Extensive Media Coverage of Delta Caucus Conference, May 2-3, 2013

Posted on May 21, 2013 at 11:57 AM

The Delta Grassroots Caucus conference at the Clinton Center on May 2-3, 2013 received 21 television reports, at least six radio reports including three on Arkansas public radio, four articles in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, four articles in Talk Business, two articles from the Arkansas news bureau, an Associated Press report, among other articles.

We are including a sampling of some of these articles, although there were far too many to include all of them. They are printed exactly as they were published, with no changes whatsoever (examples are from Talk Business, the Arkansas News bureau, and KUAR public radio, with their permission in all cases). There was such a huge volume of information at the two-day conference that one way of summarizing the substance for those who were not able to be there in person is by sending out media reports.

This is the second in a series of reports about the May 2-3, 2013 Delta conference at the Clinton Center. The first focused on President William Jefferson Clinton’s presentation on May 2, 2013 at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service.

President Clinton was there for over an hour and after speaking he stayed to visit with many of the Delta partners individually. His presentation was brilliant, as always.

Upcoming reports will focus on the “big picture” panel in the afternoon of May 3 at the Clinton Library, and an article expressing appreciation to Clifton Avant, Delta Caucus board member emeritus and winner of this year’s Inspire Hope Award (presented jointly by Laymon Jones and the Delta Caucus). Clifton Avant retired as an executive at Entergy after many years of distinguished service for the Delta’s community and economic development.

The series of articles will be sent out over the next several weeks. Many people have congratulated the Delta Caucus on its most successful conference ever. Thanks a million to all the people who made this event such a great success. The organizational structure of the Delta Caucus can be found on the website at www.mdgc.us.

The Delta Caucus has a six-member board of directors and a 20-member senior advisory executive committee. We also welcome feedback from the several thousand partners across the eight-state region and in Washington, DC. This message is from the board, which consists of Lee Powell, chairman; Rep. Mark McElroy, Vice Chairman; Dr. Martha Ellen Black, Treasurer (Dr. Black is executive director of the nonprofit Susanna Wesley Family Learning Center in southeast Missouri), Board Member Barrett Harrison, executive director of the Blytheville-Gosnell Regional Airport Authority and former mayor of Blytheville, Arkansas; Brad Cole, vice president of Pepsi Mid-America based in Illinois and former mayor of Carbondale, Illinois. The advisory executive committee members are listed on the website at www.mdgc.us

TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS EMAIL NEWSLETTER:

1. KUAR Public Radio, “Top Political Leaders Debate Best Ways to Help the Delta,” May 2-3, 2013, by Michael Hibblen

2. Arkansas News Bureau, May 1, 2013, “Over $200 Million in Delta Investments Announced”

3. Talk Business, May 3, 2013, “Ross, Halter Trade Jabs at Delta Conference,” by Michael Cook

4. Arkansas News Bureau, May 3, 2013, “Arkansas Gubernatorial Candidates Trade Jabs at Delta Conference,” by Rob Moritz

5. UALR Public Radio, KUAR, May 1, 2013, “Arkansas Gubernatorial Hopefuls to Address Delta Caucus,” by Malcolm Glover

6. Arkansas Public Radio, KUAR, “Arkansas Dems Vying for Governor Both Tout Education,” May 3, 2013, by Nathan Vandiver

7. Talk Business, “Hutchinson, Coleman Draw Differences in Delta Group Speeches,” May 2, 2013, by Roby Brock

8. Talk Business, May 2, 2013, “Cotton on Possible Senate Run: ‘Never A Good Idea to Say Never’”

9. Talk Business, May 3, 2013, “Sen. Pryor Open to More Debate on Gun Legislation,” by Michael Cook

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President Clinton's Great In-Person Presentation to Delta Caucus, May 2, 2013

Posted on May 13, 2013 at 04:57 PM

President Bill Clinton gave a brilliant presentation at the May 2-3, 2013 Delta Grassroots Caucus conference at the Clinton Center, in which we commemorated the 20th anniversary of the bipartisan Clinton administration’s Delta Regional Initiative.

President Clinton started off with a 10-minute opening presentation, then did questions and answers for another 20 minutes or so, and then spoke directly with most of the people there for another half hour. He was there for a total of over an hour talking with many old friends and supporters who have worked with him regarding Delta regional issues in many cases for three decades or more. There was a packed house at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, with standing room only.

