Little Rock told Amazon it wouldn’t be applying as a site for a new headquarters in a full-page ad published in this morning’s Washington Post, Page 7A.

It can be found on a website apparently built by the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce. It says all those new employees would be a “bummer,” given our current light traffic. Our transit options fit the city perfectly, it said. We’re irresistible to others, the ad says, and adds:

“If another expansion opportunity comes up and you’re ready to join the visionaries, dreamers, romantics and the idealists who know that bigger isn’t always better, give us a call. We would love to find a way to make “us” work out.”

This is called making lemonade. But why did Mayor Mark Stodola make a to-do about going after Amazon if he wasn’t? Apart from an election next year, that is. Anybody with any sense knew that it was a bridge too far for Arkansas, which isn’t to say, as the chamber means to emphasize, that other perfectly fine businesses are out of reach. Nor is it to say we don’t have much to offer. But being realistic counts, too.


The news today is that Little Rock now has what Mayor Stodola called a “social media war room” pumping out positive stuff 24/7 about Little Rock via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and so forth. Still awaiting details on cost. That’s some tech development for somebody, anyway. Lance Turner at Arkansas Business says Stone Ward turned out the campaign structure in nine days, pro bono.

The website rounds up the many reasons to love LR.


The full text of the letter in the Post, chosen because it’s owned by the guy, Jeff Bezos, who owns Amazon.