Morning Roll Call~ News You Need to Know

The last few days my Morning Roll Call has turned into the Afternoon Roll Call because of all the activities in Little Rock. Yesterday the swearing in of the House and Senate, today all of our Constitutional Officers were sworn in along with Governor Beebe. The Governor also gave a state of the State Address which I will post thoughts on later today.

The 88th General Assembly of Arkansas is under way! I hope many of you will join in and become engaged.

But for now here are just a few items for you to chew on.

Do You Know Who Represents You?

It is imperative if we are going to “keep them accountable” we know who “they” are. 

I have made a list of all those who govern over me and my family. I started with school board all the way up to my U.S Senators.

The state has resources to allow citizens to know what’s going on at the capitol. On the Arkansas Senate and the Arkansas House  websites there are myriad tools at your finger tips. For instance this map allows you to find out who your Arkansas representatives are, your U.S Congressman and even your school district.  You can follow the bills and the roll call votes of each legislator.

Most school boards, city councils and quorum courts have websites too. If your particular area doesn’t have one see if you can encourage them to do so.

You also might want to strongly consider signing up on Twitter. It looks and sounds a lot more intimidating than it is in reality.

The marvelous thing about twitter is you have a pulse on everything and everyone that is active in the state.  Below will be a list of people and hashtags you should follow.

One last thing, Roby Bock with BusinessTalk.net posted this morning a top ten list of legislators to watch, and some others that will have influence over the session. Well worth your read.

Malfeasance in Office

Mike, my husband, in his column today, Big lawsuit in little Elkins pointed out a very interesting story and one great reason we should all do our due diligence.  

A couple, Gary and Launa Lowery, hired Evans law firm of Fayetteville to sue the city of Elkins. The city officials evidently haven’t bothered to publicly post the business bylaws and ordinances as spelled out under Arkansas Code 14-55-206 since they became a town 1964.

Many ordinances have passed in that time frame, including those dealing with utility rates. Many generated revenues for the community without having news of their passage by the council published in the local newspaper.

The attorney for the Lowery’s says the revenues collected as a result of these ordinances were “illegally obtained and should be returned to the citizens.”

Talk about a mess, can you even imagine the nightmare involved in  returning funds to citizens illegally obtained sing 1964? Not to mention the cost to the city, not just in returned money, but sorting and research and … good grief.

This is a prime example of why it is essential that we citizens are well aware of what is going on in our communities, our governments and our schools. This could bankrupt the city of Elkins, it will definitely tax their limited staff, cost the tax payers tons of money, along with various other side effects, I’m sure.

We are a representative government, and it is our duty to ensure our representatives are doing a good job. After all we are the represented. 

 

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Tweeters that keep you posted~ 

@AR_Majority

@lauriemasterson

@ttoelke

@aymond

@AFPArkansas

@lobbyup

@RobyBrock

@ProgressiveAR

@TolbertReport

@ArkansasOnline

@ArkansasBuzz

@ArkBusiness

Hashtags worth noting

#ARMAJ

#AFPAR

#ARLeg

Morning Roll Call~ News You Need to Know

First Day of Class

Today, January 10, 2011, at noon the 88^th General Assembly of the state of Arkansas will convene for the first time.  There are 35 members of the Arkansas Senate, 100 members of the Arkansas House , several Constitutional officers, staff members and many who will be working over the next several months to governor our state and communities.

I hope that you will join me in praying for our leaders on every level, they need our support and protection, along with our resolve to communicate with them respectfully and effectively.

My family and I have the names of our leaders from school board to president listed on our prayer board to remind us of the importance of coming alongside those who have been charge with leadership.

Veto or not to Veto

In an interview on TalkBusiness.net Governor Mike Beebe talked with John Brummett about tax cuts, health care, and how the new dynamics of the 88^th General Assembly will affect the legislature. Beebe said he doesn't see “the general assembly is gonna succumb to the partisan trap that we see in Washington”. Great! I’m for that! 

