With regards to “One Street/2,000 Residents” I’m reminded that vast problems are not solved with half-vast solutions. Jackson needs wins, and perhaps “One Street” or “One Lake” will provide a win. But even if successful, neither project offers a vast solution to Jackson’s vast problems.
The real drivers of Jackson’s future are the growth of UMMC, Baptist, the VA, and Merit hospitals; the expansion of the Jackson State campus; and sustained private-sector investment from companies like Amazon and Entergy.
Medicaid expansion is foundational. More insured patients would mean more hospital construction projects, more healthcare jobs, and better preventive care for populations that now rely on emergency rooms. Beyond economics, there is a moral imperative. How can a state that receives billions in federal agricultural subsidies deny expanded federal healthcare subsidies for poor people?
Jackson State represents another once-in-a-generation opportunity. With the right vision, leadership and commitment, JSU could grow from an excellent 7,000-student HBCU into a true 20,000-student urban university. That growth would expand the tax base, redevelop surrounding neighborhoods, and benefit the entire city and state through STEM based education and economic development.
Fundamental to this approach would be buy-in from the alums, students and staff of JSU. Do the Tigers support this concept? If yes, a good first step would be the sale of Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium (The Vet) to UMMC. JSU would generate funding for campus expansion including a new, state-of-the art-stadium benefitting the Tigers outstanding football program and UMMC would secure much needed room for a parking garage and other facilities. Both are long term wealth drivers.
Finally, what if you and some of my other friends focused less on vilifying tech leaders and more on courting additional investment? In a state with an annual budget around $8 billion, the Tech Bros investments in data centers in Brandon, Clinton, Meridian, Ridgeland, Southaven and Vicksburg are transformative if we choose to leverage them wisely.
And the partnerships between Entergy and the tech companies could also be transformative in a future where technology companies become increasingly invested in generating electricity that Entergy and other utilities transmit and distribute.
Jackson can be saved. But it will take far more than a street or a lake to do it. It will take a willingness to re-examine our premises, think big to generate vast solutions and a lot of teamwork to implement those solutions. The building blocks are in place. How will we assemble them?
Thomas Russell lives in Canton.
