I was very pleased to see a few uplifting articles in Wednesday’s Democrat.

Firstly, I have hope that all concerned will hasten to settle the old controversy over the old pecan factory site. Surely, somehow, the principals in all of this will eventually cease all the haggling that, in my opinion, is a comedy of errors.

My compliments to our board of supervisors in their decision to cut operating expenses to attempt to meet the shortfall caused by not enough taxes coming in. Thanks, fellows.

The usual answer by government bodies is to ignore the budget and increase the tax rate to cover in the future. I hope your constituency appreciates the move. Keep it up.

The award of the Toyota plant again has shown that Mississippi is a prime competitor for industry when the local tax, education and political climate is good. Administrators and government please take note.

Julie Finley’s column was right on the button. Anyone who has not been completely asleep knows of the beehive of activity around the coming industrial prospects and the “spin-offs” connected with them.

Yes, things look good. Eventually.

Finley compares Natchez to Oxford. Good comparison.

I would, however, like to comment on something missing in the article. My son, Colonel Robert, USAF, visits Oxford regularly. He also was amazed at the downtown activity in such a small town.

He presumed it was be due to the location of the university there. When he asked a number of downtown merchants if the activity was due to the university, to his astonishment he was repeatedly assured the real reason was the presence of the federal court.

Our new federal court facilities are all but finished and should become occupied and busy in the immediate future.

Maybe, Julie, we won’t have to wait too long in our own downtown for at least that start we need. Let’s be sure to greet them with open arms.

Robert Mims

Natchez resident