Switch to the mobile version of this page.

Arkansas Times

February 06, 2013 Columns » Editorials

We're gaining

Small, Southern, unwealthy, Arkansas has long been looked down on by the more prosperous states of the upper Midwest. Now the gap is closing. As we've reported previously, Michigan has copied Arkansas's anti-union "right to work" law, virtually assuring that per capita income in the peninsular state will drop to Arkansas levels. Welcome, Wolverines. Familiarize yourself with the food stamps.

Arkansas already has surpassed once-proud Wisconsin in the compensation of football coaches. The new Razorback coach, Bret Bielema, who came to Arkansas from the University of Wisconsin for a salary of $3.2 million, says that getting higher pay for his assistants too was one of the key reasons he changed jobs.

Bielema said that after Wisconsin defeated Nebraska in the Big 10 championship game, some of his assistants had approached him about job offers from other schools. "They were talking money that I can't bring them at Wisconsin. Wisconsin isn't wired to do that at this point. I just felt that for me and my future and my life and what I want to accomplish in the world of college football, I needed to have that ability to do that and thankfully I've found that here at Arkansas."

So unwired Wisconsin has the cheese, but Arkansas has the coaches. Both states have school teachers. Up to now, Wisconsin's have made considerably more money, but with an anti-union governor and legislature working to drive down teachers' pay, Wisconsin educators may not be much better off than Arkansas's before long. Although, there's an anti-teacher group in Arkansas that's hard at work too. If anybody can keep Arkansas teachers on bottom, the Billionaire Boys Club can.

        
Tweet
Share

« American Iran? | Fetuses rule »

more Columns »

Editorials archives »

Comments (1)

Showing 1-1 of 1

Add a comment

Subscribe to this thread:

By Email

With RSS

Showing 1-1 of 1

Latest in Editorials

Listen, UA

Any public-university trustees considering merger of their tax-supported teaching hospital with a Catholic hospital should ponder these wise words from Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
- May 16, 2013
Semi-tough

The 2013 legislature was protective of gun-carriers and red-light runners, but it came down hard on voters. The first two groups might kill a few people, (or a lot). The third might remove from office a few Republican legislators. This was seen as the greater danger by Republican legislators. Their priorities are different from normal people's.
- May 9, 2013
Which one?

The city of Beebe or Mike Beebe? It's not an easy question. They're both from White County, both have their merits, and their advocates. The town has gained fame for its dead birds; the man as a competent and moderate governor, perhaps the last of his kind.
- May 2, 2013
More »