Friday, March 4, 2011

The Cartel~

It is no secret that America's public education system is in deep kimchi and that billions and billions of dollars are being thrown at that problem every year.


Last night Americans For Prosperity Foundation sponsored a viewing of the movie The Cartel to a packed house in Springdale. The movie "shows us our educational system like we've never seen it before." 





We were privileged to also have Dr. Patrick Wolf , Professor and 21st Century Endowed Chair in School Choice from the University of Arkansas attend and share with us some of the information he has spent years compiling with regards to school choice.

Dr. Wolf shared these facts:

  • Since 1970, real spending on public education in the U.S. has more than doubled, yet student test scores on the NAEP over that same period have not improved
  • The U.S. spends the most per-pupil on public schooling among all of the countries of the world, yet we recently ranked only tied for 12th in reading, 17th in science, and a miserable 25th in math among 34 developed countries
  • Currently we spend an average of over $10,000 per public-school pupil across the U.S. and $9,112 in our otherwise low-cost state of Arkansas, yet only 7 of 10 students in our country and our state even graduate from high school
  • Over half of the freshmen who enroll at our state's flagship public university require remediation before taking serious college courses
  • Public charter schools receive an average of 40% less public funding than TPS but produce results that are as good or better
  • Private schools participating in school voucher programs receive an average of 50% less public funding than TPS and, like public charter schools, produce results that are as good and often better

This begs the question why does our public school system spend so much money to achieve such disappointing results?

Dr. Wolf says one possible explanation examined in this award-winning film is the cartel behavior of the national teachers unions

He added, "Although many public school teachers are dedicated to working hard to educate our children, the teachers unions that represent them are all too often the force that says "no" regarding such common-sense reforms such as performance pay, firing incompetent teachers, expanded learning days, and parental school choice."




We will be hosting viewings around the state over the next several months please visit http://www.americansforprosperity.org/arkansas to keep track of where we are.

Our next showing will be in Nashville, AR Tuesday March 8th~ go here for details 

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Bills You Just Won't Believe- It Ain't Pretty

For the love of everything good and holy! 
Do you have any idea some of the poppycock that is being filed on your time and money at our Capitol?


If I hadn't read it for myself I can say I surely would not~ 

Rep.Gary Smith's (D-Camden) has filed  HB1625  which completely prohibits Pee Wee sports practice if temp or heat index is over 85 degrees.  Doesn't that cut out about 7 months here in Arkansas.




And then there is the Hamburger Bill (SB408) filed by Senator Percy Malone (D-Arkadelphia) states that a restaurant that sells hamburger meat that has not been heated to at least 155° F for at least fifteen seconds place a disclaimer on their menu. There are more like these and even more absurd if you can imagine. 


I heard Rep Terry Rice (R- Waldron) say the other day something to the affect that if we keep passing these kinds of bills he is going to just go lay in his bed and hope that an airplane does not crash into in home and kill him. LOL.. I have to agree. Are we going to regulate or ban everything that someone has been injured or killed from. Drinking water, eating grapes, BREATHING~ 


How in the world do legislators plan on implementing and enforcing these laws? Want to know the repercussions of the sports law~ "If a coach violates this section, the parent of a child who is a member of the team is entitled to a full refund of all fees and costs associated with the registration of the child for the pee-wee athletic organization for that season." WHAT? Well that oughta stop it!


And the Hamburger law? There is no penalty described in the bill... ARGGGG 

This is a waste of tax payer time and money. There are now over 1541 bills that have been filed and more are streaming in everyday. These are laws and regulations that make decisions for your family and mine. Where we live, if we can open a business, food we can eat, for heaven sakes when our kids can practice sports!

It will take you and I both calling and being involved to get this type stuff stopped~ GET INFORMED AND ENGAGED~ 

Tax Cut Bills Causin a Rucus

For those of you that like a good ball game or inclined to like dramas you will not want to miss what is going on in the Arkansas Legislature right now.  The Arkansas House has passed 4 tax cutting bills (sponsored by House Republicans), the Senate has passed 3 (sponsored by Senate Republicans),  all 7 bills are sitting in the opposing house and tensions are building.


Today in the Senate Tax & Revenue Committee HB1369 (Back to School Tax Holiday Bill) failed. Rep Justin Harris tweeted that the Democrats on that committee were at the root of the failure. 

Rep Justin Harris~AR Dems on Rev and Tax voted down the Back to School Tax Holiday! Wow, the people will speak loudly in 2012! Not helping working families through tax cuts is a huge mistake!



On the 18th of February I posted   ~Tax Nazi Loses to Minority Majority~ pointing out that the Governor has made is quite clear the only tax cut he endorses this session is his Grocery Tax cut. His wishes may soon come to fruition, the political tensions are mounting. 




To spice things up a little Talk Business reported today that Rep Davy Carter will be adding to the mix: 
"It has long been a goal of House Revenue and Tax Committee chairman Rep. Davy Carter (R-Cabot) to systematically over a multi-year period restructure the rates on personal income taxes. Carter and Sen. Jonathan Dismang (R-Searcy) are filing a bill on Wednesday to shift those brackets" (read more...)


