Monthly Archives: January 2011

Philip Martin: Message might have got through to Arizona Shooter

January 19, 2011 – 1:48 pm

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Series:    Is Rightwing Rhetoric encouraging Violence? Part 4

CNN’s Anderson Cooper and his panel discuss the finger pointing and deliberate misinformation among politicians.

Probably the most common quote concerning the Arizona tragedy was Paul Krugman’s words spoken just 2 hours after the shooting:

A Democratic Congresswoman  has been shot in the head; another dozen were also shot.

We don’t have proof yet that this was political, but the odds are that it was. She’s been the target of violence before. And for those wondering why a Blue Dog Democrat, the kind Republicans might be able to work with, might be a target, the answer is that she’s a Democrat who survived what was otherwise a GOP sweep in Arizona, precisely because the Republicans nominated a Tea Party activist. (Her father says that “the whole Tea Party” was her enemy.) And yes, she was on Sarah Palin’s infamous “crosshairs” list.

Just yesterday, Ezra Klein remarked that opposition to health reform was getting scary. Actually, it’s been scary for quite a while, in a way that already reminded many of us of the climate that preceded the Oklahoma City bombing.

You know that Republicans will yell about the evils of partisanship whenever anyone tries to make a connection between the rhetoric of Beck, Limbaugh, etc. and the violence I fear we’re going to see in the months and years ahead. But violent acts are what happen when you create a climate of hate. And it’s long past time for the GOP’s leaders to take a stand against the hate-mongers.

It seems that liberals backed off this type of accusation when the facts that disproved it came out later. In fact, Paul Krugman took down his own comments. Now we have liberals writing articles filled with double talk that still attempt to imply that the tea party types still may have had something to do with this.

Philip Martin in his article “You can’t talk to Crazy, but sometimes it hears,” (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Jan 16, 2011), implies that possibly a message about the political fights got through to Jared Loughner.

And the perpetually angry will buy what the demagogues sell, no matter how preposterous their claims, because, after a while, they need to be angry to feel normal. This is why you say there is a war against Christmas, that the white middle class is being persecuted or that the president is an illegitimate foreigner with links to al-Qaida, and people will believe it. A claim’s outrageousness is no impediment for those who love to feel outraged.

There’s nothing to be learned from what happened in Tucson other than another pure product of America went crazy (crazier) and hurt some people who had nothing against him, who meant him no harm. You can’t blame anybody in particular for what Jared Loughner did—except maybe Jared Loughner.
But on the other hand, you can’t pretend that these things happen in a vacuum. I said Crazy doesn’t listen but sometimes Crazy hears—Crazy picks up a signal in its tin-foil beanie. Crazy feels licensed by the sort of vitriol we fling around to make ourselves feel better.
You can pretend it’s nothing to do with you if you want, but we create the world together. Our portion of whatever blame there is may be small, but it is not negligible.

Let’s take Martin’s view that maybe a message got through to Loughner. According to Good Morning America’s interview with Loughner’s best friend Zach Osler, Loughner did not listen to the news or to talk radio. So where did he get a message from? Here is a transcript of Rush Limbaugh reacting to the  Good Morning America interview.

BANFIELD:  Instead he points to this online documentary series called Zeitgeist as the gas on Loughner’s fire.  It’s a documentary movement that rails on currency-based economics.

OSLER:  I really think that this is Zeitgeist documentary had a profound impact upon Jared Loughner’s mind-set and how he viewed the world that he lives in.

RUSH:  It wasn’t just Zeitgeist. ” According to reports, Loughner’s favorites included little-known conspiracy theory documentaries such as ‘Zeitgeist’ and ‘Loose Change’ as well as … ‘Donnie Darko’ and ‘A Scanner Darkly.'” Now, Zeitgeist is “a 2007 documentary that asserts Jesus Christ is a myth, that 9/11 was orchestrated by the government, and that bankers manipulate the international monetary system and the media in order to consolidate power.”  So a conspiracy movie (put together by deranged leftists, it turns out) appears to be, according to his best friend, the most influential media of this young man’s life.  “‘Loose Change’ is a series of films released between 2005 and 2009 which argue that the September 11, 2001 attacks were planned and conducted by elements within the United States government…”

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Let me make my view clear. There will always be a percentage of people out there that are mental cases. I personally think that there is no evidence at all to say that most of them are right or left leaning. To try and paint a broad picture like that is not fair.

33rd ANNUAL MARCH FOR LIFE:Little Rock Sun 2pm begins at Capital and Louisiana Streets

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Today I have a profile of St lawmaker Kelley Linck.

Executive Director, Ozark Mtn
buttonRegion Tourism Association 

buttonNRA Member & Supporter – Has an “A” Rating with the NRA

button Owned and operated a small business in the
button area for 15 years

buttonPresident 3 terms, Bull Shoals Lake-
buttonWhite River Chamber of Commerce

button President, Rotary International Club,
buttonBull Shoals/Lakeview

button President 3 terms, White &
buttonNorth Fork Rivers Outfitters Assoc.
In the photo above, is the Linck home that was built in Flippin, Arkansas in 1910. Starting from the left is Kelley, his dad Ike Linck, his brother John Linck and his newphew Edwin Linck.
By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)

33rd ANNUAL MARCH FOR LIFE:Little Rock Sun 2pm begins at Capital and Louisiana Streets

January 18, 2011 – 10:37 pm

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President Obama on abortion

Adrian Rogers (former President of Southern Baptist Convention): “I am not as afraid of the Communist, the Russians, the Chinese, as much as I am afraid of God.  If God be for us, who can be against us?  If God be against us, then who can be for us?  It is God I am afraid of.”

I personally started walking in these marches in 1983. There have been some years when the weather was really bad and I missed. I took my four kids to many of them. It is always an emotional time.

