Arkansas’s agricultural producers have long been a favorite target of East Coast newspapers, whose editorial page writers and reporters display time and again they do not understand southern agriculture and the sacrifices our growers make to feed the world.

Last week was no different, when once again editorials from the New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal dismissed the crop losses suffered by Arkansas farmers in last year’s devastating floods and the negative impact on our economy.

University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture economists estimated $400 million in direct crop losses for Arkansas ag producers from the 2009 floods. That led to the loss of 3,700 jobs and $102 million in lost wages. Other activities, such as reduced household spending, were reduced by an additional $202 million, for a total economic impact of more than $700 million.

Blanche Lincoln recognized the disaster and fought tooth and nail for a solution beginning last November when she introduced a bipartisan disaster aid bill. After her bill, which was completely paid for and did not add a penny to the deficit, was blocked by Senate Republicans working to prop up her opponent’s Senate bid, Blanche secured a commitment from the Administration to deliver the assistance.

Congressman John Boozman voted against the justified aid and stood idly by as his Senate Republican backers blocked it five times simply because it had Blanche’s name on it. Never once did he appeal to his fellow D.C. Republicans on behalf of Arkansas farmers. Blanche will work with whoever it takes to fight for Arkansas and now that she has sought help from the Administration to deliver the aid, Congressman Boozman questions their well-documented authority to do so.

It’s not surprising that the editorial page writers of the New York Times wouldn’t stand up for Arkansas’s farm families but an Arkansas Congressman should know better.

So we have to ask, whose side is Congressman Boozman on?

In an interview with Fox 16 on August 24th, Congressman John Boozman boasted of the merits of a tax plan that he supports which would raise taxes on everything that Arkansans buy at least 23%.  He’s been on record supporting the proposal since at least 2007, when he first cosponsored legislation.

Boozman’s dangerous Fair Tax plan would be a blow to the Arkansas economy and take us off the path to recovery.  This plan would lead to a major upheaval of the housing market, adding 30% to the price of a new home and doing away with the mortgage interest deduction that has helped so many Arkansas families realize the American dream of owning a home.

His proposal would be especially harmful to Arkansas’s large senior population, compromising Social Security’s revenue stream and double-taxing retirees on their savings.  Perhaps John Boozman should have studied the un-Fair Tax more closely before following his party leaders and throwing his support behind it.

As he admitted himself, “Boozman said he wasn’t sure about how the ‘fair tax’ would work in practice…”

Senator Lincoln is working to simplify the tax code for small business owners and working families, but is firmly opposed to replacing it with an even more regressive tax like the one Congressman Boozman is promoting.  His plan is most unfair to seniors and retirees, local governments and hardworking Arkansas families.

Blanche Lincoln’s number one priority for Arkansas is creating jobs and putting our economy back on track. Click here to learn more about Senator Lincoln’s plan for Arkansas.

As a strong voice for Arkansas families, Senator Blanche Lincoln has always fought to keep Arkansas the best place to live, work and raise a family. In Independence County, Blanche has fought for more than $41 Million in funding for first responders, economic development, and other investments to help families living in the area. Every year, Arkansas gets more money back from Washington than it pays in taxes because Blanche is fighting to make sure Arkansas is front and center in Washington and getting our fair share. She voted to keep taxes low on Arkansas families while delivering crucial investments by the federal government. That’s why Arkansas ranks 14th out of 50 states in getting money back from Washington. Blanche will continue to fight for Arkansas’s rural communities, which depend on federal investment to provide many basic services for residents.

Independence County

• Blanche secures $235,000 for the Independence County Sheriff’s Department.  This funding will enable the Independence County Sheriff’s Office to enhance the security of the local Lyon College campus through a digital card access system.

• Blanche secures $450,000 for Independence County in Rural Development funds from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).   The funding will be used to construct a Workforce Training Center adjacent to the campus of the University of Arkansas Community College.

• Blanche secures $300,000 for the Southside Public Water Authority that will aid with the acquisition and construction costs for a wastewater treatment plant.  Once the project is completed it is estimated that 600 households and businesses will be connected to public sewer.

