High-Altitude Flight

63 Pages·1999·6.53 MB·English

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The Mississippi Delta 2000 Initiative is interested in receiving comments and suggestions regarding the overall social
and economic development of the Lower Mississippi Delta Region. Written comments should be directed to:
Albert C. Eisenberg, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy
United States Department of Transportation
th
400 7 Street, SW
Room 10228
Washington, DC 20590
Mississippi Delta: Beyond 2000, Interim Report
Editor: Lee Powell
Design and Printing: U.S. Department of Transportation
Photographs: Aaron Henry Community Health Center, Como, Mississippi; Delta Area Rural Area Transit System; Farish
Street Historic District Neighborhood Foundation, Jackson, Mississippi, and the U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development; Memphis Convention Center and Visitors Bureau; Memphis City School District and the U.S.
Department of Education; Mississippi Action for Community Education (MACE) and the USDA Food and Nutrition
S e rvice; Northeast Louisiana Delta Community Development Corporation; U.S. Department of Interior; U.S.
Department of Transportation; Vicksburg, Mississippi, Warren County Port Commission and Economic Development
Foundation.

ii THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA: BEYOND 2000 Interim Report
Table of Contents
Table Contents
of
Foreword. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
Interim Report of The Mississippi Delta 2000 Initiative
Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Human Capital Development
Community Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Housing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Job Growth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Health. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Environmental, Natural and Physical Assets
Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Agriculture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Infrastructure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Natural Resources and Environment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Business and Industrial Development
Business and Industrial Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Tourism. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Race Relations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Mississippi Delta Regional Initiative Interagency Memorandum of
Understanding
Interim Report THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA: BEYOND 2000 III
For ew o r d
Foreword
I
n the autumn of 1989, Governor Bill Clinton dusty shelves of government arch i v es , but was a
of Arkansas wrote eloquently of both the “Handbook for Action—one that can turn the
bright promise and the profound problems Delta and its 8.3 million people into full partners
faced by the people of the Mississippi Delta in America’s exciting future, full participants in
region. In submitting the Interim Report of the changing global economy.” This Interim
the Lower Mississippi Delta Deve l o p m e n t Report of “The Delta: Beyond 2000” summarizes
Commission to President George Bush, Governor some of the prog r ess made over the past decade
Clinton first delivered the “bad news”: people in in fulfilling the recommendations offered in Th e
the Delta “are the least prepared to participate in Delta Initiatives, and begins to revi e w the chal-
and to contribute to the nation’s effort to succeed lenges still remaining for the Delta’s people at the
in the world economy.” Then, Governor Clinton da wn of a new millennium.
conveyed the “good news”: The present volume builds upon an update on
tr ansportation and employment issues completed in
“The Delta region has tremendous human 1995 by the Fed e r al Highway Adm i n i s t r at i o n
re s o u rces: people with a strong wo r k (F H W A), entitled Linking the Delta Region with the
ethic, and rekindled hopes for the future. Nation and the Wor l d . The FHWA update empha-
Productive land, water, timber, energy and sized that the 1990 Commission’s rec o m m e n d a t i o n s
vast natural beauty are abundant along “s e r v ed as a guidepost in President Clinton’s admin-
the banks of the Mississippi River. The is t r ation and during the 1996 budget negotiations and
Delta people are trying to help themselves. reconciliation efforts to balance the budget in a way
Each of the States in the Delta region made that reflects the val u e s
significant progress by investing in educa- and priorities of the
tion, economic development, human serv- American people.” In
ices, and transportation.” 1990, Rod n e y E. Slater
took part in the Com-
In the spring of 1990, Governor Clinton sub- mi s s i o n ’ s work as vice-
mitted to President Bush the final rec o m m e n d a - chair of the Arkan s a s
tions of the Lower Mississippi Delta Devel o p m e n t State Highway Com-
Commission. Entitled The Delta Initiatives: mission, and in 1995 he
Realizing the Drea m … F ulfilling the Potential, th e di r ected the update as
Final Report carried out the objectives mandated Adm i n i s t r ator of FHWA.
by legislation passed in 1988 (Public Law 100 - In Linking the Delta
460): to study and make re c o m m e n d a t i o n s Region with the Nation
SE C R E T AR Y OF TR A N S P O R TATI O N
reg a r ding economic needs, prob l e m s , and oppor- and the Wor l d , Adm i n - RODNEY E.SL A TE R
tunities in the Lower Mississippi Delta reg i o n , is t r ator Slater stressed that the Commission’s 1990
and to develop a ten-year regional economic recommendations embodied the Pres i d e n t ’ s goals:
de velopment plan. As Chair of the Commission, “i n v esting in education, training, and the environ -
Go vernor Clinton emphasized that the report was ment; protecting Medicare and Medicaid; and targe t -
not just another tome to be consigned to the ing tax relief to working families.”
