Author: Talk Business

Talk Business

Manufacturing Jobs Reach State, National Lows

Arkansas has witnessed a disturbing decline in manufacturing employment for decades, but the latest state jobless report depicts a new milestone.

Talk Business-hendrix College Poll: Congressional Approval Numbers

Talk Business and Hendrix College continue our partnership to provide you with timely polling data related to Arkansas politics.

Tolbert Toon: The Most Interesting Man In The Senate

It has been a few weeks since we have had a good ole’ Tolbert Toon submission. Today’s pokes fun at Sen. Bruce "Fireball" Holland. (And no matter what my blogging counterpart Michael Cook calls him – the nickname is "Fireball.")

Could this man in the cowboy hat with the fast car be the most interesting man in the Senate?

Insurance Commissioner Asks Legislators For Green Light On Hcr Planning Grants

Arkansas Insurance Commissioner Jay Bradford met informally with state legislators at noon today to discuss the progress on setting up health insurance exchanges. Currently, Arkansas has applied for and received "Level 1" funding to plan for the implementation of a state health care exchange, which is one component of the ObamaCare/Federal Health Care Reform.

Beebe’s Double Dipper $161 Million Problem

Roby Brock nicely rounds up a story first picked up in Arkansas by David Kinkade over on The Arkansas Project. Apparently, the folks at the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services have been paying erroneus unemployment benefits to the tune of $161 million.

In comments provided to Talk Business, a spokesperson for the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services, Kimberly Friedman, tries to blame the problems on the "high volume of unemployment insurance claims" they are having to process during the recession and on the requirement to pay unemployment claims within seven days.

There are of course lots of follow up questions there, but a $161 million problem like this really deserves some explanation from the man in charge – DWS Director Artee Williams. You will recall that Williams retired this summer, but only for 30 days. He is back on the payroll now — officially a double dipper drawing both a salary and a pension.

Beebe defended rehiring him at the time with his spokesman telling the Arkansas Times that he was "someone we cannot lose…he’s taken a larger role than anyone in that position has. He’s done an exemplary job."

Here’s a question: how did such an "exemplary, must-have" employee let this big of an error take place on his watch?

I am sure this is a question our statewide daily newspaper will ask eventually. It did not make it into today’s edition as it appears they are working instead on the story about a state legislator – Rep. Denny Altes – who called about a problem his business was having with unemployment and happened to mention his status as a legislator.

"Interesting talk with DWS Director Williams," tweeted Sen. Jonathan Dismang this morning who has made unemployment reform one of his signature issues. "He positively commented that the DOL study showed they were doing it right 90% of the time. An interesting perspective on doing it wrong one out of every ten times and costing employers $161 million."

Denny Altes: Abuse Of Power?

It seems like every other week a Republican state legislator is in the news for acting badly in some form or another.

Arkansas Jobless Rate Rises For Fourth Straight Month

Arkansas’ August unemployment rate rose to 8.3% – the fourth straight month of an increase and another 24-year high – as the number of those without jobs continues to rise.

Four In Congress Vote To Curb Nlrb Influence

All four of Arkansas’ Congressmen voted in favor of a measure aimed at curtailing the National Labor Relations Board influence in business decisions involving unionized and right-to-work states.

$161 Million In Misspent Unemployment Benefits Revealed (updated)

New data from the U.S. Department of Labor indicate that Arkansas apparently made $161 million in erroneous unemployment payments during a time when the state’s trust fund for benefits ran a deficit.

Whirlpool Jobs Could Drop By January

The news continues to be less than optimistic about the future of Whirlpool’s massive production and warehousing facility in Fort Smith, with a source saying total employment could dip to 650 by January.

Postal Service Eyeing Consolidations To Little Rock

A U.S. Postal Service proposal that would essentially move all mail processing in Arkansas to Little Rock would result in lengthier mail delivery times and the loss of more than 200 jobs in Northwest Arkansas and Fort Smith.

Jeff Nichols Latest Film To Get Advance Screening In Lr

Rising filmmaker Jeff Nichols, a Little Rock native who will film a major motion picture in Arkansas later this year, will have an advance private screening of his current movie, "Take Shelter," later this month.

Haley Service To Be Held On Monday At Clinton Library

Ruebel Funeral Home is coordinating the memorial services for Maria Haley, the director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission who died earlier this week.

Wal-mart Launches 5-year, $20 Billion Global Women’s Initiative

Just months after the U.S. Supreme Court tossed the class-action lawsuit status of a case accusing Wal-Mart of treating its female employees with bias, the world’s largest retailer launched a global initiative aimed at boosting opportunities for women in the U.S. and abroad.