Nickerson returns to Texarkana

Former Little Rock and Texarkana City Manager Charles Nickerson has returned to Texarkana from Powder Springs, Georgia, where he served as city administrator. Nickerson will serve as the economic development director for the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce. He replaces Jerry Sparks, who left the chamber to work for the city of Texarkana, Texas. Nickerson will be a great addition to the chamber, and he has his work cut out for him. While we received good news on the Cooper Tire plant recently, Alcoa is idling its plant, and there's always the natural tension between the Arkansas and Texas sides of the state line.

Kathy Webb: Great person, great legislator

Arkansas GOP leader Doyle Webb's warning that "a lesbian" could take control of the state budget was first reported by the Arkansas Times, and it's the subject of an article on the front page of today's Arkansas section in the Democrat-Gazette. Doyle Webb is referencing Rep. Kathy Webb, the current vice chair of Joint Budget, House Majority Whip, and co-chairman of the Governor’s Commission on Global Warming. Kathy Webb has also been instrumental in focusing attention on hunger, educaiton, sustainable energy and is the owner of Lilly's Dim Sum, a popular WLR restaurant that just last week received a great review from the Democrat-Gazette.

Doyle Webb says his remarks have nothing to do with Kathy Webb’s ability as potential co-chairman of the Budget Committee, but that she would be in a position to influence change in other areas. As an influential state representative, Kathy Webb is already in that position, and she has made lots of positive changes to the state. Of course, her sexual orientation has nothing to do with her ability to chair Joint Budget (or to do any of the other things she's been able to accomplish). She was elected earlier this year by members of both parties to serve as vice chairman of the committee. No one works harder at the Capitol than Kathy -- if she were elected chairman of Joint Budget, the budget will be in great hands. Kathys response from the article:

“It saddens me that we are using names: ‘that one, that Jew and that lesbian’ that further divide us. We have differences in ideas and in how to make changes to move all Arkansans forward, and I prefer to stick to those differences,” she said.