Arkansas Blog

"It wasn't enough that the City Council readily voted with little public discussion to call an election for a tax to pay three-fourths of the cost of the convention center Hammons required for his hotel"

This was more about getting McDaniel elected that anything. Jason WIllet even had his hands on this to help McDaniel!

Here in NWA, Hammonds didn't ask for a dime to build his hotel and now his brand new attached convention center. What's up that he demands financial proping up from one community and not the other. Aren't the rooms and service priced comparatively?

Here in NWA, Hammonds didn't ask for a dime to build his hotel and now his brand new attached convention center. What's up that he demands financial proping up from one community and not the other? He'll, I'll build a new convention center in Jonesboro if someone else will pay for it and I can own it. Such a deal!

I was reading Max's column earlier today.

Is Max actually about to endorse, either forthright or implied, McDaniel for Attorney General?!?!?!

Holy Cow! What's next?

Kudos to the Jonesboro City Council for representing their constituants with honor and intergrity. For all of the good and charitable works Wallace Fowler does, he is used to ruling Jonesboro with an iron fist and getting his way.

It is nice to see that there are true public servants in Jonesboro that don't bow down under political pressure and instead do what is right for the people that they serve.

Bad news for McDaniel, assuming he makes the runoff. But that is a big assumption, word is that his fundraising has gone cold and that Herzfeld is attacking his Rx program. McDaniel needed the turnout help from Jonesboro. TROUBLE!

I'm glad that finally a tax grubbing developer is finally tols 'take a hike'. If only more cities would tell the welfare seekers the same maybe there would be justice foe long suffering taxpayers.

But, I am curious why this development is such a bad thing for Dustin McDaniel. Would one of the Herzfield or Suskie ringers on here mind explaining it to me? Huow about it 'Now what?' or 'mouthinfreely'?

Lovin' Max in Jonesboro:

Frankly I'm grateful to Max for pointing out a difference between the worthies seeking the AG suite. I've been undecided since filing season closed. I like them all, Herzfield especially, Suskie is an interesting candidate and McDaniel's TIF indiscretions have given me pause. But, the 'Choice' issue just about overcomes that concern.

Since the AGs office is a traditional stepping stone to the Govs chair and since we have 3 very attractive candidates, could it be possible that the air Clinton sucked out of the Democratic Party is finally being refilled?

Under the assumption McDaniel makes a runoff, he was counting on the local election to help swell turnout numbers. The local election was set for the same day as the runoff.

McDaniel and Willet worked HARD to get the tax vote on the same day as the runoff. I know they are good friends but I think that is going a little too far for a party chair. He should stay out of the race.

Run Off,

You should get your facts straight. McDaniel publicly and specifically expressed his opposition to the election being set on the run off day.

Call the Jonesboro Sun or Stephens Media and ask about his comments. You do not speak the truth, sir.

Rich folk can be so bitchy.

Didn't want the convention election set on the day of the runoff. Wink, wink.

Ask some of the council, Willet, or others in Jonesboro if Willet and McDaniel's campaign were not pushing for that date, if you want the truth. I know what I heard and I know from what GOOD source I heard it.

This gimmick was not about a local sales tax election. It was about the good ol-boys of Jonesboro (Willett, McDaniel & Harpoole) concocting a way to help Dusty get more votes in a run-off. That of course is assuming he is makes the run-off.

I heard Hammons realized he was being used as a tool to help McDaniel, got angry and dropped out. A bad move for Willett, McDaniel and their ilk.

The AT really seems to think this is funny and paints it as an attempt at a "backroom deal." It seems to me that the ELECTED city council was trying to strike a deal which was discussed at its PUBLIC meetings for the last two years. This is a deal that would continue the booming economic growth Jonesboro has experienced. Thanks to idiots like the AT, the council gave in to pressure and made a stupid mistake in trying to misword the ballot. If they "determined a need" then they should have prudly laid it before the voters. It is a need for this growing city. This is a major loss for Jonesboro and a major loss for Northeast Arkansas.

Yes, JB is growing, but, where is the need for a convention center?
Doesn't the Convocation Center fill the same need?

"Yes, JB is growing, but, where is the need for a convention center?
Doesn't the Convocation Center fill the same need?"

Where are convention goers supposed to lodge? Don't you dare tout one of those sleazy motels off the by-pass.

To answer your question, no, the convocation center does not meet the demands of many conventions and events that Jonesboro is losing to better facilities in other cities. You build a first-class modern convention center with an attached hotel, rather than relying on the ol' standby (which by the way is a sports arena), and people will come flocking to Jonesboro and pouring the tax dollars into the city and then it will grow more. The bottom line for you is, the convo doesn't cut it. The close-mindedness of certain people are stunting the growth of an incredible city that has serious potential to outgrow NWA.

Remember, "if you build it, they will come."

This has become quite a hot issue in Jonesboro, but it is not about whether you want the convention center or not.

John Q. Hammons assumed that with Wallace Fowler on board that the city council and other city officials would blindly accept his deal without public discussion or looking fully at proposal.

WIth that joke of a mayor, Formon, on board they took it to the city council. The council members did their job. They asked questions and decided that their constiutents should have something to say about what is going on in their city. They should absolutely applauded for doing the right thing. If Hammons and Fowler want to throw hissy fits, it just shows that things weren't on the up and up to begin with. If you have a solid proposal you shouldn't mind a little scrutiny.

Now in the meanwhile, you have Gary Harpole (Dustin McDaniel's consultant) and Jason Willett (Dustin McDaniel's best friend) pushing to get the tax increase on the ballot for the same day that the runoff for Attorney General will be held. Now if you believe that Gary, Jason and Dustin (not to mention Fowler and Formon) didn't want that to happen you are naive or stupid. It is typical Dustin. He is a liar and will say whatever he has to say to get his way. Sure he doesn't want that on the same day to help voter turnout for his runoff, while his consultant and best friend are doing everything possible to ensure that is exactly what happens.

I have absolutely had it with the Fowlers and McDaniels of this world that will say or do anything to get what they want. Well guys- sucks for you this time. You plan backfired and the people in Jonesboro are talking.

I still don't understand why or how this got bent into a pile of crap about Dustin McDaniel. I have met him, and don't like him. I do however like his TIF bill, which has helped our area grow quicker than it already would.
Jason Willet is trash, everyone knows it. Live with it.
As for Wallace Fowler, I have my doubts about him, but I truly believe he is working to make Jonesboro a better place. A better Jonesboro helps his bank. Two birds with one stone. It's still good for our community.
The real issue here is that the citizens of Jonesboro are now left without the option to decide if they want to help fund a convention center. The convocation center while a great facility for a basketball game, rodeo, or concert doesn't cut it for a convention center.
If my memory serves me ASU and another independent group did a study to "determine the need" of a convention center and it was determined.
Thanks Ark Times for providing a forum of mainly non-Jonesboro residents to complain about Jonesboro. Keep up the Great work!

Here's how it pertains to McDaniel, Harpole and Willet. The sales tax had to be proposed within a certain amount of days before the runoff in order to be put on the ballot the same day as the runoff. They tried to hurry it through quickly to beat the time crunch.

Insider baseball will come back to haunt McDaniel. I agree with eyeongubmint, McDaniel doesn't want an election on runoff day....wink, wink.

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