Judge Signs Order/Prevents Students from Riding Bus 4 hours a day

Pulaski County Circuit Court Judge Jay Moody has signed the temporary restraining order in the Paron school Case in which the parents at Paron School District sued the Arkansas State Board of Education for closing their school. One of the main issues was the four hours a day (2 hours one way) on the bus that many of the students would endure. See excerpts from the Order below:

I don't have to tell the people or media who know me how much pleasure the information in this Order brings me. On March 16, 05, I sent out an email to all legislators, media, and numerous contacts across the state about the long bus rides before the HB1289 was passed which allowed the closing of isolated districts. An excerpt from it follows:

"At least 13 isolated schools could have kids riding 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours a day and at least 9 could have kids riding 3 hours a day if HB1289 passes Senate. HB1289 has already passed the house." I explained about the 15 to 20 minute transfer time from one bus to the other that this superintendent in this court case witnessed to that would automatically add 30 to 40 minutes a day when any school was closed plus the extra time on the bus from one school to the next one.

The media kept shortening the bus rides and even ridiculing those of us who talked about the long bus rides implying that we were exaggerating the length of the rides. I now have been justified. There are many schools in Arkansas that have long rides that are not considered isolated districts. I sent out another email in 2004 showing that 24 schools out of the 102 schools I contacted that if consolidated would have a minimum of 4 hours travel time.

Below are excerpts from the Court Order:

"The Bryant School District's current transportation plan involves running three bus routes in the Paron area, delivering the Paron students to Paron High School, and then dividing them onto two buses for the ride from Paron to the Brant schools. This plan will require a bus ride for Paron students of up to two hours each way, not counting the time it will take for the students to transfer from the Paron buses to the Bryant buses at Paron High School. Robert Smalley, the retiring Superintendent of the Alpena School District, who is familiar with this type of transportation plan, testified that the transition from the Paron buses to the Bryant buses could add about twenty minutes to the time it would take Paron students to reach Bryant High school and Bryant Middle School. There will be no buses provided to Paron students who wish to engage in after-school activities at the Bryant Schools."

"6. Plaintiffs presented evidence that the bus rides which will be required of them if Paron High School is closed would have a negative effect on their education and deprive them of an equal opportunity for an adequate education. They testified that the long bus rides will limit the ability of Paron students to fully participate in co-curricular and extra curricular activities of Bryant High School and Bryant Middle School. The distance between Paron and Bryant will also limit the ability of the parents of Paron students to support their children and become involved in the activities at Bryant High School and Bryant idle School. Also, students who spend up to four hours a day on a bus will have significantly less time to spend with their families, to do their homework, to hold after school jobs or to assist with the care of their siblings. There was no evidence that the time spent on the bus would be beneficial to the students. There was evidence, however, that the Paron students would be required to spend significant amounts of time riding in the dark on dangerous roads and that, in the winter time, they would see their houses in the daylight on weekends."

For rest of article, see first comment below

There is some more really interesting stuff in the Order, some of it about the ADE schemes and deception at this link.

AR Supreme Court Strikes Down ADHHS Ban On Homo Foster Parents

The Arkansas Supreme Court decided Thursday that the Arkansas Department of Health and Human Services lacks the authority to prevent "gays" from parenting foster children. In a unanimous ruling, the Justices upheld Pulaski County Circuit Judge Tim Fox's earlier ruling that the ban seeks to regulate "public morality," and accused the DHHS of legislating such on behalf of the General Assembly.

Associate Justice Donald Corbin wrote that "there is no correlation between the health, welfare and safety of foster children and the blanket exclusion of any individual who is a homosexual or who resides in a household with a homosexual." The court further stated that the ban was "based upon the board's view of morality and its bias against homosexuals," and did not entertain the state's argument that homosexual foster parents would cause academic problems and gender identity confusion.

In a concurring opinion, Associate Justice Robert Brown agreed with the decision, stating that "there is no question but that gay and lesbian couples have had their equal-protection and privacy rights truncated without any legitimate and rational basis in the form of foster-child protection for doing so."

The suit was initially brought by the ACLU on behalf of four Arkansans who claimed they were discriminated against and said that the ban violated their right to privacy and equal protection under the state and U.S. constitutions. The board enacted the ban in 1999 with the reasoning that children should have the benefit of traditional two-parent homes, because they are more likely to do well in such an environment.

Layers of Deceit on Illegal Immigration

According to one of the best sources on the net for illegal immigration issues (you SHOULD check it out) even the House bill that is known as a "secure the border first" bill actually contains provisions that will WEAKEN border enforcement.

There are layers upon layers of deceit on this issue. There was the Senate Bill, which proposed a "comprehensive solution" which was total surrender on illegal immigration which would have let in 100 million more "legal" aliens in exchange for vague assurances from the government about future border security.

The President, who retains the Bush-family globalist bent outside the context of the War on Terror, keeps coming back to that "comprehensive solution," but too many Congressmen are afraid they will lose their jobs if they vote for it, and a few of the patriots among them are afraid we will lose their country if they vote for it. You are supposed to believe that the HOUSE bill is the "tough" one that just secures the borders as opposed to the SENATE bill which is the "comprehensive" sell-out to the globalisits.

What they are doing is the old routine of offering you two choices, the first that you REALLY don't want and the other that is supposed to be the one you want. If you look at the details though, as Juan Mann has done, then you realize that the second "choice" is ALSO something you don't want. Either way, the ball gets moved the wrong direction. We need more choices.

Mann has accumulated voluminous evidence that the leaders of both the Republican and Democratic parties want to eliminate our borders with Mexico and Canada and effectively replace the United States with a new country. The evidence is right there for anyone who has the guts and will to spend one hour going through it to see. Just because you don't want to believe it does not mean that it isn't fact. People running both the Democrat and Republican parties want the United States of America to be essentially absorbed into a larger entity whose view of rights is still undefined.

Is that what YOU want?

Judges Retain Grip on Little Rock School District

The panel of the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at St. Louis agreed on Monday with a 2004 ruling by U.S. District Judge William R. Wilson Junior that means Little Rock School district will remain under the court's supervision, as it has since 1965.

Even though when you look up "arrogance" in a dictionary you should see a picture of a liberal judge, even they should not ignore the gargantuan amount of evidence that courts are terrible at running school districts. The Little Rock schools provide an excellent example of this fact, which has been verified in judge-run schools across the country.

Little Rock schools get more than their share of the money, have tried every heavy handed and trendy liberal idea in the book, yet still perform woefully. Plus, they have been the catalyst for a healthy system of private schools popping up in Pulaski county, as well as swelling the enrollment of surrounding districts such as Sheridan. All this is a result of people with the resources to do so fleeing the disaster of judge-run schools.

Court-run schools have never worked well. Ever. Not once. So will the activist liberal judges on our own State Supreme Court take the evidence into account and back off court supervision in their Lakeview ruling? If you think they will, just look up "arrogance" in the dictionary.

Ballot Access Law on Trial

Former State Representative Jim Lendall's effort to run for Governor on the Green Party ticket has brought Arkansas' flawed ballot access laws into focus. People don't undertand how Rod Bryan can get on the ballot for Governor with 11,000 voter signatures while Jim Lendall is being denied ballot access for the same office even though his Green Party has 18,000 such signatures.

I discussed the potential impact of a Lendall campaign on the Governor's race here. On this column, I would like to help clear up the confusion I see on the issue of ballot access. First of all, even if it were not in his political interests (which it IS) Attorney General Mike Bebee has an obligation to try to defend Arkansas Law in court (don't feel too sorry for him, last year he issued an opinion that current law complied with past federal court rulings on the law, which is as we shall see, a ridiculous assertion). Secondly, he is going to lose.

(Click Tuesday below and scroll down for rest of article, unless sent straight here, in which case just scroll down.)

Lou Dobbs CNN on Boycotting Mass. and Arizona - Kennedy and McCain's States

I thought many of you would be interested in hearing what Lou Dobbs had to say about this boycott on his program tonight. John Clark of AIC will be on Lou Dobbs this evening (5-6:00 pm central) to discuss this boycott idea.

Boycott Tourism in Arizona and Mass.

by Barry Weinstein
Posted Jun 23, 2006

Economic chaos is now very likely for Arizona and Massachusetts. Why? Tourism is a substantial economic boon for these two states. The American natives are no longer merely restless; they’re intentions are now confluent.

The millions of Americans opposed to the Senate's bill -- granting amnesty for lawbreakers -- will not be touring Arizona or Massachusetts until the misleading actors, Senators John McCain (R.-Ariz.) and Teddy Kennedy (D.-Mass.), are removed from office. Tourism counts as the second largest income producer for their states. "We the people" will now vote them out of office with our wallets.

For rest of article see this link: http://www.humaneventsonline.com/article.php?id=15720

Controversy: Is Senator Argue Beebe's Choice for ADE Director

Monty Betts, a superintednent of White County Central School District and a Beebe supporter did not like the email I sent out asking superintendents if any of them had heard Beebe publicly deny the rumor that Beebe will appoint Senator Jim ARgue to replace Ken James. He sent out an email to all rural superintendents on the rural ed list serve questioning my honesty. Since he did this publicly I sent the following email back to all the superintendents.