This is the first in a series of articles summarizing the substance of the two-day conference that we will be sending out over the next several weeks.

We have many people to thank for what many people have said they regarded as our best conference yet. We will be expressing appreciation to our many colleagues in the series of articles in our newsletter and posted on the website at www.mdgc.us

Before getting to President Clinton’s presentations, we would like to begin by thanking Martha Ellen Black, Executive Director of the Susanna Wesley Family Learning Center in East Prairie, Missouri and a key member of the Delta Caucus board of directors. Martha Ellen brought several assistants with her to handle the front desk, registration and other administrative details, and she also provided essential substantive feedback. Her support is invaluable and we could not have accomplished this without her help.

Martha Ellen Black has strong ties to the Clinton administration, because she was executive director of an Enterprise Community createdby President Clinton’s 1993 budget package in southeast Missouri that led to improvements in her local area in literacy, employment and other key indicators that began when Clinton was president and have been sustained until today. She was one of the speakers at the 2000 White House Conference on the Delta with President Clinton and many other national leaders.

The conference received substantial media coverage from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, KUAR Arkansas Public Radio, Talk Business, the Arkansas News Bureau, the Associated Press, television stations, the Arkansas Municipal League magazine, and other media outlets.

TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS NEWSLETTER

1. President Clinton’s Presentation at the Delta Conference, May 2, 2013

2. An Example of President Clinton’s Direct, Personal Involvement in the Delta Regional Initiative in the Year 2000

3. Subsequent Developments after 2000

4. Executive Summary of Report on Key Economic Data Regarding the Delta Regional Initiative, 1993-2013

5. Executive Summary of Best Practices, Private Sector News Announcements, May 2-3, 2013

6. Appreciation for Delta Caucus Sponsors

7. President Clinton’s Presentation at the Delta Conference, May 2, 2013

President Clinton spoke at the opening session of the Delta conference on May 2, 2013 at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service. President Clinton said his hopes are high for economic progress in the Delta Region. The Delta Regional Initiative was a bipartisan effort to promote economic revitalization in the Delta region. Sections of the landmark 1993 Clinton administration economic development and budget legislation held major implications for the Delta’s economic progress during his time in office. The Delta Caucus itself is a direct outgrowth of the Clinton administration’s Delta Regional Initiative.

The Delta Caucus distributed at the conference a 50-page report including data on economic improvements in the Delta states during his administration, and these were referred to several times during the event: The regional unemployment rate was 7.5% when the Clinton administration began, and it declined to 4.2% across the region as a whole by the end of his administration.

The regional poverty rate by the mid-Clinton administration in 1997 was 18.4% and this fell by 2000 to 16.6%, an improvement of 10% in a rate that historically has been intractable or usually gotten worse over time. Everyone knows about our regional and economic problems since 2001 and there were still economic challenges as of 2000, but the regional economy was headed in the right direction in that era.

Clinton looked back in retrospect on the regional initiative, the work of major institutions like Southern Bancorp (which he and Hillary Clinton and the Rockefeller Foundation helped create 25 years ago), Hope Enterprise Corp./Hope Credit Union, the Mid-South Delta Local Initiatives Support Corp. (LISC), Foundation for the Mid-South, Heifer International and the “Seeds of Change” project in east Arkansas, and the Delta Regional Authority that was created in December, 2000 after years of advocacy and support from the Delta Regional Initiative.

In hindsight, the former president said “Here’s what it all means today, in terms of where we are as a country, in terms of where we are with all of these arguments in Washington.: He said it means that “there is never going to be enough government money to take a poor region of America out of the dumps all by itself. You’ve got to have private-sector growth. Number two, in order to have private-sector growth, you’ve got to have good government policy.”

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Please RSVP Immediately for Late Registration for May 2-3; We Have 165 RSVPs

Posted on April 26, 2013 at 02:30 PM

Please RSVP If You Are Registering Late; We have 165 RSVPs for May 2-3, 2013 Delta Event

Confirmed Speakers Include: Gov. Mike Beebe, Sen. Mark Pryor, Sen. John Boozman, gubernatorial candidate Mike Ross, Rep. Tom Cotton, Former US Rep. and gubernatorial candidate Asa Hutchinson, gubernatorial candidate Curtis Coleman, gubernatorial candidate and former Lt. Gov. Bill Halter, DRA Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingilll, DRA Alternate Federal Co-Chairman Mike Marshall of Missouri, and Grassroots Leaders from all eight Delta states

We have 165 RSVPs and the number continues to grow. Please RSVP and register ASAP if you would like to be there.

