Governor Reverses Course On Hiking Milk Taxes On Struggling Arkansas Families

Apparently, the governor realized what a political disaster hiking taxes on milk would be, not to mention what a disaster it would be for Arkansas families, who are struggling to make ends meet. Due to protests by yours truly and many other average citizens, the governor has reversed course and, somehow, found revenue neutral funding to subsidize the inefficiencies of the dairy industry.

I apologize for not being more glowing in my praise, or lack thereof, for Governor Beebe, but he was smart enough to know that this tax hike was going to hurt Arkansas families when he supported it. It is some consolation that he has enough political acumen to realize when he's caught. It is a great relief that Arkansas families who are stressed to the breaking point won't have to shoulder this extra, unfounded burden.

It is disturbing that the governor had to hear an uproar from taxpayers before he would reluctantly decide not push us further toward the breaking point. The root of this problem is that the governor doesn't have our best interests at heart. He's committed to making government thrive, without regard to our interests.

The government budget ALWAYS comes before our budgets.

Sorry, guv. Until you change your operating attitude about government, I can't do more than toss you a very tepid attaboy.

Here's the link.

Brummett On The Ethics Of Ethics

Very interesting.

Here's the link.

Beebe: A Real Man Of The People...To Sign Tax Hike On Milk

You still have a chance to do the right thing, Governor. You can be a real public servant and realize that our budgets are far more important than the government's.

Here's the link.

TYRANNY: Obama Fires GM Executive

Atlas Shrugged is jumping off the page. This is chilling. Hugo Chavez, Calderon, Putin...OBAMA.

This is absolutely terrifying.

Here's the link.

Obama's "Solution": Tried And Failed

It appears that Barack Obama and his party are dead set on "solving" our current economic crisis by implementing the European socialist system in America.

One question popped into my head, last night. Aside from the obvious flaws, why is Europe in an economic downturn, if their policies are the solution???
...
...
...
I don't actually expect an answer, because there isn't one. He isn't trying to solve the economic downturn. He's trying to remake America as quickly as possible by playing on the fears of the American people.

Brummett On Beebe's Illegal Alien Conundrum

Here's the link.

Sanders On The Most Curious (And Significant, At The Same Time) Law Passed This Session

This one's a real doozy.

Here's the link.

Obama's Spending Versus, Say, 1st 200+ Years Of American History???

Here's a hint: he's going to spend more than all previous spending in U.S. history...by a mile.

Arkansas Unemployment Keeps Going Up...Politicians Worried About Their Budget

Surprise, surprise. We keep losing jobs and, somehow, they saw fit to give themselves a raise, raise our taxes, and grow government.

Here's the link.

Turn Out The Lights, The Party's Over...

Actually, I'm turning on all my lights for "Earth Hour", when we're supposed to turn off all our lights, supposedly to save the planet from GLOBAL WARMING!!!, which is apparently on hiatus, today, with the balmy March temperature of 41 degrees, tonight.

Here's a picture of Rearden Manor's guest house, all lit up.

Here's the link.

Where's Rahm Emanuel's 90% Tax?...Made $320,000 For Just 14 Months Of Light Duty At Freddie Mac

When is he going to give it back or the democrat congress going to tax him for his ill gotten gains, helping drive the American economy into the ground??? My guess is never.

Here's the link.

Blanche: Change Is Coming, Sooner Than You Think

From the tireless Rett Hatcher.

Sanders: Whither Capitalism?

Some very important questions from Sanders about the future of free enterprise. One thing ought to be clear, America did not become the engine of the world's economy by mimicking their anemic socialist systems.

Here's the link.

Inflated Tobacco Tax Revenue Projections Come To Light After The Fact

This is crazy! These "public servants" lied to us to make it more appealing to our raise taxes! So, basically, they're sticking it to us and inflated the numbers to get it done.

Here's the link.

ERA ALERT: Catholic Diocese Calls Out Forces To Oppose Radical ERA

Attention!

The resurrected Equal Rights Amendment (yes, the amendment to the United States Constitution from the 70’s) has reared its ugly head again. Two years ago it was defeated in the Arkansas House Committee and there was an article in the Arkansas Catholic about the effort with a history of the bill. The prospects are not as rosy as they were two years ago, but passage remains a distinct possibility.

The bill was defeated earlier this month in the Arkansas Senate Committee, but proponents are re-grouping. According to an article in today’s Arkansas Democrat Gazette, they will now try to by-pass the Committee and pull the bill out onto the floor of the Senate. A simple majority vote (18 senators) is all that is required.

Please contact the state senator from your district and ask him not to vote to pull the bill out of committee.

Here are some (points to make):

The US Bishops found “serious moral problems” with the amendment and identified negative implications for abortion, private educational institutions, the tax-exempt status of charitable organizations, religious exemptions in federal grant statutes, and government aid programs. They took a stand on the implications for abortion and declared “no alternative but to oppose the ERA” because abortion neutral language had not been adopted.

The ERA would put abortion rights into the U.S. Constitution and make abortion funding a new constitutional right. It would negate all the modest restrictions placed on abortion.

There is a reason why no state has ratified the amendment since Indiana did in 1978 and why five states have rescinded their ratification. On closer scrutiny the amendment is not good. Americans are not comfortable with the creation of a sterile gender-neutral society in which differences between men and women are not acknowledged and appreciated.