Monty Betts just sent out a email to all the superintendents on the rural ed list serve saying,  "Ms. Pelley seems to have a problem when it comes to the truth and it is not what she wants to hear."  I strive to be accurate and honest in the things I say in emails.  That is extremely important to me.   Let me state again what I said in that email from which Mr. Betts concluded that I was dishonest. I didn't make a statement.  I asked this question.  "Has anyone heard Beebe publicly deny the rumor that Beebe will appoint Senator Jim Argue to replace Ken James?"
 
First of all I asked a question.  I did not make a statement so it cannot be a lie.   Supt. Betts did email me and tell me Beebe had denied  that Senator Jim Argue would replace Ken James as ADE Director if he were elected governor.  But I never saw any remarks in any public form like a blog or the media or whatever that Beebe denied it.   Mr. Beebe knows how to deny things publicly.   He is not some unknown citizen that can't get the truth out if he wants to.  He has the media's ear.   Beebe knows how important this rumor is.  If it is not true, he should be shouting it from the roof  top.  He isn't. 
 
There is a real difference in denying this rumor privately or even to a few people here and there.  Denying the rumor publicly rather than privately would make it harder (though not impossible)  for him to appoint Argue later.   And neither Monty Betts nor Beebe has explained why Senator Jim Argue can't  be the ADE director.   There may very well be technicalities at this point that would prevent that, but I would like to know what they are, especially so since they did not name the reasons which would have been the logical thing to do.
 
However, even if there are technicalities today to prevent that, it does not mean the legislature could not pass a law tomorrow changing those technicalities or law or whatever, especially if Beebe becomes governor.   The powerful elite legislators  promised over and over that isolated school districts would remain open under the consolidation bill in order to get reluctant  legislators to vote for the bill, and then the very  next year they came back and voted to close them. They broke their own rules when they allowed Ken James to be paid with private funds, and then they almost doubled his salary a year or so later - so changes are not that hard to make.
 
Again I try to be accurate and honest and document everything I write. This is the first time I ever remember talking about a rumor because I usually deal with documented facts, but I felt this rumor was so important to education in the state that it needed an answer and still believe it does.    I do battle hard for the things I believe and know that many of you like the things I write on and some of you don't, but I don't tell lies.

Debbie Pelley

I am now in the process of trying to get a call answered from the Arkansas Department of Education to obtain the qualifications for an ADE Director just to see what technicalities would have to be changed for Argue to become an ADE Director.

Governor's Race Gets Third Candidate, but 4th is the Key

Little Rock record store owner Rod Bryan made the ballot for Governor as an Independent today. 10,000 voter petition signatures are required for an Independent candidate for Governor to get on the ballot, and the Secretary of State certified 10,052 of the 11,000+ signatures Bryan collected.

While I admire Bryan's gumption, he is unlikely to have an impact in the race. He is under forty, has $17.50 cash on hand, and has never been elected to public office. If he were a threat to Mike Bebee, Secretary of State Charlie Daniel's office would have found 53 more questionable petition signatures to challenge, and then attempted to deny Bryan ballot access based on the idea that he did not get the required number of signatures.

On the other hand, former state Representative Jim Lendall of Little Rock wants on the ballot as a Green Party candidate and IS a serious threat to Bebee. Not a serious threat to win, but a serious threat to get 3% of the vote (3% of the Governor's race is the minimum goal of the Green Party, as it would give them automatic ballot access across the board in 08). Lendall is not a credible candidate to conservatives, but he is to the far left. Since he is a former state legislator, his resume is credible. Lendall would be running under a "brand name" (Green Party) that has some favorable name recognition on the left, and he has a lot more than $17.50 to run on.


(click MONDAY below and scroll down for rest of article, or if sent straight here just scroll down)

Protest Against Illegal Immigration Ends in Arrest and Chaos in Tennessee

From the story in our neighbor to the east:

"MORRISTOWN (WATE) -- A rally that was supposed to be peaceful ended with chaos Saturday afternoon outside the Hamblen County courthouse.

Things got testy for a while as police tried to stop a disabled veteran from carrying an American flag onto courthouse grounds.

Teddy Mitchell, 62, was arrested and charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.

Police say the flag pole he carried was too sharp and they did not want him to take it onto courthouse grounds.

Organizers of the group Citizens for Legal Immigration say they had received permission to peacefully take a stand against illegal immigrants. They say they were surprised to see the overwhelming police presence when they arrived."

Thousands of illegal aliens protested in our streets last month with all kinds of stakes and poles. It is a known fact the illegal aliens did NOT get a permit at their Springdale events, yet not one arrest was made. The illegal alien rally had hundreds of flags, some U.S., but many from other nations. Conversely, when legal American citizens get the proper permits and attempt to have a disabled veteran carry ONE pole with a United States Flag on it, the disabled veteran is arrested.

The authorities will have no one but themselves to blame if they lose the respect of the people. I hope the jack-booted thugs with badges are real proud of themselves. What has happened to this country?



At the illegal alien rallies last month, even protestors who often marched without obtaining the proper permits were allowed to carry poles by the thousands while remaining unmolested by the authorities.

Dear John

Dear John Brummett,

Now that you know how bad it is to be taken out of context, we would hope that you would quit doing the same to Senator Jim Holt. Your June 24th column shows you still want to dish distortion out to others, even if you don't like taking it yourself. I don't have time to deconstruct your whole column, so I will take a SINGLE PARAGRAPH. Examples here include....

"He (Holt)supports legislation that would remove the state's option to provide Good Samaritan medical aid to illegal immigrants or their children"

FACT: The Good Samaritan used his own private funds to help someone in a medical emergency. Is Holt suggesting this should be against the law in Arkansas? Of course not. Anyway, the reality is that the government at both the state and federal levels MANDATES that hospitals be "good samaritans" to illegal aliens even if it bankrupts them- which it has in many California hospital emergency rooms. Holt's bill, SB 206, deals with "public benefits" which does NOT include emergency medical services. Holt's bill would not deny emergency medical care to anyone under either state or federal law. Nor would it deny anyone access to non-emergency medical care, just automatic access to someone elses' pockets to pay for it.

"He wants to take evolution out of the textbooks."

FACT: The only bill Holt has written on this subject did not propose to "take evolution out of textbooks". This is a misrepresentation that has gotten a life of its own because the establishment media does not care that what they are reporting about Jim Holt is untrue. The bill's purpose was to mandate the removal of arguments for evolution which have already been proven to be false.

There are a number of such discredited "proofs" which still regularly appear in school text books, such as Hackel's fraudulent drawings of embryos to the diagram of horse-like animals that imply that one was a direct ancestor of the other (which we now know are factually incorrect). The bill did not say to take out the "evidence" for evolution that creationists thought was incorrect, but the ones that evolutionary scientists themselves now acknowledge are incorrect. Does Brummett want school children taught stuff we know is wrong just because it supports his views on evolution? Based on his willingness to distort facts in his column, I'd say yes.

Microevolution no doubt does occur. I am sure even Jim Holt believes that and would have no objection to what we know has occured being taught as fact in text books. On the other hand, teaching stuff we know hasn't occurred in order to get school children to accept macro-evolution (molecules to man evolution) is wrong. Even if macro-evolution is true, it is wrong to use lies to try to get a child to believe it.

Now what Brummett says about two other things is true. Jim Holt has "opposed recent increases in public school funding to oblige a court order". Jim Holt understands that our system of separation of powers gives the purse strings to the legislature and judges should not be allowed order legislatures to spend money or raise taxes. Good for him. Hardly a mark of "extremism", unless actually understanding checks and balances in our form of government is now "extreme". If Holt loses this argument judges can raise your taxes regardless of who you send to the legislature.

He also writes that Holt "has likened prekindergarten programs to Soviet communism". Pre-K is not communism, but the point is that in communism there was a statist philosophy that government should try to shape and build a "new socialist man" through state programs. Opposing that is a traditionalist view. A traditionalist would say that families are where young children should be socialized, and so the state's role in that should be limited to policies which promote strong families. Holt is a traditionalist. You Mr. Brummett, may not be a communist, but you seem to ridicule people who don't accept polices that have the same root philosophies as Communism. Think about it.

Sea Changes

The internet is changing politics forever and you are witnessing a generational shift right before your eyes. As the ArkFam blog mentioned, we recently witnessed the amazing sight of a newspaper columnist (John Brummett) complaining that he had been misquoted by a candidate's e-newsletter. The reporter was the one complaining about being taken out of context by the candidate's news outlet!

The magnitude of this event and its consequences for the future should not pass unnoticed. In this column Brummett complains that a candidate's blogletter misquoted him. Two days later, in his "Sorry About that Asa" Brummett instead corrects HIMSELF for misrepresenting Asa's views on abortion. Asa's newsletter also made a retraction in referencing Brummett's complaint so it seems the two camps, and understand this is very important, came to some kind of agreement whether overt or unstated.

For generations candidates had to worry about liberal columnists twisting their words and misquoting them. They could only keep smiling at the reporters and hoping that if the were real nice maybe the liberal reporter would get tired of kicking their teeth in. Now we see a determined candidate whose staff is sharp and committed enough to build their own e-news outlet can dish out media punishment rather than simply take it. Candidates are not the only ones who need credibility as currency. Columnists do too. They are vurnerable to their mistatements hurting their stock and trade just like politicians are. It is just that until now, the politicians got beat by the media stick and had nothing to hit back with.

Congratulations are in order to Asa's staff for making the commitment needed to devote so much energy to this new campaign tool. It's potential is still largely untapped, but they have taken it to levels perhaps never before seen in Arkanas politics.

