I Picked the Wrong Week...

I felt like Lloyd Bridges in Airplane, "I picked the wrong week to stop drinking"... Red Bull...






My youngest daughter, Hannah, and I spent this past week pacing the halls of the state Capitol trying to keep a pulse on what is going on with all the tax increases, tax cuts and new government regulations. 


It started very late Monday night when news spread fast about Governor Beebe hoping to make Arkansas the Flagship for socialized healthcare by being the first state to fully implement Obamacare. (Read more...)


Which, among other reasons, is why Rep Ed Garner chose to not run HB1002, Captial Gains Tax Cut on Wednesday (will run next Wednesday), to allow the focus to be on Sen. Missy Irvin's bill SB 709, a bill that would have required  state agencies to document the expenses they incur to implement the federal health law. That committee meeting (IMHO) was a embarrassment to the system and to our state. (Read why...)


Thursday brought the "Internet Tax" bill that flew threw the Senate 26-7, meaning many thought-to-be conservatives voted YES to this tax increase. (Read more...)

But Friday was the clincher. I was truly feeling the depths of Mr. Bridges' sentiments as I scoured the Capitol for the nearest Red Bull vendor.


Yesterday morning bright and early the "Shale Tax" bill was heard in the House Insurance and Commerce Committee. (scratching my head) One might think that it would be heard by the House Revenue and Tax Committee. Oh wait the House Revenue and Tax Committee is majority Republican....


This meeting was the Coup de grace' of  back room politics. 


(this is a true parenthetical moment ...My brain just did a flash to Tony Soprano saying "I'm in the waste management business. Everybody immediately assumes you're mobbed up. It's a stereotype. And it's offensive... There is no Mafia.")  I'm not sure why that scene just popped into my head, let's continue.


The "Shale Tax" meeting was packed. The media reported 250 but I can tell you if there was one, there were 400. The word was spreading fast that Speaker Moore was considering not running the bill because he felt he did not have the votes, even in this stacked committee, to get a do pass; plus the size of the turn out (and I am not speaking of the number of people).


But he ultimately did and  it was quite the show. Don't take my word for it, watch it for your self here http://arkansas-house.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=393




I was slinging the Red Bull back one after the other around the time the House convened at 10 am, anxiously awaiting the floor vote on HB1902, another bill Speaker Moore supports, the "Diesel Tax" bill, that would raise the price of diesel fuel on Arkansans an additional .05/gal over the rest of the nation. (Read more...)


In case you haven't heard the diesel tax passed through the Arkansas house 67-24. Once again legislators Arkansans thought they could trust to protect us from additional taxation and government regulations voted to increase the cost of diesel fuel on us by .05/gal. 


Don't be fooled by any rhetoric you hear them justifying it about putting it to a vote of the people, Horse Feathers!, we sent them there with a CLEAR message in November, NO MORE TAXES.




Not only that but with that vote the said yes to spending millions of tax payer dollars to do it. See the powers that be recognize you can't let a good crisis go to waste, when thousands of Arkansans are dying everyday because of lack of good roads and safe bridges. We must implement this tax NOW by holding a SPECIAL ELECTION, which will cost more than 1million tax payer dollars (some estimates I have gotten over the last 24 hours say $2million) EACH time.


I say each time because unbeknownst, evidently, to several who voted for this tax increase, the language in the bill provides that the Governor can run "subsequent" elections if the proposition fails as many times as it takes to pass and as often as every six months (page 10 staring line 7 http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2011/2011R/Bills/HB1902.pdf)


We also know that there will be an "education" campaign from our illustrious protectors, to ensure that every Arkansan knows the urgency that is before us with regards to our roads.


Watch the House vote here~http://arkansas-house.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=394


Friends, I know you are busy, tired and perhaps feel unable to make a difference. But that is simply not true. If not for the people who have engaged in the past two years all of this stuff would have already been implemented with not a single hiccup. We have been able to shine the light on what has been going on now for decades right under our noses, and we ARE MAKING a difference.