Marianne Linane

Respect Life Director

Diocese of Little Rock

Now They're Raising Taxes On Milk...Legislature More Worried About The Government's Budget Than With Ours...Who Cares About The Taxpayers, Anyway?...

...I mean, hey. We're just paying all the bills for every "necessary" pet project, while we can't pay our own bills and are losing our jobs. They're dancing on us, while we're breaking apart... Thanks, public servants.

Oh, you still have a chance to stop it. We're paying attention.

---

Arkansas House of Representatives

RE: Opposition to House Bill 1451

Dear Arkansas Legislators,

I write in strong opposition to House Bill 1451 that will drastically raise taxes on milk and other dairy products. By levying a 30-cent per hundredweight tax on dairy products at the wholesale level, this bill will raise the price of milk and dairy products for consumers at a time when families are already struggling to make ends meet.

The tax hike in HB 1451 has been inaccurately labeled as a “fee.” Too often, policymakers disguise tax increases as “fees” and this is another example of such disingenuousness. An income tax is not a fee on your job. A sales tax is not a fee on the products you buy. The same holds true for a tax on dairy products, whether it is levied at the wholesale or retail level.

If the overall goal is to assist dairy farmers, enacting policies that increase the price of dairy products, thereby reducing demand, does absolutely nothing to achieve this end. In fact, it does the exact opposite. Policies to help farmers should not pit sectors of the dairy industry against one another, and ultimately make consumers and all stakeholders worse off.

Make no mistake, the burden from this tax increase will be born by Arkansas consumers, not the wholesalers that this bill impugns. The tax will most assuredly be passed on to customers in the form of higher prices. What is worse, it will be levied at a time when Arkansas families are struggling to cope with the current economic downturn.

Furthermore, it is irreconcilable that the legislature would approve a measure to cut the state’s grocery tax to provide relief to Arkansas families, while simultaneously considering a bill to specifically tax milk and other dairy products.

For the reasons stated above, I urge you to oppose House Bill 1451. On the heels of a tax cut on groceries, any attempt to impose a tax on specific food products is counterproductive. If you have any questions, please contact Kelly Cobb or Patrick Gleason, state affairs managers, at (202) 785-0266.

Onward,

Grover Norquist
President
Americans for Tax Reform

GUTS: Brit Lets PM Have It

Would that we had men such as this. Too bad Britain already dead.

Meanwhile: In-state Tuition For Illegal Aliens Passes Senate Committee

What planet are these senators on, anyway? I thought this was conservative Arkansas. Apparently, that's not the case. Earlier they voted against the rights of churchgoers to protect themselves and now they've voted to give illegal aliens in-state tuition, something that even U.S. citizens from outside Arkansas cannot get.

They are quickly dismantling the fabric of this country and will pay for it at the ballot box.

Here's the link.

Senate Committee Scoffs At Our Right Of Self-Defense In Church

There will be an accounting for this. Arkansas churchgoers have a right to defend themselves from attackers. Bans on guns in church didn't do much to stop the vicious murder of the pastor in Illinois, last month.

Here's the link.

Brummett Reinvents "Plain English"

Here's the link.

Governor And Other Fat Cats Costing Taxpayers $19,000 For Cable...While Arkansans Lose Jobs

Why not? We're their servants. Every time they get a wild hair to solve some problem we didn't know existed they just pick us up by our ankles and start shaking for spare change.

After all, how can they do without cable???

Here's the link.

OF COURSE!, Politicians (And Lobbyists) Oppose Going Back To Biennial Legislative Sessions

Annual legislative sessions are a lose-lose for Arkansas taxpayers, but they're a win-win for politicians and lobbyists. Politicians get paid more because they get more money during the session and they get more free steak dinners from lobbyists. Lobbyists get whatever it is they want that they're willing to spend so much money on. Both get to help themselves to more of our money.

So, of course, they strongly oppose going back to biennial sessions.

Here's the link.

Speaker Wills: Too Optimistic About Tax Cuts...Not About Spending Increases???

From Speaker Robbie Wills' blog, yesterday:

"Budget - We are expecting a revision in the balanced budget numbers this week. Yes, we got a revised forecast update earlier this month that showed things holding steady. Yes, we acted in good faith on that estimate and cut the grocery tax and sales tax on energy for manufacturers. However, we expect the new revision to be pessimistic, to say the least. I’ll have more to say on this subject when the Department of Finance & Administration releases the numbers later this week."

Apparently, the state was too generous with us. It's very interesting that he isn't pessimistic, or wasn't optimistic, about all the spending programs he pushed through...

Tyranny: U.S. House Passes 90% Tax On AIG Bonuses

Here's the link.

More National Analysis From Sanders

More good stuff.

Here's the link.

Tobacco Tax Hitting Retailers Hard...Great Idea In A Recession

How many centuries have we gotten by without a "trauma system"? This is one more example of a "problem" we didn't know we had just two years ago.

Who cares that businesses and other taxpayers are already struggling and the state government already had a surplus... These "public servants" had to have more of our money.

Here's the link.

