Arkansas Blog: Off to Philly

The American Legislative Exchange Council meets this week in Philadelphia. It's a conservative answer to non-partisan legislative research and education organizations.

Featured speakers: Newt Gingrich, Fred Thompson, Mike Huckabee, Neil Cavuto, Jon Fund and Dick Armey.

In the words of Delphi, "This is the annual confab where the whack jobs get their drafts of legislation for the next state legislative session."

The agenda is chock full of ideas for helping corporations through tax policy and protection from lawsuits, to name one priority.

I'm trying to run down the Arkansas contingent that will be attending on the taxpayers' tab. But should you be in Philadelphia this week, I'll tell you one place where you'll be able to find Arkies. Lobbyists Ted Mullenix and Bobby Hogue will be slopping the Razorback delegation with drinks at 7:30 and dinner at 8 Friday at the "historic City Tavern Restaurant." We'll be checking their reports later for the tab and who they entertained. Here's the menu if you'd like to dine vicariously with Arkansas lawmakers.

Who'll be paying? Hard to say until the lobbyists turn in their receipts. Mullenix's clients include Oaklawn, the Poultry Federation, Arkansas Realtors and Stephens Production. Hogue's include the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care, the rural telephone lobby and Kraft Foods.

Comments

Lobbyists and their pals in Philly.

How cheesy.

Posted by: Claude Bahls | July 23, 2007 09:28 AM

I'm watching Gov. Beebe on C-SPAN right now. He's part of a panel discussion at the National Governor's Assn. meeting in Traverse City, Mich. Sandra Day O'Connor is also on the panel, and Beebe is making sensible comments and asking good questions.

If there IS a good time to use the state airplane, I guess this is it.

Posted by: Spirit | July 23, 2007 10:16 AM

Shoot, the last time I was in Philadelphia I spent my time at the cemetery gazing down at Ben Franklin's grave and other historical sites. Great city. Is William Penn's statue still the tallest thing allowed constructed in Phil.?

Drive west a few miles, Max, and visit Valley Forge. Nice.

Posted by: Cato | July 23, 2007 11:08 AM

Just talked to my daughter who lives about three blocks from the Italian Market (Yo! Adrienne!) She's heading out for a week in Florida. Now I know why. Philly's one of the most liberal cities on the Eastern seaboard. Those punks won't know what hit them. Maybe a trip to the Badlands ( 5th and Indiana) will wake them up to what's wrong with America.

Posted by: uncommon sense | July 23, 2007 12:19 PM

No Cato, Philly finally figured out they were getting left behind so the "Billy Penn's hat" rule went out the window in the late '80's, early '90s. But is was in full force when I lived up there from '83 until '85. Made Philly the most boring big city in America. It may still be, but at least it's taller now.

Posted by: conform&bedull | July 23, 2007 12:29 PM

Thanks, Conform, for bring me up to date. I was there one June. So hot and sultry and high humidity it reminded me of Arkansas in August. Then I understood why tempers got so high durin the summer of 1787. Air Conditioning might have ruined all the compromises that produced our Constitution!

Posted by: Cato | July 23, 2007 02:12 PM

BTW, Did you know that our own Sen. Steve Faris is slated to be the next National Char of ALEC. Gives me that warm fuzzy--

Posted by: Anonymous | July 23, 2007 03:05 PM

Arkansas Blog

Off to Philly

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