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This story originally appeared in the Jackson Free Press. It was added to the Mississippi Free Press website in 2025.
Note that any opinions expressed in legacy Jackson Free Press stories do not reflect a position of the Mississippi Free Press or necessarily of its staff and board members.

Tom McWilliams: Jobs. Jobs, and more jobs. We have got to get people working again.

Jess Herrington: New jobs and freeing up energy companies during the 
recession.

MsHollypd: Debt must get better. I want to be able to get my Social Security when I get older. I want to be able to retire before 70 years old. Stop giving all this SSI away to people who don’t really need it.

Jeremy Polk: Getting rid of the NDAA and indefinite detention.

Ralph Watson: 1. Fixing our voting process–this day and age we as Americans should never have to wait to vote. We all have Social Security numbers and know how to use phones or mail ballots. 2. Green energy=green jobs. Did you know Mississippi is one of three states that do not have reverse metering legislation? Yet we’re in the second best zone for solar. 3. Fix the filibuster in the Senate.

Michael Kennedy: We must ALL work together going forward on a myriad of issues–the economy, women’s equality, health care, securing the Medicare Trust, civil and equal rights for all citizens. It isn’t ONE man’s job. It is the responsibility of all citizens and especially the electorate that voted him in to propel the causes forward. Yes, President Obama was re-elected. But the work is only half started. WE must push forward and ensure that the mass of agendas, priorities, rights, and ideals become reality.

Chris Land Sr.: Job creation.

Kim Sisson: End the Bush tax cuts now.

Richard Perry: After job creation, election reform, then immigration law reform.

Chico Harris: Proper attention to returned and returning soldiers.


Cindy Hornsby: 1. Job creation. 2. Immigration reform 3. Reproductive Bill of Rights 4. Election reform

Andrew Forbes: 1. End tax breaks for the 1%. Implement modest tax breaks for the middle and working class who will actually spend their disposable income, boost local businesses and thereby help create jobs. Use the rest to repair/improve the nation’s creaking infrastructure. 2. Health care reform. Get what’s been done carved in stone and then start work on a rational, equitable, single-payer system (can you tell I’m British?). 3. Keep hammering at equal pay and protecting reproductive rights for
women.

Kathleen Conner Strickland: The environment.

Kiya Beaman: Education. … It all starts with education

@docinmiss The budget.

@pookiener Fixing the budget.

@burch_will Bipartisan unity.

@UnfilteredInMS Deficit/debt reduction.

Mississippi native Donna Ladd and partner Todd Stauffer founded the Jackson Free Press in 2002 in the capital city. The heavily awarded local newspaper did many investigations heralded across the state and nation and served as a paper of record due to its diversity, inclusion, in-depth reporting and deep connection to readers and dedication to narrative change in and about Mississippi. In 2022, the nonprofit Mississippi Free Press, founded by Ladd and JFP Associate Publisher Kimberly Griffin in 2020, purchased the journalism assets and archives of the Jackson Free Press. A Google grant through AAN Publishers enabled Newspack's integration of the JFP archives into the Mississippi Free Press website to become part of a more searchable archive of recent Mississippi history and essential journalism.