Remembering Another Old Friend: Dr. Fay Boozman

It's been quite some time, but it seems like yesterday, since an old friend passed away. As I read the eulogy for Paul Harvey I posted this morning, I had the odd and welcomed coincidence to be reminded of another great friend, Dr. Fay Boozman. Several friends and I had a short email correspondence about Dr. Boozman, more or less out of the blue. One friend commented that there are times when he misses the calm, fatherly advice he was always ready to dispense. Like Dr. Boozman, it was never harsh or condescending. That would've been against his gentle and loving nature.

My attention was drawn to the eulogy written by David Sanders, a very close friend of Dr. Boozman. I couldn't help but identify with it. Dr. Boozman, unlike Paul Harvey, was a friend I did know, but a friend I wish I'd known better. He wasn't afraid to be a role model, but he didn't do what he did just to be a good example. He did it because it was the right thing to do. He loved the Lord and he showed God's love to everyone he met.

Last Thursday was the 4th anniversary of his untimely death. Several of us commiserated his loss together, missing his sage advice and his warm embrace. Well, for now we can't be warmed by his embrace or his unflappable smile but we can have his advice, much of which we can find between the pages of the most important book in his life, the Bible. For the rest we'll have to call Mrs. Boozman. We're praying for you and love you.

Clinton, Pryor, And Bumpers Praise Themselves: Politics Is Apparently A Noble Profession

I'm trying to hold it in. If there's one thing politicians are good at, it's pretending that they're doing us all a favor.

Here's the link.

Phyllis Was Right...We Need To Give American Voters A Choice Not An Echo

Now, more than ever, we need to offer a real choice to voters. Democrats on the national level, aided by our "conservative" democrat congressional delegation are pushing a disturbing and massive socialist overhaul of America.

Back home in Arkansas, we face a tough challenge. Democrats in our congressional delegation play a major part in solidifying the majority leadership of Leftist radicals like Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, who are rubber stamped by Obama's teleprompter.

McCain, though an American hero, was a tepid and pale reflection of Conservatism, which is the only antidote to the destruction of the socialist agenda of the democrat party.

A Late Eulogy, For A Late, Great American

A friend wrote this and I couldn't help but get choked up when I read it, for I, too, was a great admirer of the late-Paul Harvey. He has graciously allowed me to reprint it here.

---

To the Harvey family,

Thank you for sharing Mr. Harvey with us all these years. He was a friend I never met. He'll always belong in the pantheon of great Americans of the 20th century like President Reagan, Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne, Jack Buck, and Johnny Carson, good and honorable men who were still role models long after famous people decided they didn't want to be role models.

I grieve with you over his passing, but I am thankful for all the years of remarkable wit and sagacity from one of the greatest American story tellers.

Mr. Harvey was an American in every sense of the word. He embodied everything that's good and noble in America. His broadcast was a daily clarion call from that Shining City on the Hill that President Reagan told us about, reminding us of the greatness of America, that it is in our people and made possible by a mighty and good Creator. He reminded us that we're Americans, darn it, and that means something, that the lowliest among us can accomplish anything if we just put our shoulder into it and never give up.

He told stories of hardship and longing, and almost always how travails were overcome. I've had some travails of my own, lately, but I'm an American and God is good. I'm heartened by the stories of others who had harder roads than mine, who saw through the storms and the darkest parts of night to the clouds parting and the crack of light as it pierced the darkness bringing the dawn. As President Reagan said, "it's morning in America". Our best days are ahead of us, as long as we remember what it means to be an American, that each man is responsible for his own actions and no "destiny" is set in stone except a man first sows its seeds.

His whole life he looked out over America with a clear eye and his golden voice echoed the American ideals of freedom and optimism through our homes, our offices, and our cars. Now I can't help but have much more than a misty eye as I wipe away tears for the loss of this great American. Tears of loss, yes, but also tears of joy with a grateful heart quickened for the coming day as, once again, morning dawns in America.

I'm sorry for my poor cliches. Mr. Harvey, with the aid of his son, was a far-better wordsmith than I. But I must make an attempt to convey the hopefulness of his sunny disposition and optimism, rooted in his Midwestern upbringing. He was a great American and I thank you for his time. I was always happy to share mine with him.

I sincerely hope that Paul Harvey, Jr. will have the opportunity to fill his father's shoes. He's certainly the person who is most capable of it.

Good day!

Busy Day

I was completely off the grid today. Sorry, folks. Should be back up and running tomorrow.

Brummett On Halter, The Illegitimate Clinton Child!

Interesting.

Here's the link.

Obama's Teleprompter Has Spoken...So Shall It Be!!!

This is sooo true and funny.

President Obama's teleprompter is in charge. It's always interesting to watch him blunder about when it goes blank or he tries to go off script.

Here's the link.

Elliott's Bill To Give Scholarships To Illegal Aliens Slowed In Senate

Sen. Joyce Elliott, D-Little Rock, suggested that not forcing Arkansas taxpayers (U.S. citizens) to pay for college scholarships for illegal aliens ( a violation of federal law, by the way) would create a permanent underclass...

In a great piece of irony, she has a proposal to create a "trust fund" for public housing. There's nothing like demoralizing whole sections of society into believing they can't provide for themselves for creating a permanent underclass (generational welfare, anyone?).

Here's the link.

Last Minute Legislation

It appears that Rep. Keith Ingram, D-West Memphis, is feeling the side-effects of the governor's tax hike on cigarettes, with his proposal to allow border cities to be exempt from it in HB1942.

