Arkansas AG McDaniel's Independence Questioned

Bill Smith, ARRA Editor: Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel's independence to decide fairly on ballot initiatives has been called into question. Keep Arkansas Legal has questioned Dustin McDaniel's ability to decide the fate of Secure Arkansas' Illegal Immigration Ballot Initiative because of McDaniel received campaign contributions from opponents of the initiative.

Keep Arkansas Legal researched Attorney General Dustin McDaniel's campaign filings and found that over $36,000 has been contributed to him by individuals directly related to The Arkansas Friendship Coalition, a group opposed to Secure Arkansas' ballot initiative concerning state-funded benefits provided to illegal aliens. The head of the Arkansas Friendship Coalition, Steve Copley, said his group intends to fight the measure proposed by Secure Arkansas, according to the Associated Press.

"Our findings raise serious questions about the impartiality of our Attorney General since he has received over $36,000 from members of a group that is directly and actively opposed to a measure he is deciding on," said Kenny Wallis, President of Keep Arkansas Legal. "$36,000 is a lot of money by any standard in politics, and Arkansas law gives the Attorney General total control of the process of approving a ballot initiative for placement on the ballot." Wallis went on to say, " Arkansas voters deserve to know who might be influencing the Attorney General's decision on an issue as important as their right to vote on a ballot measure concerning illegal immigration. $36,000 is a lot of influence, and voters should know that."

Donors Directly Associated with the Friendship Coalition: Stephen Copley $250, 5/6/07; Archie Schaffer $500, 4/30/07; Tyson Foods $4,000, 6/27/06 & 5/11/07; Don Tyson $2,000, 4/30/07; John Tyson $2,000, 4/30/07; 4/30/07; Graham Catlett $4,000, 9/14/06 & 5/6/07; Catlett & Stodola $4,000, 9/14/06 & 5/6/07; Catlett Inc. $4,000, 9/14/06 & 5/6/07; Meredith Catlett $6,000, 7/24/06, 9/14/06 & 5/6/07; Catlett Tower Partnership $4,000, 7/24/06 & 9/14/06; Alltel State EMPAC $4,000; 7/6/06 & 5/4/2007; Ruth Shepherd $50, 3/3/07; Wharf Restaurant, (Cajun’s Wharf) owned by Mary Beth Ringgold $500, 9/14/06; H.R. (Randy) Wilbourn $1,000, 9/6/06 & 10/18/06. Total: $36,300

Donors Indirectly Associated with the Friendship Coalition that we could find: Better Roads PAC $4000, 5/21/2007, Debbie Hall, member of the Associated General Contractors with Tommy Fish; Construction Industry Leadership PAC $2000, 5/21/2007, Debbie Hall member; Arkansas Asphalt & Pavement $250, 5/6/07, Director Mark Lamberth is a past president of Associated General Contractors. Total: $6,250. Sources: Dustin McDaniel Campaign filing reports . . . [Read More]

Secure Arkansas Chair, Jeannie Burlsworth, said that they put forth the ballot initiative as a response to the lack of action on the part of the U.S. Congress and Arkansas State Legislature. "This is a burden to the Arkansas taxpayers," Burlsworth said. "It is not fair to provide state benefits to illegal aliens, at the expense of hard working Arkansas families. There are those who have voiced their unwillingness to spend state and local tax dollars to enforce immigration laws, but they seem perfectly willing to force taxpayers to subsidize illegal immigration."

The initiative would require the state and local government to verify the lawful presence in the United States of any person 14 years or older who applies for a federal, state, or local public benefit. Benefits that would require proof of legal presence include; applications for business licenses, in-state college tuition, and scholarships. The initiative would further require government agencies to document the types and dollar amounts of benefits provided to persons who are found to be in the United States unlawfully and submit an annual report of the provided benefits and costs.

According to a 2007 bipartisan interim report, state agencies such as the Department of Finance and Administration, Department of Labor, and others do not track or report costs incurred by the state from illegal immigrants. In addition the report, the annual costs from illegal immigration that were able to be estimated included $78 million for education, $16 million for health services, and $271 million in wire transfers from Arkansas' illegal aliens to other countries. "These numbers are highly underestimated. We just don't know what the real cost is to Arkansas' tax payers. It could easily be well over $200 million per year or more. The numbers are skewed and the assistance received is not accurately tracked," Burlsworth said. "No agency could properly tell us what the actual cost to the Arkansas taxpayer is because no distinction is made between legal and illegal immigrants in their documentation."

In addition, the initiative clearly exempts from the verification process any purpose for which lawful presence in the United States is not restricted by law; assistance for health care items and services that are necessary for emergency medical treatment; short-term in-kind and non-cash emergency disaster relief; immunizations and treatment of communicable diseases; programs and services such as soup kitchens, crisis counseling, and short-term shelters specified by the United States Attorney General; prenatal care and enrollment in public schools.

You may well ask what are the people behind the "Arkansas Friendship Coalition" afraid of? Why is transparency so troubling? "Secure Arkansas calls on our fellow citizens to hold our government to account on the issue of illegal immigration." said Burlsworth. The Secure Arkansas ballot initiative is simply asking Arkansas State and local agencies to be responsible in their duties before they transfer "our money" to another person by verifying that they have a lawful presence in the United States if they are 14 years or older when they apply for a federal, state, or local public benefit. Note, no one is trying to go out and find illegal aliens. Arkansans are concerned with the lack of oversight and transparency. Too many "illegal aliens" are consuming the taxes and benefits established for legal Arkansans. The initiative therefore establishes transparency by requiring government agencies to document the types and dollar amounts of benefits provided to persons who are found to be in the United States unlawfully and to submit an annual report of the provided benefits and costs.

I encourage all readers even those outside of Arkansas who are tired of their money and benefits being provided to "illegal aliens" by their government agencies to 1) let AG Dustin McDaniel your opinion, 2) share with others about our struggle because the lack of government transparency exists at many levels in other states, and 3) leave your opinions and comments. In closing, I am making an exception to our editorial policy and I am actually going to, in print media terms, "shout" a Recommendation to Attorney General Dustin McDaniel:

LET THE CITIZENS OF ARKANSAS DECIDE! DEMONSTRATE THAT YOU ARE NOT CONTROLLED BY PEOPLE OR GROUPS WHO ARE BENEFITING FROM THE USE ILLEGAL ALIENS IN ARKANSAS. APPROVE THE TITLE AND ALLOW SECURE ARKANSAS TO GATHER THE REQUIRED PETITION SIGNATURES. YOU HAVE ALREADY APPROVED THE STATE LOTTERY INITIATIVE EVEN THOUGH IT HAD BEEN DEFEATED PREVIOUSLY BOTH BY ARKANSANS AND AGAIN IN THE LAST CONGRESSIONAL SESSION BY ELECTED OFFICIAL. THEREFORE, BEING UNBIASED, YOU SHOULD DO NO LESS THAN TO ALLOW ARKANSANS TO EXPRESS THEIR POSITION ON THIS BALLOT INITIATIVE THAT ADDRESSES TRANSPARENCY IN GOVERNMENT WITH REGARD TO USE OF GOVERNMENT FUNDS FOR LEGAL RESIDENTS. APPROVE THE SECURE ARKANSAS BALLOT INITIATIVE AND LET LEGAL ARKANSANS VOTERS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO GATHER SIGNATURES AND TO VOTE ON THIS ISSUE!

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