The family business

Please accept my sincerest apologies and condolences for having been absent for the past several weeks. There were some urgent matters that required my immediate attention.

My associate, Mr. Dogood, has been more than capably attending to the local political scene, and I must observe how much Little Rock city government is like our family olive oil business. We just hate talk about the family business around outsiders.

Gene Fortson, the wealthy older gentleman who is taking the place of mayoral candidate Barbara Graves, fits in so nicely among the well taken care of crowd of rich folks who make up the city board. You just can’t trust racial minorities and working people to see things right.

I have a lot of catching up to do here, and I must review the new Stodola TV commercials with my consigliere.

Brokeback or HuckAsa?

Maybe its just me Billy Bob, but that there Mike “Shuck” Huckabee & ASA “Exclamation Point” Hutchinson just look too much like those two queer cowboys in that Hollywood Movie.

What do you think???

Not to be outdone….another poll….

Less than a day after one poll shows Mark Stodola leading the Mayor’s race another poll has been sent to us. First the poll, then the analysis.

This poll suggests Vice Mayor Barbara Graves leads with former State Senator Bill Walker & former Pulaski County Prosecutor Mark Stodola trailing. The only commonality between both polls is Jesse Mason clearly trails considerably.

With 750 registered voters polled, this poll suggests that Graves will lead the initial round with 26%, followed by Walker at 19%, Stodola at 17%, and Mason at an abyssmal 5%.

GRAVES     26%

WALKER    19%

STODOLA  17%

MASON        5%

UNDECIDED   33%

Poll Numbers….

·                    Stodola & Walker closely matched in Democratic primary for Mayor, with Graves close behind:  After weeks of controversy over his lawsuit against Little Rock School District concerning his daughter, as well as questions about his retaining an appointive position while running for Mayor, Former  State Senator Bill Walker finds that all news is good news if they spell the name right. With an assurance that the pollster or who paid for the poll, our blog has found out the raw numbers. Walker finds himself in a competitive race for the Democratic nomination for Mayor with former Prosecuting Attorney Mark Stodola, with Vice Mayor Barbara Graves not too far behind.  Stodola receives support from 30% of city Democrats for November’s “primary” compared with 27% for Walker.  Vice Mayor Barbara Graves and Board Member Jesse Mason trail with 22% and 7%, respectively.  14% of Democrats are undecided.

 

Question Wording: If November’s election for Mayor in Little Rock were held today, whom would you support if the candidates are:

 

                       MARK  STODOLA            30%

            BILL WALKER               27%

                              BARBARA GRAVES     22%

                      JESSE MASON                7%

Campaigns Go Cyber

Well the four candidates for Mayor of Little Rock have joined the world of cyberspace. Anymore websites have become like the billboards that used to litter and dot the highways and biways of this country. I guess our website adds to the clutter. Anyway I have taken to examining the websites and will provide links as well as critiques. Take my grading and critiques for what it really is….an opinion.

http://www.BarbaraGravesforMayor.com/

This website, like the candidate it promotes, is very bland and white bread. Theres no flash imagery. Whoever did the website had some positives and some negatives. The positive is the type is large for more mature viewers. Though I wonder if its the candidate whose eyesight is a little strained. It has all the basics. One negative is the pictures are diminished in size and clicking on them does not make them larger. Also there is no way to contribute online. Finally, if you volunteer, theres suggestions once again. Also the email address is at aristotle.net not mayor@barbaragravesformayor.com

Considering her other website is up to date and much better arranged (http://www.BarbaraGraves.com/) this candidate earns a C-

It leaves me to wonder is Barbara Graves willing to be professional and up to date on that which only financially benefits her. If she’s Mayor, will the Mayor’s website be as behind the times and challenged as her campaign website?

http://www.MasonforMayor.com/

Jesse Mason has an interesting interactive website. Its obviously geared to people who read alot. The picture page is only from one event. Also, interestingly, the Campaign Director Khalid Jones hams it up with a local personage. (We are not voting for Khalid, Jesse!) In addition, the website has some issues, which is a positive on Barbara Graves. However, Jesse Mason continues the Pander Bear image because most his pictures are with the police and firefighters.

While we are there, Jesse, to add to this 600+ police force you claim to bring to Little Rock as Mayor….how will the taxpayers pay for it? We are at 490 right now. So to add the 110 Police, do you realize how many millions has to be spent just to cover salary and benefits? This doesn’t cover police vehicles, bicycles, uniforms, weapons, etc. Do the math, Mr. Mayor wannabe! Your grade is a respectable C.

