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‘Arkids First’ Unfunded Liabilities Estimated At $3.5 Billion

“The long-term liabilities of the ARKids First program should be identified.” Policy Foundation memos, 2006 (August 2012) The unfunded liabilities of the state’s ‘ARKids First program,’ a major component of Arkansas Medicaid are conservatively estimated at $3.5 billion, according to enrollment, federal reimbursement and average annual cost data obtained by the Policy Foundation. ‘ARKids First’ was established under former Gov. Mike Huckabee with […]

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POLICY FOUNDATION RUNNER-UP IN NATIONAL BETTER GOVERNMENT COMPETITION  

(June 11, 2012) A Policy Foundation proposal to increase government transparency is one of four runners-up in the 21st annual Better Government Competition (BGC) sponsored by the Pioneer Institute, a think tank in Boston, Massachusetts.   The winning proposal, “Coordinating Medicare and Medicaid to Improve Care,” was submitted by Grace-Marie Turner (Galen Institute), and Robert Helms, Ph.D. […]

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HOW LOW WILL THEY GO?  

“College algebra is in the way of so many kids.  They can’t (pass) it and they drop out of school.  I’m not saying ‘dumb down the curriculum.’  I’m just saying, “Let’s get stuff you can use for life.’”  Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board member David Leech1   “Implement high expectations in math for all students. Allow all eighth-graders the chance […]

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ARKANSAS MEDICAID’S UNFUNDED LIABILITIES  

“The long-term liabilities of the ARKids First program should be identified.” Policy Foundation memos, 2006   (May 5, 2012) Remarks by Arkansas officials this week have pushed Medicaid, a government medical insurance program, to the policy forefront.  State Human Services Department Director John Selig said Arkansas will have to either slash Medicaid or increase spending due to a […]

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FLIGHT FROM ACCOUNTABILITY  

We seek “intellectual honesty and complete openness in reporting academic progress and ‘the state’ of public education…”  Policy Foundation, 1998, Murphy Commission project.   (April 2012) Public school administrators oftentimes seem oblivious to a 21st century economic reality: their consumer base includes businesses and entrepreneurs trying to compete in a global economy where standards rule. The Arkansas […]

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TWICE AS MANY ARKANSAS HOMESCHOOL AND PRIVATE SCHOOL STUDENTS AS AEA MEMBERS  

(March 2012) The number of Arkansas homeschooled and private school students outnumber Arkansas Education Association (AEA) members by a ratio of more than 2-to-1, public records show.   Arkansas students in home school totaled 16,3031 in 2010-11, according to the Arkansas Department of Education.  Arkansas private school enrollment was 19,3752 in 2010-11, according to the Arkansas Nonpublic School […]

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