Jim Keet Announces Run for Arkansas Governor

from ARRA News Service

Former Republican State Senator and businessman Jim Keet announced today his candidacy for Arkansas Governor. Keet plans to formally announce his run for Governor during a five city tour of Arkansas on Tuesday, March 2nd, where he will visit Jonesboro, El Dorado, Little Rock, Fort Smith and Bentonville. Next week, Keet will also visit Texarkana, Fayetteville, Springdale, Pine Bluff, Hot Springs and West Memphis. Times and locations for the “Jim Keet for Arkansas Governor Announcement Tour” to be released on Monday.

Jim Keet says: “My top priorities for Arkansas include establishing creative methods to develop our state as one of the nation’s leading business-friendly environments, advancing literacy initiatives at every age and reforming Arkansas’ tax structure to fuel job creation.”

“If President John F. Kennedy can start a process which put a man on the moon within one decade, surely together we can accomplish the following:

• Reposition the Arkansas literacy rate within the top five states by 2019.
• Revise the Arkansas tax code so as to attract both small and large businesses from outside the state’s borders. Encourage existing Arkansas companies to remain here rather than fleeing the state which deprives our businesses of the seed capital they need to grow and prosper.
• Continue working on the prevention of drug abuse which has a devastating impact on Arkansas families and contributes to the overcrowding problem within our prison system. The drug problem and high unemployment are inextricably linked to the problems we have with a prison system that is bursting at the seams.
• Appoint a bipartisan commission to be styled after the military base reduction effort at the national level. The commission would eliminate waste by looking into the efficacy and need for various boards, commissions and staffing levels within our government.”

"Arkansans are sick and tired of the divisiveness and destructive rhetoric that we see on a national basis. I intend to bring a breath of fresh air to the campaign trail by discussing issues and differences of opinion constructively. I want to create a new day in Arkansas politics where everyday citizens are attracted to the political process rather than disgusted by it.”

---

Jim Keet worked his way through SMU where he graduated with honors in 1971. He received a bachelor's degree in business administration, majoring in finance and minoring in real estate finance.

Jim Keet is the President of Taziki’s Restaurant in Little Rock, Arkansas and former President and CEO of Barnhill’s Buffet. In 1975, Keet joined Gerald Hamra to bring Wendy’s to Arkansas. During the next eleven years, the company developed, owned and operated twenty-seven Wendy's and Sisters' restaurants in Arkansas and Texas, with more than 1,200 employees. The company received numerous awards from Wendy's International, including the Founders Award as the nations top Wendy's franchise. During that time, Wendy's of Little Rock was recognized by numerous civic organizations for their charitable endeavors.

In 1988, Keet was elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives and was then elected to the Arkansas State Senate in 1992. During his time in the State House and Senate, Keet worked tirelessly to increase literacy rates, fight the exploding drug problem and also authored the strongest “two strikes and you’re out” violent offender statute in America.

Keet has served on more than 20 civic and charitable boards and commissions including Arkansas Children's Hospital, the Arkansas Literacy Commission, Arkansas Easter Seals, the Arkansas Council on Economic Education, and Arkansas for Drug Free Youth Advisory Board. He also served on the boards of the YMCA, Arkansas Literacy Councils, and the United Negro College Fund Advisory Board.

Keet has received various awards and honors including The Arkansas National Humanitarian Award from the National Conference of Christians and Jews, the FBI Community Service Award, the Outstanding Arkansas fund-raiser Award from the National Association of Fund Raising Executives, and an Outstanding Legislator Award from the Arkansas Education Association.

He has been married to Margaret Keet for thirty-eight years and they have four children, Tommy, Chase, Jake and Cassie as well as two grandchildren, Holden Keet and Haskins Crocker.

Flip Flop Blanche Lincoln

Hat Tip: ARRA News Service

Call and email Blanche Lincoln to tell her she represents us. Not the Democratic Party bosses in Washington, DC!

Contact Senator Lincoln and tell her Arkansans don't want Obamacare!

Email Senator Lincoln

Washington, DC

Phone: 202-224-4843

Little Rock, AR

Phone: 501-375-2993

Lincoln & Pryor Vote To Protect Millions in Taxpayer Funds for Little-Used Murtha Airport

from ARRA News Service

NRSC: In a remarkable vote on the Senate floor this afternoon, U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) [and Mark Pryor (D-AR)] made clear that despite rising federal deficits and a record national debt, she still stands firmly on the side of more wasteful Washington spending.

Lincoln helped defeat an amendment, offered by U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC), to the annual transportation appropriations bill that would end taxpayer subsidies for the John Murtha Airport, a little used 650-acre facility in Johnstown, Pennsylvania that has received at least $200 million in taxpayer funding. U.S. Congressman John Murtha (D-PA), who the airport was named after and who has been the subject of a number of ethics-related stories in recent months, has personally directed $150 million in federal funds to the facility even though it only has 3 flights daily to one destination: Washington, D.C.