• Blanche secured at least $44,213 for Independence County in emergency food and shelter grants through the Emergency Food and Shelter Program

• Blanche secures $300,000 for Water Extension/Treatment Plant Improvements in Jackson, White and Independence Counties

• Blanche secures $295,357 for Baptist Health facilities in Independence and six other counties.

• Blanche secures $5,616,763 to fund the repair of all eligible storm-related damage to Craighead Electric Cooperative’s electrical distribution area in Poinsett, Randolph, Independence, and Lawrence Counties, therefore restoring essential utility service after the January 2008 ice storm.

• Blanche secures $110,000 for the Departee Creek Watershed Project.  This funding will reduce flooding, sediment, and scour damages on crop and pasture land in the 12,650-acre Departee Creek Watershed in Independence Jackson counties.

• Blanche secures $11,852 in Recovery Act Funds through the Food and Shelter Program for Independence County.

Batesville

• Blanche secures $1.8 million economic development grant for Batesville to convert Emerson Climate Technologies’ White-Rodgers facility, a former machining facility, into a manufacturing plant, a process that is expected to create hundreds of jobs for the region.

• Blanche Secures $85,000 for Health IT Network for White River Health System.  The network will improve collaboration among area health care providers and help WRHS create partnerships with other organizations that support health care services.

• Blanche secures $3.4 million for the construction of a rail switching station and rail car storage facility, which will allow FutureFuel Chemical Company to expand its biodiesel production and create jobs. The funds are provided through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration.

• Blanche secures $544,785 for FutureFuel Chemical Company to purchase reactors, installation columns and other chemical processing equipment.

• Blanche secures $53,586 for the operations and firefighter safety at the Pleasant Plains Volunteer Fire Department.

• Blanche secures $425,254 for the Batesville Regional Airport the for construction on its aircraft parking apron, which is the area where aircraft are parked, unloaded, loaded, refueled or boarded. These renovations will allow additional aircraft to park at the airport.

• Blanche secures $359,000 for a White River navigation project to Batesville.

• Blanche secures $1 million for the expansion of the White River Medical Center in Batesville.   The funds for White River Medical Center will help to construct a four-story building that will provide 60 new beds

• Blanche secures $150,000 for economic development planning frameworks, processes and strategies at the White River Planning and Development District.

• Blanche secures $82,441 for the Batesville Housing Authority

• Blanche secures $410,000 for Health Resources of Arkansas in Batesville.  The funds will be used to improve the health care status of residents in 20 Arkansas Delta Counties, which are designated as Medically Underserved Areas, by strengthening and expanding the local rural health networks in the region.

• Blanche secures $684,405 for upward bound programs at Lyon College in Batesville.

• Blanche secures $1,992,274 for job training programs at the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville.

• Blanche secures $50,160 for operations and safety at the Batesville Fire Department.

• Blanche secures $16,480 for vans and small buses at the Arkansas Sheriff’s Youth Ranches, Inc. in Batesville.

• Blanche secures $103,447 for operations and firefighter safety at the Northside Volunteer Fire Department in Batesville.

• Blanche secures $37,274 for operations and firefighter safety at the Bethesda Area Rural Fire & Community Development Association in Batesville.

• Blanche secures $75,000 for 15 low- to moderate-income first-time homebuyers to purchase new homes in in-fill locations provided through the Citizens Bank in Batesville.

• Blanche protects White River Medical Center from $2,040,143 in Medicare payment cuts with her amendment to the Senate health plan.

• Blanche secures $12.6 million in Recovery Act Funds for the FutureFuel Chemical Company. FutureFuel will use the funds for the production of specialized materials for lithium-ion batteries. These materials have proven to be superior to industry benchmark materials and have been adopted for use in power tool, defense, hybrid-electric and electric vehicles, and utility load management applications.

• Blanche secures $1,228,235 in Recovery Act Funds for Southside School District #3 in Batesville.

• Blanche secures $1,879,683 in Recovery Act Funds for White River Planning & Development District Inc in Batesville.

• Blanche secures $245,794 in Recovery Act Funds for highway and transportation projects in Batesville.

• Blanche secures $373,562 in Recovery Act Funds for Ars Mechanical, LLC in Batesville.