When discussing the repeal of health care reform Beebe didn’t give up if he would veto it or not but did say that he wanted to wait until the Supreme Court decided the case. He is concerned about lawsuits and other repercussions including expenses to the taxpayer. Watch the YouTube~  

Our Governor didn't seem real open to cutting taxes outside of his grocery tax cut saying "It's the only thing of any substance or size that we can afford. If you're asking me is there a million dollars here or two million there that we could scrape up or find, I'm not going to be naive enough to say no there's not a couple million dollars somewhere,"

For more on this interview read here or watch the video on YouTube:

Arkansas Prisons are Busting at the Seams

On Friday Governor Beebe posted his weekly radio address and column. The subject of this particular post was the prison system here in Arkansas.  Arkansas Partnership, a research group working with the governor, sent a report claiming “Arkansas can cut its prison population growth by 3,200 inmates over the next decade and save $875 million.”

From the address Beebe states, “If we do nothing, the prison population is projected to grow another 43 percent by 2020, costing taxpayers an additional $1.1 billion. Current state revenues cannot cover these additional costs, so the path we're on can only lead to tax increases if we fail to act and act now.” (read more…)

Arkansans become more frugal

The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality released its 2010 State of Recycling Report released last week as reported by the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. The study revealed that Arkansans are consuming less and saving more.

If you’re like me you remember your grandparents and parents saving and reusing foil, plastic containers, boxes, and other things we just seem to casually toss. They also kept appliances and electronics for years and years.

As a child I don’t remember us ever getting a new dishwasher or fridge. I recall getting a microwave and VCR when they came out but those neither had been replaced upon my leaving.

I am not sure how many TV’s, VCR’s, CD-DVD players, vacuums, and major appliances I have bought as an adult but now looking back… TOO MANY.

Back to the study: “In 2010, Arkansans recycled 32 percent and in 2009, 45 percent of trash” while “electronics recycling saw a dramatic drop. The state recycled 495,714 tons of electronics in 2009 compared with 8,245 tons in 2010.” And in “2009, Arkansans recycled 295,996 tons of cardboard compared with 91,234 tons in 2010”.

The ADG talked with Melinda Glasgow, Little Rock’s recycling coordinator who said “There’s less packaging because there’s less purchasing. And you probably don’t want to hear this, but more and more people are getting their news online, so there’s not as much newspaper to recycle as in the past.”

There’s a lot more in the story that I won’t go into here but suffice to say that seeming our way of life seems to be changing some for the good and some for the bad.

 

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Tweeters that keep you posted~ 

@AR_Majority

@lauriemasterson

@ttoelke

@aymond

@AFPArkansas

@lobbyup

@RobyBrock

@ProgressiveAR

@TolbertReport

@ArkansasOnline

@ArkansasBuzz

@ArkBusiness

Morning Roll Call~ News You Need to Know (okay afternoon)

Wow the news is coming in so fast it is hard to keep up. I woke up at 5am this morning in an effort to have the Roll Call posted by 8. As I was reading, things were developing into more of complete stories rather than just blips. Disenfranchised Arkansas District 83? and You Can't Make This Stuff Up are just two issues that I felt need a little more expounding on. 

Okay  to the Roll Call~

A Man, A Plan, A Tax

On Wednesday Gov. Mike Beebe laid out his agenda for 2011~ tackling the state's escalating prison population~ cha ching, massive Medicaid costs~ Cha Ching  and our $330 million (really well of $400 million now) debt to the feds for unemployment insurance~ Cha Ching.  Also an incentive program to increase college graduates.~ Ring Ring Ring (I thought that would be a job).

They are looking at …wait…wait for it… A TAX INCREASE. NO!! Say it ain’t so?  Folks you heard it here first….

One of the solutions the Governor offered is a temporary hike in the payroll taxes paid by businesses, which would sunset when the debt is cleared. LOL… REALLY?? Aren’t we one of the highest taxed business states in the nation?  Let me see YES. REASONS ARKANSANS NEED TO GET OUT THE VOTE (GOTV)

Arkansans are once again being led down the “if we don’t do this” trail. Highway safety is going to be the horse.

