Shelby to business leaders, "SACS . . . - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Oct 27, 2005

Shelby to business leaders, "SACS . . .

Date: Oct 27, 2005

RE: Shelby to business leaders, "SACS . . .

Date: Oct 27, 2005

I've seen or heard the term "business leaders" used frequently. Just who are these "business leaders? Are they the ones whose businesses generate the most dollars? Are they the ones with the loudest mouths? Are the leaders of national chain estalishments included among their ranks or does the term refer only to independent owners of local businesses? Does this group include only Country Club memers? Can one who does not play golf be a "business leader?" Who determines who and how one gets on the "business leaders" list? Can people with funny last names be on the list? Can one join the list just by signing up or does one have to make application? Do these "business leaders" have a special handshake?

Date: Oct 27, 2005

This is typical Tiny Thames. Boasting about climbing out of a ditch that he dug. Guess we ought to give him a parade. How absolutely pathetic!

Date: Oct 27, 2005

Rejected wrote:

I've seen or heard the term "business leaders" used frequently. Just who are these "business leaders? Are they the ones whose businesses generate the most dollars? Are they the ones with the loudest mouths? Are the leaders of national chain estalishments included among their ranks or does the term refer only to independent owners of local businesses? Does this group include only Country Club memers? Can one who does not play golf be a "business leader?" Who determines who and how one gets on the "business leaders" list? Can people with funny last names be on the list? Can one join the list just by signing up or does one have to make application? Do these "business leaders" have a special handshake?

Business Leader=Shelby Friend

I recently received via U.S. Mail a letter on USM Foundation letterhead promoting a meeting lead by Nicholson & Co to review new hurrican tax laws. The cover seems to be take advantage of tax changes prompted by Katrina to give to foundation.....but you probably need an accountant to help!!

I have to hand it to Shelby, he certainly helps his friends....

Date: Oct 27, 2005

lil' birdie wrote:

is a done deal, and we got through it clean as a whistle." Paraphrasing what SFT said to a group of local business people earlier this week. To that he got a great round of applause. Some other things he said made me think he wants more time that to May of '07. Seeing that other thread about 3 presidential searches says it just might happen. The business people in town really love this man. Get ready for action.

I am not saying this did not happen; I just did not hear about it, and news like that typically would have at least trickled down to me -- even though I don't qualify as one of the Thames insiders. It sounds like "lil' birdie" was there. I just wish I knew where "there" was.

Simply put, the part of the Hattiesburg business world where I work has had no buzz, -- zip, nada -- on USM since SFT turned lame duck. Everybody is currently so giddy about the post-Katrina boom in sales that we do not seem to give a passing thought to the university.

There are certainly some local business people who admire SFT, but there are plenty who do not. I expect the majority of us have little or no strong opinion about him one way or the other.

BTW, one thing I have learned out here in the business world is that positive news sells. Hardly anyone wants to hear an in-depth analysis of anything. Forget fair and balanced; they do not want the pros and cons, the pluses and minuses. They want to hear that everything has been taken care of and the outlook is rosy. Then they can put whatever it was out of their thoughts and move on to something else. If Thames told somebody that SACS was over, they would applaud that without necessarily endorsing the man his own self.

Date: Oct 27, 2005

ram wrote:

BTW, one thing I have learned out here in the business world is that positive news sells. Hardly anyone wants to hear an in-depth analysis of anything. Forget fair and balanced; they do not want the pros and cons, the pluses and minuses. They want to hear that everything has been taken care of and the outlook is rosy. Then they can put whatever it was out of their thoughts and move on to something else. If Thames told somebody that SACS was over, they would applaud that without necessarily endorsing the man his own self.

Amen, Brother Ram.

Date: Oct 27, 2005

Forget fair and balanced; they do not want the pros and cons, the pluses and minuses. They want to hear that everything has been taken care of and the outlook is rosy

Better not tell Fox news.....they have laid claim to "fair and balanced"