Category Archives: Huckabee shameful record

Huckabee shameful record, State government offenses

Free Transport: Huckabee and family

108 Comments

Updated: 12/1/2005

FREE TRANSPORT: Huckabee and family got it for this
marathon run.

Gov.
Mike Huckabee is still flying high on the taxpayers’ dime and refusing to
provide details about it, claiming security
interests.

The Arkansas Times
first reported Nov. 3 about his use of the State Police’s twin-engine
Beechcraft King Air 200. He has used it
several times since.

From Oct. 22 to
Nov. 10 he used the plane to fly to Atlanta, Charlotte, twice to Dallas and
three times to Washington, D.C. On one of those trips, Huckabee and his wife,
son and daughter-in-law traveled to and from Washington so Gov. and Mrs. Huckabee could participate in the Marine
Corps marathon.

Huckabee
will not answer questions about how or why he decides to use the State Police
plane for almost all of his out-of-state travel, which includes about 40 trips
in 2005. “Whether we are talking in general or about specifics, when it is
a matter of travel
it is a security issue and we’re not going to comment,” said Huckabee
press secretary Alice Stewart. It is
unclear what security concerns exist after a trip, but Stewart won’t discuss
that either.

State Police spokesman Bill
Sadler said the department has “no recollection or record” of
Huckabee ever reimbursing the department
for his use of its aircraft

A
schedule released by Huckabee’s office says he is to be in Carlsbad, Calif.,
for a Republican Governors Association meeting from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2, New York City to receive
an award on Dec. 5 and Greensboro, N.C., to deliver a speech on Dec. 6. His
office would not say if Huckabee will use the State Police plane for those
trips.

Sadler
said Huckabee’s use of the plane is governed by Section 12-8-108(a) of the
Arkansas Code, which says, “The Department of Arkansas State Police shall be responsible
for the safety and security of the: (1) Governor and his or her family.” It makes no
specific provision for use of the plane to transport the governor, an expense
worth thousands of dollars for every trip
at private industry prices.

Also,
Chapter 17 of the State Police Field Operations Policy and Procedure Manual
refers to the department’s aircraft. Among the approved uses other than for law enforcement
operations is “transportation of other state officials in the performance of official state business.”

The
same chapter stipulates “the determination of whether a situation warrants
the use of ASP aircraft shall be made by ASP field supervisors. (The Commander of the Executive
Protection Unit may also schedule and request ASP aircraft for use by the Governor.)”

According
to the manual, State Police flights must adhere to Federal Aviation
Regulations, which in the case of the King
Air 200 are found in Part 91.

In South Dakota,
Democratic state legislators have asked the Federal Aviation Administration
whether their governor’s use of a King
Air 200 complies with Part 91.

The
Argus Leader, South Dakota’s largest newspaper, reported in September that Gov.
Mike Rounds “sometimes uses the state airplane to travel to high school athletic
contests and other non-public events, often taking family members and friends along. Rounds said
state law allows him to pay for nonpublic use of the state-owned airplanes. He
said he usually uses
either his campaign fund or a Governor’s Club fund created by donors to the
state Republican Party to reimburse the
state for those trips.”

In
a survey of public aircraft policies in 49 states, the Argus Leader found mat
most states clearly prohibit use of state-owned planes for personal or political travel. For
Arkansas the newspaper quoted Rex Nelson, Huckabee’s former communications director, as
saying, “He doesn’t use the airplane for personal trips. Occasionally,
there’s a day when official business
travel is mixed with politics.”

There is bi-partisan
support among South Dakota lawmakers for examination of the use of the state
airplane by Rounds, who is a Republican.

Huckabee shameful record

Huckabee’s ongoing abuse of taxpayer plane

199 Comments

Frequent flier

Max
Brantley Updated:
2/16/2006

The
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s Seth Blomeley wrote a lengthy report in Sunday’s
newspaper on Gov. Mike Huckabee’s heavy use of the State Police airplane for travels that have
often included stops that enhance his national political profile.