                                            

http://www.MarkforLittleRock.com/

We have to admit that we were impressed a lot with this website. Its modern, has a skillful use of imagery, and seems to keep the viewer interested. We also give extra points to the web domain name, reminiscent of Howard Dean’s “Dean for America“.

There are some negatives. The lack of pictures is sad for us to see. Also, we think Mike Hathorn’s campaign logo takes the same ovular look that Mike Hathorn took in his Lt. Governor bid. This may or may not be a good thing, Mark.

Overall this was a good effort and we rate this website an A-

http://www.BillWalkerforMayor.com

With a female candidate in the race, it shouldn’t be surprising to us that Bill Walker is heavily courting a female presence not just in his race, but on his website, as the first three pics from Walker’s website above shows. Walker has a good website though it could be improved in some areas.

Walker is updating his press release section (unlike the other candidates.) He also has a variety of pictures which indicates he is working hard. There is no way to donate online. And there could be some better way to volunteer other than a .pdf. Overall its a good website. It’s edged out narrowly by the Stodola website, however with a grade of B+.

Last word on the jail tax

Looks llike Lynch, Lynch and Elliot were having a real good time!

Lynch has s few idea on what should happen next on his “Lynch at Large” blog. He makes a lot more sense on this than he did on the mayor’s race a few days ago when he got his facts all messed up on which candidate did what.

Of couse, when I get confused, I always take the FIFTH.

Pat Lynch, Joyce Elliott, & Jim Lynch celebrate JAIL TAX Vote.

Little Rock 2006 has gotten exclusive video coverage last night as the final results were announced in the Jail Tax Vote :

FOR — 12,088 42.8 percent

AGAINST — 16,112 57.2 percent

The supporters of the Tax Vote had a slick website, clear messaging, professional signs, and Buddy Villines. They had people on the major street corners doing signage as the votes were nearing an end of tabulating.

JIM LYNCH preached and railed against the tax like a modern day Huey P. Long at Democratic Committee Meetings and whereever two or three were gathered.

JOYCE ELLIOTT while always busy, was phonebanking, and using her impressive connections with labor & the African-American community to flood the polls with voters against the tax.

PAT LYNCH broke with his liberal cohorts at the Arkansas Times and on both his blog (http://lynchlarge.blogspot.com) and on his radio talk show (http://www.wai-radio.com) spoke out about the failings of this vote.

All the Mayor candidates for Little Rock and their sidekicks got in on the act. Praise and support should also go to Little Rock Mayoral candidate Bill Walker who was the only candidate for Mayor to decisively come AGAINST the jail tax. Walker switch the ever elusive local activist and erstwhile political gadfly Drew Pritt to oppose the tax. The two of them campaigned against the tax together. Vice Mayor Barbara Graves teamed up with Joan Adcock in urging voters to vote FOR the tax vote even last night as the votes were trickling in. Mark Stodola has Jim Lynch in his corner but supported the tax. The Pander Bear (Jesse Mason) was somewhere on the issue. When Little Rock 2006 finds out we’ll let our readers know.

Back to the basics

THE PULASKI COUNTY JAIL IS NOT CLOSED

Numbers frequently cited by the “pro Jail Tax” group about the days the jail is closed are very misleading and I wish everyone to understand what these numbers REALLY mean.

** First, the Pulaski County Jail IS NOT CLOSED. It has never been closed. Persons accused of the most serious felonies (Class A, B, C, etc.) are ALWAYS locked up in the jail. The jail is ALWAYS OPEN to persons arrested for these serious crimes — murder, rape, arson, exposing someone to HIV, etc. The county public safety Task Force was told that, among the 880 jail beds now in operation, approximately 400 of these beds are occupied by persons accused of violent crimes (Class A, Class B felonies)

** Second, the remaining beds in the county jail are occupied by persons accused of less serious felonies and also misdemeanants.

Please note that Class A, B, C and some Class D felonies already have been put on a list (the “A” list) by the Pulaski County jail and these persons (shown above) are admitted to the jail. The jail is always OPEN to these persons.

** Third, the Pulaski County Jail has developed a “B List” and an “I List” and when the bed capacity starts to tighten up, they review who among persons already are in jail and from these second and third lists (essentially lesser Class D felonies and misdemeanors) they determine who is a good candidate to be released. The “lists” are shown below and I think you would agree that these alleged offenses are not immediate violent threats –

B LIST and I LIST (representative categories only — not exhaustive)

– Criminal Attempt
– Criminal Conspiracy
– Criminal Solicitation
– Criminal Use of a Prohibited Weapon
– Furnishing Prohibited Articles
– Forgery
– Non-Support
– 1st Time Drug Possession
– DWI

++++++++++++++++++

Again, the point to be made is that the Pulaski County jail IS NOT CLOSED and it is not accurate to say that the “jail is closed.” For the layperson, this language leaves the impression that criminals — violent criminals — do not go to jail in Pulaski County. This is nonsense. But, this political language is being used and no doubt we will see a lot more of it.

