State teacher fund to vote on steel-mill investment
By The Associated Press
This article was published February 4, 2013 at 7:06 a.m.
- Comments (56)
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LITTLE ROCK — Trustees of the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System are to vote on a proposal to invest $60 million in a steel mill that is planned in Osceola.
System Director George Hopkins says his staff and a consultant spent six months researching the project before Monday’s expected vote. Hopkins says the project appears sound and could generate a 40 percent return for the fund within five years.
The $60 million investment, if it happens, represents about one-half of 1 percent of the fund’s $12.25 billion balance.
Gov. Mike Beebe announced the $1 billion Big River Steel mill last week. The project needs the Legislature to sign off on a $125 million loan.
The Teacher Retirement System investment is contingent on the loan being approved and regulatory hurdles being cleared.
Comments on: State teacher fund to vote on steel-mill investment
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Populist says... February 4, 2013 at 8:05 a.m.
If it is going to generate a 40% return, why can't the project obtain all the funds from private sources? Business people would love a 40% rate of return.
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Populist says... February 4, 2013 at 8:16 a.m.
Notice how they are hurrying this project through in a hurry? They don't want the teachers to have time to object to their pension funds being donated to a Koch brothers pollution project. Now, all the good science teachers in Arkansas can explain to their students why their pension funds are helping to fund the demise of the Mississippi River.
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Populist says... February 4, 2013 at 9:24 a.m.
It was clever to get the teachers retirement fund to vote on this first. (Of course, their "consultant" for the $60 million investment is Delta Trust, a local bank.) The legislators can rubber stamp this loan to the Kochs, arguing that they are supporting teachers and jobs. This is how corruption and the pollution industry works. Oh, the poor Mississippi River!
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outinthesticks says... February 4, 2013 at 11:10 a.m.
Populist, I just don't get you. I thought this would be right down your alley, with GOVERNMENT being involved every step of the way. And isn't this what the bureaucratic EPA and PC&E are for, to make sure nothing gets polluted? I don't hear these kinds of complaints about Nucor. Methinks you are just offended by the fact that a right-leaning group is behind this, so there has to be something wrong with it. Perhaps you should ask these questions to Guv Mike and the rest of GOVERNMENT, because without them, to quote your current hero, "You didn't build that!"
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PatWaverly says... February 4, 2013 at 11:25 a.m.
Yea Pop, come on. If you recall the Photo Op it was the last Great Democrat Standing, ole Mike Beebe himself, there on the podium and doing the grip and grin. You thinking maybe he is in the Koch's pocket too?
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inquire says... February 4, 2013 at 11:29 a.m.
It isn't hard to find how Nucor has been guilty of blatantly disregarding the environmental laws. They consider it just a part of their overhead when they get caught and pay a fine. In 2000, they were subject to paying the largest settlement ever by a steel manufacturer. The EPA, Justice Department, and seven states (including Arkansas) went after them for releasing thousands of tons of illegal waste to the air each year, and contaminating the soil and groundwater with lead and cadmium.
Too many people can't be bothered to think about pollution and it's long term effects on our health and the viability of our land.
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HotSpringsLawyer says... February 4, 2013 at 11:31 a.m.
Studying it for six months and now they need to rush through the approval??
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outinthesticks says... February 4, 2013 at 11:54 a.m.
So inquire, you'd rather ship these jobs off to China or somewhere else? I am as against polluting the environment more than most people. I make my living from the land. But I am realistic enough to know this world is not a perfect utopia, and if someone here doesn't doesn't make steel, someone somewhere else will, probably with a lot more pollution and environmental destruction. And that is without taking into account the way workers might be treated. If EPA and PC&E can't do their jobs, then why do we waste the effort and money?
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inquire says... February 4, 2013 at 12:15 p.m.
We only need jobs from companies that will obey the law and be careful and legal with their waste. I would be all for the government shutting them down if they broke the law. Our health depends on it.
I wish the EPA had a lot more teeth, but without it, some companies would poison us all for sure. The conservatives would love to get rid of all government oversight and let their rich pals get even richer by poisoning us all. They simply don't care. A huge fine means nothing to companies like Nucor. Padlocking the toxic operation might get them to change their ways.
