A Better REGION 8

Rejecting the Recession

At the beginning of July I stood here and told you that we were launching a month long campaign to Reject the Recession. In the last 30 days we have witnessed remarkable results. Throughout our newscasts we have offered information to help you survive, cope and even succeed during this down economic period. We’ve given away some fantastic prizes and we have been blessed to partner with  great business owners here in Region 8 that dug deep and offered real incentives to help you along the way. Now it wasn’t all rosy. We’ve recently had to deliver bad economic news for folks here in Region 8. I’m sure that the folks at Wolverine and others  without work are finding it extremely difficult to Reject the Recession. Mississippi county has been hit hard.  June unemployment numbers have just been released and we continue to see unemployment rise. Don’t think for a minute that we don’t understand that. But folks, we also have reasons to be optimistic. In the last month we have been able to share good news with you as well.  The Dow Jones broke 9000 and is slowly inching its way upward. Nordex has begun work on their new plant which will bring up to 700 new jobs to the area. Home sales in Region 8 are outpacing other areas as people here realize that we have a good buyers market and financing is still available. And thanks to the cash for clunkers program, you now have a good incentive to buy a new car. Again if you can make the investment, now is a good time to do so. We will continue to bring you Reject the Recession stories as long as there is a need. And I hope we have brought a level of optimism to your personal situation. I honestly believe that things are improving each and every day.  And folks, that makes this a Better Region 8.

Stuff the Bus with School Supplies

My daughter will start kindergarten this year. Like many parents across Region 8, I was shocked when I looked at the school supply list and realized just how much money I will have to shell out just to get a kindergartener off on the right foot. With some help from the internet I priced everything we needed and came up with a total investment of $135. Folks, this is a serious list. Much more serious than when I first went to school. I think I probably showed up on my first day of school with a pencil, a box of crayons and some notebook paper all held together in my trusty Trapper Keeper. $5 all in. However, I have to keep telling myself that was thirty six years ago. These days, you need a whole lot more stuff to go to school and the trusty Trapper Keeper has been replaced by the backpack. Kids these days need a backpack to lug all those supplies around in. Now my point is not to complain about the supplies that I have to buy. We should move heaven and earth to provide kids with everything they need to have a solid education. But some folks are going to have a hard time outfitting a child for school this year. Think about the people you know who have more than one child to provide for. Think about the folks that may just be down on their luck. This is where you can step in and help. This Saturday KAIT, the United Way, Triple FM, and the Crowley’s Ridge Development Council will be collecting your donations at most area Wal-Marts with our Stuff the Bus campaign. All donated school supplies will go to help kids in 19 schools across Region 8. You can log on to kait8.com to access the list or just pick one up at the store. Folks, each and every child in Region 8 needs to start off on a level playing field. Having a brand new backpack and the same tools that everyone else has to learn is also a great boost to a youngster’s’ self-confidence.  Let’s do everything we can make that happen. It will make this a Better Region 8 for all of our kids.

A Better Region 8 - Stuff the Bus this Saturday

"THEY MAKE MORE THAN THE GOVERNOR!"

Like many of you, I scratch my head sometimes wondering why our elected leaders make some of the boneheaded decisions they make. Case in point, the manner in which the new state lottery office is getting organized. We went out and hired Ernie Passailaigue the director of the South Carolina lottery  for Three Hundred and 24 thousand dollars. He then went out and hired his top two people from South Carolina for two hundred twenty five thousand a piece. That’s a pretty steep price tag when we have yet to see one dollar from lottery sales. And especially with the increased scrutiny we have all placed on ourselves when it comes to spending money in this economic condition. I can’t tell you how many times in the last week I have heard someone say “They’re all making more than the Governor”. That is correct. The Governor of Arkansas brings home roughly eighty grand. However, The Governor is not tasked with starting a lottery from the ground up. He’s not tasked to raise millions of dollars in a small rural state. A state, by the way, that is surrounded by other states that all have lotteries.  While we have many talented people here in Arkansas who would have taken the job for less, no one has the expertise required for the job. Mr. Passailaigue has done this before. He is one of the few that have and that expertise comes with a price tag. Now hopefully he will produce. It kind of reminds me of another big hire on the state payroll. The state's highest paid employee Football Coach Bobby Petrino. The head hog makes two point eight five million a year to grow a program and to grow eighty five young men on scholarship. The head of the Lottery is responsible to grow the program as well and to provide thousands of scholarships. Let’s bite our tongue for now and give this man a chance to put the Arkansas Lottery on the map. If he fails, he’ll be out the door like a poorly producing football coach. If he’s successful our kids will all benefit and you know that will make this a Better Region 8.

