by - August 24, 2014 1:14 pm
What is your default future?
Most people can predict and foresee their future. Granted we can’t see specific things like the date of our death or what the Dow Jones average will be in on…
Guest Commentary
by - August 17, 2014 10:51 am
Presidents, war and the ‘requisite skills’
In my last posting I wrote about the constitutional power of Congress in the act of taking the nation to war. The founding fathers seemed adamant on the idea that…
by - August 3, 2014 4:57 pm
‘Borrowing’ money from employees
Sometimes a business will find itself in a cash crunch and in need of quick cash. While many business owners go to the bank and borrow for their short term…
by - July 28, 2014 11:58 am
Lessons learned from the fall of Rome
In his book “The Collapse of Complex Societies,” anthropologist Joseph Tainter examines why civilizations such as the Roman Empire fell apart. Rome was powerful and seemingly invulnerable to decline, at…
by - July 27, 2014 4:51 pm
Seeking international investment
This past week, I returned from what is likely to be my last international trade mission as Governor of Arkansas. The journey to three European countries showcased the full range…
by - July 20, 2014 7:50 pm
Why are we waiting on people to die?
Saturday I was in a clothing store talking with the gentleman who, like me, was born and raised in Fort Smith. The conversation was casual, so naturally it wandered over…
by - July 14, 2014 8:24 pm
New EPA rules will hurt Arkansas
On June 2, the Environmental Protection Agency announced its most sweeping rulemaking yet, one that will affect every American but disproportionately affect every Arkansan. By restricting the use of coal,…
by - July 13, 2014 1:17 pm
Faith and politics
A new twist occurred July 1 in the U.S. Senate race between Congressman Tom Cotton (R- Dardanelle) and Senator Mark Pryor (D-Ark). In giving his reactions to the U.S. Supreme…
by - July 7, 2014 3:47 pm
Education beyond high school
Today’s economy is more competitive and more complicated than it was fifty years ago. Oklahomans entering the workforce today are not just competing against Texans; they are competing against Americans…
by - July 6, 2014 6:32 pm
Be careful with caring
On May 20 a Fort Smith convenience store, Mr. Jiff, was robbed. The lady working in the store at the time, Ms. Henry, was thrown to the floor by the…
by - June 29, 2014 6:28 pm
Beebe’s Special Session call
I have called the Arkansas General Assembly to Little Rock for an extraordinary session, often referred to as a special session. There are legislative issues to be addressed before the…
by - June 29, 2014 6:19 pm
The President’s war
The recent advances of the ISIS insurgency in Iraq, which threatens to undo what this country poured so much blood and treasure into is disturbing to many Americans, particularly veterans…
by - June 26, 2014 6:05 pm
A ‘Bold’ push for jobs
There’s something in the water. How else do you explain the success that Arkansas entrepreneurs have enjoyed over the past 50 years? There is no precedent for a state with…
by - June 22, 2014 8:32 pm
Trust and city government
Trusting people has its risk as well as its reward. Business works best when you can trust your employees to show up to work and work hard and when you…
by - June 15, 2014 6:21 pm
What did we gain in Iraq?
In May, my wife Cara and I had the pleasure of seeing her son graduate from the Army Academy at West Point. To watch so many young men and women…
by - June 8, 2014 9:55 pm
Would you invest in your business?
Many new business owners open for business with limited capital but unlimited dreams. If the market is cruel to their business concept, their limited capital becomes a capital shortage that…
by - June 4, 2014 9:31 pm
College student perspective
Now that May has ended thousands of newly minted college graduates in Arkansas will join the workforce – or at least they will try to join the workforce. Two recent…
by - May 29, 2014 5:41 pm
Arkansas’ income-parity struggle
A long-standing economic goal of Arkansas officials is to achieve 100% income parity with the United States. The goal is ambitious – overly so in the short-term but possible long-term…
by - May 28, 2014 7:15 pm
A hardware industry look-ahead
Sales of hardware related products look to be a sweet spot for retailers and suppliers in the months and years ahead. The recent announcement that U.S. regulators are backing off…
by - May 26, 2014 5:05 pm
Battling with documentation
Growing up my mother often would warn me as an inducement to behave or face the consequences, “Be sure your sins will find you out.” I have found throughout my…