The
article added details to Warwick Sabin’s earlier reporting in the Times on the
use of the twin-engine King Air. According to the D-G account, the governor has racked up
nearly a half-million bucks in private plane costs since 2002 alone. He could have saved plenty flying commercial or
taking a car in-state.

Sabin
had reported earlier on reporting by a South Dakota newspaper that found few
governors with the unfettered access to state-funded air transport that Huckabee enjoys. The D-G
reported that Republican governors in Texas and Missouri rarely use a state
plane, preferring not to charge taxpayers. Other governors who use state planes
maintain detailed public records.

The legislature seems to have no
problem with treating Huckabee like a corporate exec, with unlimited use of a
private plane to go
along with a mansion, free utilities, servants, a vehicle fleet and other
freebies.

We
aren’t so sanguine. Should taxpayers be paying to fly the governor to
Republican meetings and Christian Coalition confabs? Worse still are many flights to Nashville,
Ark., which suspiciously suggest he uses the plane (and, in one case, a state helicopter) to get to his
Lake Greeson house on weekends. This is “official business”?

We’d settle for accountability, a
concept that makes The Huckster churlish.

He
would take no questions from the Democrat-Gazette, saying, through a spokesman,
that its reporter and political editor have “edited, twisted and
distorted” his remarks. He won’t talk to us either. He simply doesn’t do
interviews with people
who ask tough questions, follow them up and refuse to be snookered by a corny
joke and a sound bite. He’ll talk on TV
and radio, where he controls the message.

So
this is for the TV reporters, should you get a chance. What security interest
demands private plane travel for Huckabee (and his family) rather than a cheaper
Southwest Airlines flight to Washington? Why was he choppered to Lake Greeson? Why, in fact, can’t he drive himself to
his weekend retreat?

Then
there’s accountability. State employees must justify every single mile for
which they are reimbursed. Why should it be any different for The Huckster. If
he cranks up the State Police plane, taxpayers are entitled to know the times, dates, destinations and passengers. “Official
business” is not sufficient documentation.

Sen.
Dave Bisbee, a Rogers Republican, put it squarely to Reporter Blomeley, as Bisbee
often does. “Where do you draw the line between campaign and official business? The questions
shouldn’t be whether Huckabee is benefiting. The question should be whether the state is
benefiting. The governor ought to be able to answer those questions.”

Huckabee
won’t answer those questions because he can’t. And the answers might prove a
problem in his 2008 presidential
campaign.

Bill
Clinton didn’t have to answer questions about the State Police plane when he
ran in 1992 because there was no state King Air then. Clinton’s questions concerned the
free rides he bummed on corporate aircraft, duly reported in his financial disclosure forms.
Amazing, isn’t it, that no similar accountability is required when the governor
uses OUR airplane.

Huckabee illegal Consulate, Huckabee shameful record

Governor Huckabee’s radio address re his trip to Mexico/Consulate (p.1)

307 Comments


Governor Huckabee’s
Radio Address November 8, 2003

Subj: Mexico



Hello, this is Governor Mike Huckabee with this week’s
comment from my corner of the Capitol.

One
of the highlights of the year occurred for me when I led a delegation of
elected officials from across the country on a trade mission to Mexico. I
headed the delegation in my capacity as the president of the Council of State
Governments. The CSG is the nation’s only organization serving every elected
and appointed official in all three branches of state government. Founded in
1933 on the premise that states are the best sources of insight and innovation, the CSG provides a network for state
leaders to share ideas. I also was honored to lead the CSG’s annual
State Trends and Leadership Forum last month in Pittsburgh.

On the trip to Mexico, I was accompanied by Jim Pickens,
the director of our state Department of Economic Development. Our visit reminded
us that the American dream is alive and well. I spent time in places ranging
from Mexico City, one of the largest cities in the world, to tiny Mexican villages. Everywhere I went, I was
reminded that people around the world still look to this country as a
place of great opportunity. They understand it’s possible to come to the United States with little more than the clothes
on your back and build a better life through hard work. They appreciate the
things for which our nation stands. In many ways, these people are like
our own ancestors, who came to America in search of a better life.

