Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Mississippi Consumer Protection Laws Should be Stronger
You may or may not know it, but Mississippi law has a glaring loophole in its laws regarding college accreditation standards. All colleges which grant degrees are required to hold accreditation from a recognized accrediting body, such as the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Yet, the law specifically grants an exemption for private, for-profit institutions. The statute (37-101-241, Mississippi Code of 1972), reads in part, ... (6) The provisions of this section shall not apply to private schools that are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) or to the proprietary schools as defined in Sections 75-60-3, 75-60-4 and 75-60-5.
This is one of many areas in which Mississippi consumer protection laws leave much to be desired. In the wake of Katrina, we have seen evidence of lax licensing laws for contractors. Recently, after the funeral home industry has come under scrutiny, we have found that there are insufficient standards for cemeteries.
While Mississippi has some good and tough requirements for some industries, we are way behind in others. There should be a concerted effort to look at all of Mississippi's consumer protection laws. Contrary to popular belief, consumer protection laws do not hurt business; they help business by ensuring that high standards are enforced. Tough consumer protection laws are good for everyone -- businesses and consumers alike.
Monday, April 28, 2008
What's In a Website?
We have spent much time and effort on getting this site functional. That's because online access is so crucial to many of today's consumers. We also understand, however, that the people and businesses we serve might never use a computer. The website is not the sum total of our services; it is just one linkage between this organization and the community of businesses and consumers we serve.
I hope you will spend some time getting to know our new site. Bookmark it and use it often, because it can help you become a more educated and knowledgeable consumer. Thanks for visiting!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
2008 Business Integrity Awards Winners Announced
The winners were announced on Friday, March 28 at the annual luncheon held at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in Jackson. An estimated 120 people were on hand to witness the presentation of the 6th Annual Mississippi Business Integrity Awards. The 2008 recipients of these prestigious awards were:
- Community Bank, Meridian
- Magnolia Gardens Assisted Living, Laurel
- Trinity Investment Services, LLC, Gulfport
Two individual awards were also presented – the Torchbearer Award and the CEO of Integrity Award. The Torchbearer Award, recognizing a business leader who has demonstrated integrity and ethics over a career, was presented to Aubrey Patterson, President of Bancorp South in Tupelo. The recipient of the CEO of Integrity Award was Dan Modisett, General Manager of WLBT in Jackson.
This year’s winners become part of the “Circle of Honor”. Other 2008 Circle of Honor inductees include: Duran Homes (Jackson), Joe E. Fountain, Jr. & Company (D’Iberville), Madison Planting & Design Group (Canton), McLaurin Carpets, Inc. (Soso), Pride Hyundai (Batesville), Two Men and a Truck (Ridgeland), and Waveland Furniture Liquidators (Waveland).
“We had a wonderful response to the Business Integrity Awards this year,” said Bill Moak, President of the Better Business Bureau of Mississippi. “The judges had many great entries. “They prove that success in business does not mean that you must make ethical compromises, and that a company’s ability to survive challenges is directly related to its commitment to a strong commitment to being a good corporate citizen.”