I remember especially 1993’s March since I felt that for the first time since Roe v Wade that Arkansas could have a major impact. I knew that Bill Clinton had resided in our city for many years and was a Southern Baptist as I was. In fact, I learned a few days later that my former pastor Adrian Rogers had a chance with several other pastors to meet with the incoming President a few days earlier in Little Rock.

My friend, the Rev Sherwood Haisty Jr., and I had a chance to eat lunch with Dr. Rogers the next Thursday and he told us what President Clinton had to say on the issue of abortion. Before the meeting with the pastors began he outlined his position on abortion which was basically pro-choice. In others words, President Clinton was opening the floor for other subjects but that issue was already settled.

Looking back to the 8 years of Bill Clinton, he did everything he could to further the pro-abortion agenda. Some day his wife may be president and I have no reason to believe that she will not try to do the same.

Arkansas Right to Life press release below:

On Sunday, January 23, 2011 thousands of Arkansans will take to the streets of Little Rock at 2:00 p.m. in a peaceful and prayerful witness to the sanctity of human life for the 33 rd Annual March for Life. Sponsored by Arkansas Right to Life, the march begins at Capitol and Louisiana Streets, proceeds down Capitol Avenue approximately 13 blocks and concludes at the steps of the State Capitol for a brief program.

Wayne Mays, president of Arkansas Right to Life, will lead the march along with invited dignitaries and other special guests. The march will proceed as planned regardless of weather conditions.

Princella Smith, of Wynne, will be our keynote speaker. Interested in politics very early in her life, Ms. Smith became a prime time speaker at the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York City addressing the nation on the same night as First Lady Laura Bush and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Just last year , Princella vied to become America’s youngest Member of Congress as a candidate for the First District of Arkansas at age 26. Smith is a regular political contributor and has been featured and/or written for several national media outlets including: FOX News, CNN, CBS, MSNBC, BET, Bloomberg News, PBS, NPR, USA Today, among other local, national and international media outlets.

Among are special invited guests are: U.S. Senator John Boozman, Congressmen Rick Crawford, Tim Griffin and Steve Womack, Arkansas Lt. Governor Mark Darr, Secretary of State Mark Martin and pro-life members of the Arkansas General Assembly.

Also participating in the brief program will be Bishop Anthony Taylor, Bishop of the Diocese of Little Rock and Cathie Dorsch, Associate Minister at Agape Church in Little Rock. Song selections will be performed by the Jim Bob & Michelle Duggar Family of Springdale, Arkansas.

“The pro-life movement is energized with the newly elected, more conservative Congress and Arkansas General Assembly and ready to enact legislation that will reject the pro-abortion policies and health care mandates of the Obama administration that seek to federally subsidize abortion on demand and ration the healthcare treatments of the disabled, chronically ill and aged,” said Rose Mimms, Executive Director of Arkansas Right to Life.

The state’s leading voice of the voiceless Arkansas Right to Life is dedicated to protecting all human beings threatened by abortion, infanticide, and euthanasia.

Arkansas Right to Life, the state’s oldest and largest pro-life organization,
is an affiliate of the National Right to Life Committee.

Dr. John Piper’s response to President Obama’s statement on abortion

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Today I have a profile from Ballotpedia on St lawmaker Jonathan Barnett.

Jonathan Barnett

From Ballotpedia

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Jonathan Barnett
Arkansas House of Representatives District 97
Incumbent
Assumed office
2009
Current term ends
2010
Political party Republican
Profession General Contractor
Website House site

Jonathan Barnett is a Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives. He has represented the 97th District since 2009 and currently serves as Assistant Speaker Pro Tempore.

Issue positions

Barnett did not provide answers to the Arkansas State Legislative Election 2008 Political Courage Test. The test provides voters with how a candidate would vote on the issues if elected.[1]

Committee assignments

Sponsored legislation

Barnett’s sponsored legislation includes:

  • HB 1612 – “TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL LAW IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR RECEIPT OF FEDERAL HIGHWAY FUNDS.”
  • HB 2209 – “TO EXEMPT EARTH MISSION, INC. FROM THE SALES AND USE TAX.”
  • HB 2210 – “TO EXEMPT THE MASONIC LODGE OF ARKANSAS FROM THE PROPERTY TAX.”

For a full listing of sponsored bills, see the House site.

Elections

2010

See also: Arkansas House of Representatives elections, 2010

Barnett won re-election to the 97th district seat in 2010. He faced no opposition.[2]

2008

On November 4, 2008, Barnett won election to the 97th District Seat in the Arkansas House of Representatives, running unopposed in the general election.[3]

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Adrian Rogers, Bill Clinton, President Obama, Prolife | Comments (1)

Lynch:”Zealous newcomers” in St Govt should be cautious about tax cuts

January 18, 2011 – 1:35 am

HALT:HaltingArkansasLiberalswithTruth.com

Series Part 1 :State Income Tax stifles Arkansas

Economist Art Laffer testified in favor of Missouri HJR 56/ SJR 29. Laffer explains his research supporting the elimination of State Income Tax and discusses the harmful effects of Missouri’s income tax. To achieve the most economic growth and job creation, Missouri should eliminate its state income tax and move to a sales tax. Missouri should pursue a tax structure that does the least amount of harm while collecting the revenues we need. Replacing Missouri’s income tax with a sales tax will accomplish that aim.

Pat Lynch in his weekly column in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Legislative Overview, Jan 17, 2011), tells the new Republicans that they should be cautious. He went on to note, “We should all be hoping that, when zealous newcomers decide to cut taxes, they also propose corresponding cuts in spending.”

That sounds reasonable at first, but have you ever considered the possibility that there is a lot of fat in the State government? Maybe the Republicans should be radical and cut taxes a lot and cut spending even more. These “zealous newcomers” Pat Lynch is talking about are almost all Republicans. I believe that our government collects taxes in such a way that stifles growth compared to other states around us like Texas and Tennessee.