Since I became governor
more than seven years ago, I’ve meet hundreds of Mexican natives
who’ve
migrated to Arkansas towns such as Danville, Decatur and De Queen.
Percentagewise,  Arkansas has the fastest-growing Hispanic
population in the country.

Arkansas
industries, especially our burgeoning poultry industry, have offered jobs that often
are filled by immigrants from Mexico. The rapid growth of our state’s
Hispanic population has “ledTo complex social issues. Heavy migration
can increase the demand for state services. But most of   those who’ve moved to the state in recent years
are hard-working people with strong family ties. They’ve made a contribution to
our economy and revitalized parts of numerous Arkansas towns that previously
were dying. I was reminded again during the trip to Mexico of how proud I am of
the way the majority of Arkansans have received these Hispanic immigrants. We
respect hard work in Arkansas. We respect those who want to provide a better life
for their children and grandchildren. For decades, we treated our state’s
African-America population poorly. The Hispanic influx gives us a second chance
to prove what kind of people we really are.

I looked into the eyes of rural Mexican children, and my
heart was moved. These children often don’t have enough to eat, don’t have good
clothes and don’t have a dry place to sleep at night. They have little
chance of ever breaking out of the cycle of poverty. I was humbled at the
thought of how much Americans have. And I was reminded we can give something
back by



http://www.arkansas.gov/govemor/media/radio/text/rl 1082003.html



01/28/2005

 

Huckabee illegal Consulate, Huckabee shameful record

Governor Huckabee’s radio address re his trip to Mexico/Consulate (p.2)

204 Comments


offering a helping hand to those who follow the American
dream along Interstate 30 and Interstate 40 into Arkansas. I also was reminded
of the global impact our small state and the companies based
here have had. I was traveling with our delegation along a dusty road in the
state of Hidalgo when we suddenly came upon a new Wal-Mart Supercenter. There
are almost 150 Arkansas companies now exporting $250 million worth
of goods annually to Mexico. Arkansas’ exports to Mexico have almost tripled
since before the North American Free Trade Agreement took effect in
1994. Wal-Mart entered into a joint venture with Cifra with the opening
of a Sam’s Club in Mexico City in 1991. Mexico became the first country in the
company’s international division. Wal-Mart acquired a majority position in
Cifra in 1997. In February 2000, the name of the company was changed to
Wal-Mart de Mexico. Wal-Mart now operates more than 600
units with annual sales of $10.1 billion. The Wal-Mart stock is the second
most traded stock on the Mexican stock exchange. The Bentonville Company is
represented in 31 of the 36 Mexican states. Tyson Foods of Springdale,
meanwhile, began operating in Mexico in 1994 through a joint venture.-
Tyson now processes millions of chickens and turkeys annually in
the country. The company has almost 4,900 employees in Mexico and has invested more
than $50 million there during the past three years.

Companies such as Wal-Mart and Tyson Foods
cause Mexicans and others around the world to realize Arkansas
truly is the Land of Opportunity. These companies began in small Arkansas
towns and became global leaders in changing how people shop, eat and live. I
also had a chance to spend time with representatives from a
number of smaller Arkansas-based businesses that sell
their products and services in Mexico. We’re doing everything possible to expand the market for
Arkansas products in other countries.

Until next week, this
is Gov. Mike Huckabee.



http://www.arkansas.gOv/governor/media/radio/text/r 11082003 .html



01/28/2005

Huckabee shameful record, State government offenses

Huckabee’s abuse of the State Police King Air (p. 1)

119 Comments

Have plane, will travel

The governor is a
frequent flier on State Police plane, for business and pleasure. Warwick
Sabin Updated: 11/3/2005

 

PUBLIC TRANSPORT: For the

governor, it’s State Police King
Air.

