Arkansas Blog

Coverage from the Tupleo paper
Copy and paste
http://www.djournal.com/pages/story.asp?ID=237865&pub=1&div=News

Interesting to note that the article said long-standing relationships made the difference for Mississippi. If Huckabee hadn't been term-limited out, would Arkansas have then gotten the plant?
I'll let the more learned ones debate that.

Best bit about Arkansas:
Gray Swoope, executive director of the Mississippi Development Authority, said the state did its part in honoring Toyota's request not to mention its interest in Wellspring. So even as Marion and Chattanooga were making the headlines, Swoope said, it was at times amusing to watch the media speculate where the plant was going.
"It was humorous at times to read some of the articles that were coming out, knowing what we were doing at the time," he said. "But we were staying focused on the project, and that was important.

And more coverage
http://www.djournal.com/pages/story.asp?ID=237864&pub=1&div=News

Again with the copy and paste

But by damn we sure know more about the Lord than N.J., Mass, or Calif.

No queers gettin married here.
_

Not sure about MA but do a fair amount of business in CA and NJ, where I spend a good deal of time, and I'll tell you they both are vibrant, dynamic places to do business. And that is pretty much statewide.

Don't know where NJ gets its tarnished reputation from, probably because the part most visitors see is the NJ Turnpike corridor or Sopranos, but that state is beautiful. It is number one in per capita income in entire United States, and has awesome public and the best private schools in he country networked across the state.

In my opinion, if you took the cities of Neward, Camden, Paterson and Jersey City out of NJ you might just have Shangri la. And to be honest, the rest of the Jew Jerseyites never really mix with those areas anyway so they have no real bearing on how they see their state.

And CA. is the 7th largest economy in the world and it is humming along.

As to who knows the Lord? You can keep your Fundamentalist Jesus as your albatross if yoiu like but the "non fundamentlist" leaning stateswith a higher percentage of college educated critical thinkers just keep chugging along.

Is there a connection.? I think so.

Just for whatever it's worth Gray Swope started his economic development career here at ADED.......Ironic, huh?

That typo was unintentional..was intended to read "New Jerseyites" not "Jew Jerseyites" Need to be more careful especially given the context of the post. IABL1969

I suggest for our new highway signs . . .

Welcome to Arkansas! - Where an education is a political and societal liability.

Grew up in Jersey, lived in AR for the past 30 years. I can't get enough of laughingstocks, I guess.
Acutally, IABL1969 was dead-on. It's a great place.

I second the discussion about New Jersey - great place. I'd live there in a moment if I could get my family to move.

Although you should expect to be laughed at if you confess you're from Arkansas or anywhere in the South, really.

Let me suggest another message on that sign you'll see as you enter the state:

Welcome to Arkansas, Land of Contrasts: Filthy Rich and Dirt Poor

Ya know, it's the damnest thing. I am a native Arkansan who's lived here my entire life. In my work, I've traveled throughout America attending professional meetings and conferences for 40 years. In my personal life, I've toured much of the world.

Not one time, EVER, in all my experiences, has anybody looked down on me or laughed at me for being from Arkansas, nor have I caught them glancing to see if I was wearing shoes.

Perhaps the fact that I don't have an inferiority complex, or that I am not paranoid explains it. So sad that so many see themselves in a lesser light than they actually are and expect to be treated accordingly.

I grew up in Florida, and I definitely notice the reaction from people when they hear I am from Arkansas. They hear my Florida accent first and assume I'm from Florida.

It's interesting to see the reactions to the fact that I moved here. They actually wonder out loud why on earth I would want to be here.