The waste of taxpayer dollars at the Murtha airport has received a great deal of media scrutiny in recent months including from ABC News, CNN and the Wall Street Journal, which reported just last week, “The airport has an $8.5 million, taxpayer-funded radar system that has never been used. The runway was paved with reinforced concrete at a cost of more than $17 million . . . Airport Director Scott Voelker admitted in an interview that having a never-used unmanned radar system is ‘dumber than dirt.’”

The widespread media reports of waste at the Murtha airport make Lincoln’s vote in support of allowing millions in taxpayer funds to continue flowing to Murtha’s pet project all the more remarkable, the NRSC said today.

“This vote was a basic test of Blanche Lincoln’s commitment to fiscal discipline and she failed with flying colors,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokeswoman Amber Wilkerson. “At a time when too many Americans are struggling to make ends meet, unemployment is at a near-record high, and Congress is saddling taxpayers with a record level of debt, why does Blanche Lincoln believe this little-used airport should continue to receive millions of taxpayer dollars? Why did she vote to protect Congressman Murtha’s interests instead of the interests of the taxpayers in Arkansas she was elected to represent? We look forward to hearing Senator Lincoln’s explanation for this vote today.”

Read much, much more at ARRA News Service

Rick Crawford Announces Official Bid for Congress; Outlines Legislative Priorities

*Note: The Lonoke County Republican Committee does not endorse any candidate until after the primary election.*

Last Thursday, Rick Crawford formally announced his candidacy for a 2010 run for Arkansas’ First District as United States House of Representatives. At present, he will be running against the Democrat incumbent Congressman Marion Berry. Crawford's announcement was made at a public event held at the farm of David Hodges in Jonesboro, Arkansas.

Crawford was literally born in the service of his country on a military base while his father served. After graduating from high school, Rick enlisted in the United States Army where he served as a bomb disposal technician. He served four years and advanced to the rank of Sergeant and earned numerous medals for service in the U.S. and Southwest Asia. He also had the privilege of serving on numerous U.S. Secret Service security details supporting presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush among other U.S. and foreign dignitaries. He understands his "oath" to preserve and to protect the United States of America and the need to support our military.

After serving in the Army, Rick attended Arkansas State University in Jonesboro and earned a B.A. in Agriculture Business and Economics. Since graduating, Rick’s career has been primarily focused on agriculture in both agri-communications and general agri-business. He has been a news anchor and agri-reporter on KAIT-TV in Jonesboro, Farm Director on KFIN-FM in Jonesboro and producer/anchor of the syndicated Delta Farm Roundup TV show airing in Cape Girardeau, Missouri; Jonesboro, Arkansas; and Greenville, Mississippi. Rick has also been a featured agri-columnist in the Northeast Arkansas Business Today publication. He now owns and operates the AgWatch Network – a farm news network heard on 39 radio stations in Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Mississippi and Kentucky as well as TV stations in Little Rock and Jonesboro.

In 2006, Rick also helped shape agriculture and agriculture policy for former Republican Congressman and Undersecretary of Homeland Security Asa Hutchison in his bid to be Arkansas Governor. Rick is a broadcast council member of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. Rick is also a member of the 4-H Foundation Board of Arkansas. Rick currently serves as first vice-chairman of the Craighead County GOP Committee. Rick and his wife Stacy - also an ASU Alumnus - live in Jonesboro. They have two children – four-year-old Will and 22-month-old Delaney.

Crawford outlined his legislative priorities for the many in attendance.

“Today marks a new day in the First District”, Crawford said. “I am a small businessman, I own an agri-business and understand the challenges farmers face, and I am a military veteran who is better qualified to represent the First District of Arkansas than the incumbent”. Crawford went on to outline his priorities for Congress; “We need to grow the economy, create jobs, and rein in federal spending.”

Crawford emphasized his conservative philosophy on the role of the federal government. “It is time we take conservative principles, Arkansas values, and tested leadership back to Washington and get our nation back on track”.

Crawford also outlined key initiatives that will benefit the lives of the everyday Arkansans:

The Economy

• Cut taxes across the board for every taxpayer
• More incentives for businesses to mitigate risks and create jobs

Federal Spending & The National Debt

• Cut wasteful spending and start paying off our national debt
• Reduce the size of our government so businesses can grow again and prosperity can be realized by every American

Healthcare Reform

• No government run health care
• No public option
• No government funded abortions, end of life counseling programs, or euthanasia initiatives
• Free market principles to help bring costs down and increase access to quality care

Agriculture

• Create programs where farmers can mitigate risk through tax credits and tax cuts so farmers are not leveraged every year
• Allow farmers to have group insurance coverage like other businesses

“Today starts a new day in which the voices of everyday Arkansans will be heard in Washington”, Crawford said. “As your next Representative, you can be assured I will stand for your values in Congress.”

---

ARRA News Service