The number one way we stifle our economy is through the state income tax. Take a look below at our income tax rate compared to other states. It is a sad picture.(Below are the top tax brackets for the top earners.)

  • Alabama: 5% on income over  $3,000
  • Alaska: No income tax
  • Arizona: 4.54% on income over $150,000
  • Arkansas: 7% on income over  $32,600
  • California:10.55% on income over $1 million
  • Colorado: flat 4.63% of federal taxable income
  • Connecticut: 6.5% on income over $500,000
  • District of Columbia: 8.5% on income over $40,000
  • Delaware: 6.95% on income over $60,000
  • Florida: No income tax
  • Georgia: 6% on income over $7,000
  • Hawaii: 11% on income over $200,000
  • Idaho: 7.8% on income over $26,418
  • Illinois: flat 3% of federal AGI with modifications
  • Indiana: flat 3.4% of federal AGI with modifications
  • Iowa: 8.98% on income over $63,315
  • Kansas: 6.45% on income over $30,000
  • Kentucky: 6% on income over $75,000
  • Louisiana: 6% on income over $50,000
  • Maine: 8.5% on income over $20,150
  • Maryland: 6.25% on income over $1 millio
  • Massachusetts: flat 5.3% on all income
  • Michigan: flat 4.35% of federal AGI with modifications
  • Minnesota: 7.85% on income over $74,780
  • Mississippi: 5% on income over $10,000
  • Missouri: 6% on income over $9,000
  • Montana: 6.9% on income over $15,400
  • Nebraska: 6.84% on income over $27,000
  • Nevada: no income tax
  • New Hampshire: 5% on interest and dividend income.  Wages are not taxed.
  • New Jersey: 8.97% on income over $500,000
  • New Mexico: 4.9% on income over $16,000
  • New York: 8.97% on income over $500,000
  • North Carolina: 7.75% on income over $60,000
  • North Dakota: 4.86% on income over $373,650
  • Ohio: 5.925% on income over $200,000
  • Oklahoma: 5.5% on income over $8,700
  • Oregon: 11% on income over $250,000
  • Pennsylvania: flat 3.07% on all income
  • Rhode Island: 9.9% on income over $373,650
  • South Carolina: 7% on income over $13,700
  • South Dakota: no income tax
  • Tennessee: 6% on interest and dividend income.  Wages are not taxed.
  • Texas: no income tax
  • Utah: flat 5% on all income
  • Vermont: 8.95% on income over $373,650
  • Virginia: 5.75% on income over $17,000
  • Washington: no income tax
  • West Virginia: 6.5% on income over $60,000
  • Wisconsin: 7.75% on income over $225,000
  • Wyoming: no income tax

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Today I have a profile from Ballotpedia of St lawmaker Robert Dale.

Robert Dale

From Ballotpedia

Jump to: navigation, search
Robert Dale
Arkansas House of Representatives District 70
Incumbent
Assumed office
2009
Current term ends
2010
Political party Republican
Profession Banker
Website House site

Robert Dale is a Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives, representing the 70th District since 2009.

Issue positions

Dale did not provide answers to the Arkansas State Legislative Election 2008 Political Courage Test. The test provides voters with how a candidate would vote on the issues if elected.[1]

Committee assignments

Sponsored legislation

Dale’s sponsored legislation includes:

For a full listing of sponsored bills, see the House site.

Elections

2010

See also: Arkansas House of Representatives elections, 2010

Dale won re-election to the 70th district seat in 2010. He faced no opposition.[2]

2008

On November 4, 2008, Dale won election to the 70th District Seat in the Arkansas House of Representatives, defeating opponents J. Patrick Bewley (D), Jeff Hall (Ind), and Marjorie LeClair (Ind).[3]

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Taxes | Comments (0)

Republican St Lawmakers in 88th General Assembly

January 17, 2011 – 5:42 am

HALT:HaltingArkansasLiberalswithTruth.com

I have a profile of St lawmaker of Matthew Shepherd below. He is pictured below with Mike Huckabee. Here are some of the best clips and quotes from  Huckabee.

In Saline County where I live, we have always had 4 reps and 1 senator representing us, but we have never had 5 Republicans at one time.  Senator Jeremy Hutchinson, and Reps Ann Clemmer, Kim Hammer, David Sanders and Andy Mayberry are all Republicans. We could not be more proud of them.

I have since Dec 22nd been including a profile of a St lawmaker in almost all my posts. Today I have a profile of  Matthew Shepherd.  I have also included a list of all of the other st lawmakers I have already covered below and the date the blog post appeared. I will be including profiles on all the rest of the Republican lawmakers in the coming days. If you are a Republican St Lawmaker I would love to hear from you and if you had some material you would like to send me to include in your profile, then I would love to include it.

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Thank you for taking time to visit www.shep4rep.org. As a lifelong resident of El Dorado and Union County, I believe that we stand at a critical time in the history of our state and our community. We have seen the closing of businesses and industry, and the associated job loss. The people of District 6 deserve strong leadership in Little Rock. 

As the son of a judge and a public school teacher, I understand the sacrifice and heavy responsibility of public service, and I feel I am up to the task. My wife and I have chosen to raise our children and make our home here – and it is because of my family and yours that I choose to seek the position of State Representative from District 6. Our families’ futures are too important for us to sit idly by.

We deserve aggressive leadership working to ensure that our community is a place where our families can continue to live and thrive.As your state representative, my focus will be to do what is right for District 6, and make sure that Union County is never overlooked in Little Rock, particularly when it comes to economic development and jobs. Together I believe that we can work to create a better tomorrow for ourselves, and more importantly for our children and those to follow.