• Blanche secures $151,945 in Recovery Act Funds for 16th Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney Drug Task Force in Batesville.

• Blanche secures $571,776 in Recovery Act Funds for North Central Arkansas Development Council Inc in Batesville.

• Blanche secures $2,735,943 in Recovery Act Funds for Batesville School District.

• Blanche secures $265,000 in Recovery Act Funds for Lyon College.

Newark

• Blanche secures $32,376 for the Newark Housing Authority

• Blanche secures $100,465 for the Newark Volunteer Fire Department for operations and firefighter safety.

• Blanche secures $784,279 in Recovery Act Funds for Cedar Ridge School District in Newark.

Pleasant Plains

• Blanche secures $90,250 for the Pleasant Plains Volunteer Fire Department

• Blanche secures $2,318,819 in Recovery Act Funds for highway and transportation projects in Pleasant Plains.

• Blanche secures $420,309 in Recovery Act Funds for Midland School District Inc in Pleasant Plains.

Senator Blanche Lincoln Has Secured At Least $41,150,506 For Independence County.

As Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Blanche Lincoln is fighting to increase Arkansas producers’ access to international markets.

Chairman Lincoln is a strong advocate for relaxing trade and travel restrictions with Cuba, which would nearly double the amount the U.S. currently exports, generate an additional $1.1 billion in business activity, and create 6,000 new jobs. She is also pushing for the completion of three pending free trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama, which could add several billion dollars to overall U.S. agricultural exports.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Lincoln Stands Up for Arkansas Ag Producers …

News coverage from Wednesday’s Ag Committee Farm Bill Hearing:

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: Obama point man hears trade pitches from U.S. senators. Lincoln said farmers “deserve the chance” to compete in the global market. “If they are given unhindered access to the world’s markets, they will rise to the challenge,” she said. “We can’t afford to stay on the sidelines.”  Read more.

Wisconsin Ag: Lincoln: Increasing Ag Exports Key to Economic Growth. “Agriculture is a sector of our economy where we are proving that we can successfully meet the export demands that will help rebuild the U.S. economy,” Lincoln said. “For every additional one billion dollars of agricultural products we export, we can create 9,000 jobs. These are long-term jobs that we desperately need.”  Read more.

Farm Futures: Ag Committee Holds Trade Focused Hearing. As part of its focus on the 2012 Farm Bill the Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing on trade Wednesday. In her opening comments, Chairman Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., said American farmers and ranchers tell her every day that we must continue to look for other ways to grow our exports. Her immediate response is that we don’t have to look any further than 90 miles south of our own border at Cuba. According to Lincoln, relaxing trade restrictions on trade and travel with Cuba represents a tremendous opportunity to grow our economy. Read more.

Congressman John Boozman is all talk and no action when it comes to job creation for Arkansans.  While Senator Blanche Lincoln is proposing and taking the tough votes for tax cuts to help businesses plan for the future and protect Arkansas jobs, Congressman Boozman just votes “No” along with his party leaders.

This morning, Congressman Boozman visited Fort Smith, home to the Whirlpool refrigeration plant.  Sen. Lincoln visited the facility earlier this month and promised to continue her fight for final passage of tax incentives that directly support Arkansas’s manufacturing jobs, including Whirlpool employees.

From her seat on the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee, Lincoln has authored a provision that would allow U.S. producers of energy-efficient appliances, like Whirlpool, to enjoy the same tax credit already available to other renewable energy producers. In addition, she has long-fought to make permanent the Research and Development Tax Credit, which she calls a key incentive to ensure America’s leadership in innovation and economic activity, returning $2 into the economy for every dollar of credit spent.

Whirlpool plant leader Ken Thompson said the plant this year “hired 970 people, consisting of 600 new hires and 370 people who were previously laid off. He attributed the hires and rehires to the tax legislation.” [The Times Record, 7/17/2010]

In May, Congressman Boozman voted against the tax extenders bill that includes these important provisions for Arkansas businesses and workers.

While Blanche Lincoln is standing up for Arkansas jobs, Congressman Boozman stands with his party leaders and votes “No.”