iv THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA: BEYOND 2000 Interim Report
As Secretary of Transportation, Mr. Slater has region—it would req u i r e many volumes to accom-
co l l a b o r ated with many Fed e r al, State and local plish that feat. For those people interested in
entities in continuing the vital efforts to prom o t e detailed analysis of particular issues analyzed in
the Delta’s development. In July, 1998, Secret a r y this Report, an ext e n s i v e “Inventory” will be avai l -
Slater convened a meeting with Delta gras s r oo t s able from the Department of Transportation, and
leaders and Federal officials in Memphis, will also be placed on the DOT we b s i t e
Ten n e s s e e . Jill Long Thompson, Under Secret a r y ( h t t p : / / w w w. d o t . g ov/). As discussed in the
for Rur al Development of the Department of Ex ec u t i v e Summary, the major product of this
Agr i c u l t u r e, played a dynamic role in helping yea r ’ s effort to gather and update data on curren t
Se c r etary Slater organize that meeting, where ten issues will be a report on recommendations for the
Fed e r al agencies signed the Mississippi Delta De l t a ’ s future development. In the autumn of
Regional Initiative Interag e n c y 1999, a series of listening ses-
M
Me m o r andum of Underst a n d i n g sions will be held in the region to
“
(MOU). Original signatories uch more must ac q u i r e ideas, information, and
included the Departments of counsel from the Delta’s people.
be done if the
Transportation, Agriculture, We have achieved some
Delta region is to become a full
Co m m e r ce , Housing and Urban pr og r ess in the Delta over the
Development (HUD), Health last decade, but many challenges
pa r tner in America’s future.”
and Human Services (HHS), remain. During his domestic tour
– PRESIDENT WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON
La b o r , Education, Interior, the in the summer of 1999, Pres i d e n t
Small Business Adm i n i s t r at i o n , Clinton successfully re m i n d e d
and the Environmental Protection Age n c y. In 1999, America that certain areas of our country—such
the initiative was expanded to include the as the Southwest Border region, Appalachia,
Departments of Defense, Trea s u r y , Vet e r ans Affairs, na t i v e American res e r v at i o n s , and the Mississippi
Ju s t i c e , Energy , the National Office of Drug Control De l t a — h a ve not fully participated in the unprec e -
Pol i c y, and other agencies. This Interim Report is a dented prosperity of the 1990s. The Delta was fea-
pr oduct of the collaboration of these agencies’ efforts tu r ed prominently in that tour, including a meet-
th r oughout the Clinton administration, and Secret a r y ing in Clarksdale, Mississippi. In August, 1999,
Slater would like to extend his deep appreciation to the President met with local leaders in Helena,
all of them for their diligent work. The MOU’s pur- Ar k an s a s . The underde veloped regions like the
pose is to create a basic fram e work for cooperat i o n Delta offer great opportunities for new markets to
among the participating agencies “on economic revi - the private sector, and a coalition of Fed e r al, State,
talization initiatives in the Delta reg i o n . ” and local entities must cooperate to make those
The Delta 2000 Initiative recognizes that the opportunities become a rea l i t y . Governor Clinton
Fed e r al agencies play only one part in prom o t i n g poignantly exp r essed that thought ten yea r s ago,
the reg i o n ’ s advancement. It is essential to forge a in wor ds that ring true today: “Our own people
coalition of Fed e r al, State, local, private business, ar e leading the way. However , much more must
no n p r ofit foundations, and other gras s r oots orga n - be done if the Delta region is to become a full
izations to meet the challenges the region will face partner in America’s future. That will req u i r e the
be yond the year 2000. The Interim Report con- Fed e r al, State and local governments as well as
denses many of the important developments in the ma n y private sector groups and the community at
Delta during the 1990s, but it is not an exh a u s t i v e la r ge to work together in a spirit of dedication and
study of all Fed e r al activities in this immense in n o vat i o n . ”
Interim Report THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA: BEYOND 2000 1
MAP OF THE 219-COUNTY
MISSISSIPPI DELTA REGION
Bureau of Transportation Statistics
2 THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA: BEYOND 2000 Interim Report
Executive Summary
Executive Summary
I
n 1988, a bipartisan coalition of U.S. Rep - late 1999. This major report will publish supple-
res e n t a t i v es and Senators supported the legis- mental data and updates of ongoing projects
lation creating the Lower Mississippi Delta along with new trends that have taken place over
D evelopment Commission, including Re p . the last ten years. However, this plan will prima-
Mi k e Espy of Mississippi, Rep. Bill Alexan d e r rily focus upon new recommendations for the
of Arkan s a s , Senator Dale Bumpers of Arkan s a s , future social and economic progress of the Delta.
and many other members of Congress from the The major emphasis in the report on the Delta’s
Delta. Governor Clinton chaired the Commission, future will be upon gathering the information,
with Governor Ray Mabus of Mississippi and i d e a s, and recommendations from gra s s ro o t s
Go vernor Buddy Roemer of Louisiana serving as sources throughout the region.