In the coming months l look forward to visiting with you about the issues which concern you the most, as my campaign plans to focus on our future. It is with a servant’s heart, I make this run for office – and as I do so I ask for your vote, your support and most importantly your prayers.  Please do not hesitate to contact me at anytime at 870 814-2080 or matthew@shep4rep.org .

Sincerely,


Matthew Shepherd

Matthew Shepherd’s Photos – Huckabee Fundraiser

Photo 1 of 2   Back to Album · Matthew Shepherd’s Photos · Matthew Shepherd’s Profile

The Shepherd Family (from left to right):  Libby, Alie, Eli, Matthew & Mary Kate.

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By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)

Good intentions of Government officials not enough

January 16, 2011 – 4:02 am

 

HALT:HaltingArkansasLiberalswithTruth.com

Series on Estate Tax Part 5
Many times government will be filled with “do-gooders” and they will have the best intentions. However, the end results of their plans do not help the people they want to help. Milton Friedman also points out that their are many private companies that want the trade policies of the government altered to “help the little guy in the street,” but they really want to help themselves.

There are few people that benefit from the estate tax, but insurance companies and lawyers probably are on the top of the list. Many times results of government actions do not match the original intentions of the lawmakers. This is the case with the estate tax.
Milton Friedman noted:

“One of the great mistakes is to judge policies and programs by their intentions rather than their results…Almost all government programs are started with good intentions, but when you look at what they actually achieve, there is a general rule. Almost every such program has results that are the opposite of the intentions of the well-meaning people who originally backed it.”

In this series on the Estate Tax I will be quoting portions of the article “The Economic Case Against the Death Tax,”(Heritage Foundation, July 20, 2010) by Curtis S. Dubay. Dubay is a Senior Analyst in Tax Policy in the Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation.

Who Benefits from the Death Tax?

Despite its devastating impact on the economy, jobs, and wages, the death tax has persisted for more than 90 years in its modern form and could well survive this year’s moratorium unless Congress acts soon. An entrenched group of special interests that benefit from the death tax and hold large sway with Congress are the reason for the resilience of the death tax:

  • · Estate tax lawyers and planners. Even though they face large death tax bills, estates from wealthy families pay considerably lower taxes than they otherwise would—because of estate tax lawyers and planners. Wealthy families hire expensive estate lawyers to arrange their affairs in a legal manner to minimize the impact of the death tax on their estates, or in some cases escape liability all together. Estate tax lawyers and planners have an obvious vested interest in seeing the death tax remain in place. As long as it does, they can continue to collect lucrative fees for arranging estates to minimize death tax liability. The fees paid by families to minimize their death tax liability are a drag on economic growth. The families could invest the resources they use to protect their estates so businesses and entrepreneurs could create new jobs; instead the money is diverted to protect the estate from the death tax.
  • · Life insurance companies. As long as the death tax remains in place, life insurance companies will continue to collect premiums from family businesses that cannot afford estate lawyers and planners but want to protect their businesses. In order to protect their assets from being liquidated when they die, these families purchase life insurance policies that will pay the living members of the family enough to cover the death tax liability when a family member passes away. The life insurance policies are expensive, but not as expensive as estate tax lawyers and planners. The life insurance companies enjoy increased profitability while they continue to collect premiums for policies to protect against the death tax year after year. The premiums families pay to insurance companies siphon off limited resources that the families could use to expand their businesses and add new workers.
  • · Large businesses. The death tax is an impediment for family-owned businesses that could expand to compete with larger businesses because it creates a large disincentive for the family businesses to expand. If a family-owned business grows large enough, it will push the value of the family’s estate over the death tax’s exemption level and the family will owe a hefty amount when the current owner dies. Faced with endangering the life of the business because of the death tax, many families choose to keep their businesses smaller than they otherwise would have. This prevents them from competing more forcefully against larger businesses that are not family-owned and do not have to worry about the death tax.Large businesses also benefit from the death tax in another more direct way. Even though some family businesses choose to remain small to keep the death tax at bay, others take the risk and grow as large as possible. When a family member passes away these family-owned businesses often lack the necessary cash to pay the death tax, as explained above. If the family cannot raise the cash necessary to pay the death tax from selling certain assets, it is forced to sell the entire business. Larger businesses can then buy these competitors and acquire a larger share of the market in the process. These transactions sometimes occur before a death occurs so the family does not have to go through a difficult and complicated transaction during a period of mourning.
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Today I am profiling St lawmaker Cecile Bledsoe.

 

Cecile Bledsoe

Wed, Jan 7, 2009

Legislators, Senators

cecile-bledsoeR-Rogers

 

Senate District 8
Three terms in the House, 1999 to 2005
Committees: Public Health; City, County and Local; Joint Legislative Audit; Joint Performance Review.
Special connections: Her husband, Jim, is a surgeon who retired from private practice and now works for a firm that assigns him to other hospitals out-of-state on an as-needed basis. Has two sons who are doctors but they practice in other states. “If I’m sponsoring medical-related legislation, I want people to know that I have no family members with a practice in Arkansas,” she said.
How to reach her: Home phone: 479-636-2115. “I check my home phone.” Legislative e-mail also works, but please “put your town. Otherwise I can’t tell if someone’s writing me from Denver or from Rogers.” E-mail: bledsoec@arkleg.state.ar.us.
What you should know: Was unopposed in her bid for a vacant Senate seat. Was been active in her community, local causes and in Republican campaigns long before running for office.
Her priority: Public health in general and setting up both a trauma center system statewide and a satellite medical school in Fayetteville in particular. Also interested in mental health issues. Wants more accountability in school spending.
Firmest prediction for the session: Organizing a system for the state lottery will take a lot of lawmakers’ attention.

 

 

 

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Milton Friedman, Taxes | Comments (0)

Entrepreneurship should be Encouraged by Government

January 15, 2011 – 4:23 am

HALT:HaltingArkansasLiberalswithTruth.com

Series on Estate Tax Part 4

Did you know that Fed Ex started in Little Rock? Entrepreneurs like Fred Smith need to be encouraged, not discouraged by government. Here is a funny Fed Ex Commercial from the 1980’s.



