Springing leaks quicker than we can plug the holes

After having a developer pull up stakes and move the proposed convention center from the Arkansas-side to the Texas-side, we're now doing everything we can to hang on to Cooper Tire, our largest employer, and as with everywhere else, we're already facing tough times economically. We have been able to maintain an open train station after plans were announced to close it. Here's a rundown of a few local meetings I've attended today and yesterday:

Airport Board Continental Airlines recently pulled up stakes and moved out of Texarkana, taking with it the Texarkana-Houston connection from the airport. That leaves us with the American Eagle connection to DFW (3x/day). The airport now finds itself with a need for $285,000 to keep the 2009 budget FAA-compliant. It will ask the cities of Texarkana, Arkansas and Texarkana, Texas for assistance.

Local AARP I spoke to the local AARP chapter about the upcoming legislative session, and the chapter shared its legislative priorities with me. The Silver Alert program (akin to the Amber Alert) is fascinating, as seniors suffering from dementia and alzheimer's could benefit from a low-cost alert system.

Razorsharp Breakfast The RazorSharp Communicator Network of interested Arkansas-side residents met this morning with school officials to discuss the district and ways to remain competitive with districts on the Texas-side of Texarkana. It all comes down to revenue. We certainly don't have the tax base that the Texas-side has, which makes it all the more difficult.

It's evident that people want to support programs that matter in our area, but with everything else, when money is tight, priorities become the issue. It's good to see people come out and voice opinions when support from the community is needed the most.