Conservative candidates would do well to pool and build their e-mail lists and basically become their own news outlet with the firepower needed to make professional news-distorters pay for their spin. In order to do that, the candidate outlet will have to maintain at least as much objectivity as the people they are counter-punching. In the case of Brummett, it would of course be impossible to do otherwise, but for those whose secular bias is less obvious this thumb-rule would still apply.

UPDATE: Even today, Mr. Brummett used his whole column to defend himself from claims by Asa's e-newsletter that attacks by Mr. Brummett about their alledged poor grammer were incorrect!

"Jim & Jim" Event Grows to Entire State Wide Ticket!

What started as a fundraiser for Senator Jim Holt (GOP Lite Gov. candidate) and Jim LaGrone (Secretary of State Cadidate) has grown into an event that will include the entire Republican state-wide ticket. The event will be held this Saturday near Jonesboro. The details can be found here.

Attorney General candidate Gunner DeLay first made the decision to join the "Jim and Jim" event. Northeast Arkansas has a lot of potential swing votes. Asa's team must have decided they could not pass up such a good opportunity and asked to be included. Yesterday we heard that Treasurer Candidate Chris Morris and 1st District Congressional Candidate Stubby Stumbaugh asked in the dance. Stumbaugh is the Mayor of Cabot, just today named one of the 10 fastest growing cities in the state. His opponent in November, Marion Berry, has increasingly become bogged down in scandal and impropriety. Stumbaugh's once-remote chances are starting to look better.

This occurance was spontaneous. This was not something Gilbert Baker dreamed up, it happened because the candidates were comfortable with some degree of association. Does it mean they are campaigning as a unit now? No. They each have their own campaigns. They don't march in lockstep, but they are working together to make a whole greater than the sum of the parts. There is a multiplier effect for these events. The whole ticket can draw attention greater than each of these people appearing seperately can.

These men can do this because, though they vary in the details of their approach, they all agree that rural schools should be protected, abortion should be restricted, illegal immigration should be reduced at both state and federal levels, that gambling should not be a state enterprise, and our tax structure should be changed. They are also all free of personal scandal so that they are not embarrassed to be in one another's company.

Can you imagine if the Democrats tried to do something like this? The press could ask Halter what he thinks of Bebee's ties to Nick Wilson and Entergy, they could ask Berry what he thinks of Halter's Enron-style approach to making money. Or maybe have him comment on the fact that Halter's only profitable (for investors that is, he got his in all of them) company decided to "phase out" stashing teenage porn on colleger servers only AFTER the Boston Globe blew the story wide open. They could ask Bebee what he thinks of Daniels' handling of the primary election and selection of ES and S to provide us with voting machines. Daniels could be quized on his views of Berry sucking $800,000 of taxpayer money in farm subsidies due to loopholes of his own making.

Or maybe the press could ask about the issues. That would be real problematic for the Democratic team, because they do not want their positions known. They do not want their positions known on abortion, rural schools, or illegal immigration, or corruption in government (it is a necessary cost of doing business in some minds). Hollywood Bill Halter, fresh in from the West Coast, is the only one who thinks any of that stuff is going to sell in Arkansas. He wants to talk issues. The ones who have acutally lived here know better, and that is why they would be stupid to be caught anywhere near him.

The Republican ticket, to some degree, does not mind taking up for one another- at least to the point of appearing together on their own initiative. The Democrats attempt to "tie Asa to Jim Holt" is backfiring. Asa, if not tying himself to Holt, is at least willing to go stand next to him and Jim LaGrone. Will Bebee do that with Halter and Daniels? Of course not. He wishes they would go away- and stop talking about the same issues that he is trying to avoid!

Democratic Chair Jason Willett is going to have to eat his words, because it is HIS OWN ticket that is so mired in personal scandal and unpopular policy positions that they are reluctant to associate together on their own initiative. It is his OWN Gubinatorial candidate that has everything to lose by being tied to his down-ticket team. The multiplier effect goes both ways. When viewed side by side the Republican ticket looks honest and clean. The Democratic ticket looks haggard and scandal-worn. As I have said before, it is "Christian and Conservative" (and clean) vs. "Secular and Liberal"- with personal scandal baggage.

NY Times Best-selling Conservative Author Accuses President Bush of Trying to Set up "North American Union"

Lee Corsi is a well-know and credible conservative author who has written books on the NY Times best seller list. In this radio interview he presents amazing evidence that President Bush wants to virtually eliminate our borders with Canada and Mexico, creating a new "North American Union" that would have one currency, one set of laws, and be effectively one country.

Hutchinson: Illegal Aliens Also a State Responsibility

At an event in Springdale, GOP Nominee for Governor Asa Hutchinson laid out his plans to reduce illegal immigration should he be elected Governor. Hutchinson was responsible for border security during his stint at the Department of Homeland Security.

“There are still too many who say that immigration is a federal matter only, and that states have no role in enforcing our laws. That’s an old way of thinking, and one that simply isn’t acceptable anymore,” Hutchinson said. “In a post-9/11 world, we must acknowledge that border security does not stop in El Paso or New York City. Illegal immigration impacts states like Arkansas by straining state resources and undermining the rule of law.”

Like most Americans, many Arkansans are incensed over the illegal aliens flooding our state. To see Hutchinson's four point plan on what he would do as Governor to curtail Illegal Immigration, click THURSDAY below and scroll down. ( I'd also link to Attorney General Mike Bebee's plan, except he doesn't have one. All we hear from the Bebee camp on this issue- on ANY issue- is the sound of cricket's chirping, mingled with a faint cry of "I believe in Arkansas". Then let's hear your plan to protect her Mr. Attorney General.)

Senate "Shamnesty Bill" Provokes Harsh but Justified Accusations

The Senate "Shamnesty" bill on Illegal Immigration is being sold as a "comprehensive approach" by its advocates and a betrayal of the American people by it's opponents. It is not just talk show hosts and bloggers that use such harsh rhetoric against the bill and it's supporters, but even Congressmen! United States Congressmen have used language as harsh and angry as bloggers! And it is about time. Just read these quotes from a Tom DeWeese article which bracket some of the major provisons of the bill....

"As Rep. Rohrabacher said, "This ‘shamnesty' bill spells out the level of contempt the Senate has for middle-class Americans.

The "comprehensive" Senate bill includes:

* In-state tuition for illegal aliens – while American kids have to pay full price if they cross state lines.
* All temporary "guest workers" have to be paid a prevailing wage.
* All agricultural "guest workers" cannot be fired – except for what the bill calls "just cause."
* Illegal aliens are made eligible for Social Security benefits. Not only will they receive retirement benefits, but their children will receive survivor benefits should the parents pass away. This is all in a time when the massive influx of baby boomers reaching retirement age threaten to bankrupt the system.
* Increases the number of immigrants who may come here, even as our cities are overrun with foreigners.
* Employers of illegals are granted amnesty too. Employers would be exempt from civil and criminal tax and criminal liability under the Senate bill.
* Taxpayer dollars to radical immigration groups like La Raza (THE RACE) so they can help illegal aliens "adjust" their status. Millions of American tax dollars will go to the same groups who organized the massive demonstrations.
* Will not bar illegal aliens convicted of felonies from obtaining citizenship.

"This bill," said Rep. Charlie Norwood (R-GA), "constitutes treachery against U.S. sovereignty. This allows every illegal alien in America to use the fraudulent document industry they have created in the criminal back alleys of our country to claim they have been here 5 years and can now stay forever. They (the Senate) have granted blanket amnesty for citizens of foreign nations against tax fraud, Social Security fraud, Medicare fraud, identity fraud, and bank fraud – all crimes for which there is no forgiveness or mercy for citizens of the United States." "

Notes On Paron School Closing Court Case Part I

· No State Board of Education (SBE) member nor the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) Director attended the Paron court hearing although the hearing had been delayed until the Arkansas ADE Director could be available.

· Witnesses testified under oath that the bus rides at Paron will be four hours a day on a dangerous curvy road. Opposing attorney did not question this testimony.

· Elementary students would also have to arrive at school an hour earlier because they ride the same bus to Paron that the older students do.

· The Bryant Superintendent never rode the Paron route before making the decision to close Paron school – and still hasn't.

· SBE attorney, Scott Smith , defended the long bus rides by saying Arkansas law doesn't even require transportation for students.

· Bryant superintendent admits they are financially able to keep Paron open. Bryant District benefited by $1,000,000 when it annexed Paron.

· Retired superintendent testified that more students dropped out, and there were more absentees in school that merged under his superintendence.

· Superintendent witnessed the fact that students who can't attend extra curricular activities don't have a sense of belonging and become at-risk students.

· Paron has zero discipline problems, no students requiring college remediation, no drop-out problems, and scores are above state average.

· Superintendents testified that distance learning was a feasible and good tool for small schools to meet standards.

For Part I of the narrative of observations, click "THURSDAY" below and scroll down, or if sent straigt here just scroll down.

Christian Leaders Who Make Me Mad

Frank Page won a surprise victory over Ronnie Floyd for the President of the Southern Baptist Convention last week. His signature quote was, "I'm an inerrantist -- I believe in the word of God -- I'm just not mad about it,".

