The Blameless Bankrupt

A thread started below about the Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing of John David Lindsey has been taken up by a couple of local blogs. Check out the report on the Fayettevillage Voice and the more biting commentary of Roger's Arkansas. Neither seem to be buying the bullshit of Lindsey or his father, Jim Lindsey, that the boy is a blameless victim of the fates. That's what happens when the highrollers get rolled. No more sympathy for young Master Lindsey than for Brandon Barber, Dirk Van Veen, Hank Broyles, or John Nock.

I can't tell enough about it to make any contribution, but I'll be watching for the numbers when the shell filing gets some real numbers next month. Somebody's about to get a half-billion dollar financial enema.

If anyone has any solid information or even uninformed opinions, the comments section is all yours.

We Don't Need No Stinking Ethics

The Arkansas Ethics Commission will conduct a 2-hour training session in Fayetteville on March 12 for political candidates and other persons subject to the state’s laws on campaign finance and disclosure. They should have plenty of customers among our politicians who are generally unfamiliar with ethics laws and such, but they find much comfort in claiming ignorance as a convenient excuse.

Benton County Judge David Bisbee could learn that it is unethical to reject a low bid and throw the money to your own construction company to remodel offices in the courthouse. Representative Mark Martin could learn how to stop lying about being a good steward of the taxpayers' money while pocketing more than $56,000 in expense accounts, the highest among Northwest Arkansas legislators. Congressman John Boozman could learn to stop claiming credit for federal grants that he voted against.

Fayetteville Alderman Matthew Petty could learn not to steal someone's tricycle and wreck it. Alderman Robert Rhoads could learn to file his financial ethics forms on time and before reporters start asking questions. Alderman Brenda Thiel could learn to recuse from voting on her boyfriend's $90,000 salary. A&P Commissioner Bob Davis could learn that it is unethical to get a no-bid contract to sell insurance to the A&P Commission. A&P Director Marilyn Heifner could learn not to hire family members without advertising the position.

Perry Webb and the Springdale Cowbirds could learn to pay their taxes and stop using public funds for exotic junkets and expensive personal items. UA coaches could learn not to take money (aka kickbacks) for endorsing various brands of equipment and requiring the student athletes to wear the logos.

None of these people will show up for the training.

Republican Wastrels

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette has a good story this morning about which legislators have grubbed the most money for expenses during the last year. Each legislator in Northwest Arkansas gets $18,000 for office expenses and a little over $15,000 in per diem and mileage for the regular session, so the base rate would be about $33,000. The lowest amount drawn among the 135 legislators was $1,081 by Senator David Johnson (D-Little Rock) member who doesn't have to drive down I-540 to get to the capitol.

Twenty legislators billed the state for more than $50,000 in expenses. For all the campaign rhetoric about being good stewards of the taxpayers' money, the biggest spenders in Northwest Arkansas are our right-wing Washington County Republicans, two of whom ranked in the Top Ten percentage among the 135 legislator travel expense accounts, along with Benton County's Senator Kim Hendren (R-Gravette). Representative Mark Martin (R-Prairie Grove) raked in $56,290 in reimbursements and ranked Number 4 in expenses among all 135 legislators. Close behind, at Number 9 in the House was Jon Woods (R-Springdale) with $51,949.

Representative Martin is a candidate for the Republican nomination for Secretary of State. His campaign website doesn't say anything about his lavish spending habits or his wingnut voting record, but it does have a link where you can send him some of your money and cut out the middleman. Senator Hendren says he is running for United States Senator, and on his campaign website his first promise is "I will oppose Washington’s reckless spending." He doesn't mention that he ranked Number 3 in expense requests out the of 35 members in the Arkansas Senate.

Fayetteville's Senator Sue Madison (D) and Representative Lindsley Smith (D) received lower reimbrusement expenses than all of their local Republican colleagues.

Here is the full rundown of expense accounts for our Northwest Arkansas delegation.

SENATE
Kim Hendren (R) $50,522
Bill Pritchard (R) $47,519
Cecile Bledsoe (R) $45,529
Sue Madison (D) $42,597

HOUSE
Mark Martin (R-Prairie Grove) $56,290
Jon Woods (R-Springdale) $51,949
Jim House (D-Fayetteville) $48,414
Uvalde Lindsey (D-Fayetteville) $45,625
Donna Hutchinson (R-Bella Vista) $42,661
Mary Lou Slinkard (R-Gravette) $42,542
Jonathan Barnett (R-Siloam Springs) $41,855
Les Carnine (R-Rogers) $39,967
Debra Hobbs (R-Rogers) $39,451
Tim Summers (R-Bentonville) $37,828
Duncan Baird (R-Lowell) $36,856
Lindsley Smith (D-Fayetteville) $35,729

