, Contributor, Federal Government, Liberty, Mississippi PEP, National, Opinion, Politics, Principles of Freedom
The lesson of the shutdown: if you want a service to be unreliable, disregarding of consumer interest, overly costly, buffeted by political winds, and subject to extended outages, by all means, hand it over to be administered by government.
By Bryan Fischer | January 15th, 2019 at 7:13 pm
Filed Under: Bryan Fischer, Christianity, Commentary, Contributor, Democrats, Ethics, Faith, Feature Stories, Federal Government, Mississippi PEP, National, Opinion, Politics, US Congress
Senators are welcome to use their religious convictions as a guide to their vote on nominees. If they think it’s unacceptable for a federal judge to be a committed Roman Catholic, they are welcome to their view and certainly may vote accordingly. But then they must not criticize senators – or voters such as myself – who would politely decline to vote for a Muslim nominee on similar grounds, namely that the values of the Muslim religion are incompatible with public service in the United States.
By MississippI PEP Staff | January 15th, 2019 at 5:40 pm
Filed Under: Delbert Hosemann, Democrats, Elections, Governor, Insurance, Jim Hood, Leadership, Legislature, Medicaid, Medical Care, Mississippi, Mississippi State Senate, MS State Government, News, Obamacare, Politics, Principles of Freedom, Republican, Tate Reeves
Democrat candidates for both offices provide definitive answers on their support for expansion. Only one Republican candidate for governor, Tate Reeves, provides a clear answer against expanding Medicaid in Missippi. However, he provided no deeper explanation as to his reasoning except the somewhat generic explanation of “protecting taxpayers.” Where’s the adherence to the conservative principle of […]