I get mad about smarmy, self-righteous comments like that. Comments like that make me wonder if he is not some sort of tolerance-worshipper who would "tsk tsk" Jesus Christ Himself as He drove out the money changers. Woe until clergymen who are too busy posing as PC icons of tolerance to be moved by the things that move the heart of God. There is plenty to be angry about, if you love God's word enough to risk "losing your cool" for it. To me, being cool is too much work anyway. I'll just be who I am in Him.

There is sure plenty to get angry about- such as the those "Christian" denominations that can't seem to decide if practicing homosexuals should be ordained bishops or not. Can Page not find it in his heart to get mad over people who claim the name of Christ operating in open rebellion of His word? But perhaps some are afraid of the disapproval of those who hate God and His standards. They better be worried about God's disapproval. "Beware when all men speak well of you" said Jesus.

It is not Christian to try to make "being liked by everyone" your life's goal. You have to sacrifice your integrity, your commitment to uphold God's standards for life, in order to do that. Instead, we must live our lives in such a way so that those who hate us do so without just cause. Living our lives with everyone's approval is not a Bibical option. We must settle for living our lives in such a way that the enemies we have are the right ones.

GOP Down-Ticket Team to Campaign Together at Fundraiser

UPDATE: RUMOURS RIFE THAT ASA WILL JOIN THE GOP DOWN-TICKET TEAM AT THIS EVENT. LOOK FOR UPCOMING ANALYSIS OF WHAT THIS CAN DO FOR THE RACE.

It seems that the bulk of the Republican ticket is campaigning together. Jim LaGrone and Senator Jim Holt, Republican candidates for Secretary of State and Lieutenant Governor, scheduled a "Jim and Jim" fundraiser this Saturday in Jonesboro. Attorney General Candidate, former state Senator Gunner DeLay of Fort Smith, has decided to join in as well.

This is from the release announcing the event:

*
Jonesboro Arkansas: Jim & Jim @ Jim's Place. Join us for a Catfish Dinner Saturday, June 24th, from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. with Senator Jim Holt (candidate for Lt. Governor) and Jim Lagrone (candidate for Sec. of State). Gunner Delay (candidate for Attorney General) will also be present. Come out under the shade trees along the lake to enjoy cold lemonade, crispy catfish, and banana pudding . Play horseshoes, volley ball, badmitton, sing karaoke, or try your hand at fishing. Bring your lawn chairs! Tickets are 1 for $15 or 2 for $25 or a couple and children for $30.00 This will be a wonderful time to fellowship.

Contact: Debbie Pelley at dpelley@cox-internet.com (e-mail) 935-9438 (phone), or Sheila Best at sbest@fastdata.net (e-mail) 933-6775 (phone). [Directions: Go to Jim Perry's Farm located at 20499 Crowley Ridge Cutoff, Harrisburg. Traveling south on Stadium Avenue, turn left onto Harrisburg Road at the light. Go around the zigzag and travel 5.6 miles south on Harrisburg Road (AR-163). Turn right on Crowley Ridge Cutoff. Go 0.5 miles. We will mark the path with occasional signs]. If you need more detailed directions contact Debbie Or Shelia above.

Are the Democrats this united? Are they campaigning together? Will this strategy of combining for campaign events have a multiplyer effect for the Republican down-ticket team? We will soon find out.

One Year of "Content Free" Campaigning

Attorney General Mike Bebee is attempting a "content free" campaign for Governor. The Hutchinson's campaign has noted this is the first anniversary of the Bebee campaign, (one year since the under-reported plane rides) and little has been forthcoming from Bebee in the way of policy.

The Bebee campaign is "content free". If Bebee's campaign were a box of cereal, the label would say it contained no Fats, no Protiens, and no Carbohydrates. It might have a few sugars from sugar-coating to hide liberal views on abortion and education, along with some otherwise unpalatable ethical challenges, but that is all. If Bebee's campaign were a ceral box you might open it up to find that it contained no cereal! Nothing of any substance whatsoever can be found in the box! That's if you could even open it. A better analogy might be that they expect you to buy it for the next four years without ever getting a peek at what is inside the box!

Campainging that way is an insult to the independent-minded part of the electorate that is actually interested in what a person is going to DO when we elect them. The "content free" empty-box strategy is an affront to issues-oriented voters of all stripes. Except for my several litmus-test issues, I'd rather vote for a person that says some things I don't agree with all the time - and Asa Hutchinson would fit in that group- than a person who will not respect me enough to describe what they intend to do with the office.

Not only is Bebee's strategy insulting, but it is also unsustainable. He is facing a train wreck in that his opponent is issues-oriented, and so is the rest of both tickets. Issues WILL be in the air, and papers, for the next seven months. He will look like a moron if he makes no contribution to the discussion. People will open the box to see there is no cereal, only a free toy inside that when you pull the drawstring says over and over "I believe in Arkansas".

For the text of the Hutchinson Campaign release, click TUESDAY below.

The True Cost of Halter's Promises So Far

The cost of implementing Halter's universal pre-kindergarten program will be astronomical. Halter says on his website that he wants to "expand pre-kindergarten funding by $50 million a year" and build on the Arkansas Better Chance program (eumphemism for pre-kindergarten) implemented when Bill Clinton was governor. He doesn't say for how many years, but it will take a few of those $50 million to provide pre kindergarten for every student in Arkansas. In 2002 the estimate for all 4 years old students was approximately $280 million. Even in California, Propositon 82 ,06 "Voters rejected a ballot measure that would have taxed the wealthy to provide free preschool for all California 4-year-olds."

Halter he is even promoting pre kindergarten for both 3 and 4 year olds for low income families so that would be many more million dollars. He says on his website that his "plan to expand pre kindergarten will make Arkansas a national leader in providing pre-kindergarten." Arkansas is already eighth in the country in funding earmarked for preschool education.

His plans will also move Arkansas toward # 1 in the nation in percent of income paid in total taxes. Most conservatives don't want their taxes spent on teaching the pre school children a Godless curriculum (God can no longer be included in the curriculum and schools) and making them wards of the State at such an early age. Remember the adage "Give me your child until he is seven, and he will believe like me forever."

Halter's proposal to increase teacher salaries by $5,000 could be good if you took it out of the $107 million that was given to the Arkansas Department Education to hire 32 new employees and other supplemental spending. That is not going to happen though! The state will have to pay about $202 million to increase teachers' salaries by $5,000. That figure was arrived at by multiplying 33,140 teachers by $5,000 and then adding 22% for the of social security, teacher retirement, and insurance.

Just these two initial educational proposals by Halter come to about $500 million, which equals more than a 1% increase in sales tax. And he is just starting on his campaign promises. Total education revenue in Arkansas has already almost doubled in 10 years – from 1995-1996 federal, state and local sources has increased from $2.2 billion to $4 billion in 2004-05. I think most of you will agree that you have seen very little value for your money.

Halter has proposed a lottery to fund educational programs. The lottery can be described as the most insidious form of gambling. Gamblers with household incomes of less than $10,000 bet three times as much on lotteries as those with incomes over $50,000. All studies indicate that a lottery takes its greatest toll on the economically disadvantaged since the lottery primarily attracts poor, unemployed, and less educated players.

Estimates show an Arkansas lottery would generate $169 million in sales. Only 33 percent of this amount, about $55 million annually, would be available as tax revenue for the state treasury. (Study by Arkansas Advocates for Chidlren & Famileis, a liberal organization.) So the state gets very little profit while promoting and encouraging addictive gambling by our children and the disadvantaged.

Lynch: Halter Needs to Run From Holt

This this ADG column, media personality Pat Lynch has some advice for Bill Halter in the Lt. Governor's race: Stay away from Jim Holt.

Lynch has done radio interviews with both men, has spent a lifetime measuring aspirants for public office, and is in a good position to know who would win in a side by side comparison. This is what he says on that....

"It doesn’t take an advanced degree in political sorcery to figure out that Halter and Holt must never meet in the same forum. Halter needs to stay busy, far too busy for town hall meetings and other pain-in-the-rear-end joint appearances. This is not about good government. It’s all about winning. Holt has everything to gain in a public match-up. Halter gets nothing but a black eye. "

Lynch's advice to the Halter campaing is avoid going overtly negative on Holt, instead going "soft negative" with innuendo and suggestion. Pretty sneaky, but it might work. Jason Willett has accomplished nothing with his over-the-top attacks on Holt other than to make himself look ridiculous. Lynch said Halter has to "pray that the editorial writers of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette do not beat the Holt campaign back to life with yet another epic denunciation." Lynch has caught on that real people- this does not include the Little Rock political class- either pay no attention at all to the ADG editorial page or read it "upside down". That is, if the ADG says someone is bad, then they are likely good.

Lynch also noted, "His Republican counterpart, Asa Hutchinson, has an advantage in his perceived closeness to Jim Holt, the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor."