On July 3, 1981, I was in Prague, Czechoslovakia in the middle of a 20 country student tour. Our group of 48 American students had the opportunity to speak to a Communist government official for over an hour. We asked him several questions. My questions were quite direct and I share some of them at a later time.

However, I did want to share one question that I asked. I told the official about an entrepreneur from Memphis named Fred Smith. Back in the early 1970’s we heard about how Smith had this crazy idea about delivering overnight packages from LA to San Francisco via Memphis. Sounded like it would not work, but Smith was able to invest all his money and eventually it paid off. His idea was successful.

I asked the simple question: Could something like this happen here in Communist Czechoslovakia? He responded, “No. That is because no private citizen is allowed to own that much capital. The government must do things like that.”

There was no chance for entrepreneurs to exist in communist countries. I was simply pointing out that economic freedom allows an environment for entrepreneurs. Why would someone put the time and energy in putting together a grand plan like Fed Ex when the benefit and reward would just go to a communist government? Entrepreneurship should be encouraged, but many times today in the USA we find that our lawmakers pass laws that discourage entrepreneurs.

 

In this series on the Estate Tax I will be quoting portions of the article “The Economic Case Against the Death Tax,”(Heritage Foundation, July 20, 2010) by Curtis S. Dubay. Dubay is a Senior Analyst in Tax Policy in the Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation.

 


Stifling Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is vital to economic growth. Entrepreneurs who start businesses create new jobs that help expand the economy. The death tax stands in the way of entrepreneurs. When a person weighs the risk of a new business venture, he takes into account all the costs he will face in order to determine the final return he will earn. He then weighs whether the return he could earn is worth the risk of losing all he invests in the enterprise. The death tax raises the costs an entrepreneur will pay because it promises to confiscate a portion of his business upon his death. The prospect of their children or other family members being forced to pay a hefty tax in order to keep the business they have rightly inherited causes many entrepreneurs to refrain from starting a business. That means fewer jobs are created and economic growth is slower than it would have been in the absence of the death tax.

Successful entrepreneurs who create the most jobs pay high marginal income tax rates throughout their working years. When the top federal income tax rate is combined with the average federal rate and federal payroll taxes, those who take the risk to start a business often pay marginal tax rates of close to 50 percent. The death tax is yet another tax an entrepreneur must pay if he uses the disposable income left over after paying taxes to grow the business and increase its value
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Did you know this detail about Arkansas?

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Today I am profiling St lawmaker Josh Johnston.
About Josh Johnston

I am Josh Johnston, and I am a Republican candidate for State Representative of the Arkansas 59 th District. I would like to share who I am, and why I want to be your State Representative.
 

I was born and raised right here in Cleburne County. I am married to Jennifer Wildman Johnston, and we have two children. Our son Jacob is 10 years old, and our daughter Jenna is 2 years old. My family and I attend Clearview Baptist Church in Heber Springs, where I serve as a Deacon and Jennifer teaches elementary students in the Christian school.

In 2003, I started my first business, Quality Rock. We now currently employ 25 people with operations in Hopewell, Letona, and Jerusalem. We plan to open another operation in Drasco in the near future.

I believe this country was founded as a Christian nation, and to this day, still is a Christian nation. The growth, prosperity and protection of this country comes only from God. I cannot stand by any longer to see our heritage, and rights of freedom of religious expression, being disassembled under the guises of political correctness.

I believe that in order for our government to properly function, our governing bodies must realign with the foundations set forth in our Constitution. I also believe that the people elected to these governing bodies be accountable to only one entity, their constituents. I believe in a government that is “of the people, by the people, for the people”. In our current day, we are watching the Federal government overstep its boundaries, and infringe upon statesʼ rights.

I believe that small business is the catalyst that drives our stateʼs economy. All levels of government must work to become more understanding of small business, and work to meet the needs of small businessmen and women. Burdensome regulations and over-taxation must cease for small businesses in Arkansas in order for them to survive and flourish.

Lastly, I want to talk about our military and veterans. I am a proud supporter of those that have served, and are currently serving in the military. It is the sacrifice of our military men and women, as well as their families, that upholds the foundation and freedoms of our great country. As your representative, the military members, and their families, will have my voice and support to meet their needs.

I believe this is a time that we truly need change in our governing. The change that needs to occur if our government is going to get back on track, starts here, in Cleburne County. I look forward to meeting you and sharing with you my ideas.

Josh Johnston

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By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Taxes | Comments (0)

Brummett: Politicizing Arizona is Shameful

January 14, 2011 – 2:04 pm

HALT:HaltingArkansasLiberalswithTruth.com

Series:    Is Rightwing Rhetoric encouraging Violence? Part 3
Bill O’Reilly  on the left-incited politicization of the tragic shooting of Rep Gabrielle Giffords.

In my last post in this series I stated,” I just wish that Gene Lyons, Max Brantley, Pat Lynch, Ernest Dumas, John Brummett and every other liberal would come out and condemn the liberals who have accused the conservatives of rhetoric that has encouraged the tragedy in Arizona. There is no connection at all between Jared Loughner and the conservatives. In fact, his favorite books include “The Communist Manifesto.” Then how could have the conservatives been guilty of encouraging this act of violence by Loughner?

This was written partly because I read the liberal NY Times columnist Paul Krugman’s comments through a link from the Arkansas Times on Jan 8th. Krugman asserted:

A Democratic Congresswoman has been shot in the head; another dozen were also shot.

We don’t have proof yet that this was political, but the odds are that it was. She’s been the target of violence before…. Actually, it’s been scary for quite a while, in a way that already reminded many of us of the climate that preceded the Oklahoma City bombing.