Yesterday, Congressman John Boozman said he is concerned about the unemployment rate in Sebastian County. Unfortunately, Congressman Boozman is all talk and no action when it comes to job creation for area residents. Senator Blanche Lincoln is the one proposing and taking the tough votes for tax cuts to help businesses plan for the future and protect Arkansas jobs. Congressman Boozman just votes “No” along with his party leaders.

Sebastian County is home to the Fort Smith Whirlpool Corporation facility, which Sen. Lincoln visited earlier this month. While there, she promised to continue her fight for final passage of tax incentives that directly support Arkansas’s manufacturing jobs, including Whirlpool employees.

From her seat on the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee, Lincoln has authored a provision that would allow U.S. producers of energy-efficient appliances, like Whirlpool, to enjoy the same tax credit already available to other renewable energy producers. In addition, she has long-fought to make permanent the Research and Development Tax Credit, which she calls a key incentive to ensure America’s leadership in innovation and economic activity, returning $2 into the economy for every dollar of credit spent.

Whirlpool plant leader Ken Thompson said the plant this year “hired 970 people, consisting of 600 new hires and 370 people who were previously laid off. He attributed the hires and rehires to the tax legislation.” [The Times Record, 7/17/2010]

In May, Congressman Boozman voted against the tax extenders bill that includes these important provisions for Arkansas businesses and workers.

While Blanche Lincoln is standing up for Arkansas jobs, Congressman Boozman stands with his party leaders and votes “No.”

Katie Niebaum
Lincoln Campaign Communications Director

Congressman Boozman will be in Hot Spring County tomorrow. Will he visit the Boys and Girls Club of Malvern and Hot Spring County, which is using Recovery Act funds to provide mentoring programs? Congressman Boozman voted against the Recovery Act.

Will he visit Glen Rose, Magnet Cove, Malvern, Ouachita or Bismark school districts, which received Recovery Act funds to maintain teachers, make needed upgrades and provide special education, training and cafeteria equipment? Will he meet any Ouachita Technical College students paying for college with a Recovery Act-provided Pell grant?

Perhaps Congressman Boozman will check out the Arkansas Highway Department’s improvement projects in Hot Spring County supported by the Recovery Act?

In stops across Arkansas, Congressman Boozman touts his vote against the Recovery Act. The Recovery Act has provided more than $18 million in Hot Spring County and is making a real difference. As a supporter of the Recovery Act, Sen. Blanche Lincoln is working to ensure that it benefits Arkansas communities and working families. She will continue to fight for Arkansas’s rural communities, which depend on federal investment to provide many basic services for residents.

Charlie Gocio
Deputy Communications Director

We are trying out something new. Every week, I am going to take questions from the emails we get at the campaign office and answer them on video. If you’d like your questions to appear in a future episode, send us an email at inbox@blancheforsenate.com.

I hope you enjoy our first episode.

Blanche

Congressman Boozman will stop in Magnolia tonight. Will he visit the Boys & Girls Club of Magnolia, which received Recovery Act funds to preserve jobs and enhance mentoring programs for children?  Congressman Boozman voted against the Recovery Act.

Will he meet any seniors benefiting from nutrition services and home delivery provided by the Area Agency on Aging of Southwest Arkansas?  The Recovery Act helps fund those services.

Will Congressman Boozman meet with any teachers or students in the Magnolia School District or Emerson-Taylor School District, who are benefiting from a nearly $4 million investment to help train and retain teachers, make needed infrastructure improvements, and improve services for students?  Those resources are provided by the Recovery Act.

Will he meet any SAU students receiving some $3 million in financial aid provided by the Recovery Act?

Will Congressman Boozman meet any law enforcement officials from the Columbia County Sheriff’s office who now have new safety equipment because of the Recovery Act?

The Recovery Act is making a real difference in Magnolia and Columbia County, providing resources for teachers, students, seniors, and law enforcement. As a supporter of the Recovery Act, Sen. Lincoln is working to ensure that it benefits Arkansas communities and working families. She will continue to fight for Arkansas’s rural communities, which depend on federal investment to provide many basic services for residents.

Katie Niebaum
Communications Director