I'm trying to think of an occupation more thankless than The Governor of Mississippi. Outside of coaching the L.A. Clippers and overseeing the reconstruction of Iraq, few immediately come to mind.

Constitutionally-limited, the Governor of Mississippi has little real authority to enact sweeping reforms. The lawmaking powers rest in the bicameral legislative body. An inordinate amount of influence is possessed by the Speaker of the House, an individual chosen by 122 people chosen by voters in 122 districts across the state. It's probably not the best example of democracy, but it's in the constitution, and barring a highly ambitious and contentious ballot initiative, it is and will be a fact of life in Mississippi.

But the typical person doesn't know or doesn't want to acknowledge limitations of the governor. We have this image of the powerful single executive pulling the strings from on high as his underlings blindly act on his whims. I'm not sure why we think this way. We didn't grow up in an absolute monarchy. Yet when government stumbles or succeeds, people will first shower criticism or praise on the head honcho. Maybe it's just easier for us mentally that way.

A government does not prosper or perish by the actions of one individual. But that being said, this subject of this post is centered on one man, Haley Barbour.

Helped by the most sophisticated and expensive campaign in state history as well as a struggling state economy, Barbour unseated Democratic incumbent Ronnie Musgrove in November 2003 promising more jobs and financial stability.

And like most newly elected officials, the execution has been more complicated than the vision. Barbour has clashed with veteran state legislators wary of his Washington way and supremely confident in their way of doing business. The state economy, while on an upswing, remains stagnant, not providing the needed revenue to jolt to support increasing costs associated with the the operations and services of government.

I would venture to say that people who expected an immediate turnaround have been sorely disappointed, but the result of this disappointment might be the result of unrealistic expectations more than missteps by Governor Barbour.

I'm not of these obsequious supporters of Governor Barbour, lauding his every move. He's got his share of these fanatics, which I guess is both admirable and annoying.

But taking a realistic look at the state's financial shape, it's apparent to me that Barbour is the right person for the job. His administration (from this point forward I use "administration" -- trying to emphasize the importance of the overall organization) doesn't pander to groups, promising great things when great things aren't available. His administration is pragmatic, most respectful of the legislature, and staffed with bright people, like Education Policy Advisor Jason Dean. With the number of staffers and supporters the Barbour Campaign had, it's a minor miracle his administration didn't turn into cronyism run a muck. And while I know very little and won't profess to know the inner workings of state government, my observations -- through the media, through conversations with people more in the know, and through a glance at the financial situation -- leave me with the impression that for the resources he has, he's doing a commendable job.

Read his State of the State Address, delivered Monday. For a politician's speech, the address was frank, funny, and hopeful.

It's not easy to be liked. His agenda is not usually well-received by the House, and ends up being radically altered to a point where only bits and pieces are implemented. He's still lambasted if people don't like the end result, and the legislators who pass it inexplicably blame the governor when their laws and budget fail to satisfy constituent demands.

If he wants to give more money to education, he has to give less resources to another group, like Medicaid. So people say he's "Against the Poor." If he wants to give more money to medicaid, education cutbacks might be made. Then people say he's "Anti-Education." If the money isn't available in the state, people claim, it's because he hasn't done enough to attract new businesses to the state. But to attract businesses, you have to provide incentives. If that's done, people will say "he's in the pocket of big business." If he decides more revenue is the answer, he may have to talk about raising taxes (this is pure hypothetical -- as Barbour has said 1,700 he's against raising anyone's taxes), people are going to howl that his policies will "bankrput hardworking Mississippians." It goes around and around and around. The basic conclusion: it's impossible to please everyone. It's probably impossible to even please a majority. All that can be hoped for is a common sense plan that keeps the state functioning in the short-term without jeopardizing solvency in the long-term. Mississippi won't always get what all its people want. We can only ask to get what we need (yeah -- that's a lame variation of The Rolling Stones song). But even needs are debatable.

So, this long, rambling thread, with a lot of talk and few concrete solutions, is an example of what Barbour and other Mississippi leaders must address day to day. A myriad of problems, all somehow interconnected, with decisions are win-lose, but not all win-win, and usually not all lose-lose (Beef Processors plant excluded).

Barbour knows Mississippi Can Do Better. He's said it 42,115 times. Now, it's time to figure out How Mississippi Can Do Better. That's the billion dollar question. If it can be answered, his administration is probably the group that can do it.

The recent thread about Smith-Wills Stadium has devolved into a discussion about naming local facilities. Since some Jackson leaders are so supportive of naming everything from streets to airports, the business major in me thinks they could make some money off the project.

We could begin selling naming rights to bridges, stadiums, parking lots, bricks on Congress Street, and even City Hall.

I could see it now

.... The Union Planters Stack on I-55 .....
.... AmSouth Memorial Stadiu