admin

THE UNPRECEDENTED CONTRACTION OF ARKANSAS’ CIVILIAN LABOR FORCE

“Arkansas’ civilian labor force declined 4,800, a result of 4,800 fewer employed Arkansans.” Department of Workforce Services, August 19, 2013   (September 19, 2013) Arkansas’ civilian labor force–all employed and unemployed Arkansans–is contracting in an expansion, an unprecedented development in state labor market records that date to the mid-1970s.  The trend may continue when the August […]

Read more

ARKANSAS EDUCATION NEEDS HIGH STANDARDS

“After three decades of rising education spending and dramatic personnel growth in the system, Arkansas’ academic achievement is well below national averages and lags most of the world’s industrialized countries. The current public school establishment is responsible for this performance and must be held accountable and urged to improve.”  Murphy Commission, Policy Foundation project, 1998   […]

Read more

LIMIT STATE SPENDING, CREATE JOBS & PAYCHECKS

“Government, in order to be lean and effective, needs to be infused with market forces, less of a monopoly provider of services and measured for accountability and performance.” Murphy Commission, Policy Foundation project, 1998.   Summary: State government does not have a revenue problem.  The people of Arkansas face weak employment and income markets.   (August […]

Read more

Acorn & Taxpayer Funding

(June 2013) Three decades before Congress voted to defund1 a welfare lobby founded in Arkansas, congressional auditors found the group disregarded federal guidelines by using trainees in a taxpayer-funded program for political activity. The episode illustrates the peril of legislators creating bias in the policy arena by subsidizing pet groups with tax dollars. Originally Relied on […]

Read more

THE OLIGOPOLY

Summary: Gov. Mike Beebe, state legislators and the Obama administration have not advanced a “private option” to expand Medicaid.  They have created an oligopoly, a market type characterized by a few suppliers able to capture above-average profits with government assistance.  The most likely outcomes are shortages of consumer information and medical services.   (June 2013) Business enterprises […]

Read more

SURPLUS STATE REVENUES & A 6.5% TOP INCOME TAX RATE  

“Reduce the state’s income tax…repeal the state’s capital gains tax.” Murphy Commission, Policy Foundation project, 1998 “State revenues have exceeded forecasts: modest cuts in income … and capital gains rates can occur in 2013.” Policy Foundation, November 2012   (June 2013) Arkansas Republicans, in control of the General Assembly for the first time since Reconstruction reduced […]

Read more

SCHOOL LETTER GRADES APPROVED

“Academic ratings and triggers for acclaim or sanctions should be issued for each K-12 public school district using a letter grade system (A, B, C, D, and F). Murphy Commission, Policy Foundation project, 1998   (March 25, 2013) The state General Assembly has approved part of a 15-year-old Murphy Commission recommendation that clarifies for parents […]

Read more

MEDICAID EXPANSION & ECONOMIC SHORTAGES

(May 2013) Economists and medical professionals have understood for some time that shortages exist within Arkansas’ health care system.  But the bipartisan group of state lawmakers that expanded Arkansas’ Medicaid rolls by an estimated quarter-million recipients (250,000) ignored this issue in three public acts1 that expanded the program.  The unintended economic consequence2 is that existing Arkansas medical shortages will […]

Read more