A Better Region 8 - Lottery Staffing

Guest Editorial-Eric Watson on Kans for Kids

Even in tight economic times, it is difficult to imagine sending children to bed hungry. But it does happen … and, tragically, it happens on a regular basis for youngsters in Region 8.

 

It seems impossible to believe that in a nation of plenty, we have children who have no food. Even if we convince ourselves it happens somewhere, it is hard to believe it happens here. But it does.

 

Sadly, there are youngsters in our community who … through no fault of their own … rely on school lunches and breakfasts for their meals. But on weekends and on school vacations, they do without because for one reason or another, there is no one in the home to see to their nutritional needs.

 

To help address that problem, two Leadership Jonesboro teams are joining together with the Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas to help provide nutritional meals for youngsters who qualify. The program serves more than 250 young students by discretely sending home kid-friendly foods in backpacks on Friday afternoons during the school year. The empty backpacks are returned on Monday so they can be readied for the next weekend.

 

The teams are taking a two-pronged approach to food collections. First, there are a number of businesses and industries that are hosting barrels to encourage employees to donate food items.

 

The second approach will be a one-day “Pack-the-Bus” campaign at four different grocery stores in Jonesboro. On Saturday, July 25, there will be volunteers at four Jonesboro sites – Bill’s Fresh Market at 3605 East Johnson, Kroger on South Caraway and both Jonesboro Wal Mart stores – distributing flyers with information on suitable food items. The volunteers then will accept donations from shoppers, and food will be “packed” into a JETS bus for delivery to the Food Bank.

 

It is totally unacceptable for any child to go hungry … especially when there are ways we can help.

 

Don’t forget to take a flyer at one of the participating stores on July 25 and buy some “Kans 4 Kids.” Through this program, we all can make this a Better Region 8.

 

Reject the Recession-Consumer Confidence

Free Gas Cards!

25% off Store wide!

Buy one box of cereal and get one free.

Better yet...buy a recliner, get another one free.

You may say those deals sound too good to be true, but they're not. They're real. They’re happening right here in Region 8 and the list of deals goes on and on and on. That’s why we’re challenging you to Reject the Recession. Despite the fact we’re all experiencing tough times, there is a bright side. These days, the consumer is in the driver's seat. I say take advantage of it. Work the system. Stores are doing whatever they can to lure you into their place of business. And... It's working! Look at how the mall is packed on the weekends or try getting a table at your favorite restaurant on a Friday night. Folks... consumers are biting… IF the bottom dollar is low enough. And that is what it is going to take to get this country back on the right foot… consumers getting confident enough to part with their hard earned money.  Now then, while we are challenging you to Reject the Recession, we do want to remind you to be responsible in your purchases. If you can't afford something right now... don't worry. Deals like these are likely to be around a while. We might be going through challenging times...But there is a glimmer of hope. Things are looking up for the consumer...you and me. Find ways that your family can Reject the Recession. That will make this A Better Region 8.

A Better REGION 8 - Consumer Confidence

Celebrating Freedom on the 4th

In recent weeks, we’ve seen images from Iran of people standing up for Democracy.  People risking their lives, and in some cases sacrificing their lives, for the cause of freedom.  That got me to thinking…as we celebrate our freedom on Independence Day, we should remember just how lucky we are to have it.  Freedom is something we should never take for granted. As we challenge you to Reject the Recession, we still know that there are folks in Region 8 and across this country that are enduring tough times. And yet on America’s worst day, it remains the best country in the world.

We have freedoms many people in other parts of the world would die for. Freedoms that many of our countrymen have died for.   Our Democracy isn’t perfect, but it has served us well for well more than two centuries, and it remains a beacon of light to the rest of the world.  We should never forget how lucky we are to live in the United States of America.  And on this July 4^th weekend we should celebrate all that is great about our country and honor those who have served and those who continue to serve to maintain its greatness. 

Please have a happy and safe Fourth of July, and God bless America.

A Better REGION 8 - Fourth of July