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PatWaverly says... February 4, 2013 at 12:23 p.m.
So our very own governor, Mike Beebe, is endorsing, no celebrating, the pollution and raping of the land and stream? Come on Inquire, Pop and HotSprings, get after him. What are you waiting for?
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outinthesticks says... February 4, 2013 at 2:02 p.m.
Exactly my sentiments, PatW. Why is he behind this project?
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Populist says... February 4, 2013 at 2:13 p.m.
Pat w,
That is exactly what we are doing. It is one thing to support a steel mill with partners with good reputations. Asking the public to FUND the worst polluters in the nation without even a thought or a discussion as to the environmental impact of the project? There is a reason why they want to rush this thing through. I suspect that any Republican or Democrat who votes for this thing will eventually regret their decision. Those lawmakers who let themselves worship at the alter of the Kochs better beware. When you sell your soul to the devil, you probably get burned.
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HotSpringsLawyer says... February 4, 2013 at 2:25 p.m.
Sorry, but I guess I am too conservative to support funding a private business with taxpayer money and teachers' retirement accounts. The liberal Republican party will have to be the ones to defend these handouts.
How will the Kochs and others of their community ever learn to work and support themselves if the government continues to give them welfare?
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inquire says... February 4, 2013 at 2:48 p.m.
LOL! Right wing people worry themselves into a tizzy about welfare for the small fry but have no objection to corporate welfare, not even when it's for proven notorious polluters.
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PatWaverly says... February 4, 2013 at 2:54 p.m.
That's a good one HSLawyer. A question. Have you ever had any exposure whatsoever with economic development, aka attempting to convince a company to locate in your state? Because you seem to be clueless as to how this works. And it goes on single day, in every state in the union. State governments everywhere are begging and pleading (and incentivizing) companies to locate in their state in order to provide jobs for their citizens. This is not new. You just heard Boogie Man (Koch) and suddenly this is some sort of evil plot. An evil plot to place a 1 BILLION DOLLAR facility in one of the poorest sections of our state providing 525 jobs paying in excess of $75K per year. And Pop, yes, it says the investment will potentially generate a 40 percent return. OVER 5 YEARS. That's an 8% annual return. What are you even talking about??
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inquire says... February 4, 2013 at 3:11 p.m.
If you would read the information readily available about how Nucor plants have grievously contaminated the states they operate in--including Arkansas--with toxic waste, you would know what we are talking about. If you would actually read about the Koch brothers, you would realize that they are extremely bad men and are trying to use their money to take this country completely out of the hands of the common people.
Most liberals read and study. Most conservatives throw stones blindly at liberals when liberals point out the truth.
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PatWaverly says... February 4, 2013 at 3:25 p.m.
OK Inquire. Did I miss something, is this NUCOR that is building this new facility? And is Mike Beebe one of those wild eyed conservatives you are calling out here? And I wouldn't have any problem with giving anyone welfare if they would take that money and create 525 high paying jobs (along with the tax dollars and cash infused into the economy as a result).
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HotSpringsLawyer says... February 4, 2013 at 3:37 p.m.
You're right about one thing. I agree that the process of states begging and competing to pay "job creators" to locate there is absurd. The federal government should use Cmmerce Clause powers to prohibit it.
My concerns are not really about the Kochs. I do in fact have experience in similar deals and the way all involved are trying to steamroll this raises concern of whether the state is being taken for a ride. I would have the same concern regardless of the politics of the proponents.
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Populist says... February 4, 2013 at 3:49 p.m.
There are unscrupulous Democrats and Republicans. When there is money to be made at public expense, there always will be plenty of scoundrels to take advantage of the situation. This deal may not only be a bad deal environmentally, it may be a bad deal financially. These guys did not become billionaires by being good to those areas where they have done business. One of the reasons that Arkansas was selected was that our state legislature was the cheapest one to influence. If this is a good deal, they should be happy to disclose the details.