+++++++++++++++++++++++

During the April, May and June meetings (earlier this year) of the County Public Safety Task Force, a single page classification of the inmates as of May 17, 2006 in the Pulaski County Jail was distributed. It is tedious to read, but below I show this list in its entirety — the crime classification and the number of inmates directly following each classification.

(The grand total of this list is 1,292 — it was never explained how this total fits the jail capacity of 880. I do know that included in this number are inmates held for the US Marshal and also the Arkansas Dept. of Corrections (state penitentiary). There is constant, high turnover in the jail — perhaps this was the number “flowing through” the jail rather than the number at a single period of time — I really do not know.)

Further, I have annotated some of the categories shown below in RED — these are the most serious crimes and their total is 563. Also, I annotated a few in BLUE — these are “undefined” categories which deserve more explanation. For example, a circuit judge can sentence someone to jail for “failure to appear”….but the real question is –– “failure to appear for what?” DWI? felony or misdemeanor? Again, my point is there seems to be a lot of potential “fluff” in these totals.

Breakdown of Inmates in Pulaski County JaIl by Charges on May 17, 2006

Aggravated Assault 33
Aggravated Robbery 76
Aggravated Assault on Family 17
Assault, 1st degree 1
Assault, Terroristic 21
Battery, lst degree 27
Battery, 2nd degree 28
Breaking or entering 20
Burglary 72
Capital Murder 26
Criminal Attempt 25
Commercial Burglary 1
Criminal Solicitation 1
Use of Prohib Weapon 1
Domestic Battery 1st deg 5
Domestic Battery, 2nd Deg 10
Domestic Battery, 3rd Deg 54
DWI 4th 5
Endangering Welfare of Minor 1
Escape 2nd Degree 2
Failure to Appear 187
Failure to pay fine 73
Felony Commitment 70
Financial Identity Fraud 2
Forgery 15
Forgery 2nd deg 12
Credit Card Fraud 2
Hot Checks 8
Kidnapping 13
Maintaining Drug Premises 14
Manslaughter 5
Murder 1st Deg 23
Murder 2nd Deg 1
Possession w/Intent to Mfg 2
Posession of Controlled Substances 7
Possession of Drug Paraphenalia 62
Possession of Marijuana 6
Possession of a firearm 68
Probation Revocation 11
Rape 17
Robbery 22
Sexual Assault 2nd deg 3
Sexual solicitation of a child 1
Possession of Firearms and Drugs 24
Terroristic Threatening 39
Terroristic Threatening 1st Deg 2
Theft by receiving 70
Theft of property 101
Theft of Property by deception 2
Unlawful discharge of firearm from a vehicle 3
Wife battering 1st deg 1

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

The REAL question is — recognizing that the County Judge and Quorum Court already have taken 250 barracks bed out of operation (which means we could be confining a lot more persons if the county administration could get its budget and fiscal act together…), just HOW SERIOUS is the problem at the Pulaski County Jail? Even with the list limited to felons, it appears we have plenty of jail beds to lock up persons accused of serious crimes, with room to spare. Do we need to nearly double the size of the county jail with a permanent $18.3 million tax hike? Or are there alternatives?

Walker’s challenge

My associate, Mr. Dogood, has raised the question about Bill Walker’s call for debates in the race for Mayor of Little Rock. Silas, old bud, you have it so right about Bill Walker’s debating style.

Bill Walker’s verbal shots remind me of Moe Green’s last rub-down.

Another new blog?

The Arkansas Times has added a new blog

He does cover some new material

I have a second issue with the jail tax. As is repeated in every article about the tax – less than a year ago the Quorum Court voted to reduce the jail space by about 260 beds. I assumed the reason was lack of operating funds. What I have been told instead is that portions of the jail are essentially uninhabitable. There are significant structural problems, mainly with the roof, and the portions of the roof need to be fixed. This naturally begs the question: who designed the roof, who constructed the roof, and is anyone being held accountable for any flaws. My information might be wrong but I’m curious as to this issue.

Darned good question, bucko, and we are also concerned about the cost of a special election.

The Hoglawyer has published the official Pulaski County Q&A on the jail tax and it makes our case perfectly. You can read the “official” Villines pitch and NEVER see reference to the $18 million dollars to be raised each year. The County claims there will be no windfall, and that is just a LIE.

The more you know about the jail tax, the less you will like it. Remember, vote NO.