How can we save small town America?

Start by getting rid of WalMart.

Delta towns without a significant industrial base will suffer.

I think in this particular case, Natchez may benefit from better highway infrastructure and a state that is more competitive in attracting business investment. There are towns that are in much worse shape, but I think Natchez's worst days are ahead of it. I'm concerned especially for Mississippi's (formerly robust) smaller agriculture towns closer to the river that are struggling today.

Mississippi has had some luck in attracting automotive manufacturing. With better highway infrastructure, Natchez may be a good position to land one of those in the future.

The only Delta town with any industrial base left is greenwood and that's just due to Viking, Heartland Catfish, and Americas Catch catfish, and a few things downtown like Milwaukee tools.

The cotton market killed the delta when it went down..,. Many textile milks and cotton gins shut down. Then the catfish industry struggled after the 2008 recession leading to farm and processing plant closures but at least now the industry is showing signs of stabilizing and possibly a comeback.

This had caused flight to urban areas and massive unemployment in the delta among the poorer black folk who have few job options.

Cotton or catfish has to grow back strong again to fix this area. As far as the rest of small town America...deregulation to promote small business and manufacturing would reverse the decline

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You skip a very important question: why should "we" save small town America?

When "we" gets thrown in, it usually results in other's tax dollars being used. So let's rephrase:

Why should small town America be saved? Answer that and you are halfway to answering your original question.

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Many small towns were built around farming, mainly cotton, when cotton was king. Innovations from technology and competition from other countries is what has caused these communities to begin drying up.

Currently corn is the big cash crop (until Cannabis is legalized across the country) due to the ethanol bill Bush passed ( ). Corn doesn't require as much attention as cotton, so it's also an easier crop to grow. This means while the lower prices from crops today as opposed to cotton during its heyday has bled money from these communities, there is less need for the manual laborers that also made their living in the fields (and contributed to the local economy).

It's the changing of times and it has happened for as long as Man has built communities.

John needs a paint brush. He goes to Frank's Hardware on Main and buys a paintbrush manufactured by Greg's paintbrush company on 2nd. Greg's Paintbrush Company buys their horse hair from Bill, their metal from Shane's Metal Works, and wood handles from the scraps from the local lumber yard. Everyone lives and raises their families in the same community, schools, roads, etc.

How many times did money change hands, how many jobs are created and maintained, and how much local revenue is created when that happens, and how many times was that taxed to fund the community compared to...

Susan goes to Home Depot and gets paint brush. Saves a buck fitty. Go Susan.

Worse than that... Tammy goes to Lowes in adjoining parish strip mall and buys same brush Susan bought and saved another .25 cents. Go Go Tammy.

If you are looking for Natchez specific answers here you go.

1 Fix the school system because it absolutely sucks, more people have left Natchez over the schools than you could believe. I was able to sell my house there at a huge loss and buy somewhere else waaay cheaper than CHS tuition for 5.

2 The number one money maker there is tourism, quit vilifying the garden club and get behind them. Get rid of the open container law downtown and encourage a walking trade for bars and restaurants.


3 Convince the idiots there that national chains are BAD for the local economy. I have never seen so many dumbasses that think getting a chain to move in is a good thing. Have a massive and endless buy local campaign.


4 Find some way through either tax credits or outright bribery to get some industry back into town. When Diamond International, IP, Johns Manville, and the tire plant closed the death spiral went into overdrive. Anyone with initiative gets out as fast as they can leaving the dregs behind.

I lived most of my life there and my family still does but would never suggest my kids live there. That is a huge deal because my family has been there for many many generations.

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Are there some nice real estate bargains in the Natchez area these days?

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Yes there are, but you have to be very careful in watching the demograpic shifts there. There are giant beutiful 200+ year old homes in what is fast becoming the hood.

Okay, thanks. What about undeveloped acreage? Say in the 200-300 acre range?