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PatWaverly says... February 4, 2013 at 3:51 p.m.
HS Lawyer, I actually didn't say that the process of attracting employers to your state is absurd. I just said that it goes on day after day, state after state. How do you think it should work? If you were a young lawyer just starting out and looking to hang out your shingle, and the landlord in Building A said he would let you move into office space rent free for a year and then $1000 a month after that versus the landlord in Building B who said you can move into similar office space rent free for 6 months and then $10,000 a month thereafter. Which one are you gonna go with? Of course you go with "A". Does that make you some freeloader and the landlord some kind of wild eyed nut? Nope, it means you're a good and prudent business person. That is the way business has been conducted since the beginning of time. Absurd. Nah.
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Populist says... February 4, 2013 at 3:58 p.m.
Also note that Koch has a history of targeting poor black areas for their pollution projects. The people with the least money and political power have less ability to sue or seek other recourse when they are the victims of hazardous pollution. Most of the areas downstream from this plant are black. Note that nobody is suggesting a plant in Little Rock on the Arkansas River.
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inquire says... February 4, 2013 at 4:05 p.m.
Pat, John Correnti is starting the plant. He works for Nucor and started the Nucor plants in Mississippi County. The Koch brothers are major investors. These people have already polluted horribly in several states, including Arkansas. Instead of acting like you don't believe us, just read up. The information is easy to find. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry the other night when I started to google "nucor pollution in....". Google immediately offered me a list of the states Nucor has polluted.
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HotSpringsLawyer says... February 4, 2013 at 4:07 p.m.
Not blaming the businessmen for taking advantage of the process. Saying the system that lets them play the states, or cities, or whatever off against one another is bad for the public, and distorts the true market economics, leading to inefficiency and corruption. Sort of like in banana republics or communist regimes.
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inquire says... February 4, 2013 at 4:09 p.m.
Populist, your comment just above is exactly what the oil companies did to Louisiana, which is now known as Cancer Alley.
The consequences of toxic pollution last far longer than money or jobs. When the jobs dry up and the money is spent, the ruined land and sick people are still with us.
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Populist says... February 4, 2013 at 4:29 p.m.
You've got to hand it to them. These guys are clever. If you look at their lobbyist expense reports, they've been buying drinks for quite a while. This is all going down in the middle of an abortion bill and a guns in church bill. They have one press conference with the governor, a quick approval by the teachers' retirement fund, and they hope it is just going to sneak through the state legislature the state funding one of the foulest sources of pollution around run by the worst polluters in the country. They also are fuzzy about the investment detail--all the while promising a big rate of return and lots of high paying jobs. Oh the treachery!
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lazybar says... February 4, 2013 at 4:54 p.m.
funny how you libs were for this until you heard koch was involved.the steel mill will get built either in the usa using american labor under the epa regs or in china with prison labor and no epa.pop,i can`t believe your now making this about race.
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Populist says... February 4, 2013 at 8:45 p.m.
Lazybar,
I was never FOR it. I always stated that we did not have the details. No, I don't want the company with the worst environmental record in the country dumping their sludge in the Mississippi River. If this was a good deal, there would not be a rush to judgment and trickery. Billionaires do not need public financing for good projects. The state of Arkansas is getting screwed. I suspect many of the people promoting this project have been promised political support of all kinds. They will rue the day.
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inquire says... February 4, 2013 at 9:47 p.m.
Funny how you conservatives seem to be defending toxic pollution.
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NONSHEEPLE says... February 5, 2013 at 8:36 a.m.
"The $60 million investment, if it happens, represents about one-half of 1 percent of the fund’s $12.25 billion balance"
The state money is a LOAN not a grant. 1/2 of 1% is a drop in the bucket to the teachers fund and they SHOULD be investing in their own state for a change instead of buying cd's that some bank uses to make itself rich.
There are PLENTY of checks and balances for environmental issues concerning new startups. This business will create both jobs and increased opportunity for an area that badly needs it.
ANY of you out there who don't like it PLEASE reply with how YOU in your awesome knowledge base would do it better for all involved.
