Friday, December 31, 2010
Auld lang syne
It's 2011 somewhere. Kiss somebody.
The last open line of the year begins.
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Law Thyer sworn in as U.S. attorney
Chris Thyer, the former Jonesboro legislator, was sworn in today as U.S. attorney in a private ceremony by Judge Leon Holmes. He was nominated Dec. 1 by President Obama and confirmed by the Senate Dec. 22. He'll go right to work. A formal ceremony will be held later.
In a prepared release, he said:
"I am humbled and honored that the President and the Senate have entrusted me to fill this important position. I truly stand on the shoulders of the great men and women who have held this position before me. And, just as important, I am very excited to work with some of the finest attorneys in Arkansas who work tirelessly on behalf of our country," Thyer said.
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Farewell to 2010
* A torch begins passing with David Koon's assumption of Bob Lancaster's historic role as chronicler of the best and worst of the year in Arkansas. There is only one Bob Lancaster, but I think you'll agree David is cut from a similarly entertaining fabric. Lots of Tommy Durham ("Orval") cartoons with this, too. Lancaster, by the way, has predictions for 2011.
* Indulge me one last time (this year) on the Little Rock good suit club's protection of its own — themselves and free-spending soap salesmen like the director of the Little Rock National Airport. In short: If things are so great, why don't the numbers show it?
*Gerard Matthews reports on whether Central Arkansas Water is backsliding on Lake Maumelle watershed protection in deference to development interests. Naturally, they say not. Naturally, the environmental activists who've battled developers for years have some doubts.
* Ernest Dumas has some conservative legislation for the incoming conservative legislature to consider.
Encourage alternative energy sources.Level the tax playing field for small Arkansas businesses by ending the tax dodges for multistate corporations, a tax-reduction scheme that only increases the pressure to raise taxes on the rest of us.
Join with Sheffield Nelson in his pitch to make out-of-state investors (particularly from Texas) pay for the damage they are doing to road and environment with gas drilling through a more meaningful severance tax.
Emulate former Gov. Mike Huckabee and push to reduce the population of state prisons.
Save money and reduce government? These are ways to do it.
* It is, of course, New Year's Eve. Looking for a party? Lindsey Millar has plenty of suggestions.
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Economy New voodoo is more doodoo
Paul Krugman predicts disaster from the new Republican thinking, to be embodied in Republican House rules: Deficits created by tax cuts don't count.
As the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities points out, the incoming House majority plans to make changes in the “pay-as-you-go” rules — rules that are supposed to enforce responsible budgeting — that effectively implement Mr. Kyl’s principle. Spending increases will have to be offset, but revenue losses from tax cuts won’t. Oh, and revenue increases, even if they come from the elimination of tax loopholes, won’t count either: any spending increase must be offset by spending cuts elsewhere; it can’t be paid for with additional taxes.So if taxes don’t matter, does the incoming majority have a realistic plan to cut spending? Of course not. Republicans say that they want to cut $100 billion in spending, which is itself small change in a $3.6 trillion federal budget. But they also say that defense, Medicare and Social Security — all the big-ticket items — are off the table. So they’re talking about a 20 percent cut in what’s left, which includes things like running the judicial system and operating the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; they have offered no specifics about where the cuts will fall.
More tax cuts and trivial spending cuts will mean bigger deficits. But, suddenly, they don't seem so perilous as they did when Democrats were in the majority.
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Keep an eye on the sky UPDATE
The warm, moist air this morning doesn't bode well as a cold front approaches.
Already, a report of a tornado in rural Washington County that hit three structures.
UPDATE: The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management reports that three people were killed in the community of Cincinnati in western Washington County and that storm damage has been reported in Benton and Madison Counties. Highway 59 near Cincinnati was closed by downed trees. A sheriff's office dispatcher told Channel 7 there may be additional injuries. Authorities say the dead were an elderly couple found in their home near a local store and a 78-year-old man who had been milking cows in a barn nearby.
There are widespread power outages in the northwest corner of the state.
PHOTOS: Good photos of the damage from a Twitterer, omahog, who lives in Prairie Grove.
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Politics How fancy the inaugural?
The New York Times today weighs the approach of a variety of new governors to their coming inaugural festivities. Rick Scott in Florida is putting on something worthy of a French king.