Regardless of what you have been told the government is still run of, by and for the people. The people just need assert their power by the means afforded us in our system, IT WORKS! We just need to work it.


What you can do~

1. Spread this information FAR AND WIDE, make sure those in your spheres of influence    know what is going on, it affects their families too.
2. Find out who your elected officials are and COMMUNICATE with them. Let them know you willing to do the work it takes to come alongside them so they CAN represent YOU according to your beliefs and values
3. Read and investigate. What episode of Glee is more important than the future of your children and the families in our communities.
4. Ask questions. Tons of questions
5. GET INFORMED AND ENGAGED~

If you need help and want a little more direction, call me 501-258-6353, the more people we have seriously involved the faster we get our state on the right track and the more we secure the futures of the next generation.

Locomotive Speeds Through Arkansas Capitol

WOW! Did anyone else out here notice that locomotive that roared full-bore through the Senate Public Health Committee  today, as SB709 was set for a visit?

As the engineer (Chairman), Senator Percy Malone, grabbed for the whistle to get the train movin,’ people filed in like slabs of beef in a refrigerator car until there wasn’t an inch of space to spare.

It was quite evident from the strike of the gavel that Chairman Malone was going to ensure a fair and balanced debate this morning…NOT (This means I’m kidding).

The meeting hadn’t gotten a full head of steam when Malone suggested time limits for each side. If he’d had it his way, it was evident to me the committee would’ve passed this stop all together. The meeting began at 10 a.m. and was over just shy of 11, with more than a dozen folks slated to speak. So much for open and reasonable debate in conducting the people’s bidness.

I’ll not belabor the blow-by-blow. However two people I spoke with after the meeting, who had traveled from out of state just to testify for this particular bill, were shocked at the way things went.

Christie Herrera, Director Health and Human Services Task Force at the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), and John Nothdurft, Director of Government Relations for the Heartland Institute both travel extensively to testify before legislative bodies all over the country. They shared with me that, in their experience, neither had felt so “railroaded” before. They each recognized quickly that the committee meeting was nothing more than a formality to a predestined end, regardless of what expertise they each brought to the table. In other words, my friends, the thing had been all planned out beforehand.

It was no surprise that the Attorney General’s office showed to testify against the bill, as did a few other government agencies, to which one observer said and was later tweeted by @AFPArkansas: “What happened today was as follows: the gov’t lobbying the gov't for more gov't.” No truer synopsis of the day.

The end of the tracks for SB709 was a split vote 4-4 straight down party lines.

The bug slinger here was Senator David Burnett (D-Osceola) who,  up until today’s steamrolling, was considered relatively conservative. He ran last November unopposed, I somehow doubt that happens again.

I’m sure the fact that this is Governor Beebe’s pet project had nothing to do with the speed at which engineer Malone ran his locomotive through today’s session. But as with all speeding trains at some point there is a stop. And it can be ugly to watch.

That’s when passengers that have been riding along for long time without feeling appreciated or respected can become quite disgruntled. That usually means they search for find a new carrier who will listen to them and give a whistle about meeting their needs and concerns.

My hope and prayer is that this happens well before this high velocity engine jumps the tracks, leaving untold numbers of Arkansans among the carnage and wreckage. 

As a side note here is a statement released today on this issue from our Lt. Governor Mark Darr:

"I appreciate Senator Missy Irvin’s efforts today to help bring to light the cost of implementing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).  Senate Bill 709, would have provided to the legislature as well as Arkansans the total cost of this act to our state, how many individuals will directly be affected and the consequences of not implementing it. As a candidate I traveled the state talking about the importance of government transparency and spoke openly against government mandated healthcare. Senator Irvin’s bill would have simply provided the accountability and transparency citizens demand from our Government. We all have the right to better understand how PPACA is going to affect each and every one of us. I applaud the four Senators who voted for this bill in committee as well as the many citizens who lined the hallways, placed calls and emails in support of this bill.”

