Brumment has it right here. When it comes to the General Improvement Fund (GIF) and those impressive surplus dollars, the Senate Brotherhood’s main focus will be “what’s in it for me”. Looks like this session is gonna be brutal and pretty much dashes my hopes of addressing the facilities part of Lakeview. Let’s hope that Governor Beebe can herd these kittens in and convince them that the state’s needs as whole should come first. Maybe some required reading might help - see Lakeview opinion.

 This Brotherhood is an odd but mutually back-scratching coalition comprising rural Democrats, urban African-Americans and all the Senate Republicans except the best, Bisbee.

If the Brotherhood has any altruistic motivation, it’s that members may honestly believe that their way is fair. They also may honestly believe their local legislative districts deserve an equal distribution of money.

Some of them will tell you that their constituents prefer a community center, fire equipment or improved sidewalks to a break on their sales taxes at the grocery store.

They’re wrong about any wisdom or justice in an equal distribution for local pork. State capital needs do not fall equally around the state. But, if the Brotherhood senators are wrong about what their constituents prefer, only their constituents can tell them.