Economic news in Mississippi and across the nation is unsettling. Our tendency is to worry, look for someone to blame and, in some cases, even panic.

There is cause for concern. Our country faces major economic challenges with no quick fix. On the other hand, we have the opportunity to address the issues, unite behind our national, state and local leaders, and make progress together.

For Mississippi and its agencies that rely on state funding, this is no time for complaining, blaming or avoiding a share of the pain. It is a time to manage reductions in our budgets by operating more efficiently and becoming better stewards of the funds we receive.

At Ole Miss, we will help manage reductions by establishing clear priorities and prudently utilizing our resources. Make no mistake. We intend to protect our academic programs and continue providing high-quality educational opportunities for our students.

Yet we are prepared to help the governor, state legislators and College Board members manage the difficulties declining tax revenues pose for all of us. We will do so by consuming less gasoline and electricity, delaying equipment purchases and minor construction projects, eliminating all nonessential travel and filling vacant positions only after careful and thoughtful reviews.

At the same time, we plan to continue strengthening our faculty, preserving our assets and responsibly maintaining our buildings and equipment. We also will continue to emphasize the remarkable quality of life Mississippians enjoy and the opportunities each of us has to serve our fellow man and find solutions to our problems.

As our state’s oldest university, the University of Mississippi has a responsibility to lead. During this economic downturn, it will do so by staying focused on its mission of education, serving as a resource for our state and by remaining optimistic.

We at Ole Miss are ready to partner with state agencies and officials to address our challenges as opportunities to perform at higher levels, operate more resourcefully and, perhaps most important, promote a constructive, collegial environment that fosters certain economic recovery.

Robert Khayat

Chancellor

University of Mississippi

Oxford

Prove bias or retract

Your Sunday editorial describing the Competitiveness Report of the Beacon Hill Institute as a “hoax” displays a shameful and willful disregard of the truth. Apparently, we hurt your feelings by ranking Mississippi dead last among the 50 states.

But hurt feelings are not an excuse for a baseless attack. You imply that because we’re located in Massachusetts, we rigged the results to make Massachusetts look good (and, I suppose, to make Mississippi look bad).

Well, then, I’m sure that you’ll want to expose our little hoax in detail. You’ll want to tell us just how we rigged the data to get our preconceived results. If not, then I’m also sure you’ll want to print a retraction. That is, unless respect for the truth no longer commands the respect that it once did down your way.

David G. Tuerck

Executive director

Beacon Hill Institute

Boston

Bras on bridge a great idea

I am writing in response to the Nov. 7 article Battling Breast Cancer. What a way to bring awareness to breast cancer. My sister, Debra Short, who works in Vicksburg, called me and explained to me what the American Cancer Society and Riverwalk Casino were doing to raise money and to ask if I had any old bras that I could donate for this cause.

The next day I was mailing two bras from Dubuque, Iowa. My sister sent me the newspaper article and I took it in to work to share at the morning meeting. I had so many responses from the women I work with who would have donated bras if they had known about the cause. I hope that your great city continues to do this, and if that is the case, look for even more bras from Dubuque, and in the future I would like to see my own bra hung across the Iowa/Illinois bridge here in my town.

Brenda S. Melville

Dubuque, Iowa

Youths don’t earn respect

Since when did it ever become OK to have no regard for others?  It is truly amazing that anything is still in Vicksburg.

No one (especially most young adults) respects anyone else. Everyone wants to have respect handed — it’s not.

I went to the movie theater here in Vicksburg and had a miserable experience. It happened to be sold out. I couldn’t hear nor watch the movie. The place was chaotic! The workers at Wilcox tried to contain the disruption, but, because of the disrespect and lack of self-control, they could not. I hope that they will stick this out and those who will be inconvenienced will blame those who acted with disrespect.

My experience did not stop there. As I was trying to cross the parking lot, a teen in a sedan whizzed by me, clipped me and would not even stop.  Everyone around laughed. My son was embarrassed because I was mad.

How can I teach my kids?  Do we as parents let our kids grow up with rudeness and disregard?

Apryle Kleinhans

Vicksburg