Our state's unemployment rate rose one-tenth of a percentage point in August to 8.3 percent.

While not unexpected given that August reports typically rise or stay flat due to seasonal employment coming to an end, it is troubling because it marks the fourth straight month of higher unemployment rates in Arkansas.

The President outlined his plan in a speech before Congress last week and has been traveling the country to sell it to the American people.  But many Americans have their doubts that this plan will work. I am among them. 

Clearly the President's first "Stimulus" did not work and, as we learn more about this plan, it seems to be an attempt to double-down on this approach.

Long-term job creation comes from the private sector, not by increasing government spending.  We cannot, tax, spend and borrow our way to prosperity.

To encourage investment in small business, the heart of our nation’s economy, we need to provide business owners and investors with the predictability they need to make sound investment decisions.  In order to accomplish this we need to rein in federal spending, reform our tax code, reduce regulatory burdens imposed by government agencies, increase exports by passing pending free trade agreements and create a new energy policy that allows us to use American resources and make us less dependent on foreign oil.

Let's put Americans back to work by taking this commonsense approach to job creation.