by - February 22, 2013 4:12 pm
Veterans, abortions and steel
By the end of our 6th week in session, the Governor signed over 140 bills into law. 76 of those bills originated in the House. Over 450 bills have been filed in…
Guest Commentary
by - February 19, 2013 7:25 am
Return on investment
• The Senate Report : Week 5 review Let’s start with a simple premise. Money is finite. It can go anywhere. It is like water in that it will go where there is…
by - February 17, 2013 9:06 pm
State government and basic math
I’ve been fighting and arguing with a certain business assessor in the Sebastian County Tax Assessor Office for at least two years, probably more. I am right and she is…
by - February 11, 2013 10:52 am
Let’s talk about jobs
• Senate Report: Week 4 review The 89th General Assembly has passed a few bills thus far and has made headway on a few topics. We have had genuine conversation in…
by - February 6, 2013 5:26 pm
Busting GOP myths
“Government Doesn’t Create Jobs” “Arkansas is not a good jobs magnet.” The above phrases are among the top GOP mythologies parroted often by Republicans, with the first phrase even recited…
by - February 6, 2013 8:36 am
Walmart suppliers must embrace ‘startup mindset’
In the supplier community that circles its wagons around the Walmart corporate headquarters in Bentonville, change is constant. Ten years ago companies like Heinz, Pepsi, and Kellogg’s had teams on…
by - February 5, 2013 2:33 pm
The Oklahoma report
In recent years, Oklahoma’s state government has played a vital supporting role to the private sector, helping to promote a business friendly environment that has lead to a net gain…
by - February 4, 2013 12:12 pm
Bill filing and bill killing
• Senate Report: Week 3 review This past week saw some extremely positive news from the Governor with the announcement of our state’s first “Super Project” which happened to be…
by - February 3, 2013 4:13 pm
Open season
Tax Season 2013 is open! Kind of. Jan. 30 marked the first day that individual taxpayers were able to file their federal income tax returns. This day was later than…
by - February 1, 2013 2:17 pm
A week for job news
This week, Arkansas landed the largest economic-development project in its history. Big River Steel plans to build a $1.1 billion steel mill near Osceola that will employ 525 people. The…
by - January 21, 2013 1:10 pm
The debates begin
• Senate Report: Week 1 review If pomp and circumstance is appealing to you, then the first couple of days of the Session would be quite exciting. There are grand gestures…
by - January 20, 2013 6:36 pm
Staying under 50
An obstacle to small business growth beginning in 2014 is the provision of the Affordable Care Act that requires businesses with more than 50 full-time equivalent employees to provide their…
by - January 17, 2013 6:26 pm
The confidence factor
Confidence is a funny thing. The mere existence of confidence about the future among the players in an economy can lead to growth, while the absence of assurance often guarantees…
by - January 15, 2013 7:34 am
To hell with political parties
The movers, shakers, entrepreneurs, job creators and individual Americans have become the pawns of the federal government. Washington is displaying the most inept leadership, anti-business environment and confusion that I…
by - January 14, 2013 2:43 pm
The Session begins
After all the talking, scheming, and planning, it is time to begin. Monday marks the first day of the 89th General Assembly, and it will look quite different from anything…
by - January 6, 2013 6:09 pm
Are you an ID theft contributor?
Give me your name, address, birth date, and Social Security number and I can become you. That is identity theft. If I can get your credit card or your bank…
by - December 30, 2012 9:58 am
Allow for campus defense
The Arkansas State Legislature will once again consider if concealed carry will apply to the campuses of state colleges and universities. Good. Maybe this time, they’ll get it right. Those…
by - December 27, 2012 8:35 pm
2013 housing market outlook
It’s safe to say that members of the real estate business will look back at 2012 as one of the best years when it comes to low mortgage rates. For…
by - December 27, 2012 7:47 pm
The rate game
It seems that mortgage interest rates are difficult to predict. Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen both economists and mortgage bankers trying to figure out when rates will…
by - December 23, 2012 3:49 pm
Don’t hate yourself; consider these resolutions
New Year’s resolutions, as a rule, fail miserably. The two most common New Year’s resolutions people make are to start an exercise program and to eat better. When I step…