This Week In Terrible Things! (August 1-5)
Here’s a new something or other called “This Week in Terrible Things!” Why? I don’t know, why do I do anything. Maybe it will turn into a regular thing. Just shut up and read it.
Jittery: Sales taxes down in Arkansas in July, but don’t worry, we’ll all be in high clover as soon as all those Amazon sales taxes start rolling in. Right? Right? Guys? (Arkansas News Bureau)
Regulate this: Former Sen. Blanche Lincoln started a new gig pitching the need for sensible regulations with the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB). That’s good! But blogger Jason Tolbert noted that NFIB’s suing to overturn the health care law that Lincoln voted for in the Senate, thereby ending her tenure in office. Uh, mixed message. (Arkansas Business & The Tolbert Report)
Heckuva job, brownies: Speaking of senseless regulation, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has Lazy Larry (nee Lazy Cakes, one of the Arkansas Project’s pet causes) relaxation brownies in their sites, notifying the manufacturer that they’ve declared the product “unsafe.” That’s bad! (NPR)
Scandalous!!!: “Cover-up,” they cried! “Cover-up!” Arkansas Democrats worked themselves into a froth about manufactured GOP fundraising “scandal,” about which no normal person could possibly care, proving once again that campaign finance law does little to protect the public interest but is a dandy weapon for sputtering partisans to wield against their opponents. (The Arkansas Times)
Two scoops: After taking a careful look at the unremittingly sleazy practice of double-dipping retirement among Arkansas state employees, the Arkansas Project has taken the bold stand that we are against it. Man, those guys don’t care who they piss off! (Me)
Michael Cook’s non-story is probably the lamest political story of the year.