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Old 09-19-2010, 02:14 PM
 
1,661 posts, read 5,183,305 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr D View Post
I genuinely hope someday Arkansas can rise above 49th place in so many important rankings, particularly in population health and teen pregancy

God bless Mississippi
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Old 09-19-2010, 02:19 PM
 
Location: SW Missouri
15,853 posts, read 35,008,876 times
Reputation: 22693
Sounds quite a lot like rural SW MO as well.

20yrsinBranson
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Old 09-19-2010, 02:32 PM
 
4,901 posts, read 8,693,709 times
Reputation: 7117
Quote:
Originally Posted by thewizard16 View Post
No, that wasn't what they were saying. They were responding to my post and agreeing that a lot of the problem with young professionals is being pretentious. Not that the terminology is pretentious.
Thanks, couldn't have said it better myself.
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Old 09-19-2010, 03:35 PM
 
731 posts, read 1,360,690 times
Reputation: 344
The OP sounds like a televangelist.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr D View Post
All you have to do is look at the statistics. Look at the data. Arkansas has severe shortages in certain skill sets. The state needs to draw people to supply these skills, from welding to special education to piloting certain types of aircraft to rural health care. Many of the posts in this thread confirm the problem: If you have those skills, and are from the outside, you will be perceived as "arrogant" or "uppity" by many you encounter in Arkansas. Possessing needed skill sets is actually resented by many in Arkansas, it's a liability. Look at the posts here! They confirm the problem. By pointing out that Arkansas has difficulty recruiting and retaining certain professionals, I'm suddenly a "demigod" expecting to be "worshipped"? Whew, no wonder so many leave (or never come to) Arkansas. It's really sad. Good luck with your state. I genuinely hope someday Arkansas can rise above 49th place in so many important rankings, particularly in population health and teen pregancy, but in order to do so, attitudes and openness will need to change.
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Old 09-19-2010, 04:41 PM
 
22 posts, read 65,635 times
Reputation: 56
Quote:
Originally Posted by bluenoter View Post
The OP sounds like a televangelist.

The opposite of a televangelist. I think Arkansas needs to focus enormous energy and significant resources on what are urgent problems in population health, education/literacy, and job growth, if it is to catch up to other parts of the country. All the religion in the world won't get Arkansas there. Strong leadership, in-migration of skilled labor, and a tax system that favors entrepreneurship and job creation will. But in order to draw people who WANT to be in Arkansas, Arkansas has to WANT to draw people. It doesn't. It wants to "retain our old ways, our down-home style". Well, that down-home style has resulted in one of the worst teen pregancy rates in the country, one of the highest high school drop out rates, and one of the highest tobacco use rates. Arkansas also has one of the higest divorce rates and poverty rates. Things have to change if the state is to improve these disconcerting conditions. Now, if pointing out that young people with needed skills are not coming to the state, or coming and leaving, results in people claiming the messenger is elitist, arrogant, a demigod, etc., it only illustrates the problem: People don't appear to want to figure out how to solve the problems. They even resent those who point out that Arkansas has problems to solve. I think that's sad.
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Old 09-19-2010, 04:46 PM
 
Location: San Antonio
4,422 posts, read 6,215,143 times
Reputation: 5429
Quote:
Originally Posted by nmnita View Post
Well, I am sorry you didn't try NWA. Our granddauther, who graduated from U of A two years ago and most of her friends feel they are doing fairly well considering. The Chiildrens hospital in Little Rock is one of the best in the country (I didn't say the best, but one of the best) I don't know what field you are in or when you were here and I am not sure why you bothered to post at this time. What is the purpose? You are no longer here, have only started posting so I guess I am a bit confused...It sounds more to me like you have a bone to pick for some reason.

Nita
This illustrates the OP's point perfectly. Thank you for posting.
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Old 09-19-2010, 05:31 PM
 
