Mississippi...believe it! (Jackson, Biloxi, Hattiesburg: house, neighborhood, public school)

[charlesjosh7]

Yes, I know what you are saying? It the media and many sorry to say, but Black organizations feeding into this fear and horror. People will be People all over the world. By the way I am a black guy who is proud that I am and wakes up each day elated to be in MS because I know that I am going to play a role in someones life being a difference maker. Mississippi is a great place to live. From experience I lived in CA., TX, La. and now MS.

[randy8876]

Here are a few more facts about the wonderful state of MS:

Ranked in the top 5 states nationwide for:

Economy > Percent below poverty level
Health > Adult physical disabilities
Health > Child Death Rate
Health > Death Rate per 100,000
Health > Fire death rate
Health > Obesity Rate
Economy > Percent of Children Below Poverty Level
Economy > Percent of Related Children Below Poverty Level
Economy > Unemployment rate
Health > Diabetes per 100 Adults
Health > Gonorrhea Rate
Health > High blood pressure
Health > Motor Vehicle Death Rate
Health > Smokeless tobacco users
Crime > Women under the jurisdiction of State or Federal correctional authorities (per capita)
Health > Diabetes
Health > Infant Death Rate
Health > Overweight and Obesity Rate
Health > Teen Birth Rate per
Energy > Oil Consumption (per $ GDP)
Health > Cancer Death Rate per 100,000
Health > Chlamydia Rate
Health > Emergency Room Visits
People > Percent of Grandparents Responsible for their Grandchildren
People > Percent of People 21 to 64 Years Old With a Disability
Transportation > Road Condition > Poor (per capita)
Economy > Total tax burden (per $ GDP)
Transportation > Auto Fatalities > Restraint not used, percent
Transportation > Bridges > Structurally deficient
Transportation > Highway-Rail Grade Crossings > Fatalities (per capita)

Ranked in the bottom 5 states nationwide:

Economy > Median Family Income
Economy > Nest Egg Index
Education > Assessments > % of Students Above Advanced > Grade 8 Math
Education > Percent of People Who Have Completed High School (Including Equivalency)
Health > Oral health > Visits to the dentist
Lifestyle > Best States to Live
Lifestyle > Children Ages 0-5 Who Are Read To Every Day, Percentage
Transportation > Public Transportation > Federal funding, 1995 (per capita)
Transportation > Seat Belt Use
Economy > Personal income (per capita)
Education > Assessments > % of Students Above Advanced > Grade 4 Math
Education > Assessments > % of Students Above Proficient > Grade 8 Writing
Education > Best Educated Index
Health > Health Index
Health > Physical exercise
Education > Assessments > Scale Score, Grade 8 Math
Education > Bachelor's degree or higher, by percentage
Education > Percent of People Who Have Completed a Bachelor's Degree
Education > Public Libraries > Library Visits per Capita
Education > Assessments > Scale Score, Grade 4 Math
Education > Assessments > Scale Score, Grade 8 Reading
Health > Overall Child Health Status
Transportation > Public Transportation > State funding, 1995 (per capita)
Transportation > Public Transportation > State funding, 1995 (per $ GDP)
Education > Assessments > Scale Score, Grade 8 Writing
Education > Elementary & Secondary Finance > Current Expenditures (per capita)
Education > Percent of People Who Have Completed an Advanced Degree
Education > Public Libraries > Number of Bookmobiles (per capita)
Transportation > Public Transportation > State funding, 2003 (per capita)


Statistically there is no state in the Union that under performs MS.

[Desert kid]

Originally Posted by randy8876

Here are a few more facts about the wonderful state of MS:

Ranked in the top 5 states nationwide for:

Economy > Percent below poverty level
Health > Adult physical disabilities
Health > Child Death Rate
Health > Death Rate per 100,000
Health > Fire death rate
Health > Obesity Rate
Economy > Percent of Children Below Poverty Level
Economy > Percent of Related Children Below Poverty Level
Economy > Unemployment rate
Health > Diabetes per 100 Adults
Health > Gonorrhea Rate
Health > High blood pressure
Health > Motor Vehicle Death Rate
Health > Smokeless tobacco users
Crime > Women under the jurisdiction of State or Federal correctional authorities (per capita)
Health > Diabetes
Health > Infant Death Rate
Health > Overweight and Obesity Rate
Health > Teen Birth Rate per
Energy > Oil Consumption (per $ GDP)
Health > Cancer Death Rate per 100,000
Health > Chlamydia Rate
Health > Emergency Room Visits
People > Percent of Grandparents Responsible for their Grandchildren
People > Percent of People 21 to 64 Years Old With a Disability
Transportation > Road Condition > Poor (per capita)
Economy > Total tax burden (per $ GDP)
Transportation > Auto Fatalities > Restraint not used, percent
Transportation > Bridges > Structurally deficient
Transportation > Highway-Rail Grade Crossings > Fatalities (per capita)

Ranked in the bottom 5 states nationwide:

Economy > Median Family Income
Economy > Nest Egg Index
Education > Assessments > % of Students Above Advanced > Grade 8 Math
Education > Percent of People Who Have Completed High School (Including Equivalency)
Health > Oral health > Visits to the dentist
Lifestyle > Best States to Live
Lifestyle > Children Ages 0-5 Who Are Read To Every Day, Percentage
Transportation > Public Transportation > Federal funding, 1995 (per capita)
Transportation > Seat Belt Use
Economy > Personal income (per capita)
Education > Assessments > % of Students Above Advanced > Grade 4 Math
Education > Assessments > % of Students Above Proficient > Grade 8 Writing
Education > Best Educated Index
Health > Health Index
Health > Physical exercise
Education > Assessments > Scale Score, Grade 8 Math
Education > Bachelor's degree or higher, by percentage
Education > Percent of People Who Have Completed a Bachelor's Degree
Education > Public Libraries > Library Visits per Capita
Education > Assessments > Scale Score, Grade 4 Math
Education > Assessments > Scale Score, Grade 8 Reading
Health > Overall Child Health Status
Transportation > Public Transportation > State funding, 1995 (per capita)
Transportation > Public Transportation > State funding, 1995 (per $ GDP)
Education > Assessments > Scale Score, Grade 8 Writing
Education > Elementary & Secondary Finance > Current Expenditures (per capita)
Education > Percent of People Who Have Completed an Advanced Degree
Education > Public Libraries > Number of Bookmobiles (per capita)
Transportation > Public Transportation > State funding, 2003 (per capita)


Statistically there is no state in the Union that under performs MS.

I guess I just came away with a different opinion than you Randy, I just saw many more positives that summer than you did. But being snarky and pedantic never helps, even with facts that you just love to smack others over the head with.

Your attitude won't make Mississippi any better.

[randy8876]

Originally Posted by Desert kid

Your attitude won't make Mississippi any better.

The head in the sand technique is a proven failure, yet people here continue to try it.

To argue that MS is a great place is like saying Ted Bundy was a great guy. The bad definitely outweighs the good.

I stand my my claim that MS is a terrible place to raise a family, even if you have an extra $7,000+ per year per child to send them to private school. At that rate you're better off moving to another state that has a non failing education system and higher standard of living.

[Desert kid]

Originally Posted by randy8876

The head in the sand technique is a proven failure, yet people here continue to try it.

To argue that MS is a great place is like saying Ted Bundy was a great guy. The bad definitely outweighs the good.

I stand my my claim that MS is a terrible place to raise a family, even if you have an extra $7,000+ per year per child to send them to private school. At that rate you're better off moving to another state that has a non failing education system and higher standard of living.

I can't say too much on living there, but comparing a state of 3 Million people to Ted Bundy? Mississippi does have it's good points, even I know that.

[Dave Egerton]

The quality of life isn't just about statistics - I've lived in wealthier areas where there's been no sense of community, everyone's stressed out making money and no-one gives you the time of day, and I've lived (and still live) in a relatively poor neighbourhood where there's a strong sense of community and virtually everyone acknowledges you and gives you the time of day, a friendly smile and stopping for a chat don't appear in any statistics I've seen - I'm visiting in the fall and there's certainly a lot of wildly differing opinions on the State - I can't wait to see for myself and make up my own mind.

[Joe boggess]

Dave, I live in Columbus,ms. Come see us here and I'll put you up in my antebellum mansion and hold a dinner party for you. The miss.delta blues festival is in early sept. If we miss that one, there will be another. September is a good month to visit from a weather standpoint. Anytime is good except Jan. Through march. Reply to this post and I'll let you know how to contact me. Mississippi Joe

[John Ryder]

Originally Posted by din-da-do

marcmac, you are correct. mississippi is awful, awful, awful. run the other way! year by year, it just gets worse and worse because mississippi IS and will remain pathetic and non productive. believe me, i know, i've lived here for 32 years and i'm about to leave...finally.

Awful for you, not for me. I have a good job, low cost of living and since its 2013 anything I cant buy here I can buy online. lived in MS 30 out of my 40 years on and off and have never been a Victim of any crime, not even small theft or vandalism. The grass is always greener for some people!

[ColdAilment]

So much bias and stereotypes about Mississippi go completely unfounded. It's the 21st century now, and Mississippi is a part of it. Most people here have smart phones that operate on 4G LTE offered throughout most of the state through Verizon or AT&T, actually they cover almost 90% of the state, which is more than a lot of other states, most people here drive newer cars, 5 years old or less, people here have all of their teeth, and the majority of them are straight and clean teeth, just as you'd find in any other part of the United States, people are connected through social media via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, and yes they even come to City-data.com now, people wear shoes here, though some, being of the southern mentality will wear cowboy boots instead, Biloxi boasts the third largest collection of casinos in the United States after Las Vegas and Atlantic City respectively, and Tunica Mississippi is fourth, race relations are nowhere near as bad as people make them out to be. Blacks and whites work together and mingle together on a daily basis. You'll find more closet racism in the north than you will in the south.

Racism is especially more introverted in the north where there aren't as many blacks, white people fear blacks because they are not familiar with them, in the south where blacks are more common we do not fear them as many north eastern people do.

The media is completely allied AGAINST the deep south, they completely misrepresent what is actually going on here and how far this state has come in the last 50 years, it's 2013 now, not 1963.

[slowlane3]

Here is a very positive news article about the MS Delta:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/02/opinion/sunday/beyond-black-and-white-in-the-mississippi-delta.html

If clicking on the link doesn't work, then type "Mississippi Delta" in the search box.