You know that Republicans will yell about the evils of partisanship whenever anyone tries to make a connection between the rhetoric of Beck, Limbaugh, etc. and the violence I fear we’re going to see in the months and years ahead. But violent acts are what happen when you create a climate of hate.

In the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Paul Krugman’s latest article “The Climate of Hate,” January 14, 2011 appears. In it Krugman asserts, “Where’s that toxic rhetoric coming from? Let’s not make a false pretense of balance: It’s coming, overwhelmingly, from the right.”

John Brummett in his January 11, 2011 article wrote these words:

Some liberals want to blame Sarah Palin for having tweeted during last year’s campaign that conservatives need not retreat, but reload. They want to blame her for linking that little gem to a map showing districts of Democratic House members who voted for health care reform and who were therefore “targeted.” This target was presented in the form of cross-hairs that were placed on the map to indicate the location of these Democrats’ districts.

Outrageous as that was, no fair-minded person can argue seriously that Palin was encouraging anyone to go shoot any of these Democratic House members.

He went on to quote a leading Republican political consultant who said, “For those who are politicizing this..U should be ashamed.” Brummett agreed. Then Brummett noted:

A lunatic gunman’s actions cannot be blamed on any reasonably sane or law-abiding person, even if that other person’s behavior well-represents the bad judgment and overheated rhetoric rampant in our modern political and pundit classes.

Nor can the lunatic’s actions even be blamed on the general culture of polarization, intolerance and rage created by this collective blather of contemporary blowhards.

Reasonable, responsible and essentially decent people can behold mindless political meanness and become frustrated by it, even to the point of engaging reciprocally in mindless political meanness. But they do not grab a pistol and shoot a member of Congress and anyone happening to be around her. Nor are they inviting anyone else to do that.

I want to say that there is at least one liberal in Arkansas that is willing to stand up against his own camp when he sees they have stepped over the line. I know what it feels like, because when I started writing on the subject of Unconfirmed Quotes of the Founders that I am afraid that my own conservative camp has been guilty of using more than the left, and as a result of my writings, I received lots of negative feedback from conservatives.

Truth sometimes steps on the toes of people in both camps. I am proud to say that I have offended some in my camp when I have confronted them with it. I wear it as a badge of honor.

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Today I am profiling St lawmaker Eddie Joe Williams.

My friend Bob Robbins in front of my 67 SS Camaro

From the Beginning

Eddie Joe Williams was born in Sheridan, Arkansas in 1954. He lived in Sheridan until he joined the United States Army in 1972.

While attending military training in Colorado, Eddie Joe met the love of his life, DeLona Rudy.  The two have been happily married since 1973.  After serving a tour in the Army, Eddie Joe returned to Sheridan to begin his career with the Union Pacific Railroad.

Over his thirty years with the railroad, Eddie Joe worked his way from a laborer to the Regional Director of Transportation, who manages the day to day operations of the Eastern division of the railroad, which spans from Chicago to Louisiana.

Political Career

Due to the extensive travel required by being a senior manager, Eddie Joe decided to retire from management and raise his family in Cabot; where he began his public service.

For 15 years, Eddie Joe has been serving his community, beginning with an appointment to the planning commission.  After serving on the planning commission, Eddie Joe was elected to serve on the City Council three consecutive times.  Currently, Eddie Joe is serving his last year as Mayor of Cabot.

Family

Eddie Joe and DeLona have raised four beautiful daughters and currently have seven grandchildren.

Their oldest is Bethany (“Buffy”) Hartz. Buffy is married to Justin Hartz and they have four children; Lane 12, Carson 8, Maggie 8, and Caleb 6.

The next daughter is Amanda (“Mandy”) Glover. She is married to Michael Glover and they have one son, Spencer 5.

Next in line is Tiffinie (“Tiff”) Taylor. Tiff is married to Josh Taylor and they have two sons; Lawson 3 and Hudson 2.

Last but not least is Hannah. Hannah is married to David Warren.  Hannah and David do not have any children, but they have a wonderful dog named Winston.

Currently Eddie Joe’s greatest enjoyment is spending time with his grandchildren.

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Unconfirmed Quotes of Founders | Comments (0)

Estate Tax undermines Job Creation

January 14, 2011 – 3:11 am
Series on Estate Tax:  Part 3

American Family Business Institute’s Dick Patten argues the estate tax will hurt jobs because of its impact on family farms and family-owned businesses. It will cost a million jobs.


The estate tax encourages people to spend their money instead of investing it in the economy and trying to make a profit.  This is simple economics and people acting in their own best self interest.
In this series on the Estate Tax I will be quoting portions of the article “The Economic Case Against the Death Tax,”(Heritage Foundation, July 20, 2010) by Curtis S. Dubay. Dubay is a Senior Analyst in Tax Policy in the Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation.
Undermines job creation. Because the death tax discourages saving and investing, it also undermines job creation. Resources that otherwise would have been available for businesses to use to expand their operations and add new workers are consumed by people who deem it wiser to spend the money now than invest it knowing their inheritors will have to pay the death tax later. Furthermore, resources that businesses otherwise would have used to add jobs are diverted to protect families from the death tax.
Suppresses wages and productivity.Since the death tax lowers saving and investing, there are fewer resources available for businesses to purchase additional tools and equipment or replace old and worn-out pieces with new ones. That means less capital their workers can use, and therefore the workers’ productivity does not increase as much as it would have in the absence of the death tax. If the business cannot replace worn-out capital, the productivity of its workers declines. Wages are a function of a worker’s productivity, growing more slowly when productivity slows, and declining when productivity decreases.
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Today I am profiling the St lawmaker Brian King.