Other articles you may want to read on the issue:

http://tolbertreport.com/2011/03/09/sen-irvins-senate-committee-showdown/

http://talkbusiness.net/article/ALL-EYES-TURN-TO-FEDERAL-HEALTH-CARE-AGAIN-UPDATED-/1600/

http://www.curtiscolemaninstitute.com/blog1/?p=1585

PAGING SENATOR DAVID JOHNSON~WHERE ARE YOU?

(This was originally posted to the American Majority Blog page)

Kudos to Senator David Johnson (D, Little Rock) who received ZERO dollars in per diem, mileage and expense money for 2010, according to an admirable enterprise story by Michael Wickline in Sunday’s Arkansas Democrat Gazette. Going back to 2009, during a regular session as is 2011’s session, Mr. Johnson received only $1081.

I recognize Mr. Johnson is at an advantage over the majority of Arkansas legislators because he lives in Little Rock. Yet so does Senator Joyce Elliott who in 2010 received $25,979 in expenses along with Representatives Greenberg ($31,826), Allen ($31,332), Webb ($29,754), Adcock($28,2 00), D. Williams ($27,976), J. Edwards ($26,500) and A. Kerr($24,600). These 8 legislators alone were reimbursed tens of thousands of dollars, all in addition to their regular salaries of $15,869.

The closest example to Mr. Johnson’s fiscal restraint in 2009 was Representative James Word, (D-Pine Bluff) who received $24,600. And the totals soar from there, reaching a maximum collected of $60,092 by Senator Jimmy Jeffress (D,Crossett, appoximately 150 miles from the Capitol)…YES~I just wrote 60 thousand dollars in expenses reimbursements. This year, Sen. Jeffress cut back a bit after receiving some backlash over his steep expenses during 2009, and only collected $52,427.

We should give Rep. Nate Steel recognition, too, because in 2010 he only received $3,833, and he lives in Nashville, which is some 150 miles from the Capitol. Third runner-up for most fiscally responsible legislator is Rep. Steve Cole (D-Lockesburg) who rang in at $13,647 for 2010 (much less than his figure in 2009 of $35,468). Lockesburg is also right around 150 miles from the capitol.

Wonder why there is such a HUGE discrepancy in the amount of money reimbursed for basically the same travel? I understand that different legislators are on different committees and have different responsibilities but a $60,000.00 annual difference is a pretty big difference…

Wickline’s article points out that the first time an Arkansas legislator collected more than $50,000 in a single year was in 2007. Since then: In 2008 four lawmakers collected in excess of $50 thousand and in 2009 a whopping TWENTY legislators joined the crowd. The word obviously got around.

Those in the Top 20 during 2009 and what they collected from taxpayers for expenses (again, not including their salaries)

Sen. Jimmy Jeffress, D-Crossett $60,092
Rep. Bill Abernathy, D-Mena $56,592
Rep. Ray Kidd, D-Jonesboro $56,366
Rep. Mark Martin, R-Prairie Grove $56,290
Rep. Eddie Cooper, D-Melbourne $54,892
Rep. Buddy Lovell, D-Marked Tree $53,998
Sen. Gene Jeffress, D-Louann $53,949
Rep. Billy Gaskill, D-Paragould $53,524
Rep. Mike Patterson, D-Piggott $52,588
Rep. Monty Davenport, D-Yellville $52,047
Rep. Jon Woods, R-Springdale $51,949
Rep. Gregg Reep, D-Warren $51,898
Rep. Tommy Baker, D-Osceola $51,641
Rep. Curren Everett, D-Salem $51,492
Rep. George Overbey, D-Lamar $51,452
Rep. Nathan George, D-Dardanelle $50,860
Rep. Robert Moore, D-Arkansas City $50,603
Sen. Kim Hendren, R-Gravette $50,522
Sen. Steve Bryles, D-Blytheville $50,442
Rep. Allen Maxwell, D-Monticello $50,087