Buchanan: Pence Plan a Sell Out on Illegals

> Addressing a gathering of Hispanics last week, President Bush declared: "There are those here in Washington who say, 'Why don't we just find the folks and send them home.' That ain't gonna work."
>
> Well, deportation certainly "ain't gonna work" if the chief law-enforcement officer of the United States refuses to enforce the law, as Bush has refused for five years.
>
> But as is his custom, President Bush is attacking a straw man. Few in this debate call for creation of a national police to begin Palmer Raid roundups of nannies. The agreed-upon strategy for dealing with this crisis of Bush's creation is, in a word, attrition.
>
> The crucial steps are these. Build a fence along the 2,000-mile border to stop the flood. End welfare benefits to illegal aliens, except emergency medical treatment. Vigorously prosecute employers who hire illegals. Cease granting automatic citizenship to "anchor babies" of illegals who sneak across the border to have them. Take care of mother and child; then put them on a bus back home.
>
> Turn off the magnets, and the illegals will not come. Cut off the benefits, and they will not stay. In five years, the crisis will be over.

click TUESDAY below for the rest of Pat Buchanan's article

Pro-Gambling Groups Fire Three Proposed Amendments at Arkansas Voters

If you've missed the announcements in the paper or the additions to the Secretary of State's website, you many not have noticed that there could be at least three (one for certain) proposed amendments to our state's constitution up for scrutiny by the voters this November, and they're all related to gambling.

The first measure seeks to get the camel's nose further into the tent by allowing "charitable" gambling such as bingo and raffles to be operated by certain non-profit groups. This is the one that will definitely be on the ballot. The other two, currently awaiting challenges to their popular titles, are:

An amendment that would (1) establish a state wide lottery AND (2) allow a particular company- Arkansas Hotels and Resorts, to operate seven casinos on their premises in Sebastian, Pulaski, Garland, Miller, Crittenden, Boone, and Jefferson counties. Of course, the usual "for the children" tactic is being used, with some of the money founding/funding an Arkansas Educational Trust Fund.

An amendment that would, among other things, require the establishment of the Arkansas Commission on Lotteries and Wagering. It takes the interesting measure of specifically naming the first commissioner, one Charles Ormond of Morrilton, Arkansas, who would have the longest initial term- nine years (the other commissioners would be appointed by the governor and re-elected by popular vote under this proposal). It empowers the commission to establish wagering districts, each with the ability to borrow money. It also requires the commission to establish and run at LEAST one statewide lottery.

Rumors True: Social Security Available to Illegals

It's been one of those rumors that we keep hearing: "Wasn't there some kind of law passed expanding SS benefits to include illegal aliens who retire and return back to Mexico?" I myself recalled the hubbub when the topic initially came up. But, as with all controversies, the alarm has diminished (though the rumor persists). What became of the issue? Were we wrong? Unfortunately, no...

Telling the Chi-Coms to Get Lost One BBQ Grill at a Time

My sister is so great with a grill that I never felt the need to own one- until yesterday. I went to Home Depot. The cheap Chinese made "Aussie" grills were lined up at the door. They were $49. The American Grills the same size were $76, and to find that out I had to carry one the length of the store and ask for a price (no clerked registers were open, and unlike the prominent display of Chinese grills, there was not even a price tag on the shelf for the near-hidden American one).

I left without a grill. I checked Wal-Mart's website. Chinese made kettle grill, $39 (Lowe's had the same grill or one like it for $34). I went to Fred's and saw a piece of Chinese junk grill for $34. The box was taped. They all were. "If it is missing pieces can I bring it back?" I asked the lady. "Sure" she said. In a moment of weakness I walked out the door with it. As I left, I saw the Newspaper Rack. "255 Workers Laid Off At Superior Industries in Fayetteville" it said. That was a shame I thought, as I carried my Chi-com made grill to the car.

I was actually relieved when the Chi-com grill was in fact missing at least six pieces. I took it back and went back to Home Depot. Where as before there was no staff in sight, this time a virile looking man straight from the set of "tool time" saw me looking over the grills and asked if he could help. I said I did not know if I could get away with the smaller size or pay more for the big one. "Get the big one" he advised. "It puts more distance between your flame and your grill for more even cooking." I bought the big one. On the way out, I noticed all those Chi-com grills right near the door had a very shallow depth. My new, deep, "Made in USA", Webber Grill should last for years.

The burgers were great yesterday.

Would You Buy a Used Preschool Program From This Man?

Bill Halter has come out with his "plan" for "Universal Pre-K". He makes outrageous boasts ("our state will have fewer welfare enrollees, less crime and teen pregnancy and a more educated and skilled workforce which will help attract new and better-paying jobs to our state") about what "the Halter Plan" will do, and all for the low, low price of $50 million a year.

If Bill Halter ever gets any real power (and I am not sure I count "Lt. Governor" as "real power") then I predict he will do for the taxpayers of this state what he did for the investors of the companies that he directed- lose them big money.

The plan simply cannot do what he says it can, and will not cost what he says that it will cost. The current cost for our pre-school programs is over $40 million a year and they say they need seventy. Less than half those eligible in the current program have it available to them, only some of those are taking it, and Halter wants to make it available to ALL at a sliding tuition scale depending on parent's income. In summary, he is pulling that "$50 million" figure out of thin air or someplace really disgusting. This gigantic new program will cost much more than he claims, except that hopefully we will never know because Jim Holt will save us from Halter's Big Plans for Your Money.

Even if it were available for FREE, it is still not a good idea for most children. Research indicates that children from good loving homes do better when they spend their third and fouth year at home rather than in a day care. Of course if a child has a rotten home environment they would be better off almost anywhere else, but that is an argument for foster care or parental training, not constructing a huge new government institution to raise three year olds. The answer for three and four year old children is better families, not have a government program to try to replace the familiy. It must be hard for a socialist to admit that there are limits to what government can do- except when it comes to spending money!

I know some parents have to use day care, and that is their choice. But what this plan would do is have the government take sides. It would take money out of the pockets of people who choose to raise their children at home (the best option for children) in order to subsidize those who choose to put their 3 and 4 year old children in a government institution. Eventually it will cost everyone more though, as government programs find a way to spend your dollars more freely than you yourself would. Arkansans may use the government's "free" daycare for a year or two, but they will be paying for it for the rest of their lives.

Notice I don't call their daycare programs by the PC euphemism "early childhood education". That is male bovine fecal matter. Just the thought of it makes me want to do things to liberals that are forbidden by our Constitution's prohibition on "cruel and unusual punishment". Three and four year old children learn by PLAYING. They learn during "moments of opportunity" rather than planned instruction. I think subjecting them to "quality preschool" that starts pounding "skill sets" at them at three is itself cruel and unusual punishment.

The "studies" that Halter cites to support his grandiose claims about what government can do for small children are flawed. The best studies show that any temporary gain the children make in learning "skill sets" in preschool goes away in a few years. The Abecedarian Project blew it from the start- randomization failed and all it showed was that a group of kids with a higher IQ before the start of the project will do better in school throughout the project. The test group had a higher IQ than the control group from the start.

The Perry Preschool Project did not even attempt to randomize their test from their control group, and their study has never been properly peer-reviewed. As parents were found to be less committed to the home training, they were switched from the test group to the control group! Since home training was a critical part of the program, it may be that the PARENT TRAINING at home rather than the day care aspect of the program was responsible for any positive results claimed by the program. Those results were meager in school- the rise in test scores disapeered after a few years just like in all the other programs. Later in life, the GIRLS got pregnant less and stayed out of jail more. There was no statistically significant improvement for the boys in the study.

As for Entergy's study that we "save" seven dollars for every one we spend on Pre-K, Entergy should stick with cheating Arkansans in their traditional manner, like overcharging us for blunders they made in their Louisiana operations. They should also stick to buying their politicians in the old fashioned way (like the way they hired lobby guys to funnel money to our Attorney General Bebee even though he is the one tasked with protecting us from unneeded rate hikes by Entergy). It is no wonder they are asking for another rate hike. They need to charge you more in order to fund more "studies" that say socialism is good! That is a sure way to endear them to politicians so that those fellows will let them up your rates!

As for Bill Halter, he should spend the next 27 years like he spent the last 27- outside of Arkansas. If he has to lose people big money in order to enrich himself, I would prefer it be the way he has done it in the past- by cheating investors with Enron-style business practices. Then at least he is losing the money of people gullible enough to choose to buy stock in the companies that he directs instead of the money of the taxpayers of this state whose only error was to be outvoted by idiots, should they elect Mr. Halter Lt. Governor.

Livestock Tracking Proposal- Big Brother Comes to Animal Farm!

When I first heard this one I thought that it must be a hoax, but it checks out. Republican Congressman Peter King has a bill before Congress that will mandate data collection on EVERY FARM ANIMAL go into a national database. The bill is HR 3170 though it has a couple of companion bills.

The cost of this program will be more than the cost of real "disease control" measures, which was the obstensible purpose of the bill. Here is an excerpt from the bill..

" (a) Establishment- There is established a board to be known as the `Livestock Identification Board'.

(b) Duties- The duties of the Board shall be to--

(1) establish and maintain an electronic livestock identification system that--

(A) is capable of tracing all livestock in the United States from the time of first movement of the livestock from its original premise to the time of slaughter of such livestock in less than 48 hours;

(B) tracks all relevant information about the livestock, including--

(i) the livestock identification number or the group or lot identification number for the livestock, as applicable;

(ii) the date the livestock identification number or the group or lot identification number was assigned;

(iii) the premise identification number;

(iv) the species of the livestock;

(v) the date of birth of the livestock, to the extent possible;

(vi) the sex of the livestock;

(vii) any other information the Board considers appropriate for animal disease surveillance; and

(viii) any other information that the person who owns or controls the livestock voluntarily submits to the Board;

(2) maintain information obtained through the livestock identification system in a centralized data system; and

(3) determine the official identification technology to be used to track animals under the livestock identification system."

