by - February 12, 2019 3:55 pm
A fine line on tax cuts
Before joining the Oklahoma legislature in 2008, I was a small business owner for 22 years. During that time, I learned firsthand how things like red-tape and high taxes could…
Opinion
by - February 11, 2019 5:53 pm
Riff Raff: Finding an Arkansan to stand with Bates
His music was patriotic and subversive. He told us “The One On The Right Is On The Left.” He talked social justice for Native Americans and minorities and folks in…
by - February 10, 2019 1:39 pm
Another banner year ahead
There has been amazing growth and activity in the commercial real estate (CRE) market in Northwest Arkansas consistently over the past decade. In fact, according to data from Costar, in…
by - February 8, 2019 3:01 pm
Following the money to a happy stomach and a healthier lifestyle
We’ve all heard that old saying that, “When they say it’s not about money, it’s about money.” But it was interesting to note that recently Dr. Linda McGhee, a family…
by - February 6, 2019 2:33 pm
Home buying forecast: Trends to know
Expect 2019 to be another strong year for the Northwest Arkansas real estate market, even though the national home buying picture may be somewhat meager in comparison. Nationally, home buying…
by - February 5, 2019 4:47 pm
For a better state of health
Every January as the new year rolls around, the United Health Foundation releases its America’s Health rankings showing how the health of Arkansans compares with other American states. We use…
by - February 4, 2019 6:58 pm
Riff Raff: Let’s put the ‘public’ in Public Facilities Board
An initial response from the Fort Smith city administrator reflects the city’s persistent and puzzling tone-deaf default setting, but the city has an opportunity to pivot from past practices and…
by - February 4, 2019 12:31 am
Threatened by regulation and new business models, PBMs should show their ability to improve patient outcomes
A recent opinion piece submitted to Talk Business and Politics by Dr. Edmund Pezalla of the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy in Washington, D.C. and a corporate executive for Aetna…
by - February 2, 2019 12:47 pm
A look back and into the future
In 2018, the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) completed 216 business recruitment, retention and expansion projects. That translates to more than 4,300 new jobs, with a capital investment of $1.6…
by - January 31, 2019 9:51 pm
Small Business, Big Opportunities: The State of Small Business in Arkansas
Despite what you hear in the news about congressional gridlock and fears of a possible recession, nearly one-quarter of small businesses believe this is a good time to expand. That’s…
by - January 29, 2019 2:49 pm
Focused on affordability, PBMs hold drugmakers accountable for consumers
Last year, Arkansas lawmakers debated the role pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, should play in the state’s health care system. PBMs negotiate rebates and price concessions from big drug companies…
by - January 27, 2019 4:39 pm
Why STEM matters: Future jobs and livelihoods depend on it
Trends with robotics and AI, coupled with the socio-political milieu are all leading to a future where most available “good” jobs will be STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) jobs….
by - January 21, 2019 7:40 am
Walmart.com’s right to win
Depending how Apple and Walmart performed in the month of December will determine who finishes the year No. 3 in American online sales for 2018. Assuming Walmart continues its winning…
by - January 17, 2019 11:11 pm
Will your small town die?
Many prognosticators are predicting the death of small-town America. Statistics from the census department seem to concur. About 81% of Americans are classified as living in an urban environment. Small…
by - January 14, 2019 8:43 pm
Diversity leads to better decisions
In politics, a word can become divisive. This can be said of the word “diversity” as well as phrases like “healthcare reform.” You might ask what these two things have…
by - January 13, 2019 12:04 pm
Sausage-making, shotguns and Bowie knives
A friend who once worked in the Washington, D.C., office of a congressman often quoted the aphorism widely credited to Otto von Bismarck that one should never watch laws or…
by - January 8, 2019 12:26 am
On-trend: Marketing in 2019
Scroll. Like. Scroll. Repeat. Now more than ever, American consumers are adopting an “always-on” mentality. We’re endlessly surfing the web, swiping through Instagram or streaming the latest hit show on…
by - January 4, 2019 5:34 pm
Gov. Hutchinson warns medical marijuana users on travel across state lines
When I was administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, I never dreamed I would be governor with the responsibility of implementing the dispensing of medical marijuana. But the voters approved…
by - January 3, 2019 1:30 pm
Random thoughts sitting in traffic at Rainbow Curve
Sometimes when I’m in Little Rock speaking with a legislator or stakeholder group about the need to upgrade Arkansas roads and bridges, I think about Rainbow Curve in Bentonville. More…
by - January 1, 2019 9:43 am
Riff Raff: Still on the watch …
Editor’s note: This essay first appeared Dec. 28, 2008, on The City Wire, now Talk Business & Politics. It continues to be an appropriate note to begin a new year. …