Issue Position: Economic Development and Job Creation

Issue Position

In this difficult economy, the number one issue on people's minds is jobs. A DuPree administration would focus on three main areas to create jobs and build a stronger Mississippi economy: Small business incentives, holding large corporations accountable, and workforce training.

Small Business Incentives
In Mississippi, 97 percent of employers are small businesses. Small businesses employ over half of the private sector employees in our state, and small businesses have generated more than 60 percent of net new jobs over the past 15 years.
It is clear that we need more focus on developing Mississippi's small businesses.

Mayor DuPree has a wealth of experience--both in the private sector as a small business owner and in the public sector as Mayor of Hattiesburg.

A DuPree administration will:

* Increase the focus on small business incentives to help existing small businesses expand or franchise.
* Seek to provide tax and other financial incentives for technology-based and green jobs created by small businesses.
* Invest in technological upgrades in rural parts of the state that would allow entrepreneurs to create jobs in areas where populations are low or have been decreased.

Requiring More from Big Box Companies
As taxpayers, we give tax incentives and low interest loans to large corporations with the understanding that they will bring jobs to Mississippians. For too long, corporations take incentives without paying taxes and without creating the number of jobs they promised.

Under a DuPree administration, we will:

* Require that 85 percent of jobs created be filled by Mississippi workers
* Hold corporations accountable to create the jobs they promise or forfeit their incentives package
* Ensure construction contracts would be given to Mississippi contractors
* Address issues of fairness as it relates to women and minority contractors in Mississippi.

Mayor DuPree has developed small businesses in Hattiesburg, and he will do it for Mississippi.

Workforce Development
When it comes to economic development and creating jobs, we are only as strong as our workforce. Mississippi's community college workforce development programs are some of the best in the nation. Under a DuPree administration, we will work with our community college, universities and trade associations to create stronger workforce to recruit industries to our state.

A DuPree administration will also use federal funds to re-train people who are without work to make them competitive in the workforce so they can find a good job, and can provide for themselves and their families.

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