Arkansas Blog

You missed the best one of the Pappas group. Pappadeaux's seafood would be the best seafood in the state the day it opened, and I hate chains. I would glady welcome the Pappas group to LR, they have quality food at every one of their restaurants. They also have a respectable BBQ restaurant.

What stupid comments by CAW commissioner Roby Robertson in this morning's D*G. He said:

"Frankly, I think Jane Dickey has been an absolute leader across the board on water issues throughout the CAW history, and in fact is a real strong public servant in general," Robertson said. "Jane Dickey's service has been absolutely exemplary, and I regret that she had to make the decisionto withdraw her name."

Settling a case you've already won? Allowing development in the most critical area of the watershed? Favoring development at the expense of protecting our water? Clear conflicts of interest? Yeh, right, Roby. Exemplary my ass.

Roby, we'll remember your poor judgement when your appointment rolls around.

Ask Gene Pfieffer to see what he favors. That's what the Mayor will support. Draft Pat Hays for LR mayor.

I watched that part of the board meeting too, but I only thought he was saying that there was a caveat in the law that would require a 42-inch berm but only a 30-inch shrubbery. i don't think there was anything else to it other than that.

Hey 'downtowner'- on June 23 Pat Hays greased the wheels and had his North Little Rock City Council rubber stamp Jane Dickey's reappointment and wouldn't even allow folks to talk who were there to speak against Dickey. Oh, wait, he did actually let them talk, just 90 minutes or so after the City Council had already voted to approve Dickey's reappointment. That's real Democracy in action.

Now why would we want to foist Pat Hays on the good citizens of Little Rock?

That same night you should have heard all the NLR citizens who spoke about crime in their parts of the city and how little Hays and his police department were doing to help them. Go listen to their citizen communication time once or twice and you can hear it for yourself. It's a real eye opener and not exactly a Welcome Wagon moment.

Max, regarding what Harvey told you on the phone concerning his recollection of the sod farm property auction, at yesterday's commission meeting, Commissioner Tom Rimmer released to the CAW Commissioners and the reporter at the meeting the email correspondence between Rimmer and Harvey on the property. Harvey admits that he probably SHOULD have presented the auction bid proposal to the commission, but did not because they would have had to release the bid price in a public meeting. He then says he thought Rimmer would discuss the bid with some of the commissioners IN PRIVATE. Rimmer replied that he could not do that in violation of the FOI, especially in view of the then-current ruling in the City of Fort Smith case forbidding precisely that action.

Apparently the DemGaz reporter did not think the email was important, because there was not a word of it in this morning's coverage. Another matter that escaped her notice was CEO Graham Rich's announcement that the department's Wilson treatment plant has just been licensed to produce 33% more water than it had been originally licensed for. This was without ANY EXPENDITURE OF FUNDS by CAW. Sounds like a big deal, saving the utility millions of dollars, but what do I know? In the meantime, I understand that Harvey withdrew his name from consideration as a replacement for Dickey on the commission.