Bryan King

Wed, Jan 7, 2009

Legislators, Representative

mug-bryan-kingR-Berryville
House District 91
Serving his second term
Committees: Transportation; Agriculture
Special connections: House Minority leader
How to reach him: E-mail: kingb@arkleg.state.ar.us. On weekends, call his office at 870-438-4565. Messages are checked.
What you should know: Represents one of the most diverse districts in the state, with Eureka Springs in the middle surrounded by conservative countryside. Interests include helping tourism. Has become strong opponent of ethanol subsidies. Favors more research on biodiesel.
His priority: “Fighting for tax relief, including the reduction in the grocery tax and tax relief for manufacturers. The biggest crisis people face is losing their job.”
Firmest prediction: “A lot of people are going to get fenced off from what they want because money will be hard to get.”

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Taxes | Comments (0)

Lyons: Conservatives guilty of “delusional rants” about Obama

January 13, 2011 – 2:54 pm

HALT:HaltingArkansasLiberalswithTruth.com

New Series Part 2    Is Rightwing Rhetoric encouraging Violence?

Sarah Palin speaks out about tragedy.

Gene Lyons in his article “Run-of-the-mill violence,” (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Jan 13, 2011) asserts:

Which brings us back to Sarah Palin. No, it’s not her fault in any legal or moral sense, although if somebody shot Palin herself after, say, Michael Moore put Alaska in the cross hairs, there’d be hell to pay.
It’s not the fault of those yoyos swaggering around tea-party meetings carrying assault weapons, displaying “liberal hunting licenses” or listening to Glenn Beck’s delusional rants about President Obama’s imaginary concentration camps. It’s all just hijinks, satire, harmless joking. It’s also not Rush Limbaugh’s fault. Nor is it Newt Gingrich’s for writing that a Democratic president’s “secularsocialist machine represents as great a threat to America as Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union once did.”
But you know how we’re constantly being told that the Democrats are the party of no consequences, no personal responsibility and crippling moral relativism?
It turns out they’re not the only ones.

Is Lyons implying that the “delusional rants” about Obama have consequences and the tragedy in Arizona is one  of them? This reminds of how sad I felt when I read the article “Homegrown Hate Crimes Against Our Troops,” (National Review, Dec 10, 2010) by Michelle Malkin. Malkin noted:

Indeed, when Little Rock jihadist Abdul Hakim Mujahid Muhammad was arrested in June 2009 for the murder of Army private William A. Long, 23, and the shooting of Pvt. Quinton Ezeagwula, 18, it took three days for the White House to issue a limp, politically correct statement expressing “sadness” over the attacks, which President Obama opaquely described as a “senseless act of violence” (instead of the intentional systematic act of Islamic terrorism that it was). In the same week, the Obama administration issued an immediate condemnation and statement of “outrage” over the shooting death of late-term abortionist George Tiller.

Don’t get me wrong. I strongly condemn the violence against George Tiller, but also I am saddened that the majority of Muslim Imams have not come out and quickly condemned the violence by Abdul Hakim Mujahid Muhammad in Little Rock against U.S. Army recruiters (which my son Hunter is one). Likewise, I just wish that Gene Lyons, Max Brantley, Pat Lynch, Ernest Dumas, John Brummett and every other liberal would come out and condemn the liberals who have accused the conservatives of rhetoric that has encouraged the tragedy in Arizona. There is no connection at all between Jared Loughner and the conservatives. In fact, his favorite books include “The Communist Manifesto.” Then how could have the conservatives been guilty of encouraging this act of violence by Loughner?

Sarah Palin correctly noted that Ronald Reagan was right when he said, “We must reject the idea that every time a law’s broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.”

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Today I am profiling State lawmaker Bill Sample

Bill Sample photo 

Last updated: March 9, 2010
Bill’s Topic of the week: 

As a public officer, I am working for you. You have ideas and I want to hear them. The best way to represent you is to hear your thoughts and ideas, and work to get things done. Please see my Contact page so you can e-mail or write to me.
A little about Bill: 

  • Bill is an Arkansan. He was born and raised in Arkansas.
  • Bill is a husband, father, brother, grandfather, uncle, and just a good down home, hard working everyday man.
  • Bill and his wife Betty Ann are the owners of Pestco, Inc.
 Did you know? 

We elected Bill to the House of Representatives in 2004, representing District 30. Bill is now serving his third and last term.

To see Bill’s State Representing history, go to the Arkansas Legislature web site.
Bill’s State Representative Work includes: 

  • Advocate for Veteran’s health care.
  • Introduced comprehensive immigration legislation.
  • Passed legislation regarding driver’s license and identification cards issued to aliens.
  • Passed legislation that will help school boards save students that are involved in a suspension or expulsion hearing.
You can see Bill’s State Representative work by going to the Arkansas Legislature web site.
http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2009/r/pages/memberprofile.aspx?member=Sample
Did you know there is more to it than passing legislature? 

Mtn. Pine Head Start, the stop light for NPCC, and the Lake Hamilton Schools sign are just a few examples of other things Bill has accomplished for us.

Bill sourced the funding for Mountain Pine to build Head Start.Mtn. Pine Head Start

Stop Light for NPCC

Bill worked hard to get this stop light installed, allowing students from NPCC to enter and exit safely.

Lake Hamilton directional sign
They moved the road, but did not install new signs. Bill saw to it that a new sign was installed so people from out of town could find the Lake Hamilton schools.
By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Ronald Reagan | Comments (3)

The Estate Tax Discourages Savings and Investment

January 13, 2011 – 12:14 am

HALT:HaltingArkansasLiberalswithTruth.com

Series on Estate Tax Part 2

Grande Harvest Wines owner Bruce Nevins discusses the costs, time, and stress the estate tax, also called the death tax, places on his business, and the effect it will have on his family after he dies. It destroys investment in the economy.

Tomorrow I want to get back on my series about the Arizona tragedy being used by the liberals to blame the Republicans for creating an atmosphere of hate where people get hurt physically. However, today I want to drive home this point that liberals seem to stick to their liberal philosophy even if people get hurt financially.