Co m m i s s i o n e r s. The Lower Mississippi Delta is Solving the historic problems of the Delta is
comprised of 219 counties in Louisiana, a long-term initiative, and those who worked for
Mississippi, Arka n s a s, Te n n e s s e e, Missouri, the original Commission in 1988-90 often
Kentucky and Illinois. The region has historically pledged that they were committed to this project
s u f f e red from endemic pove r t y. The Delta for the long haul. This Interim Report will
Initiatives: Realizing the Dream… Fulfilling the d e m o n s t rate that in many re s p e c t s, limited
Potential embodied the ideas and information progress has been achieved in addressing the
ga t h e r ed from many public hearings, res e a r ch , profound social and economic conditions of the
and statistical information presented by the people who live at the very heart of America.
De l t a ’ s people concerning how to promote eco- The great life-giving artery of the Mississippi
nomic development and improve the reg i o n ’ s River, as John Gunther once wrote, “remains
quality of life. what it always was—a kind of huge rope, no
The Commission published an Interim matter with what knots and frays, tying the
Report in October, 1989 containing an extensive United States together. It is the Nile of the
array of data and detailed summaries of projects Western Hemisphere.” The region encompasses
then underway. The Final Report published a rich natural resources and physical assets, as
year later focused on recommendations for well as a deep historical and cultural heritage.
improving the Delta’s economy in the future. The Yet, as Governor Clinton stressed in 1990, the
Interim Report of “The Delta: Beyond 2000” ini- Delta cannot become a full partner in America’s
tiative—published a decade after the original future without “an honest assessment of where
Commission began its work—will review the we are in the emerging global economy and what
progress achieved in fulfilling many of the 400 we have to do to increase the capacity of all our
recommendations of The Delta Initiatives, with people to succeed in it.” Thus, while summariz-
some concise summaries of remaining chal- ing the advances made in many areas of trans-
lenges for the future. It should be emphasized portation, health care, economic development,
that this Interim Report is only the beginning of education, housing, environmental pro t e c t i o n
this year’s effort to gather data on current issues and other vital issues, the Interim Re p o r t
in the region; the major product will be an action acknowledges that many compelling problems
plan for the Delta’s future, to be completed by remain in a region that has historically lagged
Interim Report THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA: BEYOND 2000 3
behind much of the nation in the realm of eco- in developing an action plan for revitalizing the
nomic opportunity. The Delta 2000 Initiative fol- region. The Memorandum recognized that the
l ows the gra s s roots policy of the original Delta “has long been considered one of the poor-
Commission, as it seeks information and counsel est regions of the Nation.”
from local communities throughout the region in
preparing the report focusing on the Delta’s Summary of the Interim Report
future. In this endeavor to seek the counsel of The Interim Report follows the major cate-
Delta residents, a series of listening sessions will gories set forth in The Delta Initiatives, focusing on
be held in the Delta in the autumn of 1999. t ransportation; human capital deve l o p m e n t
(including education, community devel o p m e n t ,
The Mississippi Delta Regional job training, health, and housing); natural and
Initiative Interagency Memorandum ph ysical assets (agriculture, natural res o u r ces and
of Understanding, 1998 the environment); and business and industrial
This Interim Report marks the first step in de velopment (technological and entrep r en e u r i a l
fulfilling the Mississippi Delta Regional Initiative e n t e r p r i s e, small business development, and
I n t e ra g e n cy Memorandum of Unders t a n d i n g tourism). For people interested in ext e n s i v e data
(MOU). As discussed in the Foreword, 10 Federal and analysis on a particular issue, there is a
agencies signed the MOU at a meeting with local detailed Inventory on each of these issues that but-
Delta leaders organized by Secretary Rodney tr esses the Interim Report. Sever al of the Interim
Slater in Memphis, Tennessee in July, 1998. The Rep o r t ’ s key findings include the followi n g :
MOU was expanded to include a number of addi-
tional agencies in 1999. The Memorandum’s pur- T R A N S P O R TATION: The Commission’s 10- y ear goal
pose “is to establish a general framework for envisioned an improved network of limited
cooperation among the participating agencies on access highways, airports, and rail and port facil-
economic revitalization initiatives in the Delta ities to promote economic growth. The grea t
region.” majority of the nearly 70 specific tran s p o r t a t i o n
The participating agencies pledged to “work recommendations in The Delta Initiatives ha ve
together to coordinate and support a broad- either been fulfilled or substantially fulfilled. The
based government-wide review and assessment Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act
of the Delta.” The Memorandum underscored of 1991 (ISTEA) and the Transportation Equity
st
the rural nature of much of the Delta, stating: Act for the 21 Century of 1998 (TEA-2 1) dra-
“This effort will build upon the work of President matically increased Highway Trust Fund inves t -
Clinton and Vice President Gore to strengthen ment in highways and transit. Delta States have
st
rural communities for the 21 century.” In par- used the flexibility established in ISTEA to fund
ticular, the agencies committed themselves to im p r ovements to the Great River Road, as well as
provide an update of the 1990 Report, The Delta for scenic easements, historic pres e r v ation and
Initiatives: Realizing the Dream—Fulfilling the other proj e c t s . For exam p l e , in Arkansas during
Potential, as well as to continue the process of the 1990s approximately $140 million was used
implementing that re p o r t ’s re c o m m e n d a t i o n s. to complete about 120 miles of highway rec o n -
Looking forward to the major report on recom- struction, surfacing, widening and other proj e c t s
mendations for the future that will be published in Delta counties. Such transportation improve-
later in 1999, the MOU stressed the importance ments are a powerful engine for economic growt h
of cooperating with State and local organizations and improving the quality of life in the Delta.
