In need of a miracle

LITTLE ROCK — Areader asked why I hadn’t mentioned the contest for governor while discussing some of my candidate preferences.

There actually were several races I didn’t address for various reasons, including lack of space. But I didn’t explain my complex feelings about the race between Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe and GOP candidate Jim Keet for a different reason.

First, I see Keet is a successful businessman who, aided by a miracle, would make a very good governor. He understands private enterprise. I see him as an honorable, capable fiscal conservative who cares deeply about preserving our individual liberties and cutting taxes. He also strikes me as a man who wouldn’t hesitate to join with leaders in surrounding states to actively resist many Barack Obama/Nancy Pelosi/Harry Reid unfunded mandates and dictates. That alone would be refreshing for 70 percent of us. And he is not a lawyer.

Now for the however. I also am a pragmatist who can see that Beebe is the incumbent with all the advantages that brings, including having raised several million campaign dollars.

While not joining with surrounding states to legally resist the radical federal agenda, Beebe has managed to avoid the perception of being a liberal, progressive or radical. All that leaves him sitting high, dry and well-coiffed in this race. He’s as smooth as a jar of creamy Jiffy as he waltzes, like the veteran pol he is, through politicial minefields.

I’d have stronger feelings about Keet’s realistic chances had more conservatives jumped in months ago to support him with the contributions he badly needed to effectively get his own compelling message to the people.

Even as a long shot, I still believe in miracles, and Keet does have that “R” beside his name in this emotional year.

There’s also no doubt in my mind that electing Keet governor would bring a significant fiscal shake-up in our state. He would stand up for a majority of Arkansans’ beliefs against the radical Obama administration objectives. But at this point, it will take a herd of voters going against the grain of conventional wisdom when they are alone with their ballots to pull off Jim Keet’s miracle.

It’s impossible to overstate the need for every eligible voter to express his beliefs about the direction of our nation at the polls during the next two days. If you care about the future of our stillfree country, please make your voiceheard.

In 20 years

Joshua D. Rauh of Northwestern University’s Department of Finance, in collaboration with the National Bureau of Economic Research, produced a study earlier this year which predicts that states can expect their pension benefits to run dry in relation to theirasset levels and contributions.

Leading those in jeopardy are Illinois by 2018; Connecticut, Indiana and New Jersey by 2019; and Louisiana, Oklahoma and Hawaii by 2020.

This pension expense is called “off the balance sheet” indebtedness. In states and cities, this kind of debt predictably lies with the billions in promised pension payments.

Where’s Arkansas in this mess? At the current pace, we’re projected to face our day of reckoning in 2030. See details for yourself by doing a Google search for “Rauh and pension study.” Downhill

Veteran Eureka Springs banker John Cross wrote last week to say: “Read your Sunday article about the declining credibility of journalists these days. Why are we not surprised, when it coincides with the meltdown of . . . the legal system, education, the political system, patriotism, morality and spirituality, to name but a few? As we both know, we are living in a lazy, mefirst, urban secular society.”

Why not, indeed?

Singing men

I heard the Singing Men of Arkansas entertain at the annual Lincoln Day Dinner in Springdale. Wow, what an impressive sound these 60 men make in harmonizing songs ranging from “The Duke of Earl” to “America the Beautiful.” -

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Mike Masterson is opinion editor of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s Northwest edition.