One very active freshman is Rep. Richard Carroll, Green-North Litttle Rock. He's proposed a whole raft of things you'd expect from a Green Party member, including HB1439, which will require the posting of information about the dangers of tobacco at checkout counters, because, apparently, nobody knows about the dangers of smoking, HR1025 suggests that the state waste money on a study of a light rail between us and our neighboring states. Yes, we should get one of those. The River Trolley has been such a success. We need another, more expensive rail system that no one will use.

Also from Rep. Carroll is HB2218 to require up to 90 days for landlords to evict a tenant. It suggests that this would be for tenants who are paid up, but it doesn't take into account the fact that a landlord might want to get rid of a drug dealer or have some other legitimate reason to need them to vacate the premises, like, they're destroying it. The bill has an exception for "caus(ing) permanent harm to the property", but nothing is permanent. Even a fire can be repaired. Windows and carpets can be replaced. Doors rehung. Walls and floors rebuilt. It also requires a lender who foreclosed on the owner to negotiate a sale to the tenant... Umm... What planet is this guy from. Since when is a seller required to negotiate a sale with someone. Of course the tenant has the opportunity to make an offer, but you cannot prevent the lender from auctioning it off to a larger pool of sellers, which is more likely to result in a favorable sale price.

Apparently, the tenant does not have to leave if the lender doesn't negotiate a sale with them...as long as they pay rent. This is the most intrusive piece of legislation into the interaction of basic real estate contract law I've ever seen. I look forward to a democrat taking this guy's seat

Arkansas Holding Back On Using "Stimulus" Unemployment Money...Why Would That Be? Catfish Got Your Tongue, Max?

Max Brantley has been quick to trash Conservative governors who have eschewed the same. When Arkansas doesn't use it he has nothing to say. It looks like Arkansas has figured out what these Conservative governors already knew...that this "stimulus" money in the form of unemployment benefits is a one-time payment that mandates long-time increases that the individual state will have to pay for. Funny how Max handles news differently when he doesn't have a Conservative to bash.

Here's the link.

Sanders On Blowhard Biden's Gift To Blanch

Here's the link.

"STIMULUS"? Obama Considering Taxing Health Care Benefits

I know it'll be a real boost to my budget if my health insurance is taxed... Won't it help you, too?

Here's the link.

How Is This "STIMULUS"???...Funding For Arkansas Adoptions And Foster Care

Someone please explain how saddling taxpayers with a mind-blowing debt to fund more government programs is "stimulus", please???

There's one sector of the American economy which hasn't experienced mass layoffs or a downturn, in fact, just the opposite. It's government. It's the most massive, appalling, and disturbing hoax that has been successfully perpetrated on the American people in quite some time to fleece them, line the pockets of government, and tell them that they're being helped by this "stimulus".

Here's the link.

Brummett Desperate Not To Let Republicans Agree With McGovern

George McGovern may not be a friend of Conservatives, but that doesn't mean he can't be right about the thuggish abuses of the so-called "Employee Free Choice Act", which is anything but, also known as "card check". Brummett surely realizes how devastating it is for McGovern to oppose card check, especially given his union friendly record. So of course Brummett doesn't want us to point out McGovern's opposition. If we oppose it on our own, we're just greedy industrialist Republicans. If a long-time union supporter also happens to do so, he's off limits.

"Why, you've never agreed with him or like him before, so it's not fair to praise him for agreeing with you, now...", Brummett is more or less saying in his latest column.

Au contraire, Mr. Brummett. It is the very fact that we have never agreed with McGovern that makes his agreement so powerful.

Here's the link.

Hurricane Activity Lowest In 30 Years...Any Comment, Algore???

Ummm... Weren't we told just a few years ago that GLOBAL WARMING!!! was going to cause an unprecedented number of hurricanes? Well, I guess I shouldn't say anything since Algore said the debate is over...

Here's the link.

ATTN: Democrats! Washington County Democrat JPs Want Back-to-School Tax-Free Holiday

I guess the Democrats on the Washington County Quorum Court didn't get the memo about tax cuts. The following is an email from Karen Beeks, on behalf of the Washington County Quorum Court, to Washington County legislators to inform them that the Quorum Court, including its democrat members, unanimously voted to endorse the Back-to-School Tax-Free Holiday.

I'm sure we'll see swift

---

Sent: Fri 3/13/2009 5:03 PM
To: Madison, Sue; Pritchard, Bill; Whitaker, Ruth; Barnett, Jonathan; Carnine, Les; House, Jim; Martin, Mark; Smith, Lindsley; Lindsey, Uvalde; Woods, Jon
Subject: Support - HB2202 Tax-Free Holiday

All,

I am writing to let you know that at last night's meeting, the Washington County Quorum Court unanimously adopted Resolution No. 2009-03 entitled, "A Resolution in Support of House Bill 2202 Which Provides for a Back-to-School Tax-Free Holiday." HB2202 provides for one tax-free holiday on clothes purchased, and due to economic times, this savings for families is imperative.

Speaking for the Quorum Court, I am requesting that you support HB2202.

Thank you,

Karen

Karen Beeks
Quorum Court Coordinator/Reporter
County Judge's Office
280 N. College Avenue, Suite 502
Fayetteville, AR 72701

Senator Lincoln Still Not Sure If She Opposes Destroying Small Businesses With Card Check...