Our anxious to serve lawmakers have pre-filed over 60 bills in advance of the session, some of which would reduce taxes and programs. Gov Beebe reaffirmed he would oppose any reductions unless the sponsor was able to show how  the state would make up lost revenue.

No Hires for You

According to KATV  newly elected Saline County Circuit Clerk Dennis Milligan is in a bit of hot water. He evidently let several employees go when taking office and has now petitioned the Quorum Court to hire replacements, only at a higher salary. See more details here.

Mr. Milligan made headlines just a few days ago because Judge Grishom Phillips refused to swear him into office. Read more…

Pulaski County Special School District needs Extreme Make-Over

The Arkansas Democrat Gazette reported that nearly 300 parents were more than a little hot under the collar. Parents, students and School Board members packed a public meeting Thursday night at Robinson High School, in an effort to squelch the closing of their school.

Seems Derek Scott, executive director of operations for the district, who came up with the idea to close the school, has backed off and sided with at least on board member and Superintendent Charles Hopson assuring parents the school would not be closed.

Looks like the district has gotten themselves in a bit of a “death spiral”. Shrinking state funds due to lower enrollment along with expanding facilities and utility costs have over financially overextended the district.

Read all about it, it is my belief that this will be the prevailing story of our schools around the state in the coming years. We have allowed them to put the emphasis on grandiose buildings, mega athletic programs and anything but students and education.

Who Ya Gonna Call?

According to the Times Record Online  “three central Arkansas police officers are among five men facing federal charges in a string of armored car heists and planned robberies dating to 2005.” ~I have no words

These are some folks you should follow to keep up with what is going on in our state~ if you know of others please let me know~ 

 
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@AR_Majority

@lauriemasterson

@ttoelke

@aymond

@AFPArkansas

@lobbyup

@RobyBrock

@ProgressiveAR

@TolbertReport

@ArkansasOnline

@ArkansasBuzz

@ArkBusiness

@5NEWS

@4029News

@KATVNews

@Region8News

Disenfranchised Arkansas District 83?

If you have ambitions of being a playwright I hope you are taking notes on the political happenings here in Arkansas. You could have a best-selling drama.


Remember the story of Tom Fite and Leslee Post from district 83? Mr. Fite was found ineligible to be an Arkansas Representative by Pulaski County Circuit Court Judge Collins Kilgore because he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor bribery charge more than 26 years ago. (Read more here)


Yesterday afternoon members of the 2011 Arkansas House of Representatives voted to seat Leslee Milam Post (D-Ozark) who received only 41% of the vote.


Rep. John Burris (R-Harrison), the Minority Leader, made a motion to delay the seating of District 83 (Post's seat) asking that the Claims Commission be able to review the case just as they had for Rep. Elect Fred Smith just days prior.  Burris explained that the wished of the people in district 83 need to be taken into account and their votes counted."
His motion failed, 60-28.


Then there was a motion to seat Ms. Post to which Rep. Nate Bell (R-Mena) made a statement pointing out that the ruling to disqualify Tom Fite clearly usurped the Arkansas State Constitution and a ruling by the Arkansas Supreme Court case in 2002, Magnus v Carr.


Here is a note from Rep. Bell explaining~

Today I spoke against the seating of Leslee Post in District 83.  My opposition was based on the need to preserve the constitutional separation of powers outlined in the Arkansas Constitution Article 4 sections 1 and 2  and Article 5 section 11 and was not intended to address the merits of the Post/Fite case which is pending before the Arkansas Supreme Court.  The Pulaski Circuit Court ruled in October that the ballots cast for Tom Fite were not be counted.  My argument today was based on the Arkansas Constitution as interpreted by the Arkansas Supreme Court in Magnus v Carr and numerous precedent cases.  The court held that the judicial branch does not have jurisdiction in election cases involving the legislative branch of government due to the separation of powers.  The court has repeatedly held that allowing the judicial branch to intervene in matters related to legislative elections would allow the judges to essentially choose members of another branch of government.  My viewpoint was defeated today 61-29.  I will always stand for constitutional principles even when it is politically unpopular.  6 Republicans voted with the Democrats to allow the judge to usurp the constitutional authority of the legislature.

