Chan Holcombe 1939 - 2011 R.I.P.

The following obituary for Chan Holcombe (1939 - 2011) was submitted to the Fort Smith "The City Wire" by Fentress Mortuary:

Chan Holcombe, 72 of Fort Smith passed away Thursday, October 13, 2011. He was born July 14, 1939 in a Log Cabin in Bates, AR to the late Ralph and Inez Holcombe and was circumcised with his Dad’s pocketknife. He loved to fish and caught a lot of crappie. He was an Air Force Veteran, a member of the Disabled American Veterans, and an Entrepreneur.

Funeral services will be 10:00 AM Monday, October 17th at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church with burial to follow at Holy Cross Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Fentress Mortuary of Fort Smith.

He is survived by his daughter: Charity McCartney of Fayetteville, three sons: Jim Holcombe of Costa Rica, Doug Melkovitz of Little Rock, and John Greiffendorf of Lutz, FL. He is also survived by four grandchildren: China Holcombe, Kainoah Holcombe, Meg McCartney and Alyse Jeffrey as well as three great grandchildren.

Family will visit 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM Sunday, October 16th at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be sent to the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) 6000 Zero Street Ft. Smith, AR 72903.

To sign the on line guest book please visit Chan's memorial page

Billy Long's Business Plan

Sell a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach a man how to fish and you ruin a wonderful business opportunity.
Read more about Congressman Billy Long and his lackadaisical third quarter fundraising here.

The Springfield News-Leader has a great headline on its story about Long's pathetic fundraising: Long Coming Up Short

We are the 99%

Don?t you know, they?re talkin? 'bout a revolution
It sounds like a whisper
Don?t you know, they?re talkin? 'bout a revolution
It sounds like a whisper

While they?re standing in the welfare lines
Crying at the doorsteps of those armies of salvation
Wasting time, in the unemployment lines
Sitting around, waiting for a promotion

Don?t you know, they?re talkin? 'bout a revolution
It sounds like a whisper
Poor people gonna rise up and get their share
Poor people gonna rise up and take what?s theirs

Don?t you know, you better run, run, run, run, run
Run, run, run, run, run, run, run
Oh, I said you better, run, run, run, run, run, run, run
{ From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/t/tracy-chapman-lyrics/talkin_-bout-a-revolution-lyrics.html }
Run, run, run, run, run

'Cus finally the tables are starting to turn, talkin? 'bout a revolution
'Cus finally the tables are starting to turn, talkin? 'bout a revolution, oh no
Talkin? 'bout a revolution ,oh

While they're standing in the welfare lines
Crying at the doorsteps of those armies of salvation
Wasting time in the unemployment lines
Sitting around waiting for a promotion

Don?t you know, they?re talkin? 'bout a revolution
It sounds like a whisper

And finally the tables are starting to turn, talkin? 'bout a revolution
Yes, finally the tables are starting to turn, talkin? 'bout a revolution, oh no
Talkin? bout a revolution, oh no, talkin? bout a revolution, oh no

Bus Photos October 1, 2011

Long tells NPR he's confident US will not skimp on aid to Joplin

Long says he's confident that whatever tough choices may have to be made, Uncle Sam's not going to skimp on helping people laid low by a natural disaster.

As for the government, there are still a lot of things Long aims to change, but it's less likely you'll hear him complaining any more about being "fed up."

Obama appears to be telling Billy something. Billy looks awe-struck.

From National Public Radio, September 23, 2011, comes this report from by Frank Morris from KCUR: A Foe of Big Government Seeks Aid for Joplin:

Billy Long is a Tea Party stalwart who ran for Congress as a man fed up with Washington.

Long won in a landslide and now represents Joplin, Mo., where he fired up a Tea Party crowd in April pretending to auction off the national debt.

Five weeks later, Long was back in Joplin, this time in the dark and rain, surveying the aftermath of an apocalyptic tornado. And this time, the federal government was his friend.

"FEMA called as soon as I got there and said, 'Congressman Long, we're on the way. We'll have boots on the ground in an hour or two,' " he says. "And I said, 'No you won't; they're already here.' "

What followed, Long says, has been a superb relief effort.

"The president came in, he was great. [Homeland Security Secretary] Janet Napolitano came in, she's been great," he says. "[House Minority] Leader Pelosi came up to me on the floor, hugged me and said, 'Billy, anything the people of Joplin need they'll have.' "

And that's just what they've gotten: FEMA has spent close to $100 million on the cleanup, and an additional $19 million plus on rent and home repairs. Napolitano was back in Joplin on Thursday, praising Joplin's "can-do attitude" and Long.

"He's worked well with our office, with our shop," she said. "When he was asked about FEMA, to rank it shortly after the fact, on a scale of 1 to 10, he said he'd give it a 12."

Doing It Locally

This kind of talk doesn't square with some of Long's constituents. Bloggers say he's "shredding his Tea Party stripes," drinking the "Potomac Kool-Aid." He's portrayed as just another politician bellying up to the trough.

Perhaps surprisingly, some of this grief for helping tornado-ravaged Joplin has come from ... Joplin.

"Joplin would be, some people would use the phrase, 'the buckle of the Bible Belt,' " says John Putnam, who leads a Tea Party group here. "It's very conservative. I think the bottom line for most of us is that we can do it locally."

Putnam says volunteers, local folks hit by the tornado and tens of thousands of people streaming in from across the country — many evangelical Christians with ties to Joplin's numerous churches — have done most of the work. But Putnam, unlike some in the blogosphere, is willing to give Long a pass.

"I think this is the system we operate under, and as long as we're under this system, it's fine for him to try to maximize FEMA's contribution," he says.

A Sense Of Priority

At a gas station just outside the destruction zone in Joplin, Ed Cryts, a local contractor, says he's grateful for the help and mightily impressed with FEMA, but not with the rest of the government.

"As far as helping people, FEMA has done a good job, but as far as what the people at the top are doing, I'm not too happy," he says.

Long insists the tornado hasn't altered his views, either.

"Budgeting is about priorities," he says, "and you certainly have to prioritize for situations like this."

Long says he's confident that whatever tough choices may have to be made, Uncle Sam's not going to skimp on helping people laid low by a natural disaster.

As for the government, there are still a lot of things Long aims to change, but it's less likely you'll hear him complaining any more about being "fed up."

I've been busy.....

Chicago, Florida and points south, and most recently, St. Louis.

Ain't life grand!

Who wants to be a millionaire? Billy Long?