Crackpots prevail: Feds rescind White River Blueway designat

[sig]

I hear tinfoil is the new black.

http://arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archiv ... esignation

[Roger]

Here is the money quote from the article:

"But Jeannie Burlsworth, founder and chairwoman of the conservative group Secure Arkansas, has said there were concerns that the designation would lead to stricter enforcement of existing laws."

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/ ... TE=DEFAULT" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

She is against enforcing existing laws?

Not a good day for logic, reason, and facts in Arkansas.

[we66erno1]

Why did the Arkansas chapter of The Nature Conservancy crawfish on this? Weren't they one of the main people going against the hog farm up on Mt Judy? It's difficult to understand, other then they kowtowed to major political pressure.

[Tim Eubanks]

Why did the Arkansas chapter of The Nature Conservancy crawfish on this? Weren't they one of the main people going against the hog farm up on Mt Judy? It's difficult to understand, other then they kowtowed to major political pressure.

Doug
I was at the hearing the other day. My take, and it is just that, is that the agencies did not want to risk existing and future cooperative efforts with landowners, some of which did not read nor understand the designation's intent.
They admitted that there should have been more involvement from landowners at the outset.
People who don't read will believe what they are told.

[cpresoz]

They admitted that there should have been more involvement from landowners at the outset.
People who don't read will believe what they are told.

By slowly involving the landowners through local networking, is it possible that they can be convinced and that the Blueway be revived again in the future? A recent article by Mike Masterson about John Paul Hammerschmidt's slow and steady winning over of the locals (or enough of the locals) to make the Buffalo National River a reality gives thought to that.

[Canoe_Codger]

It would certainly seem to be a better tack than insulting people with whom one disagrees with name-calling and accusations. For those familiar with Arkansas history, recall the first session of the Arkansas General Assembly (1837) and Representative Major J.J. Anthony and House Speaker John Wilson's difference of opinion on a political matter.

[Tim Eubanks]

It would certainly seem to be a better tack than insulting people with whom one disagrees with name-calling and accusations. For those familiar with Arkansas history, recall the first session of the Arkansas General Assembly (1837) and Representative Major J.J. Anthony and House Speaker John Wilson's difference of opinion on a political matter.

They don't teach history anymore. Just math, English(sort of), and some science. Mostly just how to take standardized exams.
You will have to provide details. I'm guessing somebody got shot.

[Jim Krueger]

Knife rather than gun

Jim

[DeBo]

Here is the article that I wrote. Hopefully we will get a second chance someday.

http://www.arktimes.com/arkansas/passin ... id=2951473" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Deuce]

Knife rather than gun

Jim

As I recall this is an example of why they now have rules of order and refer to each other as "the honorable"... Draw your own conclusions with regard to the honorableness of said honorables.

[cpresoz]

It's a very good essay, Debbie. "We must have a decision-making process in this state that is driven by rational discourse and factual information rather than rumors and conspiracy theories." We have factions driven by fear and distrust and not by facts. They are full of such passionate intensity and can bulldoze the rational and earn support from like-minded law-makers. I don't know that they can be swayed since their very nature is to refuse to listen to discourse. It's like having an argument with racists, homophobes and religious zealots. Attacking them seems to drive them further into entrenchment. Trying to engage them in discourse doesn't seem to lead anywhere. It seems the solution is to educate the young and to bring about change that way. That's how similar changes have occurred in the past, including progress with religious, racial and gender tolerance.

[sig]

Politics might be a lot better if some of them thought they may get injured/killed as a result of the stupid crap they do.

At the least, C-Span would be more interesting.

[Canoe_Codger]

It would certainly seem to be a better tack than insulting people with whom one disagrees with name-calling and accusations. For those familiar with Arkansas history, recall the first session of the Arkansas General Assembly (1837) and Representative Major J.J. Anthony and House Speaker John Wilson's difference of opinion on a political matter.

They don't teach history anymore. Just math, English(sort of), and some science. Mostly just how to take standardized exams.
You will have to provide details. I'm guessing somebody got shot.

Jim remembers. He and I were there! Or we at least had courses in Arkansas history. Yes, there was a bill to provide bounties on wolves. The bone of contention came with deciding who would be the payor on the bounties. After some terse words and name-calling, one of the two "gentlemen" whipped out his Bowie knife and so did his opponent. Here is the story as found online today (Jim and I were not allowed to go online in our youth):

Little Rock, Ark - In the first session of the Arkansas General Assembly, the Speaker of the House of Representatives murdered another legislator with a Bowie knife on the floor of the house. The year is 1837.

The historic knife fight started with a debate in the house on a bill to offer bounties for wolf hides. This bill encouraged the killing of wolves.

Because of long standing political differences Representative Major J.J. Anthony proposed an amendment to the wolf bounty bill requiring the Arkansas Real Estate Bank President to sign each bounty check. The President of the Bank was non-other than House Speaker, John Wilson. Wilson took insult to the motion, regarding it as repetition and the continuation of disparaging insults that had been made at him. When Wilson asked if the amendment meant anything personal by his motion Representative Anthony remained silent. Then Speaker of the House Wilson demanded that Anthony take his seat. At once Anthony responded “I will not”. Wilson declared, “Then – I will make you.”

Wilson descended the steps of the speakers platform, and as he reached the bottom step – each man drew his Bowie knife. Anthony’s knife was slightly longer than Wilsons. As they drew closer, Representative Royston thrust a chair between the two in an attempt to avert the fight. “Each man seized a round of the chair with his left hand and began cutting and slashing at the other. Anthony made a downward slash, and, the keen blade descending upon Wilson’s left wrist, made a deep wound, almost severing the hand from the arm . . . then at this point Anthony threw his knife at Wilson.” Instead of striking at the point, the Bowie knife struck slantwise and fell to the floor. In the instant the knife fell to the floor, the wounded Wilson then plunged his knife to the hilt in Anthony’s body. Representative Anthony fell to the floor mortally wounded. He died minutes later.

Representative Wilson was then arrested, expelled from the House of Representatives, and acquitted in trial on the grounds of "excusable homicide". Wilson was later re-elected to the Arkansas House. He never fully recovered from his wound; his wrist was partially paralyzed for the rest of his life. He moved to Texas and died in 1865.

Source:

Historical Review of Arkansas by Fay Hempstead. 1911.

[Yarbrough]

Legislators being contacted, retaining fees paid, hearings being attended, panties getting wadded, sides being picked, insults hurled at the indigenous, money being raised, feelings getting hurt, beauty contest not being won, land owners being referred to as stake holders, rubes acting as elitist in front of the rednecks, free aluminum foil advertisement, laws being passed, threats of this not being over, foe button being activated and a lot of other stuff has swirled as a result of this whole Blueway thing. What hasn't happened is anybody explaining what the problem is in the first place?

What is so wrong with the White that international assistance is needed?

I had my feet in it yesterday and it felt wonderful!

[Canoe_Codger]

From what I have gathered, the idea is to promote networking to find solutions to watershed problems. And to attract public funding (Federal, State, local) for public works projects. With government funding comes more government oversight and involvement, generally what I understand is the basis of a lot of opposition to the Blueway designation. Not to mention that the funding would come from taxes paid by citizens.