The "technology" they are talking about can only be something like an RFID chip. This program is supposedly already being tested on some farms. As nutty as it sounds, this one might pass unless we ask our Congressmen to vote it down.

Cost for Pre-Natal Care for Illegals 5 Times Estimates

This Nell Smith article does an excellent job of outlining the background of our welfare program to provide pre-natal care to "undocumented immigrants". The cost so far is five times what it was estimated to be only two years ago. I think you will be astounded at the process they used to arrive at the estimate. A child could have told them that they were leaving important costs out.

This is a good lesson in how government growth works. They added this "benefit" administratively. The legislature did not get a chance to vote on whether you should have to pay for pre-natal care for illegal aliens. They sold it on a ridiculously low estimate of what it would cost, then cememted the program in place. Of course once in place they are really hard to cancel, but Sen. Jim Holt and others will certainly try to end this inducement for illegal aliens to come to Arkansas at your expense.

Vote Buying in St. Francis County?

In this article Arnell Willis is alleging that he was cheated in his race for the state legilsature, where a sudden 100 vote switch propelled his oppenent, Jack Crumbly, over the top.

This is on top of a warning from a poster that someone, later identified on the ArkFam blog as a Louise Fields, was selling 200 votes in the early voting box during the original primary. A look at the numbers from that box does show results that are difficult to explain. They show McDaniel, Shofner, Corbin, and Griffen along with Crumbly getting far better results in that box than they did overall, and if you subtract 200 votes from each of their totals you would get a number much more in line with their other totals. Halter and Wooldridge would have split the 200 votes with 100 each under this hypothesis.

Apparently the same source who first pointed out this crime to us has come forward with more details to the ArkFam blog. This source claims, "It was less obvious in the runoff - but if you are looking with that knowledge you can see the pattern. The go to person is Frederick Freeman (the Democratic Chair and on the County Election Commission) who is also the person who had two boxes "accidentally delivered" to his house in the Primary."

The selling of elections is one of the more despicable crimes I can think of. It undermines public confidence in our entire government. Yes, Arnell Willis should get his investigation. And GOP AG candidate Gunner DeLay has an excellent idea to put a halt to such abominations with his Public Integrity task force idea.

People need to go to jail for this. Candidates should be compelled to withdraw from races over this. Why isn't this story on the front pages of our Establishment Media?

Halter's Companies Cheat Small Investors, Engage in Illegal Business Practices

Bill Halter has swept back into the state of his youth and leveraged $800,000 of his own money into a Democratic nomination for Lt. Governor. It is clear that Halter has made a lot of money, but how? Some have focused on the fact that one of the companies which Mr. Halter helped direct, Akami Technologies, made a small portion of their revenue from porn sites, including some advertising "the youngest teenage girls on the net", and online gambling. Some images were even being hosted on college servers. Once the Boston Globe blew that story wide open, Akami made a decision to "phase out" such operations and has since made a policy that they will not make such agreements in the future. Mr. Halter was on the Board of Directors for eighteen months before this decision was made, and continues on that board today.

As shocking as these facts are, they are not an isolated incident. It turns out that each of the companies Mr. Halter has directed have had serious finincial/ethical and or legal difficulties.

(click FRIDAY below and scroll down for rest of story, or if sent straight here just scroll down).

Guest Worker "Cheap Labor" Isn't Cheap

June 14, 2006 by Phyllis Schlafly

Bush entered the White House in 2001 hoping he would be known in history books as the education president who raised public school standards with "No child left behind." It now looks like his legacy will be "No illegal alien left behind."

The White House website is currently advertising, in both English and Spanish, Bush's congratulations (applaudo) to the Senate for passing what he called bipartisan (bipartidista) and comprehensive (integral) immigration reform (reforma). In fact, this Kennedy-McCain (a.k.a. Hagel-Martinez) bill may be the worst and the most expensive bill ever passed by the Senate, and it should be an embarrassment to any Republican who voted for it.

The media have reported on the sections that grant illegal residents amnesty (a.k.a. path to legalization or earned citizenship). But the media have censored out of their news reports the sections that are ten to twenty times more costly and far more dishonest than playing games with the word amnesty.

In large print, the 795-page bill announces its "temporary guest worker" plan. Those words are lies because the fine print in the bill converts these workers, who are given H-2C visas, into permanent residents with the right to become citizens after five years.

(click FRIDAY below for rest of article)

Babies' Lives as Fluffy Little Political Footballs

John Brummett commented today about abortion as a "wedge issue". I have some comments myself.

First of all, what Democratic Attorney General nominee Dustin McDaniel did with this issue should show even nominal Democrats that this man cannot be trusted with the Attorney General's office. He beat Paul Suskie (who tried to weasel-word his way through the issue himself) by telling pro-abortion Democratic voters that Suskie was pro-life and that he, Dustin McDaniel, was going to aggressively defend their "right" to execute the inconvenient unborn. It was his "front and center" issue in the run-off. The next day after the election he flip-flops and claims that it is a personal issue that should have no bearing in the Attorney General's race.

That should tell even pro-aborts that they can't trust Dustin McDaniel, but you know what, you can't trust any pro-abortion politician. Not one of them. Do you know why? Because if they are willing to trade away the rights and interests of the unborn for political gain you can rest assured that, when the doors are closed and they think they can get away with it, they will trade away your rights and interests for political gain as well. Today they trade away the rights of those who can't vote, and tomorrow they will trade away the rights of those who are out-voted.

You can only trust candidates who view human rights as God-given, and therefore non-negotiable. These people are referred to as "extremists" by the liberal media, and other members of the population who demand more "moral flexibility" in their "leaders".

(click THURSDAY below and scroll down for rest of article, or if sent straight here just scroll down)

Democratic Runoff Imact

OVERALL: The Democrats have nominated the most secular and liberal ticket that anyone can remember. The Republican ticket is more Christian conservative than usual. Normally, the secular liberals argue that it is OK if they don't share the same Sunday morning values as the electorate, because they are more competent at governing. Competence trumps compatablity. Their problem is that they don't win on that issue either. This is especially true with the office of......

Secretarty of State: Charlie Daniels lost this primary election, even though he was not on the ballot. The feeling we get is that a significant number of normally Democratic voters are fed up with the incompetent way he has conducted this election and some are concerned about corruption issues. Republican Jim LaGrone is more moderate than some folks on the GOP ticket and he should run on competence, not on other issues.

Attorney General: Gunner DeLay wanted the Democrats to nominate Dustin McDaniel and the Democrats gave him his wish. The Democrats elected the least personable of their candidates, and one that has helped sue gun manufacturers. DeLay has a real chance in this race if the GOP fundraising apparatus does what it should.

Lt. Governor: Speaking of giving people what they wanted. The democrats gave Jim Holt a gift of gigantic proportions by passing over Jay Martin and Tim Wooldridge to hand the nomination to Bill Halter. His shady business dealings and liberal policy positions combine the worst stereotypes about both Republicans and Democrats together in one man. He is extremely weak in working a room and shoeleather politics, areas in which the personable Holt will run circles around him. Think the Democratic party will unite behind him? He won overall by 11 percent but he lost in at least (all results are not in yet, thanks Charlie Daniels) 24 counties in various parts of the state. Holt won his THREE WAY race by about the same percent margin, but won in all but three counties. Halter won by winning Pulaski County 71-28 and splitting the rest of them.

If Holt (and the whole GOP) wants to start looking for some swing counties they would do well to look on that list of counties won by Wooldridge. Those are the places where Democrats are uncomforatable with a liberal ticket. This race is also very winnable, and as with the AGs race also depends on the GOP fundraising apparatus doing what it should.

Treasuer: This low-profile office is the only one where the Democrats were not in a position to help the Republican candidate with their choice. The best chance for Chris Morris- the only black person on the ticket for either party- would be to split off some of the black vote. That would be easier to do against Mac Campbell from the Ku Klux Klan capitol of Harrison than it would be against someone that looks like your grandmother.

Governor: Each candidate runs their own campaign no matter what they start out doing, but this bunch is not one that can help Bebee win. Any attempts they make to latch onto his coat tails will likely turn these folks into anchors for the Bebee campaign. Bebee's strategy is to run a "content free" campaign and hope to win by force of personality and tradition. Asa will constantly be calling him out on policy in an effort to show people that there is a difference on the issues. The group of democrats nominated undermine Bebee's "content free" strategy. Bebee is desperately trying to avoid presenting a target, but the AG SOS and Lt. Gov. candidates on his ticket all have huge issues-based targets. That is just what the Hucthinson campaign wants and needs. As each of their GOP opponents fires on those targets it increases the odds that Bebee will catch some of the crossfire.

Election Day Thread

Turnout has been reported as light in most areas of the state. Among the few exceptions is Hot Springs Village has lots of Republican voters for the Heatherington Greenburg run-off. Some have speculated that this will favor Greenburg.


Post any other election reports you might have here. As results come in, we can post and discuss them here.

KTHV's election results
KARK's coverage
Here is the Arkansas Secretary of State's elections website. NOTE: Not considered a reliable or timely source by many observors!

One Last Poll Before the Real Poll

The ArkTimes blog is reporting that KTHV did one last poll before the election. That sounds like them, but it is not on their site. Here is what they claim the poll said:

LT. GOV.

Halter 60

Wooldridge 36

ATTY. GEN.

McDaniel 51

Suskie 46

Margin of error 4.7 percent.

Do any of you care to make your own prediction?