The citizens of District 83 deserve to have their votes counted.  The votes would have been counted and Fite would have been declared the winner had the judge not intervened. The House would then have determined Fite's eligibility as outlined in Arkansas law.  If he was deemed ineligible then a vacancy in election would have been declared and a special election held.  Instead, the house today voted to seat the person who lost the election garnering less than 42% of the votes cast.  We allowed a circuit judge to elect a person to the legislature who received less than a majority of the votes cast.  I believe we set a very dangerous precedent today.

Here's a link to the case I cited:

http://courts.state.ar.us/opinions/2002b/20021024/02-604.html

The legislature voted 61-29 for Ms. Post to be sworn in and seated on Monday.


Anyone else see a problem here? The way I understand it ( and if I am wrong please let me know) according to the Arkansas Constitution and a case that was decided just 9yrs ago by the Arkansas Supreme Court, Judge Kilgore circumvented the Constitution of our state, ignored precedence, and did a huge disservice to the voters of Dist. 83.


The voters clearly voted for the more conservative candidate, as did the majority of voters in the state, and nation for that matter, and were smacked down. Was this a case of  over-reaching judge. Isn't that the story?


P.S
THANK YOU!! to our 29 Arkansas State Representatives that held the line. Thank you to Representatives John Burris and Nate Bell for attempting to stop the circumvention of our Constitution. I look forward to working with these men and women to bring to Arkansas fiscal responsibility, limited government, and Constitutional soundness.

You Can't Make This Stuff Up~

Okay, let me get this straight; we (Fayetteville) spent just shy of a million dollars for the city to implement a paid parking lot to increase revenues. Back in June of 2010 the city council agreed, 7-1, to a budget adjustment, adding 2.5 new full-time paid positions and allotting $289,000 each year to the Walton Arts Center.

Fayetteville residents now have well over a million dollar initial investment and hundreds of thousands of dollars annually committed for this one project; all the while citizens, mostly business owners on Dickson, screaming no.  

It goes downhill from there. Over the course of the last several months this parking tale has been a point of contention for merchants and patrons alike. To my knowledge this has been an ongoing issue addressed at every council meeting since. So on December 7th, the city council made changes to the times of paid parking, the maximum amounts of fines and freeing up Charles Ave.  and a few other changes that are spelled out in the Fayetteville Flyer story

Move to December 29, 2010 the City of Fayetteville puts this out:

Starting December 31, the new Dickson Street shuttle will begin.  This shuttle will be running on Friday and Saturday nights from 5:30 pm to 11:30 pm.  It will be on a ten-minute frequency schedule, making a trip every 10 minutes from Dickson Street to the Fayetteville Historic Downtown Square. 

 Free parking is provided in the City of Fayetteville parking lots that are located one-half block west of the Downtown Square--behind the Bank of Fayetteville and on both sides of Center Street.  These city parking lots are free during those dates and times.  Moreover, there is no fare being charged to use this shuttle, courtesy of Ozark Regional Transit.  Donations will be accepted on the bus to help out local charities.  Please see the attached map for the routing.

The purpose of this route is to help out the public and the Dickson Street merchants/Walton Arts Center by providing even more access to free parking in the Entertainment District.

So (I need a Red Bull) we are now using a government funded transit system to help people avoid paying the parking fees of a government funded project implemented to increase revenue~ again at the expense of the taxpayers?

Now how do we pay for the parking lot? How are we paying for the gas for the FREE shuttle, the transit worker for the extra hours?  How are we paying the 2.5 full-time employees, the $289K to the Walton Arts Center not to mention the maintenance of the parking system now not being used?? 