What's there to consider?

Here's the link.

R.I.P. Ron Silver, American Patriot

Ron Silver, a Great American Patriot, passed away, yesterday, succumbing to esophageal cancer. He answered the call of his nation in need, following the terrorist attacks on 9/11, as a tireless supporter of America's War on Terror.

God Bless You.

Here's the link.

Sowell On Palin And Obama

A very interesting look at the difference in treatment they receive.

Here's the link.

Sanders Considers National Political Scene

Interesting.

Here's the link.

SC Governor Sanford To Turn Down "Stimulus"

As much as he likes to complain about it, there's no way Mike Huckabee would have turned it down. Sanford is an actual Conservative, though, and doesn't want this trojan horse federal takeover to control his state.

Here's the link.

Radical Leftists, Blowhard Biden Raises Money For Lincoln

I actually had some random woman mention that Biden was in town to me, yesterday. You'd have thought John F. Kennedy was in town by her announcement. I'm not sure why she thought I'd care, but she was clearly excited. She was of an ethnic background, which I found ironic considering Biden's racist tendencies, such as suggesting that black politicians, generally, aren't clean or articulate or that convenience stores are full of Indians.

It's important to keep in mind that democrats are more interested in their liberal agenda than they are about actual equality, though, which explains their senior U.S. Senator's association with the Klan. I'm sure Blanche is proud to have Biden's support.

Here's the link.

Remember When...

...we had a real president?

'Here's my strategy on the Cold War:
We win, they lose.' - Ronald Reagan

'The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.' -Ronald Reagan
'Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. was too strong.' - Ronald Reagan
'I have wondered at times about what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the U.S. Congress.' - Ronald Reagan
'The taxpayer: That's someone who works for the federal government but doesn't have to take the civil service examination.' - Ronald Reagan
'Government is like a baby: An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.' - Ronald Reagan

'The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a government program.' - Ronald Reagan
'It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first.' - Ro nald Reagan
'Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it' - Ronald Reagan
'Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed, there are many rewards; if you disgrace yourself, you can always write a book.' - Ronald Reagan
'No arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is as formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.' - Ronald Reagan
'If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.' - Ronald Reagan

Sowell On The Power Of Words

Fascinating.

Here's the link.

Sowell: Subsidizing Bad Decisions

That's what we're doing.

Here's the link.

IRONY: Carville Wanted President Bush To Fail

How's that for irony? Democrats and the media (same thing) had no complaints when Carville said that he wanted President Bush to fail, but are apoplectic about Rush Limbaugh saying that he wants Obama's policies to fail...

Here's the link.

GLOBAL WARMING!!! Strikes Arkansas With March Ice And Snow

You can bet that if we were experiencing record heat this winter it would be proof of GLOBAL WARMING!!! Unseasonable cold...that's another story.

Here's the link.

House Committee Finally Meanders Toward Passing Miniscule, Revenue Neutral Grocery Tax Cut

Several months after eagerly passing the tobacco tax hike, the Ledge is finally getting around to passing part of the tax that the governor promised he'd cut three years ago. Good grief. I'm sure they'll want credit for this, even though they couldn't bring themselves to start on it until they'd raised other taxes to (more than) offset this cut. Remember, it's their money, not ours.

Here's the link.

Biden Declares Defeat in Afghanistan

Good grief! What's the liberal fascination with America losing wars.

Here's the link.

Great American Speaks Up Against March Of Socialism

Czech President Vaclav Klaus is truly a Great American. He survived Soviet tyranny and their socialist domination of East Europe only to watch the march of socialism destroy West Europe. He's sounding the alarm not to allow the engine of freedom, free markets, be destroyed.

Here's the link.

Arkansas Unemployment Up, Again...Lincoln And Pryor Still Growing Government

Senators Pryor and Lincoln just cain't hep themselves, to quote Ma Richards, when it comes to growing government with our money, while we struggle.

That goes ditto for Governor Beebe and the Ledge, who are lackadaisically meandering toward a pathetic $.01 tax cut on groceries, after they couldn't wait to raise the tobacco tax, coupled with their inability to do what Arkansans are being forced to do...CUT BACK. We kind of have to, because so many of us are losing our jobs, as unemployment keeps going up. Ever notice that the government NEVER lays people off?

Sanders: Senator Scarlett O’Hara

So true.

Here's the link.

Tolbert Report: Rep. King Files Bill To Prevent Gay Partnership Registries

I've been meaning to get to this, but I see that the inimitable Jason Tolbert already has it covered.

Rep. King, R-Green Forest, deserves praise for this legislation designed to prevent encroachment by the radical homosexual agenda through "registration" of gay couples. Has anybody ever heard of non-married heterosexual couples "registering" with the government? This is obviously a ruse to lay the groundwork for gay marriage in Arkansas.

Here's the link.

Obama Delivers Worst Stock Performance Of Any New President

I'm sure this is just a coincidence...

Here's the link.

Sanders On The Government Leviathan Devouring The Private Sector

That's exactly what's happening.

Here's the link.

AP: "Tax cut ideas abound, despite tight Ark. budget"...How About SPENDING IDEAS Abound?

Or, how about TAX HIKES about despite tight Arkansan budgets???

This AP story offers a remarkably skewed way to look at this.