And then there were 8 lawmakers collecting over 50 thousand dollars in 2010:

Sen Laverty, D-Jasper $59,745
Rep. Kidd, D-Jonesboro $54,064
Sen. J Jeffress, D-Crossett $52,427
Rep. T. Baker, D-Osceola $52,199
Rep. Gaskill, D- Paragould $52,100
Rep. Patterson, D-Piggott $51,814
Rep. Woods, R- Springdale $51,467
Rep. Davenport, D-Yellville $51,186

Senator Laverty was the only one of the 2010 big expense collectors not to also reach the $50K mark in 2009, although he was just shy at $43,966.
These numbers are stunning to me, especially since I spent 2010 continuously traveling Arkansas from corner to corner and back again. Kerry Baldwin and I held 41 trainings, over a dozen events and a handful of speaking engagements from Texarkana to Mt. Home to Jonesboro and over to Fort Smith.

I traveled over 100 days and sometimes hit four cities encompassing 400 miles over a two-day period and never submitted a travel reimbursement voucher for more than $1000 in any single month.

It’s my understanding that legislators who live within 50 miles of the Capitol receive a flat fee” per diem of somewhere between $2,000 to $2,200, never having to even fill out an expense report. Those living more than 50 miles away receive $.51 per mile, round trip, and $149 a day per diem, with no expense report required.

As a business owner, I can’t turn those kinds of records into the IRS. Could you? I mean, can we talk some common sense here? And as a person who works for an organization that reimburses my proven travel expenses, I have to turn in a detailed expense report every two weeks with receipts attached. That’s if I expect to receive reimbursement. So someone tell me why should our public servants be any different?

Today (Jan 31, 2011), and not a moment too soon, Arkansas legislators introduced SB194. A bipartisan “Ethics Bill”. Please read this bill (it’s only 2 pages) and let me know if you think this will alleviate the obvious problem of paid officials continually soaking the taxpayers?

In 2010 $4.7 million was paid to 135 part-time legislators, most of whom have other vocations outside of their public service. I don’t think there’s a constituent in our state that would expect or want our law makers to absorb personal costs for officially tending to the affairs of our State. Yet I believe – and am convinced- that the sizes of these “expense” numbers as reported by Mr. Wickline are questionable.

I’d also encourage each of you to contact legislators in your area and make a habit of regularly submitting FOIA requests for their expense records. Show them you care and are watching our business as closely as any newspaper reporter. Itemized accountability has a way of curbing anyone’s desire to “inflate” numbers in the private or public sector.

Has Arkansas Been "Kucinich'd"?

Want to talk about ethics reform?  How about insisting that our lawmakers adhere to the laws already in place and stop using power inappropriately?  Talk about a bunch of wheeling and dealing. What I witnessed today in the House Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee would have made even the toughest bookie in Chicago blush. From my vantage point it  dishonored our state, those who serve and those who vote. It was very similar to what Sen. Blanche Lincoln pulled on the people of Arkansas with her famous cloture vote for the federal healthcare law, which is why we are even discussing SB113 in the first place!

As I talked about  yesterday SB113 was presented to that committee this morning. Rep. Wardlaw (D-Warren), a man who took an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of Arkansas, successfully added (11-8 ~Roll Call below) a “hostile” amendment, called a “poison pill” by Rep. Barry Hyde (D, N.LittleRock). The amendment added the language "in cases of rape, incest or severe conditions" to SB113, which clearly conflicts with Amendment 68 in our State Constitution.  This move by Rep. Wardlaw thwarts the law and will of the people of Arkansas.

I know I know but George Bush did it, this has happened before—and certain those I agree with politically have probably taken part in this type of shenanigan previously—but it should not be tolerated, it is outrageous and smacks of back-room deals that rival anything every seen by the likes of Rod  Blagojevich.