HELP ME~Is it just me; or our “leaders” on every level constantly implementing plans that cost us HUGE amounts of money only to come back, sometimes just moments later, to cost us MORE money to fix what they broke?

I encourage you strongly, if you are the least bit concerned about the direction of our city, state and nation, the debt  being heaped upon the backs of unborn taxpayers  compounded daily by government entities on every level and the consistent usurpation of the will of the people; please get involved. Please help in any capacity you can. 

Morning Roll Call~ News You Need to Know

Open up your Wallets Folk

http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article.aspx?aid=125137.54928.137266

Ten highway projects totaling an estimated $62 million will be on the table Thursday when the Arkansas Highway Commission meets.

The commission will meet during the morning for a business session, followed by a 10:30 a.m. bid-opening session.

The meetings will be held at the state Highway and Transportation Department's headquarters in southwest Little Rock.

Birds, Fish, Crabs and Fireworks??

Authorities are trying desperately to put the Arkansas Alfred Hithcock bird-pocalypse story to rest. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission released a statement yesterday that the “red-winged blackbirds died from blunt force trauma on New Year’s Eve.”

Supposedly the birds were frightened from fireworks sending them “crashing into buildings and other structures after becoming disoriented and panicked”. That is the finding from the National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, WI.

  

 Compounding the problem is the rampant distrust the people have for government. As you can imagine the conspiracies are flying around like jet- monkeys; everything from government conspiracies to end-of-the-world.

While I am not ready to jump on the train of the government dropping chemical agents over cities to see how it affects people and animals I am inclined to think there is a little more to the story.

For instance just days later the same scenario happened in Louisiana and Kentucky, UNLESS the reverberations from the AMAZING fireworks displays here in Arkansas on New Year’s Eve caused the deaths of those in our neighboring states. But what about the ones in Sweden?

In other, unrelated news,sea life has died in mass in various locations around the globe including Arkansas, Maryland, Brazil, New Zealand, and Britain.

Don’t Forget the Meeting~

Today at 1pm at the Washington County Farm Bureau office, located at 1165 N. Meadowland Drive (just off Wedington, just west of 540).

They will be discussing 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 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.

 

 

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@ArkansasOnline

More people applied for unemployment aid last week: More people applied for unemployment benefits last week, one... http://bit.ly/hXbVJk

@Region8News

Panel to open bids on $62M of AR highway workhttp://bit.ly/f65gGd

Been following the #deadbird story? Check out this Google Map. Kind of scaryhttp://bit.ly/dGimm7

AR lawmakers to discuss ex-Globetrotter's seathttp://bit.ly/g7o3R

@TolbertReport

New Post: Video: Beebe Open to Online Checkbook Idea http://tolbertreport.com/2011/01/06/video-beebe-open-to-online-checkbook-idea/

Afternoon Update~

Here’s the scoop from some of the bussell that went on in Little Rock today~ Arkansas Highways, Taxes, and Healthcare~ Get your shovels ready~ Read More…

Pulaski Co. Special School District just can’t keep out of the news~ their new board member Tom Stuthard of Jacksonville needed to read the school board hand book and perhaps recognize that he indeed works for the people of Pulaski Co. Read More…

The U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics released figures on Tuesday Northwest Arkansas has the lowest metro rate in the state at 5.9%., while Memphis-West Memphis has the highest at 9.7% in Memphis-West Memphis, according to figures released Tuesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Forty-eight percent of metropolitan areas had unemployment rates that were higher and forty-four percent that were lower in November than last November, leaving six percent unchanged

There is a ton of information that you can extrapolate from this site, it is a good one to keep bookmarked. Read more on this report at TalkBusinss.net~ Read More…

The Arkansas Contingent was sworn in today. Senator John Boozman and Congressmen Rick Crawford, Tim Griffin and Steve Womack took their oaths of office. May the Force be with them. Read More…