Opinion

Politics and land-use planning in Craighead County

Maybe it’s the weather. A chilly and rainy April didn’t seem at all like the prelude to our usual hot, steamy election-year month of May in Arkansas, filled with equally…

Riff Raff: Pelican state pot, monument madness, and identification politics

One of the grow sites for medical marijuana in Louisiana is LSU. No joke. Won’t be ready this year, but 2019 tailgating in Baton Rouge could be a gold and…

Steel in cotton country

In Mississippi County, it has always been about the geography. The land and river determine our economics, our lifestyles and our history. First there was a great hardwood forest, full…

Riff Raff: A fortunate son

Editor’s note: This essay was first posted May 10, 2009. Happy Mother’s Day! –––––––––––––––– A lot has changed in Mom’s world. The world in 1949, the year of her birth,…

Talk Business & Politics editorial: The millage is a must

There was no Internet. The Berlin Wall stood. Saddam Hussein was an ally. Walmart was not yet a global retailer and there were no supercenters. American manufacturing dominated the world….

A smart investment

Self-employment is the dream for many Americans. It offers independence and allows one to determine his or her own success. In Arkansas, particularly in the transportation industry, we have a…

Learning from FinTechs to protect customers

A common dilemma for so many businesses is learning how to provide the best service and experience for their customers while staying ahead of — or adapting to — changes…

Beyond just funding

“Brick and Mortar Banks Are Dead” was the headline of a Business Insider story in October 2011. Other sentiments abound on online financing sites, but in a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem…

A call to action: Vote!

Overheard recently in the Craighead County office of the DF&A — or what most of us would call the state revenue office: Clerk: “Ma’am, are you registered to vote?” Customer…

Know your one thing

I saw a good friend over Easter, and he mentioned a recent accident that taught him an important lesson. He had stepped on a tenpenny nail that went deep in…

Driving growth begins with IP and girl power

After almost 20 years in intellectual property law, I’ve worked in and for everything from startups to conglomerates. All companies face the same pressures to stand out and create something…

Input sought for sales tax exemption report

On March 20, the Arkansas Legislative Tax Reform and Relief Task Force released 43 sales tax exemptions chosen for additional study. The exemptions on the list are being examined to…

Assessing the Democratic field for Congressional District 2

On April 4th, Talk Business & Politics and KATV gave voters their first opportunity to assess the candidates running for the Democratic nomination for Congress in the 2nd Congressional District….

Wind Catcher will benefit Arkansas customers, economy

Seven months after Southwestern Electric Power Company announced the Wind Catcher Energy Connection project, a couple of unknown groups have popped up to oppose lower electric rates and more renewable…

Riff Raff: A marijuana farm, a clown show, and a phrase factory

Golden Living has placed on the market its 318.000-square-foot Class A office building in Fort Smith. Would be an economic blow to Fort Smith and the state if the jobs…

Remember economic basics in the midst of trade turbulence

U.S. agricultural trade is being threatened by a storm of policy challenges and political rhetoric. As the political discussions continue, it’s important to not lose sight of the basic economic principles…

Connecting the scenery with the dollars

Twenty years ago, some expressed surprise when a route along Crowley’s Ridge in Eastern Arkansas was designated as the state’s first National Scenic Byway through the U.S. Department of Transportation….

Restaurants, guns and signs

During the 2017 legislative session, Arkansas enacted two new acts concerning public and private places and concealed handguns. While the act concerning concealed handguns on college campuses received much attention,…

Riff Raff: A burning bush, Jan and Andy, and the United States of Acquisitions

Much paperwork has been involved in this ongoing Charlie Foxtrot to implement medical marijuana use in Arkansas. Unfortunately, none of the paper is of the rolling variety. Not sure if…

Hacking your vote from inside your head

We recently learned some important lessons about the dangers inherent to losing control of your customer data, either through hacking, internal theft, or from poorly designed controls governing what your…