The next few weeks of the 88th General Assembly will prove to be very exciting, it would be the perfect time for the citizens of our fair state to contact and communicate with their elected officials. Let them know we are not interested in political shenanigans but in what is best for the families and business of Arkansas and that we expect them to take into account our input and to do their due diligence in determining what that is and vote accordingly 
 

Morning Roll Call~ News You Need to Know




Watch Arkansas Legislators now live 
here ->http://www.arkansashouse.org/event/16915




Redistricting Moves Fayetteville~


From Talk Business~ REDISTRICTING PLAN MEETS 3RD DISTRICT RESISTANCE 

The discussion about redistricting includes a plan that would place Fayetteville within the same Congressional District as Pine Bluff and Texarkana.
Seriously.
Gerrymandering, anyone?
And a few business leaders in Fort Smith, thinking 2020 might bring a fifth Congressional District to the state, aren’t sure if they want to lobby to keep Sebastian County in the 3rd District or push to move it to the 4th District.
This is not an early April Fools story. (Read more...)

 It's All About the Numbers 



From Arkansas Business~DFand A: February Revenue Up 18 Percent From Last Year, 15 Percent Above Forecast

The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration said Wednesday that Arkansas' February net available general revenue rose 18 percent above last year and 15 percent above forecast.
Click here (PDF) to download the complete report.





     FEED

Supreme Court: Westboro Baptist Church military funeral protests protected by 1st amendmenthttp://bit.ly/hddBlQ M: http://bit.ly/g1oSYf


RT @ARGOP: ICYMI: "Bill Filed to Require Financial Impact Report of Federal Healthcare Law" SB 709 by @ARSenIrvin http://ow.ly/46oh6#arleg #argop


Oil jumps above $100 per barrel: Oil prices have topped $100 per barrel as the New York Mercantile Exchange open... http://bit.ly/e1qwM6


8:46am via Web
So much for a tiger in your tank. UA researchers look to turn pond scum into fuel. http://bit.ly/eHQbIf



ArkBusiness8:44am via twitterfeed
Arkansas Senate Panel Looks at Sales Tax Holiday http://bit.ly/fi9UvO

#HB1479 http://ow.ly/46ptP law to allow handguns on Higher Ed Campuses will b heard in Education Comm. 2moro #ARLeg Get INFORMED & ENGAGED

Others things that may be heard in committee today~ The Sales Tax Holiday~ by Rep Shepherd HB1369 http://ow.ly/46pii #ARLeg



Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Roll Call~




NORTHWEST ARKANSAS~ If you fall into any of these categories: Parents, policymakers, education officials, reformers, intellectuals, teachers and taxpayers ~ You will not want to miss the FREE showing of "The Cartel" Thursday!

Given the chaos in WI & other states in our nation it is time for the masses to become informed & engaged~ Join us THURSDAY~ (for more info go to the eventbrite link or call 501-258-6353)

Register Here








Arkansas Prison Reform 


RobyBrock3:27pm via web
#ARLeg In the end, it looks like Gov. Beebe will get his man - or men, we should say. Full story.http://bit.ly/dZQCrE

From Talk Business~ FINAL PRISON BILL APPEASING PROSECUTORS' CONCERNS


In the end, it looks like Gov. Mike Beebe will get his man - or men, we should say.

After weeks of high-profile resistance from prosecutors regarding his prison reform bill,Beebe said in a press conference today that he was "cautiously optimistic" that prosecutors would endorse his bill.

And it appears they will.

Citing "active negotiations" between prosecutors and the Governor,  Henry Boyce, Prosecutor for the 3rd Judicial District and President of the Arkansas Prosecuting Attorneys Association (APAA), said that he expected his group to support the reform measure in the near future. (read more...)
 



What the Legislators are saying:



Nathan BellThe House just approved raises for employees already earning more than $130000 per year. I voted against these raises. If we can't afford raises for all state employees we shouldn't grant raises to our most highly paid employees.

Representative Ed Garner several increases in Budget appropriations were voted down on the House floor today. There is definitely a change in the Capitol. Appropriations now matter. Appropriations are line item authority to spend money. Funding determines whether or not spending increases. Funding of the Budget is accomplished by the Revenue Stabilization Act at the end of the session. What is being voted down... is even the possibility that spending could increase...by limiting the appropriation. This...is new.

DavidMeeks2:09pm via HootSuite

All the appropriation bills that are not an increase in spending have been batched and passed92-0.#Arleg

harris4staterep1:53pm via Facebook

Voted no to staff of the House pay increase! State Employees may not get one, why should they! It passed, I am surprised!


Rep Uvalde Lindsey Blog site~http://www.uvaldelindsey.com/?p=13

Senator Larry Teague Blod site~ http://teaguesenate.blogspot.com/

Rep Linda Tyler Blog site~ http://lindatyler.edelta.net/

Senator Steve Harrelson blog site~ http://www.underthedome.com/


More on Capital Gains~


This is an important bill for Arkansas families and Arkansas business, get the facts and contact the Senate Revenue and Tax committee members  ask them to grow jobs NOT government~  
Senators Lamoureux, Files, Sample and Williams have already committed to a YES vote.