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lazybar says... February 5, 2013 at 8:38 a.m.
funny inquire i don`t see any conservatives defending toxic pollution.i have yet to see the first conservative say a positive word about you.
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HotSpringsLawyer says... February 5, 2013 at 9:22 a.m.
As I read it only $50 million of the state's money is a loan, on very favorable terms for the mill, with $75 million going to develop the site, but I'm just reading the newspaper too. It will be out of the money if the plant fails probably, but hopefully that wont happen.
The retirement fund investment is hopefully ok as long as it is on the same terms as Koch and the other investors. The state part hopefully will be justified by the new jobs and other economic impact. Risky but apparently necessary in our current situation.
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inquire says... February 5, 2013 at 10:08 a.m.
If there are enough checks and balances to prevent environmental problems, how has Nucor contaminated every state where they have done business? They do as they please, and just pay the fine if they get caught. By the time they are caught, the land, water and air are contaminated, and the cancer rate is rising.
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BarichMilhusseinObamaNixonPOTUS says... February 5, 2013 at 10:40 a.m.
inquire you are a liar; you have ZERO proof about cancer rates being higher where Nucor is. This is not the oil industry.
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Populist says... February 5, 2013 at 11:32 a.m.
Nonsheeple,
If government is going to stick its nose into the private sector (and I am not saying that it should), it should fund something that benefits the public--not that is detrimental to the public. The schools need to be better. I've said many times that I would invest in technology education and medical education as a means of making Arkansas youth employable. If the state government wants to create jobs, it should stick to financing public improvements. Let's create jobs by improving buildings with solar power. Let's give some of the tired looking downtown areas of poor towns makeovers. Let's build ambitious bike paths near the Arkansas River or the Mississippi River. Let's give poor teenagers summer jobs working organic gardens. If we put the whole state on a diet, we could save money on health costs. Look at what the WPA built in the 1930s. Many beautiful lakes and public buildings were built then. There are better ways to spend money than financing pollution projects for billionaires.
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Populist says... February 5, 2013 at 12:35 p.m.
P.S. Whoever is doing the due diligence needs to check out the market for this steel and analyze its potential customers. Apparently, some of the other projects are not doing well.
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Populist says... February 5, 2013 at 12:54 p.m.
Apparently, the ARTS is relying on some form of analysis from the Delta Trust investment advisors. These are a nice group of local investment advisors, but most of them just have a b.a. and I did not see any expertise in the steel business. I hope the State Legislature has the sense to have some high level advisors and counsel look at this deal; experience in the steel business would be nice. You don't invest this amount of money without getting assistance from people who are qualified in this area. If this is such a good deal, then why isn't Stephens Inc. asking to participate?
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inquire says... February 5, 2013 at 2:32 p.m.
scorecard(dot)goodguide(dot)com
Nucor is the largest source of known carcinogens in Mississippi County, AR, releasing hundreds of thousands of times more benzene to the environment than any other entity.
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PatWaverly says... February 5, 2013 at 2:34 p.m.
Pop, so you think bike paths, organic gardens, weight loss and doing make-overs (your word) to delapidated downtowns is the answer? Have you ever been to the Delta? Not only have I been to the delta but I live in the delta. I can see the levee of the Mississippi River from my back door. I've lived in Memphis, TN, Osceola, Wynne and Proctor, Arkansas. I can tell you that this isn't what we need. What we need is JOBS. With all due respect, and please take no offense, but you are entirely and profoundly clueless and you should refrain from discussing things your literally know nothing about. Bike trails?
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inquire says... February 5, 2013 at 3:06 p.m.
In Populist's defense, I am extremely familiar with northwest Arkansas, which is an extremely viable part of the state economically. The population has swelled too much and too fast due to several nationally known businesses being there. There has been a huge influx of executives. They are in part willing to make the move because of the quality of life there. Relatively unpolluted, just a short drive to nationally protected wilderness areas, and lots of amenities. Arts centers, botanical gardens, community museums,community orchestras and theater groups. Venues where entertainers are willing to come perform. The downtowns of all the main cities of the region have had makeovers. The libraries are mostly new. At least one city has great bike paths.
