There are a few stories that ran this weekend worth noting:
Happy Martin Luther King Day~
According to Wikipedia Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is:
a United States federal holiday marking the birthday of Rev.Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which is around the time of King's birthday, January 15. The floating holiday is similar to holidays set under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, though the act predated the establishment of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day by fifteen years.
King was the chief spokesman for nonviolent activism in the civil rights movement, which successfully protested racial discrimination in federal and state law. The campaign for a federal holiday in King's honor began soon after his assassination in 1968. Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983, and it was first observed on January 20, 1986. At first, some states resisted observing the holiday as such, giving it alternative names or combining it with other holidays. It was officially observed in all 50 states for the first time in 2000
Here are a few of my favorite Martin Lutther King Quotes:
- He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.
- The hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral conflict.
- Life's most urgent question is: what are you doing for others?
- Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal.
Charge the Phones and Boot Up the Computers
The phone chronicle that was initiated last week by Rep. Clark Hall (D, Marvell), Chairman of the House State Agencies Committee. Last I heard he has decided to only ban committee members from using phones and such. I am sure there will be more on this story in the coming days.
Transparent government seems to be a theme that is widely cherished by all citizens regardless of political ideology. Just this morning one of the editorials in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette: Behind Closed Doors; apparently the newly elected mayor and the former city clerk filed separate FOIA request concerning an executive session held by the West Fork City Council. I seem to recall this executive meeting thingy causing some problems elsewhere.
Then we have the little town of Elkins facing perhaps catastrophic consequences from not following the law on posting ordinances in the paper for public view.
A big brouhaha also surrounding the Capitol in Little Rock is the live streaming of committee meetings. In my opinion this would alleviate several problems for our legislators
- The “I’ve been misquoted” scenario. Now all the world can see and hear exactly what was said
- The implied bias of the media. Voters have the ability to witness for themselves what transpired rather than being spoon-fed what the reporter present decides to print.
- Representatives can take comfort in being held accountable like all employees whose managers and superior preside over them, thus allowing the taxpayer to fully understand all that happened.
Can you see other benefits or perhaps disadvantages to live streaming?
I know that the legislators I have spoken with are excited about having that already paid for tool in place, transparency and accountability makes everyone’s jobs easier.
I did a little Googling last week on the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, it would prudent for the citizens of our state to be familiar with what the actual law is so that we know just how things are to operate. After all “Knowledge is power”
One other site you may want to continue to familiarize yourself with is http://www.arkansashouse.org/. I know I have pointed this out before, if we are going to change things then we ourselves much change. If we want transparency and accountability we must be informed on the issues facing our state and communities. And finally if we want personal responsibility to prevail in our society, then we must be personally responsible for the people who we elected to represent us.
Speaking of Transparency
Michael Wickline wrote an interesting article yesterday. Senate’s rookies focus on money Tax, bond issues on state agenda. Many of Arkansas’s freshman senators were featured. Our legislators are already seeing the inside of the proverbial “political system”.
The Tolbert Report has pulled out some of the quotes from the story and posted them on his blog.
Are Senate Republicans Wobbling or Gearing up for a Fight?
To help and come alongside our legislators it is going to be imperative that we open lines of communication and dissemination of information. They are going to be in the fight of their lives~
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