I'm shortly to board a plane for home, so I'm not readily able to investigate this question. But perhaps an informed reader is at hand.
Gov. Mike Beebe caterwauled yesterday that the cost of extending health care to millions of Americans and untold thousands in Arkansas through a bill before the House today could add $200 million to the state's Medicaid budget. A big number.
Has anybody addressed the actual cost to the state? Isn't Medicaid spending typically at a 3-1 federal match, so a $200 million increase would mean about $50 million in state spending? Not small change, to be sure, but against a general revenue budget 100 times that size, not quite so much, with some very real benefits to sick Arkansans along the way.
U.S. Rep. Mike Ross is already wailing about tax increases on Arkansas families to pay for the outrage of trying to cover the one in four in his district with no coverage.
Can somebody help on this question?
Vandy Nash, a fourth grade teacher at Indian Hills Elementary in North Little Rock, has just been presented the 2010 Teacher of the Year award of the state Department of Education at the Governor's Mansion gala. Which gives me an opportunity to post this story from the New York Times Magazine about one teacher's experience trying to make a difference in the Arkansas Delta.
Consider this open line No. 2.
Photo from enjoyarkansas on flickr.
This is an open line but I just wanted to tell all you Facebook fans out there that if you haven't checked out the State Parks of Arkansas fan page, you should. Always lots of beautiful pictures and useful info. The picture above is from Petit Jean.
Friday, November 06, 2009 - 14:03:40
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TREVOR HALL7 p.m., Juanita's. Free.What's not to love about a free show? So here's one to take advantage of. Claiming to have been engulfed by music after Dad handed over the sticks to his drum kit,
Trevor Hall's been writing and performing since age 14. Crediting the Bobs Dylan and Marley, Ben Harper and Bjork as primary influences, the acoustic rocker has released six albums in just four short years, as well as the song “Other Ways” on the “Shrek the Third” soundtrack, and an appearance on “The Endless Highway,” a tribute album to the Band. Today, we find him supporting his 2009 self-titled CD, courtesy of Vanguard Records, which just nosed its way into the Billboard album chart upon debut — at No. 199.
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Paul Peterson
ROYAL BANGS8 p.m., Sticky Fingerz. $7.These rockers from Knoxville know how to get experimental.
Royal Bangs mixes fuzzboxed, synthesized, highly percussive instrumentation with spacey, warped vocals — a combination that would've been right at home in the mid-'80s. But beneath the strange layering lies quality songwriting and smart lyrics, as is evident on tunes such as “Brainbow” and “Maniverse,” where we're coached: “If you love something you should fight for it, if it fights you back you should conquer it, if it conquers you, you should crawl right back, but at least you tried to get your love back.” What may separate this crew from others of similar ilk is a jovial approach to being raucous while simultaneously groovy. Currently Royal Bangs has two CDs under its belt, “Let It Beep,” and “We Breed Champions.”