I have wondered why liberals never seem to get the idea of people acting in their own self interest. When taxes are lowered then revenues many times go up because rich investors get out their wallets and invest further in our economy. I will give a perfect example later in this post.

It seems to me that liberals like Max Brantley, John Brummett, Gene Lyons, Pat Lynch,  Ernest Dumas, and Mark Pryor seem to agree with President Obama that we should raise taxes for reasons of “fairness” even it hurts our economy.

In this series on the Estate Tax I will be quoting portions of the article “The Economic Case Against the Death Tax,”(Heritage Foundation, July 20, 2010) by Curtis S. Dubay. Dubay is a Senior Analyst in Tax Policy in the Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation.
Capital is any resource that individuals or businesses use to generate income. Like anything else, when the income accruing to capital is taxed, its price rises and less of it is purchased. Less capital means slower productivity growth, lower wages, and fewer jobs. As such, taxes on capital should be minimal or nonexistent. In fact, there is a general consensus among economists that there should be no taxes on capital. The death tax:
Discourages savings and investment.

For those Americans who think that their estates may one day be subjected to the federal death tax, the tax sends a signal that it is better to consume today than invest and make more money in the future. Instead of putting their money in the hands of entrepreneurs or investing more in their own economic endeavors, Americans are encouraged to consume it now rather than pay taxes on it later.

Allan J. Favish wrote a brilliant article (“Obama on Taxes,” Dec 16) in which he showed how President Obama has contradicted himself lately concerning his view on raising taxes on the rich for purposes of “fairness.”

Basically President Obama said in his Democratic Presidential Debate in 2008 that as president he would still raise the capital gain tax even if it lowered the revenue received. Here’s is the transcript from the debate broadcast by ABC News on April 16, 2008 and moderated by Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos:
GIBSON: All right.  You have, however, said you would favor an increase in the capital gains tax.  As a matter of fact, you said on CNBC, and I quote, “I certainly would not go above what existed under Bill Clinton,” which was 28 percent.  It’s now 15 percent.  That’s almost a doubling, if you went to 28 percent.
But actually, Bill Clinton, in 1997, signed legislation that dropped the capital gains tax to 20 percent.
OBAMA: Right.
GIBSON: And George Bush has taken it down to 15 percent.
OBAMA: Right.
GIBSON: And in each instance, when the rate dropped, revenues from the tax increased; the government took in more money.  And in the 1980s, when the tax was increased to 28 percent, the revenues went down.
So why raise it at all, especially given the fact that 100 million people in this country own stock and would be affected?
OBAMA: Well, Charlie, what I’ve said is that I would look at raising the capital gains tax for purposes of fairness.
We saw an article today which showed that the top 50 hedge fund managers made $29 billion last year — $29 billion for 50 individuals.  And part of what has happened is that those who are able to work the stock market and amass huge fortunes on capital gains are paying a lower tax rate than their secretaries.  That’s not fair.
And what I want is not oppressive taxation.  I want businesses to thrive, and I want people to be rewarded for their success. But what I also want to make sure is that our tax system is fair and that we are able to finance health care for Americans who currently don’t have it and that we’re able to invest in our infrastructure and invest in our schools.
And you can’t do that for free.
OBAMA: And you can’t take out a credit card from the Bank of China in the name of our children and our grandchildren, and then say that you’re cutting taxes, which is essentially what John McCain has been talking about.
And that is irresponsible.  I believe in the principle that you pay as you go.  And, you know, you don’t propose tax cuts, unless you are closing other tax breaks for individuals.  And you don’t increase spending, unless you’re eliminating some spending or you’re finding some new revenue.  That’s how we got an additional $4 trillion worth of debt under George Bush.  That is helping to undermine our economy.  And it’s going to change when I’m president of the United States.
GIBSON: .But history shows that when you drop the capital gains tax, the revenues go up
OBAMA: Well, that might happen, or it might not.  It depends on what’s happening on Wall Street and how business is going.  I think the biggest problem that we’ve got on Wall Street right now is the fact that we got have a housing crisis that this president has not been attentive to and that it took John McCain three tries before he got it right.
And if we can stabilize that market, and we can get credit flowing again, then I think we’ll see stocks do well.  And once again, I think we can generate the revenue that we need to run this government and hopefully to pay down some of this debt.
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Today I am profiling State lawmaker Lane Jean.Lane Jean

Lane was born in Columbia County. He is a graduate of Magnolia High and Southern Arkansas University. Lane’s work experience includes working on his family cattle farm and employed in his father’s (J. L. Jean) logging contractors business.
His government experience spans over 22 years. Lane is currently serving in his 15th year as Mayor of Magnolia, Arkansas. Two terms as a member of the Columbia County Quorum Court. Lane also served four years as a Columbia County Election Commission.

Lane was appointed to a four-year term by then Governor Mike Huckabee to the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. He also served five years on the Southern Arkansas University Board of Trustees. Lane currently serves on the board of Magnolia Economic Development Corporation, President of the Lower Southwest Arkansas Solid Waste Board and a member of the executive board for the Southwest Arkansas Planning and Development District.

Lane’s other business and civic interest includes President of Reeves Land and Timber Company and a Board Members of Farmers Real Estate Corporation. Lane is also a member of the Magnolia Rotary Club and board position on our local WAGE and Adult Education Boards.

Lane is married to the former Judy Leonhard of McNeil, Arkansas. Lane and Judy have two children, Kelli Taylor and Gray Jean. They also have one grandson, Charlie Taylor. Kelli is married to Mark Taylor of Magnolia.

Lane and Judy are members of the Jackson Street Church of Christ in Magnolia, where Lane serves as a Bible school teacher for youth.


By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Mike Huckabee, President Obama, Taxes | Comments (0)