A Conversation with Mark Mills on the Future of Energy

Mark Mills Vimeo

We delve deep into the complex world of energy with expert Mark Mills of the Manhattan Institute as he debunks myths and shines a light on the future.  From the realities of electric vehicles to the impact of green energy on the mining industry, we cover it all.

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Academic Fraud Busters

Academci Fraud Busters

Who you gonna call when a Harvard Business School tenured professor lies about her research? Research about why people lie and cheat. Fraud Busters, that’s who. A recent Wall Street Journal article profiled three academic fraud busters. They’re busy.

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BPF Book Review: Reframe Your Brain by Scott Adams

Reframe Your Brain Scott Adams

Reframing how one looks at the world and life itself can be a great way to get out of an old rut and find a new groove and Reframe Your Brain presents a systematic approach to incorporate reframing into your everyday life.

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A Local Perspective: Soaring Pension Costs Puts Pressure on Budgets

MS Cities

When the PERS Board voted to increase taxpayer funding by raising the “employer contribution rate” five percentage points at a cost of $265 million, most attention was given to state-supported entities (think: agencies, K-12 public schools, community colleges, and public universities). Yet the total funding required by this rate hike is $345 million, with some $80 million in new financial obligations placed squarely on the shoulders of Mississippi’s cities and counties.  Unless something changes, the new rate (and higher costs) become effective July 1, 2024.

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How Are Hospitals and Electric Utilities Alike?

Government Monopoly

Both are regulated monopolies. Government monopolies. Patients and customers are denied the benefits of competition. Patients have fewer choices and get government medicine. Customers get more expensive and less reliable electricity.

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Do You Want Your Electricity On or Green?

Entergy Sunflower Solar Station

Solar’s intermittency is a problem for the grid that connects plants that generate electricity and customers that use it. The grid doesn’t store electricity. So the customer’s demand for electricity must be in balance with the supply of electricity from the plants that generate it. Otherwise, the grid destabilizes and bad things happen (e.g., rolling brownouts, blackouts, and even grid failure).

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PERS: Fiscal Challenges

PERS MS Downtown Jackson

As lawmakers evaluate the state retirement plan, it is important to understand historical context, the origins of PERS, and its current benefit structure.  The lawmakers who developed the system anticipated that members – those who benefit from the plan – would cover most plan liabilities, not taxpayers.

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Mississippi PERS: An Overview

PERS Overview

The Mississippi Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) faces significant financial and structural challenges – and Mississippians deserve to know more about this complex issue.  After all, changes to the system directly affect our citizens’ pocketbooks.

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BPF Book Review of “Chip War” by Chris Miller

Chip War

In “Chip War – The Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology,” author Chris Miller masterfully recounts the epic journey of the transistor from rudimentary invention in the early 50s to today’s system-on-a-chip with billions of transistors that are, as the book’s subtitle suggests “the world’s most critical technology.” “Chip War” is a technology history book that also provides keen insight into the rising economic confrontation between America and China.

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