In the Rock

Township Constable Fail

2011-12-05T14:04:00.001-08:00

I thought you were going to do nothing?!http://www.nlrtimes.com/articles/2011/12/02/maumelle_monitor/local_news/nev004.txt

What's the Point?! Arkansas Distracted Driving Law

2011-10-21T16:15:00.000-07:00

What's the point of a law if you never use it and if it doesn't have any clout? In a true fashion of 'we don't want to take away all of your rights because we're afraid, and we're trying to prevent dangerous activity', in other words hypocrisy, Arkansas has enacted distracted driving laws.

But they don't really apply to any particular situation. You can now get a ticket if you're using a cell phone but ONLY when driving near a school when children are present. (So a school on Saturday at 1AM is OK?) You also can't use your phone to talk or text when driving through highway work zones.

But this is a secondary offence meaning you can't be pulled over and cited just for talking on the phone! What' sthe point of the law if it never applies?!

Either don't have one, or just ban texting while driving outright. Lame. (Probably an attempt to get everyone used to a law and then BAM bring in the full blown version).

Turkey Drop Fail

2011-10-11T16:14:00.000-07:00

Sigh

http://forcechange.com/6330/put-an-end-to-arkansas-turkey-drop/

No Greens Please

2011-09-12T15:08:00.000-07:00

I missed the decision made early in August for the hopeful Green Party of Ark.

Here's the appeal decision, there will be no change, the Green Party must register 3% of popular vote or forever reest in peace (or find another name). Such is the law.

Decision: http://www.ca8.uscourts.gov/opndir/11/08/103106P.pdf

A candidate in Arkansas has two main ways to get her name on the ballot as a party’s candidate: She could run as the nominee of a state-certified political party, or she could declare herself part of a new political party and file a petition of 10,000 registered Arkansas voters’ signatures collected within a 90-day period.

There's a catch to being a new political party: a new party that fails to obtain 3 percent of the total vote cast in a gubernatorial or presidential election ceases to be a party.

From http://blogs.findlaw.com/eighth_circuit/2011/08/arkansas-green-party-ballot-appeal-rejected.html

Overcrowding, just open the door to prisons

2011-08-30T14:36:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago lawmakers implemented prison reform. Overcrowded prisons and no money to build more (or even to pay for the population now incarcerated, it is after all a recession economy), means early release for many.

Now Arkansas prison officials have begun the exodus prepping about 750 inmates for early release. The suggestions to release certain inmates comes on the heels of a report commissioned last year, and after feedback, lawmakers passed an act which will allow many non-violent and non-sexual offenders to receive early parole.

Currently the Arkansas Department of Corrections is functioning at 106 percent male capacity and 104 percent female capacity.

So let's get this straight, with more money we'd keep people in prison, but because of economics folks can go free? I don't mind inmates getting released early especially for non-violent offences, but if it's just a process of economics then why weren't they already prepped for early release?

Ticketmaster in Court (Again)

2011-08-28T14:43:00.000-07:00

Check this out: http://www.ticketnews.com/news/Arkansas-Supreme-Court-to-weigh-in-on-Ticketmaster-fees081126937

Root for the little guy. Ticketmaster has a virtual monopoly on ticket sales and they've abused that privilege for too long (or they can't run a business properly). The phantom surcharges on each ticket amount to 10-20% of the actual ticket. This isn't the only place where Ticketmaster is facing the music, they're being sued all over the US and abroad. They've even merged with other box office companies to further extend their stranglehold on the industry.

Statewide Drug Database Launches

2011-08-03T14:41:00.000-07:00

A new law takes effect that creates a statewide pharmacy database for prescription drugs. This will prevent abuse of the system by addicts who have one prescription filled multiple times. Let's hope that we see a correlating decrease in drug abuse/visits to the ER for OD.

No Smoking in Arkansas With Baby On Board

2011-06-27T12:01:00.000-07:00

Arkansas has passed a law that expands on a current anti-smoking law, originally passed in 2006, allowing police to ticket anyone smoking in a vehicle with a child under the age of 14 rather than the previous 6.

The reasoning is primarily the health of children who can be exposed to higher levels of toxins from smoke within a confined car space.

What right minded parents would subject their kids to the harmful contents of cigarette smoke to begin with is my question. The law shouldn't even be necessary. But alas we have stupid and terrible parents.

Will this law improve the health of kids? I would like to see measurable evidence of that.....

So before the right-wing anger junkies proclaim the left-wing pinkos orchestrated a take over of rights, just remember, we have stupid stupid parents that need to be controlled in some ways.

I won't touch the autonomy to make one's own decision about risks to subject a child to since that's a whole different kettle of fish with legal implications too numerous to cover in a blog post.

Fort Smith Food Tax Delicious?

2011-06-20T13:32:00.000-07:00

Tax revenues decline, convention traffic declines, overall consumer spending declines, all combined means the Fort Smith convention center loses money.

Real simplistic view of a problem in Fort Smith. They have no money to pay for their convention center.

Apparently this convention center, which are supposed to make money like any other business, needs help.

The response?

In February the Board of Fort Smith proposed a prepared food tax of 1%.

It's a bad idea because the only people hurt will be A) restaurants who'll receive fewer patrons, b) servers who will get fewer tips.

It's also unfair because those who eat out will pay an unfair shar eof the upkeep.

