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Possible new subforums....


johnnydr87

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Concerning UT and UA: We've beaten them 3/4 of the last times we played.  The most recent was when we barely lost. 

Central Ark/NW Ark rivalry:  Yeah, there is a little bit of rivalry.  But the only people who can sense it are the Razorback fans and those in the political and business loop. 

As you know, Arkansas is a pretty Democratic state: 3/4 of our House representative are Democrats, and both of our senators.  The only Republican representative is from northwest Arkansas.  Mostly because of the rich business types in the area (but that is changing quickly because of the fast growing latino and asian population).  Also, there's a historical reason why some racists factions are headquartered in northern/northwestern Arkansas (KKK headquarters in Harrison, White Revolution, others).  Southeast Arkansas, the Delta region, experienced "white flight" in the twentieth century where lots of whites moved away to regions of Arkansas without large black populations. 

Idealogically, Little Rock and NW Arkansas are very different.  (You can tell I like Little Rock more.)  For example, Conway is home to two fairly liberal campuses (UCA and Hendrix), two main vertabrae in the pro-gay rights voting (the whole thing where Arkansas determined that marriage was indeed between a man and woman).  Little Rock is home to three major nonprofit organizations.  It is home to Axciom, Alltel Wireless, Dillards, and many other little corporations.  It really has a sense of diversity in industry.  NW Ark is home to major corporations....really big power players..but not so many.  The top three: Wal-Mart, Tyson, and JB Hunt.  The first two are notorious for poor treatment of workers and bad benefits.  They create two extremes: the executives with too much money for their own good and the poor thousands, or millions,  they employ who go on with their lives working two jobs without healthcare.  I hate that.  Granted, northwest arkansas does have U of A, which I love (except for the way sports strangles academics....that's why i plan on going to the East coast for college, then coming to LR).  Fayetteville is one of my favorite cities in Arkansas and certainly redeems northwest arkansas to a sizable extent in my mind. 

Concerning Pine Bluff: 

I don't know what's up here.  I think they are making some progress from what I've read (you should subscribe to Arkansas Business).  But there's not much there....from what I've seen anways.  Luckily I-69 will be going near there in the future.

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I do subscribe to Arkansas Business. I believe there was an article that has some relation to some of what we mentioned. The Democrats have opened a full time office here the first outside of Little Rock in Arkansas. Northwest Arkansas is pretty much the only bastion of Republicans in the state, although you can't really count Fayetteville in that. With the university here certainly adds a small Democrat/liberal voice to northwest Arkansas. Most of the Ozarks are still mainly white. Although once again the university has helped that. Senator Fulbright helped set up the program to bring many more foreign students not just to Arkansas but to American universities. But still most of the change has occured more recently with the large hispanic influx. Ironically I've heard that Tyson tried bringing Afro-Americans from southern Arkansas back in the 80's and early 90's because there were more jobs than people to fill them. I guess there was still that all-white Ozarks perception so very few were interested in coming, at least then. So Tyson ended up bringing in hispanic workers which helped launch the large influx that would occur a little later. Fayetteville is still becomming more diverse and you are starting to see Wal-mart pull in other racial groups into Benton County as well. I still wish we had some more cultural features up here. Although the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art will help that.

As far as Pine Bluff is concerned, things aren't as bad as they were for a while. But it's hard to tell if they've actually stopped the decline or merely slowed it down.

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When I lived in Norman, everyone I talked to considered Oklahoma to be southern.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well I guess maybe that seals the deal. Although I would still consider anything west of Oklahoma City to have more of a west or mid-west feel to it. But I guess there's not a large amount of the population west of Oklahoma City either.

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Hi,

I was wondering if you could maybe give a personal forum for other states in the south.

Perhaps, group Oklahoma and Arkansas (cumulative population 6.2 million).

I'm another new Arkansas user here, so first I'd like to say hi and that I look forward to talking with y'all.

I agree with Johnny's suggestion that Arkansas and other smaller states in the South receive a personal forum. I also agree that consolidation among smaller states is the only way to go.

However, there are better fits for an Arkansas board than Oklahoma. If you all don't mind my two cents, the consolidation of Oklahoma into the Texas board seems to be an agreeable combination, given the similar geographic and cultural flavor of the states.

The creation of a Mid-South board could meet the needs of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, the states that comprise the Mississippi Delta region. Traditionally, the Mid-South also includes west Tennessee (indeed Memphis is the cultural center of the region), but there is already a Tennessee forum, and the combination of three similar smaller states seems to be sizeable enough to generate the activity of a larger state's forum. I digress. There is no reason a forum should be limited to two states.