Gov. Mike
Huckabee has used the Arkansas State Police jet to travel to and from
destinations outside of the state more than 30 times during 2005,
according to flight logs reviewed by the Arkansas Times.

Many of the trips
took Huckabee to meetings and events that related to his position as chairman
of the National Governors
Association. Others have a more tenuous connection to his official duties.

For instance,
Huckabee and his wife, Janet, flew to Washington, D.C., on the Beechcraft King
Air 200 Oct. 28-30 to participate in the Marine Corps Marathon.

Click here for complete Arkansas Times article

 

http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/2006/06/a_new_home_for_joe_quinn.aspx

A new home for Joe Quinn (a
frequent flier with Huckabee)

The
governor’s office announced today that The Huckster’s policy adviser, former TV
news announcer Joe Quinn, will be leaving state government for
a job as state health care policy director for Wal-Mart. Quinn labored at
Human Services before joining the governor’s office. (Say: you don’t think he had anything to do with the state’s recent
announcement that it would no longer tabulate the number of Wal-Mart employees
in Arkansas on welfare rolls?)
Quinn will be moving to Bentonville and working for Wal-Mart across the
country. We’ll miss Joe, as we’ve told a commenter. He was a straight shooter.

It’s the
time when political appointees look for places to land as the Huckabee administration
nears an end. There are only so many jobs on his PAC and family comes first
there. We heard just the other day of a shuffle over at Workers Comp to
accommodate a Republican in need of work while the current administration was
still in a position to deliver it. That is how the system works. Readers are
encouraged to send along other lateral moves within and without government as
the changeover moves along.

 

The
governor’s flight log

Arkansas Times
Staff Updated: 11/3/2005

These are the out-of-state trips made by Gov. Mike Huckabee on the
Arkansas State Police Beechcraft King Air 200 from Jan. 1 through Oct. 21,2005. The passenger identifications are as
they appeared in the State Police flight logs.

Jan. 18 Little
Rock to Andrews Air Force Base (Camp Springs, MD) Gov. and Mrs. Huckabee

Jan. 21 Andrews
Air Force Base to Little Rock Gov. and Mrs. Huckabee

Jan. 31 Little
Rock to Houston, TX to Little Rock Gov. Huckabee, Security, 2 aides

Feb. 2 Little
Rock to Nashville, TN Gov. and Mrs. Huckabee,

Dunn, Dawg

Feb. 3 Nashville, TN to Little Rock

Gov. and Mrs. Huckabee, R. Dunn, D. Cook

Feb. 15 Little
Rock to Andrews Air Force Base Gov.
Huckabee, Joe Quinn, Security

Feb. 16 Andrews
Air Force Base to Little Rock Gov.
Huckabee, JoeQuim G. Paige

Feb. 27 Little
Rock to Baltimore, MD Gov. and Mrs.
Huckabee, Joe Quinn

Mar. 1 Andrews Air
Force Base to Little Rock Gov. and
Mrs. Huckabee, Joe Quinn, Brenda Turner

Mar. 13 Little
Rock to Andrews Air Force Base Gov.
Huckabee, Brenda Turner, Mr. Woods, Security

Mar. 15 Little
Rock to Bowling Green, KY to Little Rock Gov. Huckabee, Brenda Turner, Mr. Woods, Security

Mar. 15 Little
Rock to Dallas, TX to Little Rock Gov. Huckabee, R. Dunn, Staff

Apr. 3 Little
Rock to Andrews Air Force Base Gov. Huckabee, W. Ryals

Apr. 4 Andrews
Air Force Base to Little Rock Gov. Huckabee, W. Ryals

Apr. 20 Little
Rock to Columbus, OH to Little Rock Gov.
Huckabee, Chad Gallagher, Security

May 1 Little Rock
to Andrews Air Force Base Gov. Huckabee, Staff, Security

May 2 Andrews Air
Force Base to Teterboro, NJ Gov. Huckabee, Staff, Security

 

