Blog

Oppose Nationalized Medical Insurance  

The new Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) is a burden on Arkansas taxpayers, though executive branch officials are in denial about its budget exposure. Legislators need to understand that nationalized medical insurance, in the economic long term, will restrict their ability to fund services like public education that are required under the Arkansas […]

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Cut Spending  

Arkansas government is like the kudzu plant.  It grows when the private economy is contracting.  It grows when the private economy is expanding.  Through rain or shine Arkansas government grows, advancing policies that interfere with private sector entrepreneurs, job creation and income growth.   The majority of Arkansans recognize there is a fiscal problem that must be solved […]

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Government: Arkansas’ Largest Labor Market Sector

(February 2010) Government will emerge as Arkansas’ largest labor market sector this decade if two long-term employment trends continue to advance. The Policy Foundation published a 2003 memo (“Convergence”) that forecast total Arkansas Government employment would exceed Manufacturing employment given long-term trends. The memo identified two trends: long-term contraction in Arkansas Manufacturing, and growth in […]

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Reduce Capital Gains Taxes

How weak is the current Arkansas jobs market? The recession officially ended in June 2009 (National Bureau of Economic Research) but the number of employed Arkansans is less than December 2007 when it started. In fact, Arkansas nonfarm employment has declined to 2004 levels, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).  Arkansas entrepreneurs created world-famous […]

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Public Option Failure Means Medical Care Issue Shifts To State Level

  “ARKids First ‘B’ program spending exceeds inflation, income growth.” “The long-term liabilities of the ARKids First program should be identified.” Policy Foundation memos, 2006 (January 21, 2010) The public (government) option that served as the basis for various congressional proposals failed for several reasons including grass-roots opposition from taxpayers sympathetic to the Tea Party […]

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Dynamic Analysis of State Severance Tax Hike

  “Dynamic scoring of tax rate changes should be utilized in budgetary projections for the State of Arkansas. It is irresponsible to ignore the behavioral impacts of tax rate changes on consumers and suppliers of labor and capital.” (Murphy Commission, Policy Foundation, 1998) Dynamic analysis can provide legislators with more information when considering fiscal proposals. Legislators, […]

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