I would hope that we would treat these funds as help for health-related problems for our citizens, not a bonanza of bucks for politicians to fund pet projects.

The best thing individual Arkansans can do is call 1-800-HELP-NOW or go to www.redcross.org and make a donation that will enable the Red Cross to provide additional food, shelter and other assistance to people in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama, ... Gov. (Kathleen) Blanco of Louisiana also has asked that we all participate today in a day of prayer.

The health care system is really designed to reward you for being unhealthy. If you are a healthy person and work hard to be healthy, there are no benefits.

One thing governors feel, Democrats and Republicans alike, is that we have a health care system that, if you're on Medicaid, you have unlimited access to health care, at unlimited levels, at no cost. No wonder it's running away.

Now, have I ever been tempted to break into a Krispy Kreme doughnut store in the middle of the night? Oh, yeah. God help us if I had a minibar stocked with cheesecake and chicken-fried steak.

They (health advocates) raise valid concerns and help us anticipate problems. We're very concerned about (these groups) and are making sure they transition without any problems.