Other States Moving to Smaller Schools

Continuation of email on "McCord To Vote for Beebe Because Asa Supports Rural School".

Studies refute McCord’s Arguments for Consolidation

· McCord Supports ADE ' statement - “If they [the Paron parents] don’t like to ride the bus, move closer to the school.”

· Put computers on school buses and have school on bus McCord says

· Paron parents should car pool McCord says

(click MONDAY below and scroll down for article, or if sent straight here just scroll down)

Democratic Runoff Tomorrow- What it means.

Most of the Democatic state-wide ticket is involved in a run-off tomorrow. Who they choose will say a lot about where the state Democratic party is heading. David Sanders sums it up nicely with this metric:

"If the outcome is Halter/Suskie or Wooldridge/McDaniel, regionalism will have won the day. If the card reads Halter/McDaniel it will be an ideological victory for liberals; if a Wooldridge/Suskie ticket prevails - despite Suskie's last minute shape-shifting - conservative Democrats will have shown their strength."

Video Preview of Suskie-McDaniel Debate

Can be found on Mr. Brock's website. The debate will be aired as follows...

Central Arkansas - Sunday night on Fox 16 at 10 pm
Northwest Arkansas - Sunday night on UPN Arkansas at 10 pm
Northeast Arkansas - Monday night on Channel 22 at 6 pm and 10 pm.

"In our interviews, both men discussed a wide range of policy issues including Lake View, Big Oil, utility regulation, the death penalty, and abortion. I explore their personalities as well: what makes them tick, what they would like to change, favorite sports teams, and their families.

As a programming teaser, you’ll be surprised by some of the answers and I promise you’ll see a side of both men that you haven’t seen on the campaign trail. Both Suskie and McDaniel open up about some deeply personal experiences that have changed their lives. "

UPDATE: Pat Lynch will host a debate between these men Monday at 9:00 AM here.

Arkansas Republican Assembly-Backed Candidates Topple Moderates in Lonoke County

This article chronicles the efforts of the Arkansas Republican Assembly, a group within the Republican Party dedicated to advancing conservative candidates and ideas.

Willett Throws Wild on "Extremism" Charge

State Democratic Chairman Jason Willett embarassed himself last week on AETN when he accused Republican Lt. Governor nominee Senator Jim Holt "extreme". GOP Chairman Gilbert Baker calmly asked him to name what issues he thought Holt was extreme on. Willett refused or was unable to name any specific issues, but kept up the name calling.

This week, Michael Wickline (who can be a bulldog of a reporter when he is on a story) seems to have made an effort to pin Willett down in this article.

Even Wickline was only able to squeeze these three things out of Willett
1) Jim Holt is an extremist because he does not want every child to have an adequate education.
2) Jim Holt is an extremist because the editorial page of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette says that he is.
3) Jim Holt is an extremist because his recent opponent in the GOP Primary, Lawyer Chuck Banks of Little Rock, said he was.

(for a deconstruction of Willet's "reasoning" click SATURDAY below and scroll down or if sent straight here just scroll down)

A Good Time To Declare Victory and Go Home

Congratulations are in order for our armed forces. Abu Zarqawi was a mad-dog and had to be put down.

It occurs to me that this would be an excellent time to declare victory and go home. Our troops have already won every kind of victory that you can expect a military force to win. What is left are things that cannot be done with military force- such as turn a diverse population seething with hate into a functional and peaceful Constitutional Republic. To do that requires the hearts of people to be changed and that is not the job of our soldiers. Will there be a civil war if we pull out? Yes. Will there be one if we stay? Yes. They have been killing one another for 400 years and we are not going to make them stop. Not unless we become as ruthless as the man we are about to hang for atrocities.

Unless we are planning a war against Iran, it is time to come home. We are a Republic, not an Empire, yet we seem to go into places and never leave unless made to. We still have troops in Yugoslavia, in Hati. Why?

The Hammer Gets Nailed

Tom DeLay resigned from Congress yesterday. Known as "The Hammer" for his tough and combative style, DeLay was the House Majority Whip, but even that title does not adequately describe his influence. He is a distant relative of GOP AG Candidate Gunner DeLay. His departure speech could be described as "defiant". Coverage, including video of the speech, can be found here.

Who do the Republicans have left with that kind of fight?

27 Treated for Chemical Exposure After Religious Confrontation in Jonesboro

For the X-Files. This story in the Jonesboro Sun reports that 27 people had to be treated for exposure to an unknown chemical irritant at a Jonesboro IHOP. This occurred right after six teenagers who claimed to worship Satan confronted patrons at another table who were having a discussion about religious issues. Paging Agent's Scully and Mulder.

Halter Fires Back at Wooldridge

This article by Rob Moritz chronicles Halter's attack on Tim Wooldridge. The two are in a Democratic run-off for the Lt. Governor's nomination that will be decided Tuesday.

I say "fires back" but their have been some good points made about how soon the Halter attacks, including media buys, have been made. It would be difficult to get such ads out so soon after the allegations against Halter were put forth, unless the decision by Halter to attack Wooldridge was made BEFORE the Wooldridge charges that Halter made his money by bilking investors. Wooldridge also provided documentation that the only company Halter helped direct that made money did so in part by catering to teen pornography and online gambling interests.

The Halter charges against Wooldridge include his vote against giving a tax break to Arkansans in the National Guard who were called to active duty in the military, and also provided evidence that the Wooldridge bill to bring back public hangings was something that Wooldridge had really tried to get done. Wooldridge now dismisses that bill as "a favor I tried to do for a friend". Wooley must have some pretty tough friends!

Is the loser of this race really going to endorse the winner? I guess I can't claim to know much about winning Democratic primaries, but it seems to me that a runoff should be all about motivating the people who already voted for you to come do it again. Turnout should be only a fraction of the original election. Instead of focusing on that, these two seem intent on clawing each others eyes out right up to the final bell- maybe beyond.

John Brummett Discovers How to Fix Education

Best Brummett column I can remember. I am paraphrasing loosely but am reminded of the passage of scripture where a young priest told Jesus that loving God and individual people was much more important than following the program. Jesus replied, "You are not far from the Kingdom of Heaven".

Arkansas Truckers, West Coast Stevedores, Threatened by NAFTA Corridor

This World Net Daily report shows that American Truckers and West Coast Stevedores will be undercut by foreign labor who do not have to comply with the same safety standards of their U.S. Counterparts. This process will be accelerated by the coming "NAFTA Super Corridor" from Mexico to Canada.

Here is a key paragraph from the article to show that the process is already underway:

"On June 7, 2004, the U.S. Supreme Court in the case Department of Transportation v. Public Citizen ruled in favor of the Bush administration's argument that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration lacked the authority to exercise environmental controls to prevent Mexican trucks from openly operating in the U.S. under NAFTA. This ruling was key in the Bush administration's determination to open U.S. borders to Mexican trucks under the trade agreement. Had the Supreme Court decided otherwise, the NAFTA Super Corridor project would have suffered a setback."

It is open borders all the way, because that is what the big money wants. And if your family gets run over by a Mexican truck driver operating unsafely who will be held responsible? No comprendo.

Demo AG Primary Too Close to Call

The Channel 11 Survey USA poll has State Rep. Dustin McDaniel with 48% and Little Rock City Attorney Paul Suskie with 47%. The margin of error was 4.8%, which makes the race a statistical dead heat.

Previously, the polls had reported that Bill Halter was leading Senator Tim Wooldridge, AKA "The Hanging Judge", 58% to 34%. Since that time, Wooldridge unloaded some shocking dirt on Halter, enough to destroy anyone in a Republican Primary regardless of their lead. They have been documented elsewhere in this blog. We will see if that is enough to erase Halter's lead, but most pundits are saying that it will not. Since the run-offs have a higher percentage of "party hacks" than other elections, it might even have a back lash within that tiny group.

In both those races, and in the fairly close race for Treasurer between Mac Campbell and Martha Shoffner, the real key is TURNOUT. Getting those who have already voted for you to go to the polls one more time. Expending resources on getting new voters or going after your opponents base is a waste.

Marriage Amendment Goes Down to Defeat

On a mostly party line vote (N.E. Liberal Republicans and McCain voted with the Democrats) the Marriage Amendment has failed in the Senate. Sixty votes were required to end debate and vote on the bill. They could only muster 49.

The whole thing strikes my as a cursory effort designed to score points with the base and get the Democrats on record rather than a serious effort to protect marriage. Compare how quickly this came and went to the President's ongoing and extravagent effort to push a "guest worker" program off on an unwilling America. THAT is the way he acts when he wants something done. By comparison it is clear that they did not make a serious effort.

The effects of this failure will be wide ranging, as has been outlined in this article. Once homosexual "marriage" becomes a civil right, dissent will become unacceptable. The full force of the federal government will be used to push those with traditional views further into the margins. Here are some examples that the neutral Beckett foundation discovered...

The Beckett Fund study listed several areas that will be used as a wedge to increasingly isolate opposition...

Licensing

After Massachusetts legalized same-sex marriage, Boston Catholic Charities exited the adoption business rather than cede to state demands that it place children with same-sex couples. If same-sex marriage is legalized, professional licenses might also be denied to psychological clinics, social workers, marriage and family counselors, and others who believe same-sex relationships are "objectively disordered."