Here's the link.

Gore Complains About Debate Fatique...Times He's Debated: ZERO!

Uhhhh.... Gore and other GLOBAL WARMING!!! propagandists have never relented to demands that they answer the overwhelming evidence against their hoax. Now, Gore's tired of having to "debate"???

Another Terrible Idea: Arkansas Commission to Study the Equity and Fairness of the Criminal Justice System

We really don't need another state commission based on another faulty presupposition. Sen. Joyce Elliott, carrying the water for Arkansas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, a radical group determined to prevent justice, has proposed this terrible idea.

Here's the link.

Thanks, Guv...Tobacco Store Owners Struggling After Tax Hike

I brought you a story about a store owner who predicted this back in January.

Now, it's coming true.

Here's the link.

Pastor Shot Dead In Illinois Church Shooting...Still No Need For Self-Defense In Churches, Max, Brummett, Liberal Legslators???

FoxNews is reporting that a pastor was shot and killed in his church this morning in Maryville, Illinois.

I'm going to venture a guess that it was ILLEGAL to carry firearms into churches in Illinois, but, for some reason, this madman did it anyway.

It was already illegal to commit murder and a whole bunch of other violent crimes this lunatic committed, so what makes these liberal idiots like Max Brantley and the legislators who led the charge against this think he was going to care about a law prohibiting carrying of firearms into churches?

Developing...

Here's the link to my post about the day that four Arkansas state senators voted against the rights of Arkansans to defend themselves in churches. Senators Sue Madison, Thompson, Johnson, and Wilkins, who defeated the bill in committee owe Arkansans an explanation.

Here's the link to my scathing post about Brummett's naive column suggesting that Arkansans don't need to protect themselves in church.

Now Max has a cursory post about this tragedy and admits that it was illegal to carry firearms in churches, which shows the effectiveness of "good intentions", I mean, gun free zones.

Originally published at 12:43 p.m.

Stupid Hillary Doesn't Know Names Of EU Dignitaries

Now, I thought President Bush was supposed to be stupid for not remembering the names of randomly named foreign leaders...

Hillary, apparently, couldn't remember the names of foreign dignitaries she was actually meeting and, somehow, she isn't stupid...?

Here's the link.

Obama's Proposed Spending More Than All Previous Spending From The Founding Until He Took Office

Ummmmm....

What a surprise.

AUDIO: A Healthy Dose of von Hayek

For those of you who are interested in understanding economics.

Here's the link.

Dear "American" Liberal

From the mailbag:

Dear American liberals, leftists, social progressives, socialists, Marxists
and Obama supporters, et al:

We have stuck together since the late 1950's, but the whole of this latest
election process has made me realize that I want a divorce. I know we
tolerated each other for many years for the sake of future generations, but sadly,
this relationship has run its course. Our two ideological sides of America
cannot and will not ever agree on what is right so let's just end it on
friendly terms. We can smile and chalk it up to irreconcilable differences and go
our own way.

Here is a model separation agreement:

Our two groups can equitably divide up the country by landmass each taking a
portion. That will be the difficult part, but I am sure our two sides can
come to a friendly agreement. After that, it should be relatively easy! Our
respective representatives can effortlessly divide other assets since both
sides have such distinct and disparate tastes.

We don't like redistributive taxes so you can keep them. You are welcome to
the liberal judges and the ACLU. Since you hate guns and war, we'll take our
firearms, the cops, the NRA and the military. You can keep Oprah, Michael
Moore and Rosie O'Donnell (You are, however, responsible for finding a
bio-diesel vehicle big enough to move all three of them).

We'll keep the capitalism, greedy corporations, pharmaceutical companies,
Wal-Mart and Wall Street. You can have your beloved homeless, homeboys, hippies
and illegal aliens. We'll keep the hot Alaskan hockey moms, greedy CEO's and
rednecks. We'll keep the Bibles and give you NBC and Hollywood .

You can make nice with Iran and Palestine and we'll retain the right to
invade and hammer places that threaten us. You can have the peaceniks and war protesters. When our allies or our way of life are under assault, we'll help
provide them security.

We'll keep our Judeo-Christian values.. You are welcome to Islam,
Scientology, Humanism and Shirley McClain. You can also have the U.N.. but we will no
longer be paying the bill.

We'll keep the SUVs, pickup trucks and oversized luxury cars. You can take
every Subaru station wagon you can find.

You can give everyone healthcare if you can find any practicing doctors.
We'll continue to believe healthcare is a luxury and not a right. We'll keep
The Battle Hymn of the Republic and the National Anthem. I'm sure you'll be
happy to substitute Imagine, I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing, Kum Ba Ya or
We Are the World.

We'll practice trickle down economics and you can give trickle up poverty
your best shot. Since it often so offends you, we'll keep our history, our name
and our flag.

Would you agree to this? If so, please pass it along to other like minded
liberal and conservative patriots and if you do not agree, just hit delete. In
the spirit of friendly parting, I'll bet you ANWAR which one of us will need
whose help in 15 years.

Sincerely,

An American

P.S. Also, please take Barbara Streisand & Jane Fonda with you.

DC GLOBAL WARMING!!! Protest Smacked With Snowstorm

Here's the link.

Here's the scorching, ummm, cold weather.