Several legislators such as Rep. Mayberry (R, Hensley) and Rep. Lea (R, Russellville) made the point that voting on the bill with the amendment would make the entire bill unconstitutional. For that reason the bill was tabled. Umm, isolated incident I'm sure.

The members of that committee need to hear from you. In my opinion the blatant disregard for our Constitution and the voters of Arkansas by offering an amendment that clearly circumvents the law, is just plain wrong.  Is this not one of the major issues voters have been infuriated over: lawmakers not abiding by the law, trampling on our Constitution and overthrowing the will of the people?

The Arkansas State Legislature is not Burger King where you can “have it your way.” Our legislators are supposed to follow the rule of law. There are deep currents running underneath our Capitol, for power and control, that if not stopped will cause our system of government to fail.

Regardless of where you stand on the issue of SB113, the fact that legislators would “play games” so that bills are not voted on based upon their own merits violates, in my opinion, the very system we treasure and is symptomatic of the challenges that face our governments on every level. 

Some interesting asides:

• Arkansas Insurance Commissioner, Jay Bradford (also a former State Senator) who is appointed by Governor Beebe, showed up unexpectantly to testified to the findings of an informal survey. The data of which is completely immaterial to the bill. LOL wonder if he knew that?

• Rep. Jeff Wardlaw must be a legislative wonder, being a freshman and already so versed in the infamous “poisonous pill kill”. 

• Rep Gary Smith and Rep. Sheilla Lampkin were both co-sponsor on the bill. Late last night Rep. Lampkin requested to be removed. She and Smith both voted for the hostile amendment today. They certainly did not realize that would kill the bill?

• Representatives Wardlaw and Lampkin were the only two Democrats that voted in favor of Rep. David Meeks’ healthcare bill, I was told that something resembling Dennis Kucinich’s Air Force One ride took place for the pair shortly after. Could their actions today have been an amends(ment) for that vote? 

HOUSE PUBLIC HEALTH, WELFARE AND LABOR COMMITTEE


Rep. Linda S. Tyler, Chair


Members who voted FOR Hostile "Poison Pill" Amendment 
Rep. Fred Allen 

Rep. Clark Hall 
Rep. Jeff Wardlaw 
Rep. Sheilla Lampkin 
Rep. Buddy Lovell 
Rep. Garry Smith 
Rep. Mark Perry 
Rep. Greg Leding 
Rep. Tracy Pennartz 
Rep. Charolette Wagner 
Rep. James Word

Members who voted NO on Amendment
Rep. Billy W. Gaskill      
Rep. Butch Wilkins          
Rep. Barry Hyde           
Rep. Andrea Lea             
Rep. Stephanie Malone     
Rep. Andy Mayberry  
Rep. Jon Woods  
Rep. Bryan B. King

Morning Roll Call~ News You Need to Know

News is beginning to gear up here in the Natural State, I hope that this news reel is helpful.

I would like to ask for your help in making it as Arkansas specific as possible by informing me of any stories that have to do with government transparency, fiscal issues, or over reaching. Hopefully we will build over the next several months a network of citizens across this state that are contributing to let others know what is happening to Arkansans everywhere.

If you know additional sources that regularly post on Arkansas issues please let me know.

Be sure and check out the twitter feeds at the bottom and I strongly encourage you to jump on board the social media train... don't be afraid, if they want to find you they already have everything they need to know, lol.


Fayetteville getting “Greener”

Let me clear, I truly believe we need to be good stewards of our environment. I believe littering and polluting is wrong. I am a proponent of recycling, composting and making efforts to live in harmony with our environment. I am strictly against gads of government intervention and programs that do more harm than good, spending enormous amounts of money, and shackling Americans with tremendous regulation.

Fayetteville is on the forefront of continually circumventing the circle of life.  Leaders here constantly orchestrate and employ, at the cost of the tax payer, programs to lead their subjects in the direction they wish us to go.

