by - June 17, 2012 10:48 pm
Hoodwinked
In explaining why individualized trash collection preference is a right of citizenship beyond the whims of collective governance, Fort Smith Director Philip Merry Jr. says the city is not necessarily…
Opinion
by - June 17, 2012 3:14 pm
2% or 20%?
A friend related to me a conversation he had a few years back with a yellow pages salesman. The salesman was explaining to him the difference, in his opinion, between…
by - June 17, 2012 3:02 pm
Lighting a candle
This past June 5 saw the Fayetteville City Council take action on a resolution supporting the “Move to Amend” coalition that is campaigning for passage of a constitutional amendment to…
by - June 12, 2012 3:03 pm
Boring banking not the answer
If only banking were boring again, as it was from the end of World War II to about 1980, our financial system and economy would be in much better shape,…
by - June 10, 2012 9:05 pm
Getting it right
If Fort Smith is to be successful in developing amenities and infrastructure that support diversified job and wage growth in the region, public-private partnerships (P3s) will be vital. The number…
by - June 10, 2012 12:03 pm
Known knowns in Presidential race
This year’s presidential race is considered a tossup by both sides, and unforeseen events could prove determinative: contagion from the European economic crisis, war or terrorism. The largest imponderable is…
by - June 6, 2012 11:34 am
Oklahoma changes
This year’s legislative session included a number of major policy victories that will save taxpayer dollars, deliver more efficient government services and create an environment more conducive to job creation….
by - June 3, 2012 5:07 pm
The micromanaging thing
The debate in Fort Smith between automated and non-automated trash collection with 2,402 households among all 28,673 households is instructive in that it well serves as an obvious symptom of…
by - June 3, 2012 2:55 pm
The protest thing
President Barack Obama garnered nearly 60% of the vote in last month’s Democratic primary — enough to place first place, of course, but enough to embarrass too. A Tennessee lawyer…
by - June 3, 2012 2:45 pm
The mission thing
A month or so ago, I mentioned to a friend and colleague that we needed to plan the direction of our firm over the next couple of years. He responded…
by - May 31, 2012 7:38 pm
NASA must think bigger
On Thursday, a space capsule known as the Dragon touched down in the Pacific Ocean. After launching into orbit May 22, the capsule had performed a series of complicated maneuvers,…
by - May 28, 2012 6:50 pm
This can’t be BS
Many metro areas around the country have what was once referred to as a “good suits” club — a collection of well-resourced business decision makers able to build or sustain…
by - May 28, 2012 10:22 am
Realtors and severance taxes
If proponents of a higher severance tax gather enough signatures, that measure may be presented to Arkansas voters on the November background. The severance tax proposal, if approved, will raise…
by - May 23, 2012 5:11 pm
College crackup and the online future
In the coming decade, emerging technologies will thoroughly transform higher education. Although distance learning and computer-assisted education have been around since the 1960s, financial pressures are forcing institutions to develop…
by - May 22, 2012 7:08 pm
The college cave
Excessive specialization has created a culture of expertise that has distorted higher education and had a negative impact on faculty members, students and the broader society. While global transportation, communications…
by - May 21, 2012 9:09 pm
Competition is killing higher education
Competition, we are constantly told, encourages individuals, institutions and companies to take the risks necessary for innovation and efficiency. But in higher education, competition often discourages risk taking, leads to…
by - May 20, 2012 4:07 pm
Early disqualification
In light of bullying allegations against presumptive GOP Presidential Nominee Mitt Romney when he was a high school student, I feel it necessary to come clean before being outed by…
by - May 20, 2012 4:02 pm
Maybe Coburn?
Beyond the colorful pageantry implicit in even the most ambitious of presidential campaigns, reality says the presumptive party nominee who challenges a sitting commander-in-chief holds little control over the outcome,…
by - May 19, 2012 11:42 am
Job polarization solutions
The worsening crisis in Europe and the slow recovery in the U.S. are distracting attention from a longer-term problem. Across the developed world, well-paid jobs in the middle of the…
by - May 18, 2012 6:06 pm
Work values
Work is a worthwhile endeavor. Hard work is what made the United States of America the world’s greatest economic power. By hard work, I don’t mean just brute force. It’s…