Please RSVP immediately by replying to this email or calling Martha Ellen Black at 573-683-0783.

You register by sending in the registration fees, and you can register at the front desk at the time of the event, but we would greatly prefer to receive them before that to avoid long lines that could delay the program.

Registration and other information are below in this newsletter.

President Bill Clinton is invited and he will be in Little Rock on Friday, May 3. He generally confirms at the last minute and if he speaks at the Clinton Center we will have very little notice and will have to re-arrange the schedule at the last minute and stay flexible.

Friday evening session: Please note that there may be a Friday evening session late in the afternoon or early evening in the time frame from about 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. There will be some light food there (although most people will have their evening meal after the conference ends) if we do that.

We will take a break late in the afternoon if we do the evening session because we know people would be too tired if we tried to stay all day and into the early evening without a break. Again, please be flexible on the schedule.

THE LATEST FULL DRAFT OF THE AGENDA IS BELOW IN THIS MESSAGE.

SCHEDULE

OPENING SESSION: Thursday evening, May 2, 2013, 4:20 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Clinton School of Public Service.

Thursday evening speakers include gubernatorial candidates Asa Hutchinson and Curtis Coleman; Congressman Tom Cotton; James “Skip” Rutherford, Dean of the Clinton School; former FEMA Associate Director Kay Goss; Author and White House Diarist Janis Kearney; DRA Alternate Federal Co-Chairman Mike Marshall; an energy policy panel led by former US Assistant Secretary of the Interior Ken Smith.

NOTE: THE OPENING SESSION IS AN IMPORTANT SUBSTANTIVE SESSION. WE WILL HAVE FOOD AND DRINKS BUT THIS IS A SUBSTANTIVE SESSION WITH SPEAKERS STARTING PROMPTLY AT 4:30 P.M.

CLINTON LIBRARY SESSION: Friday, May 3, 2013, 8:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Great Hall of the Clinton Library.

We have a panel on regional economic development beginning at 8:15 a.m.led by “Seeds of Change” partners, Foundation for the Mid-South, Hope Enterprise Corp./Hope Credit Union;

Gov. Mike Beebe is on at 9:40 a.m. followed by Sen. Mark Pryor, Sen. John Boozman, DRA Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill, and speakers from Southern BanCorp and Mid-South Delta LISC.

11:30 a.m. through the luncheon–Mike Ross and Bill Halter: Gubernatorial candidate Bill Halter speaks in the late morning, and gubernatorial candidate Mike Ross is right afterward at the luncheon.

In the afternoon we will have two nutrition speakers and then a “big picture” regional economic development panel led by Barrett Harrison, executive director of the Blytheville-Gosnell Regional Airport Authority, and we will close the conference with two excellent speakers on energy policy: Ines Polonius of alt.Consulting and Bill Kopsky of the Arkansas Public Policy Panel.

GROUP HOTEL: To get the group hotel discount rate, please call the Comfort Inn & Suites at the Clinton Library in Little Rock at 501-687-7700 and say you are with the Delta Caucus. Most people will just stay for the night of May 2, because they will check out in the morning and store their luggage at the hotel and come back at the end of the day’s session at the Clinton Library to pick up the luggage.

We do ask for annual dues now, but it is quite small–$25 once a year–although some organizations contribute $50 or $100, $25 once a year per organization is the only requirement we ask for. The dues are only once a year. Registration fees are a separate category for each conference.

YOU REGISTER BY SENDING IN THE REGISTRATION FEES TO THE ADDRESS LISTED BELOW.

If you register late or pay at the front desk, we have to ask for the late registration fees that go up to $150. For those who cannot make the entire conference we can offer some reasonable pro-rating of the registration fees.

Please make out the $150 late registration fees check to “Delta Caucus” and mail to our office in the Washington, DC area:

If you can get a group of five or more we will give a group discount down to $75 each, but please note that you will have to organize the group of five or more.