They are currently in the process of employing a streamside protection ordinance. If you do not know what that is I encourage you to read this fact sheet put out by the University of Arkansas Public Policy Center (this is a wonderful source for information)

This proposed regulation will affect citizen property rights, restrict property owners of activities on their own land, eminent domain seizures, increased tax burden and other financial liabilities.

There is a meeting tomorrow, Thursday, January 6^th at 1pm at the Washington County Farm Bureau office, located at 1165 N. Meadowland Drive (just off Wedington, just west of 540), I hope to see you there~

Fish, Birds,…now Hogs…?

 

The Hogs were just 18 yards from winning after an AMAZING blocked punt with less than a minute to go in last night Sugar Bowl. But two plays later, an incomplete pass and the epic interception that is to scar Ryan Mallett’s record for ever, sealed the fate of our beloved Razorbacks. The game ended with The Ohio State winning 31-26… arggggg.

As far as the fish and the birds dying all over the state, seems that Arkansas is not the only one. I ran across a story from KAIT reporting that in Labarre, La some 500 birds peppered over a quarter-mile in their community.

Mike, my husband, was telling me that there were several stories around the nation of dead fish and birds in the past few weeks, has this happened before? Or is this something new?

Tons of speculation is swirling in our close knit state from fireworks, to sonic booms, H1N1, upper atmosphere hail to chemical warfare (?) Governor Beebe made an astute and comforting comment on Tuesday proclaiming “I never seen anything like it. It's weird," …

Well this may well turn out like that funky smell that hit New York City many months ago, we will just never know.

To Seat or Not to Seat?

That is the question that will be before our Arkansas House of Representatives on Thursday. Progressive Arkansas, a state blog, informed us that “it is possible that the House will also deal with whether to seat Rep.-elect Leslee Milam Post (D-Ozark).”

You may recall that on December 30^th on Morning Roll Call there was a question of residency requirements and Mr. Smith had been charged with theft of property of nearly $30,000.00 of taxpayer money.

Here’s what else Progressive Arkansas says they learned from an undisclosed source:

The House will meet in the House chamber at 1:30 pm on Thursday "to consider what action the Members deem appropriate on the matter of Fred Smith and any other matters relating to the seating of a member based on 'qualifications, returns and elections,'" according to a House e-mail.

A House source tells us that "any other matters relating to the seating of a member" may refer to Post. She has been implicated, though not proven guilty, in the illegal obtaining of private documents relating to her former opponent, Tom Fite (R-Alma), who was disqualified for election due to a conviction for Medicare fraud.

This story is developing. We will post updates as new stories on the website, not as edits of this article.

This should be an interesting Arkansas saga to follow…


UPDATE~

http://www.progressivearkansas.com/content/breaking-arkansas-house-will-meet-thursday-determine-smiths-fate

LAST ONE FOR TODAY~

Arkansas Inmates Get/Make a Break

There’s a new blog in town, IndependentArkansas.com, and they have an interesting story concerning our prison system. Evidently “the state’s prison population has doubled in the past 20 years, and costs are rising even faster – from $45 million then to $349 million today. That will only get bigger as the state adds more than 100 people to the prison system each month.”

There has been a “Working Group” established to take a look at the problem and offer recommendations which then our legislators will take a look at and determine which route to take.

In their post, IndependentArkansas.com has an interview on YouTube of Governor Beebe’s statement, it goes like this:

“This is (pause) … People want honesty? People want transparency? People want their government not to lie to them? … This is the honest, laydown truth. You can like it or you can not like it, but it’s the truth. If you don’t like these solutions, you’d better have different ones because if you don’t, someone’s going to have one for you. I’m not taking any money away from education to pay for this prison stuff. I’m not kicking anybody out of a nursing home with my vote to pay for this stuff. All this rhetoric, well we’ve got fraud and abuse and we can save money. You bet. If you show it to me, we’ll save it. You find me some fraud, let’s arrest them. You want to save $100 million with abuse, show it to me where it is, let’s take it and put it wherever it needs to be. But let’s be honest and be specific.”

