Jackson Free Press

Last month, in a story that didn't receive a huge amount of media coverage, state economist Darrin Webb told a legislative panel that the state of Mississippi is—not projected to be, is—the No. 1 employer in the state.

More than 31,000 people work for the state, according to the Mississippi State Personnel Board, which is more than eight times the number of people who work at the state's top employer, Nissan North America Inc. in Canton. (The No. 2 private employer is RPM Pizza LLC, the nation's largest Domino Pizza franchise owner).

That information seemed to embarrass top legislative Republicans, who for more than two years now have helmed the state's economy, which is not recovering as quickly as the rest of the nation. "We need more private-sector growth in job creation" was all that House Appropriations Committee Chairman Herb Frierson, R-Poplarville, was able to muster at the January meeting.

A bird in the hand is better than two in the bush. Why sit around and wait for some industrial savior to swoop in and create well-paying jobs with good benefits on Mississippi when we could give the state's economy an immediate cash infusion through its state workers? Think of state workers as mini chief executive officers of tiny little corporations called "households." Unlike Nissan, which is a Japanese company, or Domino's, whose corporate headquarters are in Michigan, the CEOs of Mississippi's households all live and spend most of their money right here in Mississippi.

When the Mississippi House recently took up a series of spending bills, Democrats tried unsuccessfully to amend each agency budget request to give all state workers about a $1,200-per-year state increase, which Frierson was quick to note would eat up about $39 million in the budget.

It would also be $39 million going directly into the hands of Mississippi citizens, who would likely turn around and buy a shiny new Nissan Altima, take the family out for pizza more often or buy a new living room set (Ashley Furniture Homestore, headquartered in Ecru, is the state's No. 3 private employer), generating sales-tax revenue and, possibly, new jobs.

The fact that, under Speaker Philip Gunn's leadership, House Republicans are bending over sideways to find money for across-the-board pay raises for teachers, who are state workers, shows that where there's a political will, there's a way. And the fact that the state cannot seem to give away the $5.5 million the Legislature set aside for more armed guards in public schools—so far, only enough districts to use half the money have applied—is a clear indication that our policymakers are hopelessly tone deaf when it comes to what the people of Mississippi want.

Lawmakers should start listening and do the economic math on giving all state workers a raise—not to mention giving full consideration to the benefits of fully funding the Mississippi Adequate Education Program. Both could help the state grow and prosper.