Their biggest problem is they don't have enough highway infrastructure to handle all the traffic from all the new people who choose to live there! (And too much growth is impacting the gentler quality of life that used to exist.) But you cannot say it is a poor region.
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inquire says... February 5, 2013 at 4:05 p.m.
Populist, there is an article on this site from Feb. 1 titled "Mill Loads a Cost on Taxpayers" that might give you some starting points to answer your questions.
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PatWaverly says... February 5, 2013 at 4:35 p.m.
Inquire, you are quite correct. NW Arkansas is a viable, growing prosperous region and there is nothing poor about it. Have you ever been to the Delta of Eastern Arkansas? It is everything that NWA is not. What do you think fueled the economic miracle up there? J.O.B.S. Walmart, JB Hunt, Tyson, the University of Arkansas, and on and on. They don't have all of this wealth because they built bike trails and libraries. They have bike trails and libraries because they have wealth. They have JOBS. And now when there is a chance for Eastern Arkansas to get a large number of well paying jobs you and Pop want to rain on their parade. I think you are smarter than that and hopefully you are just being contrary to be contrary. Because otherwise partner, you aren't making a lick of sense.
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inquire says... February 5, 2013 at 5:06 p.m.
The point we were making was that all those executives wouldn't have agreed to come to an area with nothing to offer. Of course things have improved with more money, but they were nice to begin with. The first thing the area had to offer was being relatively unpolluted with beautiful scenery, not raped by dirty industry. I grew up there. We always had nice community facilities, lots of parks. Way before Walmart; I remember when Walmart had less than fifty stores.
In the old days, there were JTL and Willis Shaw and Steel Canning, JB Hunt and Tyson and Gene George. These men didn't come to town talking fast and making promises. They were FROM there and started with nothing. They cared a lot more about the town than a fast talking outsider ever will. They were able to operate without causing an abnormal population increase and continual traffic jams the way Walmart has.( The poultry people have done Oklahoma no favor. Just ask those who live near the Illinois River.) It was a nice peaceful cluster of small towns with almost no crime.
My grandparents were among the group that went to Wyoming to research rodeos and came back and started the Rodeo there. It brings a lot of money to the area, with no pollution except the kind nature intended.
Long before Walmart tipped the balance and caused NWA to become just one big metropolitan area, the towns of NWA had nice facilities, a lot of unspoiled areas, and decent schools in the larger towns. All those people would not have been willing to uproot themselves and raise their children there if there were no amenities and the place were a toxic soup.
And no, I've never been to the Delta. I have a friend whose father farmed there. I knew her in activist circles. She specialized in water issues and went on to work full time for Greenpeace. I would love to see the Delta but we can't travel much anymore
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Got2Kids says... February 5, 2013 at 7:11 p.m.
Funny, all the libs up in arms about government investing in private business, but will defend to the death the bailouts of GMC, etc. Cannot wait to hear their version of how that was different.
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Populist says... February 5, 2013 at 7:23 p.m.
PatWaverly,
I've spent quite a bit of time in both Northwest Arkansas and Eastern Arkansas and other parts of the country and the world. I am what you would call an Arkansas traveler. I've done everything from due diligence on mergers and acquisitions to litigation on deals which have gone sour. I also have done a fair amount of work with disadvantaged kids. Yes, people need JOBS and EDUCATION. The two feed off of each other. Northwest Arkansas bloomed from WalMart, the chicken farmers, J.B. Hunt Trucking, and the University. These all feed off one another. You have to balance jobs with environmental degradation. If there is a good market for steel, you can limit the environmental impact, and you can have some top business people and lawyers make sure that we are protected, by all means go ahead with the deal. However, the deal needs to be FULLY analyzed. There are many business people within the state who are remaining silent because they must. I have the luxury of not having an livelihood dependent on the good graces of any of these people so I can speak.