To warm up the Florida crowds for his inauguration as governor, Rick Scott has been flying around the state this week on a seven-city “appreciation” tour. For the main event on Tuesday, he will lead a parade featuring 26 marching bands, followed by a black-tie dinner for 2,100 people, with oysters Rockefeller and fried calamari served in mini-martini glasses. “Real classy,” said Christy Noftz, who is overseeing the catering.
The article didn't indicate whether, beyond lavish banquets, any governor is rounding up contributions to buy jewelry and duds for a first lady, as was done in the Huckabee era in Arkansas. Indeed, occasions of state pomp often were accompanied by gifts for the Huckabees, such as at the grand opening of the governor's mansion reception hall — named for the first lady, who was also gifted by a tax-free charity with thousands of dollars worth of china and crystal. She later gave up the gifts after controversy arose over use of the Mansion friends' group to raise money for the first lady's benefit, rather than that of the mansion.
Second-term Gov. Mike Beebe didn't make the list of governors featured in the Times article. He had previously announced a fairly typical inaugural lineup — a casual dinner the night before at Cajun's Wharf and a $100-per-person ball at the Statehouse Convention Center the night of the swearing-in. If custom follows, familiar corporate names will help with the cost and by buying blocks of tickets.
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Thursday, December 30, 2010
The line is open
The Thursday line begins now.
But, first, could we agree that the elusive Fred Smith, the former Harlem Globetrotter of questionable residency and currently facing a theft charge, would do us all a service by declining to take his seat in the legislature? He's been a subject of controversy for months.
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Sorry, Paul, about that Kodachrome
Several have noted an Arkansas angle in the farewell feature as fans made a last run to the final processing company in Parsons, Kan.
In the span of minutes this week, two such visitors arrived. The first was a railroad worker who had driven from Arkansas to pick up 1,580 rolls of film that he had just paid $15,798 to develop. The second was an artist who had driven directly here after flying from London to Wichita, Kan., on her first trip to the United States to turn in three rolls of film and shoot five more before the processing deadline.The artist, Aliceson Carter, 42, was incredulous as she watched the railroad worker, Jim DeNike, 53, loading a dozen boxes that contained nearly 50,000 slides into his old maroon Pontiac. He explained that every picture inside was of railroad trains and that he had borrowed money from his father’s retirement account to pay for developing them.
“That’s crazy to me,” Ms. Carter said. Then she snapped a picture of Mr. DeNike on one of her last rolls.
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Arkansas Lottery Those lottery riches
No decision yet, but words were uttered at the Capitol today about trimming back the amount of lottery scholarships. Maybe by $500 per year.
More demand from qualifying students may mean less money per scholarship. Unless we can figure out ways to separate more people from more money at the lottery ticket windows.
Love the lottery, if you must. Love the scholarship money — certainly if you're a beneficiary. Just don't kid yourself about this being a bonanza for universities.
There was a telling figure in the paper today in the discussion of tying Arkansas college funding to performance — such as graduation rates. In the 10 years ending 2008-09, the amount of money provided by the state toward a full-time student's education dropped from 62 percent to 49 percent of the cost. That share will continue to drop, despite the constitutional requirement that lottery money not reduce the state's spending on colleges. In raw dollars, if spending is $1 more from one year to the next, the Constitution is satisfied. But students will still get farther and farther behind as increasing costs and tuition and fees outstrip everything else, including a lottery scholarship award that seems likely to similarly decline in value over time. $5,000 (or less) next year won't be worth nearly as much in 2020.
Perhaps Ernie P. has a solution. That's why we're paying him the big bucks, right?
PS — The hateful Family Council strikes with an I-told-you-so news release about the talk of reduction in scholarship assistance. They oppose the lottery on religious grounnds and good for them if that's their thing. But it is disingenuous by a lot to suggest cutting lottery pay would have much impact on scholarship amounts. The reason only 22 percent is paid out in winnings is that the most significant portion of the rest is paid in winnings to keep the suckers coming back.
PPS — Lt. Gov. Bill Halter, driving force behind the lottery's creation, notes that good factors could be contributing to the situation, specifically more people receiving scholarships and more heading to more expensive four-year colleges. His statement:
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A match made in heaven
Judith Miller and Newsmax. They make Fox look middle-of-the-road.
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Education Who'll check the historians?