Location: Chicago, IL
697 posts, read 1,767,481 times
Reputation: 703
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr D View Post
The opposite of a televangelist. I think Arkansas needs to focus enormous energy and significant resources on what are urgent problems in population health, education/literacy, and job growth, if it is to catch up to other parts of the country. All the religion in the world won't get Arkansas there. Strong leadership, in-migration of skilled labor, and a tax system that favors entrepreneurship and job creation will. But in order to draw people who WANT to be in Arkansas, Arkansas has to WANT to draw people. It doesn't. It wants to "retain our old ways, our down-home style". Well, that down-home style has resulted in one of the worst teen pregancy rates in the country, one of the highest high school drop out rates, and one of the highest tobacco use rates. Arkansas also has one of the higest divorce rates and poverty rates. Things have to change if the state is to improve these disconcerting conditions. Now, if pointing out that young people with needed skills are not coming to the state, or coming and leaving, results in people claiming the messenger is elitist, arrogant, a demigod, etc., it only illustrates the problem: People don't appear to want to figure out how to solve the problems. They even resent those who point out that Arkansas has problems to solve. I think that's sad.
I agree with the majority of what you're saying- however I don't think that what you're pointing out is entirely the case. There are certainly elements in the state that don't want change and don't want others (where they're from often doesn't matter) telling them they need to "fix" all these things and do it now.
My first disagreement however is what you extract the "down home style" to have caused. It's not an attitude that is causing those problems- it's largely a socioeconomic and education issue. Luckily, Arkansas is no longer one of the top few states in poverty rates, but I imagine when things start leveling out after the recession, it will be back up there. However, there are significant disparities in different regions of the state when it comes to education, income, and "progress". I also do not think Arkansas is "behind the times" in many sectors- the state has sound economic policies, has been actively recruiting green tech and entrepreneurial start ups in the last decade, and many of those have been nationally recognized. The previous and current state administration have, and are, pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into incentives for high-tech or skilled job firms (HP's new facility here, Caterpillar's new facility, the new wind-turbine facilities, the new research facilities in NWA, etc.) to help fix some of the systemic problems with the incentive for skilled and educated people to stay in state. UAMS and the state have poured millions into advancing rural healthcare and place a large focus on training and retaining primary care physicians in rural areas. They also were awarded a $102 million grant recently (the largest ever received by an Arkansas institution) to expand the broadband networks to over 470 different healthcare facilities in the state (primarily rural areas where this infrastructure has not been cost effective for companies to install).
My point is that there are billions of dollars and thousands of people trying to work on the issues you claim the state is ignoring. High school graduation rates, average test scores, and college graduation rates have been increasing in Arkansas over the last 20 years (most notably in the last decade). Overall poverty level has been decreasing in the same time period. The state's population has been growing steadily, and areas like Northwest Arkansas have received dozens of national accolades and recognitions for being one of the fastest growing metro areas in the nation. Little Rock has been recognized as one of the most diverse, recession-proof metro economies in the nation. If Arkansas were as you'd described it, these things wouldn't be happening.

I am under no illusion that Arkansas is perfect. I've traveled all over this state (and others) for work and sometimes it's hard to believe some towns are even in the same country as others, let alone the same state. There are certainly problems, and there are a lot of issues involving education and economy that will take decades to see improvement from. These are complex issues deep seeded in socioeconomic problems that Arkansas apparently didn't see coming 50-75 years ago, and it isn't something that can be fixed over night. However, lots of very bright, very active people have been hard at work, and will continue work hard, on fixing these problems. (And the state has clearly been pouring a lot of money into these problems as well.)

People here certainly do want things to improve, and I have never met anyone of any influence here that didn't want to work on improving their state. However, people who come in and complain constantly about things not being like they were where they came from, or keep harping on Arkansas being "behind" (which as I've attempted to illustrate, they aren't in many ways, despite these outdated perceptions) are not going to be met with open arms. The key to getting things done is presentation and perception. I don't know anyone who doesn't want to make things better for themselves and future generations- but you can't complain them into fixing things. You have to highlight the positive, be aware of the negative, and provide not just suggestions, but solutions. I think the reason you think people are "negative" towards outside ideas is because people in Arkansas are used to people that know very little about the state or what it has going for it stereotyping and complaining about every little thing, while contributing very little. You may have come across that way to people, and yes, you can expect to be shut out if that happens. You think I'd be met with open arms if I moved back to Iowa and immediately started complaining in Des Moines about how they do things differently? Or how "backward" their economy and education system is? No.

Anyway, that got very lengthy and I apologize, but you're missing the point that I tried to make and several others did as well. Unfortunately some people have tried to prod you a bit in this thread and that accomplishes nothing but bickering. However, you are being a bit one-sided in your views, and failure to recognize the valid points and alternatives that other posters have pointed out makes you appear even more guilty of the attitude you're complaining about than the people you encountered in your past job.
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Old 09-19-2010, 07:01 PM
 
731 posts, read 1,360,690 times
Reputation: 344
How does Arkansas compare to Mendota Heights?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr D View Post
All the religion in the world won't get Arkansas there.
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Old 09-19-2010, 07:47 PM
 
Location: Fayetteville
1,205 posts, read 2,677,898 times
Reputation: 2596
I'd write a 12 page rant but I'm busy pouring candles and eating. I'm not sure whether it's Lao or Thai food but it's pretty good.
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Old 09-19-2010, 07:54 PM
 
22 posts, read 65,635 times
Reputation: 56
Quote:
Originally Posted by bluenoter View Post
How does Arkansas compare to Mendota Heights?
I have no idea what this means.
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