 

 

Huckabee shameful record, State government offenses

Huckabee’s abuse of the State Police King Air (p. 2)

56 Comments

May 3 Teterboro,  NJ
to Bowling Green, KY to Little Rock Gov. Huckabee. Staff, Security

 



May 13  Little Rock
to Conroe TX to Fayetteville. AR  to
Little Rock Gov. Huckabee.  Aide.
Security

 

June 1 Little Rock to Andrews Air Force Base Gov.
Huckabee, W. Ryals

 

June 2

 Andrews Air Force
Base to Little Rock Gov. Huckabee. W. Ryals

 

June 7 Little Rock to Andrews Air Force Base Gov.
Huckabee, Staff, Staff, Security

 

June 9 Andrews Air Force Base to Little Rock Gov.
Huckabee, Joe Quinn Aide. Security

 

June 13 Little Rock to Blythcvillc, AR to Atlanta, GA Gov.
Huckabee. Staff, Security

 

June 14 Atlanta. GA to Andrews Air Force Base Gov.
Huckabee. Staff. Security

 

June 16 Andrews Air Force Base to Little Rock Gov.
Huckabee. S. Spades

 

June 27 Little Rock to Andrews Air Force Base to Little
Rock Gov. Huckabee, Security

 

July 12 Little Rock to Denver, CO Gov. Huckabee

 

July 15 Denver. CO to Des Moines. IA to Little Rock Gov.
Huckabee. J. Hardy. M. Branch

 

July 18 Little Rock
to Des Moines, IA to Little Rock Gov. and Mrs. Huckabee, Brenda Turner

 

July 19 Little Rock to Chicago. II. Ciov. Huckabee.^loe Ouinn. R. Dunn

 

July 20 Chicago, IL to Little Rock Gov. Huckabee, Joe 
Quinn . R. Dunn

 

July 21 Little Rock to Andrews Air Force Base Gov.
Huckabee, Staff. Security

 

July 22 Andrews Air Force Base to Little Rock Gov.
Huckabee. B. Paige

 

Aug. 2 Little Rock to Memphis. TN to Little Rock Gov. and
Mrs. Huckabee. Aide. Security

 

Aug. 27  Little
Rock to Portsmouth, NH to Greensboro. GA to Little Rock  Gov. & Mrs. Huckabee. Security

 

Aug. 28  Little
Rock to Greensboro. GA to Little Rock Gov. &  Mrs. Huckabee

 

Sept. 6 Little Rock to Baton Rouge, LA to Little Rock

Gov. Huckabee, J. Bracken, B. Crain, C. Rocket. C. Pyle
R. Dunn

 

Huckabee shameful record, State government offenses

Huckabee’s abuse of the State Police King Air (p. 3)

54 Comments

Sept. 21 Little
Rock to Andrews Air Force Base Gov.
Huckabee, Joe Quinn Stewart, Dunn

Sept. 23 Andrews
Air Force Base to Little Rock Gov.
Huckabee, Joe Quinn, Stewart, Dunn

Oct. 1 Little
Rock to Columbia, SC to Charleston, SC Gov.
and Mrs. Huckabee, Security (2nd leg only)

Oct 2 Charleston,
SC to Andrews Air Force Base Gov. and Mrs. Huckabee, Aide, Security

Oct. 4 Andrews
Air Force Base to Little Rock Gov.
and Mrs. Huckabee, Aide, Security