You know what?... I TOTALLY AGREE WITH THE GOVERNOR!! This government~ Of, By and For the People, can be really painstaking effort, and WE need to take it. And Gov. Beebe is right on the mark when he says “You can like it or you can not like it, but it’s the truth. If you don’t like these solutions, you’d better have different ones because if you don’t, someone’s going to have one for you.”

Isn’t this what WE THE PEOPLE say we want, for our legislators and leaders to listen to us? Well then we need to start talking.

That also requires us to know what the heck is going on, which would require us to take the time to pick a subject, a legislative body, a level of government from the state down and become involved.

Friends we can rally in the streets all day long, protest till our faces turn blue and we pass out, but the ONLY thing that is going to change what is going on in our government is it’s people, and that is YOU and I.

Please consider to resolve this year to help by becoming more informed, engaged and empowered. If you need ideas on how to do that please contact me and I will help by giving you several options.

 

         FEED

@ArkansasOnline

Blytheville aircraft firm announces new jobs: A Blytheville-based aircraft repair and maintenance firm formally ... http://bit.ly/ewUTIh

Dozens of birds found dead in Sweden: Officials say about 50 birds have been found dead on a street in Sweden. http://bit.ly/g1MPF8

Multifaceted fowl: If you’re hoping to stretch your grocery dollars in the new year, look to foods that can pull... http://bit.ly/ft5nK6

@KATVNews

3 police officers charged in LR armored car caperhttp://bit.ly/fat46G

Mallett's INT ends otherwise spectacular seasonhttp://bit.ly/hh0VEj

@Region8News

AR editors to hear from governor, legislatorshttp://bit.ly/eEBM2R

Some looting of storm victims' homeshttp://bit.ly/gqC9Jt

@RobyBrock

Aviation Repair Technologies expanding in Blytheville. $10M, 300 new jobs.

Pryor says sacred cow programs (Medicare and Soc. Sec.) must be re-examined to control fed. budget.http://bit.ly/hTLpDu

Metro unemployment conditions worsening by and large in Ark. http://bit.ly/gDafSj

So, Politics is just not your thing? ~ Part One

Growing up in the 80’s one of the mantra’s I’ve heard most of my life is:“Don’t discuss politics and religion.” in polite company.

(As an aside I found this “starter piece” on The Etiquette of Talking Politics, I don’t agree fully but she makes some excellent points, especially for newbies)

I always wondered why that was especially since those pretty much define the belief system of every living person on this spinning planet. Even if a person is an atheist and apolitical, those beliefs still define what they do and how they engage in everyday life. So in effect, what we have done is perpetuate the ignorance of millions of Americans, justifying why they don’t need to be informed and engaged citizens, in the name of politeness or more accurately political correctness.

Politics

Politics defined is the science and art of running a government. Most
of us, however, tend to think of politics as people who are
opportunistic or scheming. It is my belief that this is why most
Folks want nothing to do with it, perhaps for fear of being tarnished. So
why bother? Especially given today’s climate of partisanship and
vitriol, who needs the additional stress?

Well, I would contend that, by default, each and every one of us is

political by our very existence. Our homes are political, our jobs,
our churches even our friendships are political.
Think not? If you are married and you want to purchase something that perhaps your spouse wouldn’t be overly elated about do you think of how to frame the item so it seems more appealing? Have ever embellished a story to impress another? Ever told a friend that you were doing something else because you didn’t want to hurt their feelings? The examples of politics in everyday life are endless.

So why is it when it comes to what affects our lives on a daily
basis - with regard to the laws that regulate our lives and those of our children - do we shy away? It’s been said that people may think they can ignore politics, but politics will not ignore you. Taxes and regulations invade our lives whether we vote or not.

The laws that govern our cities, state and nation dictate things as
simple as where we live, what and where we drive, where our
children go to school, what they learn in school. Our churches are restricted by what they can say. There are laws awaiting approval as I type this that will determine what we eat, how much gas we can use, how much rain run-off we can have and even the size of our lawn mowers and even the types of light bulbs we use.