The way to turn Arkansas around economically is to raise a generation of people who are better educated, healthier, and harder working. The correlation between education and economic vitality is a strong one. You laugh at education, bike paths, and solar panels. Education will create a better workforce. Bike paths are an inexpensive way to create a healthier workforce. Solar panels will improve our infrastructure. Our quality of life is dependent upon the quality of our housing, food, social amenities, education, and health. Investing all of our eggs into one investment which has not been fully vetted is not wise.
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inquire says... February 5, 2013 at 9:15 p.m.
I meant in the comments after that article, Populist.
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Populist says... February 6, 2013 at 6:52 a.m.
I was responding to Pat Waverly's comments, Inquire.
I have no problem with the State of Arkansas spending money for some development of eastern Arkansas, and I think Beebe's heart is in the right place. I just question whether this particular deal has been properly vetted and whether it is the wisest use of funds. If Stephens Inc. analyzes the deal and gives it a big thumbs up and puts money in and if the environmentalists indicate that the pollution will not be too bad, I give it a big thumbs up.
One area of expansion for eastern Arkansas that needs further developing is tourism. Grant money has gone to Helena to develop its historical sites, and Helena gets some tourist money from its music business. This all could be further developed by building gardens, fountains, restaurants, a cooking school, bike trails and an arts center etc.
Pat Waverly scoffs at bike trails because he does not know that biking tourism has become big business. Other states are developing their bike trails and marketing them to bikers. Mackinac Island in Michigan draws in many tourists with its ban on autos. Everybody gets around on bikes or on horse and buggy.
Arkansas allows too many decisions to be made by old, white guys who think in terms of the past. Young people are more ecofriendly. You cannot try to sell tourism in terms of the "Natural State" and invited the Kochs to come in and take over. Bamboo, bikes, solar panels, organic gardens etc. are the wave of the future and what would make Arkansas attractive to young people and tourists.
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PatWaverly says... February 6, 2013 at 8:03 a.m.
Pop and Inquire, God love you both. It would be wonderful if eastern Arkansas had crystal clear streams and mountain meadows but it just doesn't. Before I go on let me say that I wouldn't live anywhere else, but if you think bike trails, solar panels and all that will pull this place out of it's current state you are just deluded. You have people that live in abject poverty and generations of living on governernment assistance. The best and brightest leave ASAP. In some ways it is like a 3rd World Country. Would you go into Ruwanda and build bike trails, cooking schools and fountains? Of course not. I agree with you Pop that education is the key. Guess what, there are public schools over here too. If people will not attend them or support their children then they do little good. All I can say is you are living in a dream world and if you think you can bring about the kind of change you describe here, I would suggest you come on over and spend a little time in Turrell, AR and see where they want to put the fountain.
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Populist says... February 6, 2013 at 8:39 a.m.
PatWaverly,
It does not take that much education for people to feed off tourism. Helena has attractions of historical interest and can be made into a much bigger tourist attraction with the right funding. Tourist attractions generate the need for cooks, waitresses, hotel maids, food vendors, and musicians etc. It is an hour and a half from the major Metropolitan area of Memphis. I don't think that it takes that much training to teach somebody to install solar panels. It seems that a few better roads in eastern Arkansas to Memphis would make it a faster commute and allow for commerce between Memphis and these sites to develop. A group has been trying to fix up downtown Helena. With a little help from the state, this whole area could be better developed. Las Vegas started out as one hotel in the desert. Arkansas should spend on the schools in eastern Arkansas and elsewhere. Teach the smart kids computers and technology and others carpentry, cooking, and organic farming There are too many people in eastern Arkansas who are underdeveloped and just cashing checks.
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T6 says... February 6, 2013 at 8:52 a.m.
Maybe Obama and DOE Sec. Chu should've fully ANALYZED A123, Abound Solar, Solyndra, etc,etc, etc, BEFORE they sunk our tax dollars into them and we got nothing.
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Populist says... February 6, 2013 at 8:55 a.m.
T6,
Exactly. Solyndra was the biggest fiasco of the Obama administration.
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inquire says... February 6, 2013 at 9:19 a.m.
