Column

by The City Wire staff - October 26, 2014 8:42 pm

Praising the Private Option

During his recent trip to Louisiana, Bill Clinton took time in his speech to thank the people of Louisiana. He thanked them for playing a role in paying for Arkansans’…

by The City Wire staff - October 26, 2014 7:17 pm

Red, blue or purple?

Will the political landscape in Arkansas change after Nov. 4? That’s just one of the many questions citizens are pondering as the final surge of political advertising makes it way…

by The City Wire staff - October 22, 2014 8:35 pm

Character actors

From the “By Their Actions People/Groups Will Show Their Character” category, the Fort Smith Board of Directors is willing to spend thousands of dollars in legal fees and risk a…

by The City Wire staff - October 19, 2014 5:59 pm

Striking down the voter ID law

The Arkansas Supreme Court, waiting until almost the last minute, finally affirmed what Gov. Mike Beebe tried to tell the Legislature back in 2013. And that was this: Any tweaking…

by The City Wire staff - October 12, 2014 2:34 pm

Let’s get on this horse

Now comes the Steel Horse Rally holding great potential to become an event annually drawing thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts to a downtown Fort Smith that through private and public development…

by The City Wire staff - October 12, 2014 12:33 pm

The old lion speaks

The youngest old lion in the pride of Arkansas’ politicians from the era of “retail politics” roared loudly this past week. And like him or not, his words still ring…

by The City Wire staff - October 5, 2014 7:43 pm

Raising the tax code Titanic

As elections approach, we hear much about what candidates and potential office holders will do when they arrive in Washington, D.C. One of the constant themes is the need to…

by The City Wire staff - October 5, 2014 7:40 pm

Amendment review

Every two years Arkansans are asked to vote on issues and this year there are five statewide ballot measures certified for the Nov. 4 ballot. Three of the five were…

by The City Wire staff - October 5, 2014 7:38 pm

Positive policy development

For too many years, when Arkansans talked about the price of their health insurance, good news was rare. For decades, costs have increased annually, hurting working families and leading to…

by The City Wire staff - September 28, 2014 4:51 pm

Economic engines

In Arkansas, economic development manifests itself in many ways. In the past 10 days, we've seen a constant stream of announcements that will bring good jobs and new opportunities to…

by The City Wire staff - September 28, 2014 4:48 pm

Private option politics

As the last month before the Nov. 4 general election draws near, activity has resumed to kick around that political football known as the Arkansas Private Option. There have been…

by The City Wire staff - September 22, 2014 4:25 pm

A population problem

“Population growth drives about half of all economic growth,” according to Thomas Piketty, the author of the bestselling book Capital in the 21st Century. If population growth accounts for about…

by Michael Tilley - September 21, 2014 5:25 pm

Guess who’s coming to dinner

Some or all members of the Fort Smith Board of Directors often gather at a restaurant following their regularly scheduled voting meetings. The media has not received advanced notice of…

by The City Wire staff - September 21, 2014 12:07 pm

Pryor’s foreign affairs dodge

A kink in the format may leave many disappointed that a platform for foreign affairs is not on the program in the first, and at present only televised debate, between…

by The City Wire staff - September 15, 2014 7:15 pm

Fite fights for military pay exemption

State Rep. Charlene Fite, R-Van Buren, apparently didn’t get the memo. The usual Arkansas state Representative heading into a second term, with only nominal, non-traditional opposition in November, is supposed…