Tax Exemption and Government Benefits

Religious groups could find themselves suffering along with the Boy Scouts, as access to public facilities is stripped away. Gay-rights litigators will likely challenge groups' federal tax-exempt status, charging that such an exemption "subsidizes discrimination."

Conflicts Between Civil Rights Law and Religious Freedom

Among the possibilities: Religious employers who refuse to hire or retain employees in same-sex marriages can expect to be sued on the basis of "marital status discrimination." Religious colleges that refuse admission to same-sex couples could face civil lawsuits and loss of accreditation. In Massachusetts, Catholic colleges already are examining whether they must provide married student housing to legally married gay couples.

Freedom of Speech

Principles used by courts in deciding workplace sexual harassment cases will likely migrate to suppress an expression of anti-same-sex-marriage views by religious groups and people. The attorney general of New Jersey recently backed officials at William Patterson University after a non-faculty employee objected to receiving a mass e-mail inviting people to see gay-themed movies. The school disciplined the employee for having engaged in harassment because of her use of a single word, "perversions," to describe the content of the films. "

Asa and Halter Deals NOT Morally Equivilent

This Mark Minton article reports on the IPO that Asa Hutchinson is working on, Fortress America. It is one of those things where the founders sell themselves stock at pennies a share then do an IPO where the stock sells for dollars a share. In the case of Halter, the companies were grossly overvalued and as soon as the insiders, including Halter, "cashed out" the stock value collapsed leaving average investors- people like you and me- high and dry. Asa's company has not done that. Asa can't get the money out by law for two years. If Asa cashes out and then we discover that the company was mostly empty shell, I will be the among the first in line to say it was a dirty deal. Right now though, the stock is just as likely to hold its value or grow, making those investors money.


Add to it that the only compnay Halter helped direct that made money did so in part by hosting teen porn sites and out-of-country online gambling sites. Some may be tempted to say that Asa Hutchinson and Bill Halter have done the same thing. I'm not.

This is not to say I agree with all of his plans. His plan to expand access to "voluntary" Pre-K is a statist joke. What on earth is he talking about with "voluntary" pre-K? Does it mean that taxpayers get to VOLUNTEER on whether they want to pay taxes to pay for it? No you say, that part is not voluntary. I didn't think so. So when Asa uses the term "voluntary Pre-K" is he saying that pre-K is mandatory in other states? Are children rounded up at gunpoint in other pre-K programs? Or is the insertion of the word "voluntary" just a little sugar word to help a big-government idea go down a little smoother? Yeah, that is what I thought.

I am not a cheerleader, I just call them like I see them. Halter's business practices are sleazy and crooked, and his political positions are lefist. Hutchinson has been honest in his business dealings so far, and SOME of his political positions are leftist.

Are the Feds Taking Holt's Position on Pre-Natal for Illegal Aliens?

This NY Times article (subscription required) reports that the Administration, under pressure from Congress, is about to issue new guidelines for access to Medicaid.

In 1997 the Administration created the SCHIP program, which was the largest expansion of public insurance since medicaid in 1965. 50 million people are covered. Only the new Presicription Drug program might one day outstrip it in terms of number of dollars taken from taxpayer's pockets to fund socialized medicine as the last ten years have seen an explosion in give-away health care spending supported by both parties.

The new guidelines will demand all persons who use medicaid provide proof of citizenship rather than simply attest that they are citizens. The federal rules currently allow the mothers of illegal aliens access to prenatal services regardless of citizenship. Ten states have enacted such programs.

In Arkansas politics, the biggest bone of contention on this issue is that Senator Jim Holt's SB206 would have ended all state public benefits to illegal aliens, including non-emergency pre-natal care, such as pre-natal vitamins. Under SB206, illegal aliens would have to use their own money to pay for such services, rather than the taxpayer footing the bill. SB206 did not pass the senate, but Holt is running for Lt. Governor and has said he is inclined to enact the proposal by ballot initiative if the legislature does not pass a similar law in 07.

At first glance it would appear that the new regulations, set to go into effect July 1st, would exclude illegal aliens from non-emergency pre-natal programs. In other words, the Administration would do the same thing on this that Jim Holt has proposed doing via SB206. Of course, SB206 covers other things like Housing Assistance that medicaid does not. But Holt has taken a lot of heat on this issue by those who think the taxpayers ought to foot the bill for such programs and the highly paid government officials who administer them. It would be ironic if the Administration, pressured by Congress, did the exact same thing Holt has been raked over the coals for.

Someone who makes a living as a reporter should see if the new regulations would in fact prevent illegal alines from getting these benefits as it appears at a first read.

"November is Going to Be a Massive Train Wreck"

Those are the words of John Nunnally, who had to run the election in White County. He says the blame goes to both ES&S and the Secretary of State (Charlie Daniels) whose office asked them to do something illegal. The story is here.

Wooldridge Unleashes on Halter

Wooldridge news release accuses Halter of making money off porn, losing wads of it elsewhere...

Wooldridge Questions Halter’s Real Experience

Senator Tim Wooldridge of Paragould, Democratic candidate for Lt. Governor, said today that Arkansans should have some real questions about Bill Halter’s professional associations and experience.

“Bill Halter raised this issue on his latest television ad,” Wooldridge said. “He makes the statement that he would ‘…take my experience leading five high-tech companies and use it to improve our schools..’. The question I have for Mr. Halter, is exactly which experience he is referring to?

“Is it the experience of losing hundreds of millions of dollars? Is it the experience of being forced to pay restitution to small investors who were cheated? Is it how to deal with a federal justice department investigation?

“Perhaps it’s the experience of profiting from online gambling and internet pornography,” Wooldridge said. “Does he actually want to teach our children that it’s alright to profit from those types of industries, even using those ill-gotten gains to seek public office? Maybe he sees little wrong with those issues, since one of the companies he ‘leads’ was found to be storing images from teen pornography and gambling sites on public school and university servers,” Woodridge said.

(click TUESDAY below and scroll down for rest of story)

"Jim & Jim" Candidate Event

Catfish Dinner for Senator Jim Holt and Jim Lagrone

June 24,06 4:00 to 7:00 pm.

From a a flyer for a catfish dinner to raise money and support for two dedicated Christian candidates, Senator Jim Holt for Lt. Governor and Jim Lagrone for Secretary of State.

"I think everyone knows by now of Senator Holt's conservative Christian stands, and Jim Lagrone is a Southern Baptist minister and past president of Arkansas Southern Baptist Convention. These faithful men really need the Christian/Republican support. Another Jim is graciously providing the fish and the place for the event. Both candidates have hard battles ahead of them, and we need to support them with our prayers and with our finances and presence at their events to encourage them. The event should be fun for the entire family.

The tickets are $15.00 each or $25.00 for a couple. The ticket for the entire family is $30.00. Hot dogs will be provided for the young children. If any of you can attend or if you cannot attend and can donate the $15.0 or $25.00 to someone who can, will you please email us and buy the tickets from me or Shelia Best. Please pitch in and help us out with the tickets. Our phone numbers and emails are are listed below.

Please pray about this. The more I have worked in my support for Senator Jim Holt, the more awed I am at the work, labor, and sacrifice that millions of candidates have put forth to preserve our freedom. And many of them put forth this effort and never win the race. Please take a moment to think about this sacrifice by others and see if you have done your part in fighting for our country and religious freedom. This would be a great opportunity to get to hear these two men speak and visit with them and fellowship with likeminded friends.

Here are the directions and contact numbers:

Make checks to Northeast Arkansas Republican Women, and the proceeds will be passed on to the candidates.

Shelia Best 933-6775 E-mail: sbest@fastdata.net

Debbie Pelley 935-9438 E-mail: dpelley@cox-internet.com

Directions: Go to Jim Petty's Farm located at 20499 Crowley Ridge Cutoff, Harrisburg. Traveling South on Stadium Ave. turn left onto Harrisburg Rd at the light. Go around the zigzag and travel 5.6 miles south on Harrisburg Rd. (AR -163) Turn Right on Crowley Ride Cutoff. Go 0.5 miles. We will mark the path with occasional signs."

Demo Lt. Gov Primary Gets Rough

The Democratic Primary for Lt. Governor between Senator Tim Wooldridge of Paragould and Bill Halter, obstensibly from Little Rock, has gotten rough.

Jason Willet, the Democratic Chairman, has sent signals that he favors the more liberal Halter. Willet's mentor, Congressman Marion Berry, seems to prefer Wooldridge. All that is ascertainable in this informative John Brummett column- I have to say this was some good writing.

It seems Halter has spent almost all of the last 27 years out of the state, and eschews travel to rural north Arkansas locations. The impression is that he is trying to buy the nomination with media rather than meeting folks with retail campaigning. The conservative Democrats also don't care for his pro-abortion views and lack of elected office.

Wooldridge has his own problems. The president of the Arkansas NAACP wanted to know if Wooldridge still wants to hang people on the court house square. "It reminds me of a number of lynchings in the state of Arkansas where black people were hung," he said. Wooldridge also was the primary sponsor of a bill that many feel would have polluted Little Rock's water supply by allowing clear cutting around Lake Maumelle.

I thought the Republican Lt. Governor's primary was hard-fought and at times viscious, but the comments on the ArkTimes blog show that they have divisions of their own. Liberals in the Democratic party are questioning if Wooldridge would become a Republican if he wins! This from the guy who said "Jesus would be a Democrat"! Sound familer? Glad this mudfight is taking place in someone else's house this time?