Oct. 5 Little Rock to Charleston, SC

Gov. Huckabee, Joe Quinn Aide, Security,
Dawg

Oct. 6 Charleston,
SC to Little Rock Gov. Huckabee, Joe
Quinn, Aide, Security

Oct. 9 Little
Rock to Dallas, TX Gov. and Mrs.
Huckabee

Oct 10 Dallas, TX
to Little Rock Gov. and Mrs. Huckabee

Oct. 13 Little
Rock to Des Moines, LA Gov. Huckabee,
JoeQuinn, Staff, Security

Oct. 14 Des
Moines, LA to Little Rock Gov.
Huckabee, Joe Quinn, Staff S. Spades

Oct. 19 Little
Rock to Cincinnati, OH Gov. Huckabee,
Joe Quinn, Security

Oct. 20
Cincinnati, OH to Teterboro, NJ Gov.
Huckabee, Joe Quinn, Security

Oct. 21
Teterboro, NJ to Bowling Green, KY to Little Rock Gov. Huckabee, Joe
Quinn, Security

Click here for the Arkansas Times article

FoI requests concerning illegal immigration, Huckabee shameful record, State government offenses

FOI request concerning taxpayer money & numbers of illegal women aliens receiving pre-natal care/Huckabee project

401 Comments


Joe McCutchen

2916 Heather Oaks Way

Fort Smith,
AR 72908

Phone (479) 646-8261

September
24,2007

CERTIFIED MAIL – RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED

Judy Besancon

Office of Chief Counsel

Arkansas Department of Human Services

700 Main Street

P.O. Box 1437

Little Rock, AR 72203-1437

Custodian of Records

Arkansas Department of Human Services

700 Main Street

P.O. Box 1437

Little Rock, AR 72203

Re:        Freedom of Information Act Request

Dear Sir or Madam:

Pursuant to the Arkansas
Freedom of Information Act (Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-101), I hereby request
copies of the public records identified below. I am requesting copies of the
following documents:

(a)                
all documents submitted to any agency or
division of the United States Government seeking reimbursement made for
payments under the State Children’s Health Insurance Program
(“SCHIP”) program which detail any of the following information: (i)
the full amount of reimbursement sought; (ii) the full amount of payments made
by the State of Arkansas or any agency thereof under the State Children’s
Health Insurance Program (“SCHIP”) Program; (iii) any demographical
information concerning recipients of benefits under the State Children’s Health
Insurance Program (“SCHIP”) Program; and (iv) any information
specifying the number of recipients (including pregnant women) receiving
benefits under the State Children’s Health Insurance Program
(“SCHIP”) program that are not lawfully present in the State of
Arkansas or United States of America.

(b)                
all
documents containing the following information regarding the State Children’s
Health Insurance Program (“SCHIP”) program: (i) the full
amount of reimbursement sought; (ii) the full amount of payments made by the
State of Arkansas or any agency thereof under the State Children’s Health
Insurance Program (“SCHIP”) Program; (iii) any demographical
information concerning recipients of benefits under the State Children’s Health
Insurance Program (“SCHIP”) Program; and (iv) any information specifying
the number of recipients (including pregnant women) receiving benefits under
the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (“SCHIP”) program that
are not lawfully present in the State of Arkansas or United States of America.

(c)                
all
documents identifying any amount spent by the Department of Human Services of
the State of Arkansas under the State Children’s Health Insurance
Program (“SCHIP”) Program or any other program which may provide a
benefit to any person who is not lawfully present in the United States or State
of Arkansas (including pregnant women);

(d)                                
all documents identifying the number of anchor babies on the State
Children’s Health Insurance
Program (“SCHIP”) program at any time in the fiscal year ended June
30, 2007;

(e)                                 
all documents identifying any programs available that will or may
provide benefits for any
services or other monetary payment without regard to whether the recipient (including pregnant women
receiving prenatal services) is lawfully inside the State of Arkansas or United States; and

(f)               
all documents identifying the number of recipients of any program of or
overseen by the Department
of Human Services without regard to whether the recipient (including pregnant women receiving
prenatal services) is lawfully inside the State of Arkansas or United States.

Please be advised that I am
specifically excluding from this request any documents that are protected from disclosure by the
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974,20 USC § 1232g.

The requested information may be
provided to me at the address specified above. I offer to pay the actual cost of reproduction,
as defined by statute, either in advance of copying or pursuant to a statement or invoice from you after copying occurs.

