Arkansas: Roby Brock

Roby Brock reports on some sweet and sour news from Conway.  Although the town will be home to an Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield data center that will employ roughly 15 to 20 workers, the bus manufacturing plant owned by IC Corporation will consolidate operations with another plant and close to 477 jobs could be lost. 

Roby Brock at Talk Business notes recent poll results showing a bit of a slip in the popularity numbers for Gov. Mike Beebe.  The governor saw a slip in his approval ratings, all the way down to 71 percent.  His favorable rating in July was 77. 
  

Roby Brock's new polling would lead you to believe there's no point in supporting health care reform in Arkansas. Numbers say 83 percent are at least somewhat satisfied with the quality of their health care and 80 percent are at least somewhat satisfied with their "current health insurance plan."

And, if you don't have a current health care plan?

The numbers also show a strong preference for private insurance plans and antipathy toward "government health care systems." I'm with this comment:

Democratic strategist Robert McLarty, who also provided input on the questions asked, argues, “When folks are asked about a government-run healthcare plan, they think about Big Brother, they think Orwell, they think socialism and even communism.  If you ask people about Medicare, Social Security, ARKids First, or Medicaid – well, people have a completely different opinion—and that is something I’m going to suggest for our next poll.”

New polling by Roby Brock'sTalk Business Quarterly indicates a solid majority of Arkansans -- 57 percent -- don't plan to buy a lottery in the next 12 months . Also, the favorable/unfavorable opinions on the lottery split 45/43. Not to worry, the players will make up for the non-players.