Declarations

Burning Down the House

“If you burn your neighborhood down, where are you going to live?”

—Sandra Richards, a lieutenant with the Memphis Fire Department, after visiting an apartment complex in Pine Bluff, Ark., that burned in a fire that was thought to be the work of an arsonist. The Arkansas town fought more than 100 arson fires last year and has formed a committee to generate ideas to stop the blazes. Other cities in South Arkansas, including McGehee and Eudora, have experienced problems with arson fires. Currently, a reward of up to $1,000 is being offered by the fire department and another $1,000 from the police department for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for arson fires in Pine Bluff, the Associated Press reported.

Make a Counter-Offer

“I believe that a meaningful lawsuit reform bill is doable this year if the governor will get engaged in the process and make a formal counter-offer to the bipartisan proposals he rejected last year.”

—Oklahoma Sen. James Williamson, R-Tulsa, the co-chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is urging Democratic Gov. Brad Henry to present an alternative to the bipartisan lawsuit reform plans that he rejected during the 2007 legislative session — Senate Bill 507. Williamson said the need for lawsuit reform is clear, but it is ultimately up to Henry whether Oklahoma doctors and businesses receive relief this year from lawsuit abuse.

Where’s the River?

“It looked like just a solid lake from Batesville to Newport — you couldn’t tell where the river was.”

—Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe, speaking of the White River, described seeing “devastating” flooding from the air on a recent helicopter trip across the state. Recent heavy rains caused major rivers to overflow their banks, inundating north and central Arkansas and driving people from their homes and businesses. Beebe declared 39 counties as disaster areas. Teams of state and federal officials were deployed to examine flood-damaged buildings and businesses. Officials first put damages at $2 million, but said the number would likely rise as the waters recede, the Associated Press reported.

People Behaving Badly

“Once things start going south, people start behaving badly.”

—Linda Thomsen enforcement director for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said at a U.S. Chamber of Commerce event on capital markets competitiveness it’s still too early to tell whether the current market turmoil involves widespread securities violations or simply bad business decisions. Thomsen said more fraudulent activity tied to the subprime mortgage crisis might emerge during a tough business environment, Reuters reported. She said the SEC has about three dozen subprime-related investigations open that involve a broad spectrum of financial players.

Topics Arkansas