Alternatively, if you are
otherwise unable to comply with this request, I request reasonable access to the identified public records
and reasonable comforts and facilities for the full exercise of the right to inspect and copy those records.

 

Huckabee shameful record

Jobs lost/Huckabee

637 Comments

<

http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2007/10/31/News/343907.html  

Arkansas manufacturing jobs fall 2.8
percent over past year
Wednesday, Oct 31, 2007

By Jason Wiest
Arkansas News Bureau
LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas has lost nearly 7,000 manufacturing jobs since summer
2006, continuing a years-long decline analysts say is due to outsourcing and
advances in techology, according to figures released Tuesday.

Some 6,886 manufacturing jobs have left the state since August 2006, a 2.8
percent decline, according to the 2008 Arkansas Manufacturers Register.

The slide is part of a larger trend in which Arkansas has lost 15 percent of
its manufacturing employment, or 41,000 jobs, since August 2001, dropping at an
average of 2.5 percent per year, according to the industrial guide published
annually by Illinois-based Manufacturers’ News Inc.

“Nearly a third of Arkansas’ job losses were seen in the industrial
machinery and equipment sector – one that is particularly vulnerable to
outsourcing and relocation,” MNI President Tom Dubin said. “Also,
automation and technological advancements in today’s manufacturing require
fewer employees.”

Surrounding states also experienced a decline, the report said. Mississippi
lost 2.5 percent of its manufacturing jobs last year, while such jobs were down
3.8 percent in Missouri and 4 percent in Tennessee.

Arkansas ranks 25th in the nation for manufacturing jobs. More than 4,100
manufacturers still employ 228,800 workers in the state, according to the
report.

Most of those jobs, 54.3 percent, are in Northwest Arkansas, the report said.
The area grew by one-half of 1 percent, or 741 jobs, since August 2006, the
report found.

The food industry accounts for 23.5 percent of the state’s industrial
employment, or 53,729 jobs. Poultry slaughtering and processing held steady
last year, still accounting for 62 percent of the state’s food industry jobs.
Employment in the food products sector dropped 2.9 percent, however.

The fabricated metal sector, the state’s second-largest manufacturing jobs
sector, also saw no significant change in the past year, accounting for 18,661
jobs, or 8.1 percent of the state’s manufacturing jobs.

The state’s third-largest sector, industrial machinery and equipment, fell 10
percent to 18,661 jobs.

Sub-sectors showing the sharpest decline include upholstered furniture, down
863 jobs, hardwood veneer and plywood, down 642 jobs and refrigerators and
freezers, down 615 jobs.

The Legislature this year adopted a number of measures, including tax breaks
for utilities used in the manufacturing process, aimed at make the state more
attractive for new industry and expansions.

“We know that manufacturing jobs are being lost all over the
country,” said Matt DeCample, spokesman for Gov. Mike Beebe. “What
the tools have allowed us to do is pursue a larger diversity in the types of
jobs that we go after.”





Huckabee shameful record, Presidential Candidates

Coulter tells the truth about Huckabee

126 Comments

WHAT’S NOT TO LIKE
ABOUT MIKE


On illegal immigration, Huckabee makes George Bush sound like Tom
Tancredo. He has compared illegal aliens to slaves brought here in
chains from Africa, saying, “I think frankly the Lord is giving us a
second chance to do better than we did before.”


“(W)hen an Arkansas legislator introduced a bill that would prevent
illegal aliens from voting and receiving state benefits, (former Arkansas Gov.
Mike) Huckabee denounced the bill, saying it would rile up ‘those who are
racist and bigots.’  He also made the insane point that companies like
Toyota would not invest in Arkansas if the state didn’t allow non-citizens to
vote.  Like all the Democratic candidates for president, he supports a
federal law to ban smoking — unless you’re an illegal alien smoking at a
Toyota plant.”

– Columnist Ann Coulter