I’ve also heard it said that no answer is an answer in itself. I guess this is the stance of those who choose not to get involved in politics.

If this is your choice, my question is why? Do you not care about the future of your children (an ADOST (attention deficit Oh Shiney Thing) moment~ little Whitney just for fun), your community your faith? As you “stand idly by” and allow laws and regulations to be passed without your input? After all, your life is being altered and you are choosing to be a victim through your chosen inaction.

So if you are a political junkie like me, a teacher in the Bronx or just ahousewife in Minnesota you are needed by your community to get informed and engaged. I’ll repeat from posts of yonder days: If not you, who? If not now, when?

Who's Watching the Store?

While city officials in Fayetteville, Arkansas are constantly striving to
“Keep Fayetteville Funky”, I believe they are keeping it more flunky than funky.
In recent months our officials have revamped Block Street, the connector street between the historic square and the entertainment district along Dickson Street with back-in, angled parking spots (no, seriously), odd, jutting concrete islands and a maze of other fun and sundry driving obstacles only to discover mid-project that there might be a serious issue with the clearance of some emergency vehicles.

So now they go back to the drawing board to “re-revamp” the street project.
Even with remarkable Googling skills I have yet to locate a finite
number of what this has - and will - cost we the taxpayers.

Then we turn to the dreaded paid parking issue in the entertainment district. The powers that be decided in their wisdom to install parking kiosks downtown to increase city revenues. Or, in the words of Alderman Matthew Petty who
represents Ward 2, “We need to do this; it’s the only way to keep Dickson Street growing.” Oh really?? Take an already tax laden community and further tax the down time where folks go to relax.

However, many residents of the majestic town have said “Good bye Dickson Street” because they don’t feel it is worth the extra money and hassle to deal with these new parking restrictions, especially when there are so many other choices with free parking.

In an effort to raise revenues, the City Fathers have actually helped curb potential commerce for local business owners, in effect lowering tax revenues. They have spent taxpayer money implementing a plan to take more of that money from said taxpayers. Then, as a kicker, a few days ago we learn Fayettevillians will be hit yet again with an additional $15,000 in repair bills to the parking machines from vandalism in the initial weeks. Arggggg!


It is important to note before we proceed that Fayetteville is
running in a budget deficit situation of an estimated $1.2 million in the General Fund. In light of that Mayor Jordan and his crew developed a plan “to reduce target expenditures, freeze wages, forego the
replacement of certain open positions, and extend the replacement plan
for General Fund vehicles,” all of which I applaud. But to re-revamp a road that actually did not need revamping in the first place then further tax citizens with the hassle of parking fees so that potential customers may head elsewhere with free parking and easy access doesn’t seem like good city planning to me.

Now the Coup de grace; the $93 million high school I continue to shudder over. That’s NINTY THREE MILLION DOLLARS! The rapidly growing Springdale School District is seeking less than $70 million to build a new junior high and a middle school holding 2,000 students, new athletic fields and stadium for Har-ber High School and refurbish the existing Springdale High School stadium. The interesting fact of this matter is not only has Fayetteville school not grown, but according to a former school board member, the population at FHS continues to dwindle.

Now I understand the city management does not make decisions for the school district, which might even play more into one of my points, that the
right hand and the left hand of the public’s business never know what the other is doing.

Beware friends. Government on every level is spending and taxing to the point of non-recognition, in my opinion, to get all they can before
the heavy hand of the federal government comes down and lands a mighty and crippling final blow to families across the nation.

Has anyone else noticed how many unemployed there are in our corner of the state? How many foreclosures are published in the paper each day? How many empty storefronts have appeared?

So one little town (less than 70 thousand residents) in one little state is spending millions of dollars on superfluous stuff and we just keep going along living our clearly unsustainable “Life of Riley.”