States are large and diverse things, so I'll just give a few passing thoughts about mine. Arkansas is a unique state. We have the mountainous/hilly terrain of the Ozarks in the northern part of the state, which shares a culture traditionally similar to that of Tennessee and other southern hill culture.

In the western part we have the Ouachita mountains, which are also beautiful, not to mention a geologically unique landform. The wonderful city of Hot Springs, which I see has generated some discussion on this board, is in the Ouachitas.

Southern Arkansas is the Timberlands, and is also the oil producing region of the state. The area is very similar to Northern Louisiana, and also has a tinge of East Texas to it. The three states meld into what is called the Ark-La-Tex region and culture.

The Mississippi Delta in eastern Arkansas is probably the state's largest, depending on how one classifies the regions. In fact, Arkansas has the largest portion of the Delta of any state. The problems of this region are well-documented, but it has a laid-back pace and simple beauty not found in many places. Many people first picture this region when visualizing the South. Here the fertile soils produce much of the states agriculture, including rice and cotton. [As an aside: At one point, Pine Bluff shipped more cotton than any city in America besides Memphis. The town of Stuttgart, proclaims itself the rice capital of the world, but people throughout America know it better as the duck capital of the world. This is a duck hunter's paradise, and Arkansas is the leading state in the harvesting of mallards each year.]

I realize I'm getting a bit long winded, so I'll stop here. I haven't even contributed to the great Northwest Arkansas and Central Arkansas discussion yet! Don't worry, I haven't forgotten that this is an urban board, but hey, its my first post, and I figured I'd skim over the whole state first. In short, I love both NWA and Greater LR, but I'll save this discussion for later. In the mean time, I hope y'all will consider consider my wonderfully logical suggestion on state grouping.

I welcome responses.

Tschues!

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Hello Arkansawyer, welcome to the board. I do see your point on a mid-south division. I guess a lot of it just depends on what part of the state you live in. I know people living in Ft Smith or northwest Arkansas could easily see a Arkansas-Oklahoma subforum. I believe Texas is big enough for it's own subforum. But if people wanted something like an Arkansas-Oklahoma-Louisana subforum I see no problem with that.

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This is my opinion on all of this. From my perspective, I could see an Alabama-Mississippi forum, both being one one side of the Mississippi River. And then an Arkansas-Louisiana (and perhaps Oklahoma) forum. But if it is easier to put everyone in one forum that's fine also. I guess with more states the more likely there will people people around to help keep the forum going. I don't know if there are many people from Oklahoma around, but I think they should be asked first which forum they'd like to belong to before just being lumped into Texas or the 'Mid-South' forum. I think any of us living in northwest Arkansas or Ft Smith easily identify with Oklahoma and would feel that Oklahoma fits into the group. I don't know how people in the rest of Arkansas or the other states involved think of the idea. Tulsa is actually closer to Fayetteville than Little Rock is or any other metro that would be included into this forum, with the exception of Ft Smith. I'd prefer that Oklahoma be included unless the Oklahomans would prefer to be in the Texas forum.

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2004 MSA numbers:

40 New Orleans, LA 1319589

48 Birmingham, AL 1082193

67 Baton Rouge, LA 728731

80 Little Rock, AR 636636

92 Jackson, MS 517275

119 Mobile, AL 400526

123 Fayetteville, AR 390881

127 Shreveport, LA 381817

134 Huntsville, AL 362459

135 Montgomery, AL 355181

157 Fort Smith, AR 282167

168 Gulfport-Biloxi, MS 252771

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The one thing that stands out to me is Baton Rouge. I guess I had no idea is was that large and was bigger than the Little Rock metro. Anyone have any figures on any of Oklahoma's?

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This is my opinion on all of this.  From my perspective, I could see an Alabama-Mississippi forum, both being one one side of the Mississippi River.  And then an Arkansas-Louisiana (and perhaps Oklahoma) forum.  But if it is easier to put everyone in one forum that's fine also.  I guess with more states the more likely there will people people around to help keep the forum going.  I don't know if there are many people from Oklahoma around, but I think they should be asked first which forum they'd like to belong to before just being lumped into Texas or the 'Mid-South' forum.  I think any of us living in northwest Arkansas or Ft Smith easily identify with Oklahoma and would feel that Oklahoma fits into the group.  I don't know how people in the rest of Arkansas or the other states involved think of the idea.  Tulsa is actually closer to Fayetteville than Little Rock is or any other metro  that would be included into this forum, with the exception of Ft Smith.  I'd prefer that Oklahoma be included unless the Oklahomans would prefer to be in the Texas forum.