Lincoln Sees "Dirty Dozen" as Badge of Honor

The League of Conservation Voters this week named Senator Blanche Lincoln (R-Waffler) on their 2010 list of the "Dirty Dozen" most anti-environmental members of Congress seeking reelection after she signed on to co-sponsor the "Dirty Air Act" resolution offered by Alaska Republican Senator Murkowski. “Instead of embracing a comprehensive clean energy and climate bill that creates jobs, reduces carbon pollution and increases energy independence, Senator Lincoln has decided to cast her lot with Big Oil and other corporate polluters who oppose transitioning to a clean energy economy,” said Gene Karpinski, LCV President.

Lincoln responds that she has an outstanding voting record on environmental issues, although she has a career LCV score of only 49%. She has taken more than $1 million in campaign cash from Big Oil and other energy interests, with oil and gas companies being among the top five contributors to her campaign this cycle, and that should more than offset any effective opposition from the poorly funded environmental organization.

In a press release from her campaign office, Lincoln slammed the League of Conservation Voters as "a Washington-based, liberal environmental group," as she boasted, “Threats from extremist groups from outside our state tell me I’m doing something right for Arkansas.” That statement was followed by quotes from Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce President Randy Zook and Arkansas Farm Bureau President Randy Veach expressing their appreciation for her opposition to EPA authority to enforce the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gases, which they usually deny exist.

Blanche knows that there are more polluters than environmental voters in Arkansas, and she thinks she can get Republican corporate types to vote for her instead of a genuine Republican candidate. She is also very well aware that she has received much more money from Chamber of Commerce and Farm Bureau members than from local environmental groups, so you know who gets the lump of coal. Expect more of the same from the woman who replaced Dale Bumpers (100% LCV in 1997 & 1998) in the United States Senate -- and weep.

Chickenopolis Cowbirds

Sometime while we were on vacation in Branson, the FOI Springdale website became FOI Springdale Blog. It is a prime example of why local Cowbirds need to be held accountable. In this case, we get a good picture of what is going on in every Chamber of Commerce that is nurtured with tax dollars by local governments that have the impossible dream of new jobs and the fateful fiction that Cowbirds can make those happen.

In most instances, only the Chamber officers and employees know about the wasteful and self-indulgent spending sprees. The Springdale Cowbirds were so arrogant that they just dumped the taxpayers' hundred thousand dollars plus into the same slush account they used for entertaining themselves and their friends. We wrote about it here a few times, but FOI Springdale does it so much better.

Enjoy the revelations while you can. Perry Webb learned his lesson and will keep the public funds in a separate account, making sure that all of his other questionable expenses and personal travel splurges remain hidden from citizens making Freedom of Information requests. What he will not be able to hide any longer, if anyone bothers to do the math, is what a poor investment the city council and the advertising and promotion commission have made and continue to make. It is a very poor return on their investment of taxpayers hard earned money.

Job Openings in Washington

The death rattle of Senator Blanche Lincoln's pith-poorly orchestrated campaign for reelection has sent a few ripples into the Third Congressional District. Her astronomical unfavorable ratings, combined with bone-headed votes and public statements that almost seem designed to alienate the Democratic party base, make her look like easy pickings for a serious challenger and within the realm of probability for opponents that normally would not be taken seriously.

The sad new for Democrats is that she will be their nominee, despite her disdain for the President and the party platform. Lt. Governor Bill Halter could have taken her out in a primary, but that was not to be. Governor Beebe and the party establishment have been in the tank for Lincoln forever and have shunned Halter at every opportunity. Now, with Congressman Vic Snyder retiring, a discount ticket to Washington is available for purchase, and Halter will likely make a bid. More later on what that would mean for a Lt. Governor contest and why anyone with good sense would possibly want the job.

The impact on local political doings comes from our own Republican Robot, John Boozman, looking at an easy shot for a six-year term in the Senate, a real attraction for a fellow who does not appear to enjoy having to campaign and make conversation with ordinary voters. He will first have to get by a primary with a dozen other mediocre candidates and probably a run-off with State Senator Gilbert Baker. Some think real estate tycoon, apartment slumlord, and farm subsidy welfare king Jim Lindsey will buy his way in, but I am not among them.