Delta Caucus

5030 Purslane Place

Waldorf, MD 20601

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142 RSVPs & Growing: Please Register ASAP for May 2-3, 2013 Delta Conference

Posted on April 15, 2013 at 02:56 PM

We have 142 RSVPs and the early registration deadline for registering is this week, Friday, April 19, 2013. After that registrations go up to $150 each.

Confirmed Speakers Include: Gov. Mike Beebe, Sen. Mark Pryor, Sen. John Boozman, Mike Ross, Rep. Tom Cotton, Former US Rep. and gubernatorial candidate Asa Hutchinson, gubernatorial candidate Curtis Coleman, Former Lt. Gov. Bill Halter, DRA Chairman Chris Masingilll, and Grassroots Leaders from all eight Delta states.

The early registration deadline for the May 2-3 Delta conference is THIS week, April 19, Friday, close of business. We have 142 RSVPs and the number grows every day. Please register ASAP if you would like to be there.

You register by sending in the registration fees. Registration and other information are below in this newsletter.

ARTICLES IN THIS NEWSLETTER/POST:

1. Update on May 2-3 Delta Conference at the Clinton Center

2. Federal Value-Added Grants Program Statement from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Team

3. Major Northeast Arkansas Steel Mill Project Moves Forward with Passage of Bonds

4. Medicaid Expansion

5. Energy Legislation Passes Arkansas Legislature

6. Tentative Draft of May 2-3 Agenda (This will inevitably have last-minute changes-it is a rough draft.)

We have confirmations from Gov. Mike Beebe, US Sen. Mark Pryor, US Sen. John Boozman, US Rep. Tom Cotton, former US Rep. Mike Ross, former US Rep. Asa Hutchinson (a gubernatorial candidate), gubernatorial candidate Curtis Coleman, Former Lt. Gov. and gubernatorial candidate Bill Halter, DRA Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill, DRA Alternate Federal Co-Chairman Mike Marshall, and grassroots leaders from all eight states.

President Bill Clinton is invited. It is public knowledge that he will be in Little Rock on Friday, May 3, and he will be at a ceremony at the Little Rock Airport-named after Bill and Hillary Clinton-at 11:30 a.m. That event is expected to last about an hour. With his hectic schedule he always confirms late. We will keep you posted as to whether he will speak to our group that day.

Caucus Director Lee Powell unfortunately has bronchitis, so for more information either see the website at www.mdgc.us or call Martha Ellen Black at 573-683-0783 or Rep. Mark McElroy at 870-222-8217.

SCHEDULE OPENING SESSION: Thursday evening, May 2, 2013, 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Clinton School of Public Service. NOTE: THE OPENING SESSION IS AN IMPORTANT SUBSTANTIVE SESSION. WE WILL HAVE FOOD AND DRINKS BUT THIS IS A SUBSTANTIVE SESSION WITH SPEAKERS STARTING PROMPTLY AT 4:30 P.M.

CLINTON LIBRARY SESSION: Friday, May 3, 2013, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Great Hall of the Clinton Library.

GROUP HOTEL: To get the group hotel discount rate, please call the Comfort Inn & Suites at the Clinton Library in Little Rock at 501-687-7700 and say you are with the Delta Caucus. Most people will just stay for the night of May 2, because they will check out in the morning and store their luggage at the hotel and come back at the end of the day’s session at the Clinton Library to pick up the luggage.

YOU REGISTER BY SENDING IN THE REGISTRATION FEES TO THE ADDRESS LISTED BELOW.

If you can make it, Please make out the $125 check to “Delta Caucus” and mail to our office in the Washington, DC area:

If you can get a group of five or more we will give a group discount down to $75 each, but please note that you will have to organize the group of five or more.

Delta Caucus 5030 Purslane Place Waldorf, MD 20601

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Delta Caucus Endorses Medicaid Expansion Across the Delta, April 2, 2013

Posted on April 02, 2013 at 01:45 PM

The Delta Caucus endorses the innovative, bipartisan approach to Medicaid expansion supported by Gov. Mike Beebe of Arkansas and many legislators of both parties in Arkansas as an excellent proposal that could be a model for other states across the Delta and the country.

