Morning Roll Call~ News You Need to Know

Tomorrow is the Defending the American Dream Summit in Little Rock~join America’s foremost free-market voices, top experts on grassroots mobilization, and Arkansas’ grassroots leaders from across the state in a massive show of force for our shared belief in lower taxes and more limited government. 

Register at www.ardream.org

A Union that Get's It

There is gallons of brouhaha brewin over tax cuts here in our not so fair (tax) state. A pint of tax cuts have passed though the Arkansas House and Senate. Four tax cut measures have passed the House (HB1002, HB1052, HB1056 & HB1369) and three the Senate (SB274, SB275, & HB276). 

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 who will be hearing  HB1002, the Capital Gains Tax Cut probably some time next week.

 You can read the entire letter here. The correspondence points out the fact that  Arkansas’ state and local tax burden as a percentage of state income is the 14^th highest in the nation and higher than any of its neighbors. And Arkansas’ business tax climate ranks only 40^th out of 50" . We share borders with a state without an income tax (Texas) and a state without a broad-based wage tax (Tennessee). 

 It goes on to explain,  "HB 1002 would significantly strengthen Arkansas’ tax competitiveness. By eliminating the tax on capital gains generated by property and new investments in the state"  enhancing  business activity and employment opportunities. 


These are important fact that the MSM seems to be negating in their coverage, just like the letter I posted from Rep. Ed Garner yesterday. 


I encourage you to contact the members of this committee and express to them respectfully your desire for Arkansas to be competitive in business and help alleviate some of the tax pressures on those that provide jobs and the families of our state. 


FACT MATTER~ GET INFORMED AND ENGAGED




TODAY AT THE CAPITOL


Watch Live HERE ----> www.arkansashouse.org
Today's Calendar --> http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2011/2011R/Pages/Home.aspx

     

      FEED

DavidMeeks9:17am via TweetDeck

RT @AFPArkansas 2nd Annual Defending the Dream Summit - Tomorrow! http://bit.ly/eDiD9q #AFPAR #AFPhq

RobyBrock8:52am via Web

#ARLeg Proposed const. amendments ready for airing today. http://bit.ly/gNvZ4z

RobyBrock7:59am via Web

ICYMI US Rep. Steve Womack says 2 crucial Cong. votes nearing + addresses fed gov't shutdown. http://bit.ly/hlrdXI

DavyCarterFeb 22, 6:49pm via Twitter for iPhone

Question: What services were "cut" when the executive branch introduced its budget with the grocery tax reduction?

ArkansasBuzz9:23am via twitterfeed

Jim Gaston Named Business Executive of the Year http://bit.ly/eyd1ci

todaysthv9:12am via TweetDeck

#ARleg panel takes another look at bill that cuts state benefits to illegal immigrantshttp://bit.ly/ffnc48 M: http://bit.ly/gk5grL

EduAlliance8:45am via web

HOMESCHOOLING: Prosecution is waged abroad, while troubling trends abound in UShttp://tinyurl.com/4p6r7zd #ARLeg#homeschool

AFPArkansasFeb 22, 9:17pm via Twitter for iPhone

Union supporters at the state capitol. #ARLeghttp://yfrog.com/h2od5nnj

Chain Reactions~ Protest Across the Nation

Protest are flaring up across the nation by unions fearing their shtick is up. For decades now they have cost working taxpayers throughout the nation millions of dollars annually and driven state budgets well beyond responsible spending levels.

For nearly a week now teachers belonging to powerful teachers unions in Wisconsin have ignored their duties as educators and filled the Capitol building in Madison. Today one of the major teachers' unions has called on members to start returning to work but keep fighting a proposed rollback of union protections for public employees.

This has sent ripple effects across the nation. A news story this morning from 4029 TV reported that "Hundreds of state employees are expected at the Oklahoma Capitol on Monday to urge lawmakers to retain their pension benefits and implement a total compensation package that would include better salaries."

In Indiana "thousands of union supporters that packed the Statehouse this morning and spilled out onto Downtown sidewalks hoped their show of solidarity would be enough to dilute legislative support of a proposed right to work bill" according to the IndyStar.com

West Virginia state employees plan a rally at the Capitol on Monday to call for pay raises, improved benefits and better working conditions. (Read more...)

Ohio union workers are calling for their Governor to be fired the Sandusky Register reports "Lending support to the public employees were local leaders, politicians and private-sector union workers who held signs describing the Senate bill as a "thief" in disguise and calling for Republican Gov. John Kasich to be fired."

And as I wrote yesterday (Arkansas Unions Perk Up), here in Arkansas the AFL-CIO is calling for a protest on Tuesday at our state Capitol in Little Rock. 

I found this wonderful info graphic below by American Majority Action and an amazing website I referenced yesterday, http://www.unionfacts.com/ that might shed some light at to what is really going on. FACTS MATTER.

I hope you will join us on Thursday in Little Rock for the Defending the American Dream Summit  as hundreds of Arkansans gather to say NO to overspending, overreaching government and yes to ideas like those purposed by Gov. Walker to get our state budget in order. You are needed!