I realized to whom you were replying, Populist; I had just realized I didn't make it clear what I wanted you to notice on that article I had mentioned five posts above. If the comment writer is correct about what happened with Correnti in Mississippi, that is pretty serious.
As for the bike tourism, we see huge bike groups go through our little bedroom town, and we don't even have bike trails, but we are a clean little town with some restaurants and places to get supplies, and the state highway through town leads to the open country. If we had trails, they would probably be coming in greater numbers and more often!
Tourism is probably the cheapest way to make jobs, if you have any natural advantages, and I've seen pictures of the Delta that indicate they do. Tourism, by it's very nature, brings people who have money to spend on non necessities. Even the industrial city near me continually tries to develop tourism based on the natural and historical attractions.
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PatWaverly says... February 6, 2013 at 9:39 a.m.
I challenge you to get in your car and drive to any of the following places and then report back to us whether you think that tourists will flock there:
Turrell, AR
Shelby, MS
Lula, MS
Marvell, AR
Sunset, AR
Edmonson, AR
Parkin, AR
I could go on and on. You folks are living in some fantasy dream world. How is a bike trail going to pull these people out of the depths? Think maybe the folks on their $1000 bikes and biking costumes are going to want to hang around in Marianna and drop big tourist bucks? PLEASE ANSWER THIS QUESTION. IF YOU THINK IT'S SO GREAT THERE, WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU SPENT ANY TIME OR ANY MONEY IN THE ARKANSAS DELTA? People need good paying jobs with good benefits. Period.
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lazybar says... February 6, 2013 at 9:53 a.m.
the delta does have lots of natural advantages but the main source of income is farming.you all complain about farm subsidies and i myself wish there was no such thing but in todays world the farmers could not make it without it.like many businesses farmers have seen little price increase for thier products but operation cost have tripled. the american farmer is a dying breed and so are our farms.the area in question once had many farms,through more efficent farming and the loss of several farms have left the once poor area into a even poorer area with no jobs.if there was no need of a steel mill i doubt investors would be interested in building one.it is very likely that a number of these high paying jobs will go to higher skilled out of town labor but those that move into the area will need homes built and they will pay taxes for better schools,so i don`t see how that you can say the area will not benefit.there is also the arguement about pollution,the plant will be built somewhere.it would be nice if steel was a green friendly crop that grew on trees and our cars didn`t run on fossil fuels but they don`t.this is the world we live in and either you build the plant in america or send the jobs overseas,which benefits americans?
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Populist says... February 6, 2013 at 11:10 a.m.
Pat,
It's been a while since I was in Helena. I had a lovely time at the Edwardian Inn--a lovely gem of a B&B. I think the town has lots of potential. Mark Twain thought it had the loveliest view of the river. My stepmom drives down to Tunica to gamble. While tourists might not flock to all of the towns in eastern Arkansas, if one could pull itself up, the entire region could benefit. You put a bike trail park there, a carousel, a large square with fountain, a cooking school and restaurant, you've got a great place for people from Memphis and the region to take the family on a weekend outing. I've given money to the Phillips County Boys and Girls Club. It is very well run and has become one of my favorite charities. I would think that there would be a market in Memphis and Little Rock for fresh organic produce from this area. I believe that the Heifer Project had something going on in Eastern Arkansas, and I also donated just a bit to that.
Pessimism and apathy are the seeds of poverty. Parts of Virginia and North Carolina still suffer from abject poverty, but the numbers are improving as more affluent areas of the state help out the poorer areas. These areas need better education of all kinds more than anything else. Maybe their parents do not have money to buy these kids computers, but they sure can learn in the schools. Computers and medical technology are the skills needed in the future. The best investment Arkansas can make is in educating its children.
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Populist says... February 6, 2013 at 11:33 a.m.
Actually, the states of Arkansas and Mississippi should have a joint venture ferry service from Memphis to Helena and Tunica to bring in tourists for the day. I'm sure lots of people would enjoy a Mississippi River boat ride with a stop and return trip. It would bring out of town money into our state.
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PatWaverly says... February 7, 2013 at 2:19 p.m.
Pop do you know what "calf rope" means?
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