“Earlier concerns that some of the poorest rural Delta counties might be left out of the state’s health insurance exchange have been laid to rest, and the great majority of the Delta Caucus partners support the leadership of Gov. Beebe and a bipartisan group of legislators,” Caucus director Lee Powell said.

Sen. Robert Thompson of Paragould said: “I am encouraged by the hard work of Democrats and Republicans in the Arkansas legislature on efforts to support rural health care and provide medical coverage to low-income Arkansans. I believe we should arrive at a bipartisan solution and develop a health-insurance plan that has broad support. Gov. Mike Beebe and the leadership of both the state House and the Senate appear committed to reaching these goals this year.”

Rep. Mark McElroy of Tillar in southeast Arkansas said “It’s essential not only for the Delta but for all Arkansas to expand Medicaid to 250,000 people. For the Delta, we have so many needy people that it would be especially helpful for our region.”

The Delta Grassroots Caucus May 2-3 Delta conference to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Clinton administration’s bipartisan Delta Regional Initiative will address Medicaid expansion and other key regional issues like job creation, renewable energy, energy efficiency, the farm bill, hunger and nutrition, transportation, broadband expansion, and many other regional issues.

Registration, group hotel and schedule information are below in this newsletter after the Medicaid expansion statement.

Speakers include US Sen. John Boozman, US Sen. Mark Pryor, US Rep. Tom Cotton, former US Rep. Mike Ross, former US Rep. and gubernatorial candidate Asa Hutchinson, gubernatorial candidate Curtis Coleman, Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chairman Chris Masingill, Alternate Federal Co-Chairman Mike Marshall, President Ivye Allen of the Foundation for the Mid-South, a Wal-Mart executive, CEO Bill Bynum of the Hope Enterprise Corp., George Miles of Delta LISC, representatives of Fed Ex Express in Memphis, Rex Nelson, president of Arkansas Independent Colleges and Universities, Heifer International, Southern Bancorp, Blytheville-Gosnell Regional Airport Authority, and other grassroots leaders from all eight Delta states.

Gov. Beebe has spoken at every one of the Clinton Library events and he is invited this year. President Bill Clinton usually gives superb live presentations by audio feed, and for the first time he is invited to speak in person.

US Rep. Rick Crawford and gubernatorial candidate Bill Halter are invited.

Rep. McElroy said “After reading recent reports that Medicaid expansion will be positive for the state budget, the statement from Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield that all counties will be covered, the positive reports from the Arkansas Department of Human Services and other good assessments, I am confident that rural, economically distressed counties like Chicot and Desha that I represent and others like them across the Delta will be covered, so I am 100% supportive.”

McElroy, a Democrat, added that the plan is bipartisan and has support from Republican House Speaker Davy Carter, Republican Senate President Pro Tempore Michael Lamoreux, as well as Gov. Beebe and Democratic leaders. “We have impressive bipartisan support and we should pass this plan as soon as possible,” McElroy said.

Rep. Reginald Murdock (D-Marianna) said “We support this because it’s good for Arkansas as a whole, it’s good for business, and it’s good for all the counties of our state including the rural ones. There is no issue of the plan not covering rural counties, and all of them will have access.”

Mayor Larry Bryant of Forrest City said: “It should be a no-brainer to expand Medicaid in Arkansas with all the poor people we have.” Bryant said that if Medicaid expansion does not pass it would be a case where “politics has gotten in the way of what’s best for the state. Squeezing pennies today will cost us more in the future.”

Kevin Smith, former state senator and aide to former US Sen. Dale Bumpers and then Gov. Bill Clinton, now a businessman in Helena-West Helena in Phillips County, Arkansas, said: “It’s highly important for our people in Phillips County and the Delta in general to pass Medicaid expansion. I salute the legislature and Gov. Beebe for being able to come together in one of the smartest approaches in the country.”

Other states are looking at the Arkansas plan with great interest. For example, Dr. Martha Ellen Black, executive director of the Susanna Wesley Family Center in southeast Missouri said: “Many of us in Missouri who are trying to come up with a compromise proposal to expand Medicaid in our state are looking with great interest at the private option that Gov. Beebe and the legislature are working on in Arkansas. We are hoping Gov. Jay Nixon (D-Mo) can work with legislators of both parties in our state like Gov. Beebe and the legislature appear to be doing in Arkansas.”

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