There's been quite a bit of reporting lately on errors found in the textbooks used to teach state and U.S. history in Virginia. Notably, some Civil War mythology — about the supposed huge number of happy black folks who fought for the Confederacy — was included in the text on the strength of a so-called historian's reliance on an Internet search that took her to the unreconstructed Sons of Confederate Veterans for her material.
This raises the question, naturally, about the quality of texts used everywhere. Historian, you out there? Any idea if any independent vetting has been done on Arkansas texts?
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Police beat Man shot by police in NLR
Fox 16 is reporting that a man was fatally shot by North Little Rock police this morning at a Valero station at 9600 Highway 165, the England Highway. Channel 4 says the shooting occurred about 8:30 a.m. and folllowed a report of a suspicious person there. The man reportedly was shot after pulling a gun. Fox 16's update
Police were doing morning checks on businesses when they were flagged down and told a man was sitting in a car on the side of the Valero building. When officers checked on him, he wouldn't come out of his car or respond to them.The suspect finally got out of his car and pointed a handgun at the officers. They told him to drop the gun and when he would not, they shot him.
The suspect died at the scene. He has not been identified yet.
North Little Rock police are still on the scene interviewing witnesses.
UPDATE: New information reveals three officers who'd been on coffee break surrounded the man, who may have threatened suicide.
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Eats Why the black-eyed pea?
- roadfood.com
- GOOD LUCK: A mess of black-eyed peas.
An op-ed writer in the Times writes about the black-eyed pea's place as a food item of good fortune at the opening of the New Year.
Just as nobody is sure of the origin of the name Hoppin’ John, no one seems quite certain why the dish has become associated with luck, or New Year’s. Some white Southerners claim that black-eyed peas saved families from starvation during the Union Army’s siege of Vicksburg in the Civil War. “The Encyclopedia of Jewish Food” suggests that it may come from Sephardic Jews, who included the peas in their Rosh Hashana menu as a symbol of fertility and prosperity.For African-Americans, the connection between beans and fortune is surely complex. Perhaps, because dried black-eyed peas can be germinated, having some extra on hand at the New Year guaranteed sustenance provided by a new crop of the fast-growing vines. The black-eyed pea and rice combination also forms a complete protein, offering all of the essential amino acids. During slavery, one ensured of such nourishment was lucky indeed.
Whatever the exact reason, black-eyed peas with rice form one corner of the African-American New Year’s culinary trinity: greens, beans and pig. The greens symbolize greenbacks (or “folding money”) and may be collards, mustards or even cabbage. The pork is a remembrance of our enslaved forebears, who were given the less noble parts of the pig as food. But without the black-eyed pea, which journeyed from Africa to the New World, it just isn’t New Year’s — at least not a lucky one.
Any day that includes black-eyed peas rich with pigmeat, a side of creamy cole slaw and a cast-iron skillet full of cornbread is not a bad day.
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Hidden Hillcrest
For another slow day: I've lived just downhill from the Ozark Point water treatment plant for more than 20 years, but never had a clue what it might look like inside. For techno-wonks, an interesting tour on the YouTube video.
UPDATE: I've removed the YouTube link. Central Arkansas Water has freaked out about the videographer's tour of the water treatment plant. Security interests cited, though none specific. As a favor to them, I've removed my link to the YouTube video, which I'd provided for architectural interest of a familiar local structure. I wish water officials demonstrated similar fervor about what developers or other malefactors are likely to dump into the city water supply through lax regulations of the Lake Maumelle watershed.
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Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Tonight's thread
The line is open. How slow was it today? Consider this breaking news headline via Twitter from KATV this afternoon:
Texas High Plains cash grain markets closed unchanged to 2 cents higher on grain sorghum.
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Event Calendar
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Re: Riverfest eve open line UPDATE
I have several friends who work for the Stephens newspapers in Northwest Arkansas. I hope…
- on May 24, 2012
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Re: Surgeon general strikes deal on disturbance charges
What a wash.
- on May 24, 2012
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Re: Riverfest eve open line UPDATE
plainjim, I agree with you..can't understand how you can start your day without a newspaper,…
- on May 24, 2012
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Police close the Occupy Little Rock camp, perhaps the last Occupy encampment on public land.
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May 24, 2012Winners of more than half a dozen races could change when missing votes are added. fox16.com /more/ -
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May 24, 2012Two Little Rock police officers were arrested Thursday on federal drug charges, accusing them of helping possess and distribute 1,400 pounds of marijuana. fox16.com /more/
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