Voters want a chance to have their voice heard. The taxpayers federation is taking the decision before a judge. All in all, sounds like a bad place to find money for a convention center....

Oh to be Green

2011-05-20T14:59:00.001-07:00

Anybody vote Green?

The Green party, advocates for the environment, have managed to pick up steam in Europe. They've never gotten close to any ruling status, but they've had minorities in parliaments. Canada elected their first Green Member of Parliament this month; the Greens received about 6 percent of the popular vote. Not bad.

The Green party is slow coming in the USA. in Arkansas they have to fight every election to get their name on the ballot.

The rules stipulate if you don't get at least 3% of the popular vote on election night then you can't be placed on the ensuing ballot without jumping through a number of hoops.

Here's an additional discussion on the subject with some interesting comments.

http://www.ballot-access.org/2011/05/11/eighth-circuit-hears-arkansas-green-party-case/

Now what

2011-05-02T15:24:00.001-07:00

Let's do something better than just high five each other over the heroic actions of our troops.

Bin Laden is gone, his hide and seek escapade that lasted almost 10 years is done. Hopefully with him goes the networks of terrorists, but that's unlikely.

What we can control is us. Do we use our new energy to mount even more offensives to rid out terrorism? Probably a futile effort. We can do better. Let's try to capture something that will propel our nation to new heights. THat's a good way to spend new found morale.....

We Win

2011-05-02T15:21:00.000-07:00

Law School, Graduate Programs Ranked Best in the Nation

2011-03-18T11:32:00.000-07:00

Ok, let's go with some good news for a chance.

The U.S. News and World Report 2012 edition of America’s Best Graduate Schools has ranked the University of Arkansas School of Law among the top public law schools in the nation.

Two graduate programs in the Sam M. Walton College of Business are also ranked, as are a program in the College of Education and Health Professions and the College of Engineering.

Good job!

http://newswire.uark.edu/Article.aspx?id=15743

Westboro Solution

2011-03-02T14:05:00.000-08:00

The nut jobs who are not Christian (they worship Satan I'm pretty sure if the SNL sketch I saw is correct) want to continue their protesting ways by hitting up militar funerals.

The response is VERY simple.

EVERY Westboro goes everyone needs to be aware of the best way to deal with them.

Fight presence with money.

Westboro has a list of hatred, take those organizations, and then raise money for them in direct opposition to the presence of Westboro.

Set up across the street and watch the dollars flow.

Eventually the money will speak louder than their bibles and westboro will see that they are a contributing funder for the org. they despise.

Illegal to be deaf in Arkansas

2011-02-09T08:32:00.000-08:00

Have you seen this hilarious video?

Ok, admit it, we've all been in a place where we might've bumped into something substantial while texting.

However, to BAN people from using their music devices while WALKING via legislation is Uncle Sam meddling too far into my life.

A proposal in Arkansas would ban pedestrians from wearing headphones in both ears while on, parallel, or adjacent to a street, road, intersection, or highway. You can wear headphones in one ear (headphone) but if you have headphones then it's a $100 ticket.

The two brainchilds behind this whacky waste of time? Ark. Sen. Jimmy Jeffress, a Democrat. He's not alone, N.Y. Sen. Carl Kruger, also a Democrat, has been trying since 2007 to ban the use of cell phones, iPods and other gadgets by pedestrians while crossing the street in major cities.

This is a fail. Incredible waste of a public servants time when there are bigger and more important issues at hand, like banning deaf people from walking alone on the street since they can't hear out of either ear.....

House to Block Health

2011-02-01T09:58:00.000-08:00

http://thecabin.net/news/2011-01-23/house-panel-take-health-care-reform

So what's your take on this? If we're better off, with better healthcare, for a long term price savings, then why is that a bad thing? Forget th epolitical rhetoric, tell me why it's a BAD thing for more people ot have more healthcare for less money?

Do'nt get into the 'choice' issues, that's a poor copout to address the real issue here, the need for healthcare, and the GROWING need for healthcare in this country as it gets older. We get older, but not wiser..... Maybe a few less pet projects in the military and more hospital beds? Maybe I just know one too many people who've lost it all cause they got sick....Let's take care of our own and stop paying the most among developed nations for less healthcare.

Teenage Boys Rejoice: Arkansas Medicinal Cannabis Act of 2011

2011-01-27T10:43:00.000-08:00

Well all sorts of potheads are thrilled now....

www.gozarks.com/pdf/med_cannabis_act_2011_060610.pdf

ON a serious note, I suppose you don't really have a full opinion on medical cannabis until you have chronic pain and the only thing that cures (relieves) is pot.....

God Hates Birds in Arkansas

2011-01-12T15:44:00.000-08:00

LOL

http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=7297&MediaType=1&Category=26

Please, let's use our brains and for a moment catch a fresh breathe of air and reason and note: God wouldn't punish his creation because people did something supposedly stupid.

I shouldn't laugh, this is sad.

"It is a violation of Arkansas law to pass a school bus from any direction when it is stopped to load or unload a child."

2011-01-11T15:42:00.000-08:00

What? A little wordy? The latest Arkansas school bus safety law mandates new buses must have that message on the rear.

So you're driving, trying to pay attentino to the road, not texting, on the phone, or doing your makeup while steering with your knees, but along comes this paragraph of a message for you to digest as you're cruising past a school bus.

Can people even read that fast?

Time to take this one back to the drawing board.