Arkansas Blog

One of the major features of Obama's proposal is to extend broadband availability to underserved areas. Since Arkansas is near the bottom in that category, we should be in a strong position to demand a bigger slice of the pie.

Dumas fails to even mention the broadband infrastructure part of Obama's proposal. I suspect that Dumas doesn't really care about broadband service availability in rural Arkansas, and he doesn't comprehend the vital role it should play in our future economic development.

Yea, we got to get a piece of the handout. Since it is free money then we got to get ours. Hey, I mean, the federal government can just print up the money anyway so what is the big deal? If we have qualms about printing more money we can always get in hock more to the Chinese. Right? I mean if bubba can take money from them why can't we? I expect to get some for my mortgage, car payment, credit card payment. Hey, the sky is the limit.

It's a handout, when the money isn't used in sound investments or goes directly to the crooks year end bonus instead indicting, prosecuting and imprisoning them.

Investment in internet infrastructure is an imperative if the U.S. is going to keep up with scores of countries already far ahead of us. Something we should all be embarrassed about since we, you know, invented the internet and had the knowledge and money needed to do so long ago.

Yeah, we need to mend a few bridges and what not, but we don't need to spend a dime on new ones until long after a serious internet highway reaches every single home in the country.

It's what we need for business, education, energy efficiency, and national security.. and we needed it ten years ago.

What if Arkansas didn't take crisis money because Arkansas isn't in a crisis situation? Wouldn't that seem to make sense? Doesn't that seem like it could be the new Obama way, instead of the old Bush way?

Sometimes there aren't rewards for being smart and minding your p's & q's. My family arrives at this crisis with no money, but also with no debt. No one is going to reward me for that, but our reward is not suffering like people who have car payments, house payments, credit card payments, and just lost their job.

That Arkansas may not get a bail out check because it doesn't need bailing out doesn't remove the shine from Governor Beebe, it adds to it. Let the media remember to toot his smart budgeting moves every chance they get for that will probably be his only reward...that an easy reelection next time.

I am wishing with all my might that Obama Nation isn't a place for handouts, bailouts and whatever for all. Governing effectively should be like parenting effectively. You give the kid that needs it a little more than the kid who's doing fine...a little more might include money or help, but it could also include more ass-whippings if needed too. I want Obama Nation to be a place where adults make adult decisions all the time. Part of being a successful adult is knowing what the throw the money at and when. You don't put a new roof over your new roof when you need plumbing work. So why would Obama help out states who were smart enough to stay afloat when others sunk to the bottom? Give California a bailout and give Arkansas a shout-out for being poor but smart. I'll watch the mailbox for my Presidential Medal of Freedom.

It's a family affair...as Sly Stone said back in the early 70s, momma government has to prop up the kiddy state that has fallen down. Handing out billions to everyone makes no sense even when we're printing our money for free and there will never be a judgment day. Congratulations to Governor Beebe for being a good and smart governor, but let's not be sticking our hand out until they day we're needy. Then we can be rewarded with help when we need it. Obama better mean the return of common sense or we'll stay up Bushshit Creek without a paddle forever.

Agree with the sentiment wholeheartedly, deeb. But we have already had the chance to view pdf's of Arkansas mayors wish lists on infrastructure money.. Not bailouts directly, but public works projects.

Sorry I allowed the trappings of the term "bailout" interfere with my advocacy for a complete modern internet in every home.

It is a paper economy now.. and one of the best ways to get out of it is to use that paper to turn out a new kind of economy.. not hold onto the oil, coal, military, limited flow of information society.

All these laid off workers.. and hopefully soon to be coming home soldiers.. need work.. and the paper is their only hope by and large in the near term. What do we ask them to do? Internet.. and new energy programs must surely be among the smartest projects. It may very well be a bunch of transplanted out of work californians who work and build here.. but AR has the best chance in generations to catch up with educational and other infrastructural shortcomings.

Whirlpool (manufacturing) is probably gone for good.. but all those outsourced customer service jobs .. could be brought back home to native english speaking workers in an instant if every home in the country had professional quality access.

If we are going to be educated and efficient.. this idea is far more important than building roads. We just spent over a decade building tracts of roads and new housing.. far more than we need. It's time to create an economy society that can both pay for it all.. and compete / move ahead.

ATT would rather suck up fed contracts to spy on us all than put in the last hundred feet of internet service... even where it's already in place. And all the cable and telcos want to put a governor/speed regulator on available net speed.

They want us to pay to be a failure... the least best possible.

It's time we take the bull by the horns.