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I think for the success of the forum, these states should start off in the same forum. After all, if the board takes off, we can always split them up, when the time comes.

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Based on the activity in this thread and the forum in general we really do need to cover the following states.

  • Oklahoma

  • Arkansas

  • Alabama

Right now I just dont see the activity from Louisanna and Mississippi so I would be hesitant to lump them in with anyone else though if we created an Alabama forum they might go there. We tried a mid south forum before and there just were no posts in it and I am very hesitant to try that approach again. So the question is what do we do with the three states I have listed? BTW, I don't want to lump anyone in with Texas.

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Really it boils down to getting dedicated forumers from these areas to participate, by constantly posting information and news, regarding their region. The three state's listed seem to have reached the level of members needed to keep a subforum, afloat.

However, I hate seeing Louisiana and Mississippi left out of this, because its a great chance to get something started with New Orleans, as well.

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I like the idea of an Arkansas-Oklahoma forum and then an Alabama with Mississippi and Louisiana if they warrant enough interest. You would hope there would be some way to get enough going with New Orleans to help. What does everyone else think?

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Well, I really think Arkansas now has enough forumers to get its own board going. Or if not, at least with Oklahoma, which seems to have fans of its own as well.

Once the board is created, it will encourage more discussion of more niche issues affecting the state. Once there's more discussion on the state, people (like ourselves) who search "Arkansas News" or the like in Google will come to this site, see the discussions, and join in. "Meet Little Rock, Arkansas" is a great thread to interest other forumers into dicussion about this metro, but a thread entitled "I-69 and its Possible Effects on the Delta" just wouldn't appeal to anybody in this forum, aside from fellow Arkansans.... Nor would random topics about the discovery of the famed Ivory-Billed Woodpecker galvanizing Eastern Arkansas development.

BTW, Mith, do you read the Arkansas Times Blog? It seems that you do... What about the Arkansas News Bureau?

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I think a couple of new forums covering the uncovered southern states would be a great way to perhaps get some more coverage of those areas on this site.

@johnnydr87-Actually the I-69 thread would have should have alot of interest in the Southern forum in general, I mean it runs through Western KY, Western TN, Mississippi, Arkansas, Texas, etc. I for one being from West TN am a big advocate of I-69. Such threads seem to get good responses at SSP and SSC no matter what forum they are posted.

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What if there was a "Deep South"subforum for Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas? Some guidebooks I see group those states together as "The Deep South".

To cover Oklahoma until it is active enough, we could add it to the Texas forum.

Make it like this:

The Deep South

Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas

And:

Texas/Oklahoma

I haven't come up with a description for them yet. What about "The Oil States"?

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What if there was a "Deep South"subforum for Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas? Some guidebooks I see group those states together as "The Deep South".

To cover Oklahoma until it is active enough, we could add it to the Texas forum.

Make it like this:

The Deep South

Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas

And:

Texas/Oklahoma

I haven't come up with a description for them yet. What about "The Oil States"?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree with you ironchapman. B)

That's exactly the layout I advocated in my previous post. The fact that Louisiana and Mississippi have little representation here is a moot point, because the forum could initially be carried by posters from Alabama and Arkansas, or others discussing the region, with the hope that more posters from LA and MS would be encouraged to post. With enough success, the board could simply be split accordingly.

I also agree with you about consolidating Oklahoma into Texas, especially since the Texas forum is the least active. Maybe the added Oklahoma posters would lead to more discussion of the great cities of Texas. I can see this working because both states are where South meets West, depend on oil, have similar geography, have their major universities in the Big XII conference, etc. However, monsoon wishes that Texas remains independent, and I respect that. Texas certainly has the potential to be one of the most active forums, given its large cities.

In the meantime, I still say go ahead with a Mid-South/Deep South forum. If there is not a satisfactory grouping to be found, I'm with johnnydr87 in saying go ahead and create independent forums for the states that could support them (apparently AL, AR, and OK). It wouldn't be a horrible scenario. The only thing disappointing about that would be that New Orleans, an essential southern city still wouldn't have a subforum.

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I personally would prefer Arkansas to have its own forum, or be grouped with a similar state. If a forum is created with 4 or so states, the states lose that individuality that comes with having its own forum. A midsouth forum, in my opinion, would be similar to the southern forum is today: too broad for niche state topics. So, for an individual forum among the southern forum, two states would pretty much be the limit before the forum becomes too loosely based to serve any purpose...

So when can we expect this new forum....? :D

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