Please contact Senators TeagueTaylorChesterfield and Bookout 



(subscription required to read entire articles from Ark Dem. Gazette)


Mike Masterson's (fully disclosure, also my husband) column today on the Capital Gains tax cut~  
Tax reform for Jobs
By Mike MastersonTuesday, March 1, 2011
 — Why should the average Arkansan give a hoot about something so seemingly mundane as eliminating a capital gains tax?
GOP Rep. Ed Garner of Maumelle is the sponsor of such a bill, House Bill 1002, which has 40 co-sponsors. It passed in the House 53-40 and is now in the Senate.
Since Garner is the expert, I asked him why this potential law matters to everyday Arkansans. He said that the average Arkansan in our state, which has one of the country’s lowest per-capita incomes, might mistakenly think that eliminating the capital gains tax won’t mean a whit to them.
“They’d be inclined to wrongly think that eliminating this tax on new businesses will help the rich get richer while the middle class and working poor struggle to make ends meet,” he said.
“Supporters say the bill will create jobs, while its opponents call it a windfall for the rich that will cause budget shortfalls, which the governor has targeted at higher education.”
But Garner said that those scare tactics aren’t true by any stretch.
“This is not the typical capital gains tax cut because HB 1002 would eliminate the capital gains tax on all ‘new’ business investments in Arkansas. There would be no reduction of the tax on existing holdings, no socalled imaginary windfall for the rich or ‘trickle-down’ debate.
“Instead, for taking the risk of establishing a new business investment in Arkansas, our state won’t tax any profits the founders earn on their investment if the business is sold a year or more later.”
Why do we need this reform?
“Because Arkansas has a 4.9 percent capital gains tax and all but one of our surrounding states either don’t have this tax or already have eliminated all or some form of their capital gains tax for in-state investments.”
Does this bill matter that much?
“Ask any corporate accountant deciding on where in the South to locate his company’s new facility, or headquarters. Better yet, ask some high-profile Arkansans who move their business they built here before selling it to avoid the tax. These folks stay gone and their investment and charitable dollars go right along with them. You bet it matters when we don’t stay competitive.”

Read entire story here 




Another story from the Ark Dem Gazette~ This article was published February 27, 2011

EDITORIALS Over the Ledge Tomorrow, pigs might fly
The House has passed a bill that would cut the state’s capital-gains tax on some property. In a state that could use every bit of capital it can get, this is good news. Now let’s let those who create jobs create even more of them. And not in surrounding states, but here at home. The governor calls this voodoo economics. So did George Herbert Walker Bush when he was running against Ronald Reagan for the Republican nomination in 1980. If faulty memory serves, Ronald Reagan’s tax policies weren’t exactly bad for the country’s economy. (Read more...)


The Wall Street Journal Pipes In~



The State Business Tax Revolt

Governors get a jump on corporate tax reform.

President Obama says he wants corporate tax reform but hasn't proposed how to do it. Maybe he should take a look at the states, where as many as 10 new Governors are moving ahead to reform and reduce business taxes. The motive is to attract more businesses and create more jobs, while avoiding the fate of California and New York.
Take Iowa, which has the highest state corporate rate at 12%. Add that to the federal rate of 35%, and the Tax Foundation says the Hawkeye State may have the highest levy in the developed world. Governor Terry Branstadback ... (read more...)

And then there is my post from Feb 23rd,  A Union that Get's It   that points to the 
National Taxpayers Union is a union I can believe in. Yesterday they sent an open letter to Senator Larry Teague ,(D-Nashville), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Revenue & Tax, and the members of that committee.





Monday, February 28, 2011

Roll Call~

Not my best work here but I thought there were some things you might want to know~It has been 4 days since I posted, coming off the Defending the American Dream Summit. We had right at 200 people attend when all was said and done. It was an event to be remembered, including but not limited to the tornado that abruptly ended the event.

Herman Cain was his usual amazing self. Suzi Parker from Politics Daily posted this story on Mr. Cain after her interview with him Thursday at the Summit (a must read) 

Herman Cain: A Long Shot in 2012, but That's Not Stopping Him


Some things going on you should know about:


TimesRecord12:30pm via HootSuite
Op/Ed: EDITORIAL — Let's clear the air on fluoride, support Arkansas legislative proposalhttp://ow.ly/44Pk6 #ARLeg #ARLedge #FtSmith


RobyBrockFeb 27, 10:15pm via web
Redrawing Cong. lines a likely partisan divide. The most politically partisan debate of #ARLeghasn't even started. http://bit.ly/heRGMp

RT @AFPArkansas: Sen. Rapert discusses the Taxpayer Protection Amendmenthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjUwMhYRWYs #AFPAR #AFPhq #ARLeg

#ARLeg A bill to watch on changing benefits to AR unemployment benefits. Part of effort to reduce future debt to feds. http://bit.ly/g7QmXJ




AP: Ark. House looks at tougher sex offender rules. #ARLeg http://apne.ws/g6CaAI


Rep. Garry Smith files HB1625 - limits Pee Wee sports practice during high temperatures -http://bit.ly/fbVM33 #ARLeg