4 THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA: BEYOND 2000 Interim Report
JOB GROWTH: From 1993 to 1998, the annual aver- pose the greatest remaining challenge in the
age unemployment for the entire 219-county region’s employment horizons.
region declined from 7.5 percent in 1993 to 5.7
percent in 1998. During this period, 184 of the EMPOWERMENT ZONES/ENTERPRISE COMMUNITIES
219 counties experienced job growth. There were (EZ/EC) AND CHAMPION COMMUNITIES: The EZ/EC
some substantial success stories: declining program is the major Clinton-Gore administra-
u n e m p l oyment rates for the major re g i o n a l tion innovation in the field of community devel-
urban areas such as Pulaski County, Arkansas; opment. In Round I of the EZ/EC program
J e f f e rson Parish, Louisiana; Shelby County, announced in 1994, there were eight rural and
Tennesee; and Hinds County, Mississippi, that five urban EZ’s and EC’s in the Delta, with
were similar to or slightly lower than the histor- another rural Delta EZ (in southern Illinois)
ically low national unemployment averages of being added in Round II of the program in 1999.
the 1990s. A few rural areas witnessed improve- T h e re are more than 50 rural “Champion
ment, such as Madison Parish, Louisiana, where Communities” and four urban Champion
the unemployment rate fell from 14 percent in Communities in the Delta; these are communi-
1990 to 7.5 percent in June, 1999. ties that did not receive EZ or EC designations,
Pr esident Clinton signed the Balanced Budget but developed strategic plans and receive priori-
Act of 1997 and the Wor k f o r ce Investment Act of ty assistance in response to their Federal appli-
1998, two major pieces of legislation that are dra- cations for funding and technical help.
matically helping people make the transition from The program is based upon the principles of
wel f a r e to work. The impact of these laws is sustainable development, leadership from the
exp l o r ed in depth by the Department of Labor and local gra s s roots level, economic opportunity,
other agencies in the Report and the Inven t o r y . long-range strategic planning, and community-
Virtually all of the participating agencies pursu e d based partnerships. The Interim Report summa-
policies directly or indirectly related to job growt h , rizes the Federal funding and tax incentives
such as wel f a r e- t o - w ork, transportation, small offered by the EZ’s and EC’s; however, the grass-
business promotion, Empowerment Zones and roots leadership and strategic planning phases of
Enterprise Communities, and other economic the program are more important, ultimately, than
de velopment initiatives . the Federal funding amounts. One of the great
successes of the program has been the commu-
PERSISTENT UNEMPLOYMENT DILEMMAS IN RURAL nities’ successes in “leve raging” funds. Fo r
AREAS AND INNER CITIES: However, some inner city example, the rural communities drew $10.225
neighborhoods did not participate in the overall million from their EZ/EC funding from 1994 to
urban prosperity, and rural areas in general still the beginning of 1999, while their total fund-
lagged far behind the national unemployment ing—including State, local, private business, and
rate. In fact, some rural counties still suffered nonprofit foundation sources—amounted to ten
from unemployment rates two and three times as times that much, or approximately $107.4 mil-
high as the national average. For example, St. lion. The EZ’s and EC’s provide a model for
Francis County’s unemployment rate declined grassroots community leadership and sustain-
from 13.4 percent in 1993, but in 1998 its annu- able development.
al average—though a substantial improvement—
still remained at a high 9 percent. The continu- E D U C ATION: Nearly a decade after the 1990
ing unemployment problems in many rural areas C o m m i s s i o n ’s recommendation to targ e t