The Special Task Force for Economic Development Planning developed a long-term strategy to revitalize Mississippi's economy and help it become globally competitive. Input was gathered through regional conferences attended by more than 500 business and community leaders, a survey of approximately 8,000 Mississippi employers, and focus group meetings with citizens in three locations in the state. The goal of the plan is to create a society that supports a rising standard of living for all Mississippi citizens. The report and its recommendations center around commitments that will create competitive people, competitive businesses, and competitive communities. The task force found that there is a profound mismatch in Mississippi today between the increasing skill requirements of jobs and the decreasing skill levels of future workers. As a result, Mississippi needs to make a commitment to its people and to lifelong learning, and its citizens need to make a commitment to pursue education and skill development throughout life. Because the task force found that the most successful job creators in the state during the 1980s were small businesses, it recommended that the state help existing Mississippi-based businesses to become world-class competitors and encourage other citizens to create their own businesses. The state should also support community-based economic development. The task force recommendations address the steps needed to be taken now to create a rising standard of living for all citizens; they require a fundamental rethinking of the role each part of society has to play in economic development. (KC)