Mindless cattle

Why only two choices at the polls in this country? I’ll tell you why. Because the real power structures within the Republicans and Democrats are engaged in an operation designed to keep us mindless cattle at each other’s throats while they rob us blind. They have a vested interest in keeping us locked in a battle of words over moral issues while ignoring the economy. While we argue over same-sex marriage and abortion, the gap between production and income grows wider everyday. As CEOs and shareholders gain more power and wealth, the rest of us obsess over whether or not we should kill prisoners. It’s time to wake up, folks. Capitalism is destroying us. It’s time to remind our leaders/overlords they can be replaced.

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Richard Hutson

Rose Bud

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Another monument

Now that we’re going to be blessed with a monument on the Capitol grounds celebrating words from the old Jewish part of the Bible, I believe that it’s only fair that we also have a monument celebrating something from the New Testament, the Christian part of the same book.

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I suggest that the other monument celebrate the Sermon on the Mount, especially the Beatitudes, the very words spoken by Jesus himself.

No one but a real Jesus hater would oppose that second monument.

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Brent Cater

Clarksville

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From the web:

On last week’s cover story by Leslie Newell Peacock, “Why and how you got screwed by the 90th General Assembly”:

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Thanks. Great concise reminder of all the harms that the greedy self-aggrandizing public “servants” brought us this session.

Ark7788

Don’t forget the quiet passing of an act that totally restructures state government, creating 10 executive level top pay cabinet members. I am amazed this hasn’t received more publicity. It in essence builds a much bigger government.

Clem Hooten

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Worst Arkansas Legislative Session EVER!

However, stayed tuned, because I suspect this is only the beginning since we passed a Constitutional Amendment that not only increased the salaries but also extended the terms of these hateful, self-centered and small minded “public servants.”

In just a little over 3 months, the Teapublibans managed to reverse the last 50 years here in Darkansas.

RYD

Is there a short catchphrase or hashtag to rally against this wave? I am looking for something short to scribble on a T-shirt. “Equality Arkansas” or #EqualityArkansas seems to have a nice touch, but I want something that is more inclusive of the poor who got shafted this session.

jj

On last week’s story by Benjamin Hardy, “What HB 1228 was really about”:

Asa never planned to issue an executive order. He just didn’t want to look as bad as the Indiana governor. Now that the mics and lights are off, Asa is Asa.

r5ander

On Max Brantley’s column, “How bad was the 90th Arkansas General Assembly?”

You’ve been unhappy about how things are done here for years. Maybe it’s time to move to the coast.

Doug Shinn

President Obama refuses to lower taxes to create jobs and growth, so the responsibility falls to the states. But seriously, anyone who has witnessed the failure of the stimulus package, that was only capable of generating two years growth and still argues for the Keynesian economic recovery model, is lacking in economic analysis skills.

Simply put: An across-the-board tax cut at the federal level would place a massive infusion of cash into the economy through the hands of businesses that can create jobs and into the hands of consumers who can purchase goods and services. A huge psychological effect occurs in the minds of job creators that doesn’t occur following a government stimulus. In the absence of a federal income tax cut, then state income tax reductions can be effective, i.e. Texas and Florida that don’t have any income taxes and whose economies are very strong.

In every instance in which the policy was implemented the economy rocketed out of recession with a 7 percent or greater post-recession growth rate, generating a self-sustaining recovery for 5 to 7 years. Obama’s government stimulus was only capable of generating a 5 percent post-recession quarter growth rate and a two-year recovery. By 2010 the Federal Reserve had to intervene to keep the economy afloat by holding interest rates at zero and expanding the money supply to purchase T-bills private investors didn’t want.

In a recovery, both short-term and long-term unemployment decline in tandem. That didn’t happen following the stimulus package. Long-term unemployment remains elevated at over 11 percent. You can label an across-the-board tax cut as only for the rich, but it happens to be the only way to create enough jobs and economic growth for any socioeconomic class to feel economically secure and that they are providing for their families, and to propel the economy for an extended recovery.

As for an state Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income workers: Why don’t the Democrats try targeting it toward Medical Savings Accounts or other benefit rather than as a cash payout that can be spent in foolish ways. Obamacare was so poorly conceived with unsustainable cost increases that it can’t last much longer and these workers could benefit greatly from a modest and affordable market-oriented insurance plan.

Thomas Pope

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