Boozman's candidacy would open the floodgates of pent up political ambition among every obnoxious little twit who ever sought public office in Benton County. First among them will be Rogers Mayor Steve Womack, who will be unable to resist spoiling his inner demagogue and reporting the true feelings of his corporate sponsors. It is also possible that State Senator Kim Hendren, failed gubernatorial candidate and father of a failed Congressional candidate, will retreat from the Senate race and take a shot at the AR3 slot, fueled by his personal fortune from an out of state car dealership. Retired General and Teabagger Bernard Skoch is already announced and should stay. Asa Hutchinson, a Loser in races for Benton County JP and U.S. Senate and Governor and Attorney General, would like to move back to Arkansas and be back in the only office he ever won, but he will decide against having to defend his sorry record on the federal dole.

On the Democratic side, Fayetteville attorney David Whitaker appears to have a clear field for a run. A couple of years ago, Don Nelms made some noise about running as an independent, but friends report that he is too happy and very comfortable pursuing his dreams in Newton County to make another campaign. That should give Whitaker some relief, as he can spend the next seven months raising money while his opponents will be spending the next four months spending their own money and wondering why the party faithful are putting out only for Senate candidates.

Green Party candidate Abel Tomlinson will likely be distracted by his own foray into the judicial branch instead of the legislative campaign. I think some guy in Rogers is running as an independent, but I can't remember his name, and that's just as well.

That's all I know, but I warn you against getting your hopes up that the citizens will have much say in the outcome. Just sit back and see who Walmart buys and elects to be their new puppet. That should be clear in late April when the quarterly purchase orders are reported to the Federal Election Commission.

Benign Neglect 2009

The Little Rock media, both social and unsocial, have taken stock of the state of our state for 2009. Northwest Arkansas got off easy, probably because the metropolitan Punditry of Pulaski find us easy to ignore in their view of the world, but we can be thankful whatever the reason.

Longtime political observer and cultural critic Bob Lancaster's 2009 Best and Worst of Arkansas in the current issue of the Arkansas Times let's us off easy, at least as easy as one can when mentioning Chickendale. "Business Week magazine said in November that Springdale was the best town in Arkansas for raising children. Maybe so. At least Springdale police don't taser 10-year-old girls." The rest of us up here? We are not worthy.

Blake Rutherford's Think Tank offered an assessment of the Best and Worst of 2009 Politics and Blogging. In the only nod to our little corner of the state, he did give the Most Notorious Arkansas Political Figure award to Benton County's State Senator Kim Hendren. Hendren's national media attention from his unapologetic characterization of U.S. Senator Charles Schumer as "that Jew" would be hard to top.

Never fear, my friends. We will get much more attention in the Worst rankings of the 2010 retrospectives. It is an election year.

Evnironmental Scorecard

A group called Environment America, a federation of of state-based, citizen-funded environmental advocacy organizations, has issued its roll call analysis of U.S. Senate and House voting records on environmental issues. They think that the voters give a damn how elected officials vote, so this is part of its campaign "to pass legislation in Congress to repower our economy with clean energy and cut global warming pollution."

Our delegation got three As, two Bs, and one F. On 15 key environmental votes, detailed in the report, Environment America found that 184 of the 535 national legislators voted pro-environment 100% of the time. Three from Arkansas had perfect records: Congressman Snyder, Senator Lincoln, and Senator Pryor. Two others, Congressman Ross and Congressman Berry, scored 87%, voting right on 14 of 15 issues.

Then there was the Congressman from the Green Valley of Northwest Arkansas, John Boozman, who voted wrong on 11 of 15 roll calls. All those eco-freaks in the Sierra Club did not scare our guy, who is not the least bit ashamed that he voted against the environment. He is proud to have the worst record and is only embarrassed because his score of 27% was too high for his corporate contributors.

If you are one of those inconsequential environmentalists, you can waste some more of your time and wallow in your political impotence by reading the full report.

Jim Holt Ready to Rumble

Fans and followers of Jim Holt are throwing a fund-raising party in Fort Smith next week. It is your chance to get in on the ground floor of the 2010 Jim Holt for U.S. Senate campaign by writing a fat check. If enough people believe in him and make a love offering, then the race is on. His handlers point out that Holt got 44% against Lincoln six years ago, before she managed to upset so many voters on the left and right.

If hard times have made tightwads of the faithful, then Jim will be looking to take back his old State Senate seat now held by Bill Pritchard of Elkins. There are more Republican primary votes in Springdale than in the rest of the district.

New Blogger on the Block

I have whined for years that Benton County was a target-rich environment that deserved its own blogs for commentary on the politics of that province. Fortunately, Rogers now has a very good one in Roger's Arkansas. It combines wit, insight, good writing in complete sentences, and it does not appear to be on retainer by either the Chamber or Wal-Mart.

Now, if only Siloam Springs got the blogging it deserved.