Sanders And Brummett On The Most Liberal Member Of Arkanas's Congressional Delegation

Surprisingly, according to Brummett, anyway, I'm not talking about Vic Snyder.

Here are the columns from Sanders and Brummett.

Committee Passes Bill To Repudiate Max Brantley, Ahem, Protect Privacy Of Private Citizens

Does anyone think Max would think it was a public service to publish the names of women who received publicly funded abortions? Why doesn't the public have a right to know that?

Yet, he's eager to violate the privacy of people exercising an actual Constitutional right.

Here's the link.

Tolbert VIDEO: Rep. Woods On States' Rights

It's ironic that Rep. Lindsley Smith went to such lengths to kill this affirmation of the UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION after such histrionics for her Atheist Day Bill, as if it was actually to honor the Founding Fathers.

Porkulus Pays For Mortgage Relief For ILLEGAL ALIENS

Isn't that a relief.

Here's the link.

State Government Revenues Up $30 MILLION in February...Gov't Response: Grow Gov't, Let Taxpayers Languish

Ummm... Can we please have some of our money back?

We shouldn't have to ask. If these "public servants" actually were public servants, they'd already be looking for ways to scale back government and give us back as much as possible. Instead, they're growing government and looking for more ways to fleece us.

And Governor Beebe paints himself as a man of "the people"...

Here's the link.

Down Is Up...Obama's Massively Irresponsible Porkulus Is "Responsible"

Obama's description of this pork-filled, massive, socialist power grab as "responsible" is one of the most vile lies in history.

Here's the link.

Senator Elliott Proposes More Handouts (ahem...Government Growth While Taxpayers Struggle)

These liberals are never going to admit that this is OUR money they're being so generous with. That's typical of liberals, though. They love to play benefactor with other people's money.

The taxpayers of Arkansas are being punished for hard work to give handouts to others with this "affordable housing" bill. How do these politicians expect us to keep up with their never-ending growth of government? They're kicking us while we're down and bragging about what a great job they're doing.

It's interesting that it's not just the federal government whose response to a downturn in the private sector is to grow more government. It's also the response of our "public servants" in the state government.

Here's the link.

Great American: Benjamin Netanyahu's Response To Israel's Recession: CUT TAXES

My money's on Netanyahu's plan, versus the huge government expansion Obama has opted for. Netanyahu understands that the recession is in the private sector. A government recession would be great.

Here's the link.

ERA Stopped In Senate Committee

Thank you to Senators Bobby Glover, D-Carlisle, Kim Hendren, R-Gravette, Gilbert Baker, R-Conway, and Bill Pritchard, R-Springdale, for stopping this moribund and radical federal constitutional amendment. It's ironic that these female legislators, Lindsley Smith and Sue Madison, are so determined to pass this legislation given their exalted positions in state government and the number of women in important positions in the workplace. They love to quote statistics suggesting that women earn less money than men, but always ignore the effect of women who are homemakers and women putting their careers on hold for childbirth and rearing on those statistics.

The real danger of this amendment is exactly as the preeminent supporter of it stated. Now-Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was once the leading legal scholar of the supporters of this radical amendment. She predicted that it would open the door to the radicalization of American society, including the advancement of the radical homosexual agenda and force the destruction of such social mores as the prohibition of women in combat.

Don't expect Smith and Madison to give up. They'll run this again this session and every other session for the next hundred years, despite the bald-faced exposure of their claims that it's just to help bring equality of the genders. There already is equality of the genders...

Madison is term-limited, but will have the rest of this session, next year and the next two sessions. Smith will likely be her hand-picked replacement for another eight years after that, meaning we'll be fighting this from them until at least 2020, assuming term limits don't go away or get increased... Ugh...

Oh yeah, this amendment already died 30 years ago. We're going to have to kill this radical zombie every year ad infinitum, it appears.

Unions Continue To Kill GM

The BIG LABOR response when people complain about the UAW killing the Big 3: "well, the auto makers made the deal".

My response: all of these mortgage holders in foreclosure made the deal. Why shouldn't we force them, like we're forcing the Big 3, to make good on their "deals"?

Here's the link.

STOP ERA, AGAIN!

Thanks to the relentless Debbie Pelley for working so hard to keep us all up to date on ERA.

---

Please call and leave a message for Your Arkansas Senator

You will be asking him/her to vote NO on both these bills.

1. Please call Senator your Senator at the Capitol switchboard.501-682-2902 and leave this or a similar message for him with the receptionist at this number.

"I am in your district and am asking you to Vote NO on the ERA amendment by Senator Madison. ERA has been used in other states to nullify their marriage amendment, permit gay marriage, and to force taxpayer funded abortions. Please vote NO on this bill. (He won' need a bill number on this one - there are actually two numbers, one in Senate and one in the House.)

Change the wording some but these three points need to be made. That you are in his district, ERA can be used by judges to trump our marriage amendment, and it can be used to force taxpayer funded abortion (even partial birth abortion).

The sponsor of this bill in the House, Representative Lindsley Smith and Senator Sue Madison both recently voted against the ban on partial birth abortion, and Lindsley Smith had a zero percent rating with American Family Association in another legislative session.

2. In the same call or in another call, ask your Senator to also vote No on eliminating the electoral college HB 1339. (Since you gave details on the other one, you probably won't get to give details on this one unless you make a separate call.) This bill has already passed the House 56 to 43 in the Senate is the last chance to stop it.

(You can leave a message for two senators when you call the switchboard)

Background information. If the electoral college is done away with, By a direct, popular vote, the choice of president would always be decided by the largest, most populated states, having little regard for interests or needs of the smaller, less populated states. The 2006 U. S. Census estimated that Arkansas, ranked No. 32, has a population of 2, 810, 872. How does that compare with California with an estimate of 36, 457, 549 ? Politicians would never need to spend a dime politicking in Arkansas or states smaller. The five most populated states have well over 110 million while Arkansas and the 17 smaller states combined have barely 6 million. The Founding Fathers had the right solution for representing population and region.

Then email your senators and use some good points on each one of these bills. Information above would be fine. For instructions on how to do this see this link:

http://www.wpaag.org/Add%20-%20legislators%20&%20%20instructions.htm Some of the senators have told callers they did not believe ERA would affect the marriage amendments. Any documentation you have to convince them would probably be good to send. At this link you can find what the feminists themselves say about the bill and what they expect it to do for gay marriage, etc. http://www.wpaag.org/ERA%20-%20Feminists%20want%20ERA%20to%20force%20brutal%20abortion.htm At this link is Phylis Schlafly's transcript of testimony she gave on ERA in 2007. http://www.wpaag.org/ERA%20-%20Schlafly%20Testimony%20in%20AR%202-7-07.htm

TRUTH About The Market Reaction To Obama's "Stimulus"

Obama Spending $36 BILLION A DAY

Uh....

Remember when Max and his troglodyte cronies used to complain all the time about "President Bush" spending $10 Billion a month in Iraq?

I can't find a peep from them about Obama spending $36 BILLION A DAY! That's how much his socialist, stimulus for government plan is costing us.

We're going to have to revise Tip O'Niell's famous statement, "a billion here, a billion there...pretty soon we're talking about real money." Under Obama, we're going to have to make it "a TRILLION here, a TRILLION there..."

And Now, The Rest Of The Story: Paul Harvey Passes Away

He will be missed.

Here's a link to an inspiring story about him from 2001.

Bill Proposed To Reduce Sentences On Meth Offenders

Ummm... Why?

Here's the link.

Reagan's Heir: And Now For A (The) Real Conservative

Here's the link to the other video footage of this American Classic.

Sanders: Save The Electoral College (The Influence Of Small States In Presidential Elections)

I'm thankful that David has decided to turn his heavy guns on this outrage. For a while, I felt like I was the only person who was going to cover this, aside from Max who thinks destroying the influence of small states is good.

David cuts right through all the fluffy, feel good propaganda for this travesty to the dire consequences if this passes through the Senate. The fact that a majority of House Members voted for this is a telling glimpse into the sad lack of understanding of what this will do to destroy the influence of small states, LIKE ARKANSAS, in presidential elections.

As David wisely points out, the Founding Fathers placed the Electoral College in the Constitution to protect states from the dominance of the federal government (a point I hadn't made, before) and small states from the dominance of big states. He also astutely points out that will of Arkansas's voters would have been thwarted in 2000 and 2008 if this bill had been the law.

It's up to the Senate, now, to determine whether Arkansas, and other small states, will lose one of the few Constitutional safeguards to protect us from the dominance of big states. This bill died in the Senate last session, so I'm hopeful. We will remember whether they vote to destroy our influence in presidential elections or to defend it.

Here's the link.

CPAC Straw Poll: Huckabee Places Distant 6th

The Huckster couldn't help but take a swipe at Gov. Sarah Palin in his speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference, suggesting that we need a "competent conservative". Considering the fact that Huck isn't A Conservative, it's laughable that he's even talking about it, but it was also a fortunate glimpse of the true nature of Mike Huckabee for the Conservative attendees and viewers of the conference. Mike Huckabee is a mean-spirited and vindictive person. He obviously thought that slighting Sarah Palin was very funny, but the "joke" fell with a thud before the live audience. It was an audience that, apparently, love Sarah Palin far more than they love the Huckster.

The results of CPAC's straw poll placed Sarah Palin in a tie with Ron Paul for 3rd place, with Huckabee in a distant 6th place with well below 10% of the total vote. The winner of CPAC, for the 3rd year running was former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, followed closely by Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal. It's comforting to see that the Conservative leaders and activists attending the most important Conservative gathering know that Mike Huckabee isn't someone we should want to lead us.

Here's the link.

Obama's Solution: Tax The Rich...They Don't Have Enough

The Wall Street Journal suggests that if you took 100% of every dollar from people earning $75,000 and you'd barely cover Obama's budget.

Of course, you have to keep in mind that if Obama did this, he couldn't do it two years in a row, because people would quit working at that rate of taxation.

Now, obviously, there won't be any 100% tax rates, but it illustrates that Obama's claim that he's going to pay for his massive socialist programs is a lie. He's going to have to raise taxes on the middle class, as well.

Here's the link.

Obama The LIAR...WND Coverage Of His Speech

"I'm proud that we passed the recovery plan free of earmarks, and I want to pass a budget next year that ensures that each dollar we spend reflects only our most important national priorities."

Ummmm.... There are over 8,000 slabs of pork in his Porkulus bill.

Here's the link.