by - November 23, 2014 8:26 pm
Luck, planning and failure
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. This is one of those proverbs that I heard decades ago and it just stuck in my memory. I’m sure it…
Guest Commentary
by - November 17, 2014 8:12 pm
Debt collectors and prosecuting attorneys’ letterhead
It took about five years, but the American Bar Association (ABA) released an opinion stating that prosecuting attorneys shouldn’t give their letterhead to bill collectors. According to a formal opinion…
by - November 16, 2014 5:49 pm
Beebe’s final budget proposal
During my last year in office, I have visited many annual events and celebrated many annual traditions with a sense of nostalgia. At each of these occasions, I was acutely…
by - November 16, 2014 5:03 pm
Arkansas’ political market share shift
The natural state of economic affairs in a market economy revolves around the interaction between supply and demand. When there is competition between suppliers over a share of the demand…
by - November 5, 2014 3:23 pm
Notes on the GOP sweep in Arkansas
I speak to a number of groups week in, week out. Often, I share my analysis and observations about the business and political landscape of Arkansas from what I hope…
by - November 2, 2014 7:06 pm
Cash, lies and politics
If there was ever a year that I despised the political campaign season it is this year, 2014. Every time I turned on the television I was accosted by political…
by - November 2, 2014 4:50 pm
Another look at health care reform
Since health care has been such a critical issue in the Arkansas senatorial election, it seems appropriate to offer some facts and analysis. Let me state up front this is…
by - 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 - 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 - October 19, 2014 4:27 pm
The ‘when?’ of business ownership
Owning a small business is no easy task. Starting a business from scratch, however, requires a mental deficiency or youth. My own excuse decades ago was youth. There are advantages…
by - October 19, 2014 4:10 pm
Too much ‘fight’ in Cotton’s campaigning
Dear Congressman Cotton: Conventional political wisdom buttressed by successive survey data suggests that you represent one of the best opportunities Republicans have in their effort to take over the U.S….
by - October 12, 2014 2:04 pm
AP scores show gains in Arkansas’ education system
Education continues to be our top priority in Arkansas, and we know that one of our biggest educational challenges is increasing the number of Arkansans who earn college degrees. This…
by - October 6, 2014 3:36 pm
Try to avoid federal ‘help’
The U.S. Department of Labor Promises help is on the way. What comforting words … help is on the way. But why don’t I feel better? “Work in Progress,” the…
by - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - September 14, 2014 2:54 pm
A primer on Iraq’s troubled history
My last post, which I wrote soon after the troubles began in Iraq, noted that the treasure and blood we poured out into the sands of Iraq had not brought…
by - September 8, 2014 10:17 pm
Telling stories so we never forget
Thirteen years ago this Thursday our world changed. The unimaginable happened. We will never forget that morning: where we were, who we were with, what we saw, what we said,…
by - September 7, 2014 9:48 pm
Science and technology necessary for jobs
With every passing year, science and technology grow more and more important to economic success. It is